Talk:Gospellers

Original Ranking?
I'm not sure what this means exactly, it's not a common phrase and makes the article seem a bit unclear. No one I've spoken to can shed any light on it and a previous editer seems to have had some difficulty. If someone could shed some light on it that would help immensely. M A Mason 00:42, 18 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Maybe it refers to the group's Oricon chart ranking? The name Oricon comes from the words "original confidence," so that could be what the editor was trying to say. Kamezuki 04:18, 19 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Ah yes it is the Oricon chart, article now reflects this. Thanks a lot :) M A Mason 18:17, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Blackface Controversy
''Note: this text was in the article for a little less than a month; I removed it because it's not encyclopedic or wikified. If someone wants to clean it up and carefully put it back in the article, great. BTW, I did not add the user's signature, it was there already. Yes, in the article. Jediknil (talk) 08:21, 3 May 2008 (UTC)''

The Gosperats emerged in full blackface. Was this offense to Japanese hip-hop at that time? Japan prides itself on the homogeniality of its population. From this, a distinct desire for self re-identification has sprung up in some youth subcultures. To a large amount of youth in Japan, blackfacing is "cool,"; a way to rebel against the conformist society. The Gosperats insisted that their dressing is blackface was not for entertainment purposes, but rather to fit in and make a statement. While Japanese hip-hop fans supported this group throughout the 80s, there was a large group that protested against it for the very reason that "blackfacing" draws from a oppressive and racist past and is not sensitive to the cultural implications of its origins. “Many felt a noticeable difference being in a country that did not have a history of slavery, segregation, and white supremacy and found genuine curiosity more than prejudice colored their experiences with Japanese people. Katherinebakes (talk) 02:28, 4 April 2008 (UTC)