Tuesday 13 December 2016
Quote
“The ghost of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it, let these words be your earth and moon you consume every message”
Critical Investigation Days
Sunday 18th
Monday 19th
Tuesday 20th
I intend to go to the BFI library Thursday 22nd.
Monday 19th
Tuesday 20th
I intend to go to the BFI library Thursday 22nd.
Monday 12 December 2016
Critical Investigation Task #6
Dyas. P. Media Magazine 42.
“Kanye West; admittedly a polarising figure notorious for his own self-aggrandisement, arrogance and lack of self-awareness, but often vulnerable, emotional and conflicted in his lyrics”
-the success of Kanye West reveals not only lyrics that represent his life as something of a struggle but expresses the effects he faces through his own self-aggrandisement
“Childish Gambino rejects the violence and gang associations of hip-hop culture, demonstrating a social progressiveness and willingness to challenge conventional models of masculinity”
“Hip-hop, grime, urban, rap, spoken word – the success of artists within this multifaceted genre depends on how easy it is for everybody to understand their lyrics and relate to their content.”
“The elder generation have an inclination of blaming rap for much of the violence that goes on within the younger world. I see this as a misinterpretation. It begs the ongoing question of whether the media create and reinforce violent stereotypes, or whether media producers simply construct a reflection of society’s ills” Bateman, A. (2016). Using Theory in A Level Media Studies. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/using-theory-in-a-level-media-studies/
"George Gerbner’s cultivation theory (1979) which investigated the content of television programmes. Gerbner argues that the drip feeding of similar negative media messages influences the viewer’s perception of reality and makes them susceptible to adopting a negative view on the world, Gerbner calls this Mean World Syndrome."
-the stereotype of black males are predominantly negative and the Cultivation Theory suggests an explanation for this and how the media is a potential blame for this
"(Galting & Ruge, 1965), arguing that high value is placed upon negative news by those responsible for reporting the world’s events, then a theoretical basis for arguing that negative news is prevalent and that it has an effect upon the audience is established"
-supports the idea that audiences want to see negative news as that is what they know, therefore it becomes more dominant and prevalent within the media
Hirsch, A. (2012). African hip-hop is recreating America. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/03/african-hip-hop-america
"Ironically the gap between rich – including the music mogul rich – and poor is itself fuelling the growth of hip-hop in Africa."
-conscious rappers who focus on social and political themes; growing industry through materialistic lifestyle juxtaposed and contrasted with the ghetto life
Ellis-Petersen, H. (2016). Kanye West's travails help hip-hop open up on mental health. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/25/kanye-wests-travails-help-hip-hop-open-up-on-mental-health
"The macho and often adversarial culture of hip-hop, coupled with the fact that African American men are significantly less likely to seek help for mental health issues, has meant, in the public arena at least, it was rarely discussed"-Kanye West's 'Lockdown' video reveals his vulnerability and how he was trying to speak out about his own issues in order to change the 'macho' stereotype
"evident in rapper J Cole talking publicly about his struggle with depression, and fronting the #OKNotToBeOK campaign"
"the most significant figure breaking down this stigma around depression and revealing weakness is Kendrick Lamar. Arguably the world’s biggest hip-hop artist, they said Lamar’s public discussion of the inner demons and survivors’ guilt that fuelled his Grammy-winning album, To Pimp a Butterfly, have proved that depression is no longer perceived as a fallacy in the rap community"
-The Guardian is a well recognised and acclaimed news institution so critical acclaim for Lamar reveals the importance of him in the genre
Bixby, S. (2016). Kendrick Lamar galvanizes Grammys with politically charged performance. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/15/kendrick-lamar-grammys-2016-awards-political-performance-blacker-berry
"The performance, which like Lamar’s music was studded with strong allusions to racial inequality, the prison-industrial complex and black identity, brought the audience to its feet."
-importance of the performance and how he becomes a voice and an important performer, enhancing the issue of black identity. Links to his BET awards performance where he performed atop a police car and this caused a great deal of controversy - Fox news
Mcleod, K. (2005). MP3s Are Killing Home Taping: The Rise of Internet Distribution and Its Challenge to the Major Label Music Monopoly1. Popular Music and Society.
"had to rely heavily on record labels, which agreed to sell an artist's music, under certain conditions which usually gave the record label more money from each sale than the artists"
"Some hip-hop artists end up only breaking even with record companies after they produce an album, because of all of the expenses that they pay to effectively market and produce their albums and the small percentage of royalties received"
-the power of the music industries and the institutions in comparison to the artists.
Welsh, A. C. (2016). Kendrick Lamar has challenged Barack Obama to a basketball showdown in Compton. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.factmag.com/2016/12/05/kendrick-lamar-challenged-barack-obama-basketball-showdown-compton/
"Kendrick goes on to joke that Barack will also be “playing a little basketball. He needs to work on his jump shot a little bit… I’ve been trying to bring him out, that’s why I’m throwing shots at him right now. I want him to come to Gonzales Park in Compton.”
Welsh, A. C. (2016). Kendrick Lamar has challenged Barack Obama to a basketball showdown in Compton. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.factmag.com/2016/12/05/kendrick-lamar-challenged-barack-obama-basketball-showdown-compton/
"Kendrick goes on to joke that Barack will also be “playing a little basketball. He needs to work on his jump shot a little bit… I’ve been trying to bring him out, that’s why I’m throwing shots at him right now. I want him to come to Gonzales Park in Compton.”
-reveals the influence of Lamar on Obama and how a respectable and highly acclaimed individual such as Obama can truly respect the works of Lamar, revealing the sheer genius from Lamar.
Geslani, M. (2015). FOX News says Kendrick Lamar “has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism”. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/06/fox-news-says-kendrick-lamar-has-done-more-damage-to-young-african-americans-than-racism/
"female commentator who says Kendrick’s performance “didn’t excite her” or “turn her on”. Because I’m so sure that’s exactly what the Compton MC was aiming for — not to stimulate fans’ minds or draw attention to our society’s many racial and social issues, but to turn people on"
-counteracts argument
We Will TV. (2015). Geraldo Rivera rips Kendrick Lamar's BET Award set. Retrieved from YouTube.
"This is why i say hip-hop has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism"
"This is exactly the wrong message"
-the sarcasm throughout reveals the pure ignorance of these journalists for them to not understand the message of Lamar - the problem with FOX news is that they hold conservative ideologies and therefore as soon as a fruitful artist like Lamar speaks out, moral panics are formed and therefore they become threatened by the fact that audiences will listen.
TMZ. (2015). Kendrick Lamar -- Geraldo's Twisting My Message ... I'm Preaching Hope, Not Violence | TMZ. Retrieved from YouTube.
"How can you take a song about hope and turn it into hatred"
"The overall message is we gon' be alright not I want to kill people"
"It's avoiding the truth"
"Hip hop is not the problem, our reality is the problem of the situation"
-Lamar speaks passionately counteracting Geraldo's thoughts of his performance and addresses the fact that hip-hop is merely an expression of speech to provide a positive influence.
Radowitz, J. V., Webb, S. (2015). Hip Hop is the most important genre of music to emerge in last 50 years, claim pop scientists. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/hip-hop-most-important-genre-5642569
"Hip hop has been named the most influential musical genre to emerge since 1960, beating the British invasion of the Rolling Stones and The Beatles"
"The impact of Hip Hop, the rhythmic rapping style that originated in Jamaica and became the voice of disaffected black youth in New York and Los Angeles, was much more profound, they claimed."
-the sarcasm throughout reveals the pure ignorance of these journalists for them to not understand the message of Lamar - the problem with FOX news is that they hold conservative ideologies and therefore as soon as a fruitful artist like Lamar speaks out, moral panics are formed and therefore they become threatened by the fact that audiences will listen.
TMZ. (2015). Kendrick Lamar -- Geraldo's Twisting My Message ... I'm Preaching Hope, Not Violence | TMZ. Retrieved from YouTube.
"How can you take a song about hope and turn it into hatred"
"The overall message is we gon' be alright not I want to kill people"
"It's avoiding the truth"
"Hip hop is not the problem, our reality is the problem of the situation"
-Lamar speaks passionately counteracting Geraldo's thoughts of his performance and addresses the fact that hip-hop is merely an expression of speech to provide a positive influence.
Radowitz, J. V., Webb, S. (2015). Hip Hop is the most important genre of music to emerge in last 50 years, claim pop scientists. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/hip-hop-most-important-genre-5642569
"Hip hop has been named the most influential musical genre to emerge since 1960, beating the British invasion of the Rolling Stones and The Beatles"
"The impact of Hip Hop, the rhythmic rapping style that originated in Jamaica and became the voice of disaffected black youth in New York and Los Angeles, was much more profound, they claimed."
-impact of hip-hop music and how it has a bigger role to play in society than the mainstream bands and acclaimed artists such as The Beatles.
-The Mirror = tabloid newspaper, Labour
Shah. V. (2015). The Role of Hip-Hop in Culture. Thought Economics. Retrieved December, 11, 2016, from https://thoughteconomics.com/the-role-of-hip-hop-in-culture/
"deeply pitted with metaphors that became consistent, ubiquitous and global. Hip-hop is unplanned- but a reflection of shared truths in communities"Tricia Rose - "The profitable stories tend to dovetail around the central-stereotypes about Black People that have existed for hundreds of years. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth, but to rely on the illusion that these are the truths is to rely on a lie being reinforced as THE truth."
-stereotypes and representations of black people and how it has become the fake truth of what audiences are seeing through the media's eye
Russell Simmons - "Hip-hop is (amongst many things) a cultural manifestation of the challenges- the creation of a new identity, a new social structure- a new institution. Like any emergent art-form it jars at our senses and sensibilities, providing us a safe theatre in which to observe ourselves, and contemplate that which we face."
Russell Simmons - "Hip-hop is (amongst many things) a cultural manifestation of the challenges- the creation of a new identity, a new social structure- a new institution. Like any emergent art-form it jars at our senses and sensibilities, providing us a safe theatre in which to observe ourselves, and contemplate that which we face."
-the power of the genre as a positive and cultural art form rather than mere sound
Simmonds, R. (2013). Why You Should Let Your Children Listen To Hip Hop. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://rosssimmonds.com/leadership/children-hip-hop/
"If you can get past some of the language and ignore the songs that are about booty poppin and lip gloss; there really is some quality to be found in the lyrics and skills of these artists."
-it is undeniable that some rap artists glorify and glamorise the life of a luxury millionaire but the artists that are fruitful reveal the power of the genre as a cultural respectable art form.
"With his new album, 4 Your Eyez Only, Cole channels Be Free, finding a new niche and renewed purpose as a mouthpiece for black frustrations, throwing himself headfirst into rap activism"
-speaking on police brutality and the issues revolving around him
"Outside of Deja Vu, which is basically a rehash of a Bryson Tiller song, Exchange, with the same sample (KP and Envyi’s Swing My Way), this is a collection of songs with a clear and unified vision, scrutinizing mass incarceration, police brutality, toxic masculinity (which he brands as “tough guy culture”) and other tensions plaguing black communities. He does it best on Change, a song that transports the listener into the shootout that took the life of James McMillan Jr, Cole’s friend, and on Immortal, which memorializes those lost to gun violence."
-overview of Cole's songs and what he is doing in each to portray his visions of what he believes is important and significant.
J Cole. (2016). Neighbors. Dreamville, Roc Nation, Interscope Records. Track 7 in Studio Album, 4 Your Eyez Only.
"Fuck the fame and the fortune—well, maybe not the fortune, But one thing is for sure though, the fame is exhaustin'"
-material aspects and the importance of the music more than the actual fame that comes with it - he wants to make an impact and doesn't want the fame of it all consuming him.
"Ab-Soul's new album has more layers than a wedding cake, but his raps are sharper than ever"
"a bright wordsmith that cared about lyricism. If he wasn’t a genius, he had the kind of talent that made him appear as one."
-positive review of the album as something important and artistic, a talented raw form that focuses on the US elections in Huey Knew.
Monteyne, K. (2013). Hip hop on film: Performance culture, urban space, and genre transformation in the 1980s. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
"The entire corpus of the hip hop musical thus represents an army of ideological positions, and within particular texts themselves we find multiple social and political attitudes."
-influence of hip-hop music as a genre that involves social and political commentary rather than fruitless themes
King, D. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
"Hip-hop is a form of expression - how we make and portray ourselves to the world."
Monteyne, K. (2013). Hip hop on film: Performance culture, urban space, and genre transformation in the 1980s. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
"The entire corpus of the hip hop musical thus represents an army of ideological positions, and within particular texts themselves we find multiple social and political attitudes."
-influence of hip-hop music as a genre that involves social and political commentary rather than fruitless themes
King, D. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
"Hip-hop is a form of expression - how we make and portray ourselves to the world."
-reinforces the expression of hip-hop as more than just music but a valuable art form.
-the times have changed and artists have become more valued and respected within the mainstream
Sunday 4 December 2016
Bibliography
Books
Angelou, M. (1970). I know why the caged bird sings. New York: Random House.
Dates, J., Barlow, W. (1993). Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media. Howard University Press
Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and black culture in contemporary America. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.
Rose, T. (2008). The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop--and Why It Matters. Basic Civitas Books.
Russell, K. (1999). The Color of Crime: Racial Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protectionism, Police Harassment and Other Macroagressions. NYU Press.
Terkourafi, M. (2010). The Languages of Global Hip-hop (Advances in Sociolinguistics). Continuum International Publishing Group.
Journals
King, D. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
Korom. A, Y. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
Vernal, L. C. (2001). Screen.
(2003). National Film Theatre Programmes.
Leigh, D. (2004). Sight & Sound.
Goldie, L. (2004). Black Filmmaker.
Smith, S. L. (2002). Journal of Communication.
Spence, J. (2004). Black Filmmaker.
Magazines
Aidoo. D. Media Magazine 45.
Dyas. P. Media Magazine 42.
Pal Tube. (2016). Drake or Kendrick? Obama quizzed on rap battles, Star Wars. Retrieved from YouTube.
Modern Blackface: The Cultural Appropriation of Rap. (2015). Retrieved December 04, 2016, from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/satire-as-survival
Pearce, S. (2016). J Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only review – unsparing, unflinching raptivism. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/10/j-cole-4-your-eyez-only-review-unsparing-unflinching-raptivism
Angelou, M. (1970). I know why the caged bird sings. New York: Random House.
Bloom, L. (2014). Suspicion nation: The inside story of the Trayvon Martin injustice and why we continue to repeat it. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint.
Chang, J. (2005). Can't stop, won't stop: A history of the hip-hop generation. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Charnas, D. (2010). The big payback: The history of the business of hip-hop. New York, NY: New American Library.
Charnas, D. (2010). The big payback: The history of the business of hip-hop. New York, NY: New American Library.
Chuck, D., Jah, Y. (1998). Fight the Power: Rap, Race and Reality. Delta
Dates, J., Barlow, W. (1993). Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media. Howard University Press
Dyson, M. E. (2004). The Michael Eric Dyson reader. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Ghansah, R. (2013). When the Lights Shut Off: Kendrick Lamar and the Decline of the Black Blues Narrative. LARB
Gilroy, P. (1991). 'There ain't no black in the Union Jack': The cultural politics of race and nation. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C. L. (2007). Fandom: Identities and communities in a mediated world. New York: New York University Press.
Hall, S., Evans, J., & Nixon, S. (2013). Representation. London: Sage.
Keyes, C. L. (2002). Rap music and street consciousness. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Lee, H. (1960). To Kill A Mockingbird. United States. J. B. Lippincott & Co
Monteyne, K. (2013). Hip hop on film: Performance culture, urban space, and genre transformation in the 1980s. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
Keyes, C. L. (2002). Rap music and street consciousness. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Lee, H. (1960). To Kill A Mockingbird. United States. J. B. Lippincott & Co
Monteyne, K. (2013). Hip hop on film: Performance culture, urban space, and genre transformation in the 1980s. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
Morrison, T. (1987). Beloved. United States. Alfred Knopf.
Osumare, H. (2007). The Africanist aesthetic in global hip-hop: Power moves. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Rome, D. (2004). Black demons: The media's depiction of the African American male criminal stereotype. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and black culture in contemporary America. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.
Rose, T. (2008). The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop--and Why It Matters. Basic Civitas Books.
Russell, K. (1999). The Color of Crime: Racial Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protectionism, Police Harassment and Other Macroagressions. NYU Press.
Terkourafi, M. (2010). The Languages of Global Hip-hop (Advances in Sociolinguistics). Continuum International Publishing Group.
Journals
King, D. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
Korom. A, Y. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
Vernal, L. C. (2001). Screen.
(2003). National Film Theatre Programmes.
Leigh, D. (2004). Sight & Sound.
Goldie, L. (2004). Black Filmmaker.
Smith, S. L. (2002). Journal of Communication.
Spence, J. (2004). Black Filmmaker.
Magazines
Aidoo. D. Media Magazine 45.
Dyas. P. Media Magazine 42.
Moving Image Texts
Ab-Soul. (2016). Huey Knew. TopDawgEntertainment. Retrieved from YouTube.
Ab-Soul. (2016). Huey Knew. TopDawgEntertainment. Retrieved from YouTube.
Billboard. (2015). Kendrick Lamar sits down with N.W.A. Retrieved from YouTube.
Clique. (2015). Kendrick Lamar – How to Clique a Butterfly. Retrieved from YouTube.
Eminem World. (2013). Eminem Talks about Kendrick Lamar. Retrieved from YouTube.
Gray. G, F. (Director). (2015). Straight Outta Compton. USA.
Green Hits Production. (2014). Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap. Retrieved from YouTube.
Hanson, C. (Director). (2002). 8 Mile. USA.
HisLifeAsTupac. (1988). Tupac Interview at 17 years old, 1988. Retrieved from YouTube.
Hot 97. (2014). Kendrick says Macklemore went too far + who “i” is for the state of HipHop. Retrieved from YouTube.
Kaiser Permanente Thrive. (2016). Find Your Words. Retrieved from YouTube.
Kendrick Vs Pac. (2015). Kendrick Lamar Discusses Tupac. Retrieved from YouTube.
MTV. (2015). Kendrick Lamar talks about u, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts. Retrieved from Youtube.
MTV. (2015). Kendrick Lamar talks about u, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts. Retrieved from Youtube.
Pal Tube. (2016). Drake or Kendrick? Obama quizzed on rap battles, Star Wars. Retrieved from YouTube.
The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. (2016). Kendrick Lamar does not want to surpass Michael Jackson. Retrieved from YouTube.
TMZ. (2015). Kendrick Lamar -- Geraldo's Twisting My Message ... I'm Preaching Hope, Not Violence | TMZ. Retrieved from YouTube.
We Will TV. (2015). Geraldo Rivera rips Kendrick Lamar's BET Award set. Retrieved from YouTube.
TMZ. (2015). Kendrick Lamar -- Geraldo's Twisting My Message ... I'm Preaching Hope, Not Violence | TMZ. Retrieved from YouTube.
We Will TV. (2015). Geraldo Rivera rips Kendrick Lamar's BET Award set. Retrieved from YouTube.
Tracklist
Dr. Dre, Anderson .Paak. (2015). Animals. Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 14 in studio album, Compton.
Dre. Dre, Anderson .Paak, Justus, Kendrick Lamar. (2015). Deep Water. Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 9 in album studio album, Compton.
Immortal Technique. (2003). Point of No Return. Viper Records. Track 2 in studio album, Revolutionary Vol. 2.
J Cole. (2014). Be Free. Dreamville, Interscope Records.
J Cole, Omen. (2015). Caged Bird. Dreamville, Interscope Records. Track 4 in studio album, Revenge of the Dreamers II.
J Cole. (2013). Chaining Day. Dreamville, Roc Nation, Columbia Records. Track 12 in studio album, Born Sinner.
J Cole. (2016). Neighbors. Dreamville, Roc Nation, Interscope Records. Track 7 in Studio Album, 4 Your Eyez Only.
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). God Is Gangsta. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records.
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). Institutionalized. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 4 in studio album, To Pimp A Butterfly.
Kendrick Lamar. (2012). M.A.A.D. City. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 8 in studio album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Immortal Technique. (2003). Point of No Return. Viper Records. Track 2 in studio album, Revolutionary Vol. 2.
J Cole. (2014). Be Free. Dreamville, Interscope Records.
J Cole, Omen. (2015). Caged Bird. Dreamville, Interscope Records. Track 4 in studio album, Revenge of the Dreamers II.
J Cole. (2013). Chaining Day. Dreamville, Roc Nation, Columbia Records. Track 12 in studio album, Born Sinner.
J Cole. (2016). Neighbors. Dreamville, Roc Nation, Interscope Records. Track 7 in Studio Album, 4 Your Eyez Only.
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). God Is Gangsta. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records.
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). Institutionalized. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 4 in studio album, To Pimp A Butterfly.
Kendrick Lamar. (2012). M.A.A.D. City. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 8 in studio album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). To Pimp A Butterfly. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Studio Album.
Kendrick Lamar. (2012). Swimming Pools. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 9 in studio album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Kendrick Lamar. (2009). Vanity Slaves. TopDawgEntertainment. Track 11 in EP, The Kendrick Lamar EP.
Kendrick Lamar. (2012). Swimming Pools. TopDawgEntertainment, Aftermath, Interscope Records. Track 9 in studio album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Kendrick Lamar. (2009). Vanity Slaves. TopDawgEntertainment. Track 11 in EP, The Kendrick Lamar EP.
KRS-One. (1993). Sound of da Police. Jive Records. Track 7 in studio album, Return of the Boom Bap.
N.W.A. (1988). Fuck tha Police. Ruthless, Priority Records. Track 2 in studio album, Straight Outta Compton.
N.W.A. (1988). Fuck tha Police. Ruthless, Priority Records. Track 2 in studio album, Straight Outta Compton.
Tupac. (1991). Trapped. Amaru, Interscope, T.N.T., Jive Records. Track 2 in studio album, 2Pacalypse Now.
Online
Ahmed, I., Drake, D., Callahan-Bever, N., Werthman, C., Baker, E., Kenner, R., Scott, D. (2016). The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://uk.complex.com/music/2016/01/the-best-rapper-alive-every-year-since-1979
Bateman, A. (2016). Using Theory in A Level Media Studies. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/using-theory-in-a-level-media-studies/
Benjamin, M. (2016). Kendrick Lamar’s Music Has Become The Soundtrack For Battling Depression. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://uproxx.com/realtalk/kendrick-lamar-kaiser-commercial/
Bixby, S. (2016). Kendrick Lamar galvanizes Grammys with politically charged performance. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/15/kendrick-lamar-grammys-2016-awards-political-performance-blacker-berry
Davey, D. (2006). Is Rap Actually Music or is it a Bad Influence? Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://hiphopandpolitics.com/2006/08/23/is-rap-actually-music-or-is-it-a-bad-influence/
Ellis-Petersen, H. (2016). Kanye West's travails help hip-hop open up on mental health. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/25/kanye-wests-travails-help-hip-hop-open-up-on-mental-health
Geslani, M. (2015). FOX News says Kendrick Lamar “has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism”. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/06/fox-news-says-kendrick-lamar-has-done-more-damage-to-young-african-americans-than-racism/
Giovacchini, A. M. (1999). The Negative Influence of Gangster Rap And What Can Be Done About It. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/negative.htm
Hirsch, A. (2012). African hip-hop is recreating America. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/03/african-hip-hop-america
Ide. D. (2013) How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of Political Rap. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/capitalismhiphoppartone.html#.WAUmWeArLIV
Jones, J. (2016). Georgia students study Kendrick Lamar for class. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://college.usatoday.com/2014/09/01/georgia-students-study-kendrick-lamar-for-class/
Mcleod, K. (2005). MP3s Are Killing Home Taping: The Rise of Internet Distribution and Its Challenge to the Major Label Music Monopoly1. Popular Music and Society.
Mize, C. (2015). History of Rap - The True Origins of Rap Music. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://colemizestudios.com/how-did-rap-start/
Online
Ahmed, I., Drake, D., Callahan-Bever, N., Werthman, C., Baker, E., Kenner, R., Scott, D. (2016). The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://uk.complex.com/music/2016/01/the-best-rapper-alive-every-year-since-1979
Bateman, A. (2016). Using Theory in A Level Media Studies. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/using-theory-in-a-level-media-studies/
Benjamin, M. (2016). Kendrick Lamar’s Music Has Become The Soundtrack For Battling Depression. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://uproxx.com/realtalk/kendrick-lamar-kaiser-commercial/
Bixby, S. (2016). Kendrick Lamar galvanizes Grammys with politically charged performance. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/15/kendrick-lamar-grammys-2016-awards-political-performance-blacker-berry
Davey, D. (2006). Is Rap Actually Music or is it a Bad Influence? Retrieved December 02, 2016, from http://hiphopandpolitics.com/2006/08/23/is-rap-actually-music-or-is-it-a-bad-influence/
Ellis-Petersen, H. (2016). Kanye West's travails help hip-hop open up on mental health. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/25/kanye-wests-travails-help-hip-hop-open-up-on-mental-health
Geslani, M. (2015). FOX News says Kendrick Lamar “has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism”. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/06/fox-news-says-kendrick-lamar-has-done-more-damage-to-young-african-americans-than-racism/
Giovacchini, A. M. (1999). The Negative Influence of Gangster Rap And What Can Be Done About It. Retrieved December 02, 2016, from https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/negative.htm
Hirsch, A. (2012). African hip-hop is recreating America. Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/03/african-hip-hop-america
Ide. D. (2013) How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of Political Rap. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/capitalismhiphoppartone.html#.WAUmWeArLIV
Jones, J. (2016). Georgia students study Kendrick Lamar for class. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://college.usatoday.com/2014/09/01/georgia-students-study-kendrick-lamar-for-class/
Mcleod, K. (2005). MP3s Are Killing Home Taping: The Rise of Internet Distribution and Its Challenge to the Major Label Music Monopoly1. Popular Music and Society.
Mize, C. (2015). History of Rap - The True Origins of Rap Music. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://colemizestudios.com/how-did-rap-start/
Modern Blackface: The Cultural Appropriation of Rap. (2015). Retrieved December 04, 2016, from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/satire-as-survival
Pearce, S. (2016). J Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only review – unsparing, unflinching raptivism. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/10/j-cole-4-your-eyez-only-review-unsparing-unflinching-raptivism
Pitlane Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://www.pitlanemagazine.com/morals-values-and-norms/why-rap-music-is-a-bad-influence-yes.html
Platon, A. (2016). Kendrick Lamar Opens Up About Meeting President Obama: 'No Matter How High-Ranking You Get, You're Human.' Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/6866105/kendrick-lamar-meeting-president-obama
Radowitz, J. V., Webb, S. (2015). Hip Hop is the most important genre of music to emerge in last 50 years, claim pop scientists. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/hip-hop-most-important-genre-5642569
Shah. V. (2015). The Role of Hip-Hop in Culture. Thought Economics. Retrieved December, 11, 2016, from https://thoughteconomics.com/the-role-of-hip-hop-in-culture/
Simmonds, R. (2013). Why You Should Let Your Children Listen To Hip Hop. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://rosssimmonds.com/leadership/children-hip-hop/
Welsh, A. C. (2016). Kendrick Lamar has challenged Barack Obama to a basketball showdown in Compton. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.factmag.com/2016/12/05/kendrick-lamar-challenged-barack-obama-basketball-showdown-compton/
Williams, S. (2016). Hip-Hop’s History with Police Brutality: Why We Should Live in the Now. Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/11/hip-hop-s-history-with-police-brutality-why-we-shouldn-t-romanticize-the-ogs-and-live-in-the-now.html
Y. (2016). Ab-Soul ‘Do What Thou Wilt.’ 1 Listen Album Review. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://djbooth.net/news/entry/2016-12-09-ab-soul-do-what-thou-wilt-1-listen-album-review.
Radowitz, J. V., Webb, S. (2015). Hip Hop is the most important genre of music to emerge in last 50 years, claim pop scientists. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/hip-hop-most-important-genre-5642569
Shah. V. (2015). The Role of Hip-Hop in Culture. Thought Economics. Retrieved December, 11, 2016, from https://thoughteconomics.com/the-role-of-hip-hop-in-culture/
Simmonds, R. (2013). Why You Should Let Your Children Listen To Hip Hop. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://rosssimmonds.com/leadership/children-hip-hop/
Welsh, A. C. (2016). Kendrick Lamar has challenged Barack Obama to a basketball showdown in Compton. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.factmag.com/2016/12/05/kendrick-lamar-challenged-barack-obama-basketball-showdown-compton/
Y. (2016). Ab-Soul ‘Do What Thou Wilt.’ 1 Listen Album Review. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://djbooth.net/news/entry/2016-12-09-ab-soul-do-what-thou-wilt-1-listen-album-review.
Friday 2 December 2016
Introduction
“The ghost of Mandela, hope my flows they propel it, let
these words be your earth and moon you consume every message”
Hip-hop is a genre that revolves around fruitful themes and
complex social and political commentary, dating as far back as the 1970’s,
focusing on the main idea of liberation and the emancipation of the black man;
this is particularly evident in Kendrick Lamar's extended music video
'Alright.' His music essentially provides a platform, not only for young
African-Americans and the black youth to self-identify with but also a wider
audience through the universal themes discussed by particular revolutionary
hip-hop artists like Lamar, Public Enemy and N.W.A. However the stereotypes
associated with hip-hop provide a negative platform for the genre due to the
glamorisation and the fetishizing of the materialistic aspects such as 'gangsta
life' and violence, therefore elder audiences especially, negatively associate
the genre with the three ignorant foundation words, 'drugs, sex and violence’ which
is undoubtedly a “shallow understanding of rap, which in many cases results
from people’s unwillingness to listen to rap lyrics, many of which counsel
anti-violent and anti-drug behaviour among the youths who are their avid
audience.” Lamar’s lyrics address significant, complex debates from racial
discrimination and the dichotomy of race and class to the potential demise of
hip-hop artists through their materialistic demeanour, therefore Lamar is able
to provide a universal voice of reason as the “entire expressive culture of hip
hop resonate not only with the anxiety of youthful social rebellion, but extant
global socio-political inequities as well” whereby audiences are able to be
positively impacted by his social and political commentary.
Thursday 1 December 2016
BFI Notes
Books
Keyes, C. L. (2002). Rap music and street consciousness. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Keyes, C. L. (2002). Rap music and street consciousness. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
"Commercial exploitation of and within the hip-hop community also contributes to a growing polarization. As a result, some artists believe that hip-hop is headed for its demise"
"N.W.A veered away from this stance toward the controversial rap sub-genre labelled 'gangsta rap.' In the sensationalism generated by this sub-genre, non-gangsta rap artists fell by the wayside while one dimensional gangsta rappers signed six figure album deals and dragged hip-hop away from its roots"
-N.W.A essentially revealed a side to the hip-hop genre that caused controversy and was able to socially and politically comment on 'real life'
The portrayal of "gangstas. thugs, pushers, pimps, and sex-kittens" all "led the public to question the moral value of all rap music"
"Media coverage often reported violence at rap music concerts and called this music the catalyst for violent behaviour"
-This negative media coverage catalyses the stereotypes of rap music as a third party is unable to understand the music as something more than mere derogatory language
Julio Fuentes 19 year old- 'Dope Jam' rap concert at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum - Sept 10, 1987
"Malcolm X epitomizes to the Hip-Hop nation a northern urban black experience against racial injustice and the zeal for redefinition, redirection and self-respect that is reinforced in the mandate of the Universal Zulu Nation"
"It is embedded in a community-based system called the Zulu Nation, which endeavours to provide inner-city gang members with an alternative to violence"
-Malcolm X is a figure in history that provides a voice to the black community and more predominantly a voice for change - the idea of the Zulu Nation is something that consists within Lamar's work - 'Complexion (A Zulu's Love)' included in his album TPAB.
Journals
Korom. A, Yaya. (2006). Black Filmmaker.
"Cinema buffs and film industry people still scorn the possibility that music video has anything to offer their art while most in the music industry refuse to go back innovation preferring to churn out MOR MTV gunk"
Vernal Lis, Carol. (2001). Screen.
"This genre is most importantly the voice of inner-poor youth or the streets."
-the importance of the genre as a voice rather than just fruitless music for entertainment but obtains a message
(2003). National Film Theatre Programmes.
"Much of the particularity of music video editing lies in its responsiveness to the music. It can elucidate aspects of the song, such as rhythmic and timbral features, particular phrases in the lyrics, and especially the song's sectional divisions"
-the editing of a music video makes it an art form and not merely a piece to be enjoyed for entertainment but to further enhance the message behind the lyrics, this reinforces the 'Alright' video and how it poses more so as an art form rather than a mere conventional music video.
Leigh, Danny. (2004). Sight & Sound.
"Initially Hip-Hop referred to a symbiosis of several disparate elements including vocal ingenuity, vinyl dexterity and innovation in the field of DJ technology"
Goldie, Luan. (2004). Black Filmmaker.
"Hip-hop history clearly shows that disguising rap music as gospel music is not a positive career move."
-Kanye West is an example of this. The use of religious connotations within rap music and the gospel music beats is something that a lot of artists include to reveal their religious ideologies and focus back on their roots.
Smith, Stacy L. (2002). Journal of Communication.
"The results reveal that 15% of music videos feature violence, and most of that aggression is sanitized, not chastised, and presented in realistic contexts."
"characters involved with violence by genre
nature of perpetrator
% of adult - 96
% of male - 78
% of white - 13
% of black - 56
nature of target
% of adult - 96
% of male - 84
% of white - 12
% of black - 62"
-the results from the study reveals the effects of rap music on certain audiences and the racial group that are targeted are black and the perpetrators are also black revealing the extent of black on black crime.
Vernal Lis, Carol. (2001). Screen.
"This genre is most importantly the voice of inner-poor youth or the streets."
-the importance of the genre as a voice rather than just fruitless music for entertainment but obtains a message
(2003). National Film Theatre Programmes.
"Much of the particularity of music video editing lies in its responsiveness to the music. It can elucidate aspects of the song, such as rhythmic and timbral features, particular phrases in the lyrics, and especially the song's sectional divisions"
-the editing of a music video makes it an art form and not merely a piece to be enjoyed for entertainment but to further enhance the message behind the lyrics, this reinforces the 'Alright' video and how it poses more so as an art form rather than a mere conventional music video.
Leigh, Danny. (2004). Sight & Sound.
"Initially Hip-Hop referred to a symbiosis of several disparate elements including vocal ingenuity, vinyl dexterity and innovation in the field of DJ technology"
Goldie, Luan. (2004). Black Filmmaker.
"Hip-hop history clearly shows that disguising rap music as gospel music is not a positive career move."
-Kanye West is an example of this. The use of religious connotations within rap music and the gospel music beats is something that a lot of artists include to reveal their religious ideologies and focus back on their roots.
Smith, Stacy L. (2002). Journal of Communication.
"The results reveal that 15% of music videos feature violence, and most of that aggression is sanitized, not chastised, and presented in realistic contexts."
"characters involved with violence by genre
nature of perpetrator
% of adult - 96
% of male - 78
% of white - 13
% of black - 56
nature of target
% of adult - 96
% of male - 84
% of white - 12
% of black - 62"
-the results from the study reveals the effects of rap music on certain audiences and the racial group that are targeted are black and the perpetrators are also black revealing the extent of black on black crime.
Sunday 27 November 2016
'Gone Too Far' Film Review and Debate
Film Review
"This house believes that films featuring ethnic minorities should only be produced by those who have the ethnic identity being represented."
Witty, whimsical and utterly wondrous. The first time
script-writer, Bola Agbaje, deserves a high praise for her satirical ‘fish out
of water’ comedy drama. The film explores unconventional themes, reflecting
interesting stereotypes and different ethnic communities. The most iconic
aspect of ‘Gone Too Far’ is the fact that violence is explored as a minimal,
which is typically unconventional in films when exploring the black community.
Not only were the themes iconic to the black community but
to all ethnic backgrounds through personal identification with particular
themes such as friendship and betrayal. In a Q&A with Agbaje at the
Southbank BFI, she mentioned her motives for writing this script and how she
was personally able to identify with a white protagonist in other films,
therefore having a black protagonist or any other ethnic minority, should not
stray away from this. Building on stereotypes axiomatically creates humour, therefore
the witty way in which Agbaje was able to communicate the racial stereotypes
tastefully, made the film furthermore interesting.
Due to the targeted audience being youths, the inclusion of
colloquialisms and stereotypical dress sense causes the audience to identify
with characters, especially the protagonist Yemi (Malachi Kirby), who contrasts
completely to brother Iku (O.C. Ukeje). The cross-cultural merging reveals the
identity of the West Indian ‘socks and sandals’ wearer with the Peckham ‘socks
and Nikes’ wearer. The contrast creates a whimsical, comical aspect, whilst
more importantly exploring the cultural differences. Bola Agbaje’s portrayal of
her characters birthed a mirror for audience members and placed the most
important roles in the hands off a marginalised group.
I disagree with the motion that the producer should strictly be the same ethnic minority in order to perfectly portray the theme. I think what you have to take into consideration is external factors and more particularly how well you are aware of situations in order to portray them from a first hand perspective. I think certain individuals are able to understand things better than others despite their race or the colour of their skin, in perspective the main thing that matters is how much you, yourself, are connected to the issue as an individual. The exploration of ethnic minorities is something that potentially needs to be reflected on screen, therefore if the producer was of the same ethnicity then potentially they may be able to more validly reflect themselves within the screen, however I do not think that this is always the case as individuals are able to learn from their surroundings and therefore pick up on aspects of the marginalised group to therefore understand themselves.
Furthermore, I think it is definitely important to reflect ethnic minorities and I think if a highly acclaimed white film producer wanted to produce a film about the Asian community I see this as a potentially positive thing rather than negative as the amount of recognition the film would get would be higher than that of an unknown director. I think it is important that any producer should be able to produce what they feel they can reflect best and create best, therefore it should not be down to their race, if this was the case then this idea of discrimination would never end and the constant cycle of groups staying separated will continue. The dichotomy between races needs to end and the only way to do this is understand every minority group in whatever way suits the individual.
Although I do agree that the only way to truly understand a race or ethnic minority group is to be part of it, I think it becomes more of an issue of emotional attachment to the film and although I think it is definitely important for the producer to be connected with the film, it is also important to have a little bit of a detachment to therefore have a new outlook on the situation, therefore if a white producer was to understand the situation of a particular ethnic minority and then produce a film whilst constantly having feedback from that group, it would be more powerful than that of the actual individual creating this as it becomes something individual to solely them. A good example of this, unrelated to ethnic groups, is the portrayal of Heath Ledger's Joker. Although he was an actor and not a producer this example is able to reflect the same idea as Ledger was able to put himself into the position of a psychopath and essentially get into a role which is completely unconventional to him, therefore a producer who is of a complete different race could essentially surround himself within the ethnic group, understanding the essential struggles and therefore is able to empathise from a third person perspective.
Tuesday 22 November 2016
Essay Plan
To what extent are rap/hip-hop music
videos, like Kendrick Lamar's "Alright," able to provide
political/social commentary and how does this impact upon different audiences?
Introduction
Hip-hop
is a genre that revolves around fruitful themes and complex social and
political commentary, dating as a far back as the 1970s, focusing on the main
idea of Libertarianism and the emancipation of the black man; this is particularly evident in Kendrick Lamar's extended music video 'Alright.' His music essentially provides a platform, not only for young African-Americans and the
black youth to self-identify with the music but also a wider audience through
the universal themes discussed by particular revolutionary hip-hop artists,
like Kendrick Lamar and bands like Public Enemy and N.W.A, however the
stereotypes associated with the genre provide a negative platform for the genre
due to the glamorisation and the fetishising of the materialistic aspects such
as 'gangster life' and violence, therefore elder audiences especially
negatively associate the genre with the three ignorant foundation words, 'drugs,
sex and violence.'
Quotes
Dyson, M. E. (2004). The Michael
Eric Dyson reader. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
“a shallow
understanding of rap, which in many cases results from people’s unwillingness
to listen to rap lyrics, many of which counsel antiviolent and antidrug
behaviour among the youths who are their avid audience”
Chang, J. (2005). Can't stop, won't stop:
A history of the hip-hop generation. New York: St. Martin's Press.
“’Keeping it real’ has become just
another fad word. It sounds cute. But it has been pimped and perverted. It
ain’t about keeping it real. It’s about keeping it right”
- Chang
focuses on the fact that the hip-hop genre is glamorised by the negative
music and the fact that this music gets the most recognition shows that the
media is not the problem but audiences themselves as negative music is
what they essentially want to hear
- Artists
that socially comment on their music and have a positive influence
essentially target a more niche market
#1
Axiomatically, Kendrick Lamar's
extended music video 'Alright,' is a clear representation of black lives and
comments on social and political themes throughout the video stylistically
through the iconography and cinematography, impacting audiences through this
empathetic idea of self-identification and the sympathetic theme of personal
relationships.
- Black
Lives Matter is an international activist movement, initiated in America -
2013 Trayvon Martin case HISTORICAL
- Not
limited to African Americans, you don't have to be black to care, it's a
universal issue - The Guardian Article - Thousands of people of all
different races and ages, coming from a variety of different backgrounds,
peacefully protested through Manchester. The group chanted Lamar's
"Alright" alongside other songs such as "Don't Worry, Be
Happy" and "Hand's Up/Don't Shoot." https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/11/black-lives-matter-solidarity-march-protest-manchester HISTORICAL
- The
alternative hip-hop genre focuses on originality and creativity –
monochrome – style could be seen as an avant-garde (attracted criticism
from mainstream due to the stylistic elements) GENRE
- Blumler
+ Katz; personal identity, personal relationships AUDIENCE
- Subverts
stereotypes; deception and Barthes action codes REPRESENTATION
- Stuart
Hall - dominant readings AUDIENCE
- Binary
oppositions - Levi Strauss REPRESENTATION
- Post-modernism SOCIAL
- The
iconography of the lamp-post may relate to how lamp-posts provide
artificial light in the dark – chiaroscuro lighting MEDIA LANG
- iconography
of the police officer MEDIA LANG
- Propps
theory - stock characters AUDIENCE
- Marxist
- Gramsci's theory of Hegemony AUDIENCE
- Frantz
Fanon - Black Skin, White Mask AUDIENCE
- Innoculation
and desensitisation AUDIENCE
Quotes
Gilroy, P. (1991). 'There ain't no black
in the Union Jack': The cultural politics of race and nation. Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press.
"the social movements which have sprung up in different parts of the world as evidence of African dispersal, imperialism and colonialism have done more than appeal to blacks everywhere in a language which could invite their universal identificated (Sheppard et al 1975)"
"the social movements which have sprung up in different parts of the world as evidence of African dispersal, imperialism and colonialism have done more than appeal to blacks everywhere in a language which could invite their universal identificated (Sheppard et al 1975)"
- essentially
social movements have become something that has created a universal
interest for black people and things like hip-hop music and rap music has
allowed black people to come together to address the issues that they face
"The back-to-Africa movements in America, the
Caribbean and now Europe, Negritude and the birth of the New Negro in the
Harlem Renaissance (Perry, 1976, Berghan, 1977) during the 1920s all provide
further illustrations of a multi-faceted desire to overcome the sclerotic
confines of the nation state as a precondition of the liberation of blacks
everywhere (Padmore, 1956)"
- These
are the movements that enabled blacks to be liberated and therefore
overcome their constraints as anything less than human. This is how the
liberation of black people started, essentially from these movements
Dates, J., Barlow, W. (1993). Split
Image: African Americans in the Mass Media. Howard University Press
“The dominant culture must constantly strive to expand its hegemony
while fending off challenges and interventions from the very classes and groups
it seeks to subjugate”
“Hall also argues that there are a range of possible responses to
mediated images that allow for negotiated as well as oppositional readings,
hence a decoding of media messages that differs from what the sender encoded
for transmission”
“Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of heteroglassia – unpredictable multiple
voices that that interact with one another to form a new totality – focuses
attention on the dialogic nature of cultural message”
“Historian Robert Toll ably summarised the social dynamics of
antebellum minstrelsy: ‘Black face performers were like puppets operated by a
white puppet master’”
Kendrick
Lamar. (2012). Swimming Pools.
·
At the close of ‘Alright,’ Lamar recites his
lyrical poem as he falls and it could potentially reference Swimming Pools as
he falls in this video and he falls into this endless loop because things
cannot change easily and Lamar is aware that he is only one person who is
unable to adapt a whole world - symbolism
Tupac. (1991). Trapped. Shock, G.
·
focuses on police brutality
"They got me trapped"
·
the black male is trapped within a society where there
is a social divide between the white and black community, the main idea of a
moral panic within the black community
J Cole. (2014). Be Free.
·
mourning over the Michael Brown case
"All we wanna do is take the chains off, all we
wanna do is break the chains off, all we wanna do is be free"
·
psychological binding of slavery in the world today
between the problems of police brutality
·
the chains of brutality and injustice on a whole
ethnicity of people
Dreamvillian Website
- "I'm tired of being
desensitised to the murder of black men"
#2
Lamar also adopts a nostalgic tone within
the extended video and references influential artists such as Tupac and Eazy E,
who were similarly socially and politically charged; this emphasises the
zeitgeist and rebirths traditional political hip-hop to impact contemporary
audiences.
·
mise-en-scene; STD’s Fuck You! Sticker MEDIA LANG
·
independent record label artists INSTITUTION
·
subtle iconography, ‘R.I.P Pac Doe’ – post-production sound MEDIA LANG
·
Ghetto lullaby and Ghetto Gospel (Tupac) HISTORICAL
·
Kendrick as offspring of N.W.A
·
Traditional literary texts focusing on black power, discrimination,
representation of African-Americans HISTORICAL
·
New and Digital media offering the cultivation of hip-hop genre ECONOMICAL
·
Constant referral to historical context of slavery and the emancipation
of the black man HISTORICAL
·
Blaxploitation film –Shaft, Gordon Parks 1971 HISTORICAL
·
Intertextuality – ‘Cartoon + Cereal,’ ‘Ghetto Gospel, ‘U’ MEDIA LANG
·
Pastiche – deliberate homage to his other works HISTORICAL
·
Post-colonialism HISTORICAL
Quotes
Rose, T. (2008). The Hip Hop
Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop--and Why It Matters.
Basic Civitas Books.
“if the
late Tupac Shakur were a newly signed artist today, I believe he’d likely be
considered a socially conscious rapper and thus relegated to the margins of the
commercial hip-hop field”
- Rose believes that artists today are producing music that meets
societal expectations, however Lamar arguably subverts this as he socially
comments through his music on a similar level to Tupac, or perhaps even
further
Osumare, H. (2007). The Africanist aesthetic in global
hip-hop: Power moves. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
“Connective Marginalities: Hip Hop Around the World From global street
culture to the World Wide Web, hip hop culture is not difficult to locate. The
Internet provides copious sites across the map where one can travel to diverse
international hip hop scenes at the click of a computer mouse in the comfort of
one's own home”
·
the effects of new and digital
media makes it easier for audiences to be involved with political music and to
locate and even be part of it
Morrison, T. (1987). Beloved. United States. Alfred
Knopf.
·
this novel revolves around the
theme of slavery and reveals similarities between Kendrick’s speech and hers.
This novel is fragmented and split into 3 parts at the beginning of each, the
house 124 Bluestone Road is analysed.
“124 was spiteful”
“124 was loud”
“124 was quiet”
“This is not a story to pass on”
Straight Outta Compton. (2015, USA, Gray. G. F)
·
focuses
on how N.W.A were a controversial rap group that were not swayed by the media
but by themselves as individuals revealing how the social commentary in rap was
something that started from the individual rather than the institution
Tupac Interview at 17 years old, 1988.
(1988, HisLifeAsTupac)
KRS-One. (1993). Sound of da Police.
Showbiz.
·
the lyrics refer to police, in places like the Bronx:
they’re a protest against institutionalized racism, oppression and violence
against the black community
"Be an officer? You wicked overseer!"
"Take the word overseer, like a sample Repeat it
very quickly in a crew, for example Overseer, overseer, overseer, overseer.
Officer, officer, officer, officer. Yeah, officer from overseer"
Ab-Soul. (2016). Huey Knew.
·
references Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P.
Newton - the rapper immortalizes the iconic photo of
Newton sitting in a wicker chair, wearing a leather jacket with guns in
hand
·
throughout the video, the screens surrounding Ab-Soul
flash images of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, instances of
police brutality and Donald Trump, whose race-baiting rhetoric has dominated
headlines for months
"Pale white horse when I black out"
·
pale white horse is a metaphor for the
Armageddon
"Even white lives matter when I black out"
Kendrick Lamar.
(2015). To Pimp A Butterfly.
Ahmed. I., Drake. D., Callahan, N., Werthman. C., Baker. E., Kenner.
R,, Tharpe. F,. Scott. D,. (2016). The
Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979
“The
rhymes on ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ went beyond gangster life and dug into the
underbelly of American apartheid.”
1996
– “Tupac – 1996 is a case study for every aspect of why
2Pac is so celebrated. He was a viable, competent artist in multiple arenas,
and he had the discipline to incorporate his varied and conflicted missions
into a single mantra”
2013 – “Kendrick Lamar – the release of ‘good kid’ cemented Kendrick’s status as the
Best Rapper Alive and earned comparisons to other legends who jump-started
their careers with unforgettable major-label debuts”
“As the critical
praise poured in and K-Dot fans supported their artist – a music-biz mantra
that’s more often said than followed – a mainstream audience slowly started to
appreciate this West Coast rapper with left-field sensibilities to the point
where hip-hop as a whole started looking at him differently”
Ide. D,. (2013)- How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of
Political Rap
http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/capitalismhiphoppartone.html#.WAUmWeArLIV
“New
School Hip Hop was defined by its seminal, independent spirit of artists'
attempts to manoeuvre within the confines of an ever-increasing hierarchal,
corporate, top-down structure”
Kendrick Lamar sits down
with N.W.A. (2015, Billboard)
Lamar
considers himself an offspring off N.W.A and that rap generation, he believes
that “everything [he’s] done
comes from [them.]” Dre says that “your shit is top of my playlist –
your attention to detail, how precise you are” – Dre
praises Lamar for being a lyrical genius and being able to create the
masterpieces that he does.
With
N.W.A’s records “you could
visit Compton from a safe distance” Cube believes that you
could always be controversial “they
could always say it but they were scared or their companies wouldn’t let them”
The
legacy of N.W.A – Cube wants them to be remembered as “the most dangerous group, a group that made it okay for artists
to be themselves”
Dre
wants to inspire – “you can
go against the grain, you can do something outside the box and be big”
“We were constructive not destructive” –
Ice Cube
·
Although being criticised for being so
controversial they were able to influence and able to empower other artists
such as Lamar
#3
Following on from this idea of the
‘zeitgeist,’ Public Enemy’s ‘Fight The Power’ music video perfectly
demonstrates social and political commentary through their lyrics; their style
being somewhat different from Lamar yet conveying the similar message,
audiences are therefore able to become impacted by the themes explored within
the video, such as racial discrimination.
·
Political movements, Martin Luther King – The
American Dream POLITICAL/HISTORICAL
·
Malcolm X and The American Nightmare
·
Representations within this video and Lamar’s;
similarities and differences REPRESENTATIONS
·
Stanley Cohen – moral panics AUDIENCE
·
Polysemic themes and ideas
·
Wilbur Schramm - Two step flow model AUDIENCE
·
Verisimilitude – beginning extract
Quotes
Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington,
C. L. (2007). Fandom: Identities and communities in a mediated world. New York:
New York University Press.
"One could love [music], but its embededness
in social functions made more likely that one loved that which the music
enabled. But commodification encouraged an attachment to music's own singular
effects"
- Commodification
was the thing that made music worth something, this could be argued as
something that has made music less valuable - example Immortal Technique
and underground rap - institutionalisation - Kendrick Lamar's TPAB song,
Institutionalised explains the effects of institutions on the rap industry
Terkourafi, M. (2010). The Languages of
Global Hip-hop (Advances in Sociolinguistics). Continuum International
Publishing Group.
“globally
hip-hop artists offer incisive critiques of dominant cultures, engage with
local issues of ethnicity and power, and address in different ways the
legitimacy of their appropriation of what is traditionally deemed to be a Black
genre”
- Lamar's 'Fuck Your Ethnicity'
(2015). Modern
Blackface: The Cultural Appropriation of Rap. Standford
University
“Being considered “too white” to rap
was not an issue in the rap genre until the dual emergence of the prevalence of
white rapper appropriation and the alternative rapper”
·
the media discriminated against
black rappers for the content of their songs and the social commentary
discussed within their lyrics, however this idea of cultural appropriation is
something that makes the rap industry seems spoiled. They were targeted and now
they are doing the targeting. ‘F*** your ethnicity’ – Kendrick Lamar is able to
socially comment through his music and realise that your ethnicity doesn’t
define you
Osumare, H. (2007). The
Africanist aesthetic in global hip-hop: Power moves. New York: Palgrave
Macmillan.
https://youthcultureandprotest.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/osumare_hip-hop-globe.pdf
“rap music and the entire
expressive culture of hip hop resonate not only with the anxiety of youthful
social rebellion, but extant global socio-political inequities as well.”
Chuck,
D., Jah, Y. (1998). Fight the
Power: Rap, Race and Reality. Delta.
“For too long I’ve felt that this art form is tossed aside as a Ghetto
game for black youth and that limited opinion is ignorant”
“Tupac had a plan to bring everybody to the table with the ‘thug for
life’ image, and then he was going to flip the tables at the last minute”
“Once I realised that I’m a voice that people listen to, I realised I
had to fill my voice with something of substance”
“My goal is to be used as a viaduct, as a dispatcher of information.
Television is the last plateau. We need programs representing our voice and
interpretation, which come out and say the things that need to be said, and can
be challenging and entertaining at the same time”
“It’s such a serious issue because the derogatory programming leads to
a point where life imitates art, and a blur develops between fantasy and
reality. I believe that television is one of the main reasons for the criminal
mindedness of Black youth”
Kendrick Lamar talks
about u, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts. (2015, MTV)
“With money and being
a celebrity how can I use it, how can I pimp it, can I pimp it negatively or
can I pimp it in a positive way. Positive for me is showing what I go through
and showing what I’ve been through with you and coming all the way back to I
and saying that I still love myself at the end of the day”
‘Institutionalised’ – “how can I use my influence”
Angelou,
M. (1969). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. United States. Random
House.
·
metaphor, that of a bird struggling to escape its
cage, is a central image throughout the work, which consists of a sequence of
lessons about resisting racist oppression
J Cole, Omen. (2015). Caged Bird.
"freedom is just an illusion"
·
the idea of not being free and the whole race being
targeted, can you ever truly be free in a society where the ruling elites are
running
N.W.A. (1988). Fuck The Police.
·
Violence, guns and gangs. The video being shot
through the scope of a gun makes the video embody violence in a more prevalent
way. The video shows police officers attacking the group, revealing discrimination,
police brutality
Ide. D,. (2013)- How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of Political Rap
http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/capitalismhiphoppartone.html#.WAUmWeArLIV
“Public
Enemy undoubtedly pushed political hip-hop to a new level. Their intense,
in-your-face rhymes promoted a historical revival amongst black youth
previously separated from prior cultural developments and struggles of the
past”
“political
hip-hop took the form of cathartic, impulsive depictions of violence stemming
from the wrath manifested within oppressed black communities. One example,
Oakland rapper Paris, who adhered early in his career to a form of Black
Nationalism similar to Public Enemy's, would seek a sort of lyrical revenge
against individuals and institutions he found oppressive and exploitative.
Through songs like "Bush Killa," where he fantasized about
assassinating then President George H. Bush, he would decisively embrace a
black militancy that challenged the past legacy of King's non-violence: ‘So don't
be tellin' me to get the non-violent spirit, 'cause when I'm violent is the
only time you devils hear it!’”
Williams. S. (2016). Hip-Hop’s
History with Police Brutality: Why We Should Live in the Now
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/11/hip-hop-s-history-with-police-brutality-why-we-shouldn-t-romanticize-the-ogs-and-live-in-the-now.html
“We decided that rappers like Chuck D
and 2Pac had the preapproved pedigree to offer criticism and insight; they’d
earned a certain amount of cultural real estate, in that regard, because they’d
always embraced commentary in their music”
“Many of us don’t feel that
contemporary rap artists have the resume, so to speak, to truly affect change”
“Celebrities speaking out doesn't
solve problems but it does make it harder for consumers of all colors to ignore
those problems when their favorite is calling for it to be addressed”
·
this essentially reveals the
influence that music has on audiences; this also relates to the two step flow
model and how the more celebrities talking about a particular topic the more
likely it is for the work to be seen and heard, showing the influence and
impact that artists have
“This generation of hip-hop stars is
more topical and outspoken than perhaps they get credit for”
·
the subtlety of most rappers and
artists makes it more difficult to define them as political rappers or
controversial rappers for that matter – rappers like Lamar are more explicit in
their approach with lyrics much harsh than perhaps Coles for example, yet the
same message is being portrayed
#4
There are arguments to suggest that
not all hip-hop music has positive effects and instead has a negative influence
on audiences through the glamorisation of the lifestyle and the artists being
simply slaves to the industry, however artists like Lamar who belongs to an
independent record label, reveals the negative effects of institutionalisation
and how fruitless artists are merely corrupted by the idea of capitalism.
- The idea of institutionalisation and the music industry being the
controllers – Capitalism, Institutionalisation ECONOMICAL/INSTITUTION/HISTORICAL/POLITICAL
- Emergence of underground rap and Immortal Technique POLITICAL
- Music industry and organisations – this Marxist idea of alienation,
no responsibility for their work anymore INSTITUTION
- Bricolage,
media representations, journalism – black people on the news REPRESENTATION
- Stuart
Hall – dominant readings AUDIENCE
- Dyer –
Stereotypes REPRESENTATION
- Counterculture HISTORICAL
- Cultural
effects theory
- Eminem
- Mass
culture and mass communication
- Postmodernism
Quotes
Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music
and black culture in contemporary America. Hanover, NH: University Press of New
England.
·
she speaks from a “pro-black, biracial,
ex-working-class, New York based feminist, left cultural critic” point of view
“Rap’s contradictory articulations
are not signs of absent intellectual clarity; they are a common feature of
community and popular culture dialogues that always offer more than one
cultural, social or political viewpoint”
- this
idea of rap holding polyvocal conversations is an extremely valid point
made by Rose, however her basis of saying that rap as a whole is an
embodiment of empowerment is an over emphasised statement that almost
commodifies all rap being able to hold positive social expression.
Charnas, D. (2010). The big
payback: The history of the business of hip-hop. New York, NY: New American
Library.
“When America
desegregated, the music business itself remained one of the most segregated
industries in the country.”
Rose, T. (2008). The Hip Hop
Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop--and Why It Matters.
Basic Civitas Books.
“The gangsta
life and all its attendant violence, criminality, sexual deviance, and misogyny
have, over the last decade especially, stood at the heart of what appeared to
be ever-increasing hip hop record sales”
“Between 1990
and 1998, the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported that rap
captured on average, 9-10 percent of music sales in the United States”
“Hip hop came
of age at the beginning of a new technological revolution. After the late
1970s, when hip hop emerged onto the public scene, all forms of media
technology exponentially expanded”
“Mass media
consolidation was rendered even more profound for the record industry after the
Telecommunications Act of 1966”
Chuck, D., Jah, Y. (1998). Fight
the Power: Rap, Race and Reality. Delta.
“Many in the world of hip-hop have begun to believe that the only way
to blow up and become megastars is by presenting themselves in a negative
light”
Dates, J., Barlow, W. (1993). Split
Image: African Americans in the Mass Media. Howard University Press.
Historian Joseph Boskins statement – “To make the black man into an
object of laughter, and conversely, to force him to devise laughter, was to
strip him from masculinity, dignity and self-respect”
Ghansah, R. (2013). When the Lights Shut Off: Kendrick
Lamar and the Decline of the Black Blues Narrative. LARB
“What makes him important is the way in which the autobiographical ‘good kid m.a.a.d city’ is so novelistic and so eloquently
anchored in the literary blues tradition of which Ellison wrote”
“Lamar is equal parts oral historian and authorial presence”
8 Mile. (2002, USA, Hanson. C)
·
this film focuses on discrimination within the
hip-hop genre and predominantly revolves around the cultural appropriation
within rap music. Eminem is a white rapper and although his social commentary
is most relatable to his life and his own suffering, he is a great example of
how artists have power as Eminem was able to make something out of nothing
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). God Is Gangsta.
·
Lamar combines ‘U’ and ‘For Sale?’ in this video
and confronts his demons and temptations within the video, revealing the harsh
reality of suicidal thoughts and temptations and also the effects of the
evilness within life – “the
evils of Lucy was all around me”
Find Your Words. (2016, Kaiser Permanente Thrive)
·
This video was released for the Find Your Words
Campaign focusing on mental health and depression. In the video a young black
male is seen walking through a rather conventional urban setting whilst reciting
Lamar’s lyrics from ‘i.’
·
This clearly reveals the significance of Lamar’s
lyrics and how powerful they are to inspire an organisation to include his
lyrics – proving that hip-hop music can have positive influences on an audience
Benjamin. M. (2016). Kendrick
Lamar’s Music Has Become the Soundtrack for Battling Depression
http://uproxx.com/realtalk/kendrick-lamar-kaiser-commercial/
“’To Pimp A Butterfly’ is essentially his couch while we the
listeners play therapists; pens in hand while observing his every word choice”
Kendrick Lamar – How to Clique a Butterfly. (2015, Clique)
“Not smoking or drinking doesn’t put down my manhood
or coolness”
·
Lamar discusses how he doesn’t smoke or drink that
much and he believes that it doesn’t make you any cooler or any less of a man
if you do or don’t
Immortal Technique. (2003). Point of No Return.
"This is the point from which I could never
return, And if I back down now then forever I burn"
Ide. D,. (2013)- How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of
Political Rap
http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/capitalismhiphoppartone.html#.WAUmWeArLIV
“Within a few years
the schism between the dominant, mainstream rap spewed across the synchronized,
consolidated radio waves and the dissident, political, and revolutionary lyrics
expressed throughout the underground network would develop, separating hip-hop
into two worlds”
“Rapper Immortal
Technique frames this dichotomy in a political context emphasizing the
opposition between the major label ‘super powers of the industry’ and the
‘underground third world of the street’”
“Meanwhile,
hip-hop activists who advocate for social change, formulate political dissent,
and fight for economic redistribution have been systematically marginalized and
excluded from the mainstream discourse. Corporate capitalism, aided by
neoliberal deregulation and privatization, have stolen the culture, sterilized
its content, and reformatted its image to reflect the dominant ideology.
Independent, political rap containing valuable social commentary has been
replaced with shallow, corporate images of thugs, drugs, and racial and gender
prejudices filled with both implicitly and explicitly hegemonic undertones and
socially constructed stereotypes”
J Cole. (2013). Chaining Day.
·
rappers are slaves to the materialistic lifestyle, the
idea of the hip-hop industry revolving around affluence and materialism rather
purpose
Dr. Dre, Anderson .Paak. (2015). Animals.
·
reveals how African-Americans in Compton and
America in general are being mistreated, with police resorting to inflict
ruthless violence and other inhumane acts. This song also illustrates how the
media always pays more attention on the wrong doings instead of the peaceful
acts the African-American community commit
"And the old folks tell me it's been going on
since back in the day, But that don't make it okay, And the white folks tell me
all the looting and the shooting's insane, But you don't know our pain"
Dre. Dre, Anderson .Paak, Justus, Kendrick Lamar.
(2015). Deep Water.
·
mention Eric Garners death and focus on the unforeseen
difficulties within the rap game
·
the metaphor of life being 'deep water' and like an
aquarium where some people sink and some swim is an interesting idea that
focuses on how hip-hop artists flourish and some sink by becoming slaves to the
materialistic lifestyle
Kendrick Lamar. (2015). Institutionalized.
·
wealth's corruptive powers and how people are
brainwashed by becoming rich. The poor and disenfranchised are
institutionalized by prison, racism, classism, and the rich and the powerful
are institutionalized by fear, dogma, and the almighty dollar. Everyone is a
loser in this game, perspective is the only answer.
Ide. D,. (2013)- How Capitalism Underdeveloped Hip Hop: A People's History of
Political Rap
http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/capitalismhiphoppartone.html#.WAUmWeArLIV
“Many people
mistakenly narrowly define hip-hop as a particular style of music. The reality,
however, is that Hip-hop is an extremely multifaceted cultural phenomenon.
Dyas. P. Media
Magazine MM42. Dunraven
School, South London
“Kanye West;
admittedly a polarising figure notorious for his own self-aggrandisement,
arrogance and lack of self-awareness, but often vulnerable, emotional and
conflicted in his lyrics”
·
the success of Kanye West reveals not only lyrics that
represent his life as something of a struggle but expresses the effects he
faces through his own self-aggrandisement
“Childish Gambino
rejects the violence and gang associations of hip-hop culture, demonstrating a
social progressiveness and willingness to challenge conventional models of
masculinity”
Aidoo. D. Media
Magazine MM45. Bristol
“Hip-hop, grime,
urban, rap, spoken word – the success of artists within this multifaceted genre
depends on how easy it is for everybody to understand their lyrics and relate
to their content.”
“The elder generation
have an inclination of blaming rap for much of the violence that goes on within
the younger world. I see this as a misinterpretation. It begs the ongoing
question of whether the media create and reinforce violent stereotypes, or
whether media producers simply construct a reflection of society’s ills”
Davey. D. (2006). Is Rap Actually Music or is it a Bad Influence?http://hiphopandpolitics.com/2006/08/23/is-rap-actually-music-or-is-it-a-bad-influence/
“Rap music also glorifies drinking,
and sex. Two things which happen to be a major problem among many children
today.”
·
this statement is an abomination,
most increasingly because there are no statistics to back up this statement,
this is not a major problem as according to ONS figures show that teenage
pregnancy rates continue to fall
Giovacchini. A. M. (1999). The
Negative Influence of Gangster Rap and What Can Be Done About It
https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/negative.htm
“It is not moral to preach and
advertise some of the topics discussed in the lyrics, yet they are all present
in the world. It is also not considered moral to take away the rights of the
individuals to express themselves through music, as observed in the rulings of
the court cases dealing with these subjects. On the other hand, it is not
considered moral to degrade women, threaten to kill people, or fire vicious
insults, all of which are common in gangster rap”
(2016). Why
Rap Music is a Bad Influence – Yes. Pitlane Magazine.
http://www.pitlanemagazine.com/morals-values-and-norms/why-rap-music-is-a-bad-influence-yes.html
·
blog posts and website articles
slating rap for being a bad influence are simply words on a page, backed up
with no respectable online statistics or facts
#5
Artists who are able to socially and
politically comment through their music axiomatically receive controversy and
Lamar is no exception to this; however the bricolage associated with the genre
is formed from media representations and the definitive two perspectives of the
black man that is seen throughout the media industry; the good and the bad.
- Journalism
- Levi-Strauss – Binary oppositions AUDIENCE
- Gramsci’s idea of ‘common sense’
- Dependency theory AUDIENCE
- Logic – black and white rapper POLITICAL/SOCIAL
- Stanley Cohen – Moral Panics AUDIENCE
- Reception theory AUDIENCE
- TPAB seen as a syntagm HISTORICAL/SOCIAL
Quotes
Hall, S., Evans, J., & Nixon, S.
(2013). Representation. London: Sage.
"Stuart Hall (1982) has underlined this
splitting in the 'imperial eye' by suggesting that for every threatening image
of the black subject as a marauding narrative, menacing savage or rebellious
slave, there is a comforting image of the black as a doule servant, amusing
down and happy entertainer"
- two
sides of a black person are seen in the media, especially within
journalism. A black athlete is seen as a positive and praised elitist and
the black criminal is seen as the stereotype that most conform too
Bloom, L. (2014). Suspicion nation: The
inside story of the Trayvon Martin injustice and why we continue to repeat it.
Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint.
“And yet Trayvon, somehow, on that
wet, black, low-visibility night, saw through the bulk of Zimmerman’s body,
through Zimmerman’s shirt, through his jacket to a matte black gun concealed in
a matte black holster clipped inside his waistband. Can anyone possibly believe
this story?”
- this
ironic statement commented by Bloom exaggerates the situation and creates
this hyperbole of the truth
- the
exaggeration almost adds more depth to the story and reveals the harsh
reality of the Trayvon Martin case
Lee, H. (1960). To
Kill A Mockingbird. United States. J. B. Lippincott & Co.
·
this novel focuses on the
discrimination of black people in America – from a white author this makes this
novel interesting as a white man defends a black man, something that was seen
as ‘wrong’
“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember
it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”
Rome, D. (2004). Black demons: The
media's depiction of the African American male criminal stereotype. Westport, CT:
Praeger.
“we do not come to the experience
of mass media and popular culture as blank slates waiting to be written upon or
voids waiting to be filled”
- the
media cannot be to blame for their influence as it is always down to the
individual in terms of what they want to be influenced by
“The public perception of African
Americans as inferior provides the basis of acceptability for the most
outrageous lies”
- we
conform to the idea that African Americans are at the heart of all
criminal activities due to the stereotype, therefore Rome suggests that
this has become the basis and is what society is built to believe now;
this links to the Marxist theory of Hegemony, Gramsci believes that
individuals of a higher status are able to create an influence of social
conformity and therefore the mass media and the representation of black
people has been stereotyped and commodified to be socially accepted – it
paces back to the 1619 and the history of slavery
Russell, K. (1999). The Color of Crime:
Racial Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protectionism, Police Harassment and Other
Macroagressions. NYU Press.
“black success stories do not counterbalance images
of black deviance [...] In many instances Black superstars are not perceived in
terms of their blackness”
“become colourless, while those blacks who conform
to the criminal stereotype remain ‘black’”
- this highlights the problems within society and how status controls
most. It relates to the Marxist term of the bourgeoisie and how the higher
classes and the ruling status’ hold dominant power and change
conventions
David Cameron, bbc.com, June 7th, 2006 - “I would say
to Radio 1, do you realise that some of the stuff that you play on Saturday
nights encourages people to carry guns and knives?”
- rap artists being advocates of violence -
clearly ignorant
Kendrick Lamar does not
want to surpass Michael Jackson. (2016, The Tonight
Show starring Jimmy Fallon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pypMiMf9C0
·
Lamar was nominated for 11 awards this year and
Michael Jackson holds the record with 12 – Fallon informs Lamar that he almost
beat Michael where Lamar’s reply is simply no; “I cannot fathom being as great as
Michael” he doesn’t want to
be greater than Michael without putting in the work
·
This reveals how humble Lamar is as an individual
rather than a rapper, it subverts that orthodox stereotype of rappers being
money minded and fame seeking celebrities, making Lamar the pariah of rap.
Kendrick Lamar Discusses Tupac.
(2015, Kendrick Vs Pac)
“When are we gon’ understand that we
are put on earth to love, that’s all it’s about. Everyone wanna figure out how
complicated life is and break it down […] it’s gon’ keep going on. War gon’
keep going on, frustration gon’ keep going on, anger gon’ keep going on until
we go back to this one word.. love.”
·
Lamar almost mirrors Tupac’s 1988 interview as he
discusses that things should not be seen as complicated and everything isn’t
meant to be analysed, everything shouldn’t be so difficult as it is – it is as
though Lamar is a reincarnation of Pac
Kendrick says Macklemore
went too far + who “i” is for the state of HipHop. (2014, Hot 97)
·
Lamar believes that what is not being said in music is
“making a connection with people and showing that music is life”
“It ain’t all entertainment at the end of the day, it
sells music but at the same time it affects people”
“I could sit here talking slick on records all day but
who’s gonna relate to it when they gotta go back to this crazy world”
·
This shows that Lamar makes music for the people and
not for the industry; he wants people to relate to him and make that meaningful
connection with his music to understand him and understand the world around
them
“Me being who I am and not being somewhat fearful of
what the world think or what the industry standard is, I’m gonna do it the way
I wanna do it, the way I’ve always been doing”
·
This reveals the institutional power and how Lamar
holds his own power making him part of this independent record label
Drake or Kendrick? Obama quizzed on rap battles, Star Wars. (2016, Pal Tube)
“I have to go with Kendrick […] His lyrics are
outstanding, his last album was outstanding, best album of the year”
·
To get such high acclaim off Obama really emphasises
how much Lamar is respected as a rapper and an artist
Ahmed. I., Drake. D., Callahan, N., Werthman. C., Baker. E., Kenner. R,, Tharpe. F,. Scott. D,. (2016). The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979
2015 “If TPAB wasn’t the best rap
album of the year, it’s tough to argue that it wasn’t the most important. It’s
perhaps the most ambitious rap album of the past half-decade. No other album this
year made us look into ourselves as deeply or as far outwardly. It questioned
nearly everything (blackness, whiteness, religion, social responsibility),
which in turn made us question everything: the role of rappers, the role of rap
music, respectability politics, the role of music press, the idea that art can
be at once great and distasteful. The album cast a shadow over the entire year,
out of which came one of 2015’s brightest gems ‘Alright.’”
Williams. S. (2016). Hip-Hop’s
History with Police Brutality: Why We Should Live in the Now
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/11/hip-hop-s-history-with-police-brutality-why-we-shouldn-t-romanticize-the-ogs-and-live-in-the-now.html
“Hip-hop is no longer black people’s CNN, but perhaps it’s become something
different: more of a town hall for the culture, a sounding board, a place to
vent as opposed to a source of information. And maybe that’s still enough to
help galvanize a generation”
-Chuck D’s famous quote
Platon. A. (2016). Kendrick
Lamar opens up about meeting president Obama
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/6866105/kendrick-lamar-meeting-president-obama
“No matter how high-ranking you get,
you’re human”
“No matter how high the pedestal you
reach, we all still like a beat”
·
The truth behind situations, the
respect that Lamar has earned to be respected by the President
·
The National Mentoring Partnership
– “mentoring saves lives”
·
The influence of Lamar, having a
positive effect on the youth as a mentor as a guide to reach somewhere far in
life
Jones. J. (2014). Georgia
Students Study Kendrick Lamar for Class
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/09/01/georgia-students-study-kendrick-lamar-for-class/
·
The university professor Adam Diehl
thinks that “Hip-hop is about immediate feedback to the world people observe
around them”
In the comments section:
- Michael
Younger · Clayton,
North Carolina “College courses named
after a thug.... Brilliant. This would lead a career in stealing cars.”
“I happen to be black
and seem THUGS like Lamar way too many times. He is another reason society is
going backward AND blacks are viewed negatively. And also the reason why
Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown are dead.”
·
What happens to be most interesting about this is the
fact that this black male doesn’t support Lamar’s music and it is exactly what
he says in his Hot 97 interview where he says that “black people do not support
us” instead they have no respect for the music when it is the very reason why
the music is being produced
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