Rap and hip-hop have always been divided along gender and race lines. African-American men have been deemed “rappers,” while other artists need a qualifier. Nicki Minaj is a “female” rapper, while Eminem is a “white” one. Now, one of the most controversial artists to debut in hip-hop this year, Bay Area Internet sensation Kreayshawn, bears both of those titles.

This summer, Kreayshawn splashed onto the hip-hop scene with her viral hit “Gucci Gucci.” Though not the most lyrically inventive song, “Gucci Gucci” and its accompanying video were catchy, stylish and different. At least the song was unique enough to amass more than 19 million views on YouTube and drive Columbia Records to quickly sign her.

Even so, her success has often been charged with “exploiting black culture” and is more often than not attributed to her race.

These claims are nothing new, as Eminem faced the same opposition when he debuted. Unfortunately for Kreayshawn, her detractors don’t seem like they will be going away any time soon. Eminem had the fortune of being able to both authenticate his origins and prove his lyrical skills. Kreayshawn has had no such luck. While she claims to be from “the hood,” her credibility has been doubted many times.

That said, the claim that she’s only famous because she’s white is absurd. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I haven’t seen many rappers do what she does. Even if she lacks lyrical prowess, Kreayshawn crafted a catchy, fun song, which is what hip-hop is all about these days. “Gucci Gucci” isn’t meant to “exploit black culture,” but to entertain with its catchy hook and stylized video.

Interestingly enough, other white rappers rising in popularity this year haven’t faced the same stigma. Yelawolf and Mac Miller both have albums coming out this fall, and very little controversy follows them.

Mac Miller, however, has fallen into another trap of the white rapper: being compared to Eminem. Since Eminem is the only white rapper with a prolonged career, he serves as the archetype against which every other white rapper is compared. After Miller’s viral hit “Donald Trump” hit 20 million views on YouTube, Donald Trump recorded a video praising him and calling him the “next Eminem.” This caused a flurry of activity on the Internet because, as anyone who has listened to Mac would know, he is nothing like Eminem. Just the fact that he is white invites comparisons to the legend, even though their styles are completely different.

Today, it’s impossible for a white rapper to debut without that qualifier attached to his or her title. While Eminem seems to have lost the stigma, new artists cannot escape the label. When will this racial divide end?