Appropriation vs Appreciation: How Far Is Too Far?
Navigating cultural appropriation vs. appreciation in music with respect.

Since the internet took over, the world has gone from big to small. International interaction is now at the tips of our fingers. With every solution, however, a new set of problems arises. Such is life. As we interact with different people from different backgrounds and cultures, we tend to trade. Lines get blurry and we adopt things from here and there.

Volcanoes are ranked on the Richter scale depending on magnitude. Adopting a different culture is similarly rated based on motives ranging from appreciation to appropriation. There is a debate about what is what sometimes. In this article, I ask the big question. How far is too far? When does using a different culture go from appreciation to appropriation?

What are we talking about?

Appropriation

Appropriation is a fancy way of saying theft. Cultural appropriation refers to a disrespectful, insensitive mimicry of an aspect of culture. Think back to the era of colonization. Recently, the British government returned some artifacts taken from Nigeria during colonization. Those artifacts were taken by force. Stolen. Appropriated.

Appropriation happens when you take something from a different culture and pass it off as yours or mimic it disrespectfully.

Appreciation

The opposite of appropriation is appreciation. One of the best ways to pay tribute to or express admiration for a sound is to use it in your music. Appreciation is the reason for all healthy cases of an artist using a sound from a different culture. Respect is the name of the game, so you have to pay attention when adopting culture.

Appreciation shines through when your actions promote or pay homage to a culture. When you appreciate a culture, you’re very likely to win over a ton of fans from that culture. This is why it’s important to do it right. Adopting a culture either wins you fans or makes you enemies.

Characteristics

Appropriation

It’s easy to say you appreciate a culture, but the real evidence lies in your actions. Respect can’t be faked; appropriation is disrespectful by nature. Some artists take something from another culture and try to claim ownership of it. Others take a valuable tradition and make fun of it in their work. The bottom line for appropriation is theft and disrespect for the original owners.

Appreciation

When an artist appreciates culture, respect will shine through in their actions. An artist who appreciates culture will give credit where it is due. Imagine you hear a sound native to India that you think will sound amazing on a song. You must acknowledge the roots of the sound. It’s also important that you depict the culture appropriately. That is not to say you cannot put your spin on things, but don’t render it disrespectfully. Appreciation doesn’t take away your creativity.

Case Studies

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley has been accused of taking advantage of the segregation in his time to further his career. During his days, music originally performed by African-American artists wasn’t very pleasant to the white audiences. He would then perform the same kind of songs and enjoy much more success because the audiences preferred him. So Elvis Presley became the king of rock and roll on the backs of the lesser-known African American artists.

At least those are the allegations.

The Beatles

Another great name in rock and roll, The Beatles have also been accused of cultural appropriation. Like Elvis, there’s some talk about African American artists, but The Beatles went beyond American shores in their musical exploration. They went all the way to India. There are several Indian influences in plenty of their music. Do you think they went too far?

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran has done plenty of exploration in his last few albums. He had a song with Latin music leanings where he featured Camila Cabello. He also had a hip-hop song where Eminem and 50 Cent graced the studio with him. He has also dabbled into the Nigerian music industry with artists like Burna Boy and Fireboy all working with the Englishman.

He has been around, but there’s no talk about appropriation. What’s different about him?

Tips for staying out of trouble

Acknowledgment

Giving credit where it's due is one of the biggest issues in the music industry. When you use an idea or sound that doesn’t belong to you, it’s best to acknowledge the source. At best, you’ll ruin relationships, and at worst, you’ll get sued for copyright infringement. The same applies when in culture. Falsely claiming ownership of a sound or idea is a douche move.

All you need to do sometimes is add a line appreciating the owners of the sound. It’s as easy as that sometimes. Nobody will think of you as less creative because you borrowed from a different culture. Instead, you will be celebrated as an artist bridging gaps and bringing the world closer together.

Education

Remember how I said you must be respectful? Some artists have pure intentions but end up coming off as disrespectful because they didn’t use the culture appropriately. Before you use a part of any culture in the world, do your research. There’s nothing worse than stepping on toes unintentionally. So, before you put on that Chinese outfit, make sure you know exactly how to wear it properly.

Without the right education, you’ll either end up looking like an idiot or an arrogant person. You don’t want that.

Collaboration

Sometimes, when you know you can’t pull it off, the best thing is to collaborate. We have some excellent examples of this. Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Chris Brown, and many other international artists have collaborated with Afropop artists to good effect. Ed Sheeran may not be able to pull off Nigerian pidgin English well, but Burna Boy can. So, if Ed Sheeran wants some Nigerian spice in his song, he can invite Burna Boy.

Another reason why collaboration is a good idea is that it gives you credibility. Chris Brown tried to speak some Nigerian pidgin English in his last song with Davido called Hmm, and he did a good job. Even if he didn’t, Davido’s presence on the song gives him some “street cred”.

Final Thoughts

In music, the lines are often blurry. At the same time, we all know right from wrong. It’s good to make music that incorporates different cultures. That’s one of the best ways to bring the world together. That said, be careful not to go too far. Appreciation can easily be mistaken for appropriation. Mastering the difference between the two will help you win fans from all over the world.

Do not steal or borrow. Do not appropriate, appreciate.