The following is an edition of Mac’s Tracks, The Mirror’s music column. All views, thoughts and opinions belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Drury Mirror. 

At the risk of beating a dead horse: if you’ve made it till now without hearing about Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and the ensuing battle with Billboard, you haven’t been paying attention.

In early April, Billboard struck “Old Town Road” from its Hot Country chart, stating that it did not present enough elements of a country song to qualify. This decision was met with outrage across social media and birthed many a meme. What happened next is just as wild as what preceded.

Billy Ray Cyrus stepped up to the plate, playing guitar and adding his own verse to the song’s remix.

Country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus showed his support for Lil Nas Xs song, even adding his own verse in a remix. Photo via Pixabay.

In a tweet in early April, he said “It was so obvious to me after hearing the song just one time. What’s not country about it?… it’s honest, humble, has an infectious hook, and a banjo. What the hell more do ya need?”

These sentiments were clearly shared, as the remix has since climbed to the #1 spot on Billboard with the original trailing close behind. As of April 8th, Lil Nas X’s hit has topped both the country and hip-hop charts on Apple Music.

Exploring the history

There’s a weird history between rap and country, largely because they seem to exist as opposing forces in the pop culture hivemind.

In an interview with The Guardian, Canadian country musician Carl Ray said, “The problem is not with the fans, it’s with the executives.”

There’s a harsh racial dichotomy in country music because labels are too scared to sign on artists who break the stereotypical whiteness of the genre. This pattern has persisted since the “race records” of the 1920s, which consisted largely of bluegrass, gospel and folk-style music marketed specifically to African-Americans.

The country sound we’re familiar with today developed from the same roots, but was deemed acceptable for a white audience.

DeFord Bailey is often christened one of the fathers of American country music and credited with giving the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville its name. He was inducted into the Country Music
Hall of Fame in 2005 – quite a few decades after the Opry fired him in 1941 (the reason behind this decision is still unknown, although many believe it had to do with financial disputes about
the songs he performed).

Esteemed for his harmonica music, Bailey’s “Pan American Blues” is one of his best-known tunes. He laid a strong base for African Americans in country music.

Jimmy Allen, Kane Brown and Darius Rucker are all black country artists making waves in the last few years. Rucker stole the #1 spot with his 2008 single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” and Brown swept the 2018 American Music Awards with his self-titled debut album and the lead single, “Heaven.”

According to The Grapevine publication, Jimmy Allen was the first black country artist to launch his career by landing at #1 with his single “Best Shot.”

Evolving genres, breaking stereotypes

I’m no less guilty of glossing over country and rap’s long history, and am a pawn of the “anything but country” response to music. Genres are evolving and we’re finally breaking down those barriers that kept so many people out of certain mainstream markets in the first place.

Cyrus throwing his name into the ring to defend Lil Nas X’s hit is a powerful display of this shift but does not discount the strength “Old Town Road” had before Billboard’s decision.

This week’s Mac’s Tracks features a line-up of country hits from black artists, both past and present.

Article by Maclen Johnson.