This video explores the racial dynamics embedded in the music industry, questioning whether music genres themselves reinforce racial segregation. It delves into how genres like rock, country, hip-hop, and R&B have historically been racialized, often shaping how artists are marketed and perceived. The video examines industry gatekeeping, the impact of radio, and how Black artists have been excluded from genres they helped create. It also looks at cases like Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road being removed from country charts and the ongoing debate over genre boundaries. Ultimately, the video challenges the idea that genre classifications are purely about sound and asks whether they serve as a form of cultural segregation.
Sources:
https://time.com/5561466/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-billboard/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-810844/
https://www.fastcompany.com/90155955/the-racist-roots-of-urban-renewal-and-how-it-made-cities-less-equal
https://www.forbes.com/sites/courtstroud/2018/05/23/everything-you-need-to-know-about-urban-black-radio/
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/urban-hip-hop-term-change-8477079/
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/entertainment/grammys-rename-urban-category-intl-scli/index.html
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/entertainment/tyler-the-creator-grammys-intl-scli/index.html
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/16/the-elvic-oracle
https://www.theverge.com/24293447/grammy-awards-recording-academy-harvey-mason-beyonce-discrimination-generative-ai-decoder
https://www.thelovepost.global/taking-off-the-white-mask-its-time-to-recognise-the-black-roots-of-western-popular-music/
https://vincedixonportfolio.com/app/black-music-history/
https://scope.uiowa.edu/blog/2023/02/how-black-music-changed-history
