J Balvin Apologizes For Music Video With Black Women On Leashes
J Balvin is in hot water due to his last video “Perra” which featured Black women seen on leashes and depicting Black people as canines throughout the video.
The song, which features Dominican rapper Tokischa, is about how Tokischa is a “dog in heat” and looking for a male to be with.
Video de la canción ‘Perra’ de J Balvin fue retirado de YouTube ➡ https://t.co/lRNuKhjDRu pic.twitter.com/Fl5Sm8tbmD
— EL HERALDO (@elheraldoco) October 18, 2021
Seen in the video are the background dancers and actors dressed in canine makeup and many people of color were made to look like actual dogs. Throughout the video, there were Black people seen locked in cages, eating from dog bowls, and later J Balvin is seen walking two Black women on leashes.
Colombia’s very own Vice President and Chancellor Marta Lucia Ramirez deemed the video to be sexist, misogynistic, and an extremely racist depiction of Black people per TMZ. After the backlash, J Balvin took the video down.
Per the outlet, Balvin says “he’s sorry to anyone who was offended, especially women, and especially Black women. He says he didn’t mean for it to be interpreted as degrading noting he was simply trying to help give some shine to an up-and-coming artist in the Dominican Republic.”
In the apology video the reggaetón singer preaches that his “work has always been about tolerance, love, and inclusivity, and after hearing how it affected people, he felt the need to come on and address it on camera.”
At one point he even apologizes to his mother for his actions.
The apology video has also been taken down by YouTube but the audio is still circulating online, as are clips from the music video.
