The black conservative Republican blogger asks: Are African-Americans still bothered by white involvement in black-oriented music? "The recent hype over Philadelphia rapper Asher Roth reminded me of the controversy over Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP ten years ago. I remember the mainstream press making a big deal over Eminem’s status as the first 'credible' white rapper (as opposed to, well, pale imitations like Vanilla Ice) and questioning whether some black hip-hop fans would have a problem with a white dude encroaching on 'their' cultural territory. I understood why the press raised such concerns — after all, there are many older African-Americans who believe Elvis Presley 'stole' black-oriented music, and it wasn’t irrational to wonder whether younger blacks would likewise conclude that Eminem was out to 'steal' hip-hop — but I couldn’t relate to such worries. As far as I was concerned, if younger whites were into hip-hop, wouldn’t that reduce racial tension? It’s hard for me to regard whites who perform black-oriented music or integrate such music into their general work as cultural thieves. Quite the opposite: it makes those artists cooler in my eyes."
He continues: "Granted, from a certain perspective, it’s sad that race relations in this country have been so uneasy that a white person earns coolness points for embracing black culture or, in some cases, black people. However, it’s also reality. Even after President Obama’s election, we still have a certain degree of psychological segregation in the United States. Perhaps it will always exist. However, culture should not be segregated. Excellence ought to be integrated; greatness should not know the boundaries of race, color or creed. We can debate whether hip-hop currently represents excellence. (How many hip-hop acts today are as good as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul were back in the early-1990s?) However, if a white person embraces the past and present of hip-hop, that person shouldn’t be considered a cultural thief by anybody for wanting to make music in that vein. Best of luck to Mr. Roth—and everyone, famous and unknown, who recognizes that quality transcends cultural boundaries."
Booker Rising response: Who the hell is Asher Roth? Since black folks have created the overwhelming majority of America's indigenous music, it would be hard for non-blacks to create a sound that didn't draw upon black folks' work. Black folks are generally suspicious of white folks who go in these arenas, because there's been outrageously blatant thievery in the past, with black musicians not getting their due props and due money for their production. Historically, black Americans gravitate towards a new musical sound when white folks discover it. Hip hop's demise among black folks is long overdue, if you ask me. The genre has become gutter music. Time to create a new sound! Hopefully new fashion with it, because I'm so tired of seeing grown men dress lazy with their pants hanging down their butts.
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