this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2026
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[–] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 day ago (3 children)

When/where did MTV not play Black artists? I saw a bunch of rap and R&B. I would have liked to see more Black artists in rock, like Lenny Kravitz, and the guy from Sevendust, or country, like Darius Rucker (of Hootie and the Blowfish fame), or pop that wasn’t R&B. I felt like, growing up in the 80s and early 90s, that some music was predominantly white and some was predominantly Black, with ample evidence it worked both ways (like Eminem in rap).

Overall it was plenty diverse. But within genre, it seemed racially scripted. As a white kid, I felt like rap wasn’t a space I was meant to be in, though I liked to listen to it. And still do. Though I listen to a bit of everything — just finished listening to an Enya album, haven’t decided what to play next yet.

[–] Venator@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

When/where did MTV not play Black artists?

The interview is from 1983. I think they stated playing more black artists after that, so his complaints probably helped with that.

[–] lastlybutfirstly@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

The first couple of years MTV was more like "New Wave Rock Music" Television. So there really wouldn't be rap, R&B, heavy metal, country, soft rock, jazz etc. It tended to be more artsy.

[–] fiendishplan@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

In your time MTV might have played black artist but in the early days of MTV they did not.