Blacking Up: Hip-Hop’s Remix of Race and Identity
As hip-hop music and culture continue to redefine American life, its influence exposes the high stakes of the struggle to cross or maintain the cultural divide.
Blacking Up: Hip-Hop’s Remix of Race and Identity explores tensions surrounding white participation in hip-hop. Popularly referred to by derogatory terms such as “wannabe” or “wigger,” the figure of the white person who identifies with hip-hop often invokes heated responses. For some, it is an example of cultural progress — a movement toward a color-blind America. For others, it is just another case of cultural theft and mockery — a repetition of a racist past.