How did African Americans become the "coolest" race in the world?
- Thread starter BrothaZay
- Start date
mbewane
Knicks: 93 til infinity
Indeed AAs music (since that's what we're really talking about in this thread) has benefited from US corporations and the general economic attractivity the US presents. That's why countless South Americans and Caribeans immigrated to the US and brought their culture with them, same with people from other continents. So in turn those elements are incoporated into "AA" music, so indeed it is obviously more relatable for those who stayed in those countries for example. But the reason it happened is because those people were attracted by the US market, and/or AA artists had means to access music (Madlib, Timbo, Dre for example) from outside the US and use it. That's a direct consequence of the US being the world first economic power, and of AAs being Americans.
Music is an industry, so as I said with the backing of US corporations it's quite easy to understand why AA music would be huge worldwide, plus the use of english. It's easier for an Italian or a Nigerian to have access to mediocre Lil something mixtapes than it is to have access to a quality album from Portugal, for example. I think some brehs underestimate the role of the US economical power and overall influence in the world. While for example Micheal Jackson would've been huge regardless because of his talent (same as for example Bob Marley, who indeed had to use the UK and the US market to explode, and had the advantage of singing in english), I think some other US stars (AA or not) benefit from that "natural" stimulus package which comes from being from the US. Same with Hollywood, to take a non AA-dominated sector.
The AA influence worldwide is huge, but it's not everything tho : it's still mostly limited to other Blacks (and def not all of them) and to some White people who are "down". After the big names like 2pac, Beyoncé or Kanye, the influence is much less important. People might LISTEN to a lot of AA music, but that's where the "influence" stops. So yeah a random white French guy will know Beyoncé, Drake and YT, but he will still dress/talk/live like any other random white French guy. Might just throw a dab out of nowhere here and there lol. In Europe Tv Shows/Hollywood have more influence than AA music nowadays imo. It had more influence in the 80s and 90s I think, even though it's ironically much more mainstream now, go figure. AA music is close to that rock/pop area now, in the sense that it's not much more than music, no longer a "culture". Most people listen to Drake like they listen to Lady Gaga. Where I do see a rising influence is in the arts, graffiti/street art is HUGE in Europe now and in dance, where breakdance is now routinely integrated in "mainstream" shows. Ironically, those are two aspects of HH that seem to have been all but abandonned by HH, from what I can see from afar.
Indeed no African country will have such a cultural run, until said country has the internal market, economic attractivity, cultural industry to back artists and linguistical reach as the US. No one's going to be a worldwide star speaking Bambara, Wolof or Lingala. But if you know anyone from francophone Africa for example, I'm pretty sure they will tell you that music from DRC and Côte-d'Ivoire have at least as much influence in their country as AA music. HH is on the rise there, but it's still not bigger than local forms of music. I have a friend who had some DJ gigs when living in Dakar and he's the typical influenced by AA music breh, but when he got there most people were telling him to put Senegalese, Congolese, Ivorian music or stuff from Cabo-Verde.
Having generational wealth is much cooler than being on fukking BET. 
BlackManLiveFromLondon
New God
I didn't click on your profile.. I saw the shytholes you were reppin since your name appears right next to the shytposts you make :smirkcry:
Im just saying you're sending shots at African conditions but you rep shytholes. :smirkcry: How are you a grown man reppin places that don't claim you :smirkcry:
Clown :smirkcry:
This argument might be applicable to rap but does not hold for Gospel, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Disco, Funk/Soul or Rnb. No such immigrant waves can be attributed to the variety of sounds in those genres at the time of their peak or creation
We live in the information age where Chief Keef can find a beat from an obscure Eastern European techno producer for "Citgo". I don't buy this.
British Rock, French House, Eastern European techno.....are you serious?
when he got there most people were telling him to put Senegalese, Congolese, Ivorian music or stuff from Cabo-Verde.
YOU brought up the African music thats gaining steam globally. The more traditional music is not making way globally.
mbewane
Knicks: 93 til infinity
Was answering to your claim of integrating other musics into AA music. The genres you are talking about here are on the backseat nowadays to HH.
You're overlooking the most important point of what I'm saying : the economical power of the US and US corporations. It's telling you use Chief Keef as an example, who has little to no talent but is indeed known by obscure Eastern European techno producers. That's EXACTLY what I'm saying : the fact he's American means he's known and why it's the Eastern Euro who's seeking him out instead of the opposite. That Eastern Euro dude is looking for a bigger market, and the US is that bigger market, even though there may be more talented MCs in his own country. But no one dreams of being big in Slovakia or Hungary, people want to big on the bigger scene : the US. So whoever is in that bigger market (in this case, Chief Keef) automatically is more "interesting", regardless of his actual talent.
I don't know about those other genres you're talking about, but French house is not really a thing over here anymore. I was referring to influence in life/outside of music, and I didn't deny it was big. What I did say is that it's pop/rock area now : you listen to AA music (mostly, if not exclusively HH) like any other rock/pop music, totally loose of any "AA culture". HH is very influential in the beats/electronic scene, true, but that's a particular circle that is somewhat restricted still. What I'm saying is that listening to the music now doesn't "mean" anything about what that person believes in/lives/appreciates etc...as opposed to what it meant back in the 90s. That's where I put a limit on "influence".
And yes, the economical power aspect also explains in part (obviously, not totally) why African music (modern or traditional) is not making ways internationnaly : no US-type market at home, not all use English, none have US corporations backing them. At the global level, you could consider that US music (including AA) is "the mainstream", and the rest is "underground". Now if you consider that everything mainstream is better than what's in the underground just because it's mainstream, that's a point of view I don't share, but you're entitled to think that. There are other macro mechanisms that come into play and that can be brought into the discussion, imo.
151_Pr00f
All Star
Im hearing this invented this and that in regards to musical artforms started by Afram's...
So we gone pretend that wasnt influenced by European traditions also
but yall got it
So we gone pretend that wasnt influenced by European traditions also
but yall got it
Keef found the producer...not the other way around. Not sure why you made that assumption.
this is the type of argument white supremacist have used for years to claim minorities culture "for everyone" as a roundabout around its creators and to minimize its impact/
i mean the bulk of this is untrue How Afrobeats Became The Next Big Thing In Pop Music
Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddamn!
mbewane
Knicks: 93 til infinity
My bad, I stand corrected for the first point. Generally it works the other way around, I know lots of French producers are sending out tracks to American artists to blow up there.
2nd point has absolutely nothing to do with what I said. Actually it's exactly the opposite of what I'm saying.
The link you posted talks about how RCA records is promoting that young breh, with US artists, right in the first paragraph. That's exactly my point.
Indiglow Meta (R$G)
Ultra.
You just said record labels are not throwing big money behind African artist (lie) and that English is a barrier (lie).
Indiglow Meta (R$G)
Ultra.
Most of the french producers are making trap beats...how do I know? I fukks w/ this dude Labo out there...he's a beast.
mbewane
Knicks: 93 til infinity
Breh, if you misread what I say there's no use going on. I was talking about having access to US corporations, which most African artists do not have. This breh got his break by RCA getting behind him, but there's no local industry in Nigeria that can do the same to the countless others who are def out there. Which is my point (there is no sufficent local market and local corporations to promote cultural products abroad, like US corporations can).
And at the very end of the first paragraph it says breh sings in English.