Ice Blue says BJJ has no Black idols and sparks backlash
The Racionais MC’s rapper was criticized by athletes and coaches, but he did not back down and asked how many Black athletes land the sport’s big campaigns
Ice Blue, a member of the Brazilian rap group Racionais MC’s and a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, set off one of the biggest debates in the sport this week. In a documentary clip shared on social media on Nov. 1, the rapper said: “We don’t have Black idols in Jiu-Jitsu.”
The line spread quickly among athletes, coaches and fans. Within days, posts about it had drawn thousands of comments.
In the same clip, Ice Blue explains that he competed at BJJ Stars to encourage other Black men to train and go after medals. He also says he feels he owes something back to the sport.
How the Jiu-Jitsu community responded
The most common response was a list of names. Fans pointed to Fernando Tererê, a two-time black belt world champion in 2000 and 2003, along with Ronaldo Jacaré, Carlão Barreto, Gabi Pessanha and Erich Munis.
The Brazilian profile Sindilutas posted a selection of Black figures in the sport. UFC fighter Gilbert Burns reacted with emojis, and some critics accused the rapper of bringing to the mats a debate they say does not exist there.
Ice Blue also had defenders. Some comments criticized the tone used against a black belt, while others understood him to be talking about visibility outside the Jiu-Jitsu bubble.
Ice Blue doubles down and points to sponsorships
The rapper returned to the subject in a video on his Instagram captioned “Pelos Nossos,” which means “For Our Own.” He said more than 30 years of fame and more than 20 years dedicated to Jiu-Jitsu give him the right to speak on the topic.
Ice Blue said he dreams of seeing more Black idols in the sport, then moved the conversation to the business side. He asked who appears in the big campaigns, how many athletes have brand deals and how many have turned their wins into money and opportunities.
That answer did not calm his critics. Coach Fábio Andrade commented that the new explanation only made things worse, and journalist Ana Hissa, of Brazilian network Combate, also questioned the statement and the explanations that followed, according to Recorte da Luta.
In 2023, Ice Blue named Tererê as an inspiration
The controversy also brought back some of the rapper’s earlier comments. Before his BJJ Stars superfight in 2023, he listed Tererê and Mahamed Aly among his references in the sport.
At the time, he said he wanted to bring more young people from Brazil’s low-income neighborhoods to the mats.
Did Ice Blue get it wrong, or do Black idols still lack the recognition they deserve? Tell us what you think.
Read also: Tererê and “Jiu-Jitsu climbs the hill”: the favela crowd that changed the Worlds
