Ravyn Lenae gets real about identity doubts and staying authentic

Ravyn Lenae opens up about why it’s important for an artist to recognize their true identity and stay true to it.

A close conversation with him People On the red carpet at the 2025 Z100 Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, the 26-year-old singer shared her thoughts on how artists react when questioned about their identity.

“I’d like to tell them that when there’s a lot of questions or confusion about who you are, that’s usually a good thing. And that means you’re messing things up,” Lenae told the media.

The Don’t Love Me The singer continued, “That’s something I have to remind myself because sometimes it can be frustrating.”

“But just remember that sometimes the road you’re on is a little lonely, or it’s a little difficult, but there’s something on the other side,” Lenae added.

This came after Spices The singer responded to online comments about her “beauty” as a black woman.

In a video posted on Instagram, she was identified as “the only Black girl in a group of white friends.” Lenae acknowledged the comments as she spoke about her inspiration behind her beauty and also addressed questions surrounding her identity.

“There have been several moments like this where I feel like my blackness, my identity, has been questioned or separated, and I really want to understand where it’s coming from,” Lenae responded at the time. “For me, if you really study black aesthetics, you’ll find that I draw directly from the women before me — the Chaka Khans, the Minnie Ripertons, the Diana Rosses. That’s who I look up to.”

“This shows me that you have a very narrow 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 prediction just perpetuates a sad and small mind. So, don’t do this to me. Don’t mess with other black girls,” she added.