“I am a man that ponders…”. When gazing upon this somewhat random uttering, most would think nothing of it, however for me this statement is something that defines my very nature, and is often the root cause of the various existential crises that I have encountered in my 22 years on this plane of existence. I am unsure whether my atypically inquisitive nature is an idiosyncrasy that can be attributed to my Asperger Syndrome, or whether it is wholly independent of it and is just a part of my wonderfully restless mind. Nevertheless, there is one thing that I am absolutely certain of, and it is that I have a tendency to massively overthink and tirelessly ask myself profound questions concerning the universe, the nature of my existence, my purpose in life and numerous other philosophical things. The answers to such questions are not easily arrived upon, and it is the absence of these answers that often leads to feelings of despondency.

2014 was a particularly peculiar year for me, because as it draws to a close, the feelings resulting from the questions that my mind has conjured up seem to have been transfigured from the usual despair to those of disgust and indignation. As the “West” significantly shifts to the right, becomes increasingly more intolerant (specifically more Islamophobic) and fails to hold those who are in positions of power accountable for their actions, I become ever more convinced that the general population who cannot think for themselves, are going to end up being responsible for alchemically transmuting society into something that resembles one of Nigel Farage’s hellish Thatcherism induced daydreams. Once this has occurred, it will be exceptionally difficult to turn back and a truly equal society will be but a notion tucked away deep inside the minds of an enlightened few. To be perfectly candid, the events of 2014 have moved us frighteningly close to this. However, a small idealistic fragment of my being believes that this is not the case. These feelings of hope are derived from how the marginalised have stood up and made their voices heard in response to numerous atrocities that have been carried out against people of colour and the resulting non-indictments that have put deeply ingrained biases on display, for all to see.

2014 is a year that was bookended by instances of injustice. These inequities highlighted dangerous preconceived notions regarding the inherent criminality of young black men and a systemic disregard of black life that permeates western society. They also allow for some rather intriguing comparisons to be drawn up between how the United States and the United Kingdom differ in their approaches to discussing race and the marginalisation of ethnic minorities. Here in the United Kingdom, the year began with a jury deciding that the death of Mark Duggan (an unarmed black man), at the hands of Metropolitan Police Firearms Officer, was lawful. There was significant media coverage regarding the verdict itself, however there was little discussion surrounding the implications of the verdict. The ever so predictable British Media were up to their old tricks again; they covered the initial fallout of the verdict and then swiftly swept the issue under the rug. In December, the coverage of the acquittal of the three men who were responsible for the death of, Jimmy Mubenga, followed a similar pattern, however there was significantly less of it when compared to the plethora of attention that the Mark Duggan verdict initially received. The British Media and British Public have a tendency to shy away from discourse involving the topics of race, socio-economic inequality, privilege and the accountability of the police force. This can only be explained as one thing: sheer cowardice. The United Kingdom likes to portray itself as a shining paragon of multiculturalism, tolerance and equality. I just hope that at sometime in the near future its citizens come to realise that this could not be further from the truth.

In stark contrast to the United Kingdom, within the United States there has been near constant discussion and coverage surrounding the numerous killings of innocent men and women of colour that have been carried out by members of law enforcement. The subsequent acquittals and failure to hold these officers of the “law” accountable for their actions has led to a visible outpouring of anger by the persecuted, who have made their voices heard by means of public protest and social media. This has enabled the conversation to be ever present in the public consciousness. This is by no means a ringing endorsement of a nation that was built upon a foundation of deeply racist attitudes; a nation that is still unable to escape the spectre of Jim Crow. I am just attempting to demonstrate the differences between an American society where there is space for protest and discussion, and a British society where protestors are met with passive derision and those who wish to discuss these issues are ignored, or are actively dismissed.

In terms of popular culture, 2014 was unquestionably the year of “Appropriation”. Black culture has been co-opted and disfigured by corporate forces purely for the generation of profit since time immemorial, however this was a year in which the agents of appropriation were visibly taken to task (primarily via social and digital media) for their misdeeds. In July, the insular and problematic nature of BBC Radio 1Xtra’s “Power” list, the purpose of which is to highlight the most important artists in Black British music, was brought to light. The list was topped by vomit-inducing pop “troubadour”, Ed Sheeran, with bourgeois “soul” pretender, Sam Smith, not far behind him in 4th place. These positions left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth due to the fact that these appropriators were being lauded in such an open manner. When grime scene stalwart, Wiley, questioned the nature of the list, his genuine concerns were either disregarded or just plain ignored. To add further insult to injury, Sam Smith, was also the recipient of two MOBO awards. I should probably remind you, that MOBO is an acronym for: Music Of Black Origin. These awards are not meant for the purpose of rewarding an artist whose music is a poor facsimile of the classic Soul recordings of days gone by. Thankfully the MOBO awards were called out about this via social media, by individuals who could clearly see that they had become a rather grotesque shadow of their former self.

The past 12 months have also seen the incredibly troubling ascent of the one woman sonic minstrel show, Iggy Azalea. Never before has an act been so blatantly shoehorned into public and Hip-Hop consciousness, as she has. Her “music”, on which she affects an accent that essentially lampoons the cadences of her African-American contemporaries (Diamond, Gangsta Boo et al), has been relentlessly peddled by mainstream radio stations and the wider media, meaning that the mediocrity of this cultural glutton has become almost unavoidable. Fortunately, several notable figures from the Hip-Hop community have taken the opportunity to challenge her about her distinct lack of cultural awareness. Rah Digga’s comments on her lack of authenticity, Q-Tip’s enlightening lesson on the history of Hip-Hop and Azealia Banks’ bold remarks that touched upon her willingness to misappropriate black culture, yet remain silent on the oppression faced by the black community, were all significant and necessary moments of critique. However instead of acknowledging their rational criticisms in a gracious manner, her obnoxiously dismissive replies gave off a pungent aroma of cultural insensitivity. Macklemore also entered the fray, and made some important observations that indirectly referenced Iggy and her disregard of Hip-Hop’s origins as the music of an oppressed people. Macklemore is an emcee that is eminently aware of the privileged position within Hip-Hop that the colour of his skin has afforded him, and this is the reason why he was such a welcome addition to the chorus of voices denouncing the problematic nature of Iggy and her “artistry”. Nevertheless, one cannot completely blame Iggy for the concerning nature of her rise, as it was primarily engineered by her corporate overlords. On the other hand, one can definitely blame her for the absurd amount of ignorance that she has displayed when responding to legitimate grievances, and for the fact that her music is complete and utter tosh.

Although I have penned this piece as a result of the revulsion and contempt that has arisen out of the questions that I have been forced to ask myself this past year, do not interpret it as a grand condemnation of society and its questionable values. While my words may have a venomously cynical tone to them, the idealist in me has also contributed to this piece. I have written this because I want society to take a long sobering look at itself, acknowledge the shortcomings of this past year and to begin purging its deeply problematic attitudes that are responsible for the continued marginalisation and callous disregard of ethnic minorities and the underprivileged.

I hope that 2015 is a year in which the brazen cultural erasure that is currently taking place within Hip-Hop (and Black music as a whole), is addressed and decried on a much wider scale. I want executives and tastemakers to acknowledge that Black Music does not need a caucasian face attached to it to increase its saleability. Will the mass change that I speak of actually come to pass in 2015? No, I do not believe that it will. However despite the extreme amounts of disillusionment that I have experienced in 2014 due to the aforementioned events, I do feel that a small amount of change will occur. This is because there have been many individuals who have stood up and relentlessly confronted the privileged, holding them accountable for their actions. As I gaze into 2015, that small idealistic fragment of my being is undoubtedly cracking a wry smile…