I recently saw a viral meme, made by Nick Cannon and Nas, and it made me think about the state of ‘hip hop / black / rap culture.’ It seems like even African Americans ‘within their ranks’ are ‘disgusted’ with how things have ‘degenerated.’ In the clip, 2 bros are in blackface, and make ’stereotypical black jokes’ and even use modern rapping techniques + drawls. Think it is supposed to be ’self-aware commentary’ that only blacks can make, because only black ppl can critique their own culture.
It really made me think. Kinda made me feel guilty about ‘getting my grind on’ post-ironically when I hear a ‘nasty-ass’ top 40 rap hit. Seems like rap is simple–they just sing about where they used to live (the streets), what they enjoy (stuff that rich ppl spend money on), and what feels good (pussie, fucking, dranking, smoking, etc.) Seems simple, but maybe African-Americans are trying to ‘rebrand’ now that Obama is in office.
Then I saw Major Lazer’s latest video ‘Pon De Floor’, directed by that bro from the zany Adult Swim film ‘Tim and Eric.’ It seems like it might be ‘absurdist racist’ or something. Like something that is supposed to be a ‘parody’ but ultimately speaks volumes about ‘how easy it is to h8 black people’ but also ‘how fun and vibrant they can be in an entertaining way.’
It seems like they are ‘making fun’ of black people culture, or something. Like the dancers are supposed to mean that black people are ‘only interested in sex’ or something like that. Or maybe black people are ‘too dumb’ to be educated, so all they can do is ‘dance in a sexually suggestive format.’ I am not sure if Major Lazer is ‘intentionally trying 2 be racist’ as a complex marketing gimmick. I remember in their previous music video, they exploited the negro stereotype of a ‘goon.’
Maybe I am overthinking this video, and it is just supposed to appeal to AdultSwimBros who just ’smoke weed’ and watch 15 minute long flash-based cartoons.
Sorta just wish I could watch vintage ‘racist memes’ and grin without thinking 2 much abt what they ‘mean.’ Just want to ‘go viral’ with my MexiBro.
Not sure what I am allowed to ‘laugh at’, ‘laugh with’, and ‘embrace as part of black culture.’
Feeling very confused about whether or not I get to even blog about complex racial issues like this. I feel like the only circumstance when African American culture is critiqued is when some rapper is ‘trying to be deep’ but ultimately ‘trying to sell records.’ Feel confused. Wish I lived in the year 3k9, so that then there would be ‘no skin colour’, and the majority of the world would be a ‘creamy brown’ skin colour.
Just want racial issues to go away so that I can enjoy ‘art.’
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IAmCarles.com
37 Comments
the nick cannons band vid is p. good w/e
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//////////Reply by Dogpenis
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 8:47 am
http://stuffblackpeopledontlike.blogspot.com/
I think this answers a lot
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2nds?
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feel like blackface is gonna be the new joker/heath ledger outfit for halloween
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I don’t know, I only listen to Bob Marley and Talib Kweli. Saw Nick’s Cannon on America’s got talent so feel like he is someone I should listen to too.
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Just do whatever, act how you wanna act, laugh at what you think is funny, and if somebody punches you out, you probably did something racist. Or fucked their girlfriend. Possibly both.
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carles is a straight up ignorant racist hic. down with hro. boycott this shit.
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//////////Reply by professor illbert
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 9:37 am
crls IS race
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//////////Reply by Al x
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Crls invented race and this guy is jealous. Maybe lack of tugjobs? We could use a little help from our friends.
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feels good being both black and white.
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blackface… still yet untouched. Hoping to see it soon on the cobrasnake.
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i thought you were gonna make a post about that altbro
who killed some women then killed himself.
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Racial issues will always be an on going thing. Not even worth blogging about.
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geezzzz im tired of how lame this blog is getting…goodbye hro. u officially suck now.
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this whole thing is really annoying me everyone is pulling apart things and branding everything racist, the other day i honked at someone who happened to be black because she was walked in front of my car while i had a green light (and she, a red stop thing) and she called me a racist. it really pissed me off. i also dont really get why its okay for blacks to make fun of white people behavior on TV and radio or call them honkeys. aint that ‘uncool’? for the sake of fairness at least.
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//////////Reply by vdieselfor20
//////////Posted August 5th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
WHY CANT I USE THE N-WORD??? I HEAR ‘THEM’ USE IT ALL THE TIME!
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//////////Reply by ne pas
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 10:30 am
think ur allowed to use it all u want [via under ur breath]
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 10:31 am
because your ass would get kicked…duh
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//////////Reply by e.f.e
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
some people may care
some may not.
you may get shot by an angry black
or a extremely anti race.ist white
your better off expanding your vocab.
im black btw.
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well that’s way too far. FUCK FUCK FUCK. I LOVE SEX.
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carles, I love you and all, but you need to quit trying to fucking sound like carles
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It’s just daggerin bros.
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i mean that song was pretty catchy
eat that watermelon, eat that watermelon
might include it in my essential mix (coming circa 2k13)
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the only difference btwn ‘white’ artists and ‘black’ artists is white ppl overdose on ‘perscription’ medication (prolly obtained ‘illegally’) whereas black ppl overdose on lean
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//////////Reply by DJ Screw
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Damn str8 nigga, up here in purple heaven chillin wit Jesus, we slo-mo up in this ho, bro
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I’m pretty sure a coworker thought I was being racist when I used the word “ax” rather than “ask”. oh well.
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Nice post hun. Although HRO is the LOST of the altblogosphere, so many questions, so many answers, I’d love to hear how you’d solve North American race issues Carles ;-)
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dayum, comment fail: i mean so many questions NOT SO MANY answers lol omfg
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let’s HOPE: http://pimpumpam.blogspot.com/2009/08/020809-tvfo-hope-i-sigmund-freud-park.html
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LAME
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Really glad you wrote this post. Thought about doing one myself. Wasn’t sure if it was just me thinking the Major Lazer video is wicked racist or people just ignoring it and trying to be cool with it.
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the bro jumping off the ladder onto the girl was A+. also when the one bro had the girl folded up and was driving the hump mobile A++. the Tim & Eric bros aint racists, they’re just obsessed with humping/grinding on stuff. just so hppns that blck bros/sister can do it jumping from ladders.
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&&&
im almost certian that the majority of the people in that video dont consider themselves black/african american..so why would they/this have anything to do w black culture.
crayyzee
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The best dagga is when he crabwalks up behind her and hits it froggiestyle, con gusto.
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Think this video would be perceived as racist if it were a mainstream, more ’serious’ song and also if the performers were more stereotypically african-american. instead it is a diplo song (so no one takes it seriously) and the dancers look like they are from the caribbean so no one cares. that doesn’t excuse this from being racist, i still believe it is, but in more of an ‘accidental’ way. ya dig???
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dont know about ‘african americans’ but in africa there’s plenty of dancing just like that… literally just humping. also that vid made me wanna jack off
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//////////Reply by May
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
omg, the girl in the black tutu. eye no rite.
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the major lazers video isn’t making fun of anything or being racist. It’s showing Dance hall style dancing predominant in the West Indies. lol. How naive of you.
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//////////Reply by Ambrose
//////////Posted August 6th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
No. The video is ‘making fun’ of dance hall style dancing (fyi shaunty, the predominant dancing style of the west indies) also ‘making fun’ of the viewer/user by subjecting them to shitty green-screen bgs, shitty sounding music my kid sister could make and the mordant cynicism of the day. Its ignorant, its amateurville, I wonder if the kids will be ‘ok.’
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//////////Reply by XxAznMom420xX
//////////Posted August 7th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Chiilllllll bro
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//////////Reply by Melvin
//////////Posted August 8th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Major Lazer “is” a Jamaican and the dancing shown in “pon de floor” is definitely Jamaican. The video accurately represents how Jamaicans dress and how they dance. It’s not satirical or ironic in the slightest.
The dancing is called “passa passa” and is one of, if not the most popular style of dance in Jamaica. You’ll find tonnes of the stuff if you search it on youtube.
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//////////Reply by Melvin
//////////Posted August 8th, 2009 at 10:00 am
The song also features a drop from popular Jamaican artiste Vybz Kartel. If you think afro-american culture is degenerate you should listen to some of his music.
//////////Reply by Ambrose
//////////Posted August 8th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Understand something, dance hall reggae like vybz is fucking obnoxious, but it is MUCH better than half-assed electro bullshit made by a two white dudes who went to Jamaica once. And you speak of black culture? Black culture is not responsible for the video’s uninspired sound or seizure-inducing green screen effects and attention deficient shots and cuts.
“Just another shipwreck on the desert of American culture – another bleached and rotten hull to obscure sight of whatever lies beyond the shore.” – Ambrose
//////////Reply by Claudia
//////////Posted August 25th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
@Melvin, Carles doesn’t get dancehall LOL
h8 u carrels!!
Used 2 think HRO was a ‘meaningful, relevent weblog’. Now I know that Careles is ‘just a fucking racist’.
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I personally love both videos by Tim & Eric for Major Lazer and Flying Lotus but do you think they are suggestive in a kind of racial sense? I think all it is a absurdist reflection of what is seen on MTV,BET,&VHI. How the rap seem has been reduced to carnality and intellectual suppression. Reminds me of what Aphex Twin did years ago with his Windowlicker video.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P3Wc-37pC4
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those mexibros suck…
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this is disgusting
get real
you are fucked up
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wow thats the first rap song i like, i hope it gets on billboard hot 100
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ok, I saw the Major Lazer comment and I have to say, you’re overthinking it and clearly not aware of the culture which spawned the music and the dancing. The track was recorded in Jamaica, samples dancehall artistes and the video utilizes a popular Jamaican dance, Daggering. Yes, Jamaicans are a very hedonistic bunch, and this has exploded in this recently titled dance craze which existed for decades in the grass roots Jamaican dancehall. In an attempt to be authentic, what else would you propose the video be depict, people on a white sand beach watchinga sunset doing the limbo? This IS dancehall culture. Maybe a bit too hedonistic for your tastes, but sheesh, racism… aaaa nah… The dancehall community danced for themselves, for their enjoyment, driven by the music this is what was born. It’s only recently that a spotlight was shone on it. If you ask the average dancehall lover, they’re not ashamed of this nor do they want to see it suppressed. The video accurately captures the jubilation, sexuality, acrobatics and comedy of dancehall perfectly…
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