Singapore — Though she and her brother have recently been embattled, YouTube artist Preeti Nair, commonly known as ‘Preetipls,’ has lost none of her sass or spirit. In a thank you note on her Facebook account to all her supporters, she signs off as “SG’s TOP Conditional Warning receiver”.
Ms Nair and her brother, rising rapper Subhas Nair, were given a 24-month conditional warning over a video they had released called “K Muthusamy,” which had been a reaction to a NETS Pay ad that used brown face. The Nair siblings’ video received widespread backlash for its use of vulgarity and profanity, especially against the Chinese community.
But it also sparked a national conversation concerning race and racism in Singapore.
The content of the Nair siblings’ video was considered to be so incendiary that it was investigated by the police.
However, as Ms Nair wrote on her account on August 14, T”he case is closed.”
https://www.facebook.com/preetipls/photos/pb.1652742194977898.-2207520000.1565849398./2294343664151078/?type=3&theater
The YouTube artist then went on to gratefully acknowledge those who had stood by her since the issue broke out in late July.
She wrote, “Thank you to every one who understood our intentions behind the music video. Thank you to all the friends, clients, fans and everyone who offered any form of help/legal advice/comfort to us in the last 2 weeks. Thank you to everyone who didn’t try to kick us while we were down but instead attempt to understand discrimination and it’s several forms. also shoutout to the tough ones who tried to fend us from psychotic trolls online…don’t bother next time la that one lost cause haha.”
She then clarified her stand—that she understands the reason behind people getting offended with the video they made and explained that she was not justifying it, but that she hopes never to see brown face used in advertisements ever again.
“Don’t get me wrong – I understand exactly why people got offended with the MV so I’m not here to justify it, I am here to say thank you and let’s hope we don’t see anymore painted faces and “offensive rap videos” ever again. It sickens me when corporations get away with major screw ups by doing the literal least – we see this all around the world and I guess this is no longer news to me anymore but we should all strive to be more accountable, both individually and as corporations.
if you have body paint out there…pls use it wisely, we don’t need this to ever happen again. Thanks and back to work ?”
Fans of all ethnicities reacted to Ms Nair’s post with expressions of support:
One fan even compared her to US civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
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