The-Dream Responds To Rick Ross & VH1 "Signed" Colorism Controversy

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The-Dream issues a statement following Kaiya and Just Brittany's comments on Rick Ross' resurfaced VH1 "Signed" clip.

Rick Ross woke up on Saturday morning at the center of controversy. A clip from his stint as a co-judge on VH1's Signed went viral which many used as an example of colorism in the music industry. In the clip, Just Brittany and Kaiya both tried to impress Rozay with renditions of "Aston Martin Music" yet only Brittany received praise, even though her performance was lackluster in comparison to her competitor. 

Following the clip, Brittany and Kaiya shared statements on the matter, though Ross and his co-judges, Lenny S. of Roc Nation and The-Dream remained relatively quiet. No statement from Lenny or Ross but The-Dream shared several tweets today addressing the matter. The-Dream suggested that he felt betrayed by the idea of even being accused of colorism since he says that he's made a concerted effort to elevate women. 

"I’m sure every director and every artist or person who have saw me work and been around me know exactly how I prefer things. Black ass fuck all the time. With all I’ve done this is what y’all have for me," he tweeted, before delving into previous relationship issues that were made public. "As a unapologetic figure as I’ve kept it beyond and taken falls for past exes even publicly to save themselves from things they have done against me and to harm my word and upbringing," he added.

Though neither Kaiya or Just Brittany mentioned The-Dream by name, the songwriter was getting called out for his complicity, rather than anything he actually said. Many were confused that someone like The-Dream, whose ear for talent is unlike many, would overlook Kaiya's talents. 

Check out his tweets below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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