Greetings, everyone!. Today, I’d like to delve into a few noteworthy topics. Let’s begin with the recent controversy swirling around Michael B. Jordan and his newly launched rum. Some Trinidadians have voiced strong objections to his choice of name for the brand, “Juve.” For those unfamiliar, Juve holds profound significance as a carnival tradition deeply rooted in Trinidad and Tobago and various Caribbean regions. Its cultural importance cannot be overstated.
Delving into its historical roots, Juve traces back to the era of slavery when French colonizers settled in Trinidad. Denied participation in the masquerade balls and festivities held by their oppressors, slaves ingeniously crafted their own celebrations steeped in African rituals, music, and folklore. Over time, these grassroots gatherings evolved into the vibrant carnival festivities we recognize today.
Further exploring this rich history, in the early 1800s, Trinidad and Tobago fell under British rule, exacerbating the scourge of slavery fueled by the abhorrent practice of slave trading. African slaves were forcibly brought to toil in the sugar cane fields, enduring cruel mockery from their masters. Yet, upon emancipation in 1838, the formerly enslaved reclaimed agency over these gatherings, giving rise to the Camboulay. During this pivotal event, they defiantly mimicked their former oppressors while symbolically burning cane, commemorating the arduous labor endured in the charred fields of their bondage. This act of burning cane not only signified their liberation but also served as a potent assertion of their newfound freedom from the shackles of exploitation. It was a poignant reclaiming of dignity and autonomy, a resounding testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
The British authorities viewed these celebrations as a threat, and they attempted to suppress the gatherings, which did end up leading to physical clashes and riots between 1881 and 1884. So today, Trinidadians observe and re-enact those riots and reflect on how their people suffered for simply celebrating their emancipation.
Camboulay is an important part of the Trinidadian carnival, and the carnival can’t start without it. And also, J’ouvert evolved from those Camboulay festivals. So as you can see, this tradition is very meaningful to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and everybody can celebrate it. J’ouvert is celebrated in various countries, especially in the islands, but this is not the type of festival that you capitalize off of. And this is why Michael B. Jordan got a lot of flack. His intentions seemed to be in the right place, but something that culturally significant shouldn’t be trademarked for a rum company. That’s like a non-African American naming their vodka Juneteenth. That would be offensive because Juneteenth is a significant holiday that commemorates the emancipation of slaves in America. So it wouldn’t be right for anyone who’s not Black American to capitalize off of Juneteenth and trademark it. So therefore, it’s not right for people who aren’t Trini to capitalize off of J’ouvert.
And once again, I don’t believe Michael’s intentions were bad, but he did get tons of backlash. And Nicki Minaj, who is Trini herself, even spoke up and said, “I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean people would find offensive, but now that you are aware, change the name and continue to flourish and prosper.” Once Nicki Minaj brought attention to this, that’s when Michael issued a statement, and I’m sure he and his team were planning on addressing this. But once Nicki spoke up about it, it really put the pressure on them to respond. So that kind of shows how powerful Nicki’s influence is. But this is what Michael said, “I just want to say, on behalf of myself and my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture we love and respect and hope to celebrate and shine a positive light on. Last few days has been a lot of listening, a lot of learning, and engaging in countless community conversations. We hear you. I hear you. And want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize and look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of.” So that was Michael’s statement, and I’m glad he addressed the situation, and I’m glad that he’s actually taking steps to rename it. And I’m sure that process is not easy at all, but Michael really cares about what people think, and I’m sure Trinidadians everywhere appreciate the fact that he cares. And I think the controversy surrounding his new rum will actually draw in more publicity for him when he finally does rename it. So in the end, I feel it will all work out for him.
Now, on to the next topic I want to briefly talk about: the artist T-Pain. Now, recently, there was a clip that went viral from this show on Netflix called “This is Pop”, and T-Pain actually revealed on this show that Usher sent him into a depression because he told him that he ruined music. Now, T-Pain has been dubbed as the auto-tuned singer. He made auto-tune very popular in R&B and hip-hop music around the 2000s. And even though T-Pain was not the originator of auto-tune, he made it a huge thing in music.
T-Pain is already a great producer, and he could sing really well, but him using the auto-tune just added some extra sauce on his sound, and it became somewhat of a phenomenon around that era. And I will say, T-Pain is one of the artists that really set the foundation for the melodic rap that we hear today. Before rappers started singing, a lot of them hired T-Pain to do hooks on their songs. And after a while, rappers like Kanye West started using auto-tune, and Kanye’s album “808s and Heartbreaks” actually inspired a whole generation of rappers to start singing and using auto-tune. And Kanye took some inspiration from T-Pain’s first album, “Rapper Turnt Senga”. So, T-Pain actually helped lay the foundation for a lot of the sounds that we hear today.
And there were some people in music that really liked his sound. Like I said, Kanye West was inspired by him, and also the late, great Michael Jackson liked T-Pain as well. But unfortunately, there were some other artists in the industry who didn’t really like him all that much. In fact, a lot of artists in the industry didn’t like what he was doing. Jay-Z released a song called “Death of the Auto-Tune”, which was an obvious dig at T-Pain. And also artists like Christina Aguilera was walking around wearing shirts saying “Auto-Tune is for USS”. Also, Usher was very upset with T-Pain, and he actually blamed him for ruining music. And this is actually what T-Pain revealed in the “This is Pop” series.
“We were on our way to the 2013 BET Awards, all of us in first class. I dozed off, only to be stirred awake by a flight attendant informing me that Usher wanted to speak with me in the rear of the plane. I made my way back, expecting a casual chat. But then Usher got serious, and I could sense it. He said, ‘Hey, I need to tell you something, man.’ I braced myself, thinking it was something significant. He went on, ‘You’ve kind of messed up music.’ I was taken aback. Usher was a friend. ‘What do you mean?’ I asked, hoping for clarity. He explained, ‘You’ve really affected music for genuine singers.’ In that moment, I felt a wave of confusion and doubt. Had I truly disrupted the music industry? It haunted me. That conversation marked the beginning of a four-year battle with depression, a period where I constantly questioned my worth. Every criticism, every troll online, echoed Usher’s words in my mind. ‘Maybe I am a failure,’ I’d think. Countless times over those years, I confided in my wife, expressing my desire to just walk away from it all.”
Upon hearing this, I genuinely empathized with T-Pain’s situation in the music industry. He unjustly bore the brunt of criticism for his use of auto-tune, facing envy from others due to his remarkable success with it. This success inadvertently set a challenging standard for fellow artists. Usher, in particular, struggled to regain his foothold in the industry post-“Confessions” and a subsequent hiatus. By the time he released “Here I Stand” in 2008, the music landscape had evolved considerably, and he found himself grappling to resonate with the changing trends. The album’s underwhelming performance was a significant blow to him. Recognizing the need for reinvention, Usher ventured into experimenting with more upbeat, dance-oriented tracks on his subsequent album, even dabbling in auto-tune with “OMG.” However, the decline from his “Confessions” peak had undoubtedly taken its toll on him, leading him to seek scapegoats, with T-Pain bearing the brunt of his frustration. There may have been lingering resentment, especially considering the thwarted collaboration with Michael Jackson due to a leaked track associated with T-Pain. Usher’s accusation that T-Pain “ruined music” likely stemmed from a place of personal frustration, though it was undeniably unfair and harsh. It was a regrettable move on his part, driven by his own career struggles.
Moving on to the final topic I’d like to touch on briefly: Trick Daddy’s recent remarks regarding Beyoncé. During a Clubhouse session with several others, Trick Daddy asserted that Beyoncé lacks vocal talent. Additionally, he questioned Jay-Z’s status as one of the greatest rappers, suggesting it was merely a result of New York’s desire for a hip-hop icon. Personally, I strongly believe Jay-Z is indeed among the greatest rappers of our time. However, differing opinions exist, which is perfectly valid. What perplexes me most is the assertion that Beyoncé cannot sing. Such claims always strike me as peculiar and unfounded. Before delving into my perspective on this matter, let’s first listen to Trick Daddy’s comments:
“So, when it comes to Beyoncé, I have a differing perspective. You see, I’m not particularly fond of her music. It’s just my personal opinion; I’ve never quite understood the hype surrounding her singing abilities. People seem to elevate her to this pedestal, but I’ve always questioned it. It’s like with Jay-Z and his influence on New York hip-hop back when he was establishing himself as the top dog. Now, some might disagree with me, but hey, opinions are like buttholes, right? Everyone’s got one.”
When Trick Daddy made those remarks, he faced a barrage of criticism on social media. Twitter was ablaze with backlash throughout the day, and the Beyhive didn’t hold back, bombarding him with negative reviews of his restaurant. The Shade Room and Onsite even shared some of these scathing reviews, many of which were downright hilarious. I have to admit, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at a few of them. The Beyhive truly is one of the most passionate and intense fan bases out there. They take their loyalty to Beyoncé to a whole new level. However, despite finding some of the comments amusing, I don’t believe it was fair for them to target his business like that. It crossed a line.
Regarding Trick Daddy’s comments, I acknowledge his right to express his opinion. He doesn’t view Beyoncé as a quintessential singer by his standards, and that’s his prerogative. However, I found the manner in which he spoke about Beyoncé unsettling. It’s disheartening to see continued undermining of Beyoncé’s talent, despite her consistent and outstanding performances over the years. Beyoncé has demonstrated time and again that she is a powerhouse vocalist, with unmatched consistency and growth. Witnessing her live shows multiple times, I can attest to her exceptional vocal abilities. Singing at her level while executing intricate choreography demands an extraordinary skill set honed through years of dedication and experience. It perplexes me when individuals attempt to diminish her vocal prowess. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and while I don’t personally agree with or respect Trick Daddy’s viewpoint, I recognize his right to hold it.