Refuting the myth that Black American music/culture is "Europeanized".

[Bawon Samedi]

Never got the point in trying to connect everything AAs do back to W.Africa. Can we have our own unique and separate identity? The implications that everything we do somehow is inspired from that is a stretch. You have to take in account of 400 years of disconnect so the influence isnt even there

Even though I agree, this not what this thread is about.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

No because life doesn't work like that, especially in a place like America. In life everything comes from something else. It becomes unique once it has a variety of things that come together to make something new but, the base of each thing comes from something else. Its just how life works.

If anything I see it as a creative thing to have people combine all of these instruments, and styles, to constantly create new forms of music. Everyone knows AA created most of the styles that are popular, but it is important to know how those styles came to be, and from where. If not we already know others will try to take credit, and use it as a way to dis us.

And this is what I've been trying to say. Good post!

 

[HideoKojima]

Even though I agree, this not what this thread is about.

I understand, I did a "Find on this page" of how many times Africa was mentioned before I submitted my post because I knew someone would reply with that. If you was wondering, it was 80+ times

 

[Claudex]

As a west sub-saharan myself I have thought of AA music culture as somewhat westernized...but that was when I was a youngster who didn't know much about music history. From my personal experience; seeing African Americans from the outside is very different than seeing them from the inside, and probably vice-versa too. It takes a greater look at AA music culture to finally connect the dots really, and a lot of cac appropriation makes the lines really blurry especially if you're viewing AA music culture from the outside through mainstream lenses. Like @lotty wisely pointed out.

When you don't know the Robert Johnson's and Chuck Berry's then all you've got is the revisionist history that's spewed by cac media. I'm sure fellow Africans are inherently curious – at some point I was at least – about what happened to the culture knowledge of those who were taken across the ocean, questions arise, and the most readily available answers are given by revisionist history on BBC documentaries or what have you.

AA's are in the heart of a very different society however, so y'alls sound changes quite a lot which just makes spotting the similarities harder for the average person. Especially if they're not open-minded. One must have a very deep love for music to hear a hip-hop tune and wonder about the everlasting drum presence in it. But it takes a knowledgeable mind to hear hip-hop and think of talking drums...which were used to transmit messages. Now isn't that ironic/funny?

 

[Bawon Samedi]

I understand, I did a "Find on this page" of how many times Africa was mentioned before I submitted my post because I knew someone would reply with that. If you was wondering, it was 80+ times

Like Lotty said its important to know where the styles come from and if not someone will take credit for them. That's why Africa was mentioned multiple times. Not trying to BA culture is African, but proving its not westernized/Europeanized.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

Honestly I think @KidStranglehold made up am argument just to have a reason to make this thread

I kinda agree. I mean, every documentary ever made connects virtually ever genre of music to Black folks. I mean dudes like Robert Johnson, Sun House, and Charley Patton are worshipped by The Rolling Stones & Eric Clapton and only the dumbest people think Elvis or The Beatles invented rock or blues or soul music

Agreed. I heard this MANY times and on here by some Dominican posters(not trying to diss Dominicans) saying that they have more African elements in their culture than we do.

Heck go to Nairaland and then you'll really see what I'm talking about. IDK how people are thinking this is something new...

Ohhhh, okay. Im starting to see what you're sayin' here. It's c00n ass "we're not really Black" Caribbeans (surprise, surprise) who wanna give the White man credit for what we've done here in Amerikkka.

I honestly think this is a product of jealousy.
White Americans copy EVERYTHING African Americans. Create. This is a known fact.
Other Black people attempt to claim we have no culture out of cultural inferiority.
If we have and continue to influence and be innovative they have no excuse.

Exactly, these motherfukkers are rapping and trying to be Beyonce and Nikki Minaj in fukking Africa.

Everybody LOVES to shyt on Black folks in Amerikkka, but they're the same ones who dress like us, talk like us, wanna sing like us, rap like us, walk like us, play ball like us, fight for rights like us, etc. . .

Funny how people who have "no culture" can influence the world the way we do.

 

[Poitier]

I kinda agree. I mean, every documentary ever made connects virtually ever genre of music to Black folks. I mean dudes like Robert Johnson, Sun House, and Charley Patton are worshipped by The Rolling Stones & Eric Clapton and only the dumbest people think Elvis or The Beatles invented rock or blues or soul music



Ohhhh, okay. Im starting to see what you're sayin' here. It's c00n ass "we're not really Black" Caribbeans (surprise, surprise) who wanna give the White man credit for what we've done here in Amerikkka.



Exactly, these motherfukkers are rapping and trying to be Beyonce and Nikki Minaj in fukking Africa.

Everybody LOVES to shyt on Black folks in Amerikkka, but they're the same ones who dress like us, talk like us, wanna sing like us, rap like us, walk like us, play ball like us, fight for rights like us, etc. . .

Funny how people who have "no culture" can influence the world the way we do.

You see it too!!! Other Blacks trying to shyt on us but stealing our culture at the same time

 

[Bawon Samedi]

I kinda agree. I mean, every documentary ever made connects virtually ever genre of music to Black folks. I mean dudes like Robert Johnson, Sun House, and Charley Patton are worshipped by The Rolling Stones & Eric Clapton and only the dumbest people think Elvis or The Beatles invented rock or blues or soul music



Ohhhh, okay. Im starting to see what you're sayin' here. It's c00n ass "we're not really Black" Caribbeans (surprise, surprise) who wanna give the White man credit for what we've done here in Amerikkka.



Exactly, these motherfukkers are rapping and trying to be Beyonce and Nikki Minaj in fukking Africa.

Everybody LOVES to shyt on Black folks in Amerikkka, but they're the same ones who dress like us, talk like us, wanna sing like us, rap like us, walk like us, play ball like us, fight for rights like us, etc. . .

Funny how people who have "no culture" can influence the world the way we do.

Now you finally see what my thread was addressing.

 

[K.O.N.Y]

Never got the point in trying to connect everything AAs do back to W.Africa. Can we have our own unique and separate identity? The implications that everything we do somehow is inspired from that is a stretch. You have to take in account of 400 years of disconnect so the influence isnt even there

I agree completely

People take this "theres nothing new under the sun" thing a bit to far sometimes

 

[K.O.N.Y]

You see it too!!! Other Blacks trying to shyt on us but stealing our culture at the same time

This!

This site is teeming with them. And the reason why this thread wont do numbers.

nikkas from Canada talking about black issues(read American black issues) on a first hand account

 

[Elle Driver]

I honestly think this is a product of jealousy.
White Americans copy EVERYTHING African Americans. Create. This is a known fact.
Other Black people attempt to claim we have no culture out of cultural inferiority.
If we have and continue to influence and be innovative they have no excuse.

See that's what I've heard from other Africans, that AAs have no culture as a talking point. Or we're uncultured (which they have derogatory terms for in their languages). But at the end of the day, we're the trend setters. It's all delusion, because the world know what it really is.

 

[jwinfield]

This is the first time I'm hearing this myth. Like wtf? Black American music culture is African! Who in the hell would think we got our music culture from white folks?

Azaelia Banks

Like black American culture is ESSENTIALLY some adapted version of British culture, Because American culture is b*stardized English culture

So white people reappopriating black culture isn't really reappopriating... When black culture is already appropriated white culture ..

But she deleted those tweets though. Also deleted

Black people love making fun of other races but say racism when people make fun of us... Becoming an adult is interesting

Everyone throws shade but no one can take.

Like black American culture is ESSENTIALLY some adapted version of British culture, Because American culture is b*stardized English culture

So white people reappopriating black culture isn't really reappopriating... When black culture is already appropriated white culture ..

All the black Americans who are angered by my tweet are now typing in ENGLISH....

@thetrudz@NatashaTheory black people are too addicted to that story. WE KNOW THIS. . It's time for a new dialogue.

@thetrudz@NatashaTheory shyt, blame me for not wanting to talk about the same tired ass, woe is me black American shyt.. IT'S OLD

@NatashaTheory@thetrudz ok but do u see this circle were going in right now? Why are black people still so obsessed with having their stru-

@NatashaTheory@thetrudz struggle remembered and rehashed like as if we need some kind of fukking medal for being oppressed ??

@NatashaTheory@thetrudz lots of people have been enslaved throughout the course of history. THAT'S HUMANITY

@NatashaTheory@thetrudz the African American struggle is really not a special one in the big picture. IN THE HUMAN PICTURE

 

[Bawon Samedi]

See that's what I've heard from other Africans, that AAs have no culture as a talking point. Or we're uncultured (which they have derogatory terms for in their languages). But at the end of the day, we're the trend setters. It's all delusion, because the world know what it really is.

And yet people on here are seriously trying to say, "Where are you getting this from, I never heard about this???"

 

[Elle Driver]

Azaelia Banks



But she deleted those tweets though. Also deleted

Azealia Banks is Trini. Isn't that interesting? She feels she can speak on black American culture when she isn't even apart of it lol. And then talks down on it and flip flops. She's a fukkin moron. And she's an example of what OP was talking about.

 

[Barnett114]

This!

This site is teeming with them. And the reason why this thread wont do numbers.

nikkas from Canada talking about black issues(read American black issues) on a first hand account

Nigggas like Emperor_ReinScarf?