She’s kept a relatively low profile in recent months, but trust and believe that Rihanna knows how to keep herself busy.
The Bajan beauty is gracing the cover of British Vogue’s May 2020 issue, where she discussed some hard-hitting topics in what could possibly be one of her most revealing interviews yet.
It should also be mentioned that Rihanna is the first person to ever wear a durag on the fashion publication, whose cover was shot by world-renowned photographer Steven Klein.
The singer’s interview was conducted by British broadcaster Afua Hirsch, who got all the scoop on Rihanna and her decision to relocate from sunny Los Angeles to London. She’s called the city her home for the past three years, so clearly she’s adjusted well to the British culture.
Having lived in the UK for quite some time now, the “Umbrella” star says that while police brutality is affecting many lives in the US, the people of color in London are exposed to “blatant” racism constantly, and many deem their behavior to be excusable.
“I think police brutality is probably extremely severe in America,’ she explains, ‘but racism is alive everywhere. Everywhere,” the “Work” hitmaker expressed to the mag.
“It’s the same [in the UK]. It’s either blatant, which is becoming more and more of a norm, or it’s underlying, where people don’t even know they’re being obvious about it. You know, it’s just a subconscious layer that’s embedded from their entire core.”
The 32-year-old was first exposed to racism when she was growing up in Barbados with her mother Monica, further telling the publication that it was unpopular for Guyanese immigrants to move to the former British colony in South America.
Because of the way her close friends were treated back home, Rihanna says she can “really relate and emphasize with Mexican people or Latino people, who are discriminated against in America.”
“I know what it feels like to have the immigration come into your home in the middle of the night and drag people out.”
“Not my mother, my mother was legal,” she said ‘but let’s just say I know what that fight looks like. I’ve witnessed it. I’ve been in it.”
Her interview with British Vogue comes just days after she made her highly anticipated return to music after being featured on PARTYNEXTDOOR’s song “Believe it” from the rapper’s newly released album “Partymobile.”
While she’s spent the last couple of years building her fashion empire with FENTY, the “Diamonds” songstress is believed to have commenced work on her ninth studio album; her first record since the release of “Anti” in January 2016.
It spawned the hits “Needed Me,” “Work,” “Kiss It Better,” and Love on the Brain.”