Race in hip hop

Race in hip hop

Although hip hop is a primarily music oriented culture, the political significance of race sometimes comes into play, with accusations of cultural appropriation against non-black-- typically white and Asian-- performers, and charges of racism and self-stereotyping against black performers. Suburban America has usually accepted hip-hop culture, but more and more suburban teens have "clowned" each other for the hip-hop style of vocabulary, clothes, and countless other social behaviors because they try to act "black".

Overview

By the United States 2000 Census, two-thirds of the United States' population is white, while one-eighth is black. However, almost all popular rappers in the United States are black. [cite journal|title=Rap, Black Rage, and Racial Difference|last=Best|first=Steven|coauthors=Kellner, Douglas|journal=Enculturation|volume=2|issue=2|year=1999|url=http://enculturation.gmu.edu/2_2/best-kellner.html|accessdate=2006-06-12] Some believe this discrepancy is a good thing; popular rapper Kanye West has said: "I hate music where white people are trying to sound black. The white music I like [sounds] white". [cite web |date=27 | year = 2005 | month = September | url = http://au.launch.yahoo.com/050926/10/a0h5.html | title = Kanye West: 'White People Should Make White Music' | publisher = Soundbuzz/Yahoo! Music | accessdate = May 12 | accessyear = 2006]

The most notable exception to the skin color trend in rap is Eminem. According to the Guinness World Records, Eminem became the fastest selling rapper of all time when "The Marshall Mathers LP" sold over 1.76 million copies in its first week.cite web|accessdate=2008-04-23|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5923810/eminem_bounces_britney_from_top_spot|title=Eminem Bounces Britney From Top Spot |publisher=Rolling Stone] cite web|accessdate=2008-08-10|url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/1252.html|title=Eminem Tops Album Chart|publisher=LiveDaily] In his song "White America", Eminem attributes his selling success to his being more easily digestible by a white audience, because he "looks like them."

According to musicologist Arthur Kempton, "Today 70 percent of hip-hop is bought by white kids". [cite news|title=HIP-HOP SETTING THE BEAT IN FIRST, BLACK ARTISTS HOLD BILLBOARD'S TOP 10|first=Joan|last=Anderman|publisher=The Boston Globe|date=2003-10-04|url=http://hsan.org/content/main.aspx?pageid=21|accessdate=2006-06-12] Russel Simmons has said that this percentage is upward towards 80%Fact|date=July 2007. However, there are no demographic studies with consistent results to support these claims and some, such as author Bakari Kitwana, believe that these numbers are used politically in order to, for example, play down the buying power of young African-Americans. [cite episode|title=Examining Hip-Hop Culture|url=http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/|series=The Tavis Smiley Show|network=WGBH|airdate=July 14, 2005|transcripturl=http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200507/20050714_kitwana.html]

Cultural appropriation?

White performers have long been involved in the making and development of mainstream rap, although hip hop music and hip hop culture began with and have commonly been associated with African-Americans. The derogatory term "wigger" is often applied to white people involved in hip hop music. Also Hispanics and Asians who are involved in hip hop are usually also referred in similar derogatory terms, and often work in the underground hip hop industry.

This racial stereotyping is so long established that in 2006 the music broadcaster VH-1 in partnership with ego trip created a reality TV talent show called "The (White) Rapper Show".

Race in underground hip hop

According to political rapper Zion of Zion I, socially conscious hip hop has a mainly white audience: "...so many Black people don't want to hear it. They want that thug shit." In addition to Zion, several other underground rappers, such as Boots Riley of The Coup, report nearly all-white audiences.cite web|last= Kitwana |first= Bakari|date= June 24, 2005 |url= http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0526,kitwana,65332,22.html |title= The Cotton Club |publisher= The Village Voice |accessdate= February 2 |accessyear= 2006 ]

ee also

*ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show
*""

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hip-hop dance — For more details on the history, social dancing, and worldwide exposure, see History of hip hop dance. Hip hop dance A b boy performing in a cipher in Turkey …   Wikipedia

  • hip-hop — /hip hop /, Slang. n. 1. the popular subculture of big city teenagers, which includes rap music, break dancing, and graffiti art. 2. See rap music. adj. 3. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of this subculture: the hip hop generation. [1985 90] …   Universalium

  • Native American hip hop — is hip hop culture practiced by people of Native American heritage; in colloquial terms, this also includes Canadian First Nation hip hop artists. As such it is not a specific form of hip hop but varies in style along the lines of hip hop in… …   Wikipedia

  • Hip hop — This article is about the cultural movement. For the music genre, see Hip hop music. For other uses, see Hip hop (disambiguation). Graffiti of hip hop in Eugene, Oregon Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated… …   Wikipedia

  • Hip hop music — This article is about the music genre. For the culture in general, see Hip hop. For other uses, see Hip hop (disambiguation). Hip hop Stylistic origins Funk, disco, dub …   Wikipedia

  • hip hop —    In 1979, when the Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ began with the words, ‘I said a hip, hop, a hippit, a hippit to the hip hip hop, you don’t stop the rock,’ a name was found for the burgeoning street culture of urban New York. Hip hop… …   Encyclopedia of contemporary British culture

  • Italian hip hop — Hip hop music and culture in Italy is an evolution of the way in which Italian youth make known their dissatisfaction for the current social and economic issues that are presented to them in everyday life. While the size of the Italian hip hop… …   Wikipedia

  • Japanese hip hop — Stylistic origins Old school hip hop J pop Cultural origins Late 1980s in Japan Typical instruments …   Wikipedia

  • Cuban hip hop — Music of Cuba General topics Related articles Genres Batá and yuka · Bolero · Chachachá · …   Wikipedia

  • Misogyny in hip hop culture — refers to lyrics, videos or other aspects of hip hop culture that support, glorify, justify, or normalize the objectification, exploitation, or victimization of women.[1] Misogyny in rap music instills and perpetuates negative stereotypes about… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”