Event | Amara La Negra told she isn’t Latina
If you didn’t watch Love & Hip Hop before, you may want to catch up. The newest season aired January 1st and within the first six minutes, viewers fell in love with Amara La Negra. Not only were viewers captured by her unique afro and charming personality but they were also wowed by her humble beginnings and fight against industry beauty standards.
Who is Amara La Negra?
Amara is a 27-year-old Dominican artist from Miami, Florida. Growing up in Little Santo Domingo she was raised by her single mother who emigrated from the Dominican Republic and worked five jobs to support her daughter. She has gained a following in Latin America already, having worked with various musicians including Sean Paul and Mr.Vegas. Not only is she looking to cross over into the American market through opportunities such as Love & Hip Hop, but this Afro-Latina also owns her own business, and has landed a multi-album record deal with Fast Life Entertainment Worldwide and BMG.
The Drama
This conversation made me so mad. It’s sad that people actually think like this. pic.twitter.com/bWofupXgdc
— I Luh God ✨ (@aVeryRichBish) January 2, 2018
“think a little more Beyonce and a little less Macy Gray. You need to lose the afro”. He paints the image that “Beyonce”
would be the more elegant persona and more marketable to the masses. Amara is quick to defend herself, her afro is a part of who she is, a representation of her Afro-Latina heritage. She refuses to take Young Hollywood’s opinions as advice, emphasizing that not all Latinas look like Sofia Vergara, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez. After the airing and receiving backlash from viewers online, Young Hollywood took to Instagram Live to defend his comments, blaming the CEO’s within the music industry as the real culprits of such racist views,
“It’s not me who you should be bashing… it’s the CEOs of these companies. The CEOs of these major labels. That’s who Y’all should be coming after. That’s the reason I haven’t really addressed it because this s**t is over my head. It’s deeper than rap”.
Amara La Negra has become the person to watch on Love & Hip Hop, the controversy only drawing viewers into her confident and charming persona. Her loyal followers have even recently taken to sending death threats to Young Hollywood, who is now being critiqued for his comments on Afro-Latino culture. Amara is for sure someone to keep your eyes on as she continues to push beauty standards and what it means it is Latina in Hollywood.
What does Latino look like to you? Use the Hashtag #AMLatino and tell us your story!
Want more Amara, check out our Exclusive Interview with Amara La Negra at the LMX DJ Choice Awards.
