Remy Ma Talks ‘Melanin Magic’ and Ending Gender Bias in Rap
Remy Ma is making noise with her latest single “Melanin Magic.” The song celebrates black women and their beauty and strength.
In an interview with Request on Beats 1 via Apple Music, the Bronx native explains why she felt the need to create a song that highlights the beauty in having brown skin particularly with melanated women.
“I posted a picture on social media and somebody was saying how they thought I would be pretty if I wasn’t so dark-skinned and it sparked this whole conversation," he said. "It's not just something in the African American community - it’s with Mexicans, it’s with Dominicans, it’s with Indians - it’s in all the different nationalities where there’s a spectrum where it goes from light to dark and the darker people feel this prejudice towards them or not get that platform as if they were a lighter complexion."
“Now we’re starting to see it not just with women who are melanated, but women across the board - in music, in politics, in acting — and you’re seeing this one set of different women coming out and they’re supporting each other. That’s the cool thing," she continued. "It’s just embracing who you are and the person that God made you to be.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Remy talked about her relationship with Lil' Kim ("she’s the coolest chick ever") and her goal to bring sisterhood among women in the rap game.
"When I got the BET Award last year (for Best Female Hip Hop Artist), I felt like, 'Thanks for giving this to me, but Cardi B, I see you. Young M.A, I see you,'" she said. "When people know there's no animosity or ill-feelings towards them, it's easier to embrace [each other]," he continued.
Since being released from prison in 2014, Remy Ma has become friends with fellow rappers DeJ Loaf and Remy Ma. She also wants to destroy gender bias in rap, which she feels holds back a lot of female rappers in the game.
"There are a lot of women who are great and probably can rap circles around these dudes, but don't get the recognition. They get called a female rapper," she explains.
"I don't feel like I'm a female rapper, I'm a rapper," she continued. "You wanna prove it? Go get whoever guy you think is the [best rapper], let's go in a room and see what happens."
You can listen to Remy Ma's Request interview in its entirety above.
Watch Remy Ma's “Melanin Magic” Video
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