Essentializing the Black Singer in Pop Culture

An article posted to gawker.com last year discusses the problematic nature of labeling black singers as “rappers.” The article, entitled, “Stop Calling Black Singers ‘Rappers’ Already” discusses the ways in which the media looks at and discusses singer Chris Brown. The author recognizes the marginalizing effect of this generalization and states, “characterizing black singers (and sometimes actors and moguls) as ‘rappers,’ especially in stories about public misbehavior, must stop” Whereas whiteness exists as a “non-existent peripheral identity,” blackness persists as a defining characteristic a black person’s identity. Blackness (or any other non-white identity) can carry defining qualities of one’s character, ranging from “ways of talking, walking, eating and dreaming” (Omi & Winant, 60). All of those characteristics become “racially coded.” The same notion goes for singing as opposed to rapping. The notion that all black singers can be classified as ‘rappers’ perpetuates narrow boxes and roles for those non-white musicians. The ‘invisibility,’ or peripheral nature of whiteness, allows for a sense of individuality and the space to carve out one’s own unique identity unaffected by (imagined or unimagined) racialized characteristics. In other words, because of the stereotyped role of black entertainers as solely rappers and hip hop artists, the space for black singers or songwriters to be labeled as anything but a ‘rapper’ is limiting. The author goes on to name other prominent black musicians who have been falsely labeled as ‘rappers.’ Included in this list are artists such as Shaggy, M.I.A., Mario, Lyfe Jennings, Anthony Hamilton, Usher, and Frank Ocean.