Beyoncé's father believes having lighter skin helped her career

Posted by Ria, 07 Feb

Photo credit: Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com

Besides blaming his mother for his colorism, Beyoncé’s father and former manager Matthew Knowles doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that his daughter – alongside the likes of Mariah Carey and Rihanna – is taking over the music world. Because, according to a new interview with Ebony, he thinks it’s all down to the color of their skin – more specifically, the lighter color.

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“When it comes to black females, who are the people who get their music played on pop radio?” he asked the reporter at Ebony.

“Mariah Carey, Rihanna, the female rapper Nicki Minaj, my kids Beyoncé and Solange, and what do they all have in common?” he asked.

“They’re all lighter skinned,” the reporter replied.

"Do you think that's an accident?" Knowles continued.

"Of course not", the reporter replied, to which Knowles said, "so you get it!"

This interesting interview is a result of Matthew Knowles promoting his brand new book, Racism: From the Eyes of a Child.

In the book, he discusses his own perspective on race while growing up in the deep South, and also recounts some of the most racist moments in recent US history.

"In the deep South in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, the shade of your blackness was considered important. So I, unfortunately, grew up hearing that message,” he continued, before telling the reporter that he thought Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, was a white woman when he first met her…

"I actually thought when I met Tina, my former wife, that she was white,” he said.“Later I found out that she wasn't, and she was actually very much in-tune with her blackness.

"I had been conditioned from childhood. With eroticised rage, there was actual rage in me as a black man, and I saw the white female as a way, subconsciously, of getting even or getting back.

“There are a lot of black men of my era that are not aware of this thing."

We think his book will be quite an interesting read.

Clearly, we will never hear the end of this debate on skin color . What do you think of his comments? Do you agree that Queen Bey is the worldwide superstar she is because of the color of her skin?

Sounds off in the comments…

5 responses to "Beyoncé's father believes having lighter skin helped her career"

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  1.   Chiemeziem says:
    Posted: 12 Feb 18

    Besides the success of Beyonce in the world of entertainment can be hinged on her creativity and consistency in what she does. Because there are several others who are more lighter skinned than Beyonce but they are not as popular because Beyonce has more than just skin colour. Shes creative, talented and she has been consistent

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  2.   Chiemeziem says:
    Posted: 12 Feb 18

    Rihanna isn't light skinned as such. She's more of chocolate color. But the truth is that God created all of us in His image irrespective of skin colour

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  3.   Julep says:
    Posted: 11 Feb 18

    There is some truth to what he said. Colorist is a form of racism that a lot of non black people are not conscious of. If you want a quick intro, google "brown paper bag test". She is definitely beautiful and talented, but so are a lot of other women out there making music. She had the right people behind her and she came in the right package to market to the world. Long live Queen B!

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  4.   Willie1979 says:
    Posted: 11 Feb 18

    I don't believe that. I believe that favor comes from God. It rains on the just and the unjust.

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  5.   Maarie says:
    Posted: 11 Feb 18

    Although Beyoncé is very talented in her own right, I think her light skin tone has also played a huge role in her success and popularity! I believe there is some truth to what her father is saying.

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