Let This Be Your Reminder to Put Some Respect on Jazmine Sullivan
With undeniable vocal talent and a flawless discography, Jazmine Sullivan is in a league of her own. So why does the public refuse to give this legendary powerhouse the flowers she so rightfully deserves?
At 15, Jazmine Sullivan signed to Jive Records. She was a vocal music major at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, which she made evident on the breakout hit “Need U Bad” in 2008. Her single was only the beginning of the Philly native’s harmonious relationship with legend Missy Elliot. Elliot later helped executive produce her first album, Fearless. Sullivan’s LP went No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No.6 on the Billboard 200 with records like “Lions, Tigers, and Bears” and “Bust Your Windows” – a “classic” according to Stevie Wonder.
The R&B icon’s second project, Love Me Back, also victoriously established Sullivan’s artistry by earning her an eighth Grammy Nomination in 2011 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance with “Holding You Down (Goin’ in Circles)”. It was the irresistible, raspy runs and sincerely thorough lyricism on her third studio album Reality Show that secured her seat in my personal top five. In the age of fillers and 40-track albums, to present a cohesive body of work with not a single skip is a level only unlocked by sheer greats. But “Mascara”, “Let It Burn”, and “Masterpiece (Mona Lisa)” were not enough to snag a Grammy for Best R&B Album. Why?
The despairing reality that Jazmine Sullivan has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards and has not received a single one is a shame. Frankly, it’s colorism foremost. Lighter skin is the standard for the music industry just like in our everyday politics because they are the most “marketable” and “acceptable” in proximity to whiteness. Apparently, empowering women who do not fit the monolithic mold of beauty is far too challenging for record labels and many consumers. There are many Black women with impeccable talent that should be decorated by RIAA, Billboard, and the Recording Academy. But instead, they’re left to be adored by hidden-gem music lovers exclusively because society frequently refuses to wholeheartedly champion darker women.
Chicago’s Tink is similarly unnoticed. Only two songs in her seven-mixtape-long catalog charted despite “Treat Me Like Somebody” being an underground treasure in 2014. Music is subjective, but there is a lack of exposure connected to their outward appearance that is preventing these women’s authentic artistry from even getting a chance. Dark-skinned female artists have visible god-given abilities that are only esteemed when wrapped in a package that passes the brown paper bag test or stamped with a male artist’s approval. Give more love to Teyana Taylor, Justine Skye, Sevyn Streeter, VanJess, Tiana Major9 – shall I continue?
Another by-product of desirability politics in play in the case of Jazmine’s early career is fatphobia. Jazmine Sullivan has always been beautiful, but unfortunately, her size prevents her from being widely viewed as such. She spoke with the HuffPost in 2016 about the lack of representation ahead of her first magazine cover, Ebony’s The Body Brigade issue: “There aren’t a lot of plus size women in the industry, but I’m one. I feel like I made it through — to some degree — through the other side, to say the least. But they aren’t a lot.” Amber Riley for instance — most known for her role as Mercedes Jones in Glee — is an awe-inspiring singer, actress, and songwriter. She has performed some of the most vocally challenging classics of all time including “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls and Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” with ease. Outside of on-screen and broadway renditions, Riley continues to coast under the radar of the general public because Black female singers who emerge with curves are less likely to receive attention for their skills. Then they suddenly become visible to the masses out of interest in their glo-up. It’s as if losing weight (a natural process that should only be dictated by the owner of said body) is a necessary stepping stone in a woman’s career while a man can make it to the top ten with little-to-no critiques. Hm.
And none of these issues are limited to R&B girls. Dreezy, arguably one of the most exemplar women emcees of our time, can’t seem to properly propel. Her 2016 debut album No Hard Feelings should have easily soared to the top 30 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart. She lyrically surpasses many, but can only seem to amass a few followers. Not to mention Tierra Whack, a dark skin woman who can use your favorite male rapper’s beat to body a freestyle with no effort. My favorite of hers boasts bars on an instrumental of Onyx’s “Last Dayz” and currently sits at 822,559 views on Instagram.
As a fan, I can acknowledge the surprise I had in learning of Jazmine Sullivan’s appearance on the 2021 Super Bowl LV because it symbolized a breaking of limitations. Her performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a remarkable milestone in her career, and a loudly unabashed statement of love to kick off Black History Year. To me, Jazmine’s duet brought light to the craving for more (solo) large-scale performances from her – possibly even a Halftime show. Imagine Jazmine Sullivan captivating us all on one of the largest televised sporting events in the world two and a half weeks after the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history (Black woman, btw) spoke at the first Black female Vice President’s inauguration? No words. There is heightened energy circulating that signals Black women are demanding our things, and you have no choice but to hand them over.
Images of womanhood in popular culture are expanding to some degree, but society has to speed up our progression before it is too late. We must continue to pour endless power into Black women in music with differing skin tones and body types. We must continue to address issues that are violently dominant in the Black community like colorism and fatphobia. We must recognize the role we may play in crippling genuine stars on their quest to superstardom because they do not fit the so-deeply engrained Eurocentric beauty standard. Let the unlearning start with you. Black women are top tier, act like you know.