Is hip hop a black thing? If hip hop is truly defined as something that is “real” then it should not have racial barriers. However, after reading the handout Why White Kids Love Hip Hop it became clear that there are people out there who believe that hip hop is a black thing belonging to black culture. Hip hop began as a way for black youth so speak out against the government that had forsaken their neighborhood and race. Many people feel that middle class white kids have no right taking part of something that they really do not understand. I say why not? If hip hop is still about getting the people in power positions to fix the problems in the black community, or at least notice they exist, then why is it a big deal for white kids to be interested in hip hop? It makes more people aware of the cause. I understand the fear that the white kids may misrepresent hip hop and what it stands for. If hip hop’s true definition is to be real then is white kid into hip hop in Middle America suburbia with not many black friends real? I don’t have the answer to that one. I don’t understand why music has to be a white or a black thing. The whole thing about rock-n-roll coming from black people’s music and now white people take credit for it boggles my mind. What about Cowboy Troy the black country singer? I’m positive that he has caught some major flack, but he continues to do what he loves and that is sing country music. I disagree with music having racial lines. I know that there are things that I will never have to deal with simply because of the fact that I look white. People would never know that I am actually a Choctaw Indian, but because I look white I will never have to deal with the racial struggles that other Indians do. However, should the fact that I look white keep me from listening to tribal music? To me the answer is simple, it’s no. Music can have so many different meanings not one is right or wrong. Though sometimes the meaning you get from a song may not be what the writer was intending, but that does not make it wrong because it is the meaning that you understand. Music is universal. I am and for as long as can remember have always listened closely to the lyrics. I’m not sure why I do that instead of just listening to the beat. It’s probably because my father, the reverend, has always told me to be careful of what I am putting into my mind. I find that listening to the lyrics helps me make a deeper connection with that song. My point is what if a middle class white kid can connect with the lyrics of a gangsta rap song, that connection is what make it real. If we limit music to race so many people will be missing out on so many great songs.
http://chronicmagazine.com/public.php?level=1&page_id=169
http://www.nathanielturner.com/freddiefoxxx.htm
http://www.cowboytroy.com/
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3 comments:
Do you think a music can have beginnings in one area and branch
out? Or maybe because it had such a negative vibe,it continues to astonish many, why everyone is jumping on the band wagon? Opening the door to different perspectives helps you to be a critical consumer, and it will prevent the media or other forms of communication from giving you information that is contrived from no basis. Lena Horne often talked about passing, and how easy it would have been to deny her heritage, but then she said it would not be who she was. It is amazing how people from all groups can and do have some of the same issues. A great blog. Have a Happy Holiday.
That is a really god point that no one ever wants to discuss. The fact that this is music not black music or white music or white music it music if you like it you like it if you don’t you don’t. I really don’t understand why people always try to make something out of nothing when it comes to race. And for a while I always just assumed that the reason the government and the other people spoke the way they do about hip hop is because they don’t like hip hop music but I soon learned that they do this because many of them feel that this music is bad for the world because the black people are cursing or be obscene. But my thing is how can the music have a race.
I know a lot of people who listen to hip hop many of them are white but my thing is this, how do people make it white or black music and a lot of people categorize music by the people who listen to it. And if they are saying that hip hop is black music they are wrong. Hip hop is everyone music. Hell all music is everyone music. I can not name one genre of music that everyone does not listen to. Music is diverse and some people should branch out and see that there is no such thing as white or black music but only music.
I know that people will forever be how they are but it is true that some people are racist. Now while this music is encompassing everyone without everyone knowing , it makes some people racist to their own culture. This who racial line thing is stupid. I hate that people automatically judge everything based on race and it sucks because we as young children are raised like this if not by our parents then by society. We do not know it at the time but the surrounding factors of society makes us who we turn into our parents and family do have a big part in our upbringing as well. As people we need to step back and analyze our decisions as we make them.
So, you are going to make sure that you will raise your children to break the cycle, that is a good thing.
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