
Women Are Rapping About Their Insecurities to Beyonce's "Ego" And We Are More Than Here For It

"We're all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it."
I still remember those famous lyrics from Kanye West early in his career when he released the timeless classic entitled, "All Falls Down". The song poetically takes us through the life of a young Kanye who spends the entire track rapping about his insecurities and how he uses his insecurities to power his self-esteem.
Back in those early days, I didn't fully understand the lyrical content behind the song, but now as a grown black woman who's constantly inundated with images of "perfection", I get it. Man, do I get it.
I wish my butt was bigger.
I wish my hair was longer.
I wish I had more curves.
I wish I was lighter.
I wish I was darker.
Wishes, wishes, wishes, we've all stood in front of the mirror or in front of our girlfriends wishing we could change something about ourselves and, in 2017, a woman who goes by the name of @Oranicuuh on social media is no longer here for it.
Now Internet famous for being the creator of the #EgoChallenge, @Oranicuhh challenged her followers to join in on her challenge of freestyling to beat of Beyonce"s "Ego" when she posted a video captioned, "I wanna start the #egochallenge. We all have flaws and it's better to brag about them to be insecure. Y'all should join in!"
[embed]https://mobile.twitter.com/oranicuhh/status/826189536858370048[/embed]
In the video, she rapped the lyrics:
Yeah I got a gap but I still get y'all to bite
Yeah I'm chubby but I think it helps to keep my pockets tight
I'm dark as night, I'm chocolate talk about an overdose of melanin
What followed her video post was a phenomenal response from black women across social media not only applauding her for being brave enough to rap about her insecurities, but also responding with videos of their own.
As I scrolled through the various videos, I couldn't help but secretly wish I too was brave enough to hop on the mic and kick my own verse. Black girls are magical. When we as black women come together, we have a way of making everybody feel good and the #EgoChallenge is evidence of that.
[Tweet "When black women come together, we have a way of making everybody feel good and the #EgoChallenge is evidence of that."]
Over the last few days, the #EgoChallenge has literally become a liberating movement across the Internet for women to acknowledge and overcome their insecurities through music.
Thanks to social media, reality TV, and, let's face it, sometimes even our own brothers, we as women are often led to believe we're never enough. We fix one flaw only to identify another one and before you know it, we have become obsessed with fixing the amazing qualities God has blessed us with in attempt to please who? Everybody but ourselves.
[Tweet "We're leaving the outrageous idea that we are defined by our insecurities in 2016."]
It's a waste of time and, in some cases, a waste of the coin you could be using to empower yourself and ain't nobody got time for that!
So to every woman who has been told she's too fat, too skinny, too dark, too light, big head, small head, big hips, no hips, and a host of other things....
Girl.
You're still beautiful and if "they" don't see it (who is they anyway?) it's their problem, not yours.
I talk like this because I've seen that WE can back it up!
Check out some of our favorites below:
Here's to embracing our flaws and finding empowerment in our failings!
Have you ever heard of the #EgoChallenge? What would your verse look like? Share them with us in the comments below!
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
I Tried It: 3 Low-Maintenance Wigs That Will Elevate Your Look This Season
There's nothing like the feeling you get when your hair is done. It can instantly boost your confidence and put you in a great mood. I've never been a stranger to hair trends and I often experiment with the latest braided styles and colors.
But there are moments when I just don't feel like doing my hair. I'm natural and a lot of times I will braid or twist my hair up and cover it with a scarf or turban. However, when I crave a different look without the hassle of styling, I reach for a wig.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with wigs. Sometimes, I struggle to get them to lay flat and don't get me started with the bonding glue process. So when it comes to wearing wigs, I like to keep it nice and breezy around this b--- (word to Katt Williams), especially in the summertime.
That's why I jumped at the chance to try these three versatile wigs from Luvme Hair. Each one offers a unique look and is surprisingly low maintenance, which aligns perfectly with my philosophy that wearing wigs should make life easier. Let’s dive into the three styles below.
Headband Wig
Courtesy
This was the first wig I tried on, and I instantly fell in love with it. So much so that it took me weeks to even consider trying the other two. I’m partial to colored hair, especially blonds, browns, and reds, so I was skeptical about the jet black hair. However, I think the color, combined with the curl pattern, worked surprisingly well for me.
One of the things I really liked about this wig was that I didn’t have to braid my hair down first. I could simply throw it over a low ponytail, which is the epitome of a low-maintenance style. The headband has combs inside and velcro on the ends, ensuring a secure fit.
Half Wig
Courtesy
I had never worn a half wig before, so I faced some challenges. I cornrowed the bottom half of my hair where the wig would sit, but I believe this made it more difficult to use the combs. It might just be me though. I straightened the top part of my hair to blend it with the wig, which looked cute for about five minutes.
Firstly, I have a brown/blonde color mix on the ends of my hair, and the half wig is black. So, I had to hide some of the color (I didn’t have time to dye the wig). Secondly, straightening my hair myself is always a hassle because it never lasts long. Add to that the summer humidity, and you get a hot mess. Despite all this, I managed to get some cute pictures before things got out of control, and that’s all that matters, right?
Would I consider this a low-maintenance hair style? Yes and no. I think it’s unrealistic for me during the summer, especially since I enjoy summer activities. However, when the weather cools down, I’ll definitely rock it, dyed, of course.
Bob
Courtesy
Now, this is the wig I was nervous about. I never had a bob and I didn't think I would like it. But once I put bobiana on, my mind instantly changed. I finally understood why the gworls rave about the bob so much. It was giving boss. It was giving grown woman. It was giving the bob means business. Iykyk. It was the ultimate statement.
I will say when I first put it on, one side of my wig just would not lay flat. It took some trial and error, but I finally managed to get it to look good. With the bob, I highly recommend braiding your hair down first as small as you can so it can lay as flat as possible. I really liked the ash blonde color, which is perfect for summer. The length also makes it a great low-maintenance style for the season, so you don't have to worry about the hair making your neck sweaty.
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