Spice made her point - Industry insiders weigh in on 'Black Hypocrisy'

Dancehall artiste Spice continues to dominate the Internet. After sending social media into a frenzy when she debuted a much 'lighter' skin tone on Monday, the 'Queen of Stage' is still the hot topic locally and internationally. But while she has been dominating the 'chatter' on the entertainment scene, some would wonder if there is a connection between the message she intended to send with photo and the eventual release of her song.

On Monday, the buzz surrounding the singer was mainly about whether or not Spice had really 'bleached' her skin, but as soon as she released the music video for her latest single, Black Hypocrisy, the singer's message became clear.

Black Hypocrisy tackles the issue of colourism. In the song, Spice reveals that for years she has had to deal with harsh criticism about the colour of her skin, often by those who were the same complexion as her. Pointing out that black people are very critical of their own kind, Spice urges people of colour to love the skin they are in.

SHOCK FACTOR

Taking into consideration the fact that some have been making light of the whole issue, a few industry insiders told THE STAR that despite the 'antics' associated with the song and its message, Spice definitely got persons to pay attention.

Artiste manager Julian Jones Griffiths told THE STAR that the message Spice intended to send is hard to ignore because of how she executed it and the amount of buzz it has been generating.

"People often only absorb the headline or image they see first and don't see the bigger picture, but the amount of attention she brought to her project should certainly ensure that people get the message behind the shock factor," he said.

"Spice had everyone on tilt. It went through every level of society and culture, and her single is number one. So, as well as people recognising her marketing savvy, hopefully, they will see that the vast majority of the reaction she elicited is exactly what she is singing about."

Likening Spice's Black Hypocrisy to Beyonce's Lemonade, publicist Keona Williams explained that Spice used the power she has as an artiste to bring attention to an issue that has been plaguing many people in today's society.

"The video is out to clearly show you what the picture was about. Everybody knows she's talking about a social issue. Spice used what was bothering her and put it out there in a way that, not only got people to pay attention, but to help people who have similar issues relate and understand. That's a great thing. Unfortunately, some will see it, others will be too busy finding fault and making jokes."

Industry insider Shelly-Ann Curran indicated that while she wasn't sure if everyone got the message, she believed Spice's execution could not have been more perfect.

"I cannot say if everyone got what her intent was, but I can say it was executed perfectly and definitely got our attention. The end message is a good one, especially for our black women going through self-love issues," she said.

Spice's marketing strategy and shock value promotion seem to have paid off in terms of getting persons to pay attention. She has generated so much interest the last two days that even the international media was forced to pay attention. Spice and her new look and song were discussed on the Wendy Williams Show in the United States. She also made it into the UK's most popular tabloid's, the Dailymail. The video, which was released yesterday, is already the number one trending video on YouTube, amassing more than 300,000 views in its first day of upload.