12 replies to this topic

[Earwolf Admin]

Yo, what up race cars! Today's guest Howard Kremer joins Andrew Ti to determine if "nice" white people doing hip-hop covers is racist. We also discuss why white people using the words ninja and nilla is straight up wack. Call in at 323-389-7223 if you'd like to potentially hear your own voice on some weird voicemail.

[GW]

I wish this conversation was a little more in depth and talked about a few specific well known examples of nice white people doing hip hop covers.

Like, is Ben Folds racist?

[VampiresVampiresVampires]

Damn you! I was just about to bring this up. I'm not a Ben Folds fan, but I think his cover of "Bitches Ain't Shit" is actually a good song. I do think that making a decision without an example was a bit hasty, if not lazy in this episode. Still entertaining, though.

[Mart J]

What is the point of this podcast other than declaring everything racist without a discussion? Maybe then list it under comedy if you're doing a bit?

[chrismoke]

i agree that ninja/nilla is fucking wack. lazy and trite. As a nice white person who makes hip hop music, I felt I had to chime in. I don't personally use that word, in any form, but people can do what they want. It's a question of authenticity in life.


also, wish these were longer! I think a weekly, longer form show might be a better format to actually have time to discuss some of these issues, right now it feels very sparse, but I know this will all get ironed out soon. Keep it up!


also wanted to point out that i laughed at the kulap shoutout, THATS A COOL-APP

[Joshie]

So what is a white person supposed to do if they are verbatim reciting a rap and they don't use the slur and they don't use a euphemism to fill it in? You wanna talk about the wackest thing ever, peppering a song with 1-second gaps where you just stop talking to not say anything is the worst

What is the answer for not being racist and also not making the song all stop&go style corny? Drawing attention to yourself for self-censoring a dirty word is also an ancient, played out joke and that's why people started substituting "player" or whatever, to keep things going without having a winking "ain't I a stinker" moment and not interrupting the song

If your answer is to make every white person that wants to rap sound like: that answer is mad wack and worse than the "problem" you want to combat

[Kevin Irmiter]

White guys doing rap as comedy is indeed played out and very wack. I remember in the early 90s when I heard some super-white folk cover of "Straight Outta Compton," and at the time I found it funny, but that shit don't hold up for 25 years.

You know what does sound funny to me? Going the other way. Taking some lame-ass, white-bread song and doing a hardcore rap cover of it. Unless that has already been done. I know the Fugees did "Killing Me Softly" but I want to hear something that sounds less like the original and more gangsta.

[LemonDropKid]

Kevin Irmiter, on 05 October 2012 - 02:20 PM, said:

White guys doing rap as comedy is indeed played out and very wack. I remember in the early 90s when I heard some super-white folk cover of "Straight Outta Compton," and at the time I found it funny, but that shit don't hold up for 25 years.

You know what does sound funny to me? Going the other way. Taking some lame-ass, white-bread song and doing a hardcore rap cover of it. Unless that has already been done. I know the Fugees did "Killing Me Softly" but I want to hear something that sounds less like the original and more gangsta.

It would have to be something pretty wordy. "End of the World as We Know it"? "We Didn't Start the Fire?" "American Pie"?

[GW]

Kevin Irmiter, on 05 October 2012 - 02:20 PM, said:

You know what does sound funny to me? Going the other way. Taking some lame-ass, white-bread song and doing a hardcore rap cover of it.

You mean like Walk This Way? It isn't very hardcore though

[Kevin Irmiter]

LemondropKid, on 05 October 2012 - 02:41 PM, said:

It would have to be something pretty wordy. "End of the World as We Know it"? "We Didn't Start the Fire?" "American Pie"?

Being extremely bland and whitebread is also key, though. American Pie is the best out of those.

I don't know if it HAS to be wordy. There are ways to rap that draw the lyrics out more.

GW, on 05 October 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

You mean like Walk This Way? It isn't very hardcore though

Also like "Killing Me Softly," it feels more like they took the original music style and fused it with hip hop to make kind of a hybrid. Not what I'm htinking of. Maybe it's just too hard to do.

[mish_olson]

Here's my two cents on the Louis C.K., "the n-word just puts it in my head" nonsense. OK, it was funny as a bit of stand-up, but here's the reality: Just as there's no good reason for a white person to ever say the n-word, there is also no good reason for a white person to say "the n-word". The only time that shit should ever be necessary is if you are having some kind of conversation about the n-word, like an interesting time you heard it said, or while explaining to a racist why they shouldn't say it. It's a placeholder for that one rare time you do actually have a good reason to say it.

[LemonDropKid]

mish_olson, on 08 October 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

Here's my two cents on the Louis C.K., "the n-word just puts it in my head" nonsense. OK, it was funny as a bit of stand-up, but here's the reality: Just as there's no good reason for a white person to ever say the n-word, there is also no good reason for a white person to say "the n-word". The only time that shit should ever be necessary is if you are having some kind of conversation about the n-word, like an interesting time you heard it said, or while explaining to a racist why they shouldn't say it. It's a placeholder for that one rare time you do actually have a good reason to say it.

Isn't that how people mainly use it? Or are there actually people yelling "YOU N-WORDS GET OUTTA MY NEIGHBORHOOD?!" I would think anyone that blatantly racist would just go the full monty.

[rowsdower]

That shit is racist and wack. I'm looking at you Karmin.