While music is not political inherently, all modern music at least seems to be drenched in all sorts of politics. Whether it be class politics, race politics,  or ownership politics, every song we hear is influenced by these factors.

These politics are amplified when we begin to talk about appropriation. Where is the line between being a parodist and a thief? For example, Elvis picked the parts he liked from folksy and country music, whirled them all together in a blender, and then even directly imitated the vocal styles of American American singers. Even the media’s white-washed version of history accepts this fact, as shown by the movie Forrest Gump. After watching Forrest ‘dance’ one time, the character of Elvis knew he could make money off of moving his hips that way. While that may not be entirely historically accurate, it shows what kind of a man he was.