[lbo-talk] Re: Black Music Makes History

Dennis Perrin dperrin at comcast.net
Tue Oct 14 08:05:33 PDT 2003


Wojtek:


> 1. I've been to Africa and listen to the music that Africans make and
> listen to. I did not notice any similarity to the US-produced
> commercial music known as hip hop or rap. So describing the latter as
> "the black" music looks to me like cultural imperialism, racism or both.
> It is similar to saying that country and western is "the white people's
> music," and boasting that white singers occupy ten top positions on
> lists in Texas or Tennessee.

Actually, I was arguing against skin-color-as-cultural-determinant, but do not dismiss that, by and large, those who produce hip hop are black, and those who produce C&W are white. Those who consume either or both stretch across color and class lines. And yes, the music of, say, King Sunny Ade is a hell of a lot different than anything Tupac produced, and both are different from Nat "King" Cole. I wouldn't argue differently.


> 2. I would resist using the sweeping labels like "kids today." When my
> kid was in high school he and his friends listen to a lot of rap,
> watched a lot of violent flicks etc. - which I did not particularly
> appreciated but respected because they were careful not to violate my
> boundaries (i.e. blast this shit when I was in the house). One thing
> that make me tolerant of it, though, was the fair certainty that _my_
> kid will go to college and his infatuation with juvenile contumacy
> expressed in much of pop culture (especially punk and hip hop) will be
> soon forgotten. I was right - my kid went to a private college while
> his HS buddies, well, they still live in the hood with "their" hip hop.
> I think it is a sad commentary on this society's inequalities, which the
> "let them have their culture" crowd seem to ignore.

I'm not sure what you mean here. There are affluent kids who live with "their" hip hop as well, and there are poor white kids who live with "their" country music or trashy rock. I don't see how any form of pop music makes that big of an economic difference in one's life, save for those who produce it and profit from it. Is one truly saved from society's inequalities if one embraces Sinatra or Mozart? Again, I don't see the connection.


> 3. I find particularly pathetic is a bunch of self-styled
> kultur-uber-alles progressives who see pop culture is the most important
> act of social protest and take no-so hidden pleasure when it pisses off
> the old white men. It is pathetic because when the dust settles, these
> kids will be living in their noise... err cultural expression engulfed
> hood, whereas the pissed off white men will be even more inclined to
> live in communities where the boom-box carrying youth will be promptly
> arrested should they choose to show up there.

I've never defended those who blast boomboxes in people's faces. Of course that obnoxious. But there is a difference between baiting people and enjoying loud hard music. Ideally, one should enjoy his or her music without making those who hate it listen as well. Again, it comes down to intention, and it seems that you feel some of these kids are out to get you personally.

DP



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