The Condition: Re-evaluating the Expression Noire
The Condition: Re-evaluating the Expression Noire
Frantz Fanon declares in Black Skin, White Masks, that “in the Caribbean, this vision of a world is white as no black expression or culture exists”. In a globalised world, is Fanon’s 1952 assessment true? The black American exports like hip-hop have made non-black executives very rich. Can a black culture or expression noire as Fanon called it, truly exist in a world where it has become a fetish? The brawny rappers that dominate MTV screens feed themselves and their families with IQ-deficient lyrics yet raise important issues: their re-imagining of black culture is cartoonish and laughable, as seen by Soulja Boy. Once where luminaries like James Baldwin and Ngugi wa Thiong’o were feted, the new generation representatives of black culture are proving themselves to be robots of a music industry keen to make as much money as possible despite the digital revolution. This financial incentive that drives so many music video creations has meant the creation of Fanon’s expression noire is now stale. When Fanon wrote his seminal book Black Skin, White Masks, he thus was like an organic farmer of black thought, searching for answers as to the root of the psychology of the ‘black’ problem. Black music is not organic as his words once were, it is part of the machine nation. If we take the postmodern assertion that nothing is original anymore and that everything has already been done, this shows us that the black music industry is the victim/perpetuator of this postmodern view. Some may disagree with the notion that black culture does not exist. The existence of something does not mean it is free or immune from indoctrination and intoxication. Thus, expression noire is being strangled by the poisonous arms of those black people who seem like they are on our side but truly aren’t. The power of black expression lies not only in obvious outlets like music and film but on the ideology of blackness and what that is. Hopefully, it will float on ideology, as opposed to sinking on empty rap lyrics.
March 21, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Great post,
Hip - Hop is a subculture,it is not exactly Black culture. Although, I do agree with you that the music industry is completely driven by money. For that reason, HiP - Hop has been in a steady state of artistic decline for almost twenty years. With Gangster Rap being the most profitable format to sell, we have seem some of the worst caricatures of Black Folk since Birth of a Nation. With 80 percent of American Hip - Hop sales generated by whites, it shows some of the worst stereotypes of Blacks are very “entertaining” to them.
To be honest, White Americans are not responsible for all of the blame. Twenty years ago, Black Americans should have put more pressure on the record companies and the artist’s to be more responsible with their lyrics. The apathy shown by the Black community allowed the greedy record companies and artist’s to prosper.
Maybe that is the root of the psychology of the “black” problem, greed.
March 22, 2008 at 1:40 pm
@truth, thank you for your input! Great point about the cariactures, I agree on that front. Once black people in hip-hop realise that it is no longer organic and it is about profits, then perhaps the content will get better.
March 22, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I believe hip hop was born from the ignorant, voiceless and uncultured elements of the black community here in the United States.The dangerous thing about hip hop is that it is masquerading as authentic black culture throughout the Diaspora. Black Americans because of the U.S. dominance in the world have always held a position of leadership throughout the Diaspora in terms of trends.
Hip hop has been a detriment to the African diaspora in terms of the vulgarity,misogyny,and raw sexuality that it projects.There is nothing new here, white people historically have always earned a living off the backs of black people.That black people still lack the vision and sophistication to be able to figure things out and solve our problems collectively is still paramount today and one of our
greatest flaws.
Saludos.
March 23, 2008 at 12:40 pm
@Ana, what an eloquent statement! You have voiced many things which I completely agree with. I do think definitely that black people lack the vision to realise what is going on. Where are our own companies ??
March 23, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Hip-hop was different when it first started. I think that the forefathers meant for it to be a means of intelligent expression, not ignorance and non-culture. exactly where it went wrong, I’m not sure. But it’s much different from the beginning. Even when one watches music videos from back then and compares them to now, it’s amazing how ridiculous the videos have gotten. All T&A and no intelligent thought.
I’m inclined to agree with truth’s comment. And great blog entry.
March 23, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Hip Hop started in African American culture but it is mainstream now its a business. And right now most of hip hop is so whack.
There is an important book about hip hop culture called “Everything But The Burden” the book is an anthology by black social critics about hip hop culture. I think its available in the local public library.
March 24, 2008 at 2:00 pm
@ph2072 — the videos are ridiculous as you say but black people need to fight them in the pockets, which is where it hurts for rappers like soulja boy!
@Orville, thanks for the heads up on the book.
March 26, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Family,
I most say that I am most disappointed by the comments I have read. First, I must say that I was introduced to this post by an individual who asserted it purported to have a critical lense in dealing with issues regarding the black community.
The post was interesting. It took enormous liberties with Fanon’s work but I applaud the attempt. Fanon is not a saint and his work is not wholly with criticism.
I take exception with the idea that there exists an authentic black aesthetic. The beauty of black communities in the diaspora is the myriad ways in which they have been able to give voice to their concerns and lives while living in hostile environments. In our analysis lets us not be without heart- though I am not asking that we spare them of constructive criticism.
Our community is just as hard on hip hop as conservative whites are of black people, in particular hip hop. Thus you can count yourself as having something in common with Rush Limbaugh.
While we are hard on hip hop we are not hard on the very institutions that pervade our lives and perpetuate the ism more prolifically than hip hop. Here I am talking about the black church, pan-africanist organization who have narrow understandings of what it means to be black, black thought that is limited to dialectical reasoning that never free Caliban of Prospero. And that is not to say that all these institutions have not brought us worth while initiatives; they have. As has hip hop.
Hip hop is a vehicle and tool when we stop seeing it such and come to see it as the definitive we are endanger of essentializing black culture.