Miley Cyrus is addressing the elephant in the room.
In 2017, the 26-year-old announced she had distanced herself from hip hop after turning to the genre for her breakout album Bangerz. “I also love that new Kendrick [Lamar] song [“Humble”]: ‘Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks.’ I love that because it’s not ‘Come sit on my d—k, suck on my c—k.’ I can’t listen to that anymore,” she told Billboard at the time.
Ironically enough, Cyrus was frequently called out for exploiting hip hop culture during her Bangerz era which saw the former Disney star twerking, wearing grillz, and collaborating with a slew of rap stars. However, in a since-deleted Instagram post, Cyrus addressed her Billboard interview and clarified that she had “respect” for all genres. Now she’s issuing a direct apology to the entire hip hop community.
After watching a fan-made YouTube video titled “Miley Cyrus Is My Problematic Fav…Sorry,” the singer responded to a few of the points made in the clip. “Just watched your video. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak up. Being silent is not like me at all,” she began.
“I am aware of my platform and have always used it the best way I know how and to shine a light on injustice. I want to start with saying I am sorry. I own the fact that saying … “this pushed me out of the hip hop scene a little” was insensitive as it is a privilege to have the ability to dip in and out of ‘the scene,’” Cyrus continued.
The pop star went on to admit that she still has a lot to learn when it comes to inequality. “My words became a divider in a time where togetherness and unity is crucial. I can not change what I said at that time, but I can say I am deeply sorry for the disconnect my words caused. Simply said: I f—ked up and I sincerely apologize,” she wrote.
Cyrus also noted that she’s “committed to using my voice for healing, change, and standing up for what’s right.” Her latest EP, She Is Coming, features cameos from hip hop artists including Ghostface Killah, Swae Lee and Mike Will Made It, who previously executively produced Bangerz.
Keep reading to see the initial video that caught Cyrus’ attention and prompted a direct apology ahead.