The Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour is a moment to relive – or, for the young’ins, to discover – the 90s classics that have kept us Diddy bopping for the last two decades.
(see: Urban Dictionary for “Diddy bopping” if you’re not hip to the definition).
But for the women of Sean “Puff Daddy” Comb’s Bad Boy Records, the tour also is a time to reflect on the standards of beauty in pop culture and damaging stereotypes inflicted upon Black women.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Ashley Everett: Life On The Road With Beyonce & The Journey To Body Confidence
“Coming into the industry, of course, you see the people with the leotards… and I’m saying, that’s not me. That’s not my flavor,” said Pamela Long, 1/3 of Bad Boy’s R&B girl group Total.
Fan always thought of Long as the tomboy of the group. She did, too, until she had a moment with God.
“I’ll never forget when God said to me, he said, ‘you’ve never been a boy,’” Long remembered. “He said, ‘you’re athletic.’ That’s the thing. I’ve got an athletic build but I’m still a woman.”
Hours before the tour’s opening night in Chicago, Long and her bandmates – alongside Bad Boy first lady Faith Evans and legendary choreographer Laurieann Gibson – sat on a panel hosted by Black hair-care brand ORS Olive Oil for its first of seven Beauty Chronicle Empowerment series.
The series is part of the brand’s #NoStereotypes campaign, which is meant to debunk and expose hurtful beauty stereotypes placed upon people of color.
“I would love to see women love themselves more. I think a lot of women love ourselves but we love the stereotypes more,” Total’s Kima Raynor said. “Like, you bring up [VH1’s] Love & Hip Hop. Everybody’s getting their bodies done, their lips done. Love you. Be you.”
Gibson referenced the Kardashians and appropriation of Black culture – a.k.a., the apparent rebranding of cornrows as “boxer braids” – as she spoke about the power of influence that Black women have in pop culture.
“We are the same ones who shunned away from cornrows,” Gibson said, speaking about old-fashioned pressures for Black women to assimilate to white beauty standards. Today, many Black women take pride in natural hair and rock braids and Bantu knots as high fashion.
“So, this conversation is shifting because our conversation has,” Gibson added.
Additional pressure for the ladies occasionally came from record label executives. Total’s Keisha Epps struggled with being overweight in the music industry.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Why Do We Have Selective Praise? The Beauty Double Standard For Black Women
“There was the stereotype of ‘you’ve got to be a little thinner.’ I had what you call, like, the little [stomach] pouch,” Epps recalled. “I felt the pressure of the record label. You have to look like this [thin] even though I loved my thickness.”
Epps said the only way to help Black women embrace their natural beauty is to continue to have open and honest discussion such as these.
“What is really important for us is to embrace who we are, how we are,” Epps added. “Every day, we should be striving to be our better selves. But until we are our authentic selves, there’s no way that you can walk the path that’s provided for you.”
The Women of Bad Boy panel will continue alongside the tour in Detroit, Baltimore, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
