The term ‘nepo baby‘ is always going to rub famous people the wrong way. They hate feeling like people online are erasing the hard work it took to reach their status. It makes it seem as if all a person needs to be successful is to have a family member with a lot of money and access. For Sombr, he’s especially thorny about the concept of being a nepo baby.
In an interview with Elle, the pop star lashed out at the idea that he fits the description. His father, Andy Boose, was a musician before he transitioned into work as an events producer for HIV/AIDS organizations. His mom also works in HIV/AIDS prevention. But Sombr’s father’s brief connection to the music industry didn’t scream nepo baby to him, and he called the claim “incredibly insane.”
“Every time I see an artist blow up, I’m like, ‘OK, this artist is great. I love them so much. They’re so talented.’ Three months later, somehow they’re a nepo baby,” Sombr shrugged.
“I will forever respect my dad and my mom. I’m so f**king proud of them, because to devote your life to something like that is so incredible and important. To think that that could help me get signed or become a big artist because my dad devotes his life to fight AIDS is just incredibly insane,” he continued.
Sombr Gets Defensive Over Nepo Baby Claim, But His Dad Used to Make Fun of Them
Funnily enough, the ‘nepo baby’ term is actually something his dad would’ve made fun of during his old days as a musician. According to a 2003 article from The New York Times, Sombr’s father created the band René Risqué and the Art Lovers. Each bandmate created their own lavish characters that satirized the rich and sleazy, and they played glam rock. Evidently, their performances were eye-catching enough to capture the attention of Moby, who played a character onstage with them during a show.
Bandmate Laura Dawn, who played a “pill-popping Swedish chanteuse who dresses only in white fur” named Luffa Barre, revealed the intentions behind their performances. However, the same people they mocked were the ones eating up their material.
“There’s this rarefied society of people who hold all the wealth in the world,” Dawn shared. “That’s the world we’re skewering, that 1 percent who, according to George W. Bush, shouldn’t be paying any taxes. But the funniest part of René Risqué is that all the people that we’re making fun of, socialites, supermodels, rock stars, are the ones who come to see us. And they love it.”
Photo by Jean Catuffe/GC Images
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