A new controversy has erupted around the popular K-pop group BLACKPINK. Old videos have surfaced online showing members of the group, including Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé, seemingly using a racial slur, the N-word, during their pre-debut days. These clips have stirred a heated debate on social media.
Over the weekend, a person claiming to be a former employee of YG Entertainment, known as “YG Leaker,” started a chat room on the messaging platform Discord. They shared their frustrations with the company, claiming it was full of racism, sexism, and bullying. The “YG Leaker” also mentioned they had large amounts of data with serious accusations against several major K-pop agencies, including YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, HYBE Labels, Cube Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and others.
This person, believed to be the same leaker who previously shared personal details about BLACKPINK’s Jennie and BTS‘ V, said they were fired from YG Entertainment. They claimed to have evidence about these companies and threatened to reveal it. While some fans are skeptical about the credibility of the leak, many are focusing on the videos involving BLACKPINK.
The videos in question show Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé singing along to songs that include the N-word. The controversy has sparked a debate about cultural appropriation in K-pop, where some fans feel that K-pop artists borrow from Black culture without properly acknowledging its significance. Others pointed out that K-pop idols, including members of BLACKPINK, have worn durags, a traditional Black hairstyle accessory.
This is not the first time K-pop idols have been accused of using the racial slur. The situation has upset some fans, particularly Black fans, who feel hurt by the words used. However, some supporters of BLACKPINK have defended the group, saying that the N-word was used unintentionally as part of a song they were covering, and that the videos are old, so they should be left in the past. Others have suggested that the videos might be fake or manipulated by AI. But critics argue that because Rosé and Jennie grew up in English-speaking environments, they should have known better.
This controversy has sparked a larger discussion about the relationship between K-pop and Black culture, especially given that BLACKPINK has worked with Black artists in the past.
