“Black Girl Stuff” returned this week and the episode had a bit of everything. As always, Akilah Ffriend, Brii Renee, Demetria Obilor, and Tori Brixx held it down on the “BGS” panel. The girls dove into the comments to discuss expensive weddings and the wage gap affecting Black women. Then, they sat down with Baby Tate, Armani White, and Armon Warren to discuss everything new in their respective careers. Catch “Black Girl Stuff” every Tuesday on REVOLT at 9 p.m. ET as well as every Wednesday on our website, YouTube channel, and app. Plus, watch the latest episode here.
1. Wedding Bells
Twitter user @staceysaidso tweeted, “Spending 30-40K on a wedding and going back to an apartment and financed cars is crazy,” which sent social media into an uproar. @_janemarley7 commented, “$25 at the courthouse and a nice reception…maybe,” and over 700 people liked and agreed with her comment, while @_rmills explored the flip side and said, “Some [people] care about experiences and memories that’ll last forever. Others care about generational wealth. No one is wrong, just different.”
Obilor called this “pocket watching” and while that may be the case, social media is still heavily debating the topic. Ffriend said, “I think experiences are just a part of life, just like taxes and rent on the first of the month. Fund those experiences!” Brixx talked about the importance of setting financial goals. “I think one of the things you can do is set financial goals, but experiences should be treated like a bill. For example, if you want to travel to Greece, that’s money you should set aside and say, ‘Okay, I can plan for this.’” The girls agreed that setting financial goals is crucial to creating memorable experiences.
2. Pay Black Women
Viola Davis has been one of the industry’s top actresses for years at this point and while on a panel at a convention, she spoke about the wage gap that exists for Black women even amongst the Hollywood elite. “What they’re getting paid, which is half of what a man is getting paid, while we get probably a tenth of what a caucasian woman gets. And I’m number one on the call sheet, and then I have to go in and have to hustle for my worth.”
Twitter user @denisemose recently insisted, “PAY BLACK WOMEN THEIR WORTH. Decrease the wage gap!” She then shared a graphic from Black Enterprise showing that the average Black woman loses $946,120 over the course of a 40-year career due to the wage gap.
The girls each shared their opinions on why this is and Renee said, “I think people like to put themselves in a bubble and believe that we’re so much further past these issues when we really aren’t. I think that’s because those people aren’t the people directly affected by these issues.”
3. Baby Tate Brings the Heat
You may have heard Baby Tate’s single “I Am” on Instagram Reels or TikTok, where it’s currently blowing up. Tate joined the “BGS” panel to discuss her inspiration for the song and plenty more. “At that time, it was like peak pandemic, and we [were] all in the house going through a whole lot, not just with life, but internal life. And so for me, at that time, I was just going through a lot of, like, spiritual awakenings, and I was doing different affirmations, and I was listening to them on YouTube, but they were just so boring. I was like, ‘I want to create something for myself to say that I feel really empowered by and fired up by.’ So, I created these words and was like, ‘This would sound good on a song!'”
The hosts agreed that Black women have to affirm each other. Tate also discussed her relationship woes, as they were a huge focus during her season on “Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta,” her thoughts on dating women and her bisexuality, and why collaborating with Nicki Minaj meant so much to her. Her latest mixtape, Mani/Pedi, is out on all streaming platforms.
4. Happy Hood Music
In a now-viral video circulating on social media, “BILLIE EILISH” rapper Armani White surprised his mother with a pan full of cash, and her excitement level shot through the roof. When asked about how it felt to be in a position to bless his mother like that, the young go-getter said, “Well, she blessed me. She bought me my first microphone. You ever be in the Chick-Fil-A line, and you pay for the car behind you? It felt like that times a hundred thousand.” White is pushing a subgenre of hip-hop that he calls “happy hood music,” and he’s seeing a ton of success from it. He’s garnered over 750,000 followers on TikTok, and his most popular song, “BILLIE EILISH,” recently went gold. The rising star has also signed with Def Jam and his latest single, “DIAMOND DALLAS,” is available on all streaming platforms.
5. Armon Sets the Record Straight
DJ Akademiks recently went viral after he was seen criticizing Armon Warren and his girlfriend, Reginae Carter, during a livestream. He took aim at Warren for coming across as “too feminine” and then the couple as a whole for doing mukbangs. Akademiks even went as far as calling Carter a b**ch. Warren sat and talked to the “BGS” panel about the incident and said, “Initially, I think he called my girlfriend a B-word, so I was like, ‘That’s straight disrespect’ before he even went into disrespecting me. I just really didn’t like the agenda he wanted to push as far as a young man that takes care of…everything around me, even my girl.” The girls pointed out that every time a man treats his woman with respect, it’s seen as feminine, and Brixx pointed out Russell Wilson as an example. When asked his opinion on why he thinks that is, Warren said, “The young man that did what he did saw a young man that was showing his girl love. I stand on principles, I stand on the morals, I feel like I will always respect my mom, my daughter, my girl. I’ll save the masculine [for] people like him.”
6. Willow and BriStylez
Many of us were introduced to Willow Smith way back in the early 2000s when she and her brother Jaden were toddlers. Smith is now 21 years old and killing the game. Beyond her bubbling music career, she has raised money for hurricane victim relief, and she’s partnered with Project Zombie to raise awareness of children who have lost their parents and loved ones to the AIDS epidemic in Africa. At only 21, she’s an absolute BG Boss.
Brianna Davidson, also known as BriStylez, is another BG Boss making an impact in her own way. She started “The Kids Wig Tour,” where she creates and gives away wigs to young girls with skin conditions such as alopecia and cancer. She’s dedicated to changing the lives of young Black girls one wig at a time.