Willow Smith Faced "Pushback" As Black Rock Singer, Says Jada Pinkett Smith Received Death Threats

BY Erika Marie 5.1K Views
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Willow Smith
Both Willow and her mother pursued Rock music and according to the Pop Punk star, Jada's Metal pursuits caused the genre's fans to act unhinged.

For most of her life, Willow Smith has been pursuing music. With parents like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, having a career in entertainment seemed like an expected fit, and as a kid, the world was hypnotized by Willow's hit single, "Whip My Hair." However, that Pop takeover was short-lived as Smith has repeatedly expressed that she struggled with anxiety as her music career began to take off.

Yet, these days, she's a certified rockstar as she invades the Pop Punk space, and it isn't a far cry from her mother's Metal band successes. The Alt-Rock princess caught up with Glamour UK and spoke candidly about being Black in Rock 'n' Roll, even mentioning that there was a time when they feared for Jada's safety.

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“Oh, my goodness. She was getting death threats. It was a crazy amount of stuff going on," said Smith of her mom being targeted for simply being a Black woman in Alternative Rock. "I remember being like, ‘Yo! People are really upset about this, they’re mad that a Black woman wants to do Metal and is in the space. Like that was activism.”

Smith added that she, too, has faced racism because she doesn't fit an industry stereotype.

“When I wanted to do a Rock album, there were a lot of executives that were like, ‘Hmm…'" she said. “If I had been white, it would’ve been completely fine; but because I’m Black it’s, ‘Well… maybe let’s just not’ – and making it harder than it needs to be... I go through that, every single other Black artist is getting the pushback [too].”

“I love all different kinds of music, I don’t like to box myself into anything,” she tells me. “I was trained to be an R&B singer so I went in that direction. But I’ve always had a huge affinity for Rock music ever since I was just a wee bean.”

Check out more from Willow below.




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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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