African Stars Are Worth More Than A Backstage BET Award!

“No matter the terrain or circumstances, a Lion can never eat grass!”
Ok guys, it has come to our notice that the BET Network Is taking our stars for granted, with an indirect slight to our amazing creativity, originality and talents,  all we do is clap our hands and jubilate over that lone plaque each year. What is the demeaning meaning of our stars receiving their ‘prestigious’ awards backstage when they are present in their blings, shine, and smile at the event? Or is something only done to the blacks who have the seemingly ‘not-so-fortunate’ origin in  Africa?
Ok, in case you are lost and don’t know what I am talking about then let me refresh your memory. Africa’s number one talent, Tuface Idibia, D’banj aka Africa’s Michael Jackson, Sarkodie who happens to in thrilling fashion, be Africa’s fastest rapper, StarBoy Wizkid and now, Super star Ice Prince Zamani were made to record their ‘thank you’ speeches backstage like they were unrecognizable upstarts with no popular acclaim, tremendous fanbase, or profound impact in the world entertainment terrain. Meanwhile, peeps like Rihanna, Miguel and Kendrick Lamar proudly swaggered, and mounted the stage in front of tout le monde and mouthing about how grateful they were to their fans (Africans have stage-watching fans too, remember?). How did that rub on to our stars? Did it do wonders for their feelings? Or turned their creative egos to trash?
Do you get my drift now? Do blacks also discriminate other blacks? Or do we now have a superior race of negroes who are creating a ‘blackpartheird’ caste system? Entertainment wise. Thought the primordial rift existed between two different skin colors? And why has the organization thrown a blind eye on this issue? What’s going on!
Maybe, just maybe, African nominees should start boycotting the event. At least that will give their whole backstage acknowledgments some meaning. Better still, BET should stop pretending they are doing us a ‘favour’ or claim they are taking our African music into the bright lights and expansive horizon of America. How does that even matter when our stars have never been given the opportunity to perform on the BET Awards stage? So where exactly do these commune of Hollywood stars get to feel our African music heroes? In their dreams, perhaps. Or that only happens when they are cornered to do collabos in the studios?
Aren’t we just fed up with the whole subtle play on our pride and worth? Do our stars only get to feel extremely important in America when there is an NEA or when involved with their low-budget tours amidst their fellow brothers-in-origin? When exactly does BET and her sister companies penetrate our music into their realms?
These answers we seek are rhetorical on paper, but their answers are fundamental to the perceived worth of our music, and the strengthening of the bond of colour upon which the BET built their concept and modus operandi. Their actions imply we are inferior, a negligible subset of the worldwide black movement, and hence the lack of proper acknowledgement. This is unacceptable! We are black, strong, proud, and excellently creative in our music. We are worthy of the highest of honors, and we deserve the most equal of treatments.
BET, don’t forget that!