Bhad Bhabie Responds To Cultural Appropriation Criticisms: "It's Ridiculous"

"Do not tell me I'm acting black."

BYAron A.
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It's been over a year since Bhad Bhabie a.k.a Danielle Bregoli went viral for her appearance on Dr. Phil. The controversy that surrounded her at the time propelled her into the limelight but many assumed it would only last a short amount of time. She's defied the projections about her career and managed to finesse her questionable antics into a record deal with Atlantic Records. Nowadays, she's managed to define herself as more than the "Cash Me Ousside Girl" and into a rapper. However, her career and overall behavior has been criticized not only because of her age but because many feel that she's appropriated black culture. She hasn't really responded to any of it until recently.

In an interview with The Fader, Bhad Bhabie finally responded to criticisms of cultural appropriation that have been surfacing ever since she became a meme. Bregoli told them that the concept of cultural appropriation is "ridiculous."

"I look at that cultural appropriation shit and I just ignore it because it’s ridiculous, it really is. You cannot act a color. Do not tell me I’m acting black because I’m not," she said, "How I act is me. I get braids all the time, you can’t tell me I’m acting black because I braid my hair. That makes no sense whatsoever. One race does something more than another race."

She further elaborates on the thought by saying that "if someone wants to do something they should just do it, as long as they’re happy with it."

You could watch the interview with her full comments below around the 3:33 mark.


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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.