How racism became a marketing tool for country music

The top three songs in America right now are country tracks, and the top two hits are by artists facing allegations of racism. At the top of the charts is Jason Aldean: he shot to number one after releasing his music video “Try That In A Small Town,” which included montages critical of the Black Lives Matter protests and showed Aldean singing in front of a courthouse where a Black teen was lynched. Morgan Wallen has the number two hit, and his popularity rose after being cancelled for using the N-word.

But this is not unprecedented for the genre. Brittany sits down with historian Amanda Martinez to talk about country music’s history of marketing itself in opposition of Blackness for financial gain.

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.