Black pop culture has been there for ages, sometimes unbeknownst to us; it might escape our attention. However, shifts in politics, performance, and the recent uprising of the George Floyd murder in the United States have all altered and refocused people’s attention on Black pop culture.
If you think about it, Black pop culture has played a pivotal role in shaping and defining various aspects of mainstream culture. Let’s take a closer look at how Black pop culture has influenced other aspects of mainstream culture, like music, fashion, and language.
Music
Various music genres like R&B, jazz, Blues, and Rock are influenced by Black pop culture. From its early days, Black music always pushed the boundaries of creativity with artists like Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, and Tupac Shakur leaving an indelible mark on listeners. Black culture continues to shape modern music through genres like R&B, gospel, and hip hop, which impact vocal styles and rhythmic tones, leading to the development of new music styles such as techno.
Fashion
Black culture has also left its mark on the fashion industry, influencing trends and aesthetics in unprecedented ways. Styles from the African American traditions have quickly been adopted into mainstream fashion and urban street styles. For example, various trends that originated in the Black community, like streetwear fashion that includes baggy jeans, oversized jerseys, and trending sneakers, along with bold accessories like hoop earrings for women and nameplate necklaces, have now been adopted as the norm in fashion. Moreover, the influence of African aesthetics, like vibrant colours and bold prints, has been embraced in many design styles.
Language
African American Vernacular language has played a significant role in the modern-day linguistic landscape of popular culture. Slang phrases and expression that are rooted in Black culture have made their way into mainstream language. Examples of Black slang that have made their way into mainstream language include words like woke, slay, and period. “Woke” is a term that means to be aware of social and political issues, “slay” is an expression that describes doing something exceptionally well, and “period” is used to emphasize a final point.
The Importance of Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
With the rise of Black culture influencing mainstream culture, the issue of cultural appropriation might quickly appear. Cultural appropriation involves taking aspects of another culture’s language, dress code, or way of doing things, sometimes without crediting it to another culture.
In our day and age, the issue of cultural appropriation is impacting several fronts, even in the fashion industry. That’s why it is important to give credit where credit is due, especially when some aspects of another culture are adopted or borrowed. Recognizing the contributions of Black culture not only honours creativity but also fosters a more inclusive society.
That’s why both artists and creatives should honour Black culture when they borrow aspects of it in their creations, whether it’s in music, fashion, or any other field. In doing so, they foster a more inclusive landscape, one that honours people of all backgrounds, displaying cultural appreciation rather than cultural appropriation.
David Messiha | Staff Writer