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The (White) Rapper Show..... Racist?

Posted Mon 2 Feb 2009 3:23PM NZDT by James Castady in Rap It Up

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Ego Trips The (White) Rapper Show is an American reality TV Show series that screened on the VH1 cable network back in 2006. In the show, ten white rappers compete with each other for the chance at a $100,000 grand prize. The show is based in the South Bronx with MC Serch (from the group 3rd Bass) serving as the host.

At the end of each show, one rapper is eliminated. Each episode follows a different theme in Hip Hop culture and music, evolving the contestants from wanna-be white rappers to full-fledged and multi-faceted hip hop acts.

In New Zealand you can catch The (White) Rapper Show Saturday nights on C4.  

The show is mostly a farce, poking fun at the stereotypical white rap scene.The rappers themselves are mostly incompetent artists, though a few of the cast (including the finalists) are actually legitimate lyricists.  

 

I cringed the moment I saw the add on C4, picking up the derogatory undertones through out it. I watched it for the first time last night and It was indeed very derogative towards white rappers.

The whole show seemed to be based around torturing these poor white rappers, who seemed to be chosen for their average abilities and stereo typical Hip Hop posturing. I guess for the sole reasons that without them being average musically, the premise of poking fun at them wouldn't actually work.

In this particular episode the white rappers were taken to a black Hip Hop station to free-style. The moment they walked in the room they were made fun of for being white and given the most disparaging looks by the black folks at the station. They then proceeded to do an abysmal job at free-styling. It was however pretty amusing in a cringe worthy, slightly uncomfortable way. One particular hilarity was MC Shamrocks catch phrase, "Hallelujah Holler back", which he repeated every 5 seconds or so.

Shamrock ended up taking out the top prize of 100k.   

I wonder how Ego Trips, The (Black) Punk Rock Singer Show would go down. Say after the success of such black rock bands as Bad Brains, Seven Dust and Skunk Anancie. Where people poked fun at black wanna-be rockers. I'm certain there would be cries of racism and discrimination. 

 

As a white rapper myself, I don't quite understand why the contestants were so loyal to a culture that hates even their mere presence. Show no love to those who show you no love, I say. Even though I have respect for Hip Hop culture, I realise that I can never be African American and will never be able to sound like one either. Personally, I don't fully embrace Hip Hop culture. I'm a musician who raps over a plethora of genres. Drum N Bass MC's don’t have the same absurd problems with racism, so you can have Hip Hop, JCK is 'Haberdash Rap'.

 

I think the way forward for us white rappers is to take the influence of the music that we love and do something unique with it, instead of trying to be what we are obviously not. 

 

That is of course how modern Rock and Roll came about. There was a time when Rock N Roll was strictly black music. It was classed as “Race Music” by the white American culture and was ignored by them. There was a time when white artists such as Jerry Lee-Lewis were scorned mocked and made fun of, for participating in black music. But after Elvis and after the English got their hands on Rock N Roll, with acts such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. It developed into what we now know and consider the staple musical diet of white kids everywhere. And I guess with rap music the process is just taking its natural course. There will be a time when rap will just be music with no race barriers. I think it's well on its way, but not there yet.

 

I myself would love to see more black rock acts, because I love music, and all genres of popular music in essence are very similar and the rest is fashion and BS. 

 

So down with fashion and BS, good music is good music. Bad Brains made mean punk music, UB40 made great Reggae, Eminem made sweet Hip Hop and Charley Pride made great Country music. So please world, get over the colour thing. And hopefully next time, we can just have The Rapper Show, instead of The (White) Rapper Show.


James Castady-Kristament is in the Alternative Rap group JCK check out their music videos below.

 

  



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