After a break from social media, well-loved grime rapper Stormzy had made his return to the online world – and has finally addressed the recent events of girlfriend Maya Jama’s controversial, historic tweet.
Bristol-born presenter Maya has been facing backlash since last month after a tweet from the past made its way to the present-day timeline. In April 2012, a 17-year-old Maya tweeted: ‘”Dark skin bitches shaving their head expecting to look like Amber Rose, when really they end up looking like Michael Jordan.” Looooooooool.’
Eek. Discovery of the tweet provoked much outrage and discussion, and the Radio 1 host issued an apology for the insulting post. And now, for the first time, Stormzy has spoken of Maya Jama’s tweet since its circulation on social media.
Writing underneath an Instagram picture posted on Wednesday (2nd May), Stormzy agreed that Maya’s words were an ‘insult’ but defended her, reminding followers that she had apologised and that should be the end of it.
The 24-year-old rapper opened up after one of his followers posted a comment on a recent photo upload, saying that his silence on the topic was ‘deflecting’ the issue.
Instagram user kfcismyhomie wrote: ‘Stop deflecting. It someone that’s supposedly any bullying and all about mental health awareness I’d expect better. You should consider Maya’s comments an insult to yourself AND to women who resemble you such as your own family. Disappointing.’
To which Stormzy gave the short and direct reply: ‘They were an insult, and she’s apologised.’
With this being Stormzy’s first post in at least a month, some had assumed that his absence was because of the negative press around Maya.
Despite the timing of Stormzy reappearing on social media after a time of ghosting, he posted an Instagram story clarifying that his absence had nothing to do with Maya’s controversial tweets:
From the #office of #stormzy: he addresses the fact that he’s not been active on social media since his #girlfriends (#mayajama) controversy 👀#hiphop #superstar #rap #talented #grimemusic #unitedkingdom #successful #london🇬🇧 #winner #presenter #merky #bristol #powercouple pic.twitter.com/4SZEoFzRwm
— Da Tea Space (@dateaspace) May 3, 2018
‘It’s come to my attention that a lot of you weirdly thought I went into hiding because of recent events… Just wanted to let you know 1) that’s a lie 2) how can I even hide from any of you you’re all quite neeky’, the 24-year-old wrote, adding laughing emojis for effect.
Well, glad that’s cleared up!
At the time of Maya’s tweet doing the rounds on the internet, there were calls to ‘cancel’ her – for the original Tweet, and for an apology that said sorry to ‘all women’, and not specifically the ‘dark-skinned women’ she offended:
Someone needs to start a fund that celebrities have to donate to every time they get caught out for slandering black women. That fund should go to supporting dark skinned black women in their ventures. These iPhone notes apologies are so tiring they don’t mean anything at all lol
— Chanté said ABOLISH THE POLICE 🦖🇩🇲🇯🇲 (@ChantayyJayy) April 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/kxllss/status/989563965322784769
However, she issued a second, more thorough apology hours later, after becoming aware of how badly her words had come off: she wrote, ‘I’m aware that I’ve further offended with what I wrote and that is not what I intended at all.
https://twitter.com/MayaJama/status/987438956500353028
‘My original apology was me wanting to say sorry for what was posted as quickly as possible because I didn’t want anyone to think that I was ignoring the issue and that it didn’t mean anything to me,’ she explained, before going on to say that she felt she’d set a bad example.
She ended by acknowledging her wrongdoings, and deeming her words ‘unacceptable’: ‘I honestly am disappointed in myself whether the tweets were posted 6 years ago or yesterday they are not cool and it was ignorant and careless.
‘Colourism is not something to be entertained and I do not support it, what I reposted was unacceptable in every way and I was wrong for that. Again I’m sorry. ‘Love, Maya.’
Should old, offensive tweets be exposed, or should we not hold historical words against someone when they later become famous? Let us know on Twitter @pridemag
