B-Boying

B-boying, as Schloss writes about it, is a new concept. The ideas of battling and gangs and colors in dance is all a whole new world. I am more inclined towards the world of ballet; I know about it, I've studied it and I dance it. With b-boying, I was most fascinated by the names and the battling. I have never seen dance as a "threat"; it is considered a threat when there is a new b-boyer in a new crew. Turf could be taken and crews destroyed. Dance, to me, has always been just an expression of emotion and art. While b-boying does fall under those categories, it goes way beyond.

As I read this, I was strongly considering a discussion I had earlier in the week. It was pointed out to me that, of the four main areas of hip hop, it is b-boying that is disappearing. Why is that? While reading this, I was able to pinpoint some concepts that may be aiding in its disappearance. To begin, b-boying is not something that people are very easily accepted into. There was a section reagarding a boy who wanted to dance with the boys in his neighborhood and kept being pushed away. It took years for him to be taken seriously. It is very cultural and very inclusive; fakers and copiers don't stand a chance. The culture is so tight and so apathetic to the world outside their own that it excludes all outsiders. While people who listen to hip hop music and may be interested in b-boying, there is not really a way for them to actually see or get involved in it. It requires a full cultural immersion, as well as a certain b-boying mind set to work one's way into that world. I suppose, hypothetically, this could be causing the downfall of b-boying today. It can not be commodified; therefore, no large social group wants anything to do with it.

Hip Hop Photography

Graffiti art is an ever-changing, ever developing aesthetic of hip hop. It has been present from nearly the beginning of hip hop. The stylized lettering and hidden meanings started small but grew into a whole art form on its own. And it has defintely been commercialized. Hand written, strong colored and stylized messages are now present on clothing and advertisements. There are classes to learn how to design 'graffiti style'. This has left me wondering, is graffiti really graffiti when it no longer has a message? When it is taught and stylized specifically, does it lose its appeal in the hip hop culture? What is happening to the people who simply wanted to make a public statement? I certainly hope that, between commercialization and law enforcement, graffiti will not cease to exist in its original form.

The photography of hip hop is certainly not something I have ever really thought about before these readings. It has always been present, but I have never really focused in on it as a cultural art form. Of course, this is what happens with a lot of the photography, according to Bill Adler. He documented many different hip hop photographers that don't seem to have received the credit they deserve. When I really thought about it, I realized that the photography could possibly be the kingpin of developing hip hop culture. Photographers took to the streets to document the culture's development. And as the photos are published, the public view of hip hop becomes more and more convoluted. Which photo is accurate? What style is 'hip hop'? In truth, hip hop photographers have taken styles, ideas, and feelings and made a tangible product for people who are outside the Hip Hop Nation. Unfortunately, hip hop is so intricate and so complex that, even now with the photos, outsiders still cannot point at one style or idea and say “That is hip hop.” A picture is worth a thousand words, but a thousand words isn’t enough to truly describe hip hop.

Rhyme: The Leading Words

Within the first few pages of Adam Bradley's Book of Rhymes, he wrote something that resonated with me. On page 55, he wrote "A new rhyme forges a mental pathway between distinct but sonically related related words and cares with it both linguistic and cognitive meaning. It invites the listener to tease out sematic threads embedded within the sonic fabric of the words." He continues to say that MCs don't really rhyme sounds. Instead, "they rhyme ideas." This, to me, is a perfect definition of the oral tradition. The rhyme is what makes the oral tradition ingenious. It creates a whole new definition for the words ,giving a whole idea that can be heard and interpreted by nearly anyone. Hip hop music weaves ingenuity in with creative and poignant ideas. What would hip hop be without the MCs?

Bradley goes further to assess the commodification of rap and how the rhyming is affected. Due to certain expectations that arise in our society, rap changes as society does. New rhymes are constantly being created as our society develops. With new ideas and new words constantly circulating, rappers are pulling from the world around them to create something that will always keep the audience occupied. Rappers, in a way, are kind of like anthropologists. They have to observe and understand the society around them to be able to create a piece that many people will have interest in. Unlike an anthropologist, the rapper will then use his or her observations to create a rap that can possibly have an effect on the musical sub-society. Trends and new ideas must be observed and then added into music. Music and rap is a story of time. The words and lyrics and rhymes can give insight into the time period that each song is from. The rhyme is, in a way, an instrument of history.

Perry's books was quite possibly the most academic, intellectual look at hip hop I have ever read. While it was difficult to read and stay on task, she did make some strong and valid points. I was particularly intrigued by the section on hip hop focusing on the We and Me, as opposed to the You or the Other, as Perry refers to them. I found this to be a very accurate description of hip hop music, at least. It can be either egocentric or focused on the afrocentrism that surrounds the culture. The focus on the Me that occurs in hip hop creates particular expressions that can only be applied to hip hop. It is a captivating way to hold the audience, creating a focus purely on the emcee or deejay in this situation.

Perry also speaks about the gangster ideals as being turned into a commercial tool. She writes that it is "sold for its gore like an action flick". Personally, from what I know of hip hop, I agree. To be authentic, in the eyes of commercial hip hop, is to be a gangster. Much of the popular hip hop narrates hip hop as a gangsta epic of some sort. This is shown by most any piece of hip hop music or style being riddled with guns, killing, partying, and male dominance. While Perry views this hip hop style with disdain, there is no way to say that it does not sell. The gangsta style of music has taken this nation by storm and continues to thrive. It is a whole different kind of authenticism for hip hop; it is authentic to those outside looking in at hip hop culture. Perry does not consider it an authentic form of hip hop styling, as far as I can tell. Even so, her cynicism regarding this does not change the fact that gangsta hip hop is selling and, as long as that continues, I do not foresee a style change any time soon.

Deejaying Week 8

Flavor Flav. I find this character in the hip-hop culture particularly interesting. To me, he seems to be a pivotal part of the lyrical development for hip-hop. As he says, he takes it from his own life and switches it into a vernacular that makes people listen. Flavor Flav knows how to say the words that make it intense and powerful while still slicking it up so people are willing to listen. As Mark Dery says, he is the mad hatter type of hip hop. With his signature clock and top hat, his fashion seems kind of absurd, but it is still huge in the culture. He spins the words and dances the dance, just like the Mad Hatter, but deep down, (as in the new Alice in Wonderland movie), he is one of the most dangerous players. Flavor Flav is the beginning of creating a message that, as he so eloquently puts, "fights the power". Flavor Flav is the words of the street, not the academic, not picking up and carrying on old battles. He keeps the past in mind, but continues to move forward.

Public Enemy, the group Flavor Flav was invloved in, is the rough, gritty form of rap. Rap, in the basest form, is a pure political outlet. Public Enemy has been criticized for many things, including race hate, religious intolerance, homophobia, and misogyny. Even so, they struck a chord in audiences that refused to quit resonating. My question is how does their confrontation to the masses work so well?
What did they do different that so many other rappers failed to do?

Public Enemy is all about the lyrics. They don't focus so much on the graffiti or b-boying. Its all about the message and the lyrics. I would compare their music to how Imani Perry places four bases for lyrics and song. Public Enemy has the correct vernacular, or Ebonics as Perry puts it, to appeal to the audiences. They had a "political location" as they created their own identity in the community, a fight for rights and acknowledgment. Black oral tradition plays in as well. Public Enemy spins the rhymes that grab the audience; it is a mix of the oral tradition with the politics that keeps the audience entranced. Finally, the black musical tradtion keeps the masses satisfied. There is still a beat, syncopated and strong. All of this tied together, to me, is reason for their lasting success.

No Sleep Til Brooklyn

Out of all our recent readings, "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" is one of the first that has addressed graffiti as a strong part of the culture we call hip-hop. Graffiti, which started as a fight against the establishment, was discovered by the establishment. This is when things started to "go wrong" in lot of people's eyes. Graffiti artists started to switch their work to canvas instead of buildings and sold it. To many, this destroyed the authenticity of that part of the culture. Canvas art is tamed; there isn't as much of a point and it isn't for all to see. It's not splattered across the city, making people acknowledge it whether they want to or not. There was a lot of resentment when people started to place monetary values on the art of graffiti.

I was also fascinated by the the dressing down of the "bling" idea. Jewelry, or the mass amounts thereof, didn't really hit hip-hop immediately. While the early Emcees and rappers did accessorize, it was definitley not like what happens not. Run DMC was identified by a black fedora and sunglasses. This warped into rappers being idealized with gold chains and silver and "bling". The jewelry found today is really just a symbol of success among artists; the more "bling" someone has, the better they are doing. To me, this is a perfect example of the change that took over hip hop. It started as a way to break out and be heard, to fight political battles, or to rise up. Then it started to be more commercialized and broadcasted; the songs and art changed from being done for the sake of the art to being done for the sake of the money. Money slowly corrupted the basic ideals of hip hop and everything, at least in my eyes, went downhill from there. Bling is the perfect example of this. Does someone need to be wearing gold and diamonds to rap or emcee? No. But nowadays, if it isn't there, then the artists isn't really viewed as successful or meaningful to the general public. It has really just become a giant roundabout. Someone starts out with a message, they are discovered by establishment, establishment simultaneously hold their message back and places the artist of a pedestal, and then the message slowly dies while the artist becomes rich and famous. Of course, this is not always the case, but it happening and it does seem to be tarnishing the name of hip hop.

Know What I Mean?: Maybe a little bit...

Dyson's books "Know What I Mean" has left me in a state of mass confusion and contradiction. While Dyson was relatively straightforward, he threw in some points that left me in a whirl of information overload. Even so, I was drawn in by two particular bits. The first was in "It's Trendy to be a Conscious MC", where Dyson speaks about Lauryn Hill. She raps in the group The Fugees, using the line "Even after all my logic and my theory/I add motherf*** so you ingnorant ****** hear me". In this line, Lauryn Hill essentially sums up hip hop as a political outlet. She can be speak brilliantly and rap brilliantly, but people won't hear her unless she appeals to mainstream hip-hop. Even as she speaks truth, she has to fight to be socially or politically conscious in her music.

Dyson also addresses the "crisis of patriarchy" in hip-hop culture. The culture is overflowing with verbal gender assault. Dyson is not only aware of this, but criticized it. Hip hop is riddled with sexism and misogyny. Women are held in high contempt and are either classified as a "ho" or as a "good sister", in Dyson's argument. There is not really a good in-between and hip-hop just continues to create a culture that is dangerous for women. This is not always how it was though. n the beginning, hip hop was not a degrading, violent outlet for men to take out on women.

Hip hop was originated as something very different from how it is now. Dyson is trying to bridge the gap between hip-hop beginnings and what people know as hip hop today. He speaks about the Black Panther type view of black culture versus how that same culture is perceived now by the younger generation. There is a huge gap between the two generations in question and the younger generation is held in a sort of contempt by the older generation. And, of course, the younger generation feels that the generations before them are not extremely outdated and their ways of dealing with things is no longer beneficial. The two generations continue to go head to head concerning what hip hop is. But the new hip hop is homophobic, has drastic violence issues, and is full to the brim with misogyny. As Dyson said, hip hop is dead. The new must die so the old, more regal hip hop can continue on. In a way, it needs to start over again and see if they can get it right this time, without the violence or misogyny.

Police Brutality: Hip Hop Style?

I became particularly interested in Clarence Lusane's "Rap, Race, and Politics". Specifically, I was drawn in by the blips on "Gangsta Rap" and the musings on gender issues. Gangsta rap, stereotypically attached to drugs, violence, and abuse, started to peek out as a way to speak out politically. It has been called "the lessons of lived experiences" by Robin D. G. Kelley, which is think is an accurate description to a point concerning the raging political points of life these rappers face. But it is also laden with violence and misogyny. They contradict themselves; on one side they speak out what needs to be said to make a point and, on the other side, they promote the types of things that they should be speaking out against.

As described by this passage, police brutality is one of the main aspects of gangsta rap. "Cop Killer", "Squeeze the Trigger", and "F*** Tha Police" all wrap around rascist police brutality. These songs, while angry and slightly frightening to listen to, make it clear what is happening to young blacks in cities all across the country. It is either run or be shot; the police did not act as those who protect people should act. Police were becoming notorious for killing or beating those from the black community. And music and creativity burst out in many directions. People called out from music to make these killings and beatings stop. They wanted their voices to be heard, even if people didn't want to hear them.

Personally, I feel that this did make a difference then, but now hip-hop is not taken as seriously in regard to politics. Sometimes, politically based songs come along, but with the overwhelming amount of music about degrading women, drugs, violence, and various other unacceptable topics, the politics is not heard. Even if it is heard, it isn't taken really seriously. The question I find myself and others asking is, why should we listen to those who hold anger and violence in such high esteem?

When I read the title “Crack is Responsible for Hip-Hop”, I did a double take. Then a triple-take, if I can call it that. Then I just sat and stared at the title for a while before I started to read. And then, after reading, I closed the book and just thought for a while. Is Ahmir Thompson right? Did hip-hop culture spawn from drug use and drug pushing? It’s all about the street cred. If there were no drugs, then there wouldn’t be street cred as we know it today. What fascinated me was that Thompson was so very blatant when it came to discussing the use of crack. The way he puts it, he is saying that everyone knew it was there. And it was generally accepted. Or at least people averted their eyes so the music could burst forward.

To me, this was an uncomfortable article. It addressed things that people in my life usually sweep underneath the carpet. He even addressed how he sees repression, depression, and Republicans as causes for the hip-hop revolution. As the society falls, “Black music” rises up. It’s just how the system works. Through white politics and law and repression, “Black music” rises and teaches us to not be brainwashed, in a way.

And finally we get to an article addressing “Hip-Hop Nation”. The words summing up this class and the words that people live by. It is its own democracy and it seems that most people have to be born into it to make it authentic, though the nation is expanding to include more culture, race, and gender. It’s gritty and political and speaks what need to be spoken. It started as parties and then it swelled to become “a defining force of a generation” (Toure, pg. 338). And, as it seems, there is no stopping it now.

Week 3

I have never really tried to look into a hip-hop artist's personal life. One assumes that their music reflects thier lives and values. This, intriquingly enough, is not all that true. Eminem does his best to instill in his daughter how to be morally upstanding and does his best to keep his life from affecting her negatively. It's not all about murder and violence, even though those two things are definitely overtones in the hip-hop culture. Many of the hip-hop moguls take a mass amount of effort and time to teach their children right and wrong and seem to try to protect them from the dangers of the lives their parents are leading.

These readings did not really do much to change my opinion on hip-hop. The music is still stained with violence and drugs; while many fight against the violence, many still integrate violence, drugs, sex, and alcohol directly into the lyrics. There was a change from hip-hop to make a point into hip-hop becoming the definition of gangsta, if you will. Most of the prominent hip-hop artists today come from a dark childhood and a dark environment. Eminem was born in an impoverished family. His life has been both dark and despondent. 50 Cent hustled to make money at the age of 12. Biggie Smalls sold crack and was put in jail when he was only seventeen. Is it even possible for someone to be accepted into the hiip-hop beat if they haven't sold drugs, mugged people, or came from a harsh childhood? Will they be accepted in? Even more to the point, can someone be called a hip-hop artist if none of this occurs? The public expects angry hip-hop, with virulent emotions running directly into the lyrics and out into society. What is hip-hop without all the anger nowadays?

Week 2

Afros, to me, have always been fascinating. Having thin, blonde hair, I have no idea how anyone can ever tease hair enough to get it to that sort of shape and style. I am one of those people who fall victim to straightening my hair or, as certain male hairdresser in the 1950’s said, I “burn and process all the life out of it.” Of course, the difference with me is that I am very white and the au naturelle look would never work for me. If I don’t straighten my hair, it simply is a frizzy, nasty mess. Helen Hayes King is another story. Personally, I found it intriguing that her hairdo was met with disdain at Julliard and her family didn’t particularly approve either. But when she went back to her New York City block, it was met with high approval. How quickly it became a sign of the rebellious youth; most middle class women, white or black, straightened their hair chemically. And so began the afro. Who knew that a hairstyle could be molded into a subculture so quickly?

Another article discussed the aspects of the Low Rider, referring to cars, not jeans. This is something that I have never really taken a liking to. Being a car person, I know what I like and that would be a stock car. Whenever I see a car that has been lowered or put on a hydraulic lift system, I have a tendency to roll my eyes. It’s never sat right with me. I am beginning to see the hip hop aspect now though. To those who created it, it was a pure expression of pride and culture. It was kind of a rebellion against the laws concerning cars riding too low. And then, it just went from there to the kind of cars I see now. The original low riders were gorgeous; I wish that the low riders and the lifted cars today had the same sense of style that they started out with. But, again, that's just my personal tastes.

I will freely admit that I do not know anything about hip hop at all. The very little music that I have come across that falls in this category has not particularly interested me, as I am more of a classic rock fan. This is why I wanted to delve a little further into the music and culture. Interestingly enough, I was immediately sucked into “That’s the Joint!”, particularly the chapter on the history of breaking. Being a dancer myself, more of the ballet variety, I was fascinated to find that tap dance was developed through the creation of breaking. Whenever I go to tap dance, I have never even considered a connection between what I am doing in a traditional studio and what people have been doing on the streets in the 1850’s.

Beyond the reading on dance, I struggled with the vernacular of hip hop. I don’t know what a “B-beat”. I know nothing of creating one’s own music or movement and running with it. I kind of feel like this is learning a whole new language, like taking French or Spanish, except there are more rules and loopholes. The rules aren’t really rules; they are general sayings that some people go by and other deviate from. There seem to be rules regarding the fact that there aren’t a lot of rules. Styles shift and change and are expressed differently as generations change. What used to be considered hip-hop is not viewed as a whole different style and culture; the connections are not always made. Either way, it’s still hip-hop.

It was interesting to see Kool Herc in the “Yes, Yes Ya’ll” section. He described himself as an individual that didn’t want to cause trouble; he just wanted to get people together. The part t hat intrigued me was comparing it to how many see hip hop today. Many see it as a connection to gangs; Kool Herc made it clear that he had no connection to gangs. Many see it as rabble rousing or some sort of trouble; Kool Herc didn’t want any trouble. He just wanted the music and the people and to make people happy with the music.