Will.i.am Defends ‘Blackface' VMA Costume [Photo]

NEWS

» by Danielle Canada September 13, 2010, 9:53am


Will.i.am is defending his decision to don dark makeup during his performance with Nicki Minaj at the MTV Video Music Awards.

As previously reported, Will collaborated with Nicki on her new single “Check It Out”, a dance pop record from her new Pink Friday album.

The Black Eyed Peas frontman joined Nicki Minaj onstage to perform the track and sparked controversy with a face darkened with makeup to match his all black costume.

Hearing about outraged fans who compared his face to that of the Blackface makeup worn during minstrel shows, Will took to Twitter to say,

“1st. just because I where (sic) all black including head mask as expression and emphasize my outfit, it shouldn't be looked at as racial…Let go of the past. there are far more important things 2 bark about. (Jobs, health, education) not a black man wearing all black everything."


Check out Will and Nicki below.
Did he take it too far?

Comment Comments 23 Tags Tags: , ,
  • What’s tv comin 2?

    They both look like fools!

  • http://TinaB Tina hatten

    I didnt see anything wrong with his costume. Now if he had white lips and sung "sonny boy", he took it to far. But I dont see it...

  • Anti-believer

    the thing about it is.. he's actually that dark. That's not paint.

    • Tina

      LOL!!!! That's the truth!!!

    • lmgurl

      thats not true he isnt really that dark. check out Will I am images thats make up.... I hope who ever said that was joking. His out fit was fun i see nothing wrong with it.

  • Junebugg

    This guy's outfit has nothing to do with what 'blackface' represents or represented. He is not portraying a stereotypical blackie. Apples and oranges.

  • Nef

    No. I don't think he took it too far. Why does everything have to be about race, I'm SO SICK of it. Like Will said "let go of the past"...

  • thedeal

    @I'm just saying...while i do agree a lot of the stereotypes from hundreds of years ago do not exist in todays world, you would be a fool to truly believe we live in a post racial world without racism, having a black president does not stop the fact the a lot of people still have lots of hate for black people and vice versa but i see no problem with his outfit/costume i think people are reading 2 far into it.

  • fredlokes

    And he wonders why Haiti said no to the president Bid!

    • Day!

      lol @ fredlokes!! biggest racist on here? confusing Will.i.am for Wyclef Jean! is that a "all black ppl look alike" joke.
      i laughed.
      just say yes cuz otherwise you look stupid.

    • hayleyr

      Yeah, that was jermaine dupri. Not will.i.am

  • tg

    I'm not offended by the black face thing. DO YOU? My parents brought me up with great confidence in my skin color and character. And stereotypes and certain other offenses roll right off my back. I don't *****ociate them with being disrespectful toward me, because I know who I am. BUT - No seriously - WTF is up with that though? Is that part of his outfit. Its more SCARY than offensive. LMAO

  • Bizz

    SMH

  • Mandy

    It's a performance costume. OMG has anyone looked at what GAGA performs in? Hello! There was nothing racially motivated behind this costume. It was done artistically and yes he looks like an idiot. But not a racist idiot.

  • jacknapier

    @FREDLOKES that was Wyclef Jean, and I agree race shouldnt be an issue but it is. We all need to accept tolerence and try to realise what matters is we are all one race and thats human, color doesnt matter.

  • Dustin

    Is he going skiing??

  • Krissy2

    It just seem like a costume to me. I don't see what the big problem is about?

    Some people take things to seriously.

  • themrs

    Hahahahahahahahahaha! Wow! Really?!
    He's getting paid so he can look however he wants- GaGa wore a meat dress so what! He got people's attention- job done! Haters are really undercover fans...

  • zeromus

    A black man cant dress like a black man now? F@CK THIS RACISM BS

  • adiosfenix

    what's so bad about it??

    doesn't look at all like blackface..

    people are so quick to reference such a thing!!

    when i first saw it i thought i looked kind of cool/scary in a sci-fi way.. def. different.. but not at all racial.....

  • Jessica

    He still looks like an idiot

  • http://www.blackpowercartel.com Amaru

    If this is going to be the new style for the young crowd ,im a have to shoot somebody and do life in jail....

  • Shiri

    He looks ridiculous, but hey, looking ridiculous seems to be all the rage now, just look at Lady Gaga. If you wanna look like a fool on TV, hey, more power to you. I don't feel like the costume was racist, though. A bit theatrical, yes. Racist? No.

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