It can be said that during the 1950’s and 1960’s rock and roll music became a key medium of expressing black pride ideologies and brought a sense of racial unity. Body Rock and roll brought a sense of racial unity during the 1950’s and the 1960’s for a number of reasons. First off, it was accepted by both black and white audiences. Performers of rock and roll music communicated black philosophy and promoted black pride. Such performers could be seen in Afro hairstyles which demonstrated their pride in being truly black and their lyrics promoted black unity.
Web. 18 Feb. 2013. This source accurately answers my question of how stereotypes make African Americans look in society. This source is valid because it is contains various stereotypes of African American males that are global. The stereotypes presented here against this specific race of men have existed throughout society for continuous ages.
Rap is not the only musical style used by African American’s in music and rap also has taken bits and pieces from other musical styles and also influenced the other styles of music. The other styles that they get their influences from are R&B, funk, reggae, soul, techno, pop, and house and with the mixing of all the styles it has allowed hip hop and rap to become more wide
Rapping came from a long list of artists starting from Afrika Bambaataa “the Godfather” and Clive Campbell “DJ Kool Herc” to Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. “Lil Wayne.” Yet these hip hop artists are affecting the way people perceive African Americans as a “lower class group of people” in many ways. From the music they sing to the way that they dress and political influence, more people are looking over African Americans and finding another missing link to success. More African Americans are missing opportunities to succeed in life, because of what rappers sing, and majority of it is degrading to African Americans by heavily focusing on sex and abusive behaviors. These kind of stereotypes the African American group as being a lower than Caucasians. Lil Wayne is the best musician in our era, but his music shows no respect and consistency for young girls, including other rappers as well.
For example, rap lyrics[4] repeatedly chant about “hoes,” “bitches,” “niggas,” “pimps,” “playaz,” “blunts,” “gangstas,” ad infintium, and continue to perpetuate black role models who epitomize these negative stereotypes of black men. Music videos continue to propagate the so-called animalistic nature of black male sexuality and black men’s inherent criminality through “gangsta” and “Pimp” characters. One may argue that the artists are in control of their image and lyrics, this too is a myth. Ultimately
Herschel Dixon Jr. English 102-3 Dr. Collier 04 April 2012 BLACK VS. BLACK Black–on–Black violence has emerged as the most substantial social problem threatening the existence and value of life among blacks since slavery. It has developed to be a major problem towards the African-American community today. Authors such as Langston Hughes, Jay-Z, and Malcolm X are all very well known amongst blacks. They all have different views and impacts on the dilemma we face when looking to resolve the issue of black-on-black crime in America. Langston Hughes is one of the most well-known black poets in history; he stands as a positive symbol for the black community.
The Panthers were first organized in Oakland, Ca. Taking up Malcolm X’s call for local community development through self-organized schools and community centers; they also pledged to protect themselves with weapons. “The 1960s Black Power Movement that portrayed young Blacks with Afros, a dread attitude and eccentric African garb is still tightly woven into the American consciousness as a movement” (As cited in Murray, 2007). If Black power proved unsuccessful either as a political or economic strategy, it did much to inspire another cultural renaissance among African-Americans. Poets like Leroi Jones and Nikki Giovanni employed the aggressive spirit of Black power in their poetry, while Toni Morrison began to explore the difficult issues of racial self-identity.
Both of these artists would not make nearly as much money or be nearly as famous if they did not fit the “ghetto chic.” These movies only furthered portrayed the idea that the ghetto makes one black. This is what entertains people or makes rappers legitimate. Another point I want to make is that the media outlet showing these films is BET. Just as Hutchinson states, it is not merely whites that portray the idea of the ghetto onto blacks but also blacks themselves that further this idea of
DuBois and Democracy Matters by Cornel West, draw strong comparisons as well as many differences into the way black culture has influenced the shaping of America. Before understanding the point of view from each of the authors, it is important to know how they came to be and what their backgrounds are. Cornel West, is what we would call “A Jack of
Critical Analysis of: Caucasian Please! America’s Cultural Double Standard for Misogyny and Racism In reviewing the essay, “Caucasian Please! America’s Cultural Double Standard for Misogyny and Racism,” Edward Rhymes essay poses the question: Are gangsta and hardcore rap a product of a predominantly historic white society that has demeaned women and popularized violence for centuries, or, are lifestyles of young black men influenced and shaped by the misogynistic, sexual, and violent lyrics of popular gangsta and hardcore rap music? Rhymes is clearly in agreement with the first statement, using examples from varied types of media and exposing factors to support his theory. Before readers can even make any assumptions on the essay, Rhymes displays his direct and aggressive style stating, “I will not be addressing the whole of hip-hop and rap, but rather hardcore and gangsta rap.” From the first sentence, readers know the essay will not be a piece with hidden meanings and explanations, but will be straight to the point, and as serious as the subject matter it pertains to.