There was no space last week to share my thoughts on YoungstaCPT’s reaction to Tyla’s Grammy win.
Which was perhaps a good thing, because more recently, another local celeb entered the ring of Tyla criticism.
The podcaster MacG very briefly inferred that Tyla’s success was all up to her team, rather than her talent.
Firstly, let’s get the very obvious green monster out of the way, because we all know that jealousy can make anyone ugly. And I think it must be especially stinging for celebs, who have been working hard and are deservedly famous, but only locally.
Both YoungstaCPT and MacG are undeniably talented and have big followings in South Africa. But it must pain them to see a younger person, who may or may not be less talented than them, make it on the world stage.
And rubbing salt into that wound, is that she is doing it with her raw, unpolished South African accent on full display.
With the right team, that could have been YoungstaCPT… or any number of other talented local artists.
What I disliked most about the criticism, is how it feeds into the ongoing conversation about Coloured people constantly dragging each other down, when we could be building each other up.
Why does Tyla’s success have to also mean Youngsta’s failure? Sure Youngsta has tried unsuccessfully to crack the international market, but that doesn’t mean he can’t try again.
I have said this before, the fact that Trevor Noah, Charlize Theron and others made it big in the States, is setting the stage for others to do the same.
It tells the world that we breed talent in all shades, shapes and sizes, and that there are more where they came from.
YoungstaCPT’s post inferred that Tyla owes South Africa something for her success.
This is the phenomenon of so-called “black tax,” where successful people of colour are expected to immediately give back to their old communities, or risk being labelled selfish. But the fact is, they don’t really owe us anything.
They have worked hard to escape their circumstances and in doing so, also coincidentally paved the way for everyone else, even if it is just in the form of inspiration.
For many, the success hasn’t quite translated into real money yet. Tyla is still building herself and it could all still come tumbling down, if she doesn’t pay attention to maintaining the momentum.
Once they get to the top, we should encourage them to help those below them, not demand it. The fact is, these celebs didn’t make it big by staying here.
The one thing they all have in common, is that they moved to the USA and chased success from there.
So YounstaCPT, pack your bags and head on over, young man. And when you hit the big time yourself, make sure to thank Tyla in your own Grammy acceptance speech, for opening the door for you. It’s the gracious thing to do.
Anything else is just contrived controversy to grab a bit of attention.
And if that was your sole aim, then congratulations. You’ve made it.
breinou@gmail.com