Jay Park got majorly called out on social media this week, and it got so intense, that he started trending worldwide on Twitter! It all started when the rapper posted a video on Instagram of Avatar Darko, one of the new artists signed to his record label, H1GHRMUSIC. In the video, Avatar’s hair is styled in dreadlocks, and fans criticized him for appropriating Black culture. Jay caught wind of all the hate and fired back — and his reaction started receiving even more criticism than the original post!
“Yoooo feeling somebodies [sic] music is personal opinion but hating on somebody cause their hairstyle… i’m sorry but THAT ain’t it,” he wrote. “Jay Park and Avatar Darko never disrespect the culture and always give back. That’s like saying a non-Asian person shouldn’t use Korean words and shouldn’t listen to K-pop cause they didn’t go through all the suffering Korean ppl went through (if you don’t know look the s*** up. It’s 2019 every culture every ethnicity influences each other and as long as we not disrespecting each other it’s all love and nothing else.”
Fans were livid that Jay tried to equate listening to K-pop music as ‘cultural appropriation,’ and they started coming at him even harder. “I knew I was right to mute Jay Park a while ago omfg his brain is fried,” one person wrote. Someone else tweeted, “woke up to Jay park trending for all the wrong reasons. Does he not understand that he is finished with black people?” and another added, “Can Jay Park respectfully shut up and start acting his height?”
https://twitter.com/barelyjeon/status/1090587139136520192
https://twitter.com/larteluminosa/status/1090586532887576577
After the story went viral, Jay took to Twitter to defend himself again and (sort of) apologize. “In no way was I telling anybody not to listen to a certain type of music or do things from a certain culture cause in no way do I speak for everybody in that culture so who am I to say,” he wrote. “I was just trying to give examples so ppl could understand perspectives but I feel there is no talking to the Internet. Some ppl had valid points but most were just trying to ridicule and hate. Also I think it’s a beautiful thing that cultures influence each other and inspire each other. If you’ve followed my career from my music videos to the artists I sign I probably have the most diversity around me more than anyone else in the Korean music industry and it’s not just to look ‘cool.’ I’ve probably been the most vocal about certain social issues as well and made it VERY CLEAR where I stand when I didn’t have to at all but I felt the need to. I won’t let anybody bully me into anything. If you were disappointed or offended I apologize but I know who I am and what I stand for at the end of the day so my head’s always held up high as an Asian male, being considered ‘not cool,’ ‘non masculine,’ ‘feminine,’ ‘chinky eyed,’ ‘short,’ ‘fragile looking,’ being called Bruce Lee or saying I look like a girl by non-Asian people, most my life, sometimes even till this day. Although it is not the same at all I’m not completely numb to being judged based on looks and tbh am saddened to see that some of y’all would think I’m that insensitive. We’re not enemies. There are REAL ppl living on this Earth trying to spread hate and cause harm in a horrific fashion and we are not them. In fact we are probably the opposite. So trying to educate us is totally understandable and cool but to make fun and hate is just straight up bullying. Should spend that energy going after the REAL bad guys. Also in no way was I trying to justify anything but wanted ppl to be more open minded and see perspectives, nothing more nothing less. No matter what culture I come across I always come at it in a respectful manner so don’t spread hate. MUCH LOVE to everybody. Even to all of you trying to troll me and make me look bad. I would prolly give u a hug if I saw u real talk.”