Women Are Rapping About Their Insecurities to Beyonce's "Ego" And We Are More Than Here For It
"We're all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it."
I still remember those famous lyrics from Kanye West early in his career when he released the timeless classic entitled, "All Falls Down". The song poetically takes us through the life of a young Kanye who spends the entire track rapping about his insecurities and how he uses his insecurities to power his self-esteem.
Back in those early days, I didn't fully understand the lyrical content behind the song, but now as a grown black woman who's constantly inundated with images of "perfection", I get it. Man, do I get it.
I wish my butt was bigger.
I wish my hair was longer.
I wish I had more curves.
I wish I was lighter.
I wish I was darker.
Wishes, wishes, wishes, we've all stood in front of the mirror or in front of our girlfriends wishing we could change something about ourselves and, in 2017, a woman who goes by the name of @Oranicuuh on social media is no longer here for it.
Now Internet famous for being the creator of the #EgoChallenge, @Oranicuhh challenged her followers to join in on her challenge of freestyling to beat of Beyonce"s "Ego" when she posted a video captioned, "I wanna start the #egochallenge. We all have flaws and it's better to brag about them to be insecure. Y'all should join in!"
[embed]https://mobile.twitter.com/oranicuhh/status/826189536858370048[/embed]
In the video, she rapped the lyrics:
Yeah I got a gap but I still get y'all to bite
Yeah I'm chubby but I think it helps to keep my pockets tight
I'm dark as night, I'm chocolate talk about an overdose of melanin
What followed her video post was a phenomenal response from black women across social media not only applauding her for being brave enough to rap about her insecurities, but also responding with videos of their own.
As I scrolled through the various videos, I couldn't help but secretly wish I too was brave enough to hop on the mic and kick my own verse. Black girls are magical. When we as black women come together, we have a way of making everybody feel good and the #EgoChallenge is evidence of that.
[Tweet "When black women come together, we have a way of making everybody feel good and the #EgoChallenge is evidence of that."]
Over the last few days, the #EgoChallenge has literally become a liberating movement across the Internet for women to acknowledge and overcome their insecurities through music.
Thanks to social media, reality TV, and, let's face it, sometimes even our own brothers, we as women are often led to believe we're never enough. We fix one flaw only to identify another one and before you know it, we have become obsessed with fixing the amazing qualities God has blessed us with in attempt to please who? Everybody but ourselves.
[Tweet "We're leaving the outrageous idea that we are defined by our insecurities in 2016."]
It's a waste of time and, in some cases, a waste of the coin you could be using to empower yourself and ain't nobody got time for that!
So to every woman who has been told she's too fat, too skinny, too dark, too light, big head, small head, big hips, no hips, and a host of other things....
Girl.
You're still beautiful and if "they" don't see it (who is they anyway?) it's their problem, not yours.
I talk like this because I've seen that WE can back it up!
Check out some of our favorites below:
Here's to embracing our flaws and finding empowerment in our failings!
Have you ever heard of the #EgoChallenge? What would your verse look like? Share them with us in the comments below!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Exclusive: Koryn Hawthorne On Her Miraculous Love Story: ‘I Was Never A Girlfriend’
Gospel singer Koryn Hawthorne has used her voice to let the world know about what God can do, and now the Season 8 finalist of NBC’s The Voice is sharing a miraculous act that led to her engagement.
The Praise This actress shared in an interview with xoNecole that prior to becoming engaged to her partner, Hunter Register, she passed over one particular title on her way to becoming a fiancée.
“I was never a girlfriend,” Hawthorn, 26, tells xoNecole.
“We've known each other since we were kids, so we just kind of always had this distant friendship. We would hit each other up on social media, and [I] slide up under things that he was posting,” she says. “We ended up hanging out together, and when we hung out, it was an instant immediate connection from all fronts. I think we just knew from the first day that I don't want to spend a day apart from you.”
Koryn Hawthorne On Her Miraculous Love Story, New Album, & More
She continued, "And yeah, we probably were boyfriend or girlfriend after — am I delusional? Then we were engaged a few months later.”
The Grammy-nominated singer, who became engaged in November of 2023, went on to share what her experience has been preparing to become a wife, exploring the personal growth, challenges, and emotions experienced throughout the process.
“It's a journey, I'm not gonna lie,” she says. “Relationships, in general, are hard, and whenever you think about marriage, is just different from being boyfriend and girlfriend because if you piss me off, I could just go,” she shared. “But marriage is an actual commitment. It's a partnership. It's a ministry.”
Hawthorne, 26, and Register, 27, were childhood friends growing up in Louisiana and sealed their love during a weekend getaway in New Orleans last fall.
For the gospel star, marriage involves more than lovely-dovey aspects, emphasizing how her relationship has allowed her to grow, mature, and learn valuable lessons through love.
“We were supposed to get married in May, but like for us to be mature enough to be like, ‘You know what? No, let's take the necessary time to make sure that we're fully prepared for this commitment such a beautiful thing,” Hawthorne reflected.
“It's a learning curve for sure, but our preparation for marriage would have been the only thing that brought this out of me. It's hard and it's scary at times, but it's God's purpose and His plan for our lives.”
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Featured image by Dia DipasupilGetty Images