Miriam Liske-Doorandish, 10.2.

19

The Contemporary Commentary on Rap video draws a parallel between rap and
minstrelsy. It posits that both these forms rest on the performance of a caricature of
blackness. It also suggests that both rap and minstrelsy are damaging or at the very
least limiting, because they project a black identity for disproportionate consumption by
whites; elevating an archetype as “positive” because it is lapped up by white people, not
because it actually benefits communities of color. This argument is backed up with
pictures of young African-American boys modeling rap outfits and attitudes, attempting
to adhere to a limited and limiting image.

I mostly disagree with the idea that minstrelsy and rap (hip-hop) are exploitative or
negative in comparable ways. In the beginning, minstrelsy was an adaptation of a
euro-caucasian construct, made explicitly for and by white people (though later
reclaimed). Hip-hop is firmly rooted in Black culture and expresses a vast range of
attitudes, feelings and philosophies, providing an outlet for both individualism and
collective thought (1). While historically there are certain rap subgenres that promote a
single image (i.e. gangster rap), there are dozens of subgenres and hundreds of
different voices and experiences promoted through rap which, in my opinion, serve to
broaden - not narrow - the realm of possibility when it comes to black identity (2) (3).

Finally, the fact that a large percentage of rap consumers are white doesn’t tell the full
story, as white people are the majority in the US music market and minorities are in fact
over-represented when it comes to rap listeners, not under-represented (4). This is an
art form that, while subject to the same financial pressures and commercial pitfalls of any genre,
ultimately promotes many forms of blackness; many versions of black empowerment.

(1) Orfield, Elana. “Who Started Rap? A Brief Summary on the History of Rap and Hip-Hop.”
Four Over Four​, 7 Aug. 2018,
http://www.fouroverfour.jukely.com/culture/history-of-rap-hip-hop/.

(2) Bernsen, Eric. “5 Sub-Genres of Hip-Hop You Should Know the Difference Between.”
Sonicbids Blog - Music Career Advice and Gigs,​
http://blog.sonicbids.com/sub-genres-of-hip-hop-explained​.

(3) Brian Mooney. “Why I Dropped Everything And Started Teaching Kendrick Lamar's New
Album.” ​Brian Mooney​, 28 Apr. 2015,
https://bemoons.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/why-i-dropped-everything-and-started-teaching-ken
drick-lamars-new-album/.
(4) Montford, Christina. “When It Comes to Rap Music, Are White Boys Really Doing All the
Buying?” ​Atlanta Black Star,​ 7 Nov. 2014,
https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/11/06/really-listening/.