Black Tax on Black Music
Dr Boyce Watkins who calls himself an economist for the empowerment of African-Americans, bought up an interesting concept of The Black Tax / The Hip-Hop Tax while talking about how it wasn’t Canadian culture that has made Drake his billions, but it was African-American culture. It is a very valid and interesting concept to address. I wouldn’t exactly know how it would work in terms of infrastructure, co-ordination and who exactly the tax would go to. However, there definitely needs to be a discussion on the corporate responsibility of giving back to the community of the creators (however that might be defined).
Black people and its diaspora have huge cultural capital but seem to benefit the least from it, especially in nations like the US, Jamaica and Brazil where music is one of their biggest exports/tourist attractions. Even we look at two of the world’s biggest stars in music, Drake and Justin Beiber who are Canadian, it is largely the Hip-Hop and RnB culture of Black Americans that have made their careers what it is today. Even if we look at the world’s biggest stars in House and Electronic music, it is the foundation of Black cultural capital that they are making their millions from.
Western mainstream music is heavily influenced by the rhythms, culture and peoples of Africa. There needs some sort of corporate responsibility to give back to the creators, especially of those from the marginalised communities of the diaspora. Just like how Africa has been exploited throughout the centuries for its natural resources and human labour, Africa and its people are now being exploited for their cultural capital. Africa is the hub of the world’s natural minerals that allow for our world function, and this is equally true for our music.
Major record labels are now even turning their heads directly to the motherland. Global stars like Wizzkid and Burna Boy are emerging from the boom of Afrobeats in Nigeria. Even MHD, one of France’s biggest music stars has a large foot-holding of his fans in West Africa. East Africa has also an exciting emerging electronic music scene , with events like Nyege Nyege in Uganda having collaborated with top western music brands like Boiler Room and RedBull.
2020 sees us enter The Age of Aquarius, which is about collaboration and equality. Africa and everything from Africa needs to start being treated with love, and be shown the respect that is truly deserves - The Black Tax might seem like a start.
This article was inspired by the video of Dr Boyce Watkins below.