So Kelis is making toys now?

The “Milkshake” singer recently shared a Instagram post with @makeitbrowntoys featuring a Black or rather…brown Woody from the “Toy Story” franchise as well as brown and white T-shirts with the brown Woody with the caption: “WOODY x MAKE IT BROWN ™️  #toystory #makeitbrown #woody #blackcowboys 

They then went on to drop a little knowledge and the inspiration behind the project: “Approximately one in four cowboys in the American West was Black, with thousands of formerly enslaved people finding work, freedom, and relative equality in cattle ranching after 1865. These skilled wranglers, bronco busters, and trail drivers were crucial to the industry, yet often erased from popular narratives. Here’s our MAKE IT BROWN ART TOY “WOODY” that features REMOVEABLE HAT, TOY GUN IN HOLSTER, ONLY 50 CREATED ALL NUMBERED!”

The limited-edition “Woody x Make It Brown” art toy is a collectible that obviously nods to “Toy Story,” but the caption takes it deeper into cowboy imagery while intentionally centering Black representation. 

The cultural backdrop absolutely matters here. Historians and museums have long noted that Black cowboys were a real and important part of American Western history, even if they have often been erased from popular retellings. With a hefty one in four cowboys in the 19th century being Black, it’s obvious Black riders were a major part of the country’s frontier narratives. 

That is part of what makes Kelis’ post more than a simple novelty merch drop. The toy is a statement about proper representation in American iconography. Kelis has never been afraid to build outside the expected; look at her Kenyan farm! This project feels like another extension of that same instinct.

For a generation raised on toy chests and shelves that rarely reflected them, the offering is a reminder that Black history can be archived in any and everything, even in a toy.