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ch-scene - Re: "Is Stephin Merritt a racist because he doesn't like hip-hop?"

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  • From: bendy <bendy AT duke.edu>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: "Is Stephin Merritt a racist because he doesn't like hip-hop?"
  • Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 12:11:43 -0400


Duncan Murrell wrote:
I won't generalize about these fans, but I will say (and I'm sure that anyone familiar with the history of jazz and the blues already knows this) that loving music made by black musicians does not inoculate against racism.

Right. This is an excellent point. You've put your finger on what's bothersome about some of the criticism tossed Merritt's way; the implied self-congratulation of white folks who do enjoy hip hop.

It's also kinda funny, 'cause gangsta rappers have shown such enthusiastic appreciation of gay men, you'd think Merritt would have the decency to listen to the music with an open mind.

If hip hop was ever really the black CNN, it seems to trailed off a long time ago. Lauren Hill seemed like a big faker to me, as does most other conscious-raising hip hop after PE. Gangster stuff seems to document reality about as well as John Wayne movies documented the origins of America. Ghostface releases an album called Fishscale and suddenly everyone is like *fishscale, it's really pure cocaine, man*, like they knew that all along.

If I were a gansta rapper, it would be fun to make stuff up: I got a rubber duckie tattooed on my shin, 'cuz when my homiez would rub someone out, we'd give the assassin a rubber duckie. Then I'd invest in neon-yellow tattoo ink.

- bendy




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