Asking Someone Why They Hate Rap Can Get Racist Fast
You won’t look at them the same way ever again.
It’s okay if you don’t like rap.
But it’s not okay to hate rap because of the color of the rapper’s skin.
I was on a video chat with a friend from college when we started to play our favorite songs on our phones. It was a fun conversation at first, but then she said something I wish I could forget.
Some People Don’t Even Know They’re Racist
“You like Juice Wrld?” she said, her face scrunched up like a pug. “Didn’t he die of a drug overdose?”
It had been a few years since we had seen each other, and while we had kept up on social media and occasionally hung out when we were in the same town, she had started to change after getting married and having kids.
Now everything and everyone was a threat to her perfect family.
“His songs have a lot of pathos,” I replied. “You should try it.”
My friend shook her head. “No thanks. He was probably a drug dealer. I don’t want to support someone like that even if they’re dead. They shouldn’t even let rappers sing. It’s not real music.”
We got into an argument and the call ended soon after that.
Unfortunately, I’ve had conversations like this so many times through the years that it always tends to go the same way. A rapper is mentioned in an ordinary conversation and the person rushes to explain why they’re subhuman and rap isn’t “real” music.
It gets old. And everyone I talk to about it is convinced they aren’t racist.
Hating Rap Is a Signal to Other Closet Racists
Racism is a sinister problem.
While some people are openly racist, most are afraid of getting caught and try to hide it. But that doesn’t mean they want their views to live in obscurity.
So they try to signal to other racists that they’re one of them. It’s always subtle, because racism is systematic, but it serves a purpose.
When racists try to justify why they hate rap, they’re trying to feel you out in a conversation to see if you’re one of them. If you agree with their absurd and disturbing justifications which always dehumanize the rappers, then they know it’s safe to talk about heavier topics.
And for those who don’t realize they’re racist? It becomes a way to test the waters of their racism in a socially acceptable fashion. If they get lucky to find someone like them, then their racism transforms into something even more ugly and visible.
You Can’t Encourage It
If you don’t like rap, don’t lie and pretend you do.
But you have to be really careful when people bring up rap, especially with white people, because it’s usually a trap. I don’t think my friend realizes she’s a racist, but in hindsight it’s starting to become obvious.
Her entire social media feed is about her perfect white family and their growing patriotism. Every year, she seems to cut herself off more and more from her friends from college. I even see her getting into silly arguments with our friends.
But she isn’t political. And that’s where racism hides — in the media we choose to consume and how we talk about it.
Racism Starts At Home
A few hours after the video chat with my friend ended, I saw her post a passive-aggressive status on Facebook. She was concerned about the music her children was listening to.
“I’m afraid they’ll grow up to be thugs.”
But what she really meant to say was “I’m afraid they’ll grow up and be black.”
She used to hang out with more diverse people when she was younger, but now all I see are pictures of her with other white moms in their yoga pants sipping wine. Her life is so stressful. Being a stay-at-home mom is so hard.
Somehow, I don’t think it’ll be music that’s the biggest threat to her children growing up to be decent human beings.
That’s always how racism begins — with what parents teach their children.
