TYGA MADE A SONG INSPIRED BY HISPANIC CULTURE – AGAIN.
Turning our attention over to the West Coast, Compton rapper Tyga released a music video that many listeners viewed as racist with slight misogynistic undertones.
On Friday (July 8), Tyga released a music video for his new single “Ayy Caramba”. This video featured elements that stereotyped Mexican and Chicano culture. After the success of YG’s “Go Loko” back in 2019, Tyga has been searching for bestsellers that revolve around Hispanic culture.
The music video starts off with Tyga in a fat suit eating tortilla chips as he switches on the TV. The rapper dances with a woman and wears a bright-colored orange suit with a bright-blue sombrero and an exaggerated mustache. In addition to this, Tyga is also car dealer, a part of a mariachi band, and a pro-wrestler wearing Mexican attire.
Each scene also featured women who were seemingly objectified in the background. In one lyric, Tyga compares a Latina woman to Tobasco. However, this is a hot sauce that originated from a white man in Louisiana.
As a result, social media users were not too happy to see this play out on their screens. The blatant racism sickened viewers in the comment section. Some were angry as others stood as allies for Mexican and Chicano culture.
As A Mexicano from Compton this ain’t it, as a Chicano from California this ain’t it, as an Indigenous Native from Mexico is ain’t it, as a foo from the streets from the hoods in Los Angeles this ain’t it.
Heron Carillo on YouTube
Another YouTuber user commented, “If Mexicans think this is racist, then we as the Black community should respect that. We always want people to respect our Black community and culture.” They continued, “As a Black man, I’m sorry my brown brothas. Exploiting their women, Brown facing, and showcasing over-the-top Mexican stereotypes. We can’t complain bout racism, yet do dumb stuff like this.”
In an article by Rolling Stone, the author analyzes how Tyga exhibits an extreme form of cultural appropriation. This claim is accurate considering that he is willing to take pieces of Hispanic culture only if it is profitable to him. Furthermore, the author states, “What he’s doing is reducing Latinos to stereotypes the general public stopped being OK with years ago.” Tyga and the creative director seemingly took a handful of Spanish caricatures and bunched them in a music video together. For instance, the video is inspired by Mexican culture, yet Mexicans don’t say “ay caramba”. This term is typically used in Portuguese.
Above all, let’s see if Tyga continues to go down the route of appropriating Spanish culture in his next single!