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How do you feel about white people who are into hip-hop/rap music?

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Sunster

Member
question for white people: when listening and feeling a track you like and you're singing along out loud do you say nigga when you're alone or what?

I never sing along to anything because my singing voice is horrifying. I lip sync and just don't mouth that word.
 

Hesh

Member
OP, you're thinking far too deeply into a surface level problem of you and your friends not sharing an interest. Listen to all of the rap and hip-hop that your heart desires. If it ever comes to the wacky conflict point of your friends giving you an ultimatum of either ceasing to listen to the music you enjoy or else you'll no longer be friends, then we'll talk.
 

televator

Member
I'm a Mexican in the US who listens to rock and some metal. It's funny and a little strange seeing people react like I have no business listening to it. Come out of my car blasting some old Manson track... it doesn't help that I look generally reserved and uptight if you don't know me. No tattoos, no bold haircut, nothing. lol

"I thought you liked rap." Now why would you think that?

My mom lost her fucking shit when she found out what I was listening to as a teen. Looking back at it, it was stupid as hell cause the Latin pop stuff she listens to is probably more lewd and hedonistic than anything I enjoy.

Listen to what you like.
 

HiiiLife

Member
Hip hop has been the best and most influential genre I've listened to in my life. Love it and love the culture. I've tried dedicating the time towards other genres like I did rap but it never stuck outside a few albums.
 

120v

Member
i find it weird you require "understanding and appreciating the struggle" for being into an entire genre
 
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I'm super white and I've always felt a little awkward about liking hip-hop and rap as much as I do.

My predominantly white friend group finds it strange that I like these genres so much, considering I usually can't relate to the subject matter at all (inner city struggles, black oppression, gang violence, etc.)

I was inspired to make this thread when I remembered this lyric I heard a few days ago when I was listening to the Vince Staples track "Lift Me Up":



In recent years hip-hop and rap have become incredibly popular among white people, so it was kind of inevitable that these artists' concerts would end up with massive swaths of them in the audience. Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of white people think that being avid listeners of a black artist's music means they (at least somewhat) understand what it's like to be black based on their intimate knowledge of said artist's lyrics.

My position is as follows: there's nothing wrong with listening to and enjoying hip-hop and rap as a white person, as long as you recognize that doing so does not enable you to properly relate to black people and the discrimination they face every day in an unfortunately large number of the countries on this planet.

Obviously I'm biased since I'm super into these genres (to the point where I honestly don't know what I would listen to if I suddenly decided that they were off-limits for me) but I think that's a pretty reasonable stance to take.

What are your thoughts?

(I recognize that this is a total white person problem for me to have, wondering if it's okay for me to listen to certain racially charged genres of music)


Don't overthink it. If Vince Staples is uncomfortable with something that is his problem. That's not your problem.

Most of music you cannot relate to. Listen to MGMT? If so, can you relate to doing LSD and other various drugs? I sure as hell can't, but I love OS and parts of Congratulations. Might as well cross out most of music if you've never been drunk, high, snorted, etc.


Ever think about killing someone, maybe with a noose and then letting their bones bleach on the sand? Better not be listening to Beck if you haven't, because I sure can't relate to that.

Can you relate to Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks? Hopefully not.

One album that I've really enjoyed over the last few years is Gambino's Camp. Sure, it gets criticized for things that make people uncomfortable, or that people find crass on a level that somehow other music doesn't make it to, and some don't like his style, but I love the overall story of the album. I relate to far more in "Hold It Down" than I do in most songs. You have a story about a kid who was uncool, got called a faggot, had aspirations to be a cool kid, but he didn't fit in with the crowd, and at some point in time found some sort of courage and aspiration to make what he wanted out of life. I relate to all of that. That is my life. I can't relate to what it's like being black, but I sure can appreciate the amazing line of "wasn't really black because I had a dad" followed by one of my favorite dramatic pauses in music, and more interestingly, only weak indication of what race this kid was.

Is there stuff in the song that I don't get at all? Yes. Particularly these lines
"White kids get to wear whatever hat they want
When it comes to black kids one size fits all"

I've never understood if this is in actual relation to clothes style, as indicated with the Tommy Hill earlier in the song, personality, or if this is about aspirations, or all three. Either way, I find those lines sloppy and inaccurate.
And hats don't fit me, therefore I can't wear one. :)
 

leakey

Member
I'm white af and grew up listening to rap after being exposed to it from my older brother. My friend group was bout half black then and nobody seemed to mind, got poked fun at by a few folks thinking I was trying to be black, but that's prolly a typical experience. Grew up in a small town that's half white, half black, and little else. Had people that agreed with my taste in music and others who didn't. I mean, everyone is free to listen to whatever music jives with them. Rap, country, metal, jazz, classical, w/e. You do you.
 

hughesta

Banned
as a white person who loves rap and doesn't care for Eminem I find it impossible to relate to anybody on the planet and thus I haven't left my home in two months
 

MC_Hify

Member
White guilt takes another leap forward on neogaf. You feel too guilty to even enjoy hip-hop? I swear to god this place is like an undergrad dorm sometimes. The Coup is awesome btw. Want some anti-white hip-hop? Try "Theives in the Night" by Black Star.
 

GatorBait

Member
It actually feels more racist that your friends think it's weird that you like hip hop. Most media you won't be able to relate to, but I'm sure you and those same friends enjoys books, movies, and other music where that applies. The subtext of your friends feels more like, 'It's weird that you like "black music."'

question for white people: when listening and feeling a track you like and you're singing along out loud do you say nigga when you're alone or what?
Yes. Saying "nigga" when I'm alone and quoting/singing a song doesn't magically turn me into a racist as if the word is some unspoken incantation.

If I'm with company, I'm abstaining from saying it unless I'm with a very select group of people who I'm very close with who also listen to hip hop and understand the nuance and distinction in quoting the word versus using it unilaterally in speech. Hell, I won't even play any hip hop in front of a lot of company because of the vulgar and potentially offensive language.
 
No ones cares OP. Music is music. I'm black and I listen to rock quite a bit.

I've been to many Hip Hop concerts and the vast majority of attendants are usually white.
 

STI

Member
"Im white, I can't listen to rap"

lol its like saying rap is black exclusive. what should white people listen to then? country?

get this racist shit outta here
 

temp

posting on contract only
These kinds of threads always draw out a lot of people who think racism applies equally to white people and black people.
 

kikiribu

Member
I'm a Mexican in the US who listens to rock and some metal. It's funny and a little strange seeing people react like I have no business listening to it. Come out of my car blasting some old Manson track... it doesn't help that I look generally reserved and uptight if you don't know me. No tattoos, no bold haircut, nothing. lol

"I thought you liked rap." Now why would you think that?

My mom lost her fucking shit when she found out what I was listening to as a teen. Looking back at it, it was stupid as hell cause the Latin pop stuff she listens to is probably more lewd and hedonistic than anything I enjoy.

Listen to what you like.
Rock/metal is for damaged people. Don't you dare go listening to that evil stuff, no no no, especially if you're Latino since everyone's gonna have even more reason to think we're into brujeria whenever we decide to wear anything black and listen to metal at the same time. Dios te ama!
 

MC_Hify

Member
Rock/metal is for damaged people. Don't you dare go listening to that evil stuff, no no no, especially if you're Latino since everyone's gonna have even more reason to think we're into brujeria whenever we decide to wear anything black and listen to metal at the same time. Dios te ama!

Despacito
 

norinrad

Member
Same way I feel about all music, it doesn't matter to me. Music can be good and it can be bad, I do not attach skin color to it.
 

Luminaire

Member
I think Slayer is speed metal.
Slayer is thrash generally.

Also yes lots of black peoples listen to death metal. They also play it. All types of people listen to all types of music and create all types of music. Metal is more diverse than people think!
 

Enzom21

Member
Like with anyone who isn't black and listens to hip-hop/rap, as long as they don't say nigga, it's all good.

White people that like the art? Fantastic. Welcome home.

As long gone as folks don't gentrify it by forgetting where it came from.

Like with Jazz, Rock n Roll and RnB it's only a matter of time.
Although, with the demographics of the country changing, it might not.

Whaaaa? Really?


https://www.spin.com/2017/05/miley-cyrus-billboard-interview-kendrick-lamar/
 
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