MUSIC BUSINESS = STILL A RACIST INDUSTRY?

Allen Johnston – The Music Specialist

www.asha.com** | **Updated 2025

The music industry was built on racial segregation—and in 2025, it’s still fighting the same old battles.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t just about personal taste. How many times have you seen artists boxed into genres based on race? How often have Black musicians been told they’re "acting white" for playing rock, country, or EDM? These aren’t just cultural quirks—they’re systemic barriers designed to keep music (and money) divided.

A Segregated System, Then and Now

Walk into any streaming platform today. You’ll still see categories like **“Urban,” “R&B/Hip-Hop,”** and **“Country”**—labels that quietly enforce racial lines. The industry didn’t invent these divisions by accident. They were designed to make White audiences comfortable while marginalizing Black artists.

- Radio remains racially divided. "Urban" stations play hip-hop and R&B, while "mainstream" pop, rock, and country stations overwhelmingly feature White artists.

- Budget disparities persist. Black artists in "urban" genres often get less marketing money—until they "cross over," at which point their success is repackaged for White audiences.

- Billboard’s charts still separate genres, reinforcing the idea that certain music belongs to certain races.

Rewriting History, Erasing Black Contributions

The industry has a long history of **stealing Black innovation and rebranding it as White**.

- Country music’s roots are Black. The **Grand Ole Opry** was named by **Deford Bailey**, a Black harmonica player who was later pushed out due to racism.

- Rock ‘n’ roll was Black before it was White. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe invented it—only for Elvis and Pat Boone to be crowned its kings.

- Jimi Hendrix had to play with White musicians to be taken seriously in rock, despite his roots in Black blues and R&B.

Even today, Black artists in "White" genres face resistance. Lil Nas X had to fight to be considered "country." Brittney Spencer, Mickey Guyton, and Kane Brown still battle Nashville’s gatekeepers. Meanwhile, White artists in hip-hop (Post Malone, Jack Harlow) or R&B (Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande) face no such barriers.

2025: Same Game, New Tricks

Streaming algorithms now **automate segregation**, pushing Black artists into "Black" playlists and White artists into "mainstream" ones. AI-generated music is replicating Black styles without Black voices. And **executive suites remain overwhelmingly White**, deciding which artists get investment—and which get ignored.

The Solution? Demand Change

Music has no race. A good song is a good song. If we want real progress, we must:

✅ Support Black artists in ALL genres—not just the ones they’re "supposed" to play.

✅ Call out racist industry practices in playlisting, radio, and awards.

✅ Celebrate music’s true history—not the Whitewashed version.

The system won’t change unless we force it.

#BreakTheAlgorithm #MusicHasNoColor