Spice Criticized Over Meghan Markle Comments, Sevana Defends The Dancehall Queen: “Let Her Talk”
It seems Dancehall Queen Spice can’t catch a break on social media these days, with several fans advising that she should ‘stay off her phone’ after she commented on Meghan Markle’s recent interview. Upon seeing the backlash, Jamaican singer Sevana came to the Black Hypocrisy singer’s defense, arguing that Spice should be able to speak her truth regardless of the time or place.
Like many, the Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star had some feelings to unpack after the Oprah Winfrey interview, over the weekend, with former actress Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex of the British Royal family.
In what has become a highlight of the interview, Meghan told Oprah that members of the British Royal family expressed concern to her husband, Prince Harry, about the potential skin color of the couple’s first child. Markle, an American who is of African descent, said that while she was pregnant with son Archie, unidentified royals had “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born” but refrained from revealing exactly who these individuals were. “I think that would be very damaging to them,” she said.
Ultimately, this among other motives led to the couple’s break from the Royal family. Harry said he has been cut off financially from his family since the first quarter of 2020, and is dependent on the inheritance left to him by his mother, the late Princess Diana, according to the Telegraph and People Magazine.
Appalled at the details of Meghan and Harry’s disclosure, Spice took to Instagram to lament her distaste for racism, colorism, and discrimination against Black people.
On The Tropixs, she commented, “And Meghan is a lighter skin tone than I am so just imagine what I’ve been through along withall the other dark skin women within today’s society SMH.”
On The Shade Room, she commented again, “Imagine these words coming from Meghan who’s a lighter shade than I am and you can only imagine what I went through,” with the hashtag #blackhypocrisy, the name of her 2018 song.
It wasn’t too long after that her comments made their way over on Twitter to open up the discussions further.
Many were quick to point out that, well… Spice makes everything about her, and is apparently very insecure about her own skin color. “Spice is insecure and is uncomfortable in her own body …. she hate her self enuh she wish she was lighter …. see with her this is just gonna be a spice things when it comes down to color,” said one Twitter user.
Umm Miss girl not everything is about you. pic.twitter.com/4bbRxUUZjH
— Tavoy Chan-Campbell (@Tavoychan_) March 8, 2021
Others dismissed Spice’s comment, like this Twitter user who said, “It’s just low self esteem …. I’m sure she means no harm …. she need therapy. She need to talk to someone.”
“She probably is insecure..I imagine she’s been reminded of her dark skin tone all her life. Even when she’s being complimented it’s ‘Spice pretty for a black girl’,” added another.
Last week, Spice had mistakenly called out French cosmetics and skincare company, NARS Cosmetics over the branding of one of their darker-toned foundations. Her comments on the Meghan Markle interview simply gave several others the opportunity to namedrop the ‘All Spice’ nickname at the deejay’s expense once again. “Tell uno sey all purpose seasoning try be inna everything,” one user quipped. “Not only does Spice affi be inna everything, she must also embarrass herself,” another tweeted.
“Spice has spoken at length about colourism in the Black community so I imagine this topic is sensitive to her. But Meghan married into a white racist family so idk how Spice’s example applies here,” said another user.
Other fans held the position that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Spice had said.
Twiter user, ishenarobinson, wrote “Jamaicans trashing Spice for responding to Meghan’s story by reflecting on what she’s experienced as a much darker woman. Lawd we have a long way to go. Mi tired. Our issues are so deeply tied up with a reverence for colonialism and an addiction to colorism.”
“It’s easier for Jamaicans to empathize with Meghan because she is light-skinned. It’s easier for them to mock Spice because nuff of our own families question how dark our children will turn out, how straight their nose will be, how ‘pretty’ their hair will be,” she added.
Another user, @BijouxFleurette, said “Shame on West Indians for trying to insult/shut up dancehall singer Spice. She stated (just like everyone else) that if treatment is so bad for someone as light as Meghan Markle imagine how bad it is for people with deep dark skin like Spice. And u bums attacked her.”
Sevana
Jamaican songbird Sevana also jumped in to defend Spice, saying in a Tweet, “I need all the lightskins to stfu about Spice, immediately.”
“I would investigate that Spice feels muted and this is why she is being loud at every opportunity. Let her talk. Idgaf if it mek sense to unu,” the Nobody Man singer added.
Twitter user, skinglo_afro, responded, “Sevana I love yuh music, please don’t do that nobody was denying colurism exists. Spice had one hell of a point, however the conversation wasn’t surrounding colourism it was purely racism the mother of anti-blackness.”
Sevana argued that colourism and racism cannot be separated “given the historical evidence.”
She continued, “What I see is that Spice didn’t get a shade name right and her intelligence immediately called into question and dismissed. She went on to highlight that her experiences are 10x worse vs Meghan as a dark-skinned black woman and was told to be quiet because it’s not the right space and time.”
“These are the same reasons anti-black movements have used to silence and gloss over issues surrounding racism and colorism. As a dark skinned black woman myself, it hits home to see her voice being quieted. What’s more important here, the delivery or the message? I think we have to maintain that no matter how it is expressed we should give some consideration and compassion to dark skinned black women when we speak about what hurts us.”
One user responded to Sevana saying, “People are not dismissing this. The core problem is that what Spice did was like if you came to someone telling them you just got stabbed, and instead of being empathetic to YOUR situation, they just turn around and tell you they got shot. It’s an invalidation technique.”
“I really would agree with you if Spice were the archetype of privilege,” Sevana responded.
One popular tweet from @esthergbenz, posited that “Colourism is what allowed Meghan to marry into the Royal Family and anti-black racism is what forced her out of it. That’s the nuance you’re looking for.”
Colourism is what allowed Meghan to marry into the Royal Family and anti-black racism is what forced her out of it. That’s the nuance you’re looking for.
— skeng’sther. (@esthergbenz) March 8, 2021
Meanwhile, though she was feeling a little under the weather today, Spice hopped onto Instagram Live to thank fans for their support on the official video for Frenz, which is the lead single off her upcoming album, TEN. Frenz is still trending in Jamaica at the No. 4 spot on YouTube with over 2 million views, after 10 days at No. 1.
Spice is also gearing up for the release of what she says will be a “major, historic” collaboration with Sean Paul and Shaggy, which she has lined up for the album.