Member Since: 11/7/2011
Posts: 10,399
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Quote:
We ask of hip-hop, a genre gripping on to its roots in lower class black and brown communities as it continues to rise as our most omnipresent form of pop music, to be a beacon of hope and prove that its gain and value of earned status has been worth it. Kanye West and Jay Z are our living proof of not only black genius but of black luxury, where skin color cannot stop talent from being rewarded in abundance and excess. We want them to be our leaders and to rally from their platforms, though they’ve been warning us and relaying their experiences with racial profiling and corrupt cops from the moment they rose to prominence.
Then there are the artists that are copying them. Iggy Azalea with her affected and deep-fried Southern drawl. Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke with their affinity for ripping the style of R&B and soul singers of the past.
On Twitter, people taunted and begged for the white artists who have become most famous for their take on being black to speak up, though they’ve remained silent. Banks became the most vocal, calling out Azalea for her down-ness not extending past her public persona and music. Their silence is irksome, especially in a year where some of the top hits (Katy Perry’s trap influenced "Dark Horse"; Magic!’s reggae song "Rude"; Azalea’s many singles and guest spots) have not only carried out the trend of silencing roots but have continued to prove just how much money we’re willing to pour into that machine. However, Azalea has used her social media platforms to respond to any and all criticism of her, shaving down the purpose of Banks’ frustration to her being upset about not being as successful.
What Azalea’s response proves is what everyone already knew about her and the artists just like her: everyone wants to be black but no one actually wants to be black. Stealing, idealizing and mimicking has become the way she profits in the music industry but she doesn’t understand a damn thing about the people she steals from. For Banks, and really the rest of black America, stories about the ways in which we have been wronged are exhausting, tired, and played out. She released an excellent album this year, serving as one of many examples of the ways in which artists of color are still reinventing their place and sound in the music world. As she so powerfully puts it, "my black story is deeper than the boat ride over."
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http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/615-th...black-erasure/
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