Nabihah Iqbal (fka Throwing Shade) calls out "racist" review of latest album

"Racism is real, as demonstrated by this excellent foot-in-mouth statement by Anton Lang, reviewing my album for XLR8R," Iqbal writes on Facebook. "It is exactly why I've chosen to use my birth name: in order to break down racial prejudices such as this. Sorry if you think I can't make guitar music because I'm not white."

"What is the 'usual Asian-British experience' that you were expecting?" Iqbal continues. "Punjabi MC? Goodness Gracious Me? I'm curious to know. I am not a gimmick. I am not a stereotype. I don't care if you give my album 1/10 because you hate it, but don't discredit my work because you think it doesn't 'fit' with my ethnicity. I actually know the guy who wrote this review, and it doesn't surprise me, if you know what I mean... what I'm shocked by is the fact that XLR8R published this racist ignorance."

The piece published by XLR8R features a paragraph (specifically called out by Iqbal) which reads: "The promo information said one of the important elements of retiring the Throwing Shade name in favor of her birth name is to promote her Asian heritage. Good. But what’s interesting about her mixed ethnic heritage and education and experience is that the music to my ears sounds very 'white'. The subject matter colourless. I don’t sense the Asian-British experience we’re usually given."

The review, complete with the above paragraph, is still online at the time of writing.