In the US, "Black products" can be thought of as falling into one of 3 categories.

1) Made by Black people
2) Made for Black people
3) Black people are the product

Many products are a combination. Football is 2) and 3).

Violent rap is mostly 1) and 3). It's "Black" music made for the white ear. That's how a lot of white US music listeners see Black people. 🤷🏿‍♂️

Trap and dril are definitely *part* of Black music culture, but they're not even close to most of it. But that's how the world sees it.

If you go to a Black hair salon, you're more likely to hear Jill Scott playing, than to hear Kodak Black.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pBYV4bMlg7g

A weird thing that I've noticed: when some of my white friends hear a Black person say that they don't listen to rap or hip hop, they assume that means that the Black person listens to "white" music.😬 They genuinely don't realize that the vast majority of Black music is not rap.

This leads to some awkward eye rolls. Usually the Black person doesn't try to explain🤷🏿‍♂️

Many of the white musicians making "Black" music, are attempting to cosplay what they think of as "Black culture." But they're only seeing a tiny fraction of Black culture, seen through the pinhole of a record label producing "Gangster rap" for consumption by suburban white kids. 🙂🙃

At this point, I feel the need to explain that most Black musicians don't actually have face tattoos.🤷🏿‍♂️

Birdman has these kids drawing all over their faces permanently.

Black rappers do this too! You'll often hear rappers claim that other gangster rappers aren't "real," or are "studio gangsters," actors performing a display of what they know white listeners expect to hear from Black people.

You'll also hear Black rappers admitting that they focus their music on the violent topics that white audiences want, and simplifying their lyrical structure, because that is what's required for commercial success in a market where most of the buyers are white suburban kids

I don't need to rehash the origins of rock and roll, blues, jazz, or techno/house music. OK, maybe house music... Where was the "house" referred to in "House music?" And who were the original House DJs? (Hint: Ask any non-racist gay American man over 40, that could really dance when they were younger).

I tell people that in about 50 years, someone will say, "You know, the original rappers were Black!" And no one will believe them. Someone will have to create a long thread about it. 🤡