Although I really, truly, deeply wanted to love her because she was one of us—I just couldn’t. When she first came on the scene, my ears pricked up. I wanted, no, NEEDED a Caribbean, woman, international superstar. Could she be it? I was not convinced, she just seemed like a mix between Beyonce & Samantha Mumba (remember her?)
Then she broke out–the hair, tattoos, the clothes, the music–I felt we were getting glimpses of who she really was. Then, she became too much, tried to hard, tattoos everywhere, Chris Brown (ugh). The last straw for me was that horrendous super mushroom hairstyle. Why, why, would you unleash such a thing on the world?
#FAIL
Then came these pics of her during Crop Over in Barbados (2011)…
Now I really, truly, deeply LOVE Rihanna. Yes, love her.
Why? Not because she’s playing mas or wearing a Bob Marley swimsuit–these are only small parts of our amazing culture. It is the fact that she knows who she is and where she came from. The girl is the face of coconut water, drinks Banks beer and is chipping down the road amongst her people. You can see she is proud of her heritage, of being Bajan. What other major celebrity have you seen do anything like that? What courage.
I saw some pretty terrible comments about her playing mas in her own country. Is her outfit any worse than what she wears on stage, hell to the nah. It seems to me the problem they have is that she is exhibiting a part of her culture that is not part of the “predominant” culture…a counter-culture. I’m most certain that her PR rep advised against this too…they would have to.
Now RihRih–yes, that’s what I call her now she’s a friend in my head–are on good terms. In my head we discuss, politics, fashion, what happened in that car (I’ll never tell) and we plan to play mas next year (in ANU of course). We do all of that after we give each other mani/pedis, play truth or dare and have a pillow fight… all while in our jammies. I truly digress, haha.
On a serious note, no matter what foolishness she gets into (and she will) I’ll support her. She is one of us after all, a Daughter of the Diaspora.
So, do you think RihRih is good for the Caribbean or not?
I really wanted to put in “Man Down”, but I have to let it go..really. So, “Rude Boy” it is.
(On another note, doesn’t she look like Zuul from Ghostbusters? Really.)
She even wore that outfit...
See what I mean...
Eternally Summer 
She is great for the Caribbean! I love that she doesn’t give a hoot & everything looks super good on her! She reps for all the Island Ladies!
Yes, she’s hawt! Being island girls (what’s up PR!),its always to good to see one of our own be successful..it opens doors
I actually love Rihanna and I think she is good for the Caribbean because she reps Barbados and doesn’t forget where she came from!
She rocks and I love her new hair…was getting really tired of the Ronald McDonald look ;)