KISS OF LIFE members are facing severe backlash after celebrating member Julie’s birthday party with a hip-hop concept live stream. From cultural appropriation to racist antics, the girls have angered not only the black community but international fans as well.
Member Julie celebrated her 25th birthday on April 2nd, stating, “Don’t forget the dress code: Old-school Hip Hop Vibes.” Sporting cornrows, gold chains, Bantu knots, and “rapper outfits,” KISS OF LIFE received flak for their appearances during the birthday livestream. But it wasn’t just the clothes that caused a stir.
The girl group’s antics during the live stream is what disappointed fans and raised some brows. From appropriating stereotypes and using stereotypical mannerisms and gestures, the four members were treating black culture and Hip Hop as a hilarious concept to imitate for their personal enjoyment and entertainment. They even ate chicken, referred to one member as “Lil Taco Bell,” and began free-style rapping while also making birthday reels to 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” Fans voiced their disappointment immediately after. Threads sharing the live stream read, “I never expected to see something like this in 2025. Black culture is not a joke.”
Fans also discovered a post on Bubble suggesting KISS OF LIFE anticipated the backlash to the livestream. The member’s message read, “This year’s birthday live was so much fun… Please look forward to Julie unnie’s birthday content too and promise you won’t leave the fandom after watching it.” Since then, the video live stream has been taken down altogether, but evidence and clips of the event remain active and widespread on Twitter (X) and other social media.
“ it was her bday theme” like is the theme for kpop this week just cosplay/stereotype black people? pic.twitter.com/dCH2zWHqZP
— nana❤️🔥 (@luvr8hao) April 2, 2025
This isn’t the first time member Julie in particular received backlash for being culturally insensitive. In the past, she was seen covering a song online and saying the “N” word while brushing off criticism since it was lyrics to a song. However, this situation was the last straw and was widely seen as reinforcing negative stereotypes of a specific racial group.
S2 Entertainment acknowledged their mistake, stating, “We apologize for using expressions and styles that adhere to the stereotypes of a particular race. The content was based on old-school Hip Hop and intended to honor and respect the culture by capturing its atmosphere. We did not fully recognize that this could be seen as reinforcing stereotypes, and we sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable as a result. Going forward, S2 Entertainment and KISS OF LIFE will approach cultural elements with more care and respect. All related content from the live stream will be removed.”
What do you think of the situation? Were the girls having harmless fun, or should KISS OF LIFE and other K-Pop idols be more aware of cultural differences? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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