New Movie About White People In Hip-Hop

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Chris Faraone

I’m sure that I don’t have to say much in order to rile JTTS readers about this one. Personally, I’m not sure how I feel about the repeated efforts to academically negotiate white participation in hip-hop, but my guess is that everyone else around here has a heated opinion.

Either way – this new film, Blacking Up, is sure to serve as a great conversation piece for lots of college kids who have no clue about rap culture. Also; it will likely provide more than a few laughs for irony-mongering Vanilla Ice fans and those of us who love watching skinny white dudes in giant tees make complete fools out of themselves. The following is from the press release:

Blacking Up explores tensions surrounding white participation in hip-hop. Popularly referred to by derogatory terms such as “wannabe” or “wigger,” the figure of the white person who identifies with hip-hop often invokes heated responses. For some, it is an example of cultural progress – a movement toward a color-blind America. For others, it is just another case of cultural theft and mockery – a repetition of a racist past.

HERE FOR THE “BLACKING UP” WEB SITE