This multilayered study of the representation of black masculinity in
musical and cultural performance takes aim at the reduction of African
American male culture to stereotypes of deviance, misogyny, and excess.
Broadening the significance of hip-hop culture by linking it to other
expressive forms within popular culture, Miles White examines how these
representations have both encouraged the demonization of young black
males in the United States and abroad and contributed to the
construction of their identities.
From Jim Crow to Jay-Z traces black male representations to chattel
slavery and American minstrelsy as early examples of fetishization and
commodification of black male subjectivity. Continuing with diverse
discussions including black action films, heavyweight prizefighting,
Elvis Presley's performance of blackness, and white rappers such as
Vanilla Ice and Eminem, White establishes a sophisticated framework for
interpreting and critiquing black masculinity in hip-hop music and
culture. Arguing that black music has undeniably shaped American popular
culture and that hip-hop tropes have exerted a defining influence on
young male aspirations and behavior, White draws a critical link between
the body, musical sound, and the construction of identity.