Was the hate for nu-metal at least partially because of racism?
Was the hate for nu-metal at least partially because of racism?
OK, I'm a little drunk and already realize that this will probably not be a well received post. I'm sure some of you have already closed this thread, but hear me out.
Nu-metal drew heavy inspiration from hip hop, which I remember many back in the day naming as one of the reasons for hating it. Sure, there are so many terrible white boy rappers in the genre, but as we know many nerds have a burning hatred of rap to this day, and it's almost certainly at least partially thinly veiled racism.
A band having a DJ was definitely singled out as a reason to dismiss them, and since DJs grew out of the hip hop scene, it reeks of 
to me.
You could also argue that it's just narrow minded rock and metal enjoyers dismissing anything outside of their genre, but I definitely don't remember them having nearly as much of a problem with industrial bands like NIN, Ministry, Godflesh etc. using samples, drum machines and electronic music elements. It sure seems like hip hop influences were far less tolerated 
Am I onto something or is this just weird overthinking that randomly came to my mind?
Old metalhead here. Hated the nu-metal phase, because it took metal off the air. At least where I lived the radio stations that had been playing heavier alternative and metal switched entirely to nu-metal.
I didn’t like most nu-metal because it lacked the main part of metal for me - which is guitar focus. Nu-metal was all about the huge bombastic intro and then drop everything but a simple bass line and drums while someone sings or raps. Maybe a feeble little guitar solo midway through, but very little guitar work.
In my mind they are two different genres of music, and I’m a metalhead, not a nu-metalhead.
Nu-metal was all about the huge bombastic intro and then drop everything but a simple bass line and drums while someone sings or raps. Maybe a feeble little guitar solo midway through, but very little guitar work.
there's a bunch of 70s music like this too with ripping intros and then the rest of the song is just incredibly mid basic shit that sounds like somebody else composed it
Makes sense, I was too young to have really cared about music at the time, but after listening to a lot of it later I definitely prefer the early-mid 90s alternative/metal stuff to nu-metal.
I think it's been generally accepted that the rest of the band were actually good musicians, but unfortunately everything was centered around Fred Durst, who is terrible.
I found YouTube links in your comment. Here are links to the same videos on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Link 1:
Link 2:
Nu-metal also specifically branded itself as lower class/trashy. Maybe that was due to it's proximity to hip-hop, but it leaned into the immature "your mom won't like you listening to this" aesthetic. I associate it with dumbfuck dirt bike/lifted truck bros. The kinda guy who starts a fight cuz he thinks you looked at him the wrong way
This was definitely 1999-2001 when Limp Bizkit was big, then Hybrid Theory got massive and every bottom feeder nu-metal band suddenly became real introspective, lmao
There was definitely a big reaction against what a lot of people called "rap rock" at the time. Now, this wasn't a terribly new concept when nu-metal started, having already been done by groups like Rage Against the Machine and Run DMC/Aerosmith, but a lot of it was really badly done in nu-metal (see: Limp Bizkit, etc).
I would agree that a lot of it was based in specifically anti-black racism. That's what drove the reactions of people like my dad and uncles at the time. I was really into it when it was new, being a middle school-aged white suburban boy, and I didn't see a lot of negative backlash among my peer-group until some years later. As for me, I kind of 'aged out' of it and got into punk in high school, so I look back on it through the lens of cringing at my middle school self and am not a fan these days, but that really stems from self hatred.
I was really into it when it was new, being a middle school-aged white suburban boy, and I didn't see a lot of negative backlash among my peer-group until some years later.
I recall none of my friends were into it at the time (around the same age as you), and online a lot of people used the W-version of the N-word to refer to nu-metal bands and fans.
Oh yeah, that was definitely the peak "W-version of the N-word" usage era, between nu-metal and Eminem (something I was also into at the time).
I never thought of it that way when it came to nu metal hate, but metalheads just, in general, tend to be elitists and purists who think that any blending of their beloved metal with another genre of music is bad. It's why a lot of metalheads feel the need to not shut the fuck up about how much they hate metalcore, for instance. Their opposition to it usually stems from not seeing it as "true metal" and just a subgenre of hardcore punk that incorporates metallic elements. Regardless if you hold that sentiment as truth or not, just because a form of music is "not metal" doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. You also have to consider that the lines between a genre can definitely be arbitrary and socially constructed.
There are also a fair amount of racist metalheads.
Regardless, metalhead purism and metalhead racism are both toxic traits.
It's why a lot of metalheads feel the need to not shut the fuck up about how much they hate metalcore, for instance. Their opposition to it usually stems from not seeing it as "true metal" and just a subgenre of hardcore punk that incorporates metallic elements.
That's funny, considering Thrash Metal/Speed Metal is basically just taking Iron Maiden and adding punk tempos from bands like Bad Brains, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys. By the above definition, Metallica is Metalcore.
Slayer even released an album where they cover a bunch of punk bands.
Coming from a different angle, I was deep into the punk rock scene at the time of the nu-metal explosion and we disliked the genre because we viewed them as corny fratboy meatheads. I loved both metal and hip-hop but despised nu-metal bands even though I enjoyed some proto-nu-metal bands that fused the sounds (like Anthrax). And the Judgment Night soundtrack went HARD. So I guess some of it was just prejudiced elitism on my part.
For me personally, it just comes down to the fact that nu-metal was terrible, imho.
I'm not a fan of most of it because many bands just hopped on the bandwagon making formulaic music, but just saying it was "terrible" is a useless statement in terms of analysis because it's purely subjective.
I think it's a genre that was incredibly locked into it's time. The sound, the vibe, the aesthetics all coagulated into this peak Y2K moment, where it looked like it's the future... And then basically it was a musical blip, apart from a few bangers and Linkin Park as one the most successful bands of all time. Is there even a (known) band in last ten years that would call what they make "nu metal"? Even Linkin Parks music sounded nothing like their early stuff after 2007 or so.
Is linkin Park nu metal? If so I don’t remember anyone hating them. Everyone was obsessed with it especially after transformers came out. But I also was a kid so I didn’t exactly go on forums and look at people’s discussions on music
Linkin Park was one of the most hated bands on the internet for years.
Linkin Park? more like STINKIN FART!!! This post was made by REAL MUSIC listeners
They were super popular but mocked constantly by pretty much everyone I knew, they were sort of seen as a joke by 'real music fans' in my experience
From what I understand of the metal community rascism is not a thing that can be ruled out. However people tend to embrace white rappers no matter how mediocre so I don't think that was a key factor here.
I dunno. My issue with nu metal was usually its most vocal fans. They were just vaguely shitty white guys. The music was alright enough.
My issue with nu metal was usually its
mostvocalfans.
Nu-Metal was for guys who thought the machine Rage Against The Machine was raging against was bed-time or homework.
Is the hate against terrible rap sections in overplayed pop songs primarily due to racism? Probably, because why the fuck would westoids miss an opportunity. Doesn't really make them any better
As a nu-metal fan, sounds about right.