Coleman Hughes and Ayishat Akanbi on Ideological Freedom in Creative Industries

Capitalist art and ATM chic

I highly recommend this conversation between writer Coleman Hughes and stylist Ayishat Akanbi for anyone in a creative industry who feels alienated by our current political landscape. Coleman asks if it’s possible to identify examples of capitalist art, and someone in the comments mentions rap. It’s true that rap and hip-hop explicitly celebrate the pursuit of wealth. Birdman’s “Money to Blow,” Drake and Rick Ross’s “Money in the Grave,” and Gucci Mane’s “I Get the Bag” are only a few recent examples. This frees rap from a lot of the sanctimony that plagues indie rock (a now-dead art form) which invites its own punishment for selling out as soon as it reaches a wide audience. Although explicit endorsements of capitalism are taboo among many who work in the fashion industry, “capitalist fashion” is aggressively alive in the visual identities of young artists like Coi Leray, who uses massive stacks of cash as an accessory.

While these works may not be featured in major museums as Coleman mentions, they are nonetheless the most powerful forms of new creativity we have. My own preference is certainly for music that maniacally embraces ambition, by artists who seek prosperity and inspire me to do the same.