Ideas of 'black' and 'white' music as seperate styles stems from the emergence of 'race records' in the 1920s, labels which specialised in 'black' music.
Producer Sam Philips also saw a difference in style, claiming "if I could find a white man who had a negro sound...I could make a billion dollars," and actively encouraging white artists to cover black music.
However Hatch and Milward claim that "pop music has always depended upon the interaction between white and black traditions," and this is seen in Rock and Roll, a predominantly white genre with influences in black soul.
Similarly genres sterotypically seen as of one race often have successful oppositional artists - Jessye Norman's opera, Eminem making hip-hop. However, artists like Eminem becoming involved with black music may have more to do with social class and their economic environment. Meaning that race may actually have little influence on musical style.
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A Well written and well argued post, well done.
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