This may sound crazy, but when I told one of my co workers that I would be taking a Hip Hop class, he went bananas and we had conversations throughout the day, about the depth and knowledge that I may learn through taking this course. I forgot to mention, he is a white guy, and knows more about Hip Hop History than any African American that I know. He still has the VHS versions of all the movies in this module as well as mix tapes (the real tapes) from the early 90s and late 80s. To some extent, I feel ashamed that I do not know as much or at least some of the things he knows about Hip Hop History that my co worker knows.
I am amazed once again, this time, by graffiti. In some aspects it is dead and not as appreciated as it once was, but after reading the articles and viewing the videos, I have a deeper appreciation for the culture and everything that goes along with it. It is as much as art, as is a painting in a museum, just not as sought after and looked down upon because its involvement/ties to Hip Hop culture. Things are not as they used to be, as it was viewed in the movies we were supposed to watch, but the culture and heart beat still exist which still a great thing. I feel that taking this class and having a co worker with a vast knowledge of Hip Hop History, especially the aspects that we are currently discussing, will propel me on a journey that will ultimately change me view and scope on how all aspects of the Hip Hop culture shape and affect things through daily exposure/life.-Marcus Hines
In chapter 3, “Blood and Fire, with Occasional Music: The Gangs of the Bronx” Chang explores the impact of gangs that formed in the late 60s to the early 70s in hopes of starting a revolution. During his discussion of the meeting of the Bronx gangs to make a truce for peace, Chang stated, “Social workers, school teachers, and other gang members filled the bleachers. The girl gangs were locked outside in the December freeze.” (Chang 58).
The thoughts that the last sentence evoked in my mind made kind of made me angry. I could see it and feel it. I lived in Michigan for some time and I am pretty sure that the Bronx in December is similar in temperature. It’s not exactly the type of weather you want to be stuck outside in! I find it especially unfair since they had stood by the guys and even felt the brunt of their wars be left out of the discussion that involved them as much as their male counterparts.
Throughout the module, as I read and examined all the other works posted, I kept thinking, “What was the female perspective?” I guess you could say I had a sort of feminist chip on my shoulder, but I couldn’t help but wonder how they felt and what their opinions were since they were not really stated in detail. However, I did observe women mentioned as substantial roles other than romantic interests (examples: Chang’s mentioning of one famed graffiti artist’s quest for one girl’s affection (Chang 74 ) and the character Tracy in Beat Street). In the beginning of the film Beat Street there is a female groups that performs at Double K’s party, one of the members was Sha Rock who was the first female MC. Hands down that was my favorite cameo in the whole film. I also found it really interesting that in the fourth chapter of Chang’s work he examines the rise of DJ Kool Herc, he starts with sharing Herc’s sister, Cindy’s contribution to her brother’s rise in fame by allowing him the opportunity to spin at parties. I found it very relatable that she was doing it simply to have the funds to buy new clothes. Which leads me to my next topic…
As a girly girl, I love clothes and shopping. It was just my luck that Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was this week and I happened to notice that a lot of “new” (nothing in fashion is really new, is it?) trends for this Spring and noticed how some of them were reminiscent of the threads sported by the characters in movies like Beat Street, Scratch and Beat Street. I found that to be pretty cool since I’ve stumbled into a new hobby of thrifting and deconstructing the items I find to make them my own. All in all, it was fun to watch the movies and see photos from this Fashion Week and have a visual of what’s old becoming new again, but I’d really enjoy being able to hear about the sights and sounds of the birth of hip hop from a female perspective. Again, although they were there I’d love to see and hear more. This module has peaked my interest in doing so just for curiosity’s sake.-Melody Andrews
No comments:
Post a Comment