In a world so full of music, the constant exposure to the work of artists worldwide leaves us desensitized to the abundance of culture which we mindlessly consume daily. Whether intentionally or otherwise, much of the music we hear is barely listened to, and rarely given much thought past its often forgettable initial impression. In the current political climate, the music of Black artists has rightfully been promoted. Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” has reentered the charts as its message resonates painfully sharply across the globe. An album from 2015, continuing to unite Black listeners 5 years later with its expression of the same struggles of oppression and racism, which ultimately stem from a history and reality of White supremacy. Kendrick’s album has a clear and defined message, one which can be invaluable in educating White listeners on the constant and undeniable oppression experienced by Black people in America and worldwide.
So why haven’t things changed? Why, despite his enormous worldwide fanbase spanning all manner of people, have we not listened and learnt from Lamar’s music (as well as that of uncountable other artists) and acted on the remaining systems of White supremacy?
In a large part, a fundamental lack of understanding and appreciation of Black music by many White listeners accounts for this ignorant dismissal of its real message. People become so easily distracted and obsessed by the aesthetic they associate with this culture that they forget that music is not simply there to be exploited for your personal image. Rather, when you look at the history of Black culture it is unmistakable that music has become a voice through which to express struggles from injustice, oppression and a longing for equality and freedom. It is vital to understand these cultural roots before we can begin to learn from Black music.
Black music as we know it can be easily traced to the 17th century, with colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade acting as the catalyst for the development of contemporary Black music. England and other European countries controlled the majority of the slave trade from Africa to the Americas, and this capitalist mercantilism led to the long drawn out oppression towards Black people, the remains of which are still being dealt with today. Through this injustice, African-American's music was their sole outlet to convey the adversity and heartbreak they experienced through slavery. Music was always important, from singing together while laboring on agricultural land their songs developed through to the 1860s chain gang era, and eventually resulted in the birth of ragtime. Around 1895 Scott Joplin became the first African-American musician to encounter success through music, travelling across the country and popularizing ragtime and Black music. Through the 20th century Black artists continually evolved, from the Blues through Jazz, R&B, Rock n’ Roll, Soul, Disco, Funk and HipHop, to where we are today. The driving force for the constant innovation and creation of these genres was the constant oppression experienced by Black people in a world of White supremacy and capitalism. Black music was perpetually exploited, copied and fundamentally popularized and monetized by White artists. Jazz, now often considered a middle-class indulgence as music goes, has its roots in the anti-bourgeois, rebellious musical underground of Black culture. Similarly, when one thinks of Rock n’ Roll, Elvis springs to mind. However, Black musicians had been blending country rock and blues since the 1920s, and those such as Fats Domino and Big Mama Thornton really defined the genre.
Today, much of the popular music which we hear every day has essentially grown out of HipHop, and the horrendous conditions under which Black people lived and were treated in the Bronx in the ‘70s. Just like other Black music, HipHop and Rap allowed African-Americans to condemn the unjust treatment they were put through as a result of White supremacy in America and the capitalist world. Even now, this music, which was originally pioneered to speak out against the systems put in place by overpowered White people and organizations, is being exploited by listeners, labels and artists. Record labels take elements of Black music (beats, chords, singing styles and so on...) which people stylistically enjoy, and extract them from their culture, utilizing them in new music for profit. Not only that, but artists are confined in style, subject and sound when it comes to the creation and publication of their work. This reduces their ability to speak on matters which really resonate with them, making listeners disinterested with hearing the same sounds and styles again and again as art is diluted and moderated by profit-focused organizations. This makes it difficult to decipher music which is really meaningful to us, and that which has been exploited purely for commercial gain by labels and the media. Listeners must remain conscious to the exploitation of Black artists which White systems of power have permitted throughout history in order to begin to understand the multitude of music we hear every day, and also to appreciate music which we can, and need to learn from.
When we realise that it is essentially us and our history (as White people) who have caused the problems and oppression which are being spoken about and fought against in Black music, this necessity of understanding becomes clear. How can we truly appreciate it whilst at its core, Black music is an expression of lived experiences by Black people, experiences which frankly, due to the colour of our skin, we will never experience or begin to understand. While not all Black music is directly about oppression in its message, all Rap, R&B, Funk, Soul etc. has its roots in oppression, and would not exist without the history of mistreatment and injustice towards Black people. Whether this oppression comes from the artist’s personal life, life in the 1970s Bronx, the racism of the 20th century or the slave trade, it is all a result of White supremacy, exploitation and racism.
This of course means that in order to appreciate Black music to its fullest and truest degree, we must appreciate the conditions and experiences against which this music fights. For White listeners, this is impossible. Whatever one's personal view, it is simply not the case that White people in today's society experience the same oppression, struggles and challenges as Black people. This is not to say that White people are immune to struggles in life, but they are certainly not subject to those which can haunt Black people throughout their lives. Therefore, to truly understand the music of even our favourite Black artists is difficult, but by listening and consciously learning to listen we can develop much more of an understanding about the music. Sometimes rappers teach us about White supremacy through their music, other times they try to show us. To learn from the lessons which music offers us, we have to take a step back from our listening experience into a double consciousness in order to view ourselves from the artist’s perspective. By reversing the White gaze in this manner through attempting to view oneself from the Black artist’s perspective, we can begin to understand and learn about the brutal reality of White privilege and supremacy, both in the present and through history. This is the gift of Black music, the ability to view ourselves from another person’s perspective, from a position which White people would never experience. This allows listeners the opportunity to learn about White privilege from the Black community’s point of view, and to learn and change from it.
So, don’t mindlessly listen to Black artist’s work as if it is just there for your convenience, entertainment and exploitation. Change the trend which has been set by White people over the past decades, and listen, think, learn, and try to understand and appreciate the messages which have been in front of us for so long. This is a privilege bestowed to the listener, so in any way you can, support your favourite artists for what they give to you, buy their records, share their messages so we can all learn. If we all start listening, we can draw this long history of oppression and exploitation to a close.
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