Well, just think of a white band singing about 'niggas' 'bitches' committing acts of random violence, etc. It would be scandalous. If blacks do that, however, it somehow becomes more "acceptable."
^^^^^ CB: I believe Eminem does sing about "b's". It is considered scandalous by some, but not more than Black gangsta rappers singing about it. I don't think he uses the n-word, but he might. Of course, the n-word as derogatory originates with whites historically, but when I say "historically", doesn't mean it has gone away.
Significance of Black use of the n-word is complex and contradictory. "Black" used to be a derogatory reference to "Colored" or "Negro" people. Then it was taken over by Black people, who , in an amazing phenomenon, renamed themselves in a sort of unofficial referendum in the late 60's. The sign on "Black" was reversed. N-word is not quite like that ,but "in house" it is less derogatory than "out".
More generally, history doesn't clearly support your imagination on this. Rock and roll , started by Black people, _was_ scandalous when it started, as scandalous for that time as rap is for today. "Rock and roll" was a Black slang term for having sex. Elvis Presley emblematically represented white "takeover" of rock and roll. There was some scandal with emphasis on his squiggling hips. But not enough scandal to prevent its becoming the new _white_ pop music.
One main form of rock ( the subname is escaping me right now) has lyrics and themes as violent and anti-woman as gangsta rap, I believe.
An analogous history can be recited for jazz before that. ( "Jazz" was slang for having sex, too). After Duke Ellington and Negro bands, then Paul Whiteman, Dorsey and other white bands became the main white, pop music.
In the U.S. , the pattern for music styles is Black people create it, and naturally it is scandalous _because_ it is Black people doing it. Then white people take it over, and by definition, it becomes more acceptable.
So, I guess my general thesis might be the flipside ( record album talk) of yours. In the U.S., when white people take up a music , it becomes less scandalous. It's not that only Black people can perform a certain type of music because it is scandalous. It is that a certain type of music is scandalous , because only Black people perform it.
My prediction would be that if white boys take over rap, it will become more acceptable.
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Long time ago I came across a study of police prejudice arguing that stereotypes play an important role in it. That is blacks and whites in stereotyped roles (e.g. whites acting 'civilized' and blacks acting 'uncivilized') are less like to be beaten up by the cops that whites and blacks reversing the stereotyped roles (i.e. whites acting 'uncivilized' and whites acting 'civilized').
^^^^^ CB: I don't know about this study. I think it's simply Black people are more likely to be beaten up by the police because they are Black. In general, U.S. police will tend to see dark skinned people as less civilized, regardless of what they are actually doing.
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I think something similar applies to music and art in general, and not just blacks but also women. Rap fits the black stereotype and thus is more acceptable if performed by blacks. By the same token, classical music performed by blacks would seem less acceptable. If you think about, Bobby McFerrin performs classical music but in a "black" way, by using his voice as an instrument. I would imagine that similar stereotypes apply to women's music and literature.
^^^^^^ CB: I could see some potential in an argument that music industry capitalists finance and promote Black artists with themes that will establish or reinforce negative , Black stereotypes.
It's like the O.J. Simpson saga being broadcast as a year long maxi-series of a type never seen before or since for a private crime trial, whereas the Robert Blake wife murder was a tiny blip in the national media. I'm not saying Simpson was guilty or innocent. I'm saying it was bizarre how the whole thing was covered on a scale larger than the coverage of the wars on Panama or Yugoslavia, or the Enron scandal, et al. O.J. Simpson's guilt or innocence was not a matter of national , public concern. Why would Hollywood make it such, except to blast the American stereotype of Black man as rapist and murderer of white women back into the national consciousness ? ( On the U.S. stereotype of Black man as rapist and murderer of white women , see chapter in _Women, Race and Class_ by Angela Davis)
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So the bottom line is that rap is a rough type of music that fits the black stereotype and thus appears as more "acceptable."
> The monopoly media make sure of that. Like what do you think the average
> white American's opinion of Detroit is ?
I dunno. I was there only once, merely changing planes, and the airport sucked, albeit I hear you got a new one. But I think that most Midwestern cities suck, except Chicago, no?
Wojtek
^^^^ CB: Uh , no. Midwestern cities are better than Eastern cities. I don't know what you all think you are doing over there that is so great. :>0
By and large, Detroit is falsely portrayed in the monopoly media as a pariah. Detroit is actually great because it has such a large portion of Black people.