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Race card played in criticism of Kanye West's music

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The Independent (UK) published an article online today by its culture editor Christopher Hooten.

He discussed Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and his dismissal of Kanye West as an "idiot" and "dickhead". Hooten repudiated Coxon's claims, and said that the criticisms he levels at West could easily be applied to Coxon's own music, or Blur.

He then unfavourably compared the chorus of Blur's song Tender with a verse from West's song Gorgeous (this is rather disingenuous, as the chorus of Gorgeous is lyrically no more impressive than the chorus of Tender).

Now, if Christopher Hooten wants to rebuke Coxon's criticisms that's fine. If he wants to defend West's music, that's fine. If he wants to mention that West has had seven platinum selling albums, but neglect to mention the 12 million albums sold by Blur, that's also fine.

What is not fine, however, is the patronising playing of the race card against Coxon.

Hooten describes Coxon as "another white dude dismissing Kanye West's ouvre..."

Excuse me, but what the fuck does Coxon's skin colour have to do with his opinion of West and West's music? Are black musicians like Kanye West so weak and helpless then need protection against white musicians like Graham Coxon? Would Coxon's criticism of a white artist be somehow more defensible than his criticism of Kanye?

If I were a black person, or a Kanye West fan, I'd be pissed off at such condescending nonsense.

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jamesbere

Oh right yeah

Miley30

tldr

Harry Palmr

Who is Kanye West? (that's a question that is rhetorical in nature)

anncoates

Kayne summarize that please?

Samaris

Give it a west.

Rough Sleeper

I'm guessing that maybe he's using "white" to describe an attitude as much as anything. It might make sense in the recent furore over Glastonbury. The people kicking up the biggest stink about Kanye were those with a pathologically white taste in music, the sort who think that a a hip-hop set would by its very nature would somehow besmirch the name of the pyramid stage, but would enjoy as a matter of principle a tepid set by a bunch of 70-year-old white guys who haven't done anything of use in 30 years.

Doesn't really make sense with Blur though, they're pretty eclectic and would obviously appreciate all sorts of music.

d22ontour

Rough Sleeper wrote: »

the sort who think that a a hip-hop set would by its very nature would somehow besmirch the name of the pyramid stage

Maybe, just maybe his music is **** ?

darkpagandeath

Rough Sleeper wrote: »

I'm guessing that maybe he's using "white" to describe an attitude as much as anything. It might make sense in the recent furore over Glastonbury. The people kicking up the biggest stink about Kanye were those with a pathologically white taste in music, the sort who think that a a hip-hop set would by its very nature would somehow besmirch the name of the pyramid stage, but would enjoy as a matter of principle a tepid set by a bunch of 70-year-old white guys who haven't done anything of use in 30 years.

Doesn't really make sense with Blur though, they're pretty eclectic and would obviously appreciate all sorts of music.

White music ?? Would that be Country and western ? Black music the blues for example has shaped all modern music pretty much.

Rough Sleeper

d22ontour wrote: »

Maybe, just maybe his music is **** ?

Well that would be very far from the critical consensus on his work in general. Like anyone, he's made some bogeys, but he's produced some fantastic stuff as well.

Rough Sleeper

darkpagandeath wrote: »

White music ?? Would that be Country and western ? Black music the blues for example has shaped all modern music pretty much.

A white taste in music. The sort of taste in music that a very stereotypically white person (in the American sense of the term) would have. Like, for example, listening almost exclusively to classic rock (and, of course "some jazz," in an attempt to display some semblance of variety).

Samaris

Generally I can keep a performer separate from his art - I love some of Adam Baldwin's characters, but he sounds a bit of an ass IRL. Same goes for Sean Connery and Patrick Stewart has had his assish moments too. But I can watch and enjoy their stuff. But Kanye West is such a Grade A, self-obsessed, delusional tosspot that I can't actually listen to his stuff for any length of time due to a strong urge to punch him through the radio.

I so racist.

efb

Kanye get hell yeah?

darkpagandeath

Rough Sleeper wrote: »

A white taste in music. The sort of taste in music that a very stereotypically white person (in the American sense of the term) would have. Like, for example, listening almost exclusively to classic rock (and, of course "some jazz," in an attempt to display some semblance of variety).

I would look up some music history before making broad statements of White music for example.

Cold War Kid

People just think Kanye's a tosser - it's nothing to do with race ffs. That Guardian guy is of course white, acting like he can speak for black people.

I actually like a lot of Kanye's music but he does seem like a twat. Wouldn't it be overly focusing on his colour not to criticise him for fear of seeming racist?

darkpagandeath

Cold War Kid wrote: »

People just think Kanye's a tosser - it's nothing to do with race ffs. That Guardian guy is of course white, acting like he can speak for black people.

I actually like a lot of Kanye's music but he does seem like a twat. Wouldn't it be overly focusing on his colour not to criticise him for fear of seeming racist?

He's a grade A A hole, How many times has he rushed the award stage...

Rough Sleeper

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I would look up some music history before making broad statements of White music for example.

A white taste in music, dammit. People with a white taste in music love Phil Lynott and Jimi Hendrix. Their genre of choice is derived from genres that had predominantly black origins. Their taste in music is still white as ****.

fleet_admiral

Coxon is one of the best guitarists of all time, he can say whatever the feck he likes

[MOD EDIT] Forgot to add a post before closing, but yeah, this is closed as it clearly another attempt by the OP to incite race discussion when they have been advised not to.[/MOD EDIT]