Lil Nas X is kicked off country chart, leading some to blame racism

[Demovictory9]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/29/entertainment/lil-nas-x-country/index.html




It's not even two minutes long, but some are spending plenty of time debating a song about a horse by an up-and-coming rapper.

Atlanta's Lil Nas X has had a viral hit with the song "Old Town Road," which Billboard has reportedly pulled from its country music charts.

The song found love on the TikTok app, where users create and share video clips set to music.

It quickly raced up the Apple Music and Spotify charts and debuted simultaneously on Billboard's cross-genre Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.

But according to Rolling Stone magazine, Billboard pulled it from the country charts.
"Upon further review, it was determined that 'Old Town Road' by Lil Nas X does not currently merit inclusion on Billboard's country charts," Billboard said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

"When determining genres, a few factors are examined, but first and foremost is musical composition. While 'Old Town Road' incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today's country music to chart in its current version."

Some supporters are seeing both red -- and black -- with that decision, accusing Billboard of racism.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. I don't see how it can be anything but racism. Also, the song is a banger.

Last edited Sun Mar 31, 2019, 11:20 AM - Edit history (1)

[treestar]

2. Sometimes listening to the country station

they will play a song that makes me think "how do you classify that as country?" It sounds hardly different from pop in some ways. A few artists seem to be true crossovers, but others have the label country for perhaps superficial reasons.

The song in question has elements that sound a lot like the songs that get played on the country Sirius channel.

[Bev54]

3. This is not country

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. Why not?

[malaise]

4. Here's a similar story I heard about on radio

A popular DJ in Jamaica produced a religious song which became more popular than anything coming out of the gospel industry. It was nominated for a gospel award but the organizers said it could not qualify because he's not a practicing Christian.

What the persons discussing this never mentioned is that that this nothing to do with religion - it is economics and greed - the gospel industry is not going to let an outsider get 'their' money. There are greedy scumbags from all genres - some parading as religious folks.

[TxVietVet]

5. I don't see anything wrong with the song.

It has a tune. You can hear and understand the lyrics. Today, a handful of "country" artists do play real country. The rest is like 70s rock rejects.

I'll say it's country music. Country music execs are don't like it because they didn't label it country and the artist is not of their choosing.

Deal with it country music execs .

[keithbvadu2]

6. Some newer 'country' music is country rap.

Some newer 'country' music is country rap.

[winstars]

7. Billboard to Black people: "I meant a song, a real song. How 'bout Camptown Lady???"

Last edited Sun Mar 31, 2019, 05:57 PM - Edit history (1)