Dominican hip-hop artist Amara La Negra has become Love & Hip Hop: Miami's breakout star!
Fiercely strutting into the VH1 reality show's premiere, she immediately caused a much-needed conversation about diversity within the Latinx community.
In a much-discussed clip, producer Young Hollywood met with La Negra talk about making a song together and helping her career evolve.
In the clip, Hollywood told La Negra that to be successful, she needed to "look a little bit more Beyoncé and a little less Macy Gray."
He went on to call her a "Nutella queen," and said that she didn't fit the music industry's standard of a "cookie cutter poster child."
La Negra rightfully clapped back at the producer's claims that she couldn't be "elegant" because she had an afro, and eloquently reminded him that her hair and dark skin don't make her any less Latina.
"All the girls look like J-Lo or Sophia Vergara or Shakira … where are the girls that look like me?" she asked, reminding him that there are many, many, many Latinx people that look like her, and that they deserve to be represented in the arts as much as lighter skinned people do.
Black Twitter was quick to express its disgust with what one user described as Young Hollywood's "gaslighting 101:"
I talk about gaslighting a lot because I constantly deal with people trying to make me rethink/question my own reality. This interaction with Amara La Negra is Gaslighting 101. Watch how attacked her ethnicity and then called her psychotic https://t.co/LskZ4hbfAe— Girl Davis (@Thatgirldavis) January 2, 2018
Scary thing is, millions of people live in his delusional and share his bigoted opinions. It’s frightening
— Girl Davis (@Thatgirldavis) January 2, 2018
"More Beyoncé, less Macy Gray" WTF this dude is over.
— lookitsanegro (@DitchThaBitch) January 2, 2018
That fact that y’all let this man say this to Amara La Negra about her Afro & still let him on the show pisses me off. Like y’all not serious. He doesn’t deserve to be on the show at all. His comments were beyond disrespectful. I ain’t even Latina & I’m pissed off #lhhmia
pic.twitter.com/x5YrjKnZfP— Mzs Siyck Wid-It???????? (@MzsSiyckWidIt) January 2, 2018
Young Hollywood made it seem like Amara La Negra having an Afro and dark skin was too “intense and aggressive,” and then when Amara responded be called her crazy. How he treated her exactly how Black ppl are treated like in white spaces. #LHHMIA
— ???? (@MJStarLover) January 2, 2018
Black Twitter assembling to ride for Amara La Negra when someone says some ignorant mess, whether we're Latino or not. #LHHMIA
pic.twitter.com/TjSx10PKuM— Isha Thorpe (@IshaThorpe) January 2, 2018
And many used this opportunity to show their support for La Negra and Latinx people with darker skin tones:
Amara La Negra.
Not only Black.
Not Only Latina.
Not Only Rocks A Fro.
But also Dominican.Also, uses “Negra” instead of “Morena”
Your fave could NEVER!#lhhmia
— Casey Parris-Daley (@MyDaleyVibes) January 2, 2018
I appreciate Amara La Negra and her love for her African heritage. Some Latinxs act like they weren’t dropped off first on the slave trade from West Africa.
— Maxwell. (@Notorious_MAX) January 2, 2018
We haven’t had an Afro-Latina go mainstream in YEARS since la Cubana, Celia Cruz… I hope Amara La Negra makes it big like Cardi B . She’s so talented and she’d open the doors to show the uneducated and racist that Latinas come in ALL shades #LHHMIA
pic.twitter.com/NRTtxaCrz3— ً (@yoncesfentyy) January 2, 2018
afro latinas are slept on, i'm glad Amara La Negra is getting her shine
— Yung Castor Oil (@Legendbybirth) January 3, 2018
No but look at how beautiful Amara La Negra is ☹️???? pic.twitter.com/EYKjv1olLc
— elexus jionde (@Lexual__) January 3, 2018
Confession: the ONLY reason I'm tuning into #loveandhiphop Miami is to scope out this feast for the eyes: "Amara La Negra"– excited for the dialogue her mere presence as a proud Afro-Latina is going to spark re: colorism. She is a goddess. pic.twitter.com/PD6zIClaqD
— ＮＩＫＹＡＴＵ (@Nikyatu) December 31, 2017
La Negra thanked all of those that offered their support online:
For so many years i felt alone fighting to be understood by many and never in a thousand years would i have imagine to have soo much support! Omg! Im about to cry! Thank yoh guys soooo much!
— A M A R A (@AmaraLaNegraALN) January 2, 2018
And then got the last laugh! According to Billboard, the artist landed a multi-album deal with Fast Life Entertainment Worldwide and BMG this week!
( AMARA LA NEGRA SIGNS A MULTI MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT WITH BMG) Hard Work Pays Off! Don’t Let Anyone Put you down! Work hard for what you want because it won’t come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind pic.twitter.com/daWl3LbEtM
— A M A R A (@AmaraLaNegraALN) January 3, 2018
Congrats, Amara La Negra!
