Ravyn Lenae explains why it is important for an artist to recognize his true identity and stay true to it.
In a recent conversation with People On the red carpet of the 2025 Z100 Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the 26-year-old singer shared her thoughts Friday on how an artist should respond when questions are asked about their identity.
“I would tell them that if there are a lot of questions or confusion about who you are, that’s usually a good thing. And that means you’re disrupting something,” Lenae told the outlet.
The Love me not The singer went on to say, “That’s something I have to remind myself of because sometimes it can be a little bit daunting.”
“But remember that sometimes the path you walk may be a little lonely, or a little uncomfortable, but there’s something on the other side of it,” Lenae added.
This came after the Herb singer responded to an online comment about her “aesthetics” as a black woman.
In a video on Instagram, she was noted as “the only black girl in the white friend group.” Lenae acknowledged the comment while discussing her inspiration behind her aesthetic and also addressing the questions surrounding her identity.
“There have been a few moments like this where I feel like my blackness, my identity, is being questioned or taken apart, and I really want to understand where that comes from,” Lenae responded at the time. “For me, if you really study the black aesthetic, you would know that I draw directly from the women who came before me – the Chaka Khans, the Minnie Ripertons, the Diana Rosses. That’s who I look to.”
“This shows me that you have a very limited view of what black girls or black women can be, and that’s really unfortunate because I think we can be whatever we want to be and this kind of projection just perpetuates a very sad and small mentality. So don’t do this to me. Don’t project on other black girls,” she added.
