English rapper, singer and songwriter Enny (who is of Nigerian heritage) is best known for her 2020 single “Peng Black Girls”. This single and music video does a great job of representing her ethnic background and the African diaspora. The first example of representation is seen as early as in the title of the song. “Peng” is a British slang term meaning attractive. This is a great example of the Africanization of European languages that happens as a result of the African Diaspora.
Throughout the music video, we see many black women (including Enny) adorning traditional Nigerian dresses and gele hats. These women seem to be Enny’s family members as they all sit together on a sofa in a living room. This is an example of where she represents her African background.
I love this song because it is one that all black girls can relate to. Enny does a great job of representing us all, and labelling us all as “peng” or attractive. She celebrates features of black women that are in Africa and throughout the diaspora. Within the very first verse she says:
“Dark skin, light skin, medium tone
Permed tings, braids, got mini afros
Thick lips, got hips some of us don’t
Big nose contour, some of us won’t
Never wanna put us in the media, bro
Want a fat booty like Kardashians? (No)
Want a fat booty like my aunty got, yo (Ayy)”
I like this verse not only because she is able to acknowledge the blackness in all black women dark or light, relaxed hair or natural, curvy or slim, but because she also briefly touches the appropriation of black features/culture. Nowadays, full lips, hips, and brown skin is associated with public figures like the Kardashians, when they are genetically more prevalent in black people and other POC. In fact, it often seems as though these features are ONLY seen as beautiful when they are NOT on black women. So, it was nice to see Enny come back and say that she admires the natural curves of her aunt versus the Kardashians artificial ones. All in all, it is great to have a song that celebrates all black women.