Race in hip hop

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Although hip hop is a primarily music oriented culture, the political significance of race sometimes comes into play, with accusations of cultural appropriation against non-black-- typically white and Asian-- performers, and charges of racism and self-stereotyping against black performers. Suburban America has usually accepted hip-hop culture, but more and more suburban teens have "clowned" each other for the hip-hop style of vocabulary, clothes, and countless other social behaviors because they try to act "black".

1 Overview
2 Cultural appropriation?
3 Race in underground hip hop
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Overview

By the United States 2000 Census, two-thirds of the United States' population is white, while one-eighth is black. However, almost all popular rappers in the United States are black.^[1] Some believe this discrepancy is a good thing; popular rapper Kanye West has said: "I hate music where white people are trying to sound black. The white music I like [sounds] white".^[2]

The most notable exceptions to the skin color trend in rappers are Paul Wall, who grew up in Houston with rappers Chamillionaire and Lew Hawk. But the most popular white rapper is Eminem.^[3]. According to the Guinness World Records in 2005, Eminem is the highest selling rapper of all time.^{[citation needed]} In his song "White America", Eminem attributes his selling success to his being more easily digestible by a white audience, because he "looks like them."

According to musicologist Arthur Kempton, "Today 70 percent of hip-hop is bought by white kids".^[4] Russel Simmons has said that this percentage is upward towards 80%^{[citation needed]}. However, there are no demographic studies with consistent results to support these claims and some, such as author Bakari Kitwana, believe that these numbers are used politically in order to, for example, play down the buying power of young African-Americans.^[5]

[edit] Cultural appropriation?

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White performers have long been involved in the making and development of mainstream rap, although hip hop music and hip hop culture began with and have commonly been associated with African-Americans. The derogatory term wigger is often applied to white people involved in hip hop music. Also Hispanics and Asians who are involved in hip hop are usually also referred in similar derogatory terms, and often work in the underground hip hop industry.

This racial stereotyping is so long established that in 2006 the music broadcaster VH-1 in partnership with ego trip created a reality TV talent show called "The (White) Rapper Show".

[edit] Race in underground hip hop

See also: Underground hip hop

According to political rapper Zion of Zion I, socially conscious hip hop has a mainly white audience: "...so many Black people don't want to hear it. They want that thug shit." In addition to Zion, several other underground rappers, such as Boots Riley of The Coup, report nearly all-white audiences.^[6]