Has rap music become a minstrel show at this point?!
Question: Hi there, I rented a DVD called "The N Word" and they interviewed a music producer (forget his name right now) who said that rap music has becoming nothing more than a minstrel show at this point. And while he was showing that the producers put some vintage footage of black people from the 1920's and 1930's doing a minstrel show, you know, dancing, softshoe etc. And then next they cut in some generic rap video footage of big booties shaking, money being thrown around and guys in fur coats. And wow, did that ever hit me between the eyes, because...dammit he's right. Rap music used to be such a vital music, now it's such cookie-cutter garbage that all looks and sounds the same.
So I ask the general public...do you think rap music has become nothing more than a minstrel show at this point? And if your answer is no...could you back it up why you feel that way?
T
Answers: Hi there, I rented a DVD called "The N Word" and they interviewed a music producer (forget his name right now) who said that rap music has becoming nothing more than a minstrel show at this point. And while he was showing that the producers put some vintage footage of black people from the 1920's and 1930's doing a minstrel show, you know, dancing, softshoe etc. And then next they cut in some generic rap video footage of big booties shaking, money being thrown around and guys in fur coats. And wow, did that ever hit me between the eyes, because...dammit he's right. Rap music used to be such a vital music, now it's such cookie-cutter garbage that all looks and sounds the same.
So I ask the general public...do you think rap music has become nothing more than a minstrel show at this point? And if your answer is no...could you back it up why you feel that way?
T
Of course it has... that's why you don't have the quality you had in the '80s and '90s. Corporations have taken the place of young, creative entrepeneurs. Corporations are full of detached business men who think that the unthoughtful music of today is what young people want to hear, and the rappers coming up now have no sense of the craft of hip-hop. Alot of these guys mistake some of the innovative tactics of the forefathers to Gangsta Rap and turned it into an "ego show". And the money aspect makes these dude forget themselves, rush albums, and allows for talentless individuals to grab a mike or go make beats on Frooty Loops. No different that Steppin Fetchit or Amos and Andy.
i dont think so. not all rappers do the same thing at their shows.
YES...it's a minstrel show.
What rap song won a grammy? IT'S HARD OUT HERE FOR A PIMP.
What album is most talked about right now? AMERICAN GANGSTA
What are we selling to kids in our rap music nowadays?
black women are HOES, meant to be picked up at the club, or meant to cheat on their man with a thug.
black MEN must be thugs- jail is a right of passage-selling drugs is alright to get by(even though you are KILLING your own by doing so)
Somebody prove that wrong.
Rap always was and still is garbage for people with no musical taste.
for the most part in the mainstream yes but in the underground no.
I would say you missed the mark big time, and here's why:
Minstrel shows served many purposed. The main one was "entertainment", but the real purpose was essentially propaganda. First, the original minstrel shows were performed by white people in black face. All of the charicatures that they played were NEGATIVE. Not some. All. BLack people were portrayed as buffoons, child like, incapable of handling andy responsibility. In the end, many were 'killed' in various ways for comedy's sake... cooked, skinned alive, etc. The design was to show the general population (many of which may have never seen or interacted with a real black person) what black people were all about. Through this type of propaganda, the word could spread that black people were no better that kids and animals. All minstrel shows were about this. It was later that black people took those roles and lightened up the negative messages (a little bit).
The point being that ALL hip hop is not negative. And NONE of it is as disgusting and inaccurate as a minstrel show. There are positive artists with positive messages. There are hip hop artists that are worth '100 Million Dollars' literally. There are hip hop producers, engineers, executives that do good things every day.
So, no. Even though I see what you're trying to say, its not even close.
The source of messages sent in music videos (success being cars jewels and women) comes from the institution of slavery. But thats a whole 'nother convo.
EDIT
Absolutely- there are tons of negative messages out there. The line I draw is that there is just as much good stuff out there (whereas ther was no positive minstrel shows). The propblem is that MTV BET and VH1 give you what sells and not what is necessarily quality. 50 Cent brings in more viewers that Common. I would classify Flavor of Love I Love New York, etc as closer to a minstrel show before any music video. Nobody says music videos are reality. But the tv shows are supposed to be 'reality'
I never looked at it like that. That's a good way to describe it I'm sad to say.