What happened to the first Black K-Pop idol? Alex Reid of RaNia 라니아

[@AdeolaAsh]

Interesting fact: Alex wanted to rap in Korean for their last comeback but the producer wanted her to rap in English because it sounded “fancy”. Go figure. What are your thoughts on Alex’s story?

[@thenamesallex]

I think they didn't do my sister *ANY* justice when they should've.

[@softcanes669]

@@thenamesallex shes your sister?

[@arieswar4327]

Alex still the best rapper in Korea

[@ToFester]

This just SCREAMS make a movie about me.

[@sthao1733]

i dont even follow kpop so i never knew about alex until i saw her do an interview with timothy delaghetto--supposedly they go way back and are quite good friends. i dont believe she mentioned anything about her mistreatment during that interview much, if at all. tim must have been a terrible interviewer by not asking the tough questions lol but as a fellow asian-american i find alex to be extremely attractive, by far the most attractive member in that group

[@pollyesterpocket]

The way they treated her is actually so degrading. How did they sleep at night after treating another human being like that? Why did the company even invite her to join the group in the first place if they weren’t going to treat her like an actual member? So gross

[@AdeolaAsh]

What’s sad is the main boss guy that signed her on, she said he wasn’t part of the problem and she liked him. It’s the staff that were below him that did her dirty.

[@brujababe6837]

They just invited her so they can get more media atttention cuz the group clearly sucks. But with that being said im happy she stuck it out. She helped pave the way for other non asian idols. And helped exposed these assholes. Shes so talented but its their loss. Probably why the group keeps failing. Hopefully they wont do this to fatou.

[@sigleysweets]

She should of had a translator I would of demanded that mess

[@elektrawija6822]

That's exactly what i thought

[@UAEKorea]

@@AdeolaAsh but if he is the boss and can't control his staff so !!! strange

[@kiannanobles954]

And she was mixed. Just imagine if her hair was more curly or if her skin was a little bit darker. Smh Korea is so racist

[@ashleynyombi7254]

I personally don’t think it’s Korea, i think it’s just the company cuz she said herself that the Korean fans were really supportive and looked like only the staff was being racist

[@YesIlikebananasSo]

It’s sad

[@mandarins_9194]

It wouldn't have happened. They do not accept us.

[@lostinawhirlwind8701]

...Im scared for Fatou...:/

[@f.justf.7230]

right, it couldve gotten so much worse

[@2girly]

The fact that she didn't need any makeup or dance skills and out shined everyone in that group.

[@keva4672]

Because they are stealing her culture.

[@squishytan7]

Bet these people were threatened by her talent so they limited her capabilities by excluding her

[@kimberlyrome5005]

Yes!! Naturally beautiful and talented. What got me more upset was how the stylist was making fun of her size and chest size .... ok stylist. Smh

[@marspalooza4830]

@@kimberlyrome5005 I threw a shoe at the TV because of that. That's how mad I was

[@AdamRohan]

Why would you put a black American girl in a group and then refuse to do anything for her? It's honestly disgusting the way she was treated. I hope she is doing well

[@Mcchm72]

because they dont care about her as a person they just viewed her as "exotic" and wanted attention that RaNia definitely needed... they're doing it again with the new girl Fatou

[@skaiskai5041]

Lol if they weren't going to include me in the wardrobe, I would have shown up dressed to the nines like Beyonce, and make the girls look like Back up dancers. Her Band mates were sweet

[@ragejinraver]

She's Biracial not black

[@choi_fish3840]

From some insta trolling it looks likes shes doing well😊 a little while ago it looked like shes was headed to the MAMA's and was at the new doctor strange movie premier

[@tysan2808]

@@skaiskai5041 😂😂😂😂 right, I would do the same too.

[@sofia-rp4yz]

she looks so much like her mother she’s gorgeous!

[@zinks8348]

Her group-mates were trash too for not saying or doing anything about her mistreatment. Absolutely disgusting.

[@taehyungsstepstool6417]

Exactly that's what I'm saying. Bystanders

[@kate-qy4xh]

If you spend over 5 years of your life working for something and got the option to throw it all away just to stand up for someone, would you do it? I wouldn’t, I would have come too far to throw my career away

[@CherryBlossomBlyue]

I mean what could they really do

[@Sofiaode18]

I can see it being a cultural thing as it is a lot riskier to stand up to your superiors and being a bystander is a lot safer for the individual. A lot of messed up stuff happens in the industry yet most of them don't talk about it when it happens to them or their groupmates because speaking out is always risky.

[@dezsessomes8615]

Racism.

[@essykim2981]

so they literally hate on a black idol but still continue to profit off black culture? And even refuse to style her hair but will quickly style other idols with black hairstyles? Honestly at this point the kpop industry is a huge joke. Some pple may try to defend them by saying that they dont know its korea so they dont really know about racism theres not many black pple blah blah but literally ANYONE can see how wrong this is.

[@Shutup-hl8iw]

exactly theyre so racist but loveee black culture and shit 😭

[@spookyspaghett1]

SERIOUSLY

[@veraceful]

It's funny because why have I been seen so many Asian women with kinky curly wigs lately ✋🙄 people switch up so quick

[@youdontknowme9464]

Exactly litteraly this is litteraly what im saying

[@realest_]

they want the rhythm but not the blues. They want everything associated with black culture BESIDES the people or their experiences.

[@xxberrychild9430]

The racism in korea😒😪🤦🏽‍♀️

[@lolobuto1608]

Racism is everywhere not just the Korea, in the US Asians are treated like shit in China black people are treated like dirt in my country philippines every body hating everything dark no matter what race you are it's just a harsh reality that standards of culture offers.

[@spookyspaghett1]

It’s so sad

[@katelala23]

It's very bad. They're also very racist to South East Asians. Calling a Korean "Filipino" is apparently offensive to them.

[@pinkharmony9796]

​@@lolobuto1608 we're talking about Korea. Not everywhere on the planet.

[@Itsangel013]

@@katelala23 they even said we are slave race 🙂

[@cynthia8637]

Funny because she was the baddest out of all them sooo

[@sara78889]

So true.

[@Lightyagami560]

She really was!!! The others were prob jealous and intimidated by her beauty

[@Bri4rl]

Right.

[@chisomo8088]

She really was!

[@nadimu143]

YESSSS!!!

[@adrichiii839]

Alex was done so dirty in RaNia, she was literally treated like a fancy set piece rather than a fellow hardworking member of the group. Like being in the idol industry is already exhausting, but with the stress of being in a new country on her own, having to learn a new language/culture, multiple choreos by herself, having to do her own styling, not getting the proper recognition as a group member, incredibly rude and racist staff, lies and rumours to make her seem like a terrible person...Man, I am so glad that she is out of the idol industry..I wish her all the best in her music career.

[@simoneninas8363]

Racism is a bitch. I’m so happy she’s moved on, but no one should have to endure this, let alone far from home. She’s an amazing person and deserves the best! I’m rooting for you!

[@christicat221b]

She came to my university and taught a dance class. She was so fun and talented. She didn't deserve any of what she experienced.

[@YesIlikebananasSo]

Aww 🥺

[@suzannew4840]

they made her stand in the CORNER??? that is so humiliating! I feel so bad for her. I hope she's in a good happy place now.

[@anjal1ka]

She teaches pole dancing classes in LA now!

[@stephrh.003._.8]

This is clearly pure racism. She is talented, the same as them and for me even more beautiful. There is no excuse for them to treat her this terrible. I hope she is way better now and happy like she deserves to be.

[@YesIlikebananasSo]

I’m sure people are trying to deny the racism even now 😕

[@brooklove90]

Definitely far more beautiful

[@laylad1955]

FACTS

[@jaykaysdimple9718]

That’s terrible💔 the company clearly used her for clout. They’d have been nothing without her. Fatou better not be treated like this

[@Neroba]

Honestly her being dress in diferent way backfired on then because she loock like a solo singer and your eyes and interest focus more on her

[@206-k2r]

yup , makes the rest look like backup dancers lol

[@lnnttr]

facts

[@karabaines2899]

Hold on. @6:00 Is that the stylist?? If that's the stylist, she should've taken a loooong look at herself in the mirror before saying shiz about Alex's body. The audacity!

[@chock7099]

“Look at you now look at me”

[@jasminem812]

i cant believe they literally made her stand in a corner, how disgusting

[@gummybear8127]

The fact that she learned the dances just by looking at the dance choreographer and her members??? And also her rap skills???? She was amazing. And she's so so so pretty. I can't believe they treated her that way, as if she was trash or something when she was clearly NOT. I already liked her but after this video I like her even more. And the fact that she went through all of this and kept smiling!!!!! She's so strong. I wish her the best🤍🤍 Also, they better not treat fatou like that!!!😤😤

[@michelleautore2945]

She was far too beautiful from head to toe for Korea

[@sylvia_iluba540]

wow the way they are treating her is very very very rude. I think she should be treated better she should be treated more like a human. She is kind, beautiful, pretty, respectful and a lot more. The people that her treating her like that should learn some more respect.

[@iayajave]

Period

[@liyahm5523]

They treated Alex so horribly omg

[@DoveyTheWriter]

Fatou has the major advantage over her of speaking Korean fully. Let's see them try this bullshit with someone who can understand every little thing that's being said. It seems like fatou is getting far better treatment than Alex. Hopefully it stays this way and dosent change.

[@nextdoorneighbor8528]

And she is also pretty close with the other members

[@noname4028]

Another suspicious thing is that Yumin was also a late minute addition to rania but they still let her perform on stage, but then again yumin didn’t have any lines in the song. The company is trash. They have 16 ex members for a reason

[@tyeshahoward651]

An another thing they better treat the other black girl from black swan with some respect ✊🏿 cause they did Alex wrong and better get it right this time is black ppl are not objects you can just use we are ppl also and we have feelings they better get it right

[@tyeshahoward651]

I just realized there are some mess up in my comments but you get the point lol

[@valeriarossini543]

it's insane that THEY wanted her bc of HER talent and beauty etc but then treated her like crap for the whole time :/

[@anointedone4775]

Her team mates never really stood up for her,what a shame three thumbs down for South Korea👎👎👎

[@GoodNBadGurl]

They usually respect their elders even if they are only 1 year older then el them and cannot do anything, unless they want to get kicked out of the group as well. I do not blame the group but mostly the directors; Also, to people that do not know, Korea is nacionalists and do not care about anybody else outside their country

[@wanggparkg4571]

Don't say that I'm a korean and I love her

[@inukamisfan]

I also heard that she wrote rap lyrics to some of their songs and they refused or were reluctant to give credit.

[@AdeolaAsh]

I hope she got her credit eventually if it’s true 😞

[@celiaallen6798]

@@AdeolaAsh hi,this video made me angry.Alex was the star of the group.my question, does anyone know how she is doing now?

[@AdeolaAsh]

@@celiaallen6798 she’s doing ok but she found out she has Lupus. I’ll be doing an update video in the next couple of months

[@celiaallen6798]

@@AdeolaAsh Thank you so much for the update.she is in my prayers.Thank you for shedding light on black/women of colour who have gone or are going through the struggle of racism,which embodys envy, jealousy,spite,hate,cultural appropriation etc.glad to know black women are speaking up and speaking out against these kpop management org/Asians who choose to use black people to enrich themselves.one can not embrace a black mans culture and hate the people it belongs to.keep up the good work.💯

[@shineinstars]

i hope she's doing better now 🥺🥺 the way the company treated her was disgusting

[@sylvia_iluba540]

ikr 🥺

[@GreenUptowner]

It is amazing how discriminatory Korea is. Especially since K-Pop is greatly influenced by American Black culture.

[@MusicnLyrics121]

One word: jealousy.

[@Neysha.M]

Alex was used. They wanted her for Ranias fame. They use her as a “oh let’s have a foreign girl so Rania could get more popular”, because let’s face it, before Alex came, Rania fame and popularity was dying. Really hated it that they would always put her to the side like she’s nothing. Alex is such a beautiful girl and super super talented. I hope she is doing well and I wish her the best. She deserves it❤️

[@isabellekimpiob4920]

They treated her so wrong, it’s honestly so disgusting to see this. As a fellow African American, it makes me so mad to see this. I hope she’s doing well now, fighting!!! And yes I’m stanning black swan, they’re gonna be iconic I mean they already are...BUT MORE ICONIC.

[@kpoptrash4085]

7:43 you can see she's pissed off but still tries to act polite, meanwhile these people blatantly mistreated her just because of her race, the members are also trashy because they didn't do anything to help.

[@xoMerryxo]

Their treatment of Alex was deplorable. Like, the POTENTIAL WAS WASTED. 😒😒

[@brendabautista2110]

This made me cry like I’m Mexican and I am dark I love my skin but it does make me sad that other people just look at my color🥺love you guys and God the creator of all loves you guys too💗

[@uncletea5632]

Rania is black swan now ??😮😮😮I did not know that wow

[@mathieudorce1559]

Yes... Even if you check out their album it's just old Rania songs and if I'm right they didn't even bother re-recording the songs smh. Hot mess

[@shaniquefrater]

Damn she's mixed and they treated her that way...what if she didn't have ambiguous features like damn...smh

[@ricecurrylife]

That’s the insane part. Apart from the obvious racism, I think jealousy of her beauty has a lot to do with this.

[@dollythehxst5659]

currently fatou a darkskinned woman is apart of the group.So far i dont think they've done anything horrible to her.

[@wells346]

Righttt

[@nicoleraheem1195]

Right

[@gloriempaka9474]

True

[@rienellesackey8136]

WOAH black swan was rannia ?!!?I feel sorry for the black girl did she not see what happened to Alex

[@christychang7293]

I met Alex’s mom in high school when she substituted for my class (she was super nice). She mentioned her daughter having a hard time finding cosmetics/hair products that suited her skin and hair type, but it’s so terrible to hear that no one tried to help her and left her to fend for herself. She’s a seriously talented performer and didn’t deserve such treatment

[@bluesky5384]

Did she ever talk about Alex's time on Endurance 3?

[@dechale]

It's like they just put her in the group for decoration, literally

[@mimisspa2847]

This makes me sad, she didn't deserve this, I hope they don't treat fatou the same. :(

[@gisellemary9333]

I dont understand this. Why would u ask her to be in a kpop group if you have a problem with her ethnicity. If you knew u have a problem with black ppl why ask a black person to be a rapper in your group. S**t dont make sense

[@kittym.h.1926]

Because they like black influence in music and wanted to thief 💁‍♀️. This is partially why I carefully pick and choose who I listen to in kpop.

[@nikkiyeondu2207]

I knew she was treated badly by the company and the staff but didn't realise it was THAT bad omg I hope she is doing well nowㅜㅜ. And seeing the members getting their makeup done and happy for her to be left out a lot makes me more sad and angry.

[@clarissaolivarez1200]

I’m sorry her hair is killing me. It is absolutely beautiful 😍

[@lovelymoua7330]

I feel terrible for her. She was very professional and worked so hard. Praying for the best for her

[@destinyasowata4730]

If they treat fatou the same way they treat her I'm unstaning k pop but I hope this don't happen cuz I really love them but it makes me feel sad the fact that we are staning people who dislike us or treat us like dog's. I hope everything gets better

[@malaikar849]

They treated her so bad but sis deserved better, she’s talented and so beautiful and would’ve done better solo. Why did she stay somewhere where she was constantly disrespected?

[@AdeolaAsh]

15:46 She was the first Black K-Pop idol and with how much press there was around such a monumental thing, I believe she tried to stick it out as to leave an impression & show that it could be done

[@deepikatanmayi801]

She's unique, she's gorgeous, she's beyond beautiful , she's most importantly talented as hell. They are all jealous of her and that's why she got treated that way. Thanks for reading the above fact. 🙌

[@ryanm4769]

The amount of colorism in Korea let alone the KPOP industry is crazy. She is very brave

[@jdesire89]

I feel bad for her. She didnt deserve that. I commend her for sticking it out

[@brooklove90]

Do they hate her because she's literally the most beautiful? Mhmm

[@natesha1449]

When she stood in the corner, man I felt that! Like when you were a disobedient child being punished in kindergarten. I never knew she was the first black girl in Kpop but I love her positivity and smile. She is beautiful. She was too bright and curly for Korea but she made her mark and left. Good job Queen👏🏽

[@purplepassion645]

This story should be put on Twitter it should go viral please show that racism exist everywhere not just in America she was fully capable of doing the work she was a beautiful girl racism played into that reason as to why she was treated that way, America is still excepting the boy band and girl groups that are Korean but we are not excepted there. They should be pointed out. And the Korean K-pop industry should be pointed out as to not be excepting toward every race and every color. You would have to be blind not to see that.🤷🏻‍♀️🧐🤔

[@mariahwisdom-peters6309]

I guess the first black anything always has it that hardest! It's horrible that she had to deal with all this passive aggressiveness and public embarrassment. She's so strong! ❤️

[@daisymururu1051]

So glad she left that toxic and racist environment

[@herpderpy9445]

I swear even to this day it’s so hard being the first black anything.

[@Whoknows2034]

So sad, I hope things get better for her

[@desdes5622]

They didn't give her a translator or a tutor!?!? That just cements to me that they didn't WANT her to be able to communicate well with those around her.

[@sarah_marinho]

Thank you for the amazing video! I followed Rania/BP Rania for quite a long time and surprisingly didn't know some of the videos you included. So sad that Alex was mistreated although it doesn't surprise me 'cause DR Music always treated Rania horribly. Hope Fatou (and also Leia) can have a better time.

[@atmo85]

If she got treated like this, imagine how much worse it would be for a Black idol with a darker skin tone (like Fatou) 😩 On another note, Alex is beautiful! She reminds me of Vanity (a singer from the 80s who performed with Prince).

[@shespeaksthetruth1035]

She's a spitting image of vanity, she's stunning

[@cheifcat]

Ikr I’m so glad FATOU is getting treated good right. Like an actual K-pop member

[@the_sojourner8756]

The Kpop industry was probably not only JEALOUS of her beauty talent but they felt threatened so they tried to diminish her and dim her light!

[@lovelyyolie2793]

this is sad. They hate us but love our culture which is the blue print of most of these groups, their looks and music. So sad

[@anamika7169]

She’s so pretty 😩 I feels so bad for her

[@funkyvixen]

She is super strong for dealing with all that nonsense. I used to live in Korea and I know of two places that you could get black hair products (circa 2010), so it was sad to hear their excuse. I even knew of a few salons that catered to black hair. They did a great job. Shame they did her like that. Hopefully they will do better in the future.

[@kizzy299]

The fact that the staff did all of this to her only for her to turn out to be the most popular in the group domestically and internationally...karma

[@glxxmy]

omg??? I knew it was bad but not this bad? This is why I get so scared for potential black kpop idols because I know they gone always put them through some bullshit on top of normal kpop struggles

[@afroembrya]

Thanks for sharing this. My brother and I were discussing her the other day. I hope she is doing well, and we will see her again soon. Very talented woman.

[@urlonglostdad403]

Totally queen for not getting pissed and leaving the group in the middle of an era

[@luvlihyunjin]

Alex fitted Rania so well tho!! That was a huge miss on DR music's part

[@moonshi5846]

She’s so pretty! Such a visual

[@malinpritchard5303]

Alex is one of the prettiest women I've ever seen. I really feel bad for what she went through.

[@alexandragray61]

I really hope Alex is a soloist and shows what an excellent dancer and rapper ❤️👌🏻 she is It is very sad how alex was treated in Rania, excluding almost all the activities of the group,without letting her show what she could do... I wish Alex the best of luck on his new path~🌸 I hope that companies will stop treating foreigners who audition or enter a group like this...

[@afkmo1579]

Alex did not deserve any of that bull period. Treat Fatou that way I swear- 👊🏽

[@theblackdolly]

Even though her members didn't help much with helping to amplify Alex's concerns to their company. I'm glad they kinda helped her learn SOME Korean.

[@SBBunny93]

Best Black Kpop Content Creator on KZbin. Hands down.

[@AdeolaAsh]

Thank you for the support, I really appreciate it 🥺💗

[@SBBunny93]

Of course! And always will!

[@rising_phoenix333]

"We did!...and the world saw it." I felt that when she said WE 😎

[@lebean1291]

her members were talking to her and helping her more than the STAFF

[@samiranicole2025]

She stood out the most and shined the most. I think in the moment it must’ve been overwhelming but how I know her name out of the whole group. What a star ⭐️

[@bibi_guppiebruh5107]

I mean the group members are just as racist as the company. they probably know what they did to Alex is wrong. Yet, they didn't do or say anything to stop it.

[@ricecurrylife]

I’m not defending them, I don’t know them, but I think it’s because they didn’t want to be fired, and as you know the Kpop industry is extremely harsh and doesn’t care about individual members since they’re easily replaceable. They could have poor families and this is their dream...

[@parakellend]

it genuinely makes me so sad to hear about her experiences and how she felt, she must have been so angry and hurt. she went through so much trauma and literally wasnt allowed to showcase her talent. the entire staff were against her and its so disgusting

[@ldeneen6809]

The way she was treated was absolutely disgusting. Shame on them.

[@pastthepointofnoreturn6412]

This is partly the fault of whoever casted her too. They knew she couldn't speak Korean, so why did they take advantage of a girl trying to upstart her music career? Not speaking the language had to be one of the hardest things, imagine literally not being able to talk to anyone in your environment and them not bothering to communicate with you because they think it's a waste of time. If whoever scouted her wanted her in the group that badly they should have ensured that the company was willing to adapt to a foreign non-Asian member and had the resources to do so. It's so sad that she had to learn the language, do hair and makeup, and style herself all on her own because the staff wouldn't bother to do their jobs for someone Black.

[@plainjane3446]

Was literally about to comment something like this. Thank you!

[@minyoongi7005]

I feel so bad for her... honestly they just jealous cuz first of she has the most perfect features naturally whilst they’d have to most likely go through surgery for it Second, that girl talking about Alex’s body, girl clearly look at the mirror yourself before you start body shaming someone else. Third, karmas gonna come back at them for treating Alex that way

[@Amari021]

She’s stunning! What?! 🤩

[@gialee8567]

the fact that fans loved her yet the company only used her as a prop

[@brujababe6837]

This is so fucked up. I normally dont support artists( a buy merch). But this girl has so much talent and a good heart. The fact tht she didn't really mention too much of this in any recent interviews, shows how. Humble and sweet she is. I will be buying her book so she can at least profit off those assholes. She helped pave the way for more black women/ women of color. Hopefully more people support her too, it would be sad to see her flop in 2020....good vid, and great channel!

[@skytiny9884]

Wow I didn’t know her. How beautiful 😍😍😍

[@LordiAwa]

Why introduce her to the band if they actually dont want her there? :(

[@AriEllePhilia]

wth at her entertainment company + staffs alex is such a beautiful, kind, talented person. i feel bad she went through all that but the fact she never gave up and kept pushing through holy crap is she a strong person hope she's doing better

[@lr2ldn]

And yes they did her dirty.

[@kwtv3210]

Just found my new favorite channel.I know a lot of Black Women K-Pop fans and I never heard her mention. This was a great video.

[@so_daldal4318]

I met her once she is the sweetest ever💕 she came to our korean festival

[@theblackdolly]

I remember this being the one of the "final straws" that made me stop listening to k music. It was different than the CA and racial slur slip ups. This hatred was actually targetted and it really hurt me. I wonder if in the future, Alex would be good enough in her Korean to go back (possibly as a solo artist??) and find some staff worth paying.

[@malibonnell3118]

i knew that black swan existed but i had no idea that this was the groups history wtf,, i really hope they aren't treating fatou the same way they treated alex

[@AdeolaAsh]

Things are going way better so far

[@Ohcityy]

She’s a TRUE Artist! Facts!

[@kumakun6582]

I'm sorry but she's far more beautiful and talented than anyone at the company. Her stage presence, her appearance, her dancing, her rapping skills, her work ethic, everything stands out from the rest of the group and I guess they didn't like that. No matter how hard they tried to oppress her, she came climbing back up by studying and constantly trying her best despite the mistreatment and abuse. I hope whatever goes well for her in the future. This is unacceptable and disgusting to do another human being. I'm surprised she held up for so long with all the challenges. It's admirable but I hope she's getting the help she needs with mental health and other problems.

[@neymariousjr]

Poor girl literally went through hell im so disgusted. I cant believe she was casted by the manager and company however was so mistreated.

[@trueswag1831]

She is beautiful and strong 😍❤💪