This is what I am talking about!!!
Yes sir, Thanks Bro. dardenr, this is exactly what I am talking about.
Prof. Mcwhorter has beaten me to the punch. I trying to hurry up and finish my degree, so I can write the book about hip-hop that is not kissing the buts of hip-hop artists too much, and still loves black people enough so that we will listen to a well reasoned and soundly argued stance. I think that of all the critiques I have heard of Hip-hop, McWhorter's stance is probably the most valid. Here's why:
1. He acknowledges the fact that the voice of hip-hop that is gangsta is not ever going to be empowering, which I agree with (check the discussion about Dead Prez in theTalib Kweli thread).
2. He recognizes that the 'hood is somewhere not to glamorize, but to critique and overcome with positive collective action, not meaningless acquiescence to destruction and nihilism (which I think is the strongest point in his critique).
and 3. The point that rap music does have a powerful influence on the perceptions young people have about identity. I see it all the time with young people here in the school system. I tell them that it seems that they are living in a rap video (with how hey view life and temselves), and this clouds their perception not only of themselves, but of reality as well.
Before I sound like I am kissing Mcwhorter's butt though, I do feel that he doesn't even consider a very obvious factor that I am sure that he is aware of, that White owned media outlets control what type of music is put out, and that the image that we see is the image that is comfortable with the whites that promote and sell it, as well as buy it. He makes a statement that the reason more whites buy the musc is because there are just more whites in America. I think we can see his bias here, McWhorter is what I like to call a conservative for hire, meaning that he gets paid very well to comfort white America about many social issues that affect blacks by standing on a premise that inequality is self imposed by blacks. Systematic claims to inequality to him are ridiculous, as I have seen and read him state several times. This maybe because of his training (in linguistics, which doesn't deal with social system critiques much, at least last time I checked), but I think also it is because taking this stance and using his considerable intellectual and writing skills to back up his stance affords him many opportunities to speak and garner media attention. On some level, I ain't mad at him though, I think Black America needs to hear this point of view more. It challenges us to think more critically about issues with inequality and identity.
Once again, thanks for posting this, Bro. Dardenr.
Blackwatch!!!!!!
|