With all the news as of late about the validity of hip hop in college or university classrooms and indeed the all out assault on liberal studies, I thought I would share some semester ending reflections from my students in AAAS-4451, "The Rhetoric of Hip Hop" class offered through the African American Studies program at the University of Memphis
Enjoy
by Donal Davis
By my participation in this course, I have gained greater insight into how others perceive hip hop. I felt that I already had a well grounded understanding of the history of hip hop and hip hop as culture, and the materials in this course have supplemented that body of knowledge and increased the nuance of my understanding.
What I gained the most from were the group discussions and targeted reflections. The discussion added scope and perspective to the topics presented. The reflections forced a directed introspection of hip hop culture regarding the topic of the week and my own experiences.
I am also encouraged by the great deal of scholarly consideration of hip hop as culture. The amount of material available and the increasing body of academic study of hip hop culture and society was a welcome surprise. While I have read books by Dyson and others, the level of depth of many of the materials presented during this course were eye-opening regarding the range and depth of scholarship that is being accomplished as it relates to hip hop.
It is ironic that the course that many look at my schedule and think is a fill in, was indeed the most thought provoking and engaging. As a Bio major and Chem minor this course also served to allow me to see greater value in liberal arts studies as a whole.
Patricia Fannon
I was enlightened by the social injustices which took place and the fact that hip hop helped to give a voice to so many people that otherwise would not be heard. I think the knowledge of the material presented has allowed me to see some issues in a different "light". For example, I never understood why poor neighborhoods would burn their community down and participate in riots as seen in LA in the 1990's Compton area. But after this class my view is that I can understand the frustration that must have been felt when people lack any type of power to change or improve their conditions. I often times, when social issues are discussed at work, find myself explaining the views of those I perceive to lack power and control.
Prior to this class I really thought that racism was in the mind of people but was a rare. However, now I can see the subtle policies, and control others exert on those that have the fewest resources and the most need. If I continued to take AAAS I believe I would have to become an activist, because this class has changed the way I think, and react to others opinions concerning the distribution of power in American. I really enjoyed this class, and never dreamed that it would be so insight full.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Semester Ending Reflections-Part One
With all the news as of late about the validity of hip hop in college or university classrooms and indeed the all out assault on liberal studies, I thought I would share some semester ending reflections from my students in AAAS-4451, "The Rhetoric of Hip Hop" class offered through the African American Studies program at the University of Memphis
Enjoy
The Mis-education of Brittany NaShay Hill:
My Journey through the World of Hip Hop
by Brittany Hill
Noise. Meaningless. Absurd. Foolishness. If one asked me to define or describe hip hop about four months ago, then this may have been few of the many words they would have heard escape my lips. Yet, that was indeed almost four months ago…
When it came to hip hop, I would not say I was completely dumb on the whole subject. Yet, I was far from the hip hop mogul. I did dip and dab in the world of hip hop here and there. Mainly indulging in songs that played on the radio. Never did I use my own personal funds to contribute to hip hop sales. Never did I let my television rest on B.E.T. Never did I find myself lost in a piece of literature that revolved around the topic of hip hop. I just did not see how it could benefit me any nor how hip hop even related to my everyday living.
As I began reading the chapters in Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, I found there to be much more meaning behind this genre of music that I pushed all the way to the left a long time ago. From pioneers to places to politics, my mind was exploring and learning about hip hop on a level I never sought possible. I was beginning to understand its importance, its relevance, and its overall message. I began to see why it should stay and why it should be supported.
As I viewed the videos, lectures, and articles provided to me by Dr. Andre Johnson, I found terms related to hip hop that would have never occurred to me to be related. I saw individuals who found a passion in what the media sees as a setback. I was astonished and shocked at how big hip hop really is and how much it is greatly underestimated. I can honestly say I have done a complete 360 and have found a new interest in life. A life that involves hip hop.
Ask me to define and describe hip hop and I will simply respond… Art!!
“Hip Hop Artists Influence Politics”
Chandra Wiseman
Hip-hop artist have made significant strides in society as we know it today. Several hop-hop artists used a by any means necessary to get the attention of the media. Why? Many put forth efforts to assist lower income families and to speak out against racial profiling. In the late eighties and early nineties many cities where having issues with police brutality, racial profiling, wrongful use of force and many other issues concerning cruel, racial and in-human issues used by law-enforcement. Local government agencies and politicians were ignoring the issues. Something needed to happen and soon.
NWA, KRS One, Eazy E, and Sista Souljah were among many to take on the government and local law enforcement agencies. Putting together catching tunes with strong, harsh and cold facts was phenomenal. Songs like “Fuck the Police and “Express Yourself” not caught the attention of society, but; it caught the attention of the nation capital and law enforcement local law enforcement agencies. What had been happening as well as being ignored by many was soon to become known and slow down and come close to a halt. I think much of the controversy was well worth it. Hip-hop, though not considered as music was making a difference.
There are still many in society would deny that hip-hop is a valuable style of music, however; I would beg to differ. Hip-hop is not first choice of music, but; it has earned the rights and privileges of any other forms of music. It has caught the attention of much of society and made significant differences in the history of music. I have enjoyed learning where hip-hop derived from and the meaning that what was behind it. I will take the knowledge that I have obtained and share it with others.
Hip Hop as Culture
Chelsey Lyles
The thing I love about this class is that it is not just about the music, it’s about the whole culture that surrounds rap music. Rap is the music and hip-hop is the culture. This particularly hit me when I the read the last couple of chapters of Chang’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop it was all about the culture like the literature (Vibe and The Source) and the coming public entities like clothing liens from Jay-Z and the Sean (Puff Daddy/P. Diddy) Combs. It was more about public perception of hip than hip-hop itself. The end of the book was somewhat open. For example, there was the book that ended with a prayer about the state of hip-hop and its future. There is some debate on whether it’ll survive as a musical medium. I think it’ll last forever for several reasons. For one thing, the culture of hip-hop has immersed itself so completely in American mainstream that it would be impossible to disentangle them. Another thing that would make it impossible for the hip-hop to go away is that it has been legitimized. Rappers receive the Grammys, they are accepted a legitimate businessman, and even have relationships with politicians (Common and Jay-Z with President Obama). Rappers are not just the rappers, they are real people with real stories, even if some people would rather not hear them. I would be the last person to claim that the current state of hip-hop isn’t murky but there is something to be said for the music that transcends music and bleeds its way into almost everything we do. I’ve always loved hip-hop and I doubt it’s going to change but this class has taught me to view it from eyes that know its past, complete with the all of it deformities and sometimes raunchiness. This class has given me the real hip-hop and only reinforced the love for a music that I grew up with and love.
Bringing It All Together
by Jerrica Rucker
Hip Hop is arguably one of the most amazing phenomena ever to grace American history. A professor recently said that the beauty of the role that art plays in the lives of humans in spite of cultural differences. Hip Hop is an art form that has illustrated what African Americans can achieve collectively. The predominantly black generated culture left a footprint in the social dynamics of the American culture and can be—in my opinion—compared to other African American movements such as the Black Arts Movement and the Harlem Renaissance. It documents a period of growth and strength amongst the young black community that let outsiders know that they, too, can accomplish greatness.
The most notable or memorable statement made about hip hop this semester was the lecture that stated:
Historical perspective in African American discourse is used as a way to motivate audiences to look to their own culture for inspiration, wisdom, and strength in order to survive and grow in a racist America. Throughout history in America music has always been one of the few ways African Americans have been able to express themselves freely. It has been used to articulate their deepest and most enduring feelings and certainties. Some scholars have stated that it is in the secular song where the record of African American people’s consciousness can be found. Hip Hop is an extension of this legacy.
This, to me, sums up the gravity of the impact Hip hop made in the African American communities. This allows me to put the hip hop culture into the category with the black literary writers that have captured important aspects of the African American communities in a way that gave the world a genuine view into their lives while creating a sense of unity amongst fellow African Americans. Hip hop is an art that brought blacks together to produce positivity and unity. I am infatuated with the boost Hip Hop gave the morale of blacks across the nation.
I am walking away from this class equipped with the knowledge needed to continue my personal studies of the culture. After taking this class, I feel that I can now make more informed judgment calls about the current hip hop industry which will help me in my endeavors to become a hip hop blogger or—if I’m lucky—a writer for a magazine such as XXL. I have a more thorough appreciation for hip hop and the things it has accomplished since its birth.
Rachel Wacker
This week’s discussion question really made me pause and reflect. So many times a student we are in such a rush to complete all required assignments at the end of a semester that they never give much thought to what they have learned. I believe this to be one of the most influential classes in my time here at the University of Memphis because it has opened my eyes to a perspective that I have been lacking in my study of African Americans. To really understand a cultural trait, you must begin at the roots, and that is what this class has enabled me, the student, to be able to do. The gradual progression through the history of hip hop has led us to today.
The beginnings of hip hop are quite the antithesis of what the average person would believe it to be. What we know today as hip hop is a far cry from passionate representation of the struggles that were endured in war torn and politically corrupt countries. The evolvement of the genre has signified the changes in society and the altering of priorities for many. It is not until one takes the time to study the beginnings that one can truly appreciate the intent. This is by far the case of hip hop. I would not necessarily be drawn to the genre today, but have throughout the semester grown to admire and appreciate the historical factors pertaining to the early work of hip hop.
My personal favorite reading of the semester was the article “Sacred Cows Make great Hamburgers: the Rhetoric of Graffiti” by Frank J. D’Angelo. I actually printed this article and placed it in my files marked “teaching tools” to hopefully one day integrate into my English classroom. So many times students find the basic literary terminology boring and lacking relevance. This gives a new perspective on what some would call “archaic English.” There is no better way to teach than to use applicable and relevant knowledge as a format for learning.
I walk away from this class, and soon the University of Memphis with a greater appreciation of differences in others and a deeper respect for perspectives that vary from my own. Where some do not believe that a study of hip hop could advance my educational experience, I am evidence that they are wrong. I just read an article this week on about a university that is going to offer a class “Sociology of Hip Hop: Jay Z” and the professor that will be teaching the class explained it so well, “his class confronts topic present in any sociology course: racial and gender identity, sexuality, capitalism and economic inequality.” This class has also offered a great deal of knowledge in these areas that are applicable to everyone’s daily life. This has been a class that has dealt me a great dose of reality and I can’t say enough thanks.
Enjoy
The Mis-education of Brittany NaShay Hill:
My Journey through the World of Hip Hop
by Brittany Hill
Noise. Meaningless. Absurd. Foolishness. If one asked me to define or describe hip hop about four months ago, then this may have been few of the many words they would have heard escape my lips. Yet, that was indeed almost four months ago…
When it came to hip hop, I would not say I was completely dumb on the whole subject. Yet, I was far from the hip hop mogul. I did dip and dab in the world of hip hop here and there. Mainly indulging in songs that played on the radio. Never did I use my own personal funds to contribute to hip hop sales. Never did I let my television rest on B.E.T. Never did I find myself lost in a piece of literature that revolved around the topic of hip hop. I just did not see how it could benefit me any nor how hip hop even related to my everyday living.
As I began reading the chapters in Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, I found there to be much more meaning behind this genre of music that I pushed all the way to the left a long time ago. From pioneers to places to politics, my mind was exploring and learning about hip hop on a level I never sought possible. I was beginning to understand its importance, its relevance, and its overall message. I began to see why it should stay and why it should be supported.
As I viewed the videos, lectures, and articles provided to me by Dr. Andre Johnson, I found terms related to hip hop that would have never occurred to me to be related. I saw individuals who found a passion in what the media sees as a setback. I was astonished and shocked at how big hip hop really is and how much it is greatly underestimated. I can honestly say I have done a complete 360 and have found a new interest in life. A life that involves hip hop.
Ask me to define and describe hip hop and I will simply respond… Art!!
“Hip Hop Artists Influence Politics”
Chandra Wiseman
Hip-hop artist have made significant strides in society as we know it today. Several hop-hop artists used a by any means necessary to get the attention of the media. Why? Many put forth efforts to assist lower income families and to speak out against racial profiling. In the late eighties and early nineties many cities where having issues with police brutality, racial profiling, wrongful use of force and many other issues concerning cruel, racial and in-human issues used by law-enforcement. Local government agencies and politicians were ignoring the issues. Something needed to happen and soon.
NWA, KRS One, Eazy E, and Sista Souljah were among many to take on the government and local law enforcement agencies. Putting together catching tunes with strong, harsh and cold facts was phenomenal. Songs like “Fuck the Police and “Express Yourself” not caught the attention of society, but; it caught the attention of the nation capital and law enforcement local law enforcement agencies. What had been happening as well as being ignored by many was soon to become known and slow down and come close to a halt. I think much of the controversy was well worth it. Hip-hop, though not considered as music was making a difference.
There are still many in society would deny that hip-hop is a valuable style of music, however; I would beg to differ. Hip-hop is not first choice of music, but; it has earned the rights and privileges of any other forms of music. It has caught the attention of much of society and made significant differences in the history of music. I have enjoyed learning where hip-hop derived from and the meaning that what was behind it. I will take the knowledge that I have obtained and share it with others.
Hip Hop as Culture
Chelsey Lyles
The thing I love about this class is that it is not just about the music, it’s about the whole culture that surrounds rap music. Rap is the music and hip-hop is the culture. This particularly hit me when I the read the last couple of chapters of Chang’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop it was all about the culture like the literature (Vibe and The Source) and the coming public entities like clothing liens from Jay-Z and the Sean (Puff Daddy/P. Diddy) Combs. It was more about public perception of hip than hip-hop itself. The end of the book was somewhat open. For example, there was the book that ended with a prayer about the state of hip-hop and its future. There is some debate on whether it’ll survive as a musical medium. I think it’ll last forever for several reasons. For one thing, the culture of hip-hop has immersed itself so completely in American mainstream that it would be impossible to disentangle them. Another thing that would make it impossible for the hip-hop to go away is that it has been legitimized. Rappers receive the Grammys, they are accepted a legitimate businessman, and even have relationships with politicians (Common and Jay-Z with President Obama). Rappers are not just the rappers, they are real people with real stories, even if some people would rather not hear them. I would be the last person to claim that the current state of hip-hop isn’t murky but there is something to be said for the music that transcends music and bleeds its way into almost everything we do. I’ve always loved hip-hop and I doubt it’s going to change but this class has taught me to view it from eyes that know its past, complete with the all of it deformities and sometimes raunchiness. This class has given me the real hip-hop and only reinforced the love for a music that I grew up with and love.
Bringing It All Together
by Jerrica Rucker
Hip Hop is arguably one of the most amazing phenomena ever to grace American history. A professor recently said that the beauty of the role that art plays in the lives of humans in spite of cultural differences. Hip Hop is an art form that has illustrated what African Americans can achieve collectively. The predominantly black generated culture left a footprint in the social dynamics of the American culture and can be—in my opinion—compared to other African American movements such as the Black Arts Movement and the Harlem Renaissance. It documents a period of growth and strength amongst the young black community that let outsiders know that they, too, can accomplish greatness.
The most notable or memorable statement made about hip hop this semester was the lecture that stated:
Historical perspective in African American discourse is used as a way to motivate audiences to look to their own culture for inspiration, wisdom, and strength in order to survive and grow in a racist America. Throughout history in America music has always been one of the few ways African Americans have been able to express themselves freely. It has been used to articulate their deepest and most enduring feelings and certainties. Some scholars have stated that it is in the secular song where the record of African American people’s consciousness can be found. Hip Hop is an extension of this legacy.
This, to me, sums up the gravity of the impact Hip hop made in the African American communities. This allows me to put the hip hop culture into the category with the black literary writers that have captured important aspects of the African American communities in a way that gave the world a genuine view into their lives while creating a sense of unity amongst fellow African Americans. Hip hop is an art that brought blacks together to produce positivity and unity. I am infatuated with the boost Hip Hop gave the morale of blacks across the nation.
I am walking away from this class equipped with the knowledge needed to continue my personal studies of the culture. After taking this class, I feel that I can now make more informed judgment calls about the current hip hop industry which will help me in my endeavors to become a hip hop blogger or—if I’m lucky—a writer for a magazine such as XXL. I have a more thorough appreciation for hip hop and the things it has accomplished since its birth.
Rachel Wacker
This week’s discussion question really made me pause and reflect. So many times a student we are in such a rush to complete all required assignments at the end of a semester that they never give much thought to what they have learned. I believe this to be one of the most influential classes in my time here at the University of Memphis because it has opened my eyes to a perspective that I have been lacking in my study of African Americans. To really understand a cultural trait, you must begin at the roots, and that is what this class has enabled me, the student, to be able to do. The gradual progression through the history of hip hop has led us to today.
The beginnings of hip hop are quite the antithesis of what the average person would believe it to be. What we know today as hip hop is a far cry from passionate representation of the struggles that were endured in war torn and politically corrupt countries. The evolvement of the genre has signified the changes in society and the altering of priorities for many. It is not until one takes the time to study the beginnings that one can truly appreciate the intent. This is by far the case of hip hop. I would not necessarily be drawn to the genre today, but have throughout the semester grown to admire and appreciate the historical factors pertaining to the early work of hip hop.
My personal favorite reading of the semester was the article “Sacred Cows Make great Hamburgers: the Rhetoric of Graffiti” by Frank J. D’Angelo. I actually printed this article and placed it in my files marked “teaching tools” to hopefully one day integrate into my English classroom. So many times students find the basic literary terminology boring and lacking relevance. This gives a new perspective on what some would call “archaic English.” There is no better way to teach than to use applicable and relevant knowledge as a format for learning.
I walk away from this class, and soon the University of Memphis with a greater appreciation of differences in others and a deeper respect for perspectives that vary from my own. Where some do not believe that a study of hip hop could advance my educational experience, I am evidence that they are wrong. I just read an article this week on about a university that is going to offer a class “Sociology of Hip Hop: Jay Z” and the professor that will be teaching the class explained it so well, “his class confronts topic present in any sociology course: racial and gender identity, sexuality, capitalism and economic inequality.” This class has also offered a great deal of knowledge in these areas that are applicable to everyone’s daily life. This has been a class that has dealt me a great dose of reality and I can’t say enough thanks.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Holy Hip Hop: a new expression
By Melody Andrews
for the Daily Helmsman
On a cool night in early November, around 200 students entered Second Presbyterian Church to fellowship with other Christian students from the University of Memphis. But this Bible study hosted by Campus Outreach was unique to some of the ministry's attendees. Right in the midst of their service, integrated with "amens" and murmured praise, was hip-hop music.
From its infancy in the 1970s, riddled with braggadocio-filled raps, community-center disc jockeys and nimble break dancers from the Bronx, hip-hop culture is often recognized for its content's immorality. What many see as hip-hop's inherent, sinful nature even led to rap music being blamed for the gradual collapse of American morality.
The grungy and gritty environment that gave birth to the genre may make hip-hop and religion an unlikely pair. Yet while it lacks an immaculate conception, hip-hop contains religion in a larger capacity than its gold-encrusted Jesus pieces and infamous Illuminati rumors.
Read more here
for the Daily Helmsman
On a cool night in early November, around 200 students entered Second Presbyterian Church to fellowship with other Christian students from the University of Memphis. But this Bible study hosted by Campus Outreach was unique to some of the ministry's attendees. Right in the midst of their service, integrated with "amens" and murmured praise, was hip-hop music.
From its infancy in the 1970s, riddled with braggadocio-filled raps, community-center disc jockeys and nimble break dancers from the Bronx, hip-hop culture is often recognized for its content's immorality. What many see as hip-hop's inherent, sinful nature even led to rap music being blamed for the gradual collapse of American morality.
The grungy and gritty environment that gave birth to the genre may make hip-hop and religion an unlikely pair. Yet while it lacks an immaculate conception, hip-hop contains religion in a larger capacity than its gold-encrusted Jesus pieces and infamous Illuminati rumors.
Read more here
Monday, November 28, 2011
Hip Hop and Masculinity
by Kimbriuna Dyer
University of Memphis Student
For many years, I viewed masculinity in Hip Hop as being defined as tough, hardcore, from the streets which is similar to the views of many others when you ask for the masculine description in relation to Hip Hop but now it seems that image has shifted and changed in a more positive way. You no longer really have the hard-core rapper but a more subtle and subdued. It seems that more current rappers of today are actually well-educated and come from stable backgrounds and home lives and even rappers who initially started out as the hardcore, from the streets type of rapper are starting to adopt these more current views of masculinity. I can initially recall seeing this type of shift in masculinity with Outkast’s Andre 3000. Andre 3000 has always shown an eccentric style when compared to his Outkast counterpart, Big Boi but it was not until the release of Speakerboxx/The Love Below that made me realize that Andre was a different type of rapper. His music showed a different type of masculine approach compared to what was already out there in regards to Hip Hop. This is the first time I noticed that shift in the image of masculinity. Then you have Kanye West, who has been extremely successful in his career and comes from a good home life. He has never tried to adopt that hard edge because he knew that wasn’t who he was so he came out as the person he was. He enjoyed wearing clothes that fit him, he would wear a backpack if he wanted, and he would articulate his words because that is the type of person he has always been and he wasn’t going to fake who he was for success. I feel that now in Hip Hop that this movement is becoming more prevalent when you have rappers such as Wale and J Cole garnering so much attention and success and they are both college educated so I feel that this shift in masculinity can only gain more speed at this point. I remember a time when rap wasn’t considered “real” if it wasn’t from the streets but it seems as time has gone on fans of Hip Hop views have changed.
No longer are we concerned by how tough your life was and how many times you were in and out of jail but we are concerned that what you are rapping about in your music is your truth and what you tell about your life is the truth. If you’re honest about what you represent then the Hip Hop fans will be receptive but if you’re not honest then the fans will walk away similar to what happened to Plies. He debuted in the Hip Hop world as a tough, hardcore rapper who had a hefty criminal background which people accepted and were willing to buy his music because they believed that this image of him having a hard life growing up was his real life but later it was discovered that he may not have been as honest about things in his life such as his criminal record and the fact that he had also been accepted and attended two different colleges on scholarships for football and had also been crowned homecoming king in high school. Now I was never a huge Plies fan because before any real truth about his life was revealed, I had a feeling that he wasn’t completely authentic so when all the information about his real life was revealed it didn’t surprise me. In my opinion, it seems fans don’t want to be told lies or what you think they want to hear but they want to be able to feel that as a fan that they are able to know a rapper somewhat and not just rappers any type of celebrity. So, it doesn’t seem like the fans care where you came from, if you were of the honor roll or always suspended as long as you’re upfront and honest. In closing, however I do feel that this new type of view on masculinity is a positive and should definitely be pushed and embraced by the Hip Hop big wigs. As long as there are acts like J Cole, Drake, Wale, & B.O.B and they are able to sustain their success, then I feel this will eventually bring a shift in the views on Hip Hop and maybe bring about more positive changes.
University of Memphis Student
For many years, I viewed masculinity in Hip Hop as being defined as tough, hardcore, from the streets which is similar to the views of many others when you ask for the masculine description in relation to Hip Hop but now it seems that image has shifted and changed in a more positive way. You no longer really have the hard-core rapper but a more subtle and subdued. It seems that more current rappers of today are actually well-educated and come from stable backgrounds and home lives and even rappers who initially started out as the hardcore, from the streets type of rapper are starting to adopt these more current views of masculinity. I can initially recall seeing this type of shift in masculinity with Outkast’s Andre 3000. Andre 3000 has always shown an eccentric style when compared to his Outkast counterpart, Big Boi but it was not until the release of Speakerboxx/The Love Below that made me realize that Andre was a different type of rapper. His music showed a different type of masculine approach compared to what was already out there in regards to Hip Hop. This is the first time I noticed that shift in the image of masculinity. Then you have Kanye West, who has been extremely successful in his career and comes from a good home life. He has never tried to adopt that hard edge because he knew that wasn’t who he was so he came out as the person he was. He enjoyed wearing clothes that fit him, he would wear a backpack if he wanted, and he would articulate his words because that is the type of person he has always been and he wasn’t going to fake who he was for success. I feel that now in Hip Hop that this movement is becoming more prevalent when you have rappers such as Wale and J Cole garnering so much attention and success and they are both college educated so I feel that this shift in masculinity can only gain more speed at this point. I remember a time when rap wasn’t considered “real” if it wasn’t from the streets but it seems as time has gone on fans of Hip Hop views have changed.
No longer are we concerned by how tough your life was and how many times you were in and out of jail but we are concerned that what you are rapping about in your music is your truth and what you tell about your life is the truth. If you’re honest about what you represent then the Hip Hop fans will be receptive but if you’re not honest then the fans will walk away similar to what happened to Plies. He debuted in the Hip Hop world as a tough, hardcore rapper who had a hefty criminal background which people accepted and were willing to buy his music because they believed that this image of him having a hard life growing up was his real life but later it was discovered that he may not have been as honest about things in his life such as his criminal record and the fact that he had also been accepted and attended two different colleges on scholarships for football and had also been crowned homecoming king in high school. Now I was never a huge Plies fan because before any real truth about his life was revealed, I had a feeling that he wasn’t completely authentic so when all the information about his real life was revealed it didn’t surprise me. In my opinion, it seems fans don’t want to be told lies or what you think they want to hear but they want to be able to feel that as a fan that they are able to know a rapper somewhat and not just rappers any type of celebrity. So, it doesn’t seem like the fans care where you came from, if you were of the honor roll or always suspended as long as you’re upfront and honest. In closing, however I do feel that this new type of view on masculinity is a positive and should definitely be pushed and embraced by the Hip Hop big wigs. As long as there are acts like J Cole, Drake, Wale, & B.O.B and they are able to sustain their success, then I feel this will eventually bring a shift in the views on Hip Hop and maybe bring about more positive changes.
Hip Hop and Culture
by Jerrica Rucker
University of Memphis Student
As I’ve stated before, Hip Hop is one of the most criticized cultures in America. The images of hip hop portrayed in the media have a large part to do with that. I question whether or not extensive studies have been done to expose why hip hop is viewed in such a negative light. Is there an underlying cause deeper than the degrading images of women or the foul language that stirs this discomfort or distaste for the culture? Is the disdain for hip hop directly correlated to the attitudes towards African Americans in America?
The portrayal of hip hop in the media fuels the battle between the culture and society. Through the media, hip hop is accused of being the bad influence on young children today. The albums and music videos—which are publicly rated according to age appropriation—are heavily scrutinized by concerned parents and have often fallen victim to petitions and demands for censorship laws. No one considers how the birth of hip hop changed the black community for the better and gave young blacks a voice. Although newer hip hop music is said to be trash compared to older music, hip hop still serves as an outlet for young people. It is something that takes them away from the realness of life for just a few minutes. It is not a coincidence that a large percentage of the news stories or blog articles feature hip hop artists who have been recently arrested or killed. The charity events, donations, and other humanitarian acts these artists commit goes unnoticed. Why is hip hop America’s favorite “bad guy”?
This type of publicity lays the foundation for the many stereotypes concerning hip hop. Even worse, these stereotypes have been directly associated with the black race as a whole. Whenever the word rapper is mentioned people automatically think “baggy clothes, flashy jewelry, lack of intellect, foul mouth, etc.” in spite of the fact that current artists such as J. Cole and Lupe Fiasco excelled in school. In fact, J. Cole’s GPA was higher than a 4.0. African Americans living in struggling neighborhoods are almost expected to be on some type of drug. Black women are expected to become single mothers and black men are expected to be incarcerated. These stereotypes can lead—and have led—to inclinations to discriminatory actions towards blacks in general. People see the negativity of hip hop on television and hear about it on the radio and take it to be the image of the typical black neighborhoods in America.
Is hip hop attacked because it is the only way to criticize blacks without being called a racist? If hip hop was a predominantly white culture would America have the same problem with it that it has now? Why is it that the increase of the selling and use of drugs in black communities got more publicity than the white neighborhoods that have had the same problems for a longer period of time? The answers to these questions may never be known but they do make me think. The media may have played a larger part in the “death” of hip hop than the artists has. The constant bashing of the culture and the negative attitudes it has influenced has not helped the strides made towards making hip hop meaningful again.
University of Memphis Student
As I’ve stated before, Hip Hop is one of the most criticized cultures in America. The images of hip hop portrayed in the media have a large part to do with that. I question whether or not extensive studies have been done to expose why hip hop is viewed in such a negative light. Is there an underlying cause deeper than the degrading images of women or the foul language that stirs this discomfort or distaste for the culture? Is the disdain for hip hop directly correlated to the attitudes towards African Americans in America?
The portrayal of hip hop in the media fuels the battle between the culture and society. Through the media, hip hop is accused of being the bad influence on young children today. The albums and music videos—which are publicly rated according to age appropriation—are heavily scrutinized by concerned parents and have often fallen victim to petitions and demands for censorship laws. No one considers how the birth of hip hop changed the black community for the better and gave young blacks a voice. Although newer hip hop music is said to be trash compared to older music, hip hop still serves as an outlet for young people. It is something that takes them away from the realness of life for just a few minutes. It is not a coincidence that a large percentage of the news stories or blog articles feature hip hop artists who have been recently arrested or killed. The charity events, donations, and other humanitarian acts these artists commit goes unnoticed. Why is hip hop America’s favorite “bad guy”?
This type of publicity lays the foundation for the many stereotypes concerning hip hop. Even worse, these stereotypes have been directly associated with the black race as a whole. Whenever the word rapper is mentioned people automatically think “baggy clothes, flashy jewelry, lack of intellect, foul mouth, etc.” in spite of the fact that current artists such as J. Cole and Lupe Fiasco excelled in school. In fact, J. Cole’s GPA was higher than a 4.0. African Americans living in struggling neighborhoods are almost expected to be on some type of drug. Black women are expected to become single mothers and black men are expected to be incarcerated. These stereotypes can lead—and have led—to inclinations to discriminatory actions towards blacks in general. People see the negativity of hip hop on television and hear about it on the radio and take it to be the image of the typical black neighborhoods in America.
Is hip hop attacked because it is the only way to criticize blacks without being called a racist? If hip hop was a predominantly white culture would America have the same problem with it that it has now? Why is it that the increase of the selling and use of drugs in black communities got more publicity than the white neighborhoods that have had the same problems for a longer period of time? The answers to these questions may never be known but they do make me think. The media may have played a larger part in the “death” of hip hop than the artists has. The constant bashing of the culture and the negative attitudes it has influenced has not helped the strides made towards making hip hop meaningful again.
Politics, Gender, and Media in hip-hop
by Jasmine Bradburn
University of Memphis Student
This week’s lesson touched on instances where politics, gender, and media may have had an influence on hip-hop. Some of the discussion videos that were presented to the class this week had to do with some of the people in the hip-hop world and their personal views on how hip-hop was related to the three factors that I mentioned above. Many believe that hip-hop is just about sounds and music, but hip-hop has a bigger meaning. These discussions pointed to meanings that were unclear to me at first, but after listening to them I gained a better understanding of some things. I was interested in hearing what the professors and artists had to say about this topic.
The lecture about hip-hop politics showed me that even though some artist rap or sing about materialistic things, sex, and violence, doesn’t mean that they live the lives that they sing or rap about. I believe that most artists are only trying to fit in with the trends that are constantly changing in the world. These artists do not live exactly how they talk about most of the time. The lectures were great and I believe that the professors and artists did a wonderful job of explaining how they think hip-hop revolves around politics. In my opinion I think that hip-hop formed because of politics in a way because if you think about it, people started making songs about the depression and struggles of their neighborhood or city. It was the actions of citizens and even leaders who sparked problems that artists were singing and rapping about. Politics will always remain a huge part of hip-hop and the people in the lectures just made it clearer that politics will never go away when it comes to this topic. Social responsibility was also mentioned within the discussion and I believe that everyone should be accountable for what they do and say. Some people believe that just because one is wealthy they will not be held accountable for their words and actions, but that changed as hip-hop evolved.
Also, the article about black masculinity made me actually sit down and think about how the “black man” is always preconceived as a bad person in most cases. The significance of this article is the clarification that was made that the black man can have ideas and that race should not play a role in the act of hip-hop. A video was also analyzed from a professional point of view. Rapper 50 cent’s video, “Straight to the bank” was discussed and it showed the typical form of how black males are represented. There were lots of material things like flashy cars and expensive clothes and cigars in the video. The majority of rappers do have similar videos, but it does not mean that they all act this way in real life. The article made me further realize that people should not place the blame on any targeted race about how hip-hop has changed because rappers of all races have similar videos and songs. It really bothers me that people have so many negative things to say about hip-hop, but that is where learning the history comes about. People should understand that before the making of hip-hop the world had struggles and after the making of hip-hop the world still has some of those struggles and maybe more. I really enjoyed this week’s lesson and I encouraged some of my friends to listen and read some of the materials that went with the lesson so that they could learn a little something about hip-hop that they did not know. I was thinking about how I would like to meet some of the world-known artists, professors, or even authors that know about the original movement of hip-hop so that I can gain some knowledge from them. I think that would be a perfect opportunity to ask questions about the original movement.
University of Memphis Student
This week’s lesson touched on instances where politics, gender, and media may have had an influence on hip-hop. Some of the discussion videos that were presented to the class this week had to do with some of the people in the hip-hop world and their personal views on how hip-hop was related to the three factors that I mentioned above. Many believe that hip-hop is just about sounds and music, but hip-hop has a bigger meaning. These discussions pointed to meanings that were unclear to me at first, but after listening to them I gained a better understanding of some things. I was interested in hearing what the professors and artists had to say about this topic.
The lecture about hip-hop politics showed me that even though some artist rap or sing about materialistic things, sex, and violence, doesn’t mean that they live the lives that they sing or rap about. I believe that most artists are only trying to fit in with the trends that are constantly changing in the world. These artists do not live exactly how they talk about most of the time. The lectures were great and I believe that the professors and artists did a wonderful job of explaining how they think hip-hop revolves around politics. In my opinion I think that hip-hop formed because of politics in a way because if you think about it, people started making songs about the depression and struggles of their neighborhood or city. It was the actions of citizens and even leaders who sparked problems that artists were singing and rapping about. Politics will always remain a huge part of hip-hop and the people in the lectures just made it clearer that politics will never go away when it comes to this topic. Social responsibility was also mentioned within the discussion and I believe that everyone should be accountable for what they do and say. Some people believe that just because one is wealthy they will not be held accountable for their words and actions, but that changed as hip-hop evolved.
Also, the article about black masculinity made me actually sit down and think about how the “black man” is always preconceived as a bad person in most cases. The significance of this article is the clarification that was made that the black man can have ideas and that race should not play a role in the act of hip-hop. A video was also analyzed from a professional point of view. Rapper 50 cent’s video, “Straight to the bank” was discussed and it showed the typical form of how black males are represented. There were lots of material things like flashy cars and expensive clothes and cigars in the video. The majority of rappers do have similar videos, but it does not mean that they all act this way in real life. The article made me further realize that people should not place the blame on any targeted race about how hip-hop has changed because rappers of all races have similar videos and songs. It really bothers me that people have so many negative things to say about hip-hop, but that is where learning the history comes about. People should understand that before the making of hip-hop the world had struggles and after the making of hip-hop the world still has some of those struggles and maybe more. I really enjoyed this week’s lesson and I encouraged some of my friends to listen and read some of the materials that went with the lesson so that they could learn a little something about hip-hop that they did not know. I was thinking about how I would like to meet some of the world-known artists, professors, or even authors that know about the original movement of hip-hop so that I can gain some knowledge from them. I think that would be a perfect opportunity to ask questions about the original movement.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Jay-Z 101: Defending The Georgetown Class
Last month, I journeyed to our nation’s capital to see with my own eyes a popular Georgetown University class. It wasn’t another grand strategy offering, nor did it explore the latest advances in quantum physics. But “Sociology of Hip-Hop — Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z” was impressive nonetheless.
The course’s instructor, Professor Michael Eric Dyson, had invited me to give a guest lecture (my book, Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office, is required reading). His 140 students sat and listened–and then grilled me on an array of topics from the legal ramifications of writing an unauthorized biography to the cultural significance of Jay-Z’s rise from one of Brooklyn’s most notorious housing projects.
Read more here
The course’s instructor, Professor Michael Eric Dyson, had invited me to give a guest lecture (my book, Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office, is required reading). His 140 students sat and listened–and then grilled me on an array of topics from the legal ramifications of writing an unauthorized biography to the cultural significance of Jay-Z’s rise from one of Brooklyn’s most notorious housing projects.
Read more here
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Hip Hop and Feminism
The birth of feminism as a result of the lack of voice black females felt in the Womanist movements and Black Power and Civil Rights movements made it hip hops soulmate. Hip hop is a youth culture that is a byproduct of the end of the Black Power and Civil Rights movements, and as it was predominately male needless to say it had little to do with the Womanist movement. Both movements were born of a need for a voice in a world in which their respective participants felt ignored and overwhelmed. It seems only fitting that some black feminist should also find a voice in the emerging culture of hip hop.
I find that the relationship that feminism has with hip hop is under attack as are many relations with hip hop. Hip hop as a culture and a music did not emerge as a demeaning force to women in any way more substantive than that of teenagers not thinking a girl was cool enough to tag. In fact the braggadocio that is a hallmark of hip hop is due in part to every teenagers desire to impress the ladies. I think that is fair to say that hip hop in it’s youth, while not overwhelmingly welcoming to females, was not demeaning or negative towards them either. Hip hop, however, no longer has the luxury of youthful ignorance, and as it takes on a more predominate role in the life of many has a responsibility to embrace the females that participate, as well as those that don’t. One problem is that there is no central force that produces a hip hop cultural identity or can speak for the culture as a whole, and that is the point. Hip hop is anti establishment, anti-useless committee forums that yield only more committee meetings and panels. Hip hop is the emergence of a voice from many because of the support of many. It embodies perhaps the most democratic of art forms. So, one would assume that hip hop as a culture, must not respect it’s women as evident by the numerous examples in popular rap music, but I think that the panel discussion had it right when they noted that what is popular on the airwaves and in records sales is more akin to pop than hip hop. That essentially means that what is being bought and sold as hip hop is truly only hip hopish. This is further evidenced by the frustration of many hip hop heads by how they see the art form they love represented in the media.
The hip hop I know loves it’s women, and speaks about the Gods and the Earths. Speaks of loving, protecting and raising daughters to be queens. It speaks to building families, neighborhoods, and communities. It speaks on helping lost loved ones, building ones self up, and in the midst of it all trying to make a lil paper as well.
Hip hop also is challenged with expressing sexuality and beauty in a way that is consumable. This lends is to distortion when attempting to market these concepts to the larger numbers of the dominant class. The dominant class has made it clear how it wants ethnic women portrayed. The cooking cleaning submissive spouse, the lustful and insatiable lovers, and the sex toy teens are a few images that come to mind, and these images weren’t born from hip hop. These images may be observed in media well before hip hop. As one of the panelist reminded us in the forum, Thomas Jefferson wrote on the subject portraying the African female as a lustful beast who had an undeniable, and insatiable sexual appetite; these comments were no doubt a cover, an excuse, or rationalization for his own indiscretions with his female slaves. The mammy images from popular films of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s also demonstrate the popular cultures acceptance of images formed in that mold. The Josephine Baker story enlightened many to the struggles of African American women to gain acceptance in American pop culture. Her experiences showed how even the most accepted faces were regarded only as they conformed to the preconceived images and roles. Mrs. Baker was lusted after by many in white society, but dare not swim in the same pool as them. These ideas pre-date hip hop, hip hop struggles with these ideas just as American society does.
I once thought that all was lost with hip hop, as I strayed back into rock, jazz, and blues only to find that hip hop was not dead. Perhaps, Lupe explained it best in his “State Run Radio” song when he speaks on the heavy rotation of negative images and stereotypes. Other races are not the only ones that believe stereotypical messages. Many in hip hop have been convinced of the negative fictions promoted by the greedy and ignorant. I know this is true because, I was once convinced. But we are not what they say, or even what some of us say we are. We are so much more!!!!!-Donal Davis
I find that the relationship that feminism has with hip hop is under attack as are many relations with hip hop. Hip hop as a culture and a music did not emerge as a demeaning force to women in any way more substantive than that of teenagers not thinking a girl was cool enough to tag. In fact the braggadocio that is a hallmark of hip hop is due in part to every teenagers desire to impress the ladies. I think that is fair to say that hip hop in it’s youth, while not overwhelmingly welcoming to females, was not demeaning or negative towards them either. Hip hop, however, no longer has the luxury of youthful ignorance, and as it takes on a more predominate role in the life of many has a responsibility to embrace the females that participate, as well as those that don’t. One problem is that there is no central force that produces a hip hop cultural identity or can speak for the culture as a whole, and that is the point. Hip hop is anti establishment, anti-useless committee forums that yield only more committee meetings and panels. Hip hop is the emergence of a voice from many because of the support of many. It embodies perhaps the most democratic of art forms. So, one would assume that hip hop as a culture, must not respect it’s women as evident by the numerous examples in popular rap music, but I think that the panel discussion had it right when they noted that what is popular on the airwaves and in records sales is more akin to pop than hip hop. That essentially means that what is being bought and sold as hip hop is truly only hip hopish. This is further evidenced by the frustration of many hip hop heads by how they see the art form they love represented in the media.
The hip hop I know loves it’s women, and speaks about the Gods and the Earths. Speaks of loving, protecting and raising daughters to be queens. It speaks to building families, neighborhoods, and communities. It speaks on helping lost loved ones, building ones self up, and in the midst of it all trying to make a lil paper as well.
Hip hop also is challenged with expressing sexuality and beauty in a way that is consumable. This lends is to distortion when attempting to market these concepts to the larger numbers of the dominant class. The dominant class has made it clear how it wants ethnic women portrayed. The cooking cleaning submissive spouse, the lustful and insatiable lovers, and the sex toy teens are a few images that come to mind, and these images weren’t born from hip hop. These images may be observed in media well before hip hop. As one of the panelist reminded us in the forum, Thomas Jefferson wrote on the subject portraying the African female as a lustful beast who had an undeniable, and insatiable sexual appetite; these comments were no doubt a cover, an excuse, or rationalization for his own indiscretions with his female slaves. The mammy images from popular films of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s also demonstrate the popular cultures acceptance of images formed in that mold. The Josephine Baker story enlightened many to the struggles of African American women to gain acceptance in American pop culture. Her experiences showed how even the most accepted faces were regarded only as they conformed to the preconceived images and roles. Mrs. Baker was lusted after by many in white society, but dare not swim in the same pool as them. These ideas pre-date hip hop, hip hop struggles with these ideas just as American society does.
I once thought that all was lost with hip hop, as I strayed back into rock, jazz, and blues only to find that hip hop was not dead. Perhaps, Lupe explained it best in his “State Run Radio” song when he speaks on the heavy rotation of negative images and stereotypes. Other races are not the only ones that believe stereotypical messages. Many in hip hop have been convinced of the negative fictions promoted by the greedy and ignorant. I know this is true because, I was once convinced. But we are not what they say, or even what some of us say we are. We are so much more!!!!!-Donal Davis
Feminism: Hip Hop and the Woman’s Role
For my book review, I read the book Pimps Up, Ho's Down by Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting. Prior to reading this novel, I found myself viewing women as nothing but victims of the hip hop culture. Yet, as I read through the pages of her book, my opinion of the relation of the two slightly changed, or in other words, evolved. Don't get me wrong, I still feel that in many ways women are victims in the hip hop culture. They are indeed taking advantage of in many ways and are portrayed more as items rather than human beings. However, I have come to terms with the realization that women do play a huge part and huge role in the way they are portrayed in the hip hop culture. I will admit that I find no positivity in the way women are presented in mainstream hip hop. Unless one wants to say that the fact that we are the master's of our own destiny as being positive. Yet, the fact that we keep making our destinies "jacked up" by making the wrong decisions outweighs that as being positive in a great manner.
Women play a huge role in the way they are presented in mainstream hip hop in several ways. Many women who have a complex relationship with hip hop try to justify degrading themselves as being a job or a means of making money. They have found what they see as an easy way to make means meet without looking at other options. This is in fact sad, but still reality. Some women see doing so as a means of getting ahead in life. They express that they are in control, because “pussy is power”, “pussy rules the world”, and so on. If it is only powerful enough to get you five minutes of fame, then I think someone needs to reevaluate its net worth. Yet, the lyrics provided by male hip hop artist do not add any good to the buildup of women. Unless one wants to claim that having a “fat ass” or “big tits” as being a compliment then there is a different story to be told. Most lyrics constantly exhibit women as tools and so forth. Women and hip hop just really don't mix well in most cases.
After reading Dr. Sharpley-Whiting’s book I found it even more compelling how women go beyond physically degrading themselves and step more into the world of self-inflicted verbal abuse. So many women hip hop artist go out their way to mimic male artist. That even includes the whole refusing to build up women that I discussed earlier. They are attempting to give the fans of the hip hop culture what they think the fans are used to and what they feel they want the most. So when it all boils down the question is do women even belong in the world of hip hop if all they got to give is a “bad body” or some “good head”?-Brittany Hill
Women play a huge role in the way they are presented in mainstream hip hop in several ways. Many women who have a complex relationship with hip hop try to justify degrading themselves as being a job or a means of making money. They have found what they see as an easy way to make means meet without looking at other options. This is in fact sad, but still reality. Some women see doing so as a means of getting ahead in life. They express that they are in control, because “pussy is power”, “pussy rules the world”, and so on. If it is only powerful enough to get you five minutes of fame, then I think someone needs to reevaluate its net worth. Yet, the lyrics provided by male hip hop artist do not add any good to the buildup of women. Unless one wants to claim that having a “fat ass” or “big tits” as being a compliment then there is a different story to be told. Most lyrics constantly exhibit women as tools and so forth. Women and hip hop just really don't mix well in most cases.
After reading Dr. Sharpley-Whiting’s book I found it even more compelling how women go beyond physically degrading themselves and step more into the world of self-inflicted verbal abuse. So many women hip hop artist go out their way to mimic male artist. That even includes the whole refusing to build up women that I discussed earlier. They are attempting to give the fans of the hip hop culture what they think the fans are used to and what they feel they want the most. So when it all boils down the question is do women even belong in the world of hip hop if all they got to give is a “bad body” or some “good head”?-Brittany Hill
Monday, November 7, 2011
More reflections
I don't feel that there is very much positive representation of woman in mainstream hip hop. I think that if there's going to be an end to hip hop's misogyny then there most definitely has to be put to death the term...Sex sells. I can rarely recall any of my favorite artists using anything less than bitch and hoe. Even the videos depicts women scantly clad in basically very tight clothes or barely any clothes at all. Thus the term video vixen was adopted not long ago. It is unfortunate that stars like Nicki Minaj, who I like, had to have surgical alterations done to their bodies to boost record sales. I would like to appreciate an artist lyrically rather than physically. Sometimes there are even instances where female hip hop artist make use of male models in the videos and then get just as naked as the models are. Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, and Trina, just to name a few, may simply be at fault for some of the disregard that the women suffer because of their actions themselves as artists.-Arquita Hill
HipHop is and has seemingly always been a male dominated industry. Female emcees such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Roxanne Shantae demanded respect without wearing tight clothes or having to be overtly sexual. In today's hip-hop culture that is all we see from female artists. Artists such as Rasheeda, Lola Monroe and Nicki Minaj's whole images are based upon sex appeal. The majority of their rhymes are also about sexual topics. While I will agree that such artists like Nicki Minaj posess an insurmountable amount of creativity, they could stand to take a lesson from the females who set the precedent of what a female emcee is. I think female emcees have to work harder to get ahead but their rhymes and image could stand to have more depth and substance. It is fine to be sexy, that is apart of being a woman, but every rhyme does not have to be sexual. Where are today's conscious female rappers, well besides Lil' Mama (bless her heart, she tries).-Mari Edwards
HipHop is and has seemingly always been a male dominated industry. Female emcees such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Roxanne Shantae demanded respect without wearing tight clothes or having to be overtly sexual. In today's hip-hop culture that is all we see from female artists. Artists such as Rasheeda, Lola Monroe and Nicki Minaj's whole images are based upon sex appeal. The majority of their rhymes are also about sexual topics. While I will agree that such artists like Nicki Minaj posess an insurmountable amount of creativity, they could stand to take a lesson from the females who set the precedent of what a female emcee is. I think female emcees have to work harder to get ahead but their rhymes and image could stand to have more depth and substance. It is fine to be sexy, that is apart of being a woman, but every rhyme does not have to be sexual. Where are today's conscious female rappers, well besides Lil' Mama (bless her heart, she tries).-Mari Edwards
Reflections: Hip Hop and Feminism
Reflections in discussions from the Rhetoric of Hip Hop Class, Fall 2011
Being a Black woman who does listen to Hip Hop, I find myself in a catch 22 situation. On one hand I embrace Hip Hop but on the other hand some of the images that women portray in Hip Hop, I have to say I don't condone or support. I'm not saying that everything that has to do with women and Hip Hop is bad. We have to understand that Hip Hop has many different layers. There are some positive women in Hip Hop such as Queen Latifah and MC Lyte just to name a few. However the images of the Black woman in the music shaking her naked booty in the faces of several men as they throw money at her is the image that overpowers all the good that women try to accomplish in Hip Hop. There are some women in Hip Hop who try to send a positive message to all women of Hip Hop and let them know that we can be viewed in a more positive light.
With that being said, those women who participate in that type of behavior must take accountablilty for the roles they play in Hip Hop. And those women to feel that they are above the booty shaking and just points the finger at the women who do participate in it, need to take accountability for their role as well. It takes the efforts of all women involved in Hip Hop to make a change. People will only treat us the way we allow them to treat us.-Candyce Henderson
For my book review, I read the book Pimps Up , Ho's Down by Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting. Prior to reading this novel, I found myself viewing women as nothing but victims of the hip hop culture. Yet, as I read through the pages of her book, my opinion of the relation of the two slightly changed, or in other words, evolved. Don't get me wrong, I still feel that in many ways women are victims in the hip hop culture. They are indeed taking advantage of in many ways and are portrayed more as items rather than human beings. However, I have come to terms with the realization that women do play a huge part and huge role in the way they are portrayed in the hip hop culture. I will admit that I find no positive in the way women are presented in mainstream hip hop. Unless one wants to say that the fact that we are the master's of our own destiny as being positive. Yet, the fact that we keep making our destinies "jacked up" by making the wrong decisions outweighs that as being positive in a great manner. Women play a huge role in the way they are presented in mainstream hip hop in a several ways. Many women who have a complex relationship with hip hop try to justify degrading themselves as being a job or a means of making money. Some women see doing so as a means of getting ahead in life. Yet, the lyrics provided by man hip hop artist do not add any good to the build up of women. Most lyrics constantly exhibit women as tools and so forth. Women and hip hop just really don't mix well in most cases.-Brittany Hill
I think that the issues facing Hip Hop and the negativity facing women is a reflection of more than just Hip Hop. We now live in a country were as one of my classmates posted we have been "desensitized" to many things that in the past were considered taboo. I personally believe that is a reflection of single parent house holds were either the mother or father is absent, decrease in church attendance, a poor economy, and liberalism. (yes, I am a liberal at heart, but there is good and bad to everything). We (the nation) have stepped away from being guided by spirituality and become more focused on the "I" and "me". I say that meaning that anyone that thinks of others does not dis respect others by calling them names, or treating them as property, or less than themselves which is exactly what is being presented when the hip hop videos portray women as sexual objects which are called "bitches" and "hos". I am completely perplexed by the fact that there is a high number of African American women raising their children without the father being present, and I have never met an African American man that did not love and respect his mother. Yet, these same men when dealing with other women deny them the respect that they would extend to their mothers. Most African American women are seen and considered to be "strong black women" which is the same way I identify with most of them, focused, resourceful, and proud. This is evident in my work: I rarely see a African American women that has been beaten by her significant other, I see him after she has "whooped his ass." On the other hand I see subservient white, and Hispanic women who are victims of domestic violence and they seem to always return to the abuser. SO this is where I am baffled, why would women who are strong, self reliant, and proud willing to degrade themselves or allows others to degrade them all for the sake of music and entertainment. The conclusion that I have come up with to this point is that the current lack of morality has shaped and perpetuated the current hip hop environment. The things that are negative in hip hop in my opinion are happening in many neighborhoods that are subject to the same influence of single parents, with little income, no moral direction, and the attitude that if "that's what I want to do it's ok. It's really all about me." I have not read all the post yet, but I am quite sure someone else has already hit on the concept that people have to value and respect themselves before they can do the same for others. In my opinion it is really all about putting others feelings and interest before your own, and reflecting on how your actions and words effect more than yourself.-Patricia Fanon
Being a Black woman who does listen to Hip Hop, I find myself in a catch 22 situation. On one hand I embrace Hip Hop but on the other hand some of the images that women portray in Hip Hop, I have to say I don't condone or support. I'm not saying that everything that has to do with women and Hip Hop is bad. We have to understand that Hip Hop has many different layers. There are some positive women in Hip Hop such as Queen Latifah and MC Lyte just to name a few. However the images of the Black woman in the music shaking her naked booty in the faces of several men as they throw money at her is the image that overpowers all the good that women try to accomplish in Hip Hop. There are some women in Hip Hop who try to send a positive message to all women of Hip Hop and let them know that we can be viewed in a more positive light.
With that being said, those women who participate in that type of behavior must take accountablilty for the roles they play in Hip Hop. And those women to feel that they are above the booty shaking and just points the finger at the women who do participate in it, need to take accountability for their role as well. It takes the efforts of all women involved in Hip Hop to make a change. People will only treat us the way we allow them to treat us.-Candyce Henderson
For my book review, I read the book Pimps Up , Ho's Down by Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting. Prior to reading this novel, I found myself viewing women as nothing but victims of the hip hop culture. Yet, as I read through the pages of her book, my opinion of the relation of the two slightly changed, or in other words, evolved. Don't get me wrong, I still feel that in many ways women are victims in the hip hop culture. They are indeed taking advantage of in many ways and are portrayed more as items rather than human beings. However, I have come to terms with the realization that women do play a huge part and huge role in the way they are portrayed in the hip hop culture. I will admit that I find no positive in the way women are presented in mainstream hip hop. Unless one wants to say that the fact that we are the master's of our own destiny as being positive. Yet, the fact that we keep making our destinies "jacked up" by making the wrong decisions outweighs that as being positive in a great manner. Women play a huge role in the way they are presented in mainstream hip hop in a several ways. Many women who have a complex relationship with hip hop try to justify degrading themselves as being a job or a means of making money. Some women see doing so as a means of getting ahead in life. Yet, the lyrics provided by man hip hop artist do not add any good to the build up of women. Most lyrics constantly exhibit women as tools and so forth. Women and hip hop just really don't mix well in most cases.-Brittany Hill
I think that the issues facing Hip Hop and the negativity facing women is a reflection of more than just Hip Hop. We now live in a country were as one of my classmates posted we have been "desensitized" to many things that in the past were considered taboo. I personally believe that is a reflection of single parent house holds were either the mother or father is absent, decrease in church attendance, a poor economy, and liberalism. (yes, I am a liberal at heart, but there is good and bad to everything). We (the nation) have stepped away from being guided by spirituality and become more focused on the "I" and "me". I say that meaning that anyone that thinks of others does not dis respect others by calling them names, or treating them as property, or less than themselves which is exactly what is being presented when the hip hop videos portray women as sexual objects which are called "bitches" and "hos". I am completely perplexed by the fact that there is a high number of African American women raising their children without the father being present, and I have never met an African American man that did not love and respect his mother. Yet, these same men when dealing with other women deny them the respect that they would extend to their mothers. Most African American women are seen and considered to be "strong black women" which is the same way I identify with most of them, focused, resourceful, and proud. This is evident in my work: I rarely see a African American women that has been beaten by her significant other, I see him after she has "whooped his ass." On the other hand I see subservient white, and Hispanic women who are victims of domestic violence and they seem to always return to the abuser. SO this is where I am baffled, why would women who are strong, self reliant, and proud willing to degrade themselves or allows others to degrade them all for the sake of music and entertainment. The conclusion that I have come up with to this point is that the current lack of morality has shaped and perpetuated the current hip hop environment. The things that are negative in hip hop in my opinion are happening in many neighborhoods that are subject to the same influence of single parents, with little income, no moral direction, and the attitude that if "that's what I want to do it's ok. It's really all about me." I have not read all the post yet, but I am quite sure someone else has already hit on the concept that people have to value and respect themselves before they can do the same for others. In my opinion it is really all about putting others feelings and interest before your own, and reflecting on how your actions and words effect more than yourself.-Patricia Fanon
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Hip Hop and Women
Hip Hop these days does give one a negative impression of women. An example of this would be the common video vixen who is half naked in front of the camera dancing like a stripper. There are female rappers, such as Nicki Minaj, who have the ability to build their own reputation to their fans. Nicki Minaj does, in a way, build up females by influencing them using the term 'Barbie.' One could link the term in a positive and negative manner. Once could interpret the term to represent fakeness or beauty. It does not, however, interpret into 'bitch' or 'ho.' She does influence her female audience to embrace their sexuality and their uniqueness. She is not the typical female rapper who has to degrade herself with sexually explicit lyrics like the rapper Lil Kim. Although I do enjoy her music, I think that some of her lyrics are a bit vulgar.
There are MANY male rappers who disrespect women by referring to them as 'bitches' and 'hoes.' They also refer explicit sexual acts to women, and women actually enjoy their music. REALLY? I don't understand why women enjoy listening to someone who descriptively describe what can be done with their mouths or bodies. I also find it interesting that men in hip hop have embraced the notion of a woman being independent because they prefer them over the gold diggers. Rappers, like Queen Latifah, have almost become obsolete. She was one who I remember promoted women having their own identities and demanding respect from men. Where has this idea gone to?-Michelle Green
I feel that hip hop owes a great deal to women, and is also highly influenced by them. As we have discussed, and read Hip Hop was first brought to the masses by a woman, namely Sylvia Robinson. Also, there were many female crews in early hip hop, and prominent females during hip hops adolescence; Queen Latifah is one rapper of note that continues to reap the rewards of the opportunities that hip hop provided her.
With that said hip hop has matured to be quite the chauvinist. Females in rap today, often feel compelled to sell sex before skill, and their struggles to gain recognition and success can be easily related back to the discussion of white rappers and their struggle for authenticity.
It can be seen that female rappers often associate with a crew of male rappers, and often can be seen adopting the "baby girl", or "bad bitch" motif.
More recently, female rappers seem to be stretching out a bit, and behaving a lot like their RnB counterparts, perhaps it is a result of the blending of the two genres, but I think that it's interesting to see it happen, because females run the show on the RnB side while most often female rappers tend to go the way of their "male sponsors". Unfortunately, depending on your view, it seems that Nikki Minaj is the most likely female rapper to be able to escape the shadow of her crew, and lil mama is a distant second.
I personally find that Nikki Lynette is one of the most interesting female rappers, because of her break from traditional rules and perceptions.-Donal Davis
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Hip Hop Reflection
by Trish Fanon
It seems apparent to me that the change in hip hop was not only fueled by a generation aging but the influence of outside interest attempting to exploit hip hop as a way to make money. Hip hop started to emerge as not a vehicle of change but an opportunity to “main stream” the music to attract others outside of the Bronx, where revenues of sales could increase. Although it was stated that “they were getting older and their taste changed.”, there was an underlying motive from record companies to direct the change which was taking place and capitalize on the sale of hip hop to a diversity of ethnic groups (Chang, 2005, p. 128). Rappers Delight, was the catalyst that helped to institute the globalization of hip hop which crossed over to other areas such as graffiti where suddenly the comparison was being made to legitimate recognized are movements such as: Futurism, Dadaists, Impressionist, and Abstract Expressionist (Chang, 2005, p. 148). The “globalization” process facilitated, in my opinion, the deterioration of the core foundation of hip hop by neglecting a social message in favor of marketing hip hop as “entertainment” qualities only. The influence of hip hop still reflects the element of “being real” which was a central focus of “…people involved in any kind of struggle are interesting.” stated by Charlie Ahearn. (Chang, 2005, p. 146). The focus was not on what the struggle was about, but how it could be exploited by others. Suddenly the world recognized that the oppressed had a commodity that could be taken from them, and commercialized for profit.
The Bronx suffered the “benign neglect” but the hip hop community has allowed outside influence to direct and dictate what will be presented to the listeners and viewers by controlling the money. Sex, drugs, and money are presented as the way to make someone happy and add character to a person. The message is about self and not a community. I am amazed that others can not acknowledge that although it began as positive (hip hop), it also can have a negative influence when the message deviates from promoting social awareness and change, to the concentration of “being out for one’s self”.
The author Paul Butler provided a view to another side which I had not given any thought to in the past. The presented view of the oppressed and senselessness of incarceration of nonviolent offenders can only lead to the destabilization of families, communities, and an entire class of people. The act of incarceration leads to a collection of people who are without representation, employment, and little if any sense of a better future. This act is essential for the few to control the power of all people by rendering the deemed criminals impotent to ever make social changes by rising to positions of power. The constitution is founded on the principle that “all men are created equal”, however through the use of the legal system to selectively target certain groups; this basic right is denied. It is horrifying to me that only certain groups of people have the luxury of making mistakes in their youth, while others are punished a life time for the same mistakes. It is disheartening to realize that a person will not be judged by their character, hard work, intelligence, or contribution to society but by their race and preconceived stereotypes. I once thought that “racial profiling” was fueled by statistics, and facts only to discover that there is not a correlation between the two which was evident by Ney York City’s profile of a “graffiti writers” profile, which does not match the information that has been presented thus far in our text.
The New Jim Crow
By Melody Andrews
Usually, I am extremely critical of conspiracy theories. That includes but is not limited to Big Foot, the Abominable Snowman and recent Illuminati theories. Let me be clear, that there is always a thin line between a conspiracy and a coincidence. With that being said, there are a lot of incidents in society that make me think there a little deeper than sheer coincidences. One being the number of African Americans incarcerated. But that’s as far as I ever took it. I never really did any research on it or looked up facts to support my position. I guess you can say I just sort of accepted it as fact. Luckily, I was never in an instance where I had to debate the truth in that belief.
So I guess that is why the most interesting part of this week’s module was listening to Michelle Alexander the author of The New Jim Crow discussing her book. Even though, I have recently read Let’s Get Free by Paul Butler, I read it with a bit of cynicism due to the fact that Butler, a former prosecutor, was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit before he realized the injustices of mass incarceration. Although, a very potent and fascinating literary work, I sort of thought Butler had a chip on his shoulder. For me Alexander was a more balanced and credible source (I think it’s my inner-journalist that looks for an unbiased storyteller).
Within the five minutes of her discussion I was hooked. I can recall hearing people say that prison is a new form of slavery and I have often stated so myself, however when Alexander stated that there are currently more African Americans under correctional control than the number of slaves in 1850, I was sort of shocked. My mother is a genealogist and has discovered in tracing our family’s lineage that a lot of times slave owners did not account for their entire human chattel. But I would still really like to see what that number looks like. If that many men and women are controlled by the state in terms of their whereabouts and their inability to have a voice in the voting process, then in essence the state is controlling a certain percentage of the populous. Coincidence?
In 2008, Barack Obama won the presidency of the United States. Early criticism of the election results stated that it was the black voters to essentially blame for his success. But considering that blacks, according to the 2010 Census data, are only 12.6% of the population and not all of those individuals vote, that could not have been possible. And that is exactly what I would fire back when my Caucasian classmates and coworkers would discuss their disdain at the results. Now looking at the information shared by Alexander, the actual number of African –American people who voted for Obama was far less than what is commonly thought since so many in the African American population do not have the right to the vote. It may not fit the science fiction definition, but it most definitely is mind control. Coincidence?
Anyone who watches any sort of news program cannot deny that most of America’s (and the rest of the world for that matter) woes are usually blamed on one man: President Obama. And most of the time it doesn’t really matter if it is really his fault or not. I say this to say that in politics there must always be a scapegoat. One thing that T.I. stated in Hip Hop vs. America is that hip hop is used as a scapegoat for the world’s problems, especially crime and the moral decline of America. What do hip hop and Obama have in common? They both overwhelmingly appear as black. Coincidence?
I think not, but I do think that it has a lot to say about race relations in the United States. Clearly, having a black president does not make all the scars of racial strife disappear. In a sense, I think that the blame game exists on both sides. It is not uncommon in the African-American population to hear someone say that everything is “the man’s” fault, “the man” always being white. Conversely, to some Caucasians everything is the fault of African Americans and other minorities. Is it right? No, but it’s what keeps us divided and distracted from discovering the root of it all. After that, maybe we can get more free and reverse the new Jim Crow.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Violence and Hip Hop-II
In the discussion this week, it was asked if we believed that violence in Hip Hop influences that same type of behavior in real life. In the discussion, I did state that I believe that while violent Hip Hop is not the main source it could be seen as motivation for a person to engage in violent behavior due to the fact that at times violence in the Hip Hop world can be glamorized in a way that makes it inviting. But I never really got into the details as far as why I felt that way so I have decided to discuss it in this essay. First, the reason I feel so strongly about the influence is because violence has had such a close interaction with Hip Hop over the years. You rarely if ever hear of someone from the Pop genre being shot in a drive by in a public location with no one wanting to come forward but there have been three unsolved murders of famous rappers that were all in public locations but for some strange reason there are no witnesses to report who may have been responsible that come to mind when I think of Hip Hop. Violence does tend to overshadow the true awesome nature of what Hip Hop is and the fact that Tupac, Notorious BIG, and Jam Master Jay are all dead is just proof of the effect that violent Hip Hop music can have at times. I do feel that everyone makes the choice to engage in violence or not. I’m sure the same way that most people pick out a shirt is probably how some people choose to take a life so I don’t completely blame rappers because of their violent lyrics. It is also the fault of those in authority that may also cause someone to be violent. A lack of supervision from family and authority figures and a significant lack of love and support can cause a person to lash out violently. This person possibly feels that without that love and support there is no other way for them to be other than violent in order to get the attention they never received when they were younger.
Violence in Hip Hop in some cases I can understand. For instance, if a rapper is telling a story in which violence may play a part in order to help the story progress such as in “Stan” by Eminem. This song uses its violent nature to tell a truly sad story not in a way to make others want to emulate but rather be cautious. The song is basically just talking about an overzealous fan who takes his love for Eminem too far. The song eventually ends in the fan killing his self, his girlfriend, and their unborn child and blaming Eminem because he never responded to any of his letters. Now the song does use violence but not in way to glorify but rather warn as I stated earlier because the song focuses on the themes of the fan being withdrawn from real life because he truly felt that he and Eminem were one and the same. So when the fan felt that Eminem was rejecting him that is when he acted out with violence in order to make sure that he got Eminem’s attention. This song basically follows what I mentioned in my previous paragraph about a person without that love and support lashing out violently for attention. This song in my opinion is one of the few songs that take a non-glorification when it relates to Hip Hop violence.
I also notice that most of the rappers that use violence in the music also have a deep love for the movie “Scarface”. Now this movie is filled with violence almost from start to finish which may be the reason as to why most rappers to write those certain violent lyrics. The lyrics are probably emulating what took place in this movie and relating it to their own life. If you’ve never seen the movie, it is about man who become this huge drug lord and is eventually killed so many rapper may be able to relate to the drug dealing, killing to survive lifestyle that is shown in “Scarface” but does that mean that it has to be so frequent in their music.
Earlier I mentioned the death of Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay to signify how closely bonded violence tends to be with Hip Hop but I also wanted to bring up the significance of the death of Biggie and Tupac because these both seem to be direct link to the influence of violence in Hip Hop. Jam Master Jay is disregarded due to the fact that Run DMC for who he was the DJ for always seemed to avoid getting involved in the music about violence. Now you have Tupac and Biggie, who at first were good friends in the Hip Hop world but once Tupac believed that Biggie set him up and caused him to get shot he was never able to let their grudge go. Tupac began to disrespect Biggie even going so far as to say that he had been with Biggie’s wife at the time, Faith Evans which began to cause Biggie to become upset and also left to a divide between coasts. You had those on the West Coast side who were Tupac all day and hated Biggie with a passion then you have the East Coast which had all the love for Biggie and just thought Tupac was a hater. This divide began to cause issue as award events and even made its way onto magazine covers and it was all this publicity about the divide which caused it to reach a fever pitch. Both Tupac and Biggie were gunned down on separate nights in different cities on public streets. No one still knows why for sure this happened because no one has still come forward to confess or even tell if they saw anything but I believe it had to do with the East Coast/West Coast feud. There was so much hatred in this feud that it lead to someone or somebodies taking action into their own hands to end it and try to either leave their rapper as the number one rapper or either get revenge for their fallen idol but in the end we all lost. Tupac and Biggie were probably two of the best rappers to ever pick up the microphone, but we will never have the chance of seeing them perform live or listening to see where their music could have went. The reason being I believe because somebodies out there decided to use the violence that was perpetuated in Hip Hop music and what they were reading in magazines about East Coast/West Coast and did what they felt they had to do.
It is sad to think of causalities that have occurred relating to violent Hip Hop but it does not have to be violent. Why does Hip Hop have to talk about the negative in order to generate positive feedback from consumers? Why can’t every rapper be like Common and create raps that can be view as different and unique? Why do songs that don’t mention violence, sex, and drugs have to be considered different and unique? I guess we really won’t know the answer to these questions until we lose some more talented rappers who could have eventually helped to change the Hip Hop game. Maybe then the big wigs will realize that while violent Hip Hop does not force the person to be violent, it doesn’t prevent violent behavior either.-by Kimbriuna Dye
Hip Hop Begets Violence?
Violence amongst the youth is one of the most prominent social issues that America faces today. There are hundreds of accounts reporting deaths or shootings in prominently black neighborhoods on the news daily. Some people claim that the only way to fix this problem is to find its source. However, something such as violence amongst youth nationwide cannot be traced back to a single source. It is just part of the American way to have someone or something to blame for it, so why not blame one of the most controversial, but most popular, industry in the country: Hip hop.
I believe that Hip Hop carrying the burden for influencing violence is unfair. Music, in general, affects our mood. Anything from our personalities, lifestyles, moods, or life situations can play a huge role in the way we react to hearing a certain type of music. When you’re sad, listening to a slow song could make you cry. A person listening to an upbeat song could become energetic or happy. One of the things people love about art in general is the way it makes people feel. Attacking rap music because of the way it could make someone feel is unfair.
A sad person listening to a slow song could make a person cry, but can the slow song be blamed in the sad person was to commit suicide? One of the responsibilities of being a mature human is to control your actions. No, a person cannot help the way they feel, but they do have power to determine how they react to the feeling. Therefore, claiming that violence is young people’s reaction to “violent” lyrics in hip hop songs is invalid. There are more things to consider than just the lyrics alone.
The question that I kept asking while reading through the material for this module is why aren’t violent video games or movies blamed for violence just as much as rap is? It is easier to control what video games your child plays or what movies they watch than it is to control what music they listen to. Also, no one knows why it is that hip hop’s positive aspects that hip hop portrays aren’t glorified as much as its violence is bashed. I believe that hip hop is attacked for its violence because it is the most bashed industry in the country and it is in Americans’ nature to always have a ‘bad guy’ to blame for the problems that it cannot fix.-by Jerrica Rucker
Hip Hop and Violence
The argument of if Hip Hop may be deemed responsible for violence occurring in the black community has been quite potent for quite some time now. Interestingly is my own new understanding that there are many people, academics, who do believe that hip hop can be directly drawn to violence within certain communities. Furthermore, after the readings, I am left with the question: which came first, the violence or the hip hop? This meaning, I don’t believe hip hop began as such an outlet, expressing such things, so, with this being said, what has happened in the history of all our days in which hip hop embarked on such a voice? If the beginning of the hip hop movement was started to transform tragedy into something young men and women could use and in reverse, turn into art, where after the movement began did violence rise to such a tremendous force. Chang, in Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, pin points this to a certain extent, however, when considering this, and other materials or facts, how strong was hip hop as a movement if after delivering rap as a voice and going commercial, it somehow began a new entity?
After reading this weeks material, I questioned rap, what it is, versus what I always thought it to be, and I questioned hip hop, how something so strong could ever be seen as weak and “dead” to a certain extent. My “conclusion” if it may be called that is that due to the social conditions faced by the black and Latin community, as time progressed, the ills of the community became real, and in return, the voice changed, the view of life changed, and what was important was somehow able to be compromised, hence forth, rap music is our story, as of now.-by Kaitlyn Dowd
Why White Kids Love Hip Hop-Book Review
by Rachel WackerHip hop is notoriously associated with the African American population. There has been an infiltration of the White population into this genre leading to the questioning of many as to why the White population would be attracted to a music genre rooted in African American beliefs and perspectives. Bakari Kitwana’s book, Why White Kids Love Hip- Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America
In the Preface of the text, Kitwana address the significant role of race in all things pertaining to society. One very important acknowledgement is that generation X and the millennium generation are the first generations that have not lived in the times of racial segregation. This fact allows these individuals to create a new assessment of how race is addressed in America
Kitwana seeks the perspectives of the white youth as well as the black kids in analyzing what causes the attraction of white youth to hip hop. It is important to note, “Most hip-hop kids--- while, Black, Latino, Asian and Native American—are taking from popular culture what they find useful, fashioning it to local needs, claiming as their own and in the process placing their own stamp on it” (Kitwana 3) emphasizing the personal liberty that is allowed in hip hop. Kitwana seeks out individuals to get honest perspectives as to why they are attracted to this musical genre and willing to cross the cultural lines of society. The honesty revealed in the answers from a varied pool supplies useful and candid answers. One very striking revelation was that of a thirty-three year old homemaker, “The perfect $500,000 houses. The perfect overscheduled kids. The perfect husbands. We love life, but we hate our lives. As so I think we identify more with hip-hop’s passion, anger and frustration that we do this dream world.” (5) If the audience reflects upon the beginnings of hip hop it is evident that regardless of race, there is discontentment in everyone’s lives leading to an individual’s quest to find an outlet for their frustrations and feelings. Regardless of color, Kitwana stands firmly on the belief, “…. That hip-hop has been the response to the reckless abandonment of young people in this country” and this leads to this genre’s adaptability to the emotional needs of society. (19)
The factors leading to the rise of hip hop in the black culture as well as the white culture are quite similar. The American Dream, a once thought unattainable ideal for the black family, becomes increasingly more difficult for the white family to attain as well. The economy has played a significant role in the dissolution of achieving the level of success. “Some are drawn to hip-hop’s escapist messages. Some are caught up in the contemporary climate of pop culture that makes hip-hop the flavor of the month. Still others feel the same sense of disenfranchisement as other dispossessed Americans, Black and otherwise” (36)
The civil rights movement’s ideology and profound impact on society have also factored in to the acceptance of hip hop by the white community. “The repositioning of African American culture as a cornerstone of American identity, specifically connecting the civil rights movement to America’s ideal of freedom and justice for all, raised national awareness of Black American culture at least superficially”(37) which allows for the rise of the African American entertainment icons such as Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jordan. Their public acceptance had a resounding effect on the platform of social acceptance leading to the acceptance of hip hop.
The emergence of hip hop on the mainstream culture results in a business conglomerate allowing for the integration of the Black artistic sided supported by the advantageous business dealing of white individuals. When put in summation, “What comes out of the corporate hip-hop industry is packaged and sold as hip-hop, but it is a distortion of hip-hop culture.” (47) The resulting impact of the white influence solely based on the business aspects of contribution is suggested to make a correlative appeal for the white consumer to hip hop.
There is no better way to answer the question of why white kids love hip hop other than to say, “The answers are endless. But the further you dig into individual lives, the more layers of complexity you’re likely to find. Race in America America
The use of hip hop in the film industry expanded the parameters of exposure of the genre as well as provided the initial attempts at exploring that white kids’ reasoning behind the captivation of hip hop. Films such as Black and White and Bulworth attempt to harness some sort of hint into the thought processing and appeal of the black hip hop culture to the white youth. These films used multiple ways of addressing the issues associated with this sensational attraction to a divergent culture. These approaches ranged from parody, appropriation, generational gap, and interracial dating. (114) The presentations of these films allowed for the audience to walk away with their own perspective and the ability to apply any new found knowledge to everyday situations. Films that use the approach of parody and appropriation allow for the white audience to gain erroneous perceptions of black culture. “In absorbing aspects of Black youth culture, largely via popular culture, your whites have created their own subculture”, which allows for the recreation of perspective of the hip hop culture through the eyes of the white society. The generation gap is emphasized by the role of the economy in the lives of families and households. The gaps in the home are filled with the popular culture streaming into the home. The role of interracial dating addresses the once feared now somewhat more accepted social phenomenon. No matter the differing styles or approaches, it is safe to assume, “….in this world of America
A very fascinating portion of the book addresses the role of Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers, role in cultivating an appeal for the white youth towards hip hop. Criticisms of Eminem, particularly by the magazine The Source, swirled the controversy surrounding the integration of the white artist in the hip hop culture. “The old racial politics rooted deep in the annals of America America
The progression of society to be able to entertain the possibility of integration in a predominantly black genre of music such as hip hop correlates to the advancement of ideas and concepts on the political platforms as well. “Hip-hop politics” is a use of terminology indicative of the progression of cross cultures. The issues that are of the greatest concern to the white hip- hop activist equate to a significant number of issues that are of great concern to all races.
There are significant challenges to establishing a fluid relationship across racial lines. These issues confront social issues that directly relate to the acceptance of white involvement in areas such as hip hop. Kitwana lists six hindrances that must be overcome in order to advance the hip hop activist agenda as well as hip hop culture. “Hip-hop politics, just like hip-hop music and culture, has an intrinsic appeal to all Americans. If we fail to create a new language for discussing issues once deemed “Black” we will remain prisoners of the old racial politics.” (192)
This book delves deeper than the surface reasoning of why the white youth of America America
America is not like a blanket—one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size, America is more like a quilt: many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread. The white, the Hispanic, the black, the Arab, the Jew, the woman, the Native American, the small farmer, the businessperson, the environmentalist, the peace activist , the young, the old, the lesbian, the gay and the disabled make up the American quilt.
Even in our fractured state, all of us count and fit somewhere. We have proven that we can survive without each other. But we have not proven that we can win and make progress without each other. We must come together. (187)
Should judgment be cast upon the white youth of today for their interest and appreciation of the hip hop genre? Is it indicative of the continuing racial divide that has plagued our nation for generations? The dialogue must commence, the mutual respect and understanding must abound, and the appreciation for all cultures must have precedence. Bakari Kitwana’s book does an outstanding job of examining the totality of Why White Kids Love Hip Hop.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Hip Hop Violence and the Music
by Cory Atkins
Violence and music in general have always been synonymous, but it tends to be more significant in Hip Hop due to the very nature of its listeners. With most artists being of African decent, and its listen of the same culture, their lyrics tend to mesh with the lifestyle of Blacks. With this idea in mind, one would easily say that music has a profound effect on the psychosis of Blacks, who have been deemed by history to have the nature of violence. As it has been noted time and again, it is up to the listener whether or not music influences his or her decision-making and actions. While I agree fully with this statement, I believe that there is a factor that is often over looked in this instance that gives rise to the violent nature of Hip Hop listeners, not just Blacks in general. This factor is weak-mindedness. Too often, weak-minded individuals are quick to be reactive to music. For instance, if you have a child who listens to nothing but ‘gangsta rap’, where the only thing referenced is shooting, beating, robbing, raping and other negative images, then once some drastic occurrence happens in the child’s life and these ideas have been festering in his or her mind, they act on what they know and that’s negative behavior. It does not take much for something like this happen because we se almost on a daily basis, especially in Memphis. So in order for us to move past the violence of music, we need not look only to the artists but a way to improve upon the mentality that the newer generations have. I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine the other day and we were talking about how many kids nowadays think that they are tough. But in reality they are not. He made a statement along the lines of ‘the new generation of individuals have no image to call their own. What they truly want and need is guidance and foundation. There once was a time when if you fought someone, you did not have to look over your shoulder and be cautious of your life because you knew it was over. But now, it’s like once you end the fight and God forbid you win and humiliate them, now you have a target on your back.’ This made me think of how with the evolution of music and generations, it’s less about letting go and moving on but more about revenge and retribution. Where this disconnect occurred in music and society, I do not know, but I do know that we need to bring more positivity in music and communities and stop promoting what music labels want to sell. Buying the music does not mean that you’re necessarily supporting the artist but it does mean that you are supporting the image and idea that they are trying to portray.
Violence and music in general have always been synonymous, but it tends to be more significant in Hip Hop due to the very nature of its listeners. With most artists being of African decent, and its listen of the same culture, their lyrics tend to mesh with the lifestyle of Blacks. With this idea in mind, one would easily say that music has a profound effect on the psychosis of Blacks, who have been deemed by history to have the nature of violence. As it has been noted time and again, it is up to the listener whether or not music influences his or her decision-making and actions. While I agree fully with this statement, I believe that there is a factor that is often over looked in this instance that gives rise to the violent nature of Hip Hop listeners, not just Blacks in general. This factor is weak-mindedness. Too often, weak-minded individuals are quick to be reactive to music. For instance, if you have a child who listens to nothing but ‘gangsta rap’, where the only thing referenced is shooting, beating, robbing, raping and other negative images, then once some drastic occurrence happens in the child’s life and these ideas have been festering in his or her mind, they act on what they know and that’s negative behavior. It does not take much for something like this happen because we se almost on a daily basis, especially in Memphis. So in order for us to move past the violence of music, we need not look only to the artists but a way to improve upon the mentality that the newer generations have. I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine the other day and we were talking about how many kids nowadays think that they are tough. But in reality they are not. He made a statement along the lines of ‘the new generation of individuals have no image to call their own. What they truly want and need is guidance and foundation. There once was a time when if you fought someone, you did not have to look over your shoulder and be cautious of your life because you knew it was over. But now, it’s like once you end the fight and God forbid you win and humiliate them, now you have a target on your back.’ This made me think of how with the evolution of music and generations, it’s less about letting go and moving on but more about revenge and retribution. Where this disconnect occurred in music and society, I do not know, but I do know that we need to bring more positivity in music and communities and stop promoting what music labels want to sell. Buying the music does not mean that you’re necessarily supporting the artist but it does mean that you are supporting the image and idea that they are trying to portray.
Violence and Hip-Hop
by Chandra Wiseman
Much of society associates the violence that has occurred within the boundaries of Hop-Hop is the main reason for negative feelings toward the genre of music. Giving much of what I have heard in mainstream media and not knowing anything about the music; I would be inclined to believe there is too much violence involved to have any enjoyment in listening it. Hip-Hop would not be the only music that I would offer this opinion to. I would also have reserve about heavy metal music and rock and roll. Heavy metal would definitely be at the top of a list labeled, do not let your children listen to.
NWA is the first of hip-hop rappers that I can remember that were disrespectful in their lyrics. I remember wanting to listen to their entire cd and my parents forbidding it. The only thing heard by my mother was f&@!* the police. I could not listen to rap anymore. I was not a happy camper. It made me sneak and listen to what was forbidden. Being a mother now, I attempt to screen what my children listen to. I have also come to realize, taking the time to sit down with your children and talk with them about what is being said in the songs and what is the right and wrong thing to do. I make sure my twelve year daughter knows who she is and what she is to demand when it comes down to how she is to be respected and treated. I inform my son of how he should act in the streets and how to treat a female. I also remind him that he has a mother and a sister. Treat females how he would want his mother and sister treated. I inform my children that many hip hop artists say and do things to add “flavor” to their persona. They are in the business of making money and to some accomplish it by any means necessary, which includes: wear pants that sag, having a mouthful of gold and diamonds (in their teeth), having tattoos all over their bodies, and saying disrespectful things about their culture, females, police and neighborhood. Learning the difference and still enjoying the music begins at home. It does not take all that is being done. One of the coolest and cleanest of hip hop artists of all time is the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. I can only recall my mother allowing me to only listen to his music. That is a smart move. When you want to go far in any business, you have to be marketable to more than one race, culture and generation. The appeal has to be universal.
The younger generation is so easy to be impressed. Parents are becoming younger therefore; they are not educating their children about reality. Knowing reality is the key to the younger generation and not being gullible to what rappers and hip hop artist say and do in their songs and in their media indulged life. You cannot disrespect civil service workers and get away with it. Being disrespected in someone else’s neighborhood and toward someone’s sibling can get you killed today. Throwing up signs to certain songs or even saying certain words can get you killed. No cool points for you. Society is quick to be judgmental and not wanting to accept what appears to be distasteful. I guess many should be proud because Hip hop is more acceptable than Heavy Metal.
I believe that it is not the appearance of violence Hip Hop promotes, it is the excuse that is used by the listeners and the media that states, Hip hop is the reason for the violence.
What society need to realize is, people commit acts of violence for others reason not known or revealed to anyone; not because the music says or make it appear to be the in thing to do. Those who commit the acts are victims of insecurities beginning at home.
Hip Hop talks about violence and can indulge violence however; it cannot be the total blame when violence appears on the scene.
Much of society associates the violence that has occurred within the boundaries of Hop-Hop is the main reason for negative feelings toward the genre of music. Giving much of what I have heard in mainstream media and not knowing anything about the music; I would be inclined to believe there is too much violence involved to have any enjoyment in listening it. Hip-Hop would not be the only music that I would offer this opinion to. I would also have reserve about heavy metal music and rock and roll. Heavy metal would definitely be at the top of a list labeled, do not let your children listen to.
NWA is the first of hip-hop rappers that I can remember that were disrespectful in their lyrics. I remember wanting to listen to their entire cd and my parents forbidding it. The only thing heard by my mother was f&@!* the police. I could not listen to rap anymore. I was not a happy camper. It made me sneak and listen to what was forbidden. Being a mother now, I attempt to screen what my children listen to. I have also come to realize, taking the time to sit down with your children and talk with them about what is being said in the songs and what is the right and wrong thing to do. I make sure my twelve year daughter knows who she is and what she is to demand when it comes down to how she is to be respected and treated. I inform my son of how he should act in the streets and how to treat a female. I also remind him that he has a mother and a sister. Treat females how he would want his mother and sister treated. I inform my children that many hip hop artists say and do things to add “flavor” to their persona. They are in the business of making money and to some accomplish it by any means necessary, which includes: wear pants that sag, having a mouthful of gold and diamonds (in their teeth), having tattoos all over their bodies, and saying disrespectful things about their culture, females, police and neighborhood. Learning the difference and still enjoying the music begins at home. It does not take all that is being done. One of the coolest and cleanest of hip hop artists of all time is the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. I can only recall my mother allowing me to only listen to his music. That is a smart move. When you want to go far in any business, you have to be marketable to more than one race, culture and generation. The appeal has to be universal.
The younger generation is so easy to be impressed. Parents are becoming younger therefore; they are not educating their children about reality. Knowing reality is the key to the younger generation and not being gullible to what rappers and hip hop artist say and do in their songs and in their media indulged life. You cannot disrespect civil service workers and get away with it. Being disrespected in someone else’s neighborhood and toward someone’s sibling can get you killed today. Throwing up signs to certain songs or even saying certain words can get you killed. No cool points for you. Society is quick to be judgmental and not wanting to accept what appears to be distasteful. I guess many should be proud because Hip hop is more acceptable than Heavy Metal.
I believe that it is not the appearance of violence Hip Hop promotes, it is the excuse that is used by the listeners and the media that states, Hip hop is the reason for the violence.
What society need to realize is, people commit acts of violence for others reason not known or revealed to anyone; not because the music says or make it appear to be the in thing to do. Those who commit the acts are victims of insecurities beginning at home.
Hip Hop talks about violence and can indulge violence however; it cannot be the total blame when violence appears on the scene.
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