RACE MUSIC
I read this thought-provoking piece in Rolling Stone, "Separate and Unequal: How Pop Music Holds Black Artists Back," by Elias Leight. In the article, Leight really highlights how the terms "Pop Music" & "Urban Music" are not really used to categorize music but instead to SEGEGRATE Black artists from white artists. White artists are automatically put in this "Pop Machine," which allows them to take advantage of major radio push and larger marketing budgets. While most Black artists have to start in the "Urban Machine," which means only being pushed to Black listeners, and then fight to crossover to Pop audiences. This obviously puts Black artists at a disadvantage. Leight used artists Megan Thee Stallion and blackbear as a great example of how this longstanding practice worked in 2019. He wrote,
"Megan Thee Stallion invented the “Hot Girl Summer” meme and released an accompanying single, which was an “urban” radio hit. The white singer blackbear grabbed the concept for his own “Hot Girl Bummer,” which was played heavily on pop radio. Since that format reaches many more listeners — 93 million impressions last week on the “pop” Number One, compared to 36 million for the “urban” Number One — “Hot Girl Bummer” has nearly 160 million more streams in the U.S. than “Hot Girl Summer.”
Last week I tweeted, "Dropping the word "urban," but keeping the same behavior is doing nothing." I'm
curious as to what happens to Black artists once the term "urban" is removed. Will they be welcomed into the "Pop Machine" and get that big push and the massive marketing budgets like their white counterparts? If not, then fck it.
In the article, Leight claims in 2020, only a few Black artists like Rihanna, Jason Derulo, and The Weeknd get what is described as an "honorary pop pass." Artists like Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and Travis Scott "still have to go through the process of crossing over." So established Black superstars have to work twice as hard as a white artist who has a buzz. I'm sure this works similarly for these new "Afro-Latinos."I bet Latinos don't have to wait as long as Black artists to be pushed out to the pop audiences.
POP STARS TO FANS, N*GGERS TO MUSIC INDUSTRY
We have always known that white artists who mimic Black artists and their sounds get put on a pedestal. But having this article shed light on what it's like behind the scenes, really should change people's views on Black artists who "crossover." Often times, Black artists who "crossover" or "go pop" are considered "sellouts." Are these artists selling out or just trying to get on a level playing field with their white peers.
Two of the biggest crossover rap artists, Nicki Minaj and Drake, have touched on some of these behind the scenes issues in the past.
In 2017, Nicki Minaj was branded a racist because she highlighted how white the iTunes Hip Hop Charts looked. Nicki's caption read, "It's a great time to be a white rapper in America, huh?" Nicki ended up deleting her post after some backlash. However, she did make a more revealing follow-up post. She told fans/haters, "I work in the music business. Therefore, I post on new developments in the music industry." Was Nicki Minaj hinting about the behind the scenes bullsh*t when it comes to the treatment of WHITE RAPPERS VS BLACK RAPPERS?
I doubt Nicki's labelmate Post Malone, who was labeled a rapper in 2017, was going through the "Urban Machine." While Nicki Minaj, who is considered a rapper/Pop Star, probably still has to start off "urban" and then fight to crossover.
Also, in 2017, in an interview with DJ Semtex, Drake expressed his frustrations with award shows like the Grammys. He was disheartened by always being put in rap categories, even though he writes pop music. Drake said that he never gets his credit and feels "alienated" by award shows and like they are "pacifying" him by handing him rap awards. I definitely agree that Drake should not be nominated in rap categories.
WHAT'S NEXT?
It's going to be interesting to see how the music industry deals with how they handicap Black artists. Republic Records was the first label to announce they will no longer use the term "urban," but no word on "pop." That is the label of Drake, Nicki, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, etc.
What do y'all think the solution is?
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@Latanya, the music climate now is perfect for old Nicki. I feel because she was a Black artist, she was punished for not fitting neatly in one box. She could have won more awards if she wasn't pigeonholed into "rap" categories when really she was having major pop success.
Now, that music is more genre-less , that should help more Black artists of today.
I never got the whole labeling artists as sellouts. Now if their white counterparts can come into their category and make hits and win awards over them then why can’t they do the same. Am still lost as to where people are going with removing the term “urban” I would have to look into it more. I ask myself if this is just a way to get away with the bullshit more easier than they already do or are they trying to make room for these same black artists to come on a more substantial level. Rihanna was a perfect example to use honestly, she seems to be welcomed so easily into any rap, r&b and pop category. But Nicki…
@Erica, that is what I was wondering. I like their being categories for people who do the same type of music and then an overall category. But, from what the article was saying the music industry uses the terms to segregate, not really categorize music like us fans do. So for awards they will just be called "hip hop" and R&B, like always. But, internally labels won't use it.
If they don't get rid of pop AKA white, then there is no reason to care.
This was definitely well written. Nothing in that article is new to me as far as black artist having a hard time crossing over and even when they do they still have to prove themselves.
I was wondering with the removal of the word Urban, is that actually a great thing? I mean it is great in terms of not putting all black artist in it especially ones who make pop music or the song is leaning more to that than an “urban” sound. But with this removal, would black artist be rigged from winning awards to less undeserving people aka their mediocre white counterparts. I hope you understand what I’m trying to get at.