The Washington Post’s Jenn M. Jackson has had enough of people praising Bruno Mars and is accusing the singer of appropriating black culture and funk music for financial gain.
Before the “24K Magic” singer even took the stage at the 2017 BET Awards Sunday night, Jackson fired off a tweet criticizing the musician for appropriation and launched into a full-on rant when other Twitter users reacted.
“I really need y’all to stop with this Bruno Mars praise and be more critical about the ways we understand appropriation,” Jackson began.
I really need y’all to stop with this Bruno Mars praise and be more critical about the ways we understand appropriation.
— Jenn M. Jackson (@JennMJack) June 25, 2017
“Bruno Mars does not identify as black. Let’s get that clear at the outset,” she clarified. “He is a non-Black person of color (POC) who has recently decided that singing Funk music is economically productive.”
These claims that Bruno Mars is “bringing Funk back” are erasive to Black Funk artists who pioneered the tradition. FUNK. NEVER. LEFT.
— Jenn M. Jackson (@JennMJack) June 25, 2017
Jackson then criticized fans under the belief that Mars is simply reviving a genre that has faded from the musical spotlight over the past few decades.
“These claims that Bruno Mars is ‘bringing funk back’ are erasive to Black Funk artists who pioneered the tradition. FUNK. NEVER. LEFT.”
“Yes, he gives ‘credit’ to funk artists on occasion. He also has a primarily white audience which has no memory or care for black artists,” Jackson argued. “In Bruno’s case ‘brining Funk back’ essentially means, ‘Funk was a Black thing and now I give it to white people.’ That’s appropriation.”
I need us to stop relaxing our critical lens to anti-Blackness and appropriation when it is a non-Black POC harming us.
— Jenn M. Jackson (@JennMJack) June 25, 2017
Jackson continued to argue with other Twitter users throughout the awards show and on into the next day defending her opinion.
Listen, you can like Bruno Mars’s music and still be critical about how his role in the industry erases Black people. Then and now.
— Jenn M. Jackson (@JennMJack) June 25, 2017
“Taking our shit and repackaging it for white people is not innovation. Even if these non-Black ppl sing well, it’s appropriation. Period.”
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