By Saniyah Ikard
Tick tock! The countdown to TigerFest is approaching, and Towson University is hosting none other than Sexxy Red. For about the past year, Sexxy Red has been blowing up. She’s been dropping tracks and features that have dominated the party and college scene, even consistently charting on Billboard’s Hot 100, Top Hip/Hop and R&B and TikTok Top 50. But amid all of her success, she’s perceived as extremely controversial.
Sexxy Red, undoubtedly riding on the wave of sexual liberation of women’s music, takes a similar perspective as the other young female rappers in her genre. Young female rap artists take a more hyper-sexual take, and make music about sexuality for their perception of women’s empowerment. However, the Black community, specifically Black women, are constantly trying to fight the allegations that we are too “loud” or “raunchy.” Yet Sexxy Red has found a way to capitalize on those stereotypes on the global stage. And obviously, it doesn’t bare the best for the positive representation of black women and black people as a whole. There are definitely some questionable actions, one that comes to mind is her pending lip gloss line. She claims that the names for the flavors are based on her song “Pound Town,”… and let’s just say they aren’t family-friendly. She definitely can be distasteful at times, and if we’re being serious, Sexxy Red is poor representation of Black culture in the media if we want to avoid harmful generalist stereotypes against our community. But then why is she so famous and popular?
Because she went viral! People thought she was funny and raw. And what a lot of people refuse to admit is that Sexxy Red is famous because she chooses to be real. She’s from an urban area, and instead of pretending that she’s not, she embraces that side of herself and puts it in her music. She’s prideful of her St. Louis roots and is a product of her environment. People think she can be relatable and unfiltered, and she’s not just a hit with people online, she’s a big hit with celebrities! She’s always going viral with Drake, SZA, Ice Spice, and others. In 2024, it’s all about going viral! A little charisma and a few million likes is one way to become a big celebrity. Just look at how social media has influenced the music and entertainment landscape! Sexxy Red is just one of the many internet-born stars!
Raunchy lyrics in Black music, specifically rap, are nothing new. It started decades ago with male rappers of that time, and since then, it’s become normal for rap music to grow increasingly violent or sexual. Anyone who listens to male rap music where rappers glorify gang culture, money, drugs, and women shouldn’t have an issue with Sexxy Red. She’s just a product of current rap culture. And what’s really worse: music about sex or music glorifying going to jail for a crime? I’ll wait…
In addition, constantly attempting to combat racist stereotypes can do nothing but add pressure on Black people and drag them down! Maybe we have to stop expecting all Black celebrities to be respectable role models and outstanding representatives of the entire community all the time. As a community, it’s our job to acknowledge and celebrate our differences instead of further dividing ourselves. On that same note, we should also have to be accountable and recognize when we’re harming our people. The answer for the Black community is always unity!