Why Black Americans are not into metal (and rock) music?

[Texas King]

In your opinion, what is the main reason why Black Americans (not all, but the vast majority) don't care for metal and rock music in general? Is it something cultural or what? Rock and metal public is predominantly white, but these music styles are also popular among Hispanic Americans.

When I watched the Metallica concert in Philadelphia (WorldWired Tour) on Youtube I barely noticed any Blacks among the large crowd in the stadium, although the black population is bigger than white in that big American city.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Inadequate funding for inner-city schools and no father figure to look up to at home

 

[CiG]

Culturally it's often viewed as "acting white" and this keeps black kids from getting into many things, metal included. This mentality even exists here among aboriginals.

 

[Bloopy]

Any music you're not used to or haven't grown up with is gonna be an acquired taste. They're far more likely to spend their time on the music made & listened to by their peers and elders, rather than putting effort in to try and get into something they don't have any connection to. Especially when they're gonna get laughed at for "acting white" like CiG says.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I'm not really convinced by the premise anyways. Always see at least a couple black dudes at thrash shows, to say nothing of the dozens of prominent black musicians within metal.

 

[Texas King]

Any music you're not used to or haven't grown up with is gonna be an acquired taste. They're far more likely to spend their time on the music made & listened to by their peers and elders, rather than putting effort in to try and get into something they don't have any connection to. Especially when they're gonna get laughed at for "acting white" like CiG says.

Aren't Black Americans (in Philadelphia, for example) exposed to classic rock and metal music via FM radio stations as much as white people?

 

[Krow]

I’m not sure why Bloopy, who lives on the other side of the world, would know that information.

but no, they aren’t. Young whites aren’t exposed that much either here. Teenagers have a fading idea of who Ozzy is at this point.

In the US, metal has a “weird white guy” stigma that doesn’t exist as much in other places. As keeps being said, African Americans are against “acting white” and tend to avoid things perceived as such

 

[Texas King]

I’m not sure why Bloopy, who lives on the other side of the world, would know that information.

but no, they aren’t. Young whites aren’t exposed that much either here. Teenagers have a fading idea of who Ozzy is at this point.

In the US, metal has a “weird white guy” stigma that doesn’t exist as much in other places. As keeps being said, African Americans are against “acting white” and tend to avoid things perceived as such

What does mean "acting white"?

 

[CiG]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acting_white

 

[Bloopy]

I don't know if it's anything like here, but we basically have one major rock radio station that ever plays metal, and that means radio-friendly nu metal or Metallica singles. Our so-called classic rock station isn't that any more, only playing the biggest bands or 90s stuff now. It's hard to imagine anyone getting into metal that way, if anyone even listens to the radio any more.

There's more racial integration here and a reasonable amount of non-white metalheads. So I'd say the racial segregation in the US is a big factor.

 

[Krow]

There's some amount of integration here. Spanish speakers will straight up stab you in your guts for metal.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

So I'd say the racial segregation in the US is a big factor.

what a ridiculous statement on so many levels.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Spanish speakers will straight up stab you in your guts for metal.

man we have a HUUUGE amount of hispanics out here that listen to metal. Some of the most hardcore thrashers i know are Mexican.

 

[Krow]

100% Mexicans and south americans are some thrashing motherfuckers. Even here El Salvadorans are straight up fuckin headbangers.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

yea for sure, and a lot of the younger thrash bands from out here have mexicans members. Exmortus, Witchaven, Fueled By Fire, Warbringer etc.

And i think this would be a good place to post these ...

 

[CiG]

 

[Bloopy]

what a ridiculous statement on so many levels.

So you're saying people who tend to live and hang out together aren't more likely to get into some of the same music?

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

So you're saying people who tend to live and hang out together aren't more likely to get into some of the same music?

what i'm saying is that your ridiculous MSNBC statement of "the racial segregation in the US is a big factor" was pretty damn ridiculous.

 

[CiG]

Mexico and South America will still be producing 80's metal 100 years from now like nothing has changed.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Mexico and South America will still be producing 80's metal 100 years from now like nothing has changed.