The Politics of Music

           Every morning for the past week I have gotten ready for class to the same three songs: “Bounce Back” by Big Sean, “Fantastic Planet” by Soko, and “Ultralight Beam” by Kanye. It’s typically harmless to bob your head to the beat of a song that gets your body moving; however, when does it become necessary to look at the politics behind music and the artists that are producing it? I can let you know right now. It’s when they say they would vote for a man that believes people of your ethnicity are rapists and criminals. I’m referring to Kanye West’s comments at his performance in San Jose, California. He commented on several things including his approval of Donald Trump, the Black Lives Matter movement, racism in the United States, and the construction of a new U.S.-Mexico wall. Although Kanye seems to have always been a voice for the black community, he does not seem to have the same empathy for other minority groups, including Mexican immigrants. The question then becomes whether we can equate an artist’s personal political views and the pieces of art they create. Are people allowed to create a direct link and “boycott” the art because of the artist’s controversial beliefs?

            It was November 17, 2016 and Kanye West was performing the song “Heartless” when he went off on a rant about the elections. According to Complex, Kanye said he “would’ve voted for Trump” if he voted at all. He goes on to say “Black people, stop focusing on racism. This world is racist, okay? Let’s stop being distracted to focus on that as much. It’s just a fucking fact. We are in a racist country. Period,” according to People.com. Although his opinion now is to stop focusing on racism, this isn’t how he always thought. For example, Kanye opens the song “New Slaves” with the lines “My momma was raised in the era when clean water was only served to the fairer skin” and even makes claims that “the DEA teamed up with the CCA” to imprison black people. There is a stark contrast between his 2003 song and the comments he made at his concert in 2016. This is not the only change in Kanye’s attitude that has alarmed his fans. While at one point he was the voice for minorities, this does not ring true for all minority groups anymore. Although there is no video proof, several people at the concert tweeted that Kanye freestyled the words "I hope they build the wall, I hope they get rid of them all” which is upsetting for Mexican-Americans such as myself.

            Now comes the conflicting feelings inside of me. Kanye West is an artistic genius that sees no boundaries. He is not afraid of stopping a live broadcast to speak for the black community, he creates art of all mediums including clothes, and is most certainly unpredictable. I can’t deny how good his music is. Every time I sit down to think about it though, I feel conflicted. Savannah Medina, a Philosophy Major at Loyola Marymount University says, “I don’t really like Kanye as a person, but I do like his music. Although I believe they should be inseparable, I don’t think that way.” It becomes easy to listen to a song without a care about who the artist is and what they have done. It also becomes a limitation of who I can listen to. For example, I would not be able to listen to Jay Z, Gucci Mane, Tupac Shakur and so many more if I were to look at their history. Not only would it limit musical artists, but it would limit consumption of all kinds. Consumption based on the history of actors, athletes, artists, and celebrities would be limited. However, I do believe it is more important now than ever to understand who you are following and empowering. In the end, it is up to the individual to decide. Should the artist and the art become one or will they remain separate entities?