By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Monday 12th November 2018)-Well-known Jamaican Dancehall artiste 36-year-old Grace ‘Spice’ Hamilton, a past performer of this year’s 22nd annual St.Kitts Music Festival, has shed some light on her recent skin- bleached appearance; a move which has captured worldwide attention with media headlines around the Caribbean region including her home country Jamaica and other reports in the US and UK.

On Monday 22nd October via a post on her social media page Instagram (popularly abbreviated as IG) – which has over one million followers- it was noticed that the artiste had only one photo of herself-having removed the others- with a light skin complexion and blonde hair.

That post had the caption: “Nothing wrong with a fresh start. CLICK THE LINK IN MY BIO and pre order my mix tape it’s ready for preorder today on all platforms. Preorder yours and tag me #Captured so i can post your support.”

Spice’s bleached skin appearance, displayed in videos and photos, received mixed reactions from many fans and followers with some heavily criticising the known dark skin entertainer while others shared their opinion that it was some sort of publicly stunt since the photo came about some eleven (11) days before her new mixed tape called ‘Captured’.

Some of those comments are as follows:

“If this is real I’m disgusted. I’ve never really experienced an instance where I’m ashamed to say I’m Jamaican until now. Never really cared about/for you like that so I’m not disappointed on a personal level but if you ago carry on wid dis foolishniss, kindly put mi flag down please miss. And if this is a publicity stunt to make sales for your little single or whatever it is…sis do better. Have likkle faith inna yourself and your abilities nuh. Lawd, yuh muss shame,” said one female.

“Alright Spice we had enough! Wash off the paint now so we can see that beautiful dark skin. I get your point queen,” said another.

Some eleven (11) days after (Friday 2nd October), Spice responded saying in part: “To put an end to the debate “I DID NOT BLEACH MY SKIN” and I quote “Proud a mi color, love mi pretty black skin, respect due to mi strong melanin” words from my “Black Hypocrisy” song I wrote from my heart.”

Notably, make-up was used to create the artiste’s skin-bleached look.

Posed sitting on a throne and wearing a crown, Spice posted a photo oozing with confidence in her dark skin and addressed the topic in detail.

“On October 22nd I posted a picture of myself where i looked like I altered my appearance and metamorphosis to match the “Eurocentric beauty standards”. I fearlessly addressed an issue that has been swept under the rug and bodily took the stance in bringing a taboo topic to the fore front. I choose to this in the manner I did because I believe Colorism is plagiarizing our black community.”

According to her, the bleached skin image was used to create “shock value”.

“While it appeared as if I had “bleached” my skin, causing a worldwide debate, and even though the picture was obviously birthed around my single titled “Black Hypocrisy” and my mixtape Captured. I want to say it was not a “publicity stunt”. I wanted to create awareness to “Colorism” and was more so done intentionally to create shock value so I could deliver the message in my music.”

Spice pointed out that “There are dark skin women across the world complaining every day that they are being downplayed and degraded, but the raw truth is it is “us women” and “black men” that are fighting against each other and tearing down our own race.”
She added: “It’s evident in the social media comments every day, I myself have lived through it all being downgraded by my dark complexion.”

Spice is of the view that her message about skin complexion would not have gotten the same impact if she had not chosen that widely debated bleached skin image.
“Would the message in my song have been received as well as it did worldwide if I didn’t go to the extreme with the picture? The truth is no it would not have probably been just another Spice hit song; so yes I had to go the extra mile to ensure my message be heard,” she remarked.

Furthermore, she has touched on the misunderstanding some persons had about her promoting skin bleaching.

“Most people got a misconception that I was boosting “Skin bleaching” but ironically it was the opposite. I used myself as an example of what people from the black community is causing other women to do because of how society makes them feel,” she commented.
Despite the serious of the matter as being dear to the artiste’s heart, before her official addressing of the skin lightening topic, she had entertained social media jokes about herself. She even and even light heartedly asked for nicknames saying that she had seen some “funny” one.

“Coconut milk” was apparently a name she really liked.

A comical photoshopped image posted by Spice on her IG account pokes fun at her regarding the popular 2004 White Chicks movie starring brothers well-known black American brother Shawn and Marlon Wayans who played two FBI agents who undercover a couple of blonde, white women.

The changed photo of the movie’s promotional image shows Spice between the brothers as the third star character.

With laughing emotion icons, Spice put the caption:“#Blackhypocrisychallenge unu nah leave me alone now.”

After publicly airing her sentiments, many fans have applauded the dancehall artiste for putting the spotlight on skin bleaching and colourism among the black community.

“Honestly @spiceofficial this has got to be one of the best write up and strategy to get people attention, and also to make coloured people ovastand how power(ful) we are..WE ARE GODS At that KINGS AND QUEENS and we should Be PROUD Of it…just gwan Enuh and keep inspiring the world you Rock..nuff Respek,” said a male while a female said “So glad you did this I’ve dealt with this since grade school.”
The Black Hypocrisy single has gained status of being in the top position (number one) on UK iTunes Chart and on the US Reggae iTunes Chart.

Spice, who is known for songs like ‘So Mi Like It’ and ‘Under Fire’, is of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta fame (Season 7) reality tv having made strides in the US market.