This started off as a response to a comment on MC Lars but thought I'd make it a new thread as it's something I see in reviews of a lot of hiphop or electronic stuff.

Am I the only one who finds it slightly irritating that the fact they're white is usually the first thing mentioned about white artists making hiphop?

'Oh look, he's just a white boy who bought a new mac' - sure, slag his music off if you think it's crap, but what does the fact he's white have to do with it? is the implication that, because he's white, he's really just ripping off that whole hiphop sound from black artists and is therefore somehow derivative or inauthentic? that's stupid because young black artists are copying the original sound just as much as white artists. Sure hiphop had predominantly black origins but I don't think race is ever a valid basis for accusing someone of being derivative these days. Can't we just get over the fact that, shit, some rappers are black and some are white?

Even more strange when people who are probably white themselves use the phrase 'white boy' to slag off music, eg electronica. What's with that? liberal guilt? misguidedly trying to look hip? stop it.