There is a very thin line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. More often than not, the K-pop entertainment label YG Entertainment crosses it while trying to appeal to their western audiences. The latest culprit of cultural appropriation is Lisa.
In the announcement poster, Lisa was seen in box braids, which is considered an integral part of African culture and identity and seen as cultural appropriation. Although Asian cultures also have braiding culture, this distinct style of braiding is deemed to have originated from African culture.
Fans who had African roots were not happy about Lisa's hairstyle. BLACKPINK had previously come under fire for the 'Kill This Love' music video, which featured similar hairstyles.
Furthermore, Lisa was also accused of using AAVE (African-American Vernacular English), which according to reports, fans would have been okay with, but she used it with a "blaccent," an imitation of a stereotypical African accent.
The fans noted they were discriminated against for speaking that way, but not Lisa, who got off scot-free. They pointed out that the K-pop idol and her team did not have to resort to AAVE and 'blaccent' to make her song 'hip-hop' as it was just a music genre.
This prompted fans to email YG to address the situation.
