Examining the Ironic Fetishization of Black Bodies in the UG Space Through Vincent Woodard’s The Delectable Negro (i cannot copy paste the post so youll have to click the link. Its a short post.)

reddit.com/r/ug_music/s/UNXDtcixBq

Ok so obv not all white people are problematic and i think they shouldnt be gate kept out of hip hop. But i do think everyone especially non black hip hop fans should be aware of this dynamic

Theres probably books that could be written on this topic but thats out of the scope of a ktt thread

This also goes well beyond hip hop

As a big underground supporter ive noticed that a lot of fans focus on everything but the music when supporting artists. I think that alone is absolutely killing the community and scene. Its too many larpers/weirdos/lames who come in and copy whats cool to a T or hype up s***ty gimmicks

Good book, you should read it if you haven’t already. I also highly recommend Eric Lott’s Love & Theft on the topic

If you have any interest in seeing that historical through-line carry into more modern times, the recently-released Darkology is also worth checking out

Word yea hopefully ill have time to read on this topic, altho ngl as a black man i feel like a lot of this is pretty intuitive

Some niggas do as well

Nettspend
Nav
Kura
Eminem even

Dudes like them are dope make good music and arent directly having a negative impact on the genre. I work with several nonblack artists so i dont wanna give the impression that ion fw nonblack rappers

To a lesser degree but yea

It be the same level for me, when it comes to someone inexperienced and pretentious being obnoxious in a space

It surely is I don’t recommend them in hopes that you’d learn what’s already known. Instead, grasping the period-specific particulars at play during that large-scale cultural cannibalism and the first hundred years of “digestion” after it can add interesting nuance to our current understanding of the “underground music” culture zone

Definitely the younger/suburban types

No doubt, but the fetishization/ignorance surrounding black culture is intrinsically less problematic in that group i think

Except for those who str8 up coon out

I am eating at a chinese restaurant rn and i feel this s*** fr

Sounds good yea imma try to check it out. I rly hate reading tbh but maybe audiobook

I'll always think the inside distraction is worse because it's not necessarily done outta malice but rather inadequacy and it eliminates spaces where Black Thought is sacred, no pun intended

The post:

'Desire and contempt at the same time.

White ug rap fans often obsess over Black slang, Black male style, Black music, Black masculinity, the way rappers move and talk, and still are often casually anti-Black towards actual Black people. The culture is desired, but the people are disposable as f***.

Consumption without obligation.

I find that white artists in this space can take the sound, clothes, slang, posture, criminal imagery, whatever, and then just leave when it stops being fun. The artists and their fans get the excitement of the culture without having to carry the social consequences attached to being Black.

Irony as permission.

The "I'm just joking" layer matters a lot. It gives people room to imitate racialized behavior, make weird jokes, perform caricatures of Black masculinity, then retreat into irony if anybody calls it out. Preventing any further discussion, or examination of their behavior. #NotThatDeepBro

The body fetish thing.

Lastly, UG spaces can get weirdly obsessed with Black male and female bodies and presence: skin, hair, grills, muscles, "aura," whether someone looks dangerous, whether they look soft, whether they're masculine or feminine enough. I f***ing hate it.

Please post thoughts or criticisms below!'