Y’all are judging a 17-year-old who gave himself a stupid name when he was fifteen? Like taken straight out of the article one of you guys said was why he was “so far beyond redemption”: “Imanuel told me he does regret choosing the name Rich Chigga.” (Rich Chigga’s real name is Brian Imanuel)
Interviewer: You’ve called your artist name “corny” and said you regret picking it. Why haven’t you changed it?
Imanuel: [The name] just started from me making my first song. I was talking to my friend about it back then like, “Damn. What should I name it?” And my friend was like, “Let’s pick the most controversial shit ever.” I didn’t really know what I was doing and I definitely did not know people were gonna pop off like this. Now I’m kind of stuck with this. I might change it in the future, I don’t know. I hope I can do it. But as for now, I’m definitely not going to let it be the only thing that defines me. It actually kinda motivates me to do better so when people listen to my music they’re like, “Oh shit, this is actually not bad.” I’m not going to make my music based around this ignorant ass name.
I’m not trying to excuse him but think of all the idiotic usernames/band names/account login info you guys thought up as when you were a teenager. Some of you have them still right now. I had the username “pinkbamboo” for the longest time because that’s what my name translates to in english. It was like this for all my accounts for ten fucking years before someone asked if it was a innuendo for a white boy’s penis.
But honestly guys, he made a mistake, yes. He shouldn’t have done that and it is indeed offensive and insensitive. But what can he do when the thing that enabled him to achieve his dreams is also the thing that’s damning him?
(please actually read the interview)
You wrong. 1. It’s clearly an adaptation of the worst racial slur dreamed up by an American. 2. The origin story; “let’s pick the most CONTROVERSIAL shit ever” which translates to “I know my ass dead wrong for this bs”. 3. “Kind of” stuck with it? TF is that?? 4. I “MIGHT” change it. Oh. So you aware you fucked up yet you still refuse to change. In the real world we have a phrase it goes like “sorry not sorry”, just use that next time. 5. You saying you’re not trying to excuse him, then why bother typing all that? Idiotic isn’t always racist, your pinkbamboo is not even in this same category as Chigga.
0. Ok, maybe it was my fault for giving people the option to tell me I’m wrong, but saying I’m wrong right off the bat allows for the mindset to be dismissive. This isn’t the best way to have an open discussion. Look, I know I might be wrong and I know I, too, might be insensitive. I don’t think I am wrong, but I’m sorry if I am.
1. Yes, he shouldn’t have used it. Yes, he knew it was based off the worst racial slur. I’m not disagreeing with you here.
2. In the interview, he’s asked this question a few times, and each time he says yes, he regrets it because it was wrong of him to do so. He’s not disagreeing with you either.
3. Do you know how hard it is to rebrand yourself? It’s not an easy process, and this isn’t an easy solution. He’s literally reached his dream and he’s doing what he loves. Like I don’t listen to him BECAUSE of his name, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see that he isn’t a person capable of change. And he’s a different person than he was two years ago.
4. Yo like I do agree that he should change it. But he’s not.
5. Yeah, ok my “pinkbamboo” example isn’t as extreme, but we all do stupid shit don’t we?
I’m not saying him deciding on “chigga” wasn’t racist, because it was, and still is. This isn’t the point of my posts (and me saying that doesn’t mean the racism discussions should be stifled, but that’s not the point I’m addressing). I’m saying the language I’m seeing in the comments, where you are letting one small Asian kid be the beginning of the divide between Asians and black people, ultimately will result in a delay in our cause toward peace and unity. Especially if that one small Asian has recognized he’s made a mistake. By condemning him for his actions two years ago and refusing to evaluate his current intentions and actions, you don’t enable him to grow, and consequently people will look at you and think you’re a pretty narrow minded representative of your community. Because heaven forbid I, or anyone else, have the decency to realize that a movement/cause/community shouldn’t be judged by the actions of a sole person.
This divide isn’t what I want, for either sides, for any sides. Don’t forgive him if you want, don’t listen to his “trashy” music, but know that people do, in fact, grow up and he will (and has, IMO) too.
6. Furthermore, the points you’ve chosen to address leads me only to believe that you’ve only read the excerpt I’ve selectively chosen to include in my post (and kind of ignored whatever he said that that makes you realize he’s not disagreeing with you), so please do go read the entire interview with an open mind.
Y’all are judging a 17-year-old who gave himself a stupid name when he was fifteen? Like taken straight out of the article one of you guys said was why he was “so far beyond redemption”: “Imanuel told me he does regret choosing the name Rich Chigga.” (Rich Chigga’s real name is Brian Imanuel)
Interviewer: You’ve called your artist name “corny” and said you regret picking it. Why haven’t you changed it?
Imanuel: [The name] just started from me making my first song. I was talking to my friend about it back then like, “Damn. What should I name it?” And my friend was like, “Let’s pick the most controversial shit ever.” I didn’t really know what I was doing and I definitely did not know people were gonna pop off like this. Now I’m kind of stuck with this. I might change it in the future, I don’t know. I hope I can do it. But as for now, I’m definitely not going to let it be the only thing that defines me. It actually kinda motivates me to do better so when people listen to my music they’re like, “Oh shit, this is actually not bad.” I’m not going to make my music based around this ignorant ass name.
I’m not trying to excuse him but think of all the idiotic usernames/band names/account login info you guys thought up as when you were a teenager. Some of you have them still right now. I had the username “pinkbamboo” for the longest time because that’s what my name translates to in english. It was like this for all my accounts for ten fucking years before someone asked if it was a innuendo for a white boy’s penis.
But honestly guys, he made a mistake, yes. He shouldn’t have done that and it is indeed offensive and insensitive. But what can he do when the thing that enabled him to achieve his dreams is also the thing that’s damning him?
