What does Black Culture really mean?

If your a fan of Music or the entertainment culture then you’ve probably come across Complex’s New Show ‘Everyday struggle‘ Hosted by Joe Budden,  DJ Akademiks and Nadeska Alexis. I fuck with the show especially because they get artists that actually have substance to sit down on the show and discuss what’s going on in the music industry. The show gives me hope that there are some intelligent individuals from my generation that are not submerged in the projection of the entertainment industry and that they understand that everything we see is put in it’s place for a reason. SO WE CAN BUY SHIT.

On one of the most recent Episodes the guys sat down with  Rapper Vince Staples . A rapper that is known for his ‘Fuck the numbers’ attitude that let’s his intellectual & eclectic music speak volumes above the jargon of the music industry. His sound is futuristic Hip Hop but still has an old school vibe that resonates with music heads that appreciate authenticity within sound waves.

A question that Vince asked on the show got me thinking about what Black Culture really means and if the ideology of Black culture has been manipulated over time for the purpose of profit. The definition of Culture is the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society. If we look at music in today’s current climate BLACK CULTURE IS DOMINATING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Whether that’s Katy Perry getting Migos and Skip Marley to jump on her singles , or Liam Payne from ONE DIRECTION , YES ONE DIRECTION getting Quavo to jump on his latest single Strip that down (Not even trying to promote this music but I have to for the purpose of this article).

Can only Black people Make Black or “Urban” Music?

We’ve all seen the Trilogy of Miley Cyrus , and the Dread locks ‘phase’ of Justin Bieber but when did we value profit over Art, or has it always been this way? I get that jumping on a Katy Perry track means a healthy cheque for Migos but why is it acceptable for Pop Acts to feature a Black Act on a song to make it popping all for the sake of profit. Is it the pressure from the label? Or is it the artist wanting to be relevant within the most celebrated segment in music.  Some could argue that you don’t have to be black to make Black or “urban” music and this is also true.

It’s a weird juxtaposition of the world accepting and promoting black music but not accepting the fight and efforts we have made to become the most celebrated genre in modern music and within entertainment.

Why can black culture be adopted for the purpose of entertainment by the Caucasian demographic but they do not have to deal with the  negative backlash that can be associated with Genres such as Hip Hop. These collaborations are a business move but it is argued that music is an Art Form , so why can music be compromised ? Why can profit be measured more importantly over the Art medium.

The mere fact is not many people care about the quality in music nowadays. It is a generation that gravitates towards a catchy hook and a thrifty melody. The standards of music has changed because of the control that new artists can gain before being noticed by major labels. The audience control whats hot in music now it’s no longer the labels or the radio stations.

“Black culture is the epitome of the creativity within modern culture”

Black culture is the epitome of the creativity within modern culture. Whether it is our music, fashion or hair styles black traditions has been commercialised and watered down for the sake of profit globally. Many of the current trends derives from black heritage and are falsely accounted for by popular culture. They either directly take our traditions or modify these traditions and adopt them becoming a mass trend. For example Cornrows, or for a more complex example “does my bum look big in this?” this saying did not come from black women. Black women have always celebrated being curvy and having assets such as a “fat ass”. Celebrities such as the Kardashians have helped to create a generation of women who are now obsessed with having a big bum. It’s no coincidence that 95% of the Kardashian women are dating black men.

Black people dominate in industries such as music , sport and entertainment. In areas where we do not dominate our traditions play a major role in the success e.g Fashion.  Although Black culture is adopted by nearly every avenue in the world we do not reap  the benefits and this is where black people have to integrate in developing businesses and investing back into the community so we can take control over our culture.

Be sure to check out the Vince Staples Episode of Everyday struggle and defiantly take the time to Listen to his new album Big Fish Theory, it’s wavyy.