Why BET Blacklisted Me– Yemi Alade Cries Out
Yemi Alade has admitted that she was put on a “blacklist” after criticizing the BET Award organizers eight years ago over their treatment of African artistes.
Back in 2015, the event’s planners decided on the African category hours before the main ceremony and instructed winning African performers to receive their Awards backstage. This did not go down well with Yemi Alade who was one of the African musicians nominated for the prestigious event.
She believed that the event organizers’ actions were disgusting and a mockery of African performers.
Yemi had tweeted; “By the way… AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY.!!! ..IT IS WRONG TO NOMINATE HUGE AFRICAN STARS AND PUBLICLY TRY TO HUMILIATE AFRICA. WHY ON EARTH IS THE AFRICAN CATEGORY OF THE AWARDS HELD HOURS BEFORE THE “MAIN EVENT? IF AFRICAN ARTISTS ARE NOT WORTHY IN YOUR SIGHT.
“PLS BY ALL MEANS CANCEL, DELETE, COMMIT THE “BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT (AFRICA) CATEGORY OUT OF THIS GLORIFIED AWARD. THIS IS WRONG! !! WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.”
In a tweet after the 2023 BET Awards, the songstress said that she was the main reason BET started giving African acts their awards during the main show instead of backstage.
However, a fan with username @jefe_says disagreed with her and gave the credit to Afrobeats superstar, Wizkid.
He tweeted; “Let me rephrase “Thank You Wizkid for fighting for African artistes to be respected.”
If Wiz didn’t reject BET backstage award that year, it would’ve still been happening”
Yemi Alade, known for her signature tune ‘Johnny’ came back to set the record straight by insisting that it was that singular warpath she took that ensured Africans get the deserved recognition which even got her in trouble with the organisers.
She clarified thus; “No matter how you want rewrite the past, YOU SIMPLY CANNOT! Selective omittion is still false information. I was blacklisted and still am for saying the truth… I’m not gifting you with silence today, try tmrw.”
