I’m actually surprised that I had to make a rant about this. I thought it was a well known fact that a large amount of kpop is influenced by black culture but apparently not. In another subreddit about cultural appropriation I said that I would expect idols to know about black culture considering that almost every aspect of Kpop is influenced by African American culture and I got 20 downvotes for it. I also kept on getting comments saying that idols don’t know that kpop is influenced by black culture (which isn’t true) and people trying to convince me that kpop wasn’t influenced African American music.

First of all black culture doesn’t just consist of hip-hop and rap. It also consists of r&b, the blues, soul, jazz, street wear, hairstyles, and dance. All of which kpop has been influenced by.

Second of all kpop was pretty much invented by Seo taiji and the boys. The group used mainly rap and rock and introduced a new type of sound to Korean music. They also wore baggy clothes, bucket hats, and occasionally dreads. Kpop would not have been what it is today without Seo Taiji and Seo taiji would not be what he was if it weren’t for black culture.

Third of all in no way am I trying to discredit kpop artists or idols. Kpop may have started on rap music but it has branched into many different genres as well. I’m also not discrediting Seo taiji he is a legend and he changed Korean music forever. Kpop also wasn’t just influenced by black culture but many different cultures and countries around the world. Over time many Korean artists also influenced kpop music and added aspects that made it different from other genres and cultures of music.

Fourth of all I’m not saying its a bad thing that they are influenced by black culture. Many artists around the world are influenced by African American music even if they aren’t African American. As long as they respect African American culture then I don’t see a problem with it. There have been idols that have said or done offensive things that they truly didn’t know was offensive because of where they grew up. However if they keep on doing offensive things that’s where it becomes a problem. If an idol does something that poc could be offended by then we should educate that idol so they don’t do it again. If a white or Latino artist also makes music influenced by African Americans then I would hold them to the same standards.

Fifth of all don’t act like Korean people don’t know anything about black culture. Many Koreans listen to music by African Americans and their clothes are also influenced by African Americans. I found this in an article talking about African American influence in Korea

“For South Korean b-boys and b-girls, fashion and function work hand-in-hand. Beanies make it easier for dancers to spin on their heads. Thick-soled shoes are used for their durability. Euna spotted “masculine silhouettes, bold accessories and strong graphic T-shirts” worn by b-stylers when she was in Seoul. Homegrown street brands like Ader Error, D-Antidote, Charms, We11 Done and Kanghyuk have since grown out of this movement. “I saw A$AP Rocky wearing Kanghyuk in his new music video!” she says.”

“Hip-hop and urban streetwear has become a major reference point in Korean fashion,” says Park Hwan-Sung, founder and creative director of the Seoul-based fashion label D-Antidote, which counts big-name K-pop artists such as Shinee, Super Junior and BTS as fans. For his latest collection shown at Seoul Fashion Week, Park was inspired by Space Jam, the 90s sports comedy film starring basketball player Michael Jordan. “I thought it was a well-timed concept,” he says.”

“I didn’t realise how much Koreans liked hip-hop or Black-American pop culture until I moved here,” says model Taylor M. Rivers, who moved to South Korea almost three years ago and has since walked for brands like D-Antidote, Greedilous and Charm’s at Seoul Fashion Week. “Koreans are wearing dreadlocks or Afro-style hair, and are listening to [musicians] like Earth, Wind & Fire or Kanye West,” adds Hyun-Min.

So it’s clear that even the average Korean is influenced by African American culture not just idols. And kpop idols have also admitted that they are influenced by black culture.

“In a 2017 press conference for BTS’s Wings Tour, Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Shi Hyuk publicly attributed BTS’s distinct sound to the group having “Black music [as] the base” as they developed their unique flavor. He further explained how this path had been a key component in their success: “The members like hip-hop and Black music,” he said, according to Soompi. “These two things lowered the entry barrier to western markets. K-pop is unfamiliar to westerners, but they are familiar with hip-hop and Black music.”

Again I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that kpop is influenced by African American music as long as they respect it. Kpop has been around for a fairly long time now so it’s not like African American music and culture is a new thing to them.