Rap, Hip Hop & Blacks as a Political Football

This is my first diary.

Please understand that I'm going to be using the term "Blacks" and not "African Americans" throughout this diary because (1) I'm black and it doesn't offend me; (2) It's shorter and easier to write; and; (3) I will be referring to dark-skinned people who may or may not be American.

I've recently noticed DKos experience what appears to me to be an increasing awareness of racial issues, racism and participation in this community on the part of blacks and other minorities. In my opinion, this is a good thing. As someone who has grown by listening to the opinions of others in this community, I would like to provide some insights on a topic that I believe I know well.

With recent diaries/discussions acknowledging the importance of integrating Black viewpoints and activism into the progressive movement, I would like to discuss an issue that has been used as a wedge to separate younger (lets say under 35 years old) blacks from mainstream politics and society in general.

(fold here for easy storage)

The following Assumptions & Clarifying Statements frame this discussion. Most of these are obvious in my opinion, and yet are easily forgotten while listening to O'Reilly rant about Ludacris.

(1) "Rap is something you do, Hip-Hop is something you live." - KRS ONE. Rap is a verb. Rap Music is a noun, as is Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop refers to a culture, a community, and (once upon a time) a movement. Rap Music is a subset of Hip-Hop. Thus, blanket and arbitrary dismissal of Hip-Hop as a whole based upon one's feelings about Rap Music, is inappropriate.
(2) All consumers of Rap Music (and Hip-Hop culture) are not black people. (self-evident)
(3) All who create Rap Music are not black people. (self-evident)

Premise: Rap Music is an art form. As a style of music, it meets an objective definition of Art, as articulated here. Hip-Hop is comprised of multiple art forms. Hip Hop is at least Rap Music, multiple dance styles, aerosol art, clothing and hair styles and a personal posture.

Premise: As an art form, Rap Music is no more inherently dangerous than any other art form. Rap music is not inherently violent. I am unaware of any rap album glorifying death on a scale even approaching the 80-plus killings committed by Governor Schwarzenegger in his 1985 film, Commando. Likewise, the general mean snarkiness in some rap music is no more egregious than Bill O'Reilly's prose in Those Who Trespass. Yet, it is acknowledged as silly to indict the entirety of cinema or literature based upon the art produced by those individuals. Why is this double-standard embraced by society at large? Its frustrating. Lets just move on.

Premise: The Hip Hop community is not simply a group of self-centered misogenists.. Considered a young community until recently (Hip-Hop/Rap was "born" in the mid 70's) the Hip Hop community has always been painted with the same broad brush of apathy as is applied to Generation X as a whole. This generalization misses the point, as the Hip Hop community typically has issues on it's social agenda that do not apply to the stereotypical suburban Gen-X slacker (e.g., crime, drugs, access to education, poverty, etc.). When the Hip Hop community as a whole is prodded into action on issues relevant to them, the result can be the kind of attendance seen a the Million Man March. Rap personalities are rarely given credit for their philanthropy, from Kanye West's foundation, to Snoop Dogg funding an entire youth football league to Jay-Z's work to raise awareness of water polution problems in Africa.

Premise: The Hip Hop community cares about politics. Hip-Hop's involvement in politics and public service is relatively unknown to mainstream americans, from Russell Simmons being discussed as a successor to head the NAACP, to KRS-ONE's years of political commentary to Public Enemy's Chuck D as an icon for the political awareness of the Hip Hop generation (and an Air America radio host). Hip Hop can organize as a voting bloc. Hip Hop has a fledgling political convention.

Conclusion: Rap is not your enemy. Rap is not it's own enemy. Hip Hop is not your enemy. Perhaps the experience of the Hip Hop generation is largely different from yours. Fine. The Right has always sought to categorize "different" as "bad". On the small scale this division sows seeds of fear in individuals in whom thoughts are evoked of dangerous black and hispanic youth out to rob their houses and date their daughters. On the larger scale the Roves and O'Reillys can try to make you believe that Hip Hop has an ingrained culture of social irresponsibility and violence that calls into question the morals and political worth of those identifying with Hip Hop. It's a lie. They find examples that are isolated or can be twisted to suit their arguments. Don't take the (race?) bait.

Hip Hop, as a community, contains many smart, strong, motivated individuals. If the Progressive Big Tent is interested in having them, they are there for the taking. 18-44 year olds just don't vote regularly enough and embracing the Hip Hop generation is yet another way to appeal to interested voters. If not, they just drift through the political ocean, susceptible to making landfall at any political port. Just this month, Nas and Jay-Z released a song called "Black Republican" on Nas' latest album. Both hint at a possibility of identifying with Republicans (though they probably meant Conservatism) based on the economic philosophy that allows you to sit on big piles of ca$h while others have little. It's probably just posturing, as they acknowledge not wanting to lose site of their beginnings. But the point is, if the Progressive movement doesn't want the Hip Hop community, maybe they wind up aligned with the other guys. That would be bad.

Perhaps in future diaries I can discuss how I might suggest pulling the Hip Hop community into the Big Tent.