Stanley Crouch
Uncategorized July 9th, 2007Rap/Hip-hop only became a huge business when the albums were purchased by white America. Before that, it was underground music. Crouch has referred to hip hop (gangsta rap in particular) as a “minstrel show†on multiple occasions, and over time it has become hard to disagree with him.
Hip-hop videos generally fall into two categories, good and bad. For that matter, most music featuring a black artist fall into the same categories. Bad videos feature expensive luxury cars, big-booty women in tiny bikinis, alcohol in some form or another (sometimes in a jewel-encrusted chalice), gaudy jewelery, and professional sports jerseys. Good videos feature more modest transportation, attractive women in more clothing, earth-toned clothing, and usually a stoop-scene is included in place of a club. While this may only constitute a lack of originality there may be something more.
Are the repeating images of bling, booty-shakin’ and Benzes the product of white America’s desire to see black people making fools of themselves?
-or-
Are the repeated images of diamonds, bikini-clad bimbos, and fast cars the only product that young black artists believe will get their video played?
Let’s go back to the “minstrel show†comment. One way blacks were kept out of movies was the rationale that their skin was too dark and thus they would not appear on film (I know, it sounds insane). Once black actors made it onto the silver screen, it was as the butler, maid, ignorant farm boy, etc… While it may be degrading, it was the only job they could get. It the same thing happening with modern rap music?
Crouch’s columns and essays are always provoking. He can be quite the scholar and completely ghetto at the same time. While I don’t agree with every stance he takes, at the very least, he is provoking.