Never liked this fuking guy, and this proves why
Let me actually clarify. There was a time when I thought Swings was cool and I liked his music, but as I got more and more into him I realized how much of a rank asshole he really is.
Your Soul is his latest release and the music video features Blackface. This bullshit “concept” of the black paint being used to erase the features of the person in order to represent the soul is… yeah bullshit. That reasoning might have worked if the hairstyle wasn’t so afrocentric, but it is. The dancer was definitely styled after Black diasporic features, the hair being the main indicator. If dreads/braids weren’t used and instead the hair was left straight (the dancer looks Asian) I think it’d be okay. Or perhaps just use White paint? White paint would have been totally acceptable seeing as White Face isn’t even a thing, and would have also accomplished his goal of erasing the features and representing the soul. There is no excuse.
Swings LIVED in Atlanta Georgia and is fluent in English, so he fuking knew what he was doing- noise marketing at its finest. He’ll get no serious backlash because he’s in Korea and Koreans don’t know about shit like this (generally speaking). And let’s pretend Swings didn’t know/realize the ramifications of a “concept” like this- there had to be SOMEONE on his team that did. I mean you’re a HIP HOP artist under a HIP HOP label, a genre of music CREATED by Black Americans. How can you be so deeply invested in aspects of a community’s culture yet miss out on KEY historical moments regarding said culture’s people??? There is NO excuse.
Miss me with the bullshit. Absolutely no scruples, all for a little buzz and a buck. It’s not so much the action as much as it’s the intent behind it. He knew what he was doing and that it had the potential to harm people. Shameful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NkjqP7hdHo
(Source: 1theK)