A “Fresh New Music Mix” for the 1980s: Broadcasting Multiculturalism on Crossover Radio

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-59
Author(s):  
AMY CODDINGTON
Keyword(s):  
Hip Hop ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Racial Politics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Radio Stations ◽  
New Radio ◽  
The Us ◽  
Radio Industry ◽  
Top 40

AbstractThis article examines the racial politics of radio programming in the United States by focusing on the development of a new radio format in the late 1980s. This new format, which the radio industry referred to as Crossover, attracted a coalition audience of Black, white, and Latinx listeners by playing up-tempo dance, R&B, and pop music. In so doing, this format challenged the segregated structure of the radio industry, acknowledging the presence and tastes of Latinx audiences and commodifying young multicultural audiences. The success of this format influenced programming on Top 40 radio stations, bringing the sounds of multicultural publics into the US popular music mainstream. Among these sounds was hip hop, which Crossover programmers embraced for its ability to appeal across diverse audiences; these stations helped facilitate the growth of this burgeoning genre. But like many forms of liberal multiculturalism in the 1980s and 1990s, the racial politics of these stations were complex, as they decentered individual minority groups’ interests in the name of colorblindness and inclusion.

scholarly journals Yellow in Black and White: Representasi Identitas Asia oleh Rich Brian dalam Musik Hip-Hop di Amerika Serikat

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Nokia Putri Andika Lainsyamputty
Keyword(s):  
Hip Hop ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
Asian Race ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Analysis Process ◽  
The Us ◽  
Stuart Hall ◽  
Chinese Descent

AbstractThe representation of the Asian race in the US music industry is still relatively small. However, Rich Brian, a person of Chinese descent with Indonesian nationality, succeeded in his career by carrying out the hip-hop genre that was firmly rooted in African-American (black) racial groups in the United States, a country which was dominated by Caucasian (white) races. This study aims to uncover how Brian represented his identity in the US hip-hop music scene using Stuart Hall's circuit of culture theory. The object of this research is the lyrics of several songs in Rich Brian's album. Through the analysis process, it was found that Brian did not cover the nationality and race identity he had. He precisely positioned himself on the spectrum of social identity. This then affects the representation of identity that he does in his songs, including revolving around the theme of the meaning of identity and stereotypes of the Asian race, as well as the struggles experienced by Asians who are part of minority groups in the United States.AbstrakRepresentasi ras Asia dalam industri musik Amerika Serikat masih tergolong sedikit. Namun Rich Brian, seseorang keturunan Tionghoa dan berkewarganegaraan Indonesia, berhasil berkarir dengan mengusung genre hip-hop yang berakar kuat pada kelompok ras Afrika-Amerika (black), di negara Amerika Serikat yang didominasi oleh ras kaukasian (white). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap bagaimana Brian merepresentasikan identitasnya dalam skena musik hip-hop Amerika Serikat menggunakan teori sirkuit budaya oleh Stuart Hall. Objek dalam penelitian ini berupa lirik dari beberapa lagu dalam album milik Rich Brian. Melalui proses analisis, didapati bahwa Brian tidak menutupi identitas kewarganegaraan dan ras yang ia miliki. Ia justru memosisikan dirinya pada spektrum identitas sosial. Hal ini kemudian memengaruhi representasi identitas yang ia lakukan dalam lagu-lagunya, diantaranya berkisar pada tema pemaknaan identitas dan stereotip dari ras Asia, serta perjuangan yang dialami oleh orang Asia yang merupakan bagian dari kelompok minoritas di Amerika Serikat.

“Check Out the Hook While My DJ Revolves It”

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Coddington
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Hip Hop ◽  
Rap Music ◽  
The United States ◽  
Radio Stations ◽  
Top 40

During the late 1980s, Top 40 radio stations in the United States considerably increased their programming of rap, facilitating hip hop’s crossover into the mainstream. Concerned about potential negative responses from advertisers and listeners based on rap’s sound as well as the presumed racial identity of rap’s performers and audiences, these stations primarily programmed songs that mixed hip hop aesthetics with the more traditional sounds of pop, disguising some of the sonic qualities of rap that programmers worried were offensive to their audiences. These songs did not just change the generic makeup of Top 40 radio; instead, they profoundly influenced the newly interconnected futures of pop and rap music.

scholarly journals A Geography of Risk: Structural Racism and COVID-19 Mortality in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C Zalla ◽  
Chantel L Martin ◽  
Jessie K Edwards ◽  
Danielle R Gartner ◽  
Grace A Noppert
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The Us ◽  
Racialized Minority ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Minority ◽  
Disproportionate Burden

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is disproportionately burdening racial and ethnic minority groups in the US. Higher risks of infection and mortality among racialized minorities are a consequence of structural racism, reflected in specific policies that date back centuries and persist today. Yet, our surveillance activities do not reflect what we know about how racism structures risk. When measuring racial and ethnic disparities in deaths due to COVID-19, the CDC statistically accounts for the geographic distribution of deaths throughout the US to reflect the fact that deaths are concentrated in areas with different racial and ethnic distributions than that of the larger US. In this commentary, we argue that such an approach misses an important driver of disparities in COVID-19 mortality, namely the historical forces that determine where individuals live, work, and play, and consequently determine their risk of dying from COVID-19. We explain why controlling for geography downplays the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on racialized minority groups in the US. Finally, we offer recommendations for the analysis of surveillance data to estimate racial disparities, including shifting from distribution-based to risk-based measures, to help inform a more effective and equitable public health response to the pandemic.

A Love Song for All of Us?: Macklemore's “Same Love” and the Myth of Black Homophobia

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURON KEHRER
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Hip Hop ◽  
American Culture ◽  
New York Times ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gay Marriage ◽  
Black Communities ◽  
Strategic Performance ◽  
Proposition 8 ◽  
Top 40

AbstractAccording to theNew York Times, white rapper Macklemore and his DJ partner Ryan Lewis's “Same Love” was “the first song to explicitly embrace and promote gay marriage that has made it into the Top 40.”1In 2013, as the Supreme Court of the United States prepared to rule on challenges to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage, the track quickly climbed the charts and became a nationally recognized anthem for marriage equality. Despite this generally positive reception, however, the song does not reflect all queer-identified listeners. Macklemore raps, “If I were gay, I would think hip hop hates me,” an assertion that positions black communities as a significant threat to (white) LGBTQ rights. Much like the backlash against black voters following the 2008 passing of Proposition 8, this claim relies on an invented black pathology that locates homophobia in black American culture specifically rather than American culture at large. This article offers a close reading and contextualization of “Same Love” and demonstrates that, rather than combating homophobia in hip hop, Macklemore's lyrical claims actually bolster his strategic performance as a socially and politically aware white rapper, while erasing queer and trans hip hop artists of color from the discourse.

Global South Korea and the K-Pop Phenomenon

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal S. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Hip Hop ◽  
First Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Korean Economy ◽  
Rhythm And Blues ◽  
Musical Activity ◽  
Promotional Strategies ◽  
Musical Elements

K-pop is a form of South Korean popular music directed at a global audience that fuses Korean and foreign musical elements. While “idols” (performers who sing, dance, and engage in extra-musical activity) are the most visible, K-pop encompasses a wide variety of genres. Emerging in the wake of a major financial crisis that prompted a restructuring of the Korean economy, K-pop benefits from increased freedom in cultural expression, support by the Korean government, and a global cultural movement that reaches East Asia and beyond. The first K-pop groups appeared in the early 1990s, drawing on hip-hop and rhythm and blues popular in the United States. The use of rap and b-boying/breakdance style, along with emotional vocals of R&B, became staples for first-generation “idol” groups. Initially presenting an approachable image, they later took on more mature concepts before they disbanded in the late 1990s. Several continue to influence the K-pop music scene, even as subsequent generations of K-pop artists emerge. These idol groups have diversified their images as well as their musical styles. Several solo artists have emerged, and hip-hop groups continue to participate. All of this musical activity is governed by Korean agencies, the largest of which are responsible for the creation and management of “idols,” while others encourage indie artists and still others are led by K-pop artists themselves. In addition to the promotional strategies of agencies, media, both professional and fan-driven, play a large role in the global spread of K-pop. The fans themselves are also active participants, acting as both audience members and content producers.

scholarly journals Risk for Disability and Poverty Among Central Asians in the United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Siordia ◽  
Athena K. Ramos
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
English Language ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Us

Understanding the disability-poverty relationship among minority groups within the United States (US) populations may help inform interventions aimed at reducing health disparities. Limited information exists on risk factors for disability and poverty among “Central Asians” (immigrants born in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other Central Asian regions of the former Soviet Union) in the US. The current cross-sectional analysis used information on 6,820 Central Asians to identify risk factors for disability and poverty. Data from the 2009-2013 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file from the American Community Survey (ACS) indicate that being married, non-Latino-white, and having higher levels of educational attainment are protective against disability and poverty. In contrast, older age, residing in the Middle Atlantic geographic division, and having limited English language ability are risk factors for both disability and poverty. Research should continue to develop risk profiles for understudied immigrant populations. Expanding knowledge on the well-being of Central Asians in the US may help impact public health interventions and inform health policies.

scholarly journals Racial disparities in pollution exposure and employment at US industrial facilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (42) ◽  
pp. 10636-10641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ash ◽  
James K. Boyce
Keyword(s):  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Industrial Facilities ◽  
Employment Benefits ◽  
Pollution Risk ◽  
The Us ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Proximity to industrial facilities can have positive employment effects as well as negative pollution exposure impacts on surrounding communities. Although racial disparities in exposure to industrial air pollution in the United States are well documented, there has been little empirical investigation of whether these disparities are mirrored by employment benefits. We use facility-level data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEO-1 database to assess the extent to which the racial and ethnic distribution of industrial employment corresponds to the distribution of exposure to air toxics emitted by the same facilities. The share of pollution risk accruing to minority groups generally exceeds their share of employment and exceeds their share of higher paying jobs by a wide margin. We find no evidence that facilities that create higher pollution risk for surrounding communities provide more jobs in aggregate.

scholarly journals What has America been singing about? Trends in themes in the U.S. top-40 songs: 1960–2010

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Christenson ◽  
Silvia de Haan-Rietdijk ◽  
Donald F. Roberts ◽  
Tom F.M. ter Bogt
Keyword(s):  
Hip Hop ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Continuity And Change ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
The Social ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Top 40

This study explored 19 themes embedded in the lyrics of 1,040 U.S. top-40 songs from 1960 through 2010, using R strucchange software to identify trends and breaks in trends. Findings reveal both continuity and change. As in 1960, the predominant topic of pop music remains romantic and sexual relationships. However, whereas the proportion of lyrics referring to relationships in romantic terms remained stable, the proportion including reference to sex-related aspects of relationships increased sharply. References to lifestyle issues such as dancing, alcohol and drugs, and status/wealth increased substantially, particularly in the 2000s. Other themes were far less frequent: Social/political issues, religion/God, race/ethnicity, personal identity, family, friends showed a modest occurrence in top-40 music throughout the studied period and showed no dramatic changes. Violence and death occurred in a small number of songs, and both increased, particularly since the 1990s. References to hate/hostility, suicide, and occult matters were very rare. Results are examined in the context of cultural changes in the social position of adolescents, and more specifically in light of the increased popularity of rap/hip-hop music, which may explain the increases in references to sex, partying, dancing, drug use, and wealth.

Plugging and programming: pop radio and record promotion in Britain and the United States

Popular Music ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Negus
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
The United States ◽  
Radio Networks ◽  
Pop Music ◽  
Radio Stations ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Broadcasting System ◽  
Commercial Station ◽  
Talent Acquisition

The radio networks of North America and Britain provide one of the most important promotional outlets for recorded music, setting programming agendas at radio stations and influencing the talent acquisition policies of record labels throughout the world. For many years there have been sharp contrasts in the way in which music radio has operated and been organised in these two countries. The promotion of records in Britain has mainly been directed towards one national non-commercial station, Radio 1, which plays an eclectic mixture of musical styles. In the United States radio promotion has been aimed across a complex of commercial stations which broadcast ‘narrowcast’ music very clearly defined according to various ‘formats’. However, the recent re-regulation of the broadcasting system in Britain has resulted in a proliferation of regional commercial stations that are responding to increasing competition by introducing narrowcasting policies similar to those of North America. With Radio 1's share of listeners declining and the prospect of national commercial stations being granted licences and further challenging Radio 1's dominance of pop broadcasting, it seems particularly pertinent to contrast the practices of record companies and radio stations in Britain and North America and highlight how they directly effect the production and consumption of pop music.

scholarly journals Professional societies and African American engineering leaders: Paving pathways and empowering legacies

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 703-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine S. Grant ◽  
Tonya Peeples ◽  
Lynnette D. Madsen
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Underrepresented Minority ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Howard University ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
The Us ◽  
And Mathematics

Diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a global issue. The challenging issues facing the world relating to STEM diversity cross national borders and require leveraging the talents of diverse constituents.1Active international efforts at inclusive talent development are being undertaken to empower persons from groups historically underrepresented in STEM communities.2,3The US National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) reports that in the United States, African Americans are one of the most underrepresented minority groups in engineering relative to their population. This is in spite of a great deal of progress in “growing African American scientists, engineers, and technologists since the Howard University School of Engineering opened in 1910.”4The number of African Americans in engineering at all degree levels is not representative of their percentage in the US population. Table I shows a sampling of 2016 data from a National Science Foundation (NSF) survey of doctoral recipients in engineering.5Figure 1 illustrates a snapshot of African American representation in US colleges of engineering. These statistics show that African Americans remain underrepresented relative to US demographics.6–8

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