![]() The idea of gentrifying a sound may seem odd, but it is less so when you think about TikTok as a space where sound is one of the greatest assets and how that asset is being mined to widen a gap between white poachers and Black originators, marginalizing those that it should be centering. But, increasingly, the colloquial use of the term has shifted the word’s meaning to refer to the white repossession or appropriation of any Black commodity, or the erasure of Black involvement in the creation of something. Historically, gentrification has referred to the concept of “improving” a neighborhood to attract consumers in a higher strata, raising the cost of living and forcing out the (usually Black) people who live there. Pore over comments and tweets about the use of Jersey-club music on TikTok and a common phrase surfaces: the music is being “gentrified” by the star video-makers trolling for content. At the very least, the optics play into a long, infamous history of white appropriation of Black arts. they’re not ‘tik tok songs,’ ” Kawaii tweeted. “Jersey Club songs go viral on Tiktok all the time . . . Instead of rewarding Black creators, TikTok bolsters the white early adopters. The higher up the chain these viewers go, the further the sounds of club music get from their roots. Viewers who encounter these songs through such accounts often have no idea where they came from. Obviously, thousands, and sometimes millions, of people of all races participate in TikTok trends, but the most visible (and, usually, the most followed) of these users are white. The white stars feed on the content of smaller users in an act of vampirism, growing stronger as competitors wither away, using culture as a commodity to maintain their positions. It can be somewhat unsettling to see niche, largely Black club music being co-opted by white influencers in the name of clout. The dance challenges that use Jersey club have been taken up by the mostly white stars who dominate the platform, performers such as Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae, and Noah Beck (who have eighty million, fifty-seven million, and twelve million followers, respectively). In an interview with NJ.com, the Jersey-club practitioner DJ Jayhood, who recommended that Kawaii put her vocals on a club track, said that the song’s reach “put Jersey Club at a different respect level.” But no song has risen further than Cookiee Kawaii’s “ Vibe (If I Back It Up),” which has been used in more than 1.9 million videos. A few popular remixes-including of the 2005 hit “ Laffy Taffy,” by D4L, and “ Honesty,” by Pink Sweat$-have spawned various viral challenges. DJ Flex’s Jersey-club remix of “ Down in the DM” spread across the platform last year, and the trend continued during our pandemic summer. The fun, active music is unbelievably catchy, highlighted by heavy kicks and choppy vocals, and it’s perfectly suited for the dancing found in short videos. ![]() The hyper-percussive subgenre, pioneered by producers such as Tim Dolla and DJ Tameil, and reflecting the Black and Latino communities of Newark, continues to advance outward from its home in the Garden State. ![]() If you download the video-sharing app TikTok right now and scroll the “For You” page, it likely won’t be long before you stumble upon teen-agers hip-thrusting and chest-popping to the sounds of Jersey club. ![]()
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