A New Book Looks at Black Masculinity

Miles White’s From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap and the Performance of Masculinity takes a critical look at the portrayal of racialized machismo in modern America, and how hip-hop helps perpetuate stereotypical tropes about the African-American male. Suggested Reading Comparing 2020, a Trash Year Black Folks, to an Even Worse 2025 If Tinsel and…

Miles White’s From Jim Crow to Jay-Z: Race, Rap and the Performance of Masculinity takes a critical look at the portrayal of racialized machismo in modern America, and how hip-hop helps perpetuate stereotypical tropes about the African-American male.

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White also examines the white portrayal of blackness among various household names in entertainment, from Elvis to Eminem and Vanilla Ice, to illustrate how blackness is pivotal to American popular culture, while also illustrating how performances of blackness may create an unsavory representation of black male identity. 

Whites’ From Jim Crow to Jay-Z is now available in stores and online and is perfect for anyone who enjoys an intellectually stimulating and provocative read. 

Previous recommendation: Naughty by Nature Reunite for New Album.

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