First of all, I really enjoyed the presentations today!
I really liked how the first group, who did theirs on Brasil, showed us multiple pictures, and I really liked the book you guys brought in, since it was a book on graffiti from around the world, instead of just Brasil. I also really liked the documentary that was showed, and how it followed the guy around, and he talked about his music.
The second presentation was great too! I thought both groups had great media to help the projects come together, because sometimes it’s really hard for people like me who don’t understand the language or the culture to understand hip-hop from that area. Great Job!
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Reply to Presentations
Slingshot
I found the film on Palestinan Hip-Hop very intersting. Hip-hop was used to adress the opinions of the people living in places like Gaza. They talked about their cultural history about how Isralians came and pushed the Palestines into a confined area. There doesnt seem to be very many jobs or things for people to do in Gaza, so some people, like the main characters, make music for a living.
I noticed that the more powerful underground American Hip-hop artists influenced these artists. They listened to some such as Tupac, MosDef, and Atmosphere. I think they might have listened to these people and seen how they had made a difference, and thought that they could do the same. I don’t know much about the Arab culture, but what I’ve seen from the video, it seems that they are pretty laid back. I’m only saying this because I was surprised about how the artists parents reacted when asked about what they thought about their sons making music all of the time.
Women in the Arab culture seem to be more restricted. I thought that the lady singer should have gone on stage and performed, but then I realized that some people actually could have been serious about hurting their family and friends. I realized that they would not be protected, like someone might be protected here in the United States.
All in all I thought it was a powerful and moving independent film, and I actually learned a lot.
I noticed that the more powerful underground American Hip-hop artists influenced these artists. They listened to some such as Tupac, MosDef, and Atmosphere. I think they might have listened to these people and seen how they had made a difference, and thought that they could do the same. I don’t know much about the Arab culture, but what I’ve seen from the video, it seems that they are pretty laid back. I’m only saying this because I was surprised about how the artists parents reacted when asked about what they thought about their sons making music all of the time.
Women in the Arab culture seem to be more restricted. I thought that the lady singer should have gone on stage and performed, but then I realized that some people actually could have been serious about hurting their family and friends. I realized that they would not be protected, like someone might be protected here in the United States.
All in all I thought it was a powerful and moving independent film, and I actually learned a lot.
Alter-Ego
The term “Alter-Ego”, usually means that one leads a double life. But in the case of Felicia Pride, Negra is her alter-ego, a part of herself she pulls from her pocket whenever she needs to be confident, daring, or outspoken. In Felicia’s case, her alter-ego is just a dormant part of an amazing woman.
Felicia talks about how she uses Negra to help her overcome certain situations. She noticed that artists like Eminem and Beyoncé found a way to be themselves and to also have an “alter-ego” at the same time. I think that everyone has an “alter-ego” or at least a different way of acting around others. Depending on the person they are talking to, they may talk and act differently, but it’s not because they are leading a double life, it’s just because the situation has changed.
In some ways I have another alter-ego persona, but not as extreme as Beyoncé or Eminem. At ACLC I am reserved; I don’t really talk to anyone, I go to class and I leave. However, with my best friend I talk about everything and anything from politics to music, and I act crazy and sing like an idiot. The only reason I don’t do this with others is because I feel like I have nothing to share with them, that they can’t handle another side of who I am. With my mom I’m calm and thoughtful. In ways I have different identities, but in the end, what I’m sharing with other people is who I really am, it just depends on what kind of situation I am in. Like Felicia Pride, I am always Me, Myself, and I.
Felicia talks about how she uses Negra to help her overcome certain situations. She noticed that artists like Eminem and Beyoncé found a way to be themselves and to also have an “alter-ego” at the same time. I think that everyone has an “alter-ego” or at least a different way of acting around others. Depending on the person they are talking to, they may talk and act differently, but it’s not because they are leading a double life, it’s just because the situation has changed.
In some ways I have another alter-ego persona, but not as extreme as Beyoncé or Eminem. At ACLC I am reserved; I don’t really talk to anyone, I go to class and I leave. However, with my best friend I talk about everything and anything from politics to music, and I act crazy and sing like an idiot. The only reason I don’t do this with others is because I feel like I have nothing to share with them, that they can’t handle another side of who I am. With my mom I’m calm and thoughtful. In ways I have different identities, but in the end, what I’m sharing with other people is who I really am, it just depends on what kind of situation I am in. Like Felicia Pride, I am always Me, Myself, and I.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Fight the Power
On September 25 2008, “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy hit the top of VH1’s Best Hip-Hop list. The song is about fighting for what people want, and fighting for what is right. In the first chorus, Chuck says that freedom of speech will be his freedom, and if he can’t have it, it will become his death. The song is powerful because he talks about today’s society, and recognizes that even he doesn’t like the rock and roll legend Evils Presley because he was racist. (Fight, lyrics) This reminded me when we went on our first field trip to an art gallery, where the artist asked us why Washington was on the dollar bill, because he was a slave owner.
“Fight the power” is more than just a song, at the time when it was played, it was almost like a whole other movement: “the group performed the song on a red, black, and green stage framed by a large photo of Malcolm X…”(Can’t Stop, p.279) This was more like a demonstration, than a performance, and people rallied together to remember the rights of the people, that they were equal just like everyone else, and to remember their ancestors. Another page was turned in the history of hip-hop.
“Fight the power” is also straight forward, short and simple.
“Cause I’m black and I’m proud
I’m ready and hyped plus I’m amped
Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check” (Fight, lyrics)
This is a reminder of how long African-Americans suffered, how long white people ruled, but now times are changing. Public Enemy wrote their song with meaning, and Chuck wanted his music to provoke the people, but he didn’t want to lead. This song made the top 100 not only because it was a good song, but because of the history behind it.
“Fight the power” is more than just a song, at the time when it was played, it was almost like a whole other movement: “the group performed the song on a red, black, and green stage framed by a large photo of Malcolm X…”(Can’t Stop, p.279) This was more like a demonstration, than a performance, and people rallied together to remember the rights of the people, that they were equal just like everyone else, and to remember their ancestors. Another page was turned in the history of hip-hop.
“Fight the power” is also straight forward, short and simple.
“Cause I’m black and I’m proud
I’m ready and hyped plus I’m amped
Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check” (Fight, lyrics)
This is a reminder of how long African-Americans suffered, how long white people ruled, but now times are changing. Public Enemy wrote their song with meaning, and Chuck wanted his music to provoke the people, but he didn’t want to lead. This song made the top 100 not only because it was a good song, but because of the history behind it.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
1. The subject of my paper is hip-hop and mainstream rap and their themes of masculinity and degrading women.
2. I wanted to write about this subject because I know a lot of people listen to music with these themes, and yet, they don't care if rappers are constantly degrading women. It reminded me of a comedian who said that when women listen to these types of songs, all they do is say "HE ain't talking about ME". Therfore women don't believe that rappers are directing their negativeness towards them.
3. My audience is just the people in this class.
4. The question I wanted my research paper to answer is why rappers degrade women, and why do we listen to it.
5. I think I used the compare and contrast strategy the most.
In 750 words minimum, discuss the evidence Hurt presents in the film and whether or not you agree with his premise that commercial rap is misogynistic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood.
If you turn on the radio you might hear Lupe Fiasco singing “Superstar” with lyrics about struggling to become a popular music artist, or you might just hear Ludacris singing “Money Maker”, telling women to “shake their money makers”. (Money Maker) Not all songs are degrading women, and proving rappers masculinity, but why are they made and why do we decide to listen to them? The making of rap music today is controversial. Some people say that the music industry is forcing these starving artists to create this type of music, and that it’s the only way it will be played. Others believe that no one will want to listen to a rapper about the presidential election, talk about their past, or what’s really going on in the world today. Some people might even listen to degrading commercial rap because it has a good beat, or say that rappers aren’t reffereing to them as their “bitch” or “hoe”. Whatever the case, there is still meaningful music out there in the music industry from people like Lupe Fiasco and Atmosphere, which gives people a choice of what they would like to hear. There’s a difference between hip-hop and commercial rap, and that line is crossed when the subject of the song becomes something negative like degrading women, homophobia, or talking about killing people. When we look back at the history of our society, more times than not men have been the dominant figures. Women usually did all of the house work, while men went out to earn money for the family. The first woman allowed to vote wasn’t until 1893, in the state of Colorado. (Women’s Rights) I definitely agree with the idea that commercial rap and hip-hop promotes a negative stereotype of manhood. I also believe that degrading women and masculinity go hand in hand. Through lyrics and videos, everyone can hear and see how the rappers creating this music, show how a man should act and be. They feel as though the general public wouldn’t want to listen about how someone could have changed their way of life and become a doctor or a police man, and instead they start to rap about shooting and raping people. (Hip-Hop) They feel as though they should be seen as real men. They probably do feel insecure about themseleves because they have so many women in their videos, when they can't hold on to one. They feel the need to have as many as possible to show people that this is what their life is really like, with multiple women and loads of money, and that they obviously no longer live on the street. Some rappers definitely do believe that the general public doesn’t want to listen to other topics besides the hood, gangs, shootouts, and degrading women. In Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, the creator of the film Bryon Hurt, states that “media and corporations define hip-hop.” (A Lover of Rap) So is it actually the media that believes listeners will want to hear these types of songs? There are also a lot of hip-hop artists today that are making great music that people love, and steer away from all of the mainstream themes. Some people seem to believe that they need to sing about these types of things so that their music will get played on the radio, but this isn't the case at all. Take Lupe Fisaco for example, and his song "Superstar". It’s the complete opposite from the normal macho music that we hear on the radio. There are hip-hop rappers out there making music that’s meaningful to them, showing the public who they really are, even though they might not be making the most money. In the end, the theme of mainstream music goes back to the artists, and the companies producing them. If rappers are so keen about representing themselves, being true to music and the life they live, then they shouldn’t succum to what the media wants.
Works Cited“Women’s Rights Movement” InfoPlease 29 September 2008http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html“Money Maker” Ludacris AZlyrics 29 September 2008http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ludacris/moneymaker.htmlHip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes 23 September 2008Bryon Hurt; film“A Lover of Rap” The Brown Daily Harold 28 September 2008http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/storage/paper472/news/2008/03/07/CampusNews/A.Lover.Of.Rap.Scrutinizes.the.Masculinity.Of.HipHop-3258711.shtml
2. I wanted to write about this subject because I know a lot of people listen to music with these themes, and yet, they don't care if rappers are constantly degrading women. It reminded me of a comedian who said that when women listen to these types of songs, all they do is say "HE ain't talking about ME". Therfore women don't believe that rappers are directing their negativeness towards them.
3. My audience is just the people in this class.
4. The question I wanted my research paper to answer is why rappers degrade women, and why do we listen to it.
5. I think I used the compare and contrast strategy the most.
In 750 words minimum, discuss the evidence Hurt presents in the film and whether or not you agree with his premise that commercial rap is misogynistic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood.
If you turn on the radio you might hear Lupe Fiasco singing “Superstar” with lyrics about struggling to become a popular music artist, or you might just hear Ludacris singing “Money Maker”, telling women to “shake their money makers”. (Money Maker) Not all songs are degrading women, and proving rappers masculinity, but why are they made and why do we decide to listen to them? The making of rap music today is controversial. Some people say that the music industry is forcing these starving artists to create this type of music, and that it’s the only way it will be played. Others believe that no one will want to listen to a rapper about the presidential election, talk about their past, or what’s really going on in the world today. Some people might even listen to degrading commercial rap because it has a good beat, or say that rappers aren’t reffereing to them as their “bitch” or “hoe”. Whatever the case, there is still meaningful music out there in the music industry from people like Lupe Fiasco and Atmosphere, which gives people a choice of what they would like to hear. There’s a difference between hip-hop and commercial rap, and that line is crossed when the subject of the song becomes something negative like degrading women, homophobia, or talking about killing people. When we look back at the history of our society, more times than not men have been the dominant figures. Women usually did all of the house work, while men went out to earn money for the family. The first woman allowed to vote wasn’t until 1893, in the state of Colorado. (Women’s Rights) I definitely agree with the idea that commercial rap and hip-hop promotes a negative stereotype of manhood. I also believe that degrading women and masculinity go hand in hand. Through lyrics and videos, everyone can hear and see how the rappers creating this music, show how a man should act and be. They feel as though the general public wouldn’t want to listen about how someone could have changed their way of life and become a doctor or a police man, and instead they start to rap about shooting and raping people. (Hip-Hop) They feel as though they should be seen as real men. They probably do feel insecure about themseleves because they have so many women in their videos, when they can't hold on to one. They feel the need to have as many as possible to show people that this is what their life is really like, with multiple women and loads of money, and that they obviously no longer live on the street. Some rappers definitely do believe that the general public doesn’t want to listen to other topics besides the hood, gangs, shootouts, and degrading women. In Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, the creator of the film Bryon Hurt, states that “media and corporations define hip-hop.” (A Lover of Rap) So is it actually the media that believes listeners will want to hear these types of songs? There are also a lot of hip-hop artists today that are making great music that people love, and steer away from all of the mainstream themes. Some people seem to believe that they need to sing about these types of things so that their music will get played on the radio, but this isn't the case at all. Take Lupe Fisaco for example, and his song "Superstar". It’s the complete opposite from the normal macho music that we hear on the radio. There are hip-hop rappers out there making music that’s meaningful to them, showing the public who they really are, even though they might not be making the most money. In the end, the theme of mainstream music goes back to the artists, and the companies producing them. If rappers are so keen about representing themselves, being true to music and the life they live, then they shouldn’t succum to what the media wants.
Works Cited“Women’s Rights Movement” InfoPlease 29 September 2008http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html“Money Maker” Ludacris AZlyrics 29 September 2008http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ludacris/moneymaker.htmlHip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes 23 September 2008Bryon Hurt; film“A Lover of Rap” The Brown Daily Harold 28 September 2008http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/storage/paper472/news/2008/03/07/CampusNews/A.Lover.Of.Rap.Scrutinizes.the.Masculinity.Of.HipHop-3258711.shtml
Monday, 15 September 2008
Unfinished 9-11
From the 9/11 films that we watched in class, two of them caught my eye. The first one was about a deaf French woman who had been living in New York City a little more than a year with a tour guide. They had been having problems and her boyfriend said that they would talk things over when he got home. She agreed, but only if he actually would come home, because a voice had told her that he wouldn’t. He left angrily and the woman sat at her computer around the corner from the TV and starting writing a good bye letter to her boyfriend. It was intense, because there was no sound, as if you were really with her unable to hear. After she went to get the door, and found her boyfriend covered in dust, I started to wonder what it would have been like for her to have witnessed the attack first hand. She wouldn’t have been able to hear it, or hear the people screaming, but I bet she could have felt the people running around her, seeing people in shock, and then feel the building as it fell to the ground. Even when she was in her appartment she could feel the building shake.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Politics of Graffiti
In 1972, graffiti spreading throughout New York City (more importantly subway graffiti), became an important issue for Mayor John V. Lindsay. It was said that during this time, more than $300,000 was being spent each year to erase graffiti. One council president told reporters that graffiti may be “one of the worst froms of pollution”, and a monthly anti graffiti day was created to reduce graffiti. Mayor Lindsay started creating plans to reduce graffiti and prevent it from happening with anything from arresting and fining anyone with and open spray can, making it illegal to carry spray paint in public, to keeping records of those who purchase spary paint or markers. Other organized groups like the Kings County Council of Jewish War Verterans and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts organized graffiti clean ups. The budget of all new task forces was estimated to cost $24 million to deface the “paint pollution”. Months later New York Magazine published an article suggesting that graffiti brightened up the city from its normal black and white boring look. After all the money spent on policies and graffiti removal efforts, the city still looked the same and no one complained about the lost cause. The pollution problem was then blamed on numerous sources: judges, social services, and train yard gaurds. From 1975 to 1980 the issue of graffiti died down. In September of 1980, Mayor Lindsay put fences and guard dogs around one of the train yards, and after three months no graffiti was found on the trains. He proposed to create more fence barriers around other train yards, which would cost him $22.4 million.
From reading the quotes from the Mayors and graffiti artists, there seems to have been a miscommunication in what the public likes to see, and what’s really best for the city. To me this article showed that the government really just wants to take things into their own hands, and it seemed like Mayor Lindsay was more interested in his personal belief than what the city wanted. He didn’t bother to try to compromise with artists to find a better solution to the graffiti issue, and instead he ended up wasting money that could have been used on more pressing issues, like violence and poverty.
From reading the quotes from the Mayors and graffiti artists, there seems to have been a miscommunication in what the public likes to see, and what’s really best for the city. To me this article showed that the government really just wants to take things into their own hands, and it seemed like Mayor Lindsay was more interested in his personal belief than what the city wanted. He didn’t bother to try to compromise with artists to find a better solution to the graffiti issue, and instead he ended up wasting money that could have been used on more pressing issues, like violence and poverty.
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