We all know the impact that minstrel shows had on racial stereotypes. It painted African Americans as primitive and highlighted characteristics of slavery for the benefit of a white audience. We discussed in class whether or not minstrel-type of entertainment exist today and I believe that answer is yes, but in a different form. Minstrel shows had a touch of comedy in the performance, but they still acted as stereo-typically as possible in order to please a white audience. I believe that some black musical artists today do the same thing, but without the comedy. Many new rappers have started a sub-genre of “mumble rap” which places emphasis on the beat and black stereotypes rather than lyrics with substance and meaning. To me, this is a form of a minstrel show. Many artists “rap” about drugs, sex, money, or violence without providing any context for talking about these things. In many cases they are just saying random words to appease an audience of mostly white teenagers. I am not saying that rap is a genre without substance, in fact, I’m implying the opposite. Rap is a genre that empowers African Americans and helps them express their lives in an artistic manor (although this genre is not restricted to just African Americans). Rap at it’s core is a great genre of music, but some artists pervert rap by acting and sounding as ridiculous as possible. J. Cole points this out in his song “1985”, which criticizing mumble-rap. The lyrics illustrate my point:

“But have you ever thought about your impact?
These white kids love that you don’t give a fuck
‘Cause that’s exactly what’s expected when your skin black
They wanna see you dab, they wanna see you pop a pill
They wanna see you tatted from your face to your heels
And somewhere deep down, fuck it, I gotta keep it real
They wanna be black and think your song is how it feels”

I believe that J. Cole is eluding to the fact that modern rap is a form of minstrel-type entertainment; Black artists degrading themselves for the benefit and entertainment of a predominantly white audience. I see no difference from modern rap of the 2010s and minstrel shows of the 19th century.