Race and Identity In Hip-Hop
In hip-hop, race and identity are two very dominant factors. They are what make hip-hop what it is. This reality can be good and bad. Hip-hop is a predominantly African American genre and has given many individuals the opportunity to find their identity. With that said, the emergence of rappers with different racial backgrounds caused some commotion in the hip-hop world and caused certain songs to come to fruition. The rapper that is obviously the poster child for this is Eminem. Eminem, although white, came from the trailer parks of Detroit, Michigan's eight mile road. He had, so you can say, "street cred", but his skin was still white. So, when he began his hip-hop career, there was naturally critical feedback and opinions. He, like many rap artists, wrote songs about his struggles in trying to do what every other African American rapper was doing without being called out for it. In his song, "White America", he did just that.Another controversial artist that fits perfectly into race and identity, is Macklemore. He is not only white, but has had many critics question whether or not his music was hip-hop. He has been lumped into the category of wannabe rappers and said to fit in more with popular music. Yes, his music is very popular and he may not have raps about how hard the hood life was, but when has hip-hop ever been limited to just those topics. Hip-hop's identity is speaking about issues that the artist feels they need to bring awareness to. That may be sex, drugs, or living in the hood. For Macklemore, it was LGBT rights. In his song, "Same Love", Macklemore raised awareness to the discrimination towards the gay community.
Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIzD0ZfTFg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0
Even though race and identity, like you said, are two dominating factors in hip hop, I feel like they shouldn't be. It shouldn't really matter who created the song or lyrics because it is a work of art at the end of the day. The artist should get credit on their work of art regardless of their race and ethnicity. I think judging an artist solely off their race is just pain stupid and ignorant.
ReplyDeleteAnd i agree again 100% when you said that limiting hip hop through factors like race limits the amount of art that can be created.
I believe that people associate hip hop with race whether they want to or not. Blacks are credited with the creation of hip hop so naturally the stereotype that they are better at something they created would occur. I dont think that being black makes a person a better rapper but I do believe it would be easier for them to be accredited as one. Each culture identifies with a type of music. Because hip hop is so versatile it can be combined with other genres of music very easily. This allows for the mixing of cultures and style which a lot of people of other races do.
ReplyDeleteIt's no secret that most of the artists today in hip-hop and rap are african americans, but Eminem is a great example. There are still a ton of white people that are rapping as well as working in the industry, someone like Rick Rubin who is white is one of the biggest producers in the game, he works with guys like Jay-Z, Eminem, and Kanye West. Also the genres biggest audience are white people. It's definitely a genre for all races around the world.
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop having the majority of Whites as a fan base is a myth. This was typically to sell hip-hop to other stations. It's psychology; if this rumor spread, more whites were open to listen to hip-hop. By the way, who keeps track of what race buys a certain track or album?
DeleteI agree with Kalisa on this one. And as far as the blog, I would have to say that race and identity has a lot to do with hip-hop because the Black culture affects hip-hop whether people like it or not. I'm not saying that people from other cultures can't join the genre, but think about it like this, how harsh would a black person pursuing a career in Country music be criticized.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I am totally against Macklemore being considered a "Rapper", a Grammy -winning rapper at that. A black person can put his heart and soul into a song and just being himself but doesn't get recognized nationally, however when Mackelmore "Shines a light" on a topic, he gets recognized, and it just so happens that he's not black??? Why is this? (1) His beats may sound like Hip-Hop but what actually is a hip-hop beat when that genre is rooted from others? (2) He discusses a serious topic and brings awareness but doesn't other genres? So is he really a Rapper- a Hip-hop artist? If so, what makes him, what makes anyone? Skin?
I don't think that Rap or Hip Hop is defined by the color of someones skin. I do however believe that being a white rapper does not illicit respect for solely being white. People respect Eminem because he has put out 10 solid albums and was brought up by Dr. Dre. Eminem's or slim shady's identity as a rapper is "a drug-dealing, bloodthirsty thug who spits furious rhymes about murder, rape, drugs and living by the law of the urban jungle,"( Nelson, Debbie (2008). My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. Beverly Hills, CA: Phoenix Books. ISBN 1-59777-596-7.)
ReplyDeleteMacklemore has three singles: "Thrift Shop", "Can't Hold Us", and "Same Love"
that propelled him into the spotlight, however I believe that these songs fall under the sorry category of Bubble-Gum Rap.
Macklemore has the persona of someone who goes to thrift shops and solely looks for cardigans. He has earned his spot in "Hip Hop" it is just not a respectable one.
I agree as well that race and Identity plays a major role in hip hop. Most people do view the black race as being better rappers because most people are familiar with black people rapping. On the other hand most are familiar with majority of whites doing other genres of music like rock, pop, or Spanish. It isn't fair to automatically assume a person's ability or talent because of their skin color but people do it based off of familiarity in my opinion. I think identity is also dominant. A person couldn't necessarily take a female rapper serious if she's rapping about being on the street hustling to make ends meet because of her identity as a female.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well that race and Identity plays a major role in hip hop. Most people do view the black race as being better rappers because most people are familiar with black people rapping. On the other hand most are familiar with majority of whites doing other genres of music like rock, pop, or Spanish. It isn't fair to automatically assume a person's ability or talent because of their skin color but people do it based off of familiarity in my opinion. I think identity is also dominant. A person couldn't necessarily take a female rapper serious if she's rapping about being on the street hustling to make ends meet because of her identity as a female.
ReplyDeleteI know that many people relate hip-hop to race and identity but I think that regardless of the artist's race and identity if the music is good the artist will be recognized eventually. A great example of this is Eminem. Sure he is white but his rapping ability is undeniable and now he is one of the biggest names in hip-hop. I think that being successful in hip hop is like being successful in anything else. If you are good enough and people like what you are doing you will be recognized eventually.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you race and identity does play a major role in hip hop wether people like it or not. Eminem was a great example and I personally think he is a great rapper. He had balls and wasn't scared to diss black rappers even though he is white. I think he earned respect from black rappers and black people in general. I personally don't listen to Macklemore so I can't really say anything about him. Since hip hop is predominately a African American genre I think it's not surprising that people of another race have such a hard time getting credibility. I'm not saying it's okay but it's not surprising.
ReplyDeleteI love that you made the point that we shouldn't limit expression based on race or gender. The tension against white rappers is definitely not suprising but that does not make it right. When we limit expression then we facilitate ignorance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. I think that people automatically associate someone's race or identity with their songs, whether intentionally or not. I think this is wrong and unfair, but I realize it happens. I liked your examples of Eminem and Macklemore. Even though they are both white, Eminem has the respect because he has proved himself in a mainly black industry, while Macklemore has not.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I agree that hip hop is a predominately African American genre of music. It is more difficult for white rappers or rappers from any other race to receive the "street cred" and respect that they deserve when it comes to rapping. Your example of Eminem was very good.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think in terms of race and identity of Hip-Hop its still a touchy subject. There is no disputing the fact that Hip-Hop is a predominantly African American genre of music and came out of the struggles of African Americans. But the industry cannot allow themselves to limit Hip-Hop to just one group of people. Like you mentioned, Eminem went through some of the same struggles as other rappers yet was received with criticism just because of his race. Hip-Hop has affected so many people from different cultures and backgrounds and they should have every right to be a part of the Hip-Hop community.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Macklemore, I am in the minority, because I do believe he belongs in the Hip-Hop genre. If you look beyond "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love" he does have amazing songs, and the majority of his songs are of him rapping. Perfect example would be his song "Wings". However, I understand the argument of him being a pop artist, since his songs are more "popular" or "radio-friendly" than that of other rappers.
Really good post! Although I felt a little uncomfortable watching the "Same Love' video, i ended up actually liking the song in the end. It had a good message and the pain and struggle so evident in Mackelmore's voice made that same message sound all the more clearer. Eminem's life before and after getting signed by Dre due to his own identity was also very interesting to read about as well.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post and although we all wish hip hop didn't have to be so involved with race identity, including myself, I believe it most likely will always be that way in some form because it originated from African Americans and became apart of the culture and are one of the few things that they can call their own; I believe it stems from a sense of pride. Eminem is obviously the best example to break this stereotype though as he is regarded as one of the all time greatest rappers even though he is white. I enjoy Macklemore's music and believe that the only reason people say he's more pop than hip-hop is because of his commercial success for being white as he has a wider range of audience rather than his actual music.
ReplyDeleteRace and identity go hand in hand with Hip-hop. It is mostly about pride about where and how the rapper grows up. I agree with Diamond when she says that it was predominately part of black culture because that is where it originated. I believe that is why the black rappers are so proud to represent their race. They want to show it is still part of their culture and they do not want people forgetting that.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that race has nothing to do with talent. Yes some people are better than others in different things, but stereotyping people based on race is childish and makes no sense. If one person is better than another at rapping, it doesn't necessarily have to be the black guy being better than the white guy.
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