Blaccent

Ginuwine Responds To Britney Spears’ Justin Timberlake “Blaccent” Allegations

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Back in October, Britney Spears released her eagerly-anticipated memoir, The Woman In Me. The book contains various previously untold stories, including accounts of her career, relationships, and more. She shares a lot about her former public relationship with Justin Timberlake in the book, even once accusing him of using a “blaccent” when chatting with Ginwuine.

“Sometimes, I think they tried too hard to fit in,” Spears wrote of NSYNC. “One day, J and I were in New York going to parts of town I’d never been to before. Walking our way was a guy with a huge blinged-out medallion. He was flanked by two giant security guards. J got all excited and said so loud, ‘Oh yeah, fo shizz, fo shizz. Ginuwine! What’s up, homie?’” she alleges.

Read More: Ginuwine Reveals His Workout Routine And Shows Off His Progress After Two Weeks

Britney Spears Accuses Justin Timberlake Of Using “Blaccent”

For obvious reasons, her story got social media users talking. It managed to invoke plenty of secondhand embarrassment, with countless commenters calling it disrespectful and strange. During a recent interview with PEOPLE, however, Ginuwine addressed Spears’ story, claiming that he personally doesn’t remember it. “Yeah, yeah, I definitely heard about it. People were calling about that. But I can tell you I don’t remember that happening. I truly don’t remember that happening.” According to him, if it had actually happened, he would have remembered it. “If Justin would’ve did something like that, I probably would’ve looked at him like, ‘Why are you acting like that?’” he says. “If he did that, that would be something that I would remember. That would’ve definitely stuck out. So nah, I don’t remember that happening.”

While it’s possible that Spears simply remembers something that Ginuwine doesn’t, it seems as though her recollection might’ve been incorrect. What do you think of Britney Spears accusing Justin Timberlake of using a “blaccent” when speaking to Ginuwine? What about Ginuwine denying her claims? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Ginuwine Discusses His Strained Relationship With Aaliyah

[Via]

The post Ginuwine Responds To Britney Spears’ Justin Timberlake “Blaccent” Allegations appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Awkwafina Addressed The Controversy Over Her ‘Blaccent’ In Films Before Retiring From Twitter

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Last fall, the usually very articulate Awkwafina struggled to answer a question about perhaps the only controversial thing about her: her use of what’s been dubbed a “blaccent.” In movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8, the actress and rapper partook in the sketchy tradition wherein non-Black people adopt a stereotypical Black voice. Now, a handful of years later, she’s finally addressing it.

In a lengthy statement dropped on her Twitter feed Saturday morning, Awkwafina began by addressing the “historical context of the African American community in this country.” She wrote about how “a group that is disproportionately affected by institutionalized policies and law enforcement policies – all the while having historically and routinely seen their culture stolen, exploited and appropriated by the *dominant* culture for monetary gain without acknowledgment nor respect for where those roots come from.”

Awkwafina then tried to clarify her position in all this. “But as a non-Black POC, I stand by the fact that I will always listen and work tirelessly to understand the history and context of AAVE [African American Vernacular English], what is deemed appropriate or backwards toward the progress of ANY and EVERY marginalized group,” she wrote. “But I must emphasize: To mock, belittle, or to be unkind in any way possible at the expense of others is: Simply. Not. My. Nature. It never has, and it never was.”

She continued:

“My immigrant background allowed me to carve an American identity off the movies and TV shows I watched, the children I went to public school with, and my undying love and respect for hip hop. I think as a group, Asian Americans are still trying to figure out what that journey means for them – what is correct and where they don’t belong. And though I’m still learning and doing that personal work, I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my career doing nothing but uplifting our communities. We do this first by failing, learning, acknowledging, hearing and empathizing… And I will continue, tirelessly, to do just that,”

A couple hours later, Awkwafina returned with another announcement. “”Well, I’ll see you in a few years, Twitter – per my therapist,” she wrote. “To my fans, thank you for continuing to love and support someone who wishes they could be a better person for you. I apologize if I ever fell short, in anything I did. You’re in my heart always.”

She then clarified that she was not retiring from the entertainment industry, just from the “ingrown toenail that is Twitter,” and that she will “avail” herself “on all other socials that don’t tell you to kill yourself!”

So we’ll be hearing from Awkwafina again, and we don’t mean a postcard.

(Via People)

Awkwafina Struggled To Answer A Question About Her Using A ‘Blaccent’ In Films

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Awkwafina has one of the most unlikely success stories in Hollywood, and her representation in both music and the film world has been an important step forward. But that doesn’t necessarily mean she hasn’t made missteps of her own within the comedic and accent work she’s employed in the past. In particular, the rapper and actress has faced criticism in the past for using a “blaccent,” or the current cultural shorthand for when non-Black people adopted a Black voice.

In both of her biggest films, Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8, Awkwafina has, at times, used what could qualify as a “blaccent,” and alongside that, accusations of cultural appropriation have risen as well. Though Awkwafina hasn’t spoken on the subject in the past, In the press cycle for her new movie, Shang-Chi, she was asked point blank about the topic. In her answer, she seemed to struggle to actually address the question, or whether she considered her past work appropriation. “Um, you know, I’m open to the conversation,” she began. “I think it, you know, it’s really something that is a little bit multi-faceted and layered, and so yeah.”

While that isn’t really a conversation itself, being open to it is potentially a start. To learn more about issues like the use of a blaccent and cultural appropriation, read Lauren Michele Jackson’s 2018 piece “Who Really Owns the Blaccent” for Vulture right here.