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I think the thing that really grates is the way doing this, and certain other things, make him more acceptable to a certain breed of critic than rappers who are simply aggressive.
I’m interested in exploring this annoyance that Kanye arouses because of his mainstream success and his image as the rapper who’s not like the rest. It’s a strange resentment he suffers; lauded by critics and despised by fans for what he’s not.
There have been middle-class non-gangsta rappers for years (Common, for one) and they’ve been relatively unsuccessful and easy to ignore. Kanye’s problem is his success. I believe that’s because of the music, not because of the way he’s perceived. All Fall Down, Jesus Walks, Slow Jamz, Gold Digger, Heard ‘Em Say, Good Life: these are great songs, offering something different lyrically and musically. I saw Pharrell last night praising Graduation to the skies. That’s respect worth having.
But Kanye also offers something different in terms of image. He’s non-threatening. He’s not as aggressive as previous rap superstars. While he’s all about asserting how much better he is than everybody else, those assertions don’t go to the streets. If Snoop Dogg is saying he’s better than you then it won’t be long before guns, violence, and sexual slurs against you and your women come into the picture. Unpleasant terms will be used, terms that offend liberal people and which I haven’t used here.
Is it really so wrong for audiences uncomfortable with all this, who like hip hop but don’t want to feel awkward when they’ve got friends round and Can U Control Yo Hoe comes on, to embrace Kanye? From their perspective, finally you’re getting the music without the unpleasant stuff. And Kanye is keeping it real. Coming on like a gangsta with a middle-class past was never going to work. Telling the truth about himself and his life is all a rapper is meant to do, and arguably Kanye is being more honest than 50 Cent nowadays given that the latter no longer lives the life in his lyrics.
Or is it racism, because Kayne comes from a background which is more recognisable to white audiences? Does that allow them to replace fear of the other with he’s just like us really? But weren’t 50’s tales of drug dealing and being shot presenting an image equally appealing to white audiences, even if a certain breed of critic was repulsed? |
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