When did this become okay? Kanye West = racist.
Pitchfork, a ‘white’ music magazine, gave Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and 9 out of 10 rating. That’s actually a pretty incredibly rating, and probably had nothing to do with race. In fact, Pitchfork has been known to absolutely brutalize albums from many white artists, while praising others from black artists.
I’m not sure I’ve heard anyone accuse this magazine of being racist, even though a large percentage of its readers are younger white males (liknewse that matters).
So who’s the real racist? This is what Kanye tweeted next.
Pitchfork, the album is a 30 out of 10
— @kanyewest February 15, 2016
To Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, New York Times, and any other white publication. Please do not comment on black music anymore.
— @kanyewest February 15, 2016
I love love love white people but you don’t understand what it means to be the great grandson of ex slaves and make it this far.
@kanyewest February 15, 2016
The system is designed for colored people to fail and one of our only voices is music. One of our only ways out is music.
@kanyewest February 15, 2016
That’s what happens when you stop taking your medication.
It’s Kanye , what do you expect. Great album though .
He may be great, but a singer….NO
I don’t understand. Who was racist or what did he say that was racist?
I don’t see anything racist here . he has a big ego, yes…he is always defending himself like an egomaniac… yes…but please tell me what is specifically racist about this ?
The right title should have been : “Kanye West: What a F#%king Idiot…”
Correct. What he said was uncalled for, it was in bad taste, but it was NOT racist.
How are you missing that is racist?
“To Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, New York Times, and any other white publication. Please do not comment on black music anymore.”
He is for one calling the publications white as though any kind of racial identification is relevant in discussing music and he is also using an exclusionary mentality wherein he is saying he doesn’t want to have these ‘white’ publications discuss his music in some kind of mental superiority.
It would be the same thing if Eminem were to come out and say he didn’t want black people or publications discussing his music. It would be racist.
Would it be racist for Eminem to say “black publications, TV shows or radio programs need to not talk about my music because they don’t understand it”?
The answer is obvious, even if there are idiots out there who think that only white people can be racist.
WRONG.
How would Eminem ever say that while making black music?
So Eminem, while making black music, would say black people shouldn’t review it? Ok…
Secondly, all of the publications named ARE white publications. That’s a fact.
Here’s why this makes sense:
Typically white people have no real understanding of black culture or black music.
When they get their hands on it more often than not they find a way to water it down or kill it completely. That’s just what White people do.
That’s why their opinions of it really don’t mean anything. I’m sorry but it is what it is.
Broken clock is right twice a day and this time Kanye was right.
@TruthHurts – Listen up you racist FREAK… Rap or any other form of music is NOT owned by any one race (to be more precise, ethnic group)
Black People do NOT own Rap music, anymore then white people own country music.
It seems to many black people white/asian etc people must share everything they invent, create etc – otherwise they are racist, well same goes for black people, LEARN TO SHARE!
BTW: EMINEM is still the best rapper ever. bet that must p*ss a lot of poeple off.
“When they get their hands on it more often than not they find a way to water it down or kill it completely. That’s just what White people do.”
“white people have no real understanding of black culture or black music.”
@Truth Hurts : eh…nonsense. Complete nonsense in fact. If you say that, then you are ALSO saying that black people can NOT understand white culture or music. Wich is equally laughable.
Let me say this : I am myself neither black or american, but from a brown-ish so called “visible minority” living in Europe. I am perfectly capable of understanding and tasting so-called white culture, wich itslef is a completely nonsensical word; because european white culture is itself a mix of SO many diverse influences. Even the modern “white” rock’n’roll guitar had its ancestry in the luth, a middle-eastern instrument.
No culture is 100% “pure”. It’s bad news for some, but that’s the hard truth.
And when you’re saying “black music” , let’s make one thing clear : you are actually saying black AMERICAN hip-hop & RB ( and maybe jazz)
Guess where all that came from : AFRICA. Would you be Ok if senegalese people start telling you :”Hey black americans , stop killing and watering down our african music with your derivative music, you cannot understand our culture” ? Would you ?
There is so much to say about this but Im’ gonna stop here.
If you put your mind and heart into something , you can understand it and FEEL it, no matter what race you’re from.
PS: and seriously, what is this idiot KAnye west complaing about ? He is complaining because Pitchfork gave him their highest rate ?? ” Oh , you like my music ? You must be a racist” . He should check his head pronto.
Sanest comment so far.
But if so called ‘white’ magazine stop reviewing black artists, they will be deemed racists? no?
Yesterday he was begging white people for money on twitter… now its “white people are racist” because he got a 9/10!? 9/10 is a GENEROUS rating for anything coming out of this guy’s loud obnoxious *$$hole (mouth.)
Kanye has been out of his mind lately, but this is 100% factual. White people should not be in decision making positions or have any influence that counts when it comes to black music. You don’t see White people running Latin music departments, but somehow they’re qualified to run Black music departments, when they usually don’t understand the culture or respect Black people in general? Sorry all facts here.
This is absurd. So you think for example that the Oscars should not nominate any black actors because most of the people organising it ( or voting ) are white ? The Oscars should be a white-only affair ?
You’re mixing apples with oranges.
And Oscars for all intents and purposes IS a white-only affair.
If you can’t see the racism here, just flip it around. Imagine if the Black Keys started getting reviewed by hip hop sites, and they hated it. And they said, ‘hey black magazines, stop reviewing our white music! ‘ The Black Keys would be banned from every single event, their careers would be completely over.
See my point?
But the Black Keys play black music…
Ha. Clever answer. Well, ‘black music’ in the sense that the general form, genre and style originated among black musicians, yes. So maybe we take a different example, with a genre like classical. What if Dudamel excoriated hiphopdx.com for reviewing his performances, while claiming Tchaikovsky is ‘white music’?
You could delete his career in about 5 seconds. He would be infamous overnight, no question about it.
Paul, I was preparing to post a similar example to demonstrate the same point. I think your 100% correct.
Kanye’s complaint exhibits a second behavior that is sadly commonplace: intolerance. He’s playing the victim card because he disagrees with something someone said. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and everyone gets to choose who’s opinion they value. Attempting to intimidate people into changing or witholding their opinion just makes him look weak and thin-skinned.
Paul you’re a reasonable guy so hopefully you’ll get my point.
The statement he made isn’t just inspired by the reviews. Its inspired by the endless amounts of disrespect towards black people and black music that we see nonstop in the music business.
We have White people sitting in offices telling black A&Rs things like: “this is too R&B”.
What they’re really saying is that this is too Black.
Meanwhile they’ll take that same music that was too Black and give it to a White act because they understand the Elvis trick.
Furthermore, black music is inspired by black culture, so why should we as black people ever accept or validate the opinions of people who have no knowledge of what black culture really is?
No other group of people would do that and neither will we.
Also, in my opinion, the black keys calling what they play “white music” when it clearly has the dna of black music flowing through it would be near blasphemous.
I love it when someone tries to argue ‘this is black music’. Oh, yeah, where did you get those instruments from; where did you get that technology from; where did you get that harmonic and melodic system from; what language are you singing in; etc ?
Poor Kanye: He is like a pro athlete who can perform spectacular physical feats and entertain wonderfully and yet like many are so often still so child-like in their personalities.
Well, I think we can credit some of the most amazing musical movements in modern history to primarily black artists: Blues, Jazz, Rap, Rock n’ Roll, etc. But, that racial make-up of those various genres has obviously diversified since, the stories and histories are far more diverse. But that’s almost immaterial to the current discussion: after all, why is it not anything but completely racist to exclude certain groups from participating in different genres? Can a black guy play the violin? I mean, would anyone ask such a stupid question?
Everything originated from Africa. Blacks can argue the same thing about whites. Sorry but that’s a weak argument.
You are not seeing this correctly. There is no white or black music and to say there is racist in itself.
There is just music. A great example would be the fact that plenty of white people have rapped very well and had great careers from it and plenty of black people have done the same in other genres of music.
Are you saying that black people should only be doing rap? Because segregation is bad in music just like it is in society.
By the way, you seem to not know what a “fact” is. A fact is something that can be backed up by evidence and is understood to be true by more than just yourself. What you provided is a good example of opinion, and a dumb one at that.
Good point. The language is misleading. There is no black music. But, there certainly are marketing plans that’s target primarily black audiences.
WRONG.
That would be like saying there is no Chinese Food, there is just food.
Black music is created through black culture, and without black culture there is no black music.
There’s a “fact”.
When you say that “plenty” of white rappers have done well please define the word “plenty”, because in comparison they are between 1-5% of all successful rappers ever.
II am white, grew up in the inner city. my best friend is black. he grew up in the burbs. how can u say that white people don’t understand “black music”. last time I checked we aren’t all the same. and no. Chinese food is food. but food inspired by Chinese culture. last time I checked nobody owns a patent on food. or music. of any kind. the fuck outta here with that shit.
All white people are racist.
Said the pussy known as anonymous…
Can the world quit giving this clown attention. I am so bored with it! Yawn..Next..
Kanye feeding the media machine taking the lead of his family – the ultimate creators of “a show about nothing” (sorry Costanza). The fact that I am even writing this disgusts me as it just makes me party to this shenanigans.
Serenity Now!
You shifted my perspective. I feel like a chump for taking the bait. Just another publicity stunt. Say whatever it takes to provoke coverage and gossip.
Kayne is good at his craft; not so good at emotional intelligence.
If he simply changed his tracklist back to the original one he posted on Twitter, the one that included Acts 1, 2, and 3, everyone would understand the album. The current album’s angle is disjointed and doesn’t make any sense (guess this where the “Pablo” concept comes into play). People don’t have time for explanation or critical thinking. If you listen to the album in the initial order, it’s phenomenal.
Furthermore, what about Kanye’s garbage (aka his music) is even “black” music?
Did Jimmi Hendrix make “black” music because he was black? Or did he make music?
What, no more “Creative Commons” George Wallace pics?
“you don’t understand what it means to be the great grandson of ex slaves”
lol. yeah, that must be really hard and create so many problems in everyday life. tell me about it.
“you don’t understand what it means to be the great grandson of ex slaves…and make it this far in a system designed for colored people to fail”, way to be like fox news and only cover the half that makes your comment seem witty
For once, he’s correct. White people should stop reviewing, paying for, or paying attention to this moron’s “music”. Also, he should not use instruments, computers, microphones or devices created or manufactured by Asian people to record “black music”. Or use code or tech created by white or Indian people to distribute it on the “white internet”. He should also stop performing in venues owned by white people. Or staying in hotels owned by Arab royalty. He may also need to consider stopping worship of and referencing his messiah from the Middle East. And only black people should manufacture and purchase his ridiculous clothes.
*note – I fully understand he’s willing to be an asshole and do whatever is needed to create awareness for his new record to make some money to provide for his family. Great. Just think this is bordering on being at the expense of a larger, more important discussion over real race issues in America and is a foolish, selfish misstep in the grande scheme. Or maybe I’m giving him and his team too much credit and he really is just a bag of dicks.
Are Asians white? There is nothing like white internet, tiny brained imbecile
fact: all black people are racist
I’m a white European guy who is kinda in Pitchfork territory, musically, except I think Pitchfork sucks.
I totally get Kanye in this, though I’m white as snow.
Kanye has long been the poster boy for hipster-crowd to display the depth of their tastes. But 99% of them never listen to anything but wanky poser-indie about 1st problems. He’s a hipster-accessory. A hipster fashion icon.
Second, another reason they like him (though they otherwise are above stuff like the pop celeb crowd, machismo and such) is that he can say politically incorrect things they are too pussy to verbalize themselves. Because he’s black! Again, a kind of poster boy.
I imagine he senses this, mucho respect for dissing Pitchfork!