Watch: Mzansi claps back at Americans calling Tyla an 'entitled uppity African' post VMA's

South African singer Tyla stunned when she made her debut at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (11 September).

At the awards show, she walked away with Best Afrobeats Song for her smash hit Water.

Accepting the award, she used the opportunity to highlight why African music should not be categorised into one Afrobeats category.

"This is just so special, but also bittersweet because I know there's a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats… The global impact that Water has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too,” she began.

"It's a thing, and even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It's more than just Afrobeats."

The 22-year-old went on to say she makes Amapiano music, a South African genre that fuses house, jazz, and kwaito.

“I come from South Africa, I represent Amapiano, I represent my culture.”

And South Africa is so proud.

However, after Tyla's winning moment at the VMA's, the singer received backlash from Americans in particular, labeling her an 'entitled uppity African' after she had asked rapper Lil Nas X and actor Halle Bailey to hold her MTV Video Music Award while she gave her speech.

"You guys know me and holding awards, yoh hai. I'm not strong enough," she said before asking Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey to hold her trophy.

"Please, please, are you able to hold for me? Yes, thank you, I'm sorry," Tyla said to Lil Nas X while handing over the 'moonman'.

This moment was captured and posted to social media and went viral - it's currently sitting on 3.3 million views on TikTok alone.

YouTuber Armon Wiggins wrote on the social media platform X:

"Hey I don't think I like TYLA's personality. I think someone needs to check her cus she doesn't understand American Culture AT ALL... she almost gives off entitled or uppity African idk how to explain it but it's very off putting and it's almost like she expects people to just fall to her feet [sic]."

Tyla had briefly changed her bio to "Entitled uppity African" on X as a response to Wiggins.

But that wasn't all, Tyla also posted, "Y'all make everything weird… I was not asking my girl Halle… We just girls, STFU I WON A VMAAAA [sic]" to X.

Halle Bailey also quoted Tyla, writing:

"Exactly, love u, babes, congrats."

South Africans and Tyga's (Tyla's fans) also rallied together online in true 'united we shall stand' fashion to clap back against the 'entitled uppity African' who 'doesn't understand American culture at all' comment.

Here were some of their responses... Bonang Mathebe and our girl Sibs also got involved in the conversation.