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

White, Miles

ISBN 10: 0252078322 / ISBN 13: 9780252078323

Published by University of Illinois Press, 2011

About this Item

Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. The spine and cover may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation. If you're not satisfied with purchase please just return it!

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap, and the Performance of Masculinity (African Amer Music in Global Perspective)
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0252078322
• ISBN 13: 9780252078323
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

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 Eminem, 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 behavior, White draws a critical link between the body, musical sound, and the construction of identity.

About the Author

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