Nicci Gilbert has officially stepped into the “Spend Dat” debate, and the Brownstone singer is not treating Yung Miami’s viral record like harmless background noise.
On a recent episode of Diary of a Diva, Gilbert broke down why the song has been getting under her skin, turning the conversation from a trending single into a bigger argument about R&B, hip-hop, influence, and what gets pushed into the culture.
Gilbert made it clear that her issue is with the song’s content. “Caresha is beautiful,” Gilbert said, adding that she thinks the rapper has “a fun personality.” But when it comes to the song itself, Gilbert did not soften the message: “I hate the song.” She said that seeing young kids dancing to the track made the moment feel more serious than just another viral hook.
Brownstone broke through in the mid-1990s with “If You Love Me,” a Grammy-nominated hit rooted in the era’s vocal-heavy, emotion-forward sound. Gilbert has also worked across TV, stage, and unscripted projects, including R&B Divas: Atlanta, where the legacy of ’90s R&B was part of the show’s foundation.
“The lyrical content is witchcraft in my opinion,” Gilbert said, before clarifying that she was talking about “conditioning.” She pointed to repetition, chants, and hooks as part of what makes music powerful, saying, “Music is the soundtrack of our lives. Music will inspire us to do the very worst things. Music will inspire us to do the very best things.”
The backlash around “Spend Dat” has already pulled in other R&B voices. India.Arie recently criticized the “mass acceptance” of the song after a Threads user called for a boycott, writing that “everything you listen to, see or eat is going to influence you” and urging people to “make wise choices.”
Gilbert said she worries the song’s success could encourage more records built around the same themes. “The bigger issue,” she said, “is that the success of that record is going to surely breed more like it.”