Black Skinhead

Black Skinhead

Kanye West

Making its debut on Saturday Night Live, “Black Skinhead” (stylized as BLKKK SKKKNHEAD in reference to the Ku Klux Klan) is a dark, rebellious and near-tribal record that threads between both Kanye West’s traditional braggadocio and anti-establishment, anti-racism themes.

Skinhead refers to the cultural movement, which originated in the ‘60s in Britain. In the post-war economic boom, with more disposable income available to them, much of the youth became embroiled in fashion trends, music and consumerism. The song is most likely referencing the racist neo-nazi side of the group that grew to represent almost the entire movement in the mid-80s to the 90s.