From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity (African Amer Music in Global Perspective) [Paperback]

Miles White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 14, 2011 | Series: African Amer Music in Global Perspective

This multilayered study of the representation of black masculinity in musical and cultural performance takes aim at the reduction of African American male culture to stereotypes of deviance, misogyny, and excess. Broadening the significance of hip-hop culture by linking it to other expressive forms within popular culture, Miles White examines how these representations have both encouraged the demonization of young black males in the United States and abroad and contributed to the construction of their identities. From Jim Crow to Jay-Z traces black male representations to chattel slavery and American minstrelsy as early examples of fetishization and commodification of black male subjectivity. Continuing with diverse discussions including black action films, heavyweight prizefighting, Elvis Presley's performance of blackness, and white rappers such as Vanilla Ice and Enimem, White establishes a sophisticated framework for interpreting and critiquing black masculinity in hip-hop music and culture. Arguing that black music has undeniably shaped American popular culture and that hip-hop tropes have exerted a defining influence on young male aspirations and behaviour, White draws a critical link between the body, musical sound, and the construction of identity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Unique in both approach and scope, this work adds a scholarly perspective to the popular literature that examines issues of black masculinity and hardcore hip-hop as performed by black and white rappers. An example of excellent scholarship that sets new standards for writing on this topic." Portia K. Maultsby, co-editor of African American Music: An Introduction

About the Author

Formerly a professional musician and entertainment journalist, Miles White teaches at City University of Seattle in Bratislava, Slovakia.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press; 1st Edition edition (November 14, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252078322
• ISBN-13: 978-0252078323
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #907,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Important piece of musicology March 8, 2012

By D. Shanahan

Format:Paperback

This is an important study of a cultural phenomenon too easily dismissed by those who do not understand it or the role it plays in contemporary youth culture. White is a serious, even gifted, musicologist, and he's brought his formidable talents to bear on a subject laden with mine fields. One could wish that the book was not so reflective of the "cultural studies" discourse academics often find themselves confined to - talk of "social texts," "codes" and "meanings" will prove daunting to the uninitiated. But this is a valuable study that rewards those who give it the attention it deserves.