In a video reacting to the song “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Ben Shapiro reads the song’s lyrics in a cynical, disinterested way. This reading has been shared widely across Twitter, with various mash-ups and remixes of Shapiro’s “cover” of the song.
As more people are aware of Ben Shapiro now, it is necessary to recount some of his beliefs to those who are not aware of them.
Shapiro does not believe rap music to be “real music”. He compares it to the classical music he likes, saying it is not music at all since it only utilizes rhythm without melody or harmony. Then he claims he has a “cultural argument” against rap. Why would culture matter in deciding whether or not something is music? Because the majority of current artists and founders of rap and hip-hop are black. There is no cultural argument against classical music because of the horrors of the crusades. It would be foolish to do so, as it is foolish to argue that rap is not music.
While Shapiro’s rhythmically challenged reading of WAP is funny, knowledge of his beliefs are important as context when viewing the clips: Shapiro is degrading black culture by way of rap music.
Written by Andrew Tyrell-Smith
Artwork by Izzy Johns
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