NEWS
Mickey Guyton
Phylicia J. L. Munn*Mickey Guyton dives into some serious topics on the new episode of Becky G’s Facebook Watch series Face to Face With Becky G. In the episode titled “Becky G & Mickey Guyton: Battling Systemic Racism in Country Music,” which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 4, Guyton discusses her personal experiences confronting racism and sexism as a Black female artist working in the country music industry.
“We’re used to being unseen. We’re used to the micro aggressions, we’re used to the constant battles of trying to just be who you are,” Guyton told Becky G during a clip from the interview. “And finally, the veil has been lifted, and we’re like, ‘Oh my god, how did we survive for so long?’ And that’s the point, we were just surviving. But now we’re thriving.”
Guyton also shared how she cares for herself after receiving backlash on social media for calling out the music industry for sexism and racism.
“I’m still working on it,” Guyton said. “Feb. 6, 2021, I was nine months pregnant, about to give birth to my son, and I got an influx of awful hate mail because I called out the industry and its racism and sexism. And people didn’t like that.”
“What was so hard is, I’m a Christian woman and I had all these people spewing hate, using Jesus,” Guyton recalled. “To have that kind of hate when you’re so hormonal was awful. I was in a really bad place, and I had to go on antidepressants that were life-changing.”
In 2020, Guyton released a pair of soaring (and searing) tracks, including “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” which addressed sexism, while “Black Like Me” detailed some of Guyton’s personal experiences with racism. “Black Like Me” also earned Guyton her first Grammy nomination, in the best country solo performance category.
In 2021, a decade after signing to a major label, Guyton also released her debut full-length album, Remember Her Name. She also co-hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards alongside Keith Urban, and earned three additional Grammy nominations. Leading into this year’s Grammy Awards, Guyton is nominated for best country album (Remember Her Name), best country solo performance and best country song (both for “Remember Her Name”).
The Face to Face series provides a platform for celebrities to have honest conversations surrounding personal topics. During the first episode, Demi Lovato discussed coming out as non-binary. Other celebrities who have appeared on Face to Face With Becky G include Tinashe, Chiquis, and Anthony Ramos.
New episodes of Face to Face With Becky G debut each week via Facebook Watch. Guyton’s episode premieres Jan. 4 at 12 p.m. ET.
Watch a clip from the episode below:
NEWS
There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
