Before any of y’all post lemme just say this:

1. This will be kind of long, but I ask that you read the full thing before you try and comment some insults or something - this post is coming from a completely respectful place

2. I agree with Lord Jamar (and now everyone’s) comments that white people are guests in hip hop. It is a black art form, and white people have been able to participate because black people have been cool with it

3. This post isn’t “white tears” arguing for inclusivity in the genre, it’s merely an observation from someone who has been involved with and into the culture for their whole life (I’m not someone who became a fan of hip hop within the last 5 years when it became “cool”, but more on that later)

4. This isn’t attempting justification for my place in hip hop discussion. Again, it’s merely an observation from someone (me), and I believe I have an interesting viewpoint on the subject

5. Somethings in this post may seem vague or not very descriptive. That’s intentional. We all know what getting too into your personal life on KTT can lead to - some people like to take advantage of that.

Ok, now let me begin.....

The first song I ever remember hearing in my whole entire life was “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees. My mom had a cassette tape of “The Score” and she used to play it every morning while she got ready for work. I remember asking for my own copy so I could listen to it on my own when she was out of the house, but I remember her saying something like “when you’re older” (I was only like 5 or 6 at the time).

As I got older, I would become more in tune with the music my mom would listen to. I vividly remember artists like Nas, Biggie, and Jay Z always playing, and that Big Pun and Fat Joe “Deep Cover” song (which she can still sing every word to to this day - and yes, before any of y’all start, skipping over the n words” in it).

All while this is going on, I was discovering the hip hop I liked to listen to as well. It was just shortly before the Kazaa/Napster/limewire boom so I discovered that music through the radio, and sharing CDs with friends, ripping them to the computer and burning new CDs with the mixes.

I grew up in a neighborhood where I was the only pale kid around. All my friends were Dominican, Haitian, Puerto Rican, Middle Eastern, etc (my first gf was Puerto Rican and Peruvian too but that’s a different story). I literally remember one of the older friends asking me if I ever heard of Dipset (this was like maybe 2002 or 2003?) and when I said “no” he said “you better go home and download that s*** or imma slap the s*** outta you tomorrow”

Best believe I went home and downloaded every Dipset and affiliated artist song I could find

By the time I was 13/14 I was feel like I was living almost all the 5 elements of hip hop. I was writing rhymes, doing graffiti, and had a mini computer turntable (djing). the only thing I never tried was break dancing (for obvious reasons ), and I’m in no way claiming “knowledge” also for obvious reasons.

Long story short, eventually, I started getting into a lot of trouble, and down the line, I wound up getting my ass jumped and robbed (the older guys in my neighborhood got my s*** back though ).

After all that, my family shipped my ass out to the country. It was there I became the outsider, and other white people would make fun of my baggy clothes, the music I listened too, and all that other s*** (yeah I got that “w” word thrown at me lmaoooo - NOTE: I AM IN NO WAY COMPARING THIS TO THE BLACK STRUGGLE IN AMERICA I AM SIMPLY SHARING MY EXPERIENCES AS A WHITE HIP HOP FAN IN WHITE SPACES BEFORE IT BECAME MAINSTREAM AND ACCEPTED BY THEM).

I used to produce music, and made a tiny bit of money as a hip hop producer for awhile. I remember being in a car with my two friends playing music for these other two guys who were looking at me funny (I was the only white kid in the car), and I could tell they weren’t into me being there. They started playing their beats, and my friend suggested I played mine, and when I did, they lightened up, and I became friends with them, smoking, partying, collabing on beats with them for the years to come. I don’t say that to show off I got “accepted”, but I use it as another example of hip hop in my life and how it allowed me to meet new people and link up with great friends I otherwise wouldn’t have met.

Fast forward to the present, hip hop is the biggest genre in the world, and almost everyone listens to it. There’s white kids who hardly know anything about the music or the culture and their ignorance constantly gets displayed. I even cringe when I see some white boys listening to some types of music, because I know just a few years ago they were bumping some emo rock s*** or country or something, and making fun of hip hop culture.

Honestly, I look it is as super corny as well. Dudes don’t know anything about hip hop history, trying to insert opinions, disrespecting legends, and displaying complete disrespect for hip hop.

Which kind of brings me into my next point. A lot of people question how or why white people even like hip hop - they can’t relate to racism or oppression (which hip hop is built off of) so what do they actually find appealing about it, other than the fact that it’s “cool” now?

I can’t speak for the new white fans, but to me, a white person who has loved hip hop ever since I could remember, I relate to what a lot of my favorite artists in genre talked about/where they come from: a single mother household, no father, broke, mother tries but can never seem to get ahead, having to take care of yourself and find a way to get it, etc.

I’m not claiming to have experienced racism, but I do relate to the kind of “bad luck” story a lot of artists express in their music. I find a ton of inspiration in the fact that the artist was able to preserve and beat all odds and make a come up when their life situation was looking dim.

Hip hop has saved my life multiple times, helping me through some of my darkest days- passing of my closest loved one, horrible breakup, being depressed and wanting to end it, etc. hip hop was that one thing I could turn to when I wanted to feel something. Or when I wanted to get my emotions out. Or feel inspired to keep going.

I also wrote this because I’ve noticed a huge shift of how people react to white fans of hip hop. When I was growing up, my friends made sure I listened to rap (I can’t even imagine if I approached them with some rock s*** ). Now a days, it’s almost like some people are trying to make sure white people stay away from it. And as I mentioned, I see and understand why the shift happened. The music almost does seem to be getting completely disrespected sometimes. It does make me feel like I’m in a strange place though. I’m not black, but I’m also not some random new white hip hop fan. I have knowledge of the history, and it’s all I’ve known for forever.

Again, this isn’t some attempted justification for why I think I should be able to discuss hip hop, it’s an alternative viewpoint that I haven’t seen discussed here. I just thought it would be interesting to throw it out here on KTT and see what people had to say

this your first good thread prolly ever but i’m not falling for this capitalist propaganda hot pancakes

yeah I ain’t reading all this s*** lol especially from you

wait it’s a good thread? Come on I really don’t wanna read this

You’re still not valid bro. Idc how much hip hop ya moms played.

lmaooo

Your white bro ctfu

you obviously didnt read the whole thing

I did. I enjoyed the part where you got called a wigger The best

me too tbh

it was p good, gave you some insight into the mind of who hot pancakes really is (i know, i know) while also being an outsider yet completely valid opinion on what encompasses hip hop as a whole

bc i can’t front at all i readily admit i’m white (and post sexy pics of myself here on the regular) and well i may not come to the exact conclusions hot pancakes does on a myriad of topics, it’s still genuine sentiment at the end of the day that they cared to type quite a bit about in what i feel, good faith

for every hot pancakes in the world there is a much superior d***erspaniel equivalent so at the end of the day we either take both or leave it all

I just don’t understand why can’t white people enjoy things from the outside without feeling the need to be included. It’s so weird.

what country did you get shipped off to btw, genuinely curious, don’t think i’ve seen u mention that before

my post isnt about being included, in fact, its about understanding being on the outside of it, while also being more in tuned to it than white counterparts who are now only into it because it's cool.

as i said in the beginning, i agree with the comment about being a guest in hip hop, and i also said im not trying to justify a place in it - im simply sharing my experience as someone who has been into hip hop culture their whole life, compared to the new white fans who are just now coming around because its cool

just "the country" - like outside of the city to the f***in sticks s*** was WOAT

bro i’m f***ing laughing irl

pls put “shipped me out TO the country” instead of “out the country” bc i dead ass was confused

Lmaooo good looks fam completely missed that one

I got to the first paragraph. After dipset. This doesn’t excuse Connor from ruining a concert cause him and jake wanna mosh to a simple drum pattern.
And I’m sure those white kids didn’t have anything remotely close to your upbringing. And then you have those girl blackfishing or acting like bregoli

i only had enough patience to read the numerous paragraphs that were your disclaimer before realizing they were just your disclaimer and that there were even more paragraphs after.. .. sorry champ

i sort of get into that in my post, im not making excuses for them or justifying it at all - in fact i heavily criticize them towards the end, i think a lot of white antics in hip hop are super corny

edit: i get into how it was different back when i was a kid, with my friends wanting me to indulge in hip hop to now, where some people think whites should stay out of it. and i agree to an extent. there are a lot of kids who just started to listen to hip hop because its cool, and dont respect it at all

I agree, I’m just sharing an alternative experience, as a lot of the discussion around whites in hip hop has come from a negative light. I just wanted to propose there are some out there that love and respect the genre as well, and are not just using it because it’s cool to listen now

@hotpancakes you mind if i move this to music sxn?

i really think there will be more s***posts in music sxn girl