The Cost of Being “Real”: Black Authenticity, Colorism, and Rap Billboard Chart Rankings

• In Event: 202 - Regular Session. Popular Culture

Abstract

Rap music is often viewed as authentically Black music and the Blackness within it viewed as authentic. Research shows, however, that the Blackness within rap lyrics draws upon historic controlling images perpetuating beliefs of hypermasculinity and drug/alcohol use, abuse, and dealing. Within research on Black authenticity and the concept of controlling images, White standards of beauty, particularly lighter skin, are also a key component, and in fact, research finds that colorism exists throughout society, with lighter skinned Blacks having more favorable outcomes on a range of life chances. However, research also finds that darker skinned racial group members are viewed as more authentic. This leads to the question: In a music genre that privileges authenticity, what role does skin color play? To examine this question, analysis of artists’ skin tone and lyrical content of songs ranked on Billboard Rap Charts from 2007-2011 is conducted. The results show that darker skin tone is related to lower chart rankings. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to stereotypes about Black authenticity and the effects of colorism.

Author

• Wendy Marie Laybourn, University of Maryland