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Elvis Presley - The architect of the rock 'n' roll business, Elvis Presley, took the burgeoning genre and put it in films, large venues and music hubs around the world. But he didn't do it without some side-eye from the Black R&B community that birthed the music. He's even been rumored to have said, "The only thing Negroes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes."That attitude persisted all the way to 2014, when Variety published an article titled, "Elvis Presley Invented Rock and Roll 60 Years Ago."Needless to say, the publication was taken to task, especially online with the #VarietyHeadlines hastag (i.e., "Justin Timberlake Tells Variety He Taught Michael Jackson How to Moonwalk #VariteyHeadlines" and more hilarity). The publication soon changed its language to "Elvis Sparked..."But Elvis and Variety aren't the first o...

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Culture Vultures - Miley Cyrus's controversial twerking at the VMAs got folks up in arms over decency on TV (again) and also reignited a touchy topic: culture misappropriation, which, according to the Internet, is not only lifting another people's symbols and rituals, but misusing them as well. (That's not what foam fingers are for, Miley.) (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

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Madonna - As a master of provocative pop culture, what hasn't Madonna appropriated? She's been the focus of cultural controversy, at least, since she broke out with Like a Virgin. Though raised a Catholic, her use of Catholic imagery during the promotion of the album was all but virginal and considered a disrespect to the religious conservatives. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Gwen Stefani - When the former No Doubt lead singer debuted her first solo LP, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004, she began featuring a group of Japanese dancers/fashionistas she called "the Harajuku Girls." They were in her videos. They were her background dancers. They were her entourage. But they never said a word — a stark contrast to their roots in self-expression in the Japanese underground. People called them stereotypical and called Stefani an "exploitation artist." (Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

Photo By Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Clear Channel

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Vanilla Ice - In 1990, Vanilla Ice, with his pompadour flattop and clownish street gear, became America's biggest rap star with the smash hit "Ice Ice Baby." But while teeny-boppers and college kids across the country danced to the tune, little did they know that Vanilla had swiped the song's chorus from a chant created by the Black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. No suit was filed, but the move was considered, to quote the fraternity, "too cold ... too cold."  (Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

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Brian Austin Green - Brian Austin Green is best known for playing the geeky freshman on the hit '90s TV show Beverly Hills 90210. But in 1996, the actor made a career change, dropping his middle name and putting out a horrible rap album, One Stop Carnival. His main violation within the realm of cultural misappropriation: his woeful lack of skill.  (Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

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Lil' Kim - Branding herself as hip hop's tough-as-nails sexy (and sexual) diva, Lil' Kim has pushed quite a few buttons within her cultural set. However, in 2003, she took things too far when she posed for the cover of Russell Simmons' One World magazine in a burka (a female Muslim headdress) and a bikini. (Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

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Ke$ha  - The envelope-pushing pop singer struck a racist chord when, for a performance of "Blah Blah Blah" on American Idol, she appeared dressed in a Native American headdress and war paint. Being that she isn't from the culture, or seemed to have a clear understanding of it, her move was deemed a major "oops."   (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

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Riff Raff - Some deem the existence of this white rhymer a cultural misappropriation in and of itself. With his cornrowed hair, gold-toothed grill, slick Southern drawl, MTV tattoo and his dead-on street slang, Riff Raff has been called, by some, a "white aping" of Black Southern hip hop — a charge he steadily denies.   (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)

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André 3000 - Known as one of hip hop's most progressive MCs, André 3000 offended some in the Native American community with his performance at the 2004 Grammys. Dressed in a Native American headdress, Dre was accompanied by comedian/actor Jack Black doing a monologue with a Navajo song playing in the background. Although Three Stacks is reportedly of Native American descent, given the clownish display with Mr. Black, he was walking a fine line.  (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)

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Kreayshawn - The Oakland-bred rap-tress has found a number of ways to build street cred, but her use of the n-word (on Twitter, in rhymes, in freestyles) has rubbed many folks the wrong way — even if she does pronounce it with an "a" at the end. (Photo: Arnold Wells/ WENN)