HYBE Boy Group Member Apologizes For Comments About Use Of AAVE

&TEAM‘s Maki has issued an apology after coming under fire for his comments on AAVE (African American Vernacular English) in a recent livestream.

The issue began when Maki expressed his annoyance with certain grammatical structure being used. While he had simply thought of it as bad grammar, the structure is commonly associated with AAVE in casual speech and culture. Fans explained the issue on X.

This quickly sparked debate over cultural sensitivities and the responsibility idols have when engaging with language rooted in specific cultural and historical contexts. Even though he was unaware of the connotations Maki ended up addressing the situation directly through a written message and thanked fans for educating him on the topic.

In his apology, he acknowledged that his words were inappropriate, explained that he lacked proper understanding of the cultural background behind the expressions, and expressed regret for causing discomfort to fans.

To fans’ credit, they quickly acknowledged his willingness to learn from mistakes and let the matter go quickly.

glad he apologized and hopefully learned to be more careful. https://t.co/TNLb8Y6Fgy pic.twitter.com/9DAvTJds1A

— era 🐈‍⬛ (@always_era) February 1, 2026

&TEAM, a global boy group under HYBE’s Japanese arm, has built a diverse international fanbase, which has also led to heightened sensitivity around cultural issues. The incident has reignited broader conversations about cultural awareness, language use, and accountability in K-Pop and global pop culture.