Soul Thieves: America's Appropriation of Black Music and Culture

• In Event: Fixated and Fascinated: Linguistic Artistry in African American Popular Culture

Abstract

This presentation examines hip hop’s importance to American popular culture arguing that rap’s rise in popular culture was sustained by white America’s fixation with rappers’ verbal dexterity and linguistic wizardry. This examination seeks to answer the question as to whether hip hop’s popularity in American popular culture is an appreciation or an appropriation of Black music and culture.

Author

• Baruti Kopano, Morgan State University