Music is such a universal way to reach people. Different genres, artists and lyrics can bring a community together, based on a shared connection to the message or how much another person likes the melody. In most industries, if not all, Black artists are ripped off, under appreciated, and discredited while we have originated the foundation of music genres.
Rock and roll, jazz, blues, rap, pop music and many other genres came from Black people. An early example is when Elvis released the song “Hound Dog.” The song was written specifically for Big Mama Thornton, a Black woman. Thornton never made much of the song from a larger audience; however, it became known in urban jazz. The song eventually made its way to Sam Phillips, whose goal was to mix white and Black music to make pop hits. Phillips’ reworked “Hound Dog” appealed to a white audience, which is the version we now know the most. It makes me so upset that I have to see so many artists who aren’t Black using our culture but not crediting the people who gave them that inspiration.
Take Harry Styles’ Vogue cover when he wore a dress; the reaction was ‘He’s breaking gender stereotypes!’ ‘Yes Harry,’ ‘This is what being a real man looks like!’ However, Prince has been wearing thongs since the 90s, Little Richard wore platform boots, Lil Uzi Vert has been wearing skirts on red carpet events; The only difference is that Lil Uzi Vert and Little Richard are Black men. It is such a plain, simple fact that is right in front of people’s faces and no one seems to realize it except people of color. So much of what we consume, not just music, is made by Black people. Black culture is in the DNA of many modern music genres we see today, yet the music industry refuses to acknowledge it fully.
This disregard isn’t out of racist intent, it is just that being Black is only palpable when it is an aesthetic for White people. It makes me so extremely upset that we still live in a world that solely acknowledges White achievements and milestones without question. White artists are most often given every single resource they need to succeed, but Black artists have to go through hell and back to even be recognized. Furthermore, even when they are infact seen, it’s not guaranteed that they have a seat at the table. The only way and the only times we see Black artists thrive is when their aesthetics are shaped into something that is palatable for a White audience.
Black Culture is prominent in almost every piece of media we see, whether good or bad. What I hate the most is how White people will take the parts of that culture that they deem “cool, fun” or “fashionable” and adopt it without even knowing where it comes from. Most times I don’t believe this is with malicious intent but considering how many times Black artists and their fans call out the behavior, It makes me wonder if they fully know what they are doing.
So much of the Black heritage in clothes, accessories, hairstyle, and even how Black people speak, is turned into a more toned-down version so White people can feel included. I hate to say that I see most of this behavior on campus from kids that don’t know what that culture means.
The most common counter argument is, “Why can’t you just be grateful for the appreciation?” But why would I be grateful for someone making an aesthetic out of my culture, my Blackness? Yes, you may have Black friends, you listen to rap music and you have the latest pair of sneakers. The only difference is that, at the end of the day, you get to decide if you want to be White that day, and Black people don’t get to make that decision.
Black artists are not asking your favorite White artist to give them all of the credit. What they are asking for is to be included in the conversation. They are constantly baited and only given a fraction of the credit they deserve when it comes to creating music just for their art to be mis-credited, taken away, stolen and sometimes they aren’t even allowed to perform it
We are still Black, and we can’t pick and choose whose culture we want to be a part of.
We all listen to music, however many songs speak to the experiences of people of color when the music industry has been making fools out of artists of color for years. They are the backbone of the music industry, and yet that same industry is the reason they cannot be artists apart from being Black. Their art, stories, experiences and hardships are more than just the melody of your favorite song.
