I have always said that that music industry wears its racism with great pride. That explains why SZA can release a pop album and Billboard, the Grammys, and Rolling Stone consider it R&B, while Justin Bieber can release an R&B album and those same organizations consider it pop. It’s because those terms aren’t really genre classifications as much as they’re racial designations. “Pop” and “R&B,” as understood by the music industry, are euphemisms for “white people enter through the front door” and “Black people enter through the back door.” These are Jim-Crow-era-water-fountain conditions and the music industry remains one of the spaces where segregation is openly operational and enforced.
“Traditional country instrumentation” includes “electric guitar, and live drums?” Um, no it doesn’t? It sounds like they’re still accepting rock-y country as real country…which means this is truly just a meaningless way to say “only whites.”
True: re outlaws. I’d say that’s it’s not just about being white, but about whiteness and white supremacy as an ideology. You can’t just be white, you have to perform whiteness. (This is despite the fact that country came from folk rebellion.)
We all know AP Carter was playing with black folks - he was poor and so was southern blackness (which was also being criminalized/extralegally persecuted to put it mildly). So we don’t SEE the way they played together and developed Americana, folk, and country together. And because it wasn’t preserved with a lot of importance/dignity, it’s hard to visualize today.
It’s really crazy how insidiously country music has mainstreamed and normalized white supremacy once again on the backs of Black musicians.
They can get a traditional country category, but we can’t get a contemporary hip-hop category so guys like Killer Mike aren’t going up against Kendrick and Tyler, The Creator.
Traditional country music WTF. They don’t want another BLK to win in that genre. So just keep your country music sounding the same way it has sounded for years. You need to grow the genre with the times.
I'm sure John Rich would be very unhappy to discover that the banjo in its original form was brought over from Africa
Because something tells me he might not know it
I would be curious to know also if any *journalist* - especially any *music journalist* -- followed up with him (or anyone else complaining about this) to find out why *exactly* he believed this particular NARAS Grammy ceremony was a "clown show", as he categorized it
They let recording -- I'm struggling to say "artists" but here we are -- um, people, SAY things like that without holding them to specific account concerning what they actually MEAN.
I have always said that that music industry wears its racism with great pride. That explains why SZA can release a pop album and Billboard, the Grammys, and Rolling Stone consider it R&B, while Justin Bieber can release an R&B album and those same organizations consider it pop. It’s because those terms aren’t really genre classifications as much as they’re racial designations. “Pop” and “R&B,” as understood by the music industry, are euphemisms for “white people enter through the front door” and “Black people enter through the back door.” These are Jim-Crow-era-water-fountain conditions and the music industry remains one of the spaces where segregation is openly operational and enforced.
genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? 🤔
You know that part is what pushed them over the edge 😒. They love their lines.
wowowow this is so wild. very much “taking my ball and going home.” loser behavior.
Or "I can only win by cheating" but I suppose that's the same.
“Traditional country instrumentation” includes “electric guitar, and live drums?” Um, no it doesn’t? It sounds like they’re still accepting rock-y country as real country…which means this is truly just a meaningless way to say “only whites.”
Yeah but would you expect any less from the crowd that hated on the outlaw country boys way back when? And the latter WERE white.
True: re outlaws. I’d say that’s it’s not just about being white, but about whiteness and white supremacy as an ideology. You can’t just be white, you have to perform whiteness. (This is despite the fact that country came from folk rebellion.)
This is *exactly* FM country in a nutshell.
We all know AP Carter was playing with black folks - he was poor and so was southern blackness (which was also being criminalized/extralegally persecuted to put it mildly). So we don’t SEE the way they played together and developed Americana, folk, and country together. And because it wasn’t preserved with a lot of importance/dignity, it’s hard to visualize today.
It’s really crazy how insidiously country music has mainstreamed and normalized white supremacy once again on the backs of Black musicians.
Performing whiteness was something the OG outlaw country boys refused to do to a man.
No integrity in it
Yeah exactly what I mean!
That’s the hilarious part. Rockabilly has long been ‘country’ though admittedly it took a minute to be accepted in the canon.
But it wasn’t called “a clown show” when George jones and Johnny cash did it …
Well you know part of that is bc no journalist was willing to ask these "new" singers what specifically they meant when they said that.
https://www.whatimreading.net/p/grammys-add-traditional-country-category-beyonce/comment/126019001
They're afraid of "losing access", just like the ones who "cover" (the clown show that is) the current White House
Nasty work.
These crackers, I swear to god.
I mean, tell me you're a fearful racist without saying you're a fearful racist with the "traditional country" shit.
My gods, you white boys THAT fearful you're unable to compete?
They heard those six part a cappella harmonies and Tiera Kennedy's acoustic cover of Texas Hold 'Em and they got upset
They can't do that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxLIjXligqs
I mean ... MAYBE with six billion in Nashbucks & punch-ins they could
but
:-/
Those cowards
They are exhausting.
They can get a traditional country category, but we can’t get a contemporary hip-hop category so guys like Killer Mike aren’t going up against Kendrick and Tyler, The Creator.
This part.
Traditional country music WTF. They don’t want another BLK to win in that genre. So just keep your country music sounding the same way it has sounded for years. You need to grow the genre with the times.
The truly ridiculous thing about that is that "the way it sounded for years" would be Charley Pride back in the day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUYJ_s0EYYM
And Rhiannon Giddens now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MZKbJIhPCk
So I think it's basically your second sentence
Minks. Pin heads. Worthless. Do I make myself clear?
Crystal...and far nicer than I am about this.
Wow
I'm sure John Rich would be very unhappy to discover that the banjo in its original form was brought over from Africa
Because something tells me he might not know it
I would be curious to know also if any *journalist* - especially any *music journalist* -- followed up with him (or anyone else complaining about this) to find out why *exactly* he believed this particular NARAS Grammy ceremony was a "clown show", as he categorized it
They let recording -- I'm struggling to say "artists" but here we are -- um, people, SAY things like that without holding them to specific account concerning what they actually MEAN.
#WordsMatter
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QYrxLW0a88A
Wow
It does not help their optics that rap country acts like Florida Georgia Line have been nominated at various shows without complaint for years.