*Picks edges up off the floor* Roommates, how did you like Beyoncé’s new video?! The Queen ventured back to her roots of New Iberia, Louisiana where she braggadociously explained how she’s proud to be black and country.
However, being black is hard sometimes, because everyday we’re conditioned into thinking that our noses are too big, our hair is too kinky, our skin is dark and the list really goes on and on like Erykah Badu. Not to mention there are different challenges to being a black man vs. being a woman vs. being gay!
Aside from it being a conscious trap song (omg trap is pop now) is amazing, because it confronts and celebrates what we may or may not accept about that which makes us unapologetically black. It also calls us ladies to action to stop playing with our power. So, with that being said, let’s raise our Texas Pete and check out this list of ways the Queen Bey slayed Black Culture in Formation!
1.) “I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros/ I like my negro nose Jackson 5 nostrils”
If ever there was a way to honor being black with a big nose, then this line would be it. It’s just so interesting that some Jacksons have admitted to surgery when they got older, but Bey is saying she liked them how they were. What do you think she is trying to say to us, Roommates?
2.) “I see it, I want it…/I dream it, I work hard/I grind ’til I own it
There is nothing in this world that you cannot achieve! If you can dream it, then you can do it. If you write down your dreams and formulate a plan, you cannot fail. You only fail when you stop grinding!
3.) “Cause I Slay, We Gon Slay”
If you noticed, Bey repeats this after she says the line in post #2 of this list, inviting other ladies to “slay” with her. It’s a no-brainier. Beyoncé has always encouraged female empowerment.
4.) “You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making/ I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making”
That grind will pay off one day, but just know you can do it!
5.) Messy Mya Big Freedia spark dialogue about the black gay community
Messy Mya and Big Freedia are among many New Orleans bounce artists who have had successful careers! Their fellow rapper Nicki Da B is the voice behind the Hit The Floor theme song. This music is sacred to New Orleans and is most enjoyed by the gay community although everyone indulges in the music that you can’t help but dance to!
6.) She put #BlackLivesMatter in their faces!
The dancing little boy in the video made the police put their hands up and that shit followed a wall with the painted message: “STOP SHOOTING US.” The cops putting their hands up in response to the boy is like he’s saying, “You got dat?!” #JusticeOrElse
7.) “Always stay gracious/best revenge is your paper”
Whenever Yoncé’s name comes up in anything that she didn’t put out herself, she never says anything back. No matter how bad it gets, she just sits back and continues to make more money than her haters. So, this is our quote of the year. We’re coming for you, 2016!!
TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on Instagram & @tallyohhh on Twitter!
