Pop sensation Britney Spears has the internet hollering after she called out her ex Justin Timberlake and his phony blaccent in her latest memoir. Black X users also applauded her for recognizing that “Fo’ Shizzle” originated from Black folks.
The “Sometimes” hitmaker released her memoir, The Woman in Me, Oct. 24, dropping spicy deets hidden from public knowledge — from the conservatorship and her family to romantic relationships. Actress Michelle Williams narrated the audiobook.
X users clowned the “Rock Your Body” artist, and these were the best responses. You can hear Williams narrating the Ginuwine ditty below. The actress’ imitation of JT’s blaccent was an eye-opener.
Track 14 in the audiobook version of The Woman In Me left the internet in shambles. Spears claimed Timberlake’s former group, NSYNC, differed from other ’90s boy bands like Backstreet Boys (and Westlife) because they hung around and tried to fit in with the Black artists while the other white groups stayed in their lanes. The “Slave 4 U” singer stated people used to call NSYNC “So Pimp.”
“His band, NSYNC, is what people back then called ‘so pimp,'” she said. “They were white boys, but they loved hip-hop. To me, that’s what separated them from the Backstreet Boys, who seemed very [conscious] to position themselves as a white group. NSYNC hung out with Black artists. Sometimes, I thought they tried too hard to fit in.”
Spears then recalled when Timberlake took her to a town in New York, unfamiliar to the “Baby One More Time” star, and they ran into R&B icon Ginuwine. According to Spears, the “Cry Me a River” singer had no shame in putting on a spurious blaccent.
“J got all excited and said so loud, ‘Oh yeah, fo’ Shizz, fo’ Shizz, Ginuwine. What’s up, homie?'”
It’s unclear if Ginuwine responded to Timberlake’s foolishment, but he did walk away.
X users took jabs at the musician who had profited off Black culture even before his NSYNC disbandment by posting old photos and clips of ’90s Timberlake to back her allegations. From his cornrows to his adopting a more urban accent, the receipts did the job!
One X user shared a clip from an NSYNC HBO special that aired in July 2000, where Timberlake did a beatbox session while dancing around the stage before the band dove into “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
X users clowned the “Rock Your Body” artist, and these were the best responses. You can hear Williams narrating the Ginuwine ditty below. The actress’ imitation of JT’s blaccent was a hilarious eye-opener.
Timberlake profited from dousing his music, fashion sense and style with elements of Black culture.
It’s no coincidence that Timberlake transitioned from singing bubblegum pop in a boyband to making pop-R&B hits and accumulating an over $200 million net worth. Right after the accused culture vulture disbanded from NSYNC, he started his solo career and released his debut album, Justified. Tracks on the record were written and produced by well-known producers like Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Brian McKnight. Additionally, Timberlake donned cornrows to complement his new urban sound. Amid his attempts to “woo” the urban crowd, the Memphis native stayed silent on Black issues.
For example, after Janet Jackson’s jaw-dropping wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl, over 540,000 complaints were sent to the Federal Communications Commission. Jackson received the brunt of the nation’s anger despite Timberlake being the one who exposed her breasts.
The “Rock Your Body” hitmaker apologized for the incident years later.
