What does it mean for someone like Kendrick Lamar to receive critical acclaim...
From a music establishment that caters to a body of listeners who have likely never experienced what life is like growing up in a city like Compton?
I consider myself a music enthusiast. I enjoy almost every genre. However, I don't know how to relate to most rap. This barrier is taller and wider than with any other musical experience. I can appreciate well produced albums. I can remark on the incredible story telling, lyricism and melodic talent of someone like Lamar.
However, at the end of each listen, I have a feeling that this music just isn't meant for me. Which is totally okay. So I'm left wondering exactly what such a conclusion means when rap goes mainstream.
Are we "gentrifying" black rap? Is this a theft of circumstance? An exploitation? Or is it something more positive?
I mean, I pride myself on being a critical theorist. But, on this subject, I just have absolutely no idea.
