Open Letter to the Artists, Music Industry, and Fans
As I began my daily ritual of curating a playlist of music for me to blast during my daily shower, I realized there was a problem. Because of the latest Black lives that have been stolen from us at the hands of the police, I found myself at a loss for what music I should play. The deafening silence from the artists, record labels, and fans within the Hip-Hop genre, during this time of protest against the exploitation of Black people, is unacceptable. The silence is especially troubling because one would assume that the many people who make money off of the telling of experiences that I, a Black man in America can relate to, would be able to relate to the horror any Black person faces in an interaction with law enforcement. Because of this, I think it is simply necessary to address the silence of Hip-Hop artists, record label executives, and fans.
To Artists:
As Black people, we all have a responsibility to look out for each other, simply because at the end of the day, the only people who are going to look out for Black people are Black people. With this being established, you cannot buy yourself out of your Blackness. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many platinum records you sell at the end of the day, you are still a Black person who has to face the same obstacles as every other Black person. While your elevated economic status is clear and may buy you into a level of comfort that isn’t accessible to every Black person, it isn’t an excuse to look the other way when your Black sisters and brothers are being murdered. With this premise being established, it is appalling to see the manner in which successful artists seem to be indifferent towards the current struggles of the Black community knowing well enough that their success is rooted in Black culture. With this, I’d also like to point out the fact that you didn't get to where you currently are without the Black community’s support throughout your career. Hip-Hop culture is Black culture. Let’s not forget where the seeds of your good fortune have come from.
To the music industry:
First of all, stop using the word urban in referring to genres that are mostly populated by Black artists. In short, it’s racist, plain, and simple. For a short history lesson, over time as the use of the N-word to describe Black people has become less accepted, the N-word has been replaced with numerous “synonyms” such as urban and thug. Grammy winner, Tyler, the Creator has gone on record against the use of the word “urban” in music spaces saying, "and I don't like that 'urban' word, it's just a politically correct way to say the n-word, to me.” If you somehow still need convincing (you really shouldn’t) then I’ll refer you to an article I wrote to further breakdown why “urban” should be banned in music circles. Moving on, the music industry’s injustice towards Black artists doesn’t just stop at the racist use of the word “urban.” The music industry also has been known to play both sides, profiting off the backs of Black artists and fans, while conveniently going silent when it’s time to stand up for the rights of Black people, case in point: Blackout Tuesday. While the idea of a Blackout Tuesday hashtag was cute, small moments of “solidarity” without doing the work to ensure a better future for Black professionals in your industry is bullshit. What are you doing behind the scenes, when you’re not using Black stereotypes to appropriate Black culture and steal from your artists? How are you actively changing the culture of music consumption from an art form with a history of downgrading music made by Black artists, calling them “race records” to an art form where Black people can thrive in any genre? One metric to track progress in any industry is to count the number of Black people in leadership positions. For the purposes of this article, I examined BillBoard’s Power List for 2020 where according to my math only 8% of the people who made the list are Black. That number is simply too low, and there’s no excuse. The industry must do better.
To Fans:
YOU CANNOT CLAIM TO LOVE BLACK CULTURE IF YOU DO NOT LOVE BLACK PEOPLE. Over the course of this century, we have seen Hip-Hop become the number one genre in the country off the backs of countless Black artists who have consistently challenged the status quo. Through this, Black artists have accrued millions of fans who will literally do whatever their favorite artists ask of them. This being said, how can you feel connected to Black artists without a care about the people who look like your favorite artists? To be a fan of Hip-Hop means to be a fan of Black culture and to be a fan of Black culture means you should be a fan of Black people. With this, being a fan of Black culture also means recognizing your place or lack thereof in Black culture. It is every Hip-Hop fan’s responsibility to do their due diligence in researching Black culture and through that research, fans should assume the roles that best fit them. To extend this point a bit farther, the use of the N-word by people who aren’t Black but claim to love Black culture is an oxymoron because if you loved and studied Black culture you would understand why it’s not your place to be using the word. If my previous point doesn’t click for you, maybe it’s time for you to examine your attitudes towards Black culture and Black people. The problem of your shallow appreciation for Black culture is something that needs to be thoroughly examined and changed. Black people weren’t put on earth for the sole purpose of entertainment, we are human beings with emotions and goals that don’t have to align with entertainment, and I shouldn’t have to write this for you to get it.
Small events of progress have started to take shape, but we still have a lot of work to do. Republic records and the Grammys have agreed to stop the use of the word ‘urban’ in their circles and more artists are starting to use their platforms to speak out against the injustices Black people face. While these added reforms and voices are a start, we as a community must avoid complacency in favor of staying attentive. For Black people and Black culture to get reparations for all the money and credit that has been stolen from us, we as fans, artists, and industry personnel must commit to applying pressure until all previously silenced voices are heard along with all necessary reforms are implemented.
