This happened to me the other day and I thought it was interesting....the use of race in this story means little...(I'm a 26 yr old black male , btw)


A white guy and I was talking and we somehow got on the issue of music. Then we started talking about the fact that rock music was basically dead. Then he started talking about his favorite bands were Godsmack, Soundgarden and his #1 band was Alice In Chains. Then he went on to say that I probably didnt know who Alice In Chains was and that if he had mentioned Camron, I probably would jump for joy. I bussed out laughing and then schooled him on my knowledge of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and the rest of the 90's alternative movement, my love of classic rock, jazz, soul and the 80's contemporary Gospel music (and my disdain for most mainstream hip hop). He was of course shocked....but whatever


then I told my co worker the story. He is about 28 and he's black. After I told him the story, he said "Can you fault the guy for thinking you would like Camron. 95 percent of black listen to r&b and or rap."

I didnt know what to be more offended by...


do yall think that 95 percent of blacks listen solely to rap/r&b?

LoveAlive said:

In the last 10 or so years, yes, in the past, no.
[Edited 6/22/07 16:28pm]

I'd say at least about 89% of black folks could recognize Cam'ron if he bumped into them with his non snitching ass Lamborghini, but that doesn't mean they're fans of his music. His response of saying that you would only jump up at the mention of Cam seems more cynical and stupid rather than bigoted, I'm glad you Kindly schooled him. I'd love to buy some AiC, Soundgarden and Nirvana, help another brotha out!
[Edited 6/22/07 16:35pm]

UncleGrandpa said:

Of the 3, I like SOUNDGARDEN the most...

I would say that folks who do not have any/many Black friends (I say friends because that would indicate they'd have some knowledge of their likes/dislikes in a few areas) and base their assumptions on what Black people are about musically by media representations, then you'd probably get the "Camron Comment".

Btw, i'd say you'd get the same assumption from some Black folks whose musical vision (and those they associate with) is rather myopic (narrow cast to Rap and only Rap).

Conversely it'd be easy, and also incorrect, to make similiar musical assumptions about someone who is non-Black based on surface observations.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

UncleGrandpa said:

'Sup T?

I'd be in that 11% group.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

LoveAlive said:

Absolutely not lovealive...your friend needs a reality check and that he needs to know that Black Artists do more than just R&B. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if someone between the ages of 14-25 might like Cam'ron, and doesn't matter if they are black or white, since most of the younger generation buying rap music are white. but I have young nieces that listen to alternative/new wave/neo-soul(neo-soul just meaning a different version of r&b with a little storytelling in it)rap/hip-hop/r&b/pop/rock/motown sound. I guess you just can't say we all like the same types of music, as we are all individuals, but society has a bad habit of generalizing.

For me, I like all forms of music and I've been around a long time. I like a lot of artists from the UK as well, Like "Skye" and "4Hero". Right now my favorite UK artist is "Skye" she's written soundtracks for many movies and when you hear her voice, it is not what you expect, she actually sounds like a white girl singing. Skye is very talented. Although I found her on myspace, I never heard of her before then, but shocked to see all the scores she wrote for many popular movies. I love her track "Love Show." She doesn't get enough coverage in the US from the music industry. I don't know how much coverage she gets in the UK. (I mentioned her in the Black Music Month thread in the non-prince forum).

I remember Soundgarden too.My sister would blast their music in her car. One of their songs was very popular in the 90s and we both loved it. Seems like they were pretty short-lived though. Remember "Tears for Fears?" I used to listen to them all the time and watch their videos during the 90s video craze...lol!. I also think Bon Jovi makes fantastic music;also other groups today like "Thievery Corporation" a group of various artists from various background--that is a group my son turned me onto. I learn a lot from him, he loves various forms of music and I'm glad he does,

I also like some latin music and various latin artists that play alternative music as well (grew up listening to Celiz Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Mongo Santamaria--you know--a family reunion kind of thing with family coming from the Caribbean and all) As far as R&B, don't get me wrong, I love R&B, but the artists have to have their own, unique, soulful style, not sound like everyone else. Love blues music as well.

Tell your friend times have changed; many of the younger, black generation today listen to alternative music as well as many in the older generation.tell your friend times changed a long time ago..now as far as "Cam'ron" then I would limit that to a much younger generation, .just my 2 cents.
[Edited 6/22/07 18:26pm]

Back for the second time, I'd like to correct myself, I think 89% is too high for Cam'ron. Who's brave enough to admit that they've bought an album of his in the past eight years. T.I. has passed him up in terms of a hot MC on the charts, and he's in movies too.

UncleGrandpa said:

For me that early 90s Seattle music was more about a time and place in your life. I was in my late teens when that hit hard and it feels like it was made for that time in your life.

If you want a taste I would go with the Singles soundtrack to start



1. Would? - Alice In Chains
2. Breath - Pearl Jam
3. Seasons - Chris Cornell
4. Dyslexic Heart - Paul Westerberg
5. Battle Of Evermore - The Lovemongers
6. Chloe Dancer / Crown Of Thorns - Mother Love Bone
7. Birth Ritual - Soundgarden
8. State Of Love And Trust - Pearl Jam
9. Overblown - Mudhoney
10. Waiting For Somebody - Paul Westerberg
11. May This Be Love - Jimi Hendrix
12. Nearly Lost You - Screaming Trees
13. Drown - Smashing Pumpkins

I think it still works as a great sampler of bands and music from the early 90s.

I never really got into Alice in Chains, Would is a great song though. I loved Superunknown by Soundgarden and I'm a huge Nirvana fan. Kurt had a great ear for pop melodies. Siamese Dreams by Smashing Pumpkins still sounds great to my ears as well.

I think a lot of it has to do with age and what area of the country you are in. I first started listening to music during the disco era and everyone, both black and white was listening to disco during that era. When disco "died" and rock/new wave took over pop radio, I gravitated to R&B radio which was the closest thing to disco at the time.

During that time during the early 1980s (actually throughout the entire 1980s), I would say about 95% of my black friends (and I hung out with enough to start an episode of "Soul Train" ) listened to R&B radio and R&B radio only. All my black friends were well aware of a lot of the pop hits because that's basically all the video channels and shows played at that time. There were also shows like "Solid Gold" that everyone watched.

As for the white kids, 90% of them wouldn't go near R&B radio or black artists in general unless they were artists that crossed over such as Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and eventually Prince. Before "Little Red Corvette", I only knew one other white person that even knew who Prince was.

I grew up in Mississippi, which was very....and I do mean...VERY racist so radio and it's listeners were very separated by color lines. I realize that Mississippi is an extreme, however, considering the national charts during that time, I see apparently it was a national thing since you only saw only those same particular black artists making the pop charts. Even the R&B charts at the time were called the "Black Singles" or "Black Album" charts.

Of course, I realize that older people, both black and white, had broader tastes. I'm simply referring to what the majority of people that buy records and make songs successful were into, and that would be young people in their teens and 20s. There are always cool exceptions in every race who love to explore other genres than what they are "supposed to be listening to".

I notice, however, that since the 1990s, I have never seen as many white people listening to what so many consider to be "black" music (which, unfortunately, these days is shit hop) since the disco era. The disco era didn't last long though but shit hop will live on because it's cheap to make and rich record executives want it alive. I see it's easy for them to put their hatred of black people aside as long as they are being puppets and making them the biggest profit imaginable at the lowest cost to make.

LoveAlive said:

Actually, it's 70% of whites (ages 14-25) that listens to rap these days.

TonyVanDam said:

A better stat is that about 70% of people listen to shitty music these days, and a large part of that is due to studios trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator, ie.... Heavy Beat, sex and sweat, which is what most people currently define as hip hop.

The majority fans of modern RnB/Rap lives in white Suburbia, believe it or not.

No, I don't think 95 of us lives on modern RnB/rap. I think its EASIER on other folks to put a label on us and put ALL of us in a box than imagine that each and every one us has his/her own individuality.

And many young kids listen to REAL music believe it or not,,,,but as always some people are just pre-judgemental.

LoveAlive said:

Your boy's world is VERY limited.

LoveAlive said:

Your friend knows shit about music.

LoveAlive said:

i don't really think so. most people buying the rap and hip hop
albums are white suburban kids anyway according to statistics.

assuming black people only listen to rap and r+b is just like
saying black people only eat chicken

IstenSzek said:

thing is that a Black person made that quote to me and honestly I think that most of the blacks I know would agree that Blacks mostly listen to r&b/rap.



(not sayin that I agree with the comment)
[Edited 6/23/07 6:39am]

LoveAlive said:

Interesting.....I know quite a few people over 40 years old and almost NONE of them listen 2 rap.

LoveAlive said:

i wonder if your colleague made that statement based on what he
actually knows his black friends listen to or wether he got the
impression from the media.

you know how fucked up the media work these days anyway. if as
many black people were into Camron as they make it seem, then
he would sell something like 4 million albums in his first week
since there's like 10 times more black people on the planet lol
but that's another thing the media never touch. let's just make
it seem like the world is like 90% white

IstenSzek said:

I've known him for about 7 yrs...he made his opinion based on the people he knows and what he has seen. It was so funny because one day I asked him "what would it take for you to listen to a jazz CD?" he said that under NO circumstances would he ever listen to jazz. His favorite artist is Lil Wayne. Before we dismiss him, I think that he is indicative of the average under 30 black male.

white children listen to rap; black people listen to music
[Edited 6/23/07 10:06am]

LoveAlive said:

so it's just a matter of taste i guess.

that's cool

Fuck, I don't know anymore. Some people I know listen to Rap/R&B, some are mostly Gospel, some don't listen to music b/c they're too busy chasing their kids around - all they have are old Lutha albums

When I mention some of the shows I go to they're like

So I really can't call it anymore - it's age, it's taste, it's giving a shit about pop culture vs. not, it's all that shit...

CalhounSq said:

Could not have said it better...Let me ask you guys a question, black or white, do your friends still identify music with a color, hip-hop black music, rock white...I ask because I'm part of that 5-15% of black people who listen to just about everything...and if I'm in my car listening to say NIN or the Beatles LOVE soundtrack I get that "white music" comment more often than I would like to admit.

popgodazipa said:

Im black and I get the same thing! Its so funny cuz the last time someone made that comment to me, I was listening to LIVING COLOUR..LOL! silly bunnies..

LoveAlive said:

Now that's irony!