papaa said:

dancerella said:

Why is EVERYTHING that Beyonce says or does over-analyzed? Is this to intentionally bring negativity to this very hard-working and talented young lady?

UCantHavaDaMango said:

Damn, didn't someone say that this song was NOT on her album? If this is true, then what does this have to do with her liking attention and money? This Beyonce bashing is immature and pathetic.
[Edited 9/2/06 23:24pm]

I guess Mariah Carey should be slaughtered for her pride being "mixed"
[Edited 9/3/06 11:14am]

Harlepolis said:

Well, at least Beyonce will at least admit it. It took Mariah a long time to admit that she was of mixed heritage....

Calling herself creole doesn't mean she's not black. Creole is just another division of black culture, like west indian or caribbean, doesn't mean you're not black -- I believe it was her mother's side of the family that more than likely have creole roots, still black though. Nothing wrong with her encompassing all her roots, now you know black people especially in this country have diverse backgrounds, doesn't mean you're not black. I don't think it's a big deal, but that's just my opinion.
[Edited 9/3/06 13:09pm]
[Edited 9/3/06 13:10pm]

shorttrini said:

How long exactly?

She basicaly talked about this shit eversince 1990(you can check her Ebony interviews circa 1990 and post in Findarticle.com). It was the label who tried to hide the fact that she's from an "ethnic" group.

You guys REALLY need to do your homework!

Harlepolis said:

This was my point exactly....At the begining of her career, she made it obvious that she was not comfortable with the fact that she was of mix-heritage.On certain interviews she would never mention that she was black. When she did mention it, she said that being mixed caused her pain. Her record label did not make it any easier. If you look at the cover of her very first CD, her hair is strategically placed in front of her nose, to hide the fact that she was mixed. This was done with so that her records would sell more to a white audience. So, I HAVE done my homework.

shorttrini said:

Nah uh, chump!

You're contradicting yourself. Was she the one who has a problem with her mixed-heritage or the label? Which one is it? Make up your mind.

I have stacks of old Mariah interviews and NOT once did she come across in unease when it came to her multi-racial subject.

Folks are the ones who exploit her. At first, they declared that she was another 'white becky trying to be a sista', then she supposedly sold out after marrying a white man and crossing over(like its limited on ONLY white artists), after that she wanted to be black again for hooking up with producer P.Diddy(previously names Puffy).

And NOW folks say they're sick of hearing her talk about her background.

Man, its a NO WIN situation for that heffa it seems that damned if she do, damned if she doesn't. Whether she talks about her racial background or not, she's doomed either way.

I think PEOPLE are the ones who have an issue with Mariah, not herself on her OWN background. They want her to devout to a SINGLE group rather than embrace her whole background(which is, far as I'm concern is her god given right and its damn understandable).

Shows how fucked-up this Uncle Sam community really is.

Harlepolis said:

There is no need for the "chump" comment. Mariah, has said, that she has always found it difficult, being a child of mixed race. She did not know where she fit in. To me that sounds as if she has a problem with who she is. On top of that, her record label tried in the begining to market her to a white audiance due to her unique look. Again I say, look at the first album...look at where her hair is placed. It covers her nose. I for one do not have a problem with her background. I just wished that she had embraced it from the start. I really do not care for her, it is not due to background. I just think that she uses her 5 ovtave range as a gimmick. For me, just sing the damn song

shorttrini said:

Co-sign.

squirrelscientist said:

You basically hit it on the nose, in my opinion in this country (USA), in regards to descendants of African slaves, being Black encompasses all that we are, it would take a million years to come up with a name for us with all the race mixing that occurred in the past. Just because a person has dark skin does not mean their dna does not include any other race's blood, don't be fooled by that. Look at Oprah, when they tested her dna they found out she is about 87% African blood , 13% native american, and she couldn't believe it either.

This is why our families are various complexions, we could have fair skin to dark skin siblings/children, such as in mine and thousands of Black families, and yes we are still considered "Black" because that's just the way it is in this society. It's almost like a crime to some Black people when another Black person wants to embrace all of who they are, it doesn't mean they don't want to be Black, but just proud of their "culture". Who is it hurting really and when are we going to move past all of this? Show me a pure race because Black people in this country are not pure blood Africans and you know it. Any true African will tell you that.

First we were colored, negro, Afro-American, now it's Black or African-American, but with all the African immigrants in this country becoming citizens they are calling themselves African-Americans because they can and because they are. I am Black American, because that is who I am, now until someone comes up with a different name for all that my dna encompasses then just dial the following number and give me a call at 1-800-did-they-change-the-name-again?.

I have moved past other Black people trying to define me. I am who I am. If there is a part of my roots/culture I want to encompass, then that's what I will do like it or not, doesn't mean I am not Black. To me Creole, Caribbean is just another part of Black culture-the foods, mannerisms,etc of how you were raised, and that's a beautiful thing, It's not saying your not part of the Black race. It's just like Caucasians/Whites (German, Irish, Swedish), or Latin/Spanish/Hispanic (Puerto Rican, Dominican, Columbian) or Indians(Hindus, Pakistani,Guyanans), just to give a few examples.

It all depends on what culture your parents/grandparents raised you in. If Black people who were raised in a Creole culture want to encompass that culture then let them, it's not saying they are not Black. I dare someone to tell me who I am. I know I'm Black, but I'll be damned if there's some part of my culture someone is going to tell me I can't embrace, because I am who I am, who I am, who I am, and that's it. Anyway, interesting conversation, carry on!
[Edited 9/4/06 7:35am]
[Edited 9/4/06 7:36am]
[Edited 9/4/06 13:35pm]
[Edited 9/4/06 13:37pm]

skyecute said:

I am not even her largest fan but I agree. I think it is very telling that most people seek to do this in the first place. I am surprised that people are still stuck on this light skin junk and I am not even trying to be politically correct. Some people need to ask themselves would they be on this lady's ass if she was a white chick and had the same amount of talent and work ethic. I think not. There are several "light skinned" artist that are not judged by their skin color that I think have great talent, even more so than Bee, so what seperates her from them? Something that people are not willing to admit that they have to reach in their subconscious to pull out.

It's called the "crab in the basket", mentality. There are some of us, that just cannot stand to see one of our own do good. We are always trying to pull them back inside the basket, like crabs. Quite frankly, I see Beyonce's success as a success for all of our people. Okay, some of her music may not be to my liking. But that aside, she is doing everything that was unheard of in when I was growning up. Okay, there was Janet doing music and apprearing on "Fame"....But that's it. Beyonce, Alicia, and a few others are doing their thing...We should be patting them on the back, instead of kicking them in the butt, because of what they look like. We need to take a look at ourselves in the mirror to see if there is even a positive reflection and if there is, great. If there isn't, then we need to take the necessary steps to brighten that reflection. There is no need to scrutinize and criticize each other because of our success.If we continue along this path, where will we as well as those that come after us, end up?

Rhondab said:

Being Creole doesn't mean you're not Black, you ignorant people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole

Beyonce grandparents speak French.

JackieBlue said:

The lyrics are just dumb. I hate to say it, but today's R&B/Soul has hit an all-time low. People are actually into this sh!t?

uPtoWnNY said:

I think the majority of the album is lacking lyrically. In general folks are so busy shaking their azz they won't realize or care how lame (or degrading) lyrics are. See: London Bridge, My Humps, etc. It's okay to have fun simple lyrics but in it doesn't even seem like artists try anymore. As long as 'humps' rhymes with 'lumps' and a brand named item is mentioned, it's good to go.

Here's a review on B'Day that references a few of the lyrics...


All That Success Is Hard on a Girl (or Sounds That Way)
For a woman who has everything — million-selling albums, Grammy awards, movie roles, famous boyfriend, fashion line — Beyoncé, who turns 25 today, sounds strangely desperate on her second solo album, “B’Day” (Sony Urban Music/Columbia). The independent-woman boasts that she delivered when she led Destiny’s Child, and the blissful, sultry romance she sang about on her 2003 solo debut, “Dangerously in Love,” have given way to defensiveness verging on panic.

It’s in lyrics about a man she’s sure she’s losing. It’s in songs that are stripped down to beats and obsessive, singsong chants. And it’s in vocals that push higher and higher, up from the velvety comforts of her lower range to higher, shriller notes and raspy screams. The liner notes say that Beyoncé made the album fast, which explains why it’s only 49 minutes long, including a remix of one song. But the music is still meticulous, with Beyoncé singing countless layers of vocals. It’s also tense, high-strung and obsessive.

During a spoken interlude, she explains that after filming “Dreamgirls,” in which she plays an ambitious girl-group leader named Deena, “I wrote songs that were saying all the things I wish she would have said in the film.” That would make Beyoncé — or is it Deena? — someone who measures herself by how much lust she can generate and, not far behind, how many luxury goods she can flaunt.

When she out-wails a siren in “Ring the Alarm,” declaring, “I can’t let you go,” it’s because her rival would “take everything I own,” from the Rolls to the chinchilla coats. In “Suga Mama” and “Upgrade U,” she offers a man shopping lists of prestige brands.

Beyoncé’s boyfriend, Jay-Z, shows up, as calmly boastful as ever, in two songs. But he only makes her sound more insecure. In the cooing, sighing “Kitty Kat,” she wonders, “What about my body, body?/You don’t want my body, body.” Then come the breakup songs. “Green Light” gives her man permission to move out, with Beyoncé singing, “Go! Go!” over Latin percussion and sampled soul horns. “Irreplaceable” and “Resentment,” ballads carried by guitar picking, are agitated goodbyes.

“B’Day” isn’t an ingratiating or seductive album, but it is nervy and fascinating. Its rhythm-driven songs, especially “Get Me Bodied,” could be high-tech upgrades of an old African-American form, the ring shout, and songs like “Freakum Dress” and “Resentment” build two different kinds of overwrought drama. With an album as premeditated and as nutty as “B’Day,” Beyoncé now qualifies as a full-fledged diva.

JackieBlue said:

Comparing the artists I grew up listening to(Stevie, Otis, Marvin, Aretha, James, Gladys, the J5, Al Green, Teddy, Luther, etc.) to what's out now, I'm like DAYUM!!! WTF happened?

The word 'diva' is tossed around a lot these days. Well, if a no-talent like Jennifer Hopez is considered a diva, I guess Beyonce qualifies as one too.

squirrelscientist said:

damn

silverandgold said:

right on!

ThePunisher said:

First of all.....WTH @those lyrics....bad bad bad bad brownbone....that chyle is crazy.

Secondly, Creole is really about culture and ethnicity than RACE even though I've dogged her for even coming up with this mess. Some Black AMERICANS have such issues with being black Americans....we so need therapy in our community.

Lastly, I ALWAYS here lighter skinned black women referring to themselves has redbone this or that. I've seen more screen names like "sexy_redbone" "freakyredbone4U"...oh please. its a way they can let color struck brothas know they yella.

My cousin had "Redbone" on her cell phone and my kid was like..What's a redbone? I told me daughter..."YOU!" and I laughed...she said...oh, she caught up.

Rhondab said:

Nonsense like that just pisses me off. It's pathetic how lost some blacks folks are. Therapy won't help.

I think its worse that I typed "here" instead of "hear"

:Lol:

Rhondab said:

that woman's past crazy.


so true...folks in our community always associate creole with being light-skinned, neverminding the actual culture. this is what bugs me the most about beyonce's so-called song. also, what folks either don't know or never mention is that there's also dark-skinned people with creole in their family tree--my dad's a perfect example. it don't just stop at high-yella.