Tyla speaks out after team ends 'colorful' question

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

South African singer Tyla has released a statement after refusing to answer a question on “The Breakfast Club.”

UpRoxx reports that the “Water” singer allowed her team to end an investigation into her racial identity.

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When the South African singer from Johannesburg recently appeared on a popular radio show, Charlamagne Tha God asked her what it meant to identify as a “colored” person. Instead of answering, Tyla looked at her team, sitting behind her. A voice says: “Can’t we, please?” In response, Charlamagne said the show would not remove his request to move on.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan published in April, Tyla explained how race is identified differently in South Africa than in the United States. In South Africa, biracial people would be identified as “colored.” However, the term was abandoned by African Americans in the United States because it was used to identify them during the racist Jim Crow era.

After the interview, the 22-year-old released a statement with the energetic “Aht Aht.” She took to her Instagram story and posted a message saying: “I never denied my darkness, I don’t know where it comes from.”

She went on to explain that she is mixed African, Irish and Indian. Additionally, the artist once again explained how race is identified in South Africa. She ended her statement by saying: “To conclude this conversation, I am both colored in South Africa and a black (woman)…”

During 'The Breakfast Club' interview, Charlamagne also asked Tyla if she saw the framed quote that Kevin Hart presented to Kai Cenat during their last broadcast. The frame contained a rejection quote from when Cenat asked her out: “But we are friends.”

The “Truth or Dare” singer said Hart and Cenat dragged out the viral moment, but it was still fun.

Social media reacts to Tyla's statement

Housemates commented on the dancer's statement after her awkward moment on “The Breakfast Club.”

@jaysun_rand said: “It’s above all an American obsession. She comes from SA… We must respect her decision not to be classified in the “American box of racing ticks” for the moment.

“Americans truly believe that the world revolves around them. you better travel outside of Miami and educate yourself,” @tumexxjr said.

@y0_53f added, “She’s right, race isn’t your whole identity.”

Check out the clip from the interview and Tyla's full statement below: