Hootie and the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker Has Some Interesting Thoughts About Beyoncé’s Country Takeover

Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood, Jason Kempin (Getty Images)

Being a Black Country music fan has always been a difficult tightrope walk. You appreciate the emotion and artistry of the storytelling the genre is famous for, but you’re also aware that you may not be welcome among some of its fans.

There’s a stereotype that all country fans are southern racists who definitely don’t want Black people making or enjoying the music. Yes those fans have been out there, but in recent years it’s felt like they’re the majority of the fanbase.

Racial controversies around top-selling artists like Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean have created an unwelcome atmosphere for Black country fans. However, when we needed her most, Beyoncé swooped in and took over the genre, reminding everyone that we actually created Country music.

That’s right…the sounds, instruments and themes of country music’s origins come from enslaved Africans. Sadly, like most aspects of America, their music was taken from them, turned into something else and these early artists didn’t receive credit for their creation.

“Cowboy Carter’s” phenomenal success brought back old fans and introduced new ones to country. Of course, the gatekeepers weren’t happy about a Black woman dominating the genre. However, one of country’s biggest stars sees nothing but upside in Queen Bey’s country takeover. During an interview on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” Darius Rucker discussed Beyoncé’s true impact on Country music.

 

“I can’t express enough how big what she did was because she brought so many eyes to the genre,” Rucker said.

The Hootie and the Blowfish frontman explained that the 32-time Grammy winner’s country masterpiece gave Black fans the space to openly declare their enjoyment of the genre, something he encountered during his early days.

“You know, one of the things I love about what Beyoncé did is when I started making country music and having hits, I’d have African American women and men come up to me and go ‘I love country music, it’s just I could never say it,’” he said. “And she brought, I think, even more eyes to the genre and more people looking at it and more Black people going ‘Alright man, I like Country music.’”

Moving from adult contemporary rock with Hootie and the Blowfish, to country music was a big risk for Rucker. While he had a certain level of recognition, finding a comparable level of succes in country music was not guaranteed. The “Wagon Wheel” singer had a vision for what he wanted to see in the genre, and he feels like the “Renaisssance” artist has made it happen.

“I always say I want Country music to look more like America and I think she did a lot to make it go that way,” he said.

Obviously, one hit album can’t change everything and he does admit that the genre hasn’t escaped the “stigma of rebel flags and racism.”

“It’s still around,” Rucker said. “You still see it some places and I don’t think that’s ever going to go away. It’s not as prevalent as it was, it’s not the majority of Country music, but it’s still there. Because it’s still in America.”