W. E. B Dubois Double Consciousness Analysis

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W.E.B. Du Bois describes double consciousness in relations to hip hop theory as these artists’ struggle to have artistic expression, originally through inner city music and culture, without exploiting these personal experiences by assimilating and submitting to a white capitalist system in which they are subjected under. This is the struggle to understand and balance different and new identities that upcoming artists, for example, like Afrika Bambaataa developed with the increasing success and fame of his music, while ultimately maintaining his original identity as a black kid who grew up on the harsh New York streets. They must be able to live with these multi-faceted identities without compromising or being forcibly assimilated into white America, …show more content…
640). However, they also may be conflicted with the desire to authentically portray their realities in their music, even if this means violating different social idealizations, fallacies, and naiveties, while also being pressured into softening, denying, or lessening their experiences in order to appeal and maintain many of their sheltered listeners. While these artists may possess a “doubleness” power within their “autonomous domain” by legitimizing and creating hip hop culture through personal experience, they nevertheless continue to interact, influence, and perhaps be influenced by outside social realms with the sharing and selling of their music. As Orejuela describes, “keepin’ it real” with this double consciousness proves to be more challenging, and can even lead to “glorifying drugs, violence, criminal acts, and misogynistic and X-rated behavior,” often times in order to stay relevant in this new industry of hip hop music (2015, pg.
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