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.