White kids wanting to be urban african american.

Your thoughts on this?

I see kids adopting so much african american culture in todays society that was started among low income african americans in heavily populated inner city african american neighborhoods.

Why would someone want to be something they are not ? Especially if they were born among a totally different social class?

I'm not talking about white kids whatever that grow up in the inner city.

I'm talking about white kids born into money and live in some really nice suburb with all these opportunities, and then they decide they think speaking uneducated and dressing with the pants below their waste is cool.

Thats not cool. Thats called being a poser. WE unfortunately as a society has made that acceptable and mainstream. I don't fucking know why.

Its like a Tiger trying to be a fucking elephant.

Most don't try to be black

Most rap albums are purchased by suburban white kids who come from money. They speak the same slang that they hear on those albums and in rap videos. Bitches, hoes, bling, are just some examples of words that originated by rappers who came from the inner city.

A prime example is Eminem,but he's the best at what black people are known for in the music industry,which is rapping.. Dont get me wrong i love Eminem but alot of white kids try to be like him..

In England we call then Wiggers..

Its popular culture pal. people been copying it since elvis.

What Elvis did was not ghetto.

The stuff today is glamourizing ghetto culture.

Why is this even popular ? WTF?

Miley Cyrus just put out a video of herself dancing a dance that was created by inner city african american girls. It is called Twerking. Last time I checked she comes from money and not the ghetto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twerking

Not sure what you mean by ghetto, but Elvis was inspired by early R and B music which was sung by black people, even the DJs of the time thought Elvis was black when they heard his very early songs.

What i meant was that kids have been copying whatevers or whoevers popular i.e music, entertainment for a long time. Why is it popular? just is. To be honest its not even hip hop culture thats even popular anymore. Its these skinny jean wearing motherfuckers i can't stand like lil wayne and a lot of these new rock bands.

I understood your previous comment, i was refering to Snickers..

One of life's greatest mysteries.

I guess it proves that many people are born a certain way and want to be something else deep inside. You can't help the life you are born into, you can only choose the path and groups you want to associate with.

Miley Cyrus obviously thinks that african american culture is hip. Even though she looks like a total moron and poser. Five years from now she probably will say "Why the fuck did I do that?"

i was referring to snickers as well pal.

Let's discuss this more in a context of history, stating for the fact that this phenomena is not new in American popular culture on either sides of the cultural landscape.

What annoys me is when i see white people with there jeans half way down there backside. If only they knew what that symbolizes..

Yes but 50 years ago, black culture wasn't based on the ghetto and glamourizing a crack dealer who is now a rapper. Today it is.

haha, my mistake..

It happens in every culture, the black kids who try and act white are dumped upon and called Uncle Toms! However at least those kids are trying to better themselves! The white kids are playing the rebel role pure and simple.

Well i like the shoes, but other than that i dont have any clothes that make me look like a nafrican.

Some kids need see it as their identity.... So whatever, shit doesnt bother me.

What I want to know is...what the hell difference does it make? People like what they like, and they emulate who they want to emulate. Don't waste your time and energy worrying about how other people want to dress and talk.

No it's not.That's one section which for various reasons some people across the political and racial spectrum like to pretend is the entirety.

I always hear this, and maybe a lot of white kids do buy these rap albums, but it's not like a lot of black kids are listening to rock, metal, country, or classical. Black kids are certainly buying these rap albums too.

Exactly EastHarlem!! During the heyday of jazz music during the 1950's, you had Jewish musicians trying to imitate and play like giants, Coltrane, Miles and etc.. Have you ever seen the film Bird with Forrest Whitaker?

".but it's not like a lot of black kids are listening to rock, metal, country, or classical."

*I disagree!! There are many black kids who listen to these different genres' of musical traditions, and I was one of them. Along with my Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC 12inches, I had Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Steely Dan, Frank Sinatra (my grandmother loved Frank S.) albums as well.

In his initial rise and even thru his heyday Elvis bought many of his clothes from Lanksy's, a Beale Street Memphis clothing store which primarily catered to black musicians.

http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/the_king_and_i_bernard_lansky.shtml#sthash.vArdhTag.dpbs

The Elvis pompadour was also a copy of the black process which itself was a copy of white hairstyles. So there has always been sharing and copying, credited or uncredited, from respect or envy.

To his credit, Elvis was quite open about his musical, performance and sartorial influences. And this wasn't missed by the White Citizen's Councils, who attacked Elvis and rock-n-roll in language that's not too dissimilar to what we hear today.

Sometimes I wonder if some of you make to much of things...did you ever think that this may all be just the norm- I want to be different then what my parents or society wants me to be?
Long hair, short hair, no hair, Tattoos, piercing, there is always someone doing the opposites of what others are doing. The hippies of the sixties, are a perfect example of this.... anti something, anti everything....break the rules, break the norm....I want to be free from THE MAN. WE are young we don't have to follow or listen to those old folks!

Back in the 70s George Carlin put out an album on which he talked about is neighborhood. On one track he stated that if a black guy hung out with a group of white guys on the corner for a month, at the end of that month the black guy would not have adopted any of the white guys' manners or speech. On the other hand, if a white guy hung out with a group of black guys on the corner for a month, at the end of that month the white guy would have adopted a bunch of the black guys' mannerisms and speech.

Exactly. Why is that?

I think it's because teenagers want attention. Dressing up as black gangsters makes them feel like they're also some tough gangster from the ghetto.

I wear a tracksuit and a leather jacket. And practically most of the Russian/Slavic youth does it.

"Many" in terms of numbers? Maybe. "Many" in terms of proportion? I highly doubt it. I think you're the exception that proves the rule.

I think what is considered urban and hip hop in terms of dress has changed drastically from the early 2000s of baggy tees, outrageously baggy jeans and Air Force one's. A lot of so called "rappers" today are wearing skinny jeans. Throwbacks (according to Jay Z are out) and baggy tops are out. I remember guys would wear like 3XL white tees around about 2004 lol.

White kids wanting to be urban african american?!?!?!I mean common this is so 90's stuff or should i say this so yesterday.....whats next?!Do you think that teenagers these days smoke too much weed????

There all fads, EVERYTIME they happen all you'll hear is this is the "end of a civil society" it happens every generation. Hippies, wiggers etc. something will come next. It's just a fad, it always happens.

Elvis Presley took country music and combined it with some songs from Black artists. If you listen to the songs they claim he stole, they are totally different than way he performed them. Many Black singers were ripped off by record companies, Elvis took a lot of the brunt of anger, which he did not deserve.

And they still get ripped off black white Hispanic everyone has to pay their dues someone brings you on board makes you who you are you pay homage ---RESPECT

The politically correct term is "Wigroes"

Agreed 100%. Our American Culture has gone downhill into the level of the ghetto instead of the other way around.

I would want to be an aborigine. Wander round the bush naked all day?? Ideal.

Thanks De Niro

This is nothing new and anybody who follows gangster films should know this.

White people used to go to The Cotton Club, and other spots uptown to , from a safe distance, enjoy certain aspects of "Negro culture".....jazz music,etc....

Even in Harlem, there were clubs reserved especially for white patrons, and the only Black allowed were the service staff and the entertainers.

The Minstrel shows....and their groteque caricatures of souther Black culture..were HUGE draws to white patrons..burnt cork/black face..white actors mocking Black people.

Gangster films covering NYC and the 20s, 30s and 40s..show glimpses into what I'm talking about.

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Elvis ,Rolling Stones, Clapton all DIRECTLY patterned their music and style from poor Southern Black Blues artists.





nothing new at all.....

people gravitate towards and copy whatever they think is "cool"

remember Grand Master B character from "Married With Children"?

don't call me Bud anymore, I'm Grand Master B!!!

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So many beautiful aspects of African American and African diaspora culture..and people latch on to crude, vulgar aspects....


I've seen some non Italians mimick and copy FILM cosa nostra characters in the name of "acting Italian".....and even I have to laugh at such stupidity

Rock N Roll icons with THEIR heroes



muddy waters and the stones



little richard and the beatles




bb king and eric clapton


anybody who is even slightly familiar with the history of Rock music already knows what it is.

Very true.

White boys who wannabe black make me sick

They all look so young but wow, I remember when Eric Clapton looked like that. Far out!!!


Great pictures.




TIS

Didn't mean to bring this thread to a screeching halt by putting things in context. just assumed that everybody was aware of who the direct influences of some the biggest music were.

Jazz and blues performers get awards,honors, "respect" TODAY..but in their day they were called every low down name you can think of by "polite society".




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Oh and I put up the image of the "grandmaster b" persona that fictional Bud Bundy adopted...



and i read a story today about Daniel Day Lewis' son being a "rapper" now and got a few laughs reading the article."Gabriel Day Lewis aka Gabe Day

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment...ticle-1.1522113




I DARE you to watch the video for "Gabe Day"'s song "Green auras' and make it to the end without laughing



Here is his father's reaction to the song




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don't worry about kids watching tv and trying to imitate entertainers...it's just a phase.nobody wants to be richie cunnigham, everybody wants to be fonzie, the cool one ...these kids can act out their "hood fantasies" from the safety of middle american suburbs ....makes them feel "edgy" and when any real trouble comes....they can just say

"I'm appalled"

and snap out of it

i honestly feel sorry for white parents who have children that act black

because this crop of black youth are not the kinda kids you should emulate

i don't know what the fuck is wrong with this generation white/black/hispanic/green/purple

loll! There are a lot of wigga girl rappers trying to make it... kinda dirty looking... huge asses... I hope I never have to go to one of their concerts

For once I agree with you

I think there is a difference between white musicians who try to emulate black music- jazz, blues etc. A great sound like Michael McDonald or Michael Bolton and Justin Timberlake. Then there are the ones who like to act like black thugs like M&M, Vanilla Ice and now even Justin Bieber. I was in a McDonalds recently (Where I almost never go) There were 44-5 high school age guys ahead of me two black and three white. All had their baggy pants down below their asses. The white kid had numerous gold pierced ear gold pieces and every other word out of his mouth was "MF" even to the cashier. He was trying to talk in eubonics and when I saw him walking he did that "Thug walk" I nearly laughed my ass off

since this is Gangsterbb

how does this grab you?

even James Caan aka Santino Corleone

had a son who publicly went through this phase

way back in the 90s...there was a signed rap duo called Whooliganz

his son Scott is on the left




*interestingly enough though....it was a phase for Scott, but the other guy in the group is a credible and respected producer in hip hop..Alchemist

Getinthestreets:

That stuff right there is a problem. Most of these kids living in the suburbs who pump this gangster rap shit have never seen a black person outside of BET.

If these kids lived near the hood they woulden't be pumping that rap shit or acting black because they would find blacks don't like being emulated and might throw em a beating for it.

I have personally witnessed my brother ( who is the whitest person you could ever meet) act like a black person. It really upset my mother, she would always say" boy stop acting like your black you don't live in the ghetto."
It reminds me of my childhood when I see people acting like that.

respect your honesty.

your mom sounded like a very enlightened and well educated person

respect my dishonesty

getinthestreets?

hilarious...you're going to make people forget who george carlin was if you pursue a comedic career.

agree with some of what you wrote though.....some of these kids...and apparently some of the posters here have a very limited view of African diaspora culture...as limited as people thinking all Italians are just like the fictional mob guys from films and tv...

Isn't it all a big circle anyways?

1. White kids buy black music and try to act like blacks thus becoming posers.

2. Black rappers try to use the word "mafia" in their lyrics and name themselves after Gotti and Capone, thus trying to imulate the white man.

3. White kids hear this music about "young money, the mafia" and think these blacks are the Mob when they are in fact posers also.

4. Revert to step one.

it's the 1970s.....you're 12-13 years old....which character is more appealing?

Where's Potsy?

ain't shit wrong with a huge ass

no there is nothing wrong with a big ass... especially if it makes it's own money. But when it walks around in too tight of clothes and colored bandanas and do- rags over bleached blond European hair and says it "wants a piece" of its ni*gas muneh then it's A BIT too much.

To each his own.

i've never seen a big ass that has it's own do-rag and bandana

lol!

Yall need to visit The Big Easy we gots all dat stuff mixed togetha

Hell from start to finish i see all the cultures,wealth levels,in-firmed and a bunch of different levels of fun riding our Mardis Gras route!All in about 5 hours

if you're a diehard happy days fan...really diehard

you know that Potsy was one of the first rappers..in history...of any color


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIXcWE0bTwY


Potsy was dropping bars and gettin' it in in the 1950s