JT, They Could Never Make Me Hate You!
Female rap talent has skyrocketed in the past five years, far beyond what anyone has seen in the past two decades. So many multifaceted women carry such individual flow, style, and creative direction. The industry greats now have company, and they have inspired a new generation of potential legends: Megan, The City Girls, Doechi, Cardi, Flo Milli, and the list goes on. All of these women built their influence from the ground up, and they’re getting invites to the biggest shows of the year, appearing at countless shows this Fashion Month. There are two things Black female rappers were slighted on in the past: being dressed by top designers and having their decades-long hold over the fashion industry highly overlooked.
Hip-hop is one of the most influential genres of music in fashion. From Kanye to Pharrell, many rappers are recognized as the founding fathers of the streetwear genre and reign over countless Pinterest boards to this day. But as much weight of individuality Black girl rap carries on its backs for famous houses, the more these rappers seem to be forgotten about when getting credit. Icons like Lil Kim began merging the gap between hip-hop and high fashion houses after developing close relationships with upscale designers who had never previously worked with rappers.
“Hood Fashion'' and its impact has been displayed all across fashion and pop culture– procreating countless trends like baggy jeans, long nails, chunky gold jewelry, grills, etc. Yet others have mocked it when worn on the bodies that birthed the culture, all while simultaneously plaguing the Black community with dangerous stereotypes. But why is it that when Black women, specifically dark-skinned ones with solid features, want to explore other mediums of fashion that involve editorial, high fashion influence, it is suddenly considered weird? All while others applaud this with women that have Eurocentric features? Let’s unpack it.
A perfect recent example of this behavior was seen in the Twitter backlash Jatavia Johnson, or “JT,” from the City Girls received. She has been experimenting (and succeeding) in serving new editorial shoots, high fashion looks, and campaigns. JT starred in Mowalola’s Beats by Dre Headphone Collaboration campaign earlier this month, which carried stunning futuristic elements. Adorning a vibrant extension cord-like wig and a dark bold lip, JT shows her versatility proudly.
Image Courtesy: BeatsbyDre & Mowalola / @hugocomte
But Black Twitter accused her of falling into the dark side in Hollywood, causing her to act “scary.” JT went on to respond to the backlash on Instagram live stream, calling out trolls:
“Y’all don’t got no range. Let’s start there…” said Johnson. “Y’all care too much about what other b**ches think.”
The Florida-raised rapper’s cutthroat reply was enough for all critics to get the hint: stop policing what fly Black girl creatives wear! The creative restriction they have had to endure has gone on long enough. Black male rappers like A$AP Rocky are praised for stepping out of the norm, so why should the energy shift to rap girls, who also have a massive influence on the current trend climate?
Mirroring Lil Kim, who has also faced backlash for eccentric fashion decisions, JT has publicly shared her struggles from a low-income background and how she worked hard to make her dreams a reality. She has openly expressed the privilege it is to invest in her style and her dream of being selected for a high fashion campaign like Mowalola. She previously became an ambassador for Poster Girl and has been spotted throughout the year wearing the most eccentric brands like Rick Owens, John Paul Gaultier, and Area.
Black artists have fought hard enough to get the recognition of Hollywood; they shouldn't have to fight for the acceptance of their community. Why do we always expect female rappers to dress how they rap? Projecting labels onto Black female rappers due to their upbringing only feeds a growing bias on the race entirely. Black female rappers from all backgrounds deserve a right to showcase their creative expression unapologetically. Including the women we have boxed in without realizing!
Strike Out
Gael Lynn Laguerre
Boca Raton
Gael-Lynn Laguerre is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She’s a textbook Aquarius: hyper-independent but also super hot. In her free time, she enjoys online shopping, writing sad poetry, and oversharing on Twitter. You can reach her by lgaellynn@gmail.com or Instagram @gael.lynn
