To answer your question....
HOWEVER, might this not simply be because -- and it's so damn obvious -- indie rock is based around guitar, drums, bass, maybe keyboard and synths, and therefore its practitioners find it difficult to borrow from hip hop
so aren't the real questions these =
(1) WHY did black bands disappear? WHY the victory of hip hop over black funk and rock bands?
(2) Now that hip hop has gotten so stale, WHY haven't we seen a return of black bands into public consciousness?[/QUOTE]
Huh? What?
First off...Rock IS Black music. There isn't a great seminal artist in Rock that everyone doesn't worship that essentially didn't learn that music or was inspired by some Black dude/s with a guitar. The Who, Rolling Stones, Clapton, The Beatles, and whomever so that point is moot about "Black influence" on rock/indie rock since if it wasn't for some Black person they'd never have picked up a guitar or drums or synth in the first place (even if they don't acknowledge or realize it).
The question of why aren't there any Black bands is sadly pretty simple...After the first wave of Hip Hoppers (1979-1984), music played by Black bands became "your parents music" and Hip Hop became the "music of the young people". By that time even P Funk had become music for older folks and the divide was set:
Old folks music: Album cover with dudes holding guitars
Young people's music: Album cover with a bunch a dudes sans instruments of any kind or just with microphones and turntables.
It also helped that the same execs and producers that made music for "Black bands" completely thumbed their noses at Hip Hop and completely helped along the divide. The Black executves wanted NOTHING to do with Hip Hop culture or Rap music in the early years...they regarded it as "noise" and "street music" (which is what R&B was...Doo Wop mixed with gospel music that was sung on the street or corners. That sure sounds familiar!)
In music, generations happen every 3-5 years. If the average fan becomes aware/interested in music between the ages of 9-13 then that means that if you grew up with Run DMC between these years then you're less likely to be checking for music by a band when you turn 14. I was aware of music since I was 3 (1978) and I loved everything. I was also aware that by 1985, kids my age were either into Hip Hop/Rap, Prince or Michael Jackson and then traditional R&B but Rap was WAY AHEAD in their preferences.
After Hip Hop finally hit hard in 1988, it damn near closed the door on breaking a Black band (especially a Rock one), only Living Colour and Romeo Blue (Lenny Kravitz' old band name) made anay headway before Body Count and Proper Grounds got signed. Aside from Fishbone and Bad Brains? No dice.
Then came the Hip Hop band in the early 90's thanks to Stetsasonic and The Roots, Dujeous, The All That Band, Survival Sounds, etc. all sprung up.
I could write more on this but I have a project to finish. *Plays "Judgement Night" OST on iTunes*
One.