The rapper and singer from South East London has released “Peng Black Girls” with singer Amia Brave, carrying a strong message of empowerment.
“Black is beautiful, y’know …” This message seems obvious and yet, on closer inspection, the reality is more complex and difficult In the UK and elsewhere, Afro hair is under-catered for and women have trouble finding a hairdresser who understands the challenges of matching conventional beauty tropes to Afro hair textures. Black women are also under-represented in the cinema, with other models of beauty taking center stage. With her silky, muffled voice, rapper Enny becomes a vector of sorority, denouncing damaging beauty standards, and underlining the fact that there isn’t just one way to look beautiful or to be black.
As Enny recounts: “PBG was written in a state of absolute trance. When I look around me, at my family, friends or even random women, I hallucinate that society and even our own culture tells us that we are not pretty because of the color of our skin or certain physical features. Looking back, PBG was just a first step for me to detach myself from all this and to be happy the way I am … An Anglo-Nigerian woman from South East London, complex and with particularly African physical features.”
Carrying this message of empowerment, the new rising star of English rap is also breaking into the mainstream by signing to Jorja Smith’s FAMM label. After the release of her first single, “He’s Not Into You,” and an improved reputation in mainland Europe, she is already experiencing a remarkable upward trajectory.
Listen to Enny in our playlist Women Power on Spotify and Deezer.
