We have no idea when folks will learn the difference between race and culture but here we are.
According to TMZ Grammy Award-winning, South African-born singer, Tyla found herself at the crossroads of a bubbling race controversy — it all came to a head on “The Breakfast Club,” but her team shut it down.
All the chatter about her race and ethnicity started when fans discovered a TikTok Tyla made years ago — before her “Water” song became an internationally known, double platinum smash — where she celebrated her mixed heritage, and labeled herself a “proud coloured South African woman.”
Charlemagne Tha God gave Tyla the floor to clarify the remark — but she bottled up and her publicist requested the question be struck from the record.
watch:
@breakfastclubam asked #tyla about the “coloured” vs. black woman debate she remained silent and her team quickly hopped in. #browngirlgrinding #bgg pic.twitter.com/FAUqSRHNSj
— BROWN GIRL GRINDING⭐️ (@LorenLorosa) June 13, 2024
This is the video that started the ‘controversy’.
This is Tyla and this video is from 3 years ago if not 4 and I am pretty sure many of you didn’t even know who Tyla was back then. The poor girl mentioned here she was also mixed with black. Hands off Tyla please let her be #coloured #BLACK #Tyla #trending pic.twitter.com/M4hyvKTe6M
— Nompumelelo (@lihlelelogmail1) June 13, 2024
After the Breakfast Club clip went Viral, Tyla once again explained her identity in what we hope are clear to understand words.
— Tyla (@Tyllaaaaaaa) June 13, 2024
Twitter reacted applauding the Water singer for not engaging in any explanation about her identity.
good on tyla and her team for shutting that BS down. she’s already talked about it in other interviews, but people still just want a little sound bite that they can clip. it’s not her job to educate ignorant people, especially when google is RIGHT THERE. https://t.co/mDeBvSZX7v pic.twitter.com/NjvxfSrmM4
— ace ???? (@featuringtyla) June 13, 2024
and
charlamegne: ….your identity as a south african coloured person …. what does that even mean ???
tyla: pic.twitter.com/6JwTeBRo2g
— ᴋᴇʟᴇʟᴀ’ꜱ ʙᴜᴅᴍᴀɴ (@soberthots_) June 13, 2024
and
Kudos to Tyla, because I too, wouldn’t be explaining my blackness to Charlemagne, DJ Envy, or Jess Non-Hilarious. pic.twitter.com/ePeW5Pv0ls
— k a r y. (@itsKARY_) June 13, 2024
and
Kudos to Tyla, because I too, wouldn’t be explaining my blackness to Charlemagne, DJ Envy, or Jess Non-Hilarious. pic.twitter.com/ePeW5Pv0ls
— k a r y. (@itsKARY_) June 13, 2024
and
They’ve already started. Tyla baby, u said what u said and u don’t ever have to explain yourself again to anyone, especially not to ppl who wanna act dumb. pic.twitter.com/hy4osKoxba
— WE JUST ARRIVED (@TheeAzanian) June 13, 2024
and
Americans dont grasp how dehumanising it is to Tyla to constantly be put in a place to justify her cultural identity,because coloured is more than just race. Her identity doesn’t have to be palatable to anyone to be valid. This is the racial equality of ‘Why are you gay?’ https://t.co/flDl389ZIv
— Mimi (@Msaaminahsblog) June 13, 2024
and
Tyla could give them a full break down of SA's racial history classifications & why it would be wrong for her to claim blackness but they'd still misconstrue and ask ignorant questions based on the US understanding of race, instead of just hearing her and letting her be coloured https://t.co/kvXeiteDmk
— Sisa (@TheTitanBaddie) June 13, 2024
