Isn’t it crazy that American Idol only ended earlier this year? Well, Simon Cowell’s UK counterpart The X Factor is still going strong after thirteen seasons and is apparently very popular. The show has been making headlines recently for featuring 35-year-old “gangsta rapper” named Honey G from “Northweezy” (Northwest London).
Many people are calling out Honey G for cultural appropriation, among them British pop sensation Lily Allen. In an interview with BBC Radio 1 show The Exchange, Allen discussed Honey G, stating “as far as I can tell, it’s a white lady in her late-thirties that sort of dresses up in sort of Ali G goldy-looking chains and attire. She’s done really well on The X Factor, piling loads of money to genuine content… I am not black, but I find it offensive.”
However, Allen was quick to note that she has also been accused of cultural appropriation for her “Hard Out Here” video in 2013. “I was guilty of appropriating when I did a video called ‘Hard Out Here.’ I definitely wanted to make a feminist statement, but I was guilty of assuming that there was a one-size-fits-all where feminism is concerned.”
Check out Honey G’s full X Factor audition and Allen’s interview with The Exchange down below.
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