|
Are White Artists Appropriating Black Music?
Report - Feb. 3 2004
The
music industry was charged with institutional racism at the
Black Music Congress' debate entitled 'Are white artists like
Eminem, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera appropriating
black music?' held at City University London on January 31.
The
perception was that the industry was keen to promote white
artists performing black music, but reluctant to invest commensurate
resources in black artists performing black music or specific
types of black music. Although participants felt that white
artists could participate within black music genres, so long
as they acknowledged their sources and influences, there was
however a view that there was a deliberate "political"
and "racist" policy to sell black music styles with
proven commercial potential using "safe" white faces.
Jazz
musician Jamie Cullum and soul singer Joss Stone were pointed
out as examples - the former, a recipient of a reputed £1m
record deal and huge marketing by the same company that didn't
offer the same opportunities to the more innovative black
jazz musician Courtney Pine, and the latter is currently receiving
a major push performing a style that most black artists would
not be allowed to perform because the gate-keepers of the
industry view it as non-commercial and old-fashioned.
Secondly, it was acknowledged that appropriation has been
happening for decades - well before the likes of Elvis Presley,
Pat Boone and Bill Haley. However, participants highlighted
that an insidious aspect was the process by which copycat
white artists over time came to be regarded as the kings and
inventors of black music genres. Today's faces of rock n roll,
and the fact that American ska/pop band No Doubt thought ska
was invented by the 2-Tone movement in Britain,
were cases in point.
Whilst
accepting that white artists appropriate black music, panellist
Dave Woolf, co-manager of Beverley Knight and head of the
DWL promotions company, he felt the debate question would
only tie us up in knots, and a more relevant question to address
'How can we improve the odds that the industry will give black
artists the same chances as white artists?"
Fellow
panellist Lisa Lindahl, an urban music publicist, put forward
the symbiotic advantages of
white participation by pointing to the pop, mainstream doors
that were open to rapper Redman through his collaboration
with Christiana Aguilera in the hit record 'Dirrty'.
Athough
panellist Mykaell Riley, a senior lecturer at Westminster
University and founder of the Black Music Education Trust,
highlighted the fact that black music participation in Britain
has historically been inclusive, he nevertheless added that
the industry continues to demonstrate "systematic, and
endemic institutional racism."
Also,
whether to define the music as urban music or black music,
was another issue which was repeatedly touched upon (it will
be the subject of the May 22 debate entitled 'Is it black
music or urban music?'). The general consensus was that the
all-embracing'urban music' was another tactic used to appropriate
black music without acknowledging its black roots. As one
participant, Dean Okai, put it: "Urban is the new jazz,
the new rock n roll." It's another way in which "ownership
is taken away from us."
The
Black Music Congress offers a forum for debating issues around
black music. Its programmes take place at City University
London as part of the Cultural Industries Unit's outreach
programme. Entry is free, and is open to the University students
and the general public. The participants are predominantly
black, but not exclusively. They are a mixture of people interested,
and those actually working, in the music business as artists
or industry practitioners. BMC was founded by Kwaku, a music
business lecturer and journalist.
|
