After Akon shared a sizzling take that pit totally different members of the Black neighborhood in opposition to one another, numerous individuals—together with former TMZ co-host Van Lathan—are going in on him!
Akon Says Africans & Black Americans Are Built Different
It all began throughout a latest look on The Zeze Millz Show as Akon and the host had been discussing a Ghanian artist known as Black Sherif.
After Zeze praised Black Sherif’s stage presence, Akon opened up a can of worms by evaluating African expertise to Black American performers.
“Well, he’s African. we’re a lil different when it comes to stage presence. Now in America, them n***as gonna be wobblin’, pants hangin’ half down, bored as hell half asleep ’cause they high as hell onstage.”
He then introduced up viral movies of African youngsters displaying out with their strikes, alleging, “For us, it comes natural.”
Akon explains why Africans are extra proficient and higher performers than Black Americans pic.twitter.com/YlXah9KxF2
— CultureMillennials (@CultMillennials) December 25, 2022
The Online Discourse Begins
Understandably, Akon’s commentary sparked a ton of backlash. Check out what some Twitter customers needed to say concerning the “Right Now (Na Na Na)” artist down under.
Akon cosplayed as a black American for almost all of his profession so him saying that is wild. Let the Black Americans cook dinner him (with out xenophobia pls) https://t.co/XZruUgTGvx
— Lateef (@LateefSaka) December 26, 2022
As a Ghanaian-American, I hate this with each fiber of my physique for therefore many causes, however what actually will get me about this whole “dialog” is Akon utilizing AAVE whereas degrading African-Americans.
It is each a slap within the face and peak anti-Blackness. https://t.co/56sPlAWN7Z
— Anna Gifty (@itsafronomics) December 26, 2022
Akon got here to America
And acted like a black American
Doing black American music
Talking in black American slang
Wearing black American garments
Gettin large options from
black Americans artist
But as soon as he received wealthy
It’s been fuck black America
in each single interview lol https://t.co/yGeP3ZSPrQ— MASTER STUDENT🤲🏾 (@MUSICANDBUILDS) December 26, 2022
Imagine having a critique on African Americans being worst than Africans however having 6 children in America that you simply refuse to take part of their lives as a result of it’s white individuals shit whereas truly being born in Missouri as an African-American. The jokes write themselves @Akon. https://t.co/qAFxutiitV
— 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐲𝐚𝐰 (@justxhenry) December 26, 2022
Aside from stepping into on Akon, individuals had been additionally clowning the validity of his statements.
This is the “stage presence” @Akon was speaking about.🤨 pic.twitter.com/cbX9fO5ro9
— FLUCK BELENCIAGA 🇺🇸 (@ctreid89) December 27, 2022
Idk why y’all entertaining Akon when Motown’s catalog alone is extra proficient than all the continent 🤷🏿♂️
— Marcus 🇺🇲 (@Jigsawbanks) December 26, 2022
Is this extra of that “natural stage presence” that Akon was attempting to inform FBAs about? pic.twitter.com/jcopddK9pI
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) December 27, 2022
Van Lathan Speaks His Mind & Calls Akon Out
As the backlash continued, Van Lathan got here via with a response of his personal.
Beneath a repost of the video in query, Van went in on Akon by saying that he’s “been on his clown s**t for years.” Van then went into breaking down how proud he’s of his Black American heritage, which he’s “sick of seeing people s**t on.”
“I’m Black. Like Black American Black. Like South Louisiana bayou bondage Black. Like my father was raised by Bishop and Lizzie Lathan Black. The kind of Black where you grow up around old people with scarred souls who tell you about everyone who died and everyone who lived so you could sit down and drink a soda on a Saturday. The type of Black where you understand the beauty and the danger of your skin from the beginning, because the old people want you know what they been through. Real talk, I’m sick of seeing people s**t on that.”
He additionally went into how Akon’s commentary sparks a really actual worry about how, regardless of individuals “like Akon” who “cosplay” as Black Americans, there might not be true unity between the communities.
“When you single out Black Americans for criticism, the ones who have culturally empowered the entire diaspora, you’re s****ing an entire experience I feel connected to by birthright. This seems to be happening more now, why? Why do people who’ve like Akon, who’ve made millions of dollars cosplaying like brothers from Atlanta or Miami feel the need to tear into us specifically? There’s this fear that I have, that fear is that there is no diaspora. That fear is that Black Americans are to other Black people worldwide what we’ve always been here, workhorses used to plow through and build something for someone else, who then eats off it, before turning around and shooting the horse in the head.”
He then proceeded to wrap up his statements by going for Akon’s infamous hairline, which he achieved via a hair transplant surgical procedure in Turkey, as The Shade Room beforehand reported.
“That might be irrational, but I’m insecure. I’m as insecure as Akon must be to have strapped a PS5 to his head and called it hair.”
Beneath his submit, Van obtained help from different stars like Loni Love and Neil Brown Jr. Civil rights activists like Gary Chambers Jr., Shaun King, and Leslie E. Redmond additionally chimed in.
As for Akon, it doesn’t seem as if he’s publicly acknowledged the backlash.
What do you consider Akon’s feedback, in addition to Van Lathan’s response?