ashlynnhonors413-blog

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     As discussed in class, there are many views on death and afterlife.  We came to the conclusion that North Americans deny death as we value things such as no war on our own soil, no public executions, and having society glorify youth.  Rap takes this situation into it’s own hands as rap puts on display what society is afraid to face.  Euphemisms are used to hide this fact, but death is a reality for everyone and no one will get around it.  America tries to deny this fact so much that the middle class life in America has become protected from mortality and ordered upward mobility as seen in Perkinson’s reading.  

     In this article by Benjamin Flaman, Kendrick Lamar, who grew up in Compton and was initiated into a gang, was discussed.  He lived in a city where death was extremely common as it was “completely possible to be shot down at any time” (Flaman para. 6).  He in turn shows this in his song Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst.  In one verse, Kendrick “channels his friend's brother recounting the death of his brother and his desire to find vengeance for the act. Though his hopes for a better life are shown, his words are cut short by gunshots as he was killed” (para. 6).  Kendrick has a realistic view of death as a whole as he is faced with this in his own life constantly.  Death came and haunted his life.  Kendrick was not shy of the fact that death is inevitable.

     Kanye West, on the other hand, is very direct, but has a more positive connotation to the reality of death.  In one of his song, West speaks of his mother who has passed away.  He proclaims that she is constantly watching over him and “has an absolute belief that he will one day be reunited with her in heaven, as will the rest of his family” (Flaman para. 14).  Kanye also believe he himself is worthy of being worshipped by others.  This implies that when he passes away, he knows and wants to be remembered forever.  Lastly, Kanye ends “the song takes on a very different tone, where he repeats lines about having a beautiful death” (Flaman para. 17).  Kanye takes the concept of death and goes further than just music and art.  He lives his truth.  In the end, it is clear that different artists interpret death in different ways while acknowledging how society feels.  

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     Breakdancing is a key element of Hip Hop as we discussed at the beginning of this course.  These dancers in fact inspired DJ’s, such as DJ Kool Herc who was a fundamental player in this world, and led people to come together in support of this movement.  Local youth were in turn given a safe place to have fun, let loose, and come together with passion by dancing.  Large crowds would gather to indulge in this competition friendly atmosphere.  Eventually as this movement grew, crews were formed such as the Zulu Kings, Crazy Commanders, and the Bronx Boys.  In fact, this brought even more people together as women, such as Daisy Castro, began to participate as well.  Break Dancing allows for self expression and release.  Although break dancing saw its most prominent days in the beginning, it is still alive and well today.

     This is seen early this year as priests at a Steubenville youth conference began to break dance.  The crowd erupted into happiness and cheering as these priests were just trying to have fun and let loose, however, the media then took over.  Negative comments raged on and on.  One comment stated that “those priests are an embarrassment, and once those teens grow up, they’ll look back on this and cringe, & see Church as a laughing stock” (Ference para. 2).  We do not have the right to judge this harmless act.  I love the fact that the author brought in claiming “The kind of priests that do cause me concern, however, are the ones who cannot relate to young people or even attempt to relate to them.  The kind of priests that scare me are the ones who keep their dancing private” (Ference para. 10).  These priests are first and foremost human.  Breakdancers on the side of the street are not judged for doing what they love, so why should these priests be receiving hate?  The priests were trying to have fun and connect with their youthful crowd.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with what they did.  

       Ference then, in fact, uses religion to show why this type of Hip Hop is completely acceptable.  He begins by giving a background on Jesus Christ and how he was sent down to this Earth just like us; human.  He was sinful in nature and did things not everyone agreed with.  These priests were not afraid to show their humanity which I think is an amazing trait for them to put on display!

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     Hip Hop and religion overlap in an uncountable amount of ways as everyone's perception is unique.  In class we have talked about the obvious ways such as using gospel terms in songs and promoting your own beliefs. However, simply using religious terms and inserting hymns are not the only lenses of seeing religion in this art form.  This article by The Odyssey, claims that religion and Hip Hop are indeed similar in the ways of who they worship.  Most religions have idols, a God or gods to worship, but so does Hip Hop.  In this art, artists are seen as gods by their listeners and supporters.  Devin Weiss then titles Biggie, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, and Nas as “rap gods.”  Religion and Hip Hop are becoming one in the same.

     It then continues to relate them due to corruption.  This was an aspect I hadn't even thought of or that my mind put together.  Weiss states that “originally Hip Hip was about unity, peace, love, and having fun. It was about uniting people and stopping violence yet now when one thinks of mainstream Hip Hop, one may think of violence, crime, materialism, the me-myself-and-I mentality, and greed” (para. 3).  Hip Hop has been reduced to corruption, just as churches and beliefs often do.  In many religions, people try and turn away from the devil who is many takes over.  Satanism occurs when one worships himself or herself, just as many artists claim to be the Messiah or a prophet.  Kanye West calls himself a god and calls others to worship him.  This is the same as the illuminati factor in Hip Hop.  The author argues that music then becomes invalidated, just as religion becomes corrupt.  

     In the end, there is evil in the world shown through both Hip Hop and Religion.  So not only do they relate on a positive level, they largely relate through horror and negativity.  We are then left with the question; “artists could talk about selling their souls as a way to describe sacrificing something in order to reach a goal or to pay the bills but when one sees the levels of fame and power that some reach, one asks, are there other factors at play” (para. 9)?

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     Eazy E is known with his musical art form with his group the N.W.A and the movie Straight Outta Compton.  In class we watched a portion of this movie which was remarkably reflecting police brutality and discrimination against the black race and minorities.  However, while watching this movie you see that these characters and historical figures, such as Eazy E, remain true to who they are.  They work hard to make their dreams a reality and stand against those who speak down and treat them with such disrespect.  However, this article is intriguingly titled “The Ruthless Life of an American Gangsta” as author Keith Murphy proclaims Eazy E was part of the world's most dangerous group.  

     Yes, the members depicted in this movie were undoubtedly dangerous as they performed illegal acts, however, many forget that members in this group such as Ice Cube went to college and were more than just complete “thugs.”  Then it comes to Eazy E who Murphy claims “was the one in the group that really was driving the ‘64 and hustling drugs in the streets to survive” (Murphy para. 8).  When he joined this group, he brought a different aspect.  He had such a musical talent as he was the one who signed Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas and saw he had talent, before anyone else did.  In an interview with KLAX radio, Eazy E was asked if he believed he could put an end to violence and he proclaimed “[When] the motherf**kin’ police can’t do sh**?…If you could just put out a record and it could stop violence you [wouldn’t] need police, we’d just need to do records” (para. 16).  This goes to show that Eazy E had a sense of reality and was completely aware that him and his group would not completely change the world.  

     The message they proclaimed was priceless and affected millions.  However, there were still barriers and challenges being put up to put them to an end. Hip Hop became their outlet as it lead them to reach youth all over.  In class we discussed how “gangsta rap” related to why Hip Hop and religion can and cannot be combined.  We came to the conclusion that they do not mesh well together as gangsta rap promotes violence, drugs, and profanity.  However, as shown with this group, their art is real and they were in fact a family who stuck by each other.  In the end, their music was their religion.  

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     In class we discussed how Reggae and rap coincide with one another, although Reggae came first by about a decade or two and the fact that Rap originate in New York while Reggae originated in Jamaica.  Despite these differences, they are both conduits for the African American culture as their synergies fuel one another.  Four pillars they illuminate are education, economics, enforcement, and religion.  Reggae is in fact, the musical form of this Rastafarianism religion.  This was spread by the amazing artist Bob Marley as seen in many of his songs such as the one we analyzed in class, Natty Dread.  This is also seen as Bob Marley, is in a way, known for his black, red, green, and yellow beanie which symbolizes the religions colors.  The color red represents the blood of those who have died in Jamaican history, the green for Jamaica's vegetation and hope for the eradication of suppression, Gold symbolizing the wealth of Ethiopia, and black signifying the Africans who initiated Rastafari. 

     Bob Marley’s song Rastaman Chant, is one out of main songs supporting this religion.  This songs embodies barriers of race, the need for compassion, and the hope of embracing “paradisiacal Africa.” This religion feels as if African Americans were stripped of their home which was taken away by force.  The lyrics “Fly away to Zion, Fly away home” depict this.  In fact, Marley refers to this Zion over and over again in many of his songs.  Marley then continues when singing “Babylon, you throne gone down.”  Historically, Babylon invaded Ethiopia and caused much pain for Rastafarians.  Essentially Marley is proclaiming that through Rome’s build up of money and greed, it will eventually fall and crumble.  Through his music, it is clear that there is a definite overlap when incorporating religion and music.  Rastafarianism and Marley’s beliefs are the sole thing he sings of and makes known.  

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     Chance the rapper, also known as Chancelor Bennett, openly brings in the Christian gospel to his music.  With his album Coloring Book, he has inserts of church choirs praising God while he then continues to rap about his own life and problems.  However, he inserts this Christianity into his songs in a very unique way as he still uses some vulgar language and topics.  In class, we analyzed ways that Hip Hop and religion can and can not go together, using the four topics of sex, the n word, money and gangsta rap.  However, Chance makes this seem so easy.  In multiple songs he uses the n word while then going on to preach about how thankful he is for the Lord.  Essentially, Chance is beginning to blur and confuse the lines separating Hip Hop and religion. 

     Chance is an artist that I have heavily listened to this past year.  I love the sound, lyrics, and vibe his music gives off.  As an artist, Chance relates to our class as almost all of his music refers to his religion, but in a unique way.  As our class determined, religion is an integrated system of beliefs, lifestyle, ritual activities, and social institutions by which individuals give meaning to their lives by orienting themselves to what they experience as holy, sacred or of highest value. Chance is able to bring this all into his lyrics, while also being unafraid to speak his truth in whatever ways he deems necessary.  Back in his highschool days, Chance was suspended for possession of marijuana which he speaks of in his song Brain Cells.  He proclaims to be searching and in need of a restoration and how he is seeking out righteousness.  Once again, we see that Chance is able to redefine what is means to have religion incorporated in Hip Hop.

     This article quotes Chance in saying “Don’t be mad” to people who protest his use of gospel.  Through his music, Chace “envisions his music, his crew, and his fans as all engaged in God’s group activity” (Dark para. 2).  Myself, being a Christian, am able to heavily relate to this music and his finding of peace.  Dark announces that Chances album Coloring Book, is “made up of songs of innocence and experience, and full humanity requires both. We need a profound and ongoing recognition of both to keep from becoming hopelessly estranged from ourselves” (Dark para. 12).  Chance is able to bring this forth and blur the lines between his gospel and music in a sense that he is altering Christian rap.

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     Aesop Rock is a current underground Hip Hop artist who has recorded multiple projects beginning in 1997 and has been “held in high regard as an artist who is not only getting better with age, but also consistently reinventing his sound and fostering his creativity” (Underground para. 1).  Based on the knowledge gained from our class discussion, the music being fostered underground, is what is really occurring in the Hip Hop and rap culture.  These artists will become mainstream and represent the media's interpretation of this art in 10-15 years.  Aesop proclaimed in his interview for this article that he is a “fan of rap, so I still try and keep up on new stuff” (Underground para. 5).  Although he is an underground artist, he stays with what's current while adding a twist of his own, making it very different.

     Aesop Rock’s music is unpolished and raw unlike the popular mainstream artists.  However, this underground artist struggles with his happiness and career while living this life.  This is made apparent in this go to song, Homemade Mummy.  He claims that this career “sometimes it’s a dream, sometimes it’s a bit of a nightmare, but I do have to remind myself that I’m pretty lucky to have been doing this for this long” (Underground para. 2).  I can only imagine how hard being an underground rap artist must be.  Although there is a huge community of these artists, it must be seeing all of these other artists getting loads of credit for doing the exact same thing.  What these artists do is amazing!

     This article on Aesop Rock really interested me as I found it on what claims to be the underground hip hop website.  It was really cool to explore this website and see all of these artists I have never heard anything about.  They offer a different type of art than what I am used to hearing.  Underground Hip Hop deserves more credit and respect, but this is exactly what makes it what it is.  This class has taught me to appreciate forms of music that I would never even bother listening to before.   

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     We spent a whole class period speaking on the legend Tupac Shakur.  Sadly, Tupac was murdered in Vegas on September 13, 1996.  When this tragedy occurred, youth all over the country became troubled.  To them, Tupac spoke the truth that they could not speak.  Essentially, Tupac was a black urban prophet as a majority of his songs relate to religion.  He is someone who had a strong message and who was standing in between two different forces. The ideas he spoke of in these songs, were complex and unorthodox as he examined hypocrisy and truth.  In his song titled Thugz Mansion, he speaks of how there is a mansion for everyone, and in his, there is of course hennessey.  This point goes to show how he truly speaks and writes lyrics that come straight from his thoughts and feelings.  

     In the video we watched in class, Tupac was referred to as “black jesus.”  Both authorities and enemies saw him as a threat as he was so incredibly influential just as a result of his music.  Through his lyrics, he reached millions of people and spoke of things others never dared to say out loud.  In our reading, we can see that Tupac filled a leadership vacuum.  This role deficit was also seen following his murder.  However, not everything is all good with Tupac.  He was arrested and charged multiple times accused of murder and sexual assault.  In the Rolling Stone Article it was shown that “even longer than SHakur’s hit list, though, was his police blotter” (Kreps para. 7).  He played a trickster game, but in the end was honorary.  

     In the Rolling Stone article, the growth of Tupac as an artist is shared.  Besides music, Tupac was not only incredibly interested in, but was also successful in acting and dancing.  While fighting poverty and a rough childhood, Tupac still wanted to foster a spiritual enlightenment through his music.  Although life is about chances, Tupac was certain that he was going to make it.  This article intrigued me as I am not well educated in the Hip Hop world.  I have never known much about Tupac or heard his songs.  This class discussion, reading, and article have expanded my knowledge and understanding of Hip Hop as a whole.  

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      In class this week, we discussed females and sexism in the Hip Hop industry.  There is no doubt that females have a derogatory connotation come towards them as seen time after time in music videos and chosen vocabulary.  Women are constantly referred to as “bitches” or “hoes” by male rappers and are used as “walking bling.”  But, should these women have our sympathy when it is their choice to be in these videos?  This question can be hard to answer as essentially life is a contradiction in itself as we see with the sinner and saint in Christian theology.  However, beyond these obvious objectifications, it is argued that women have to exceed far beyond the norm in order to build up their credibility.  

     Nicki Minaj’s first album was published when there was currently no big female rap presence.  However, now she is debatably one of the largest current hip hop names.  When producing her album she worked with artists such as Eminem, Kanye West, and Jay Z.  In her interview with XXL, she stated that these artists “treated [her] with respect as a MC” (2:10-3:14).  Nicki Minaj brought a lot to the table in the male dominated industry that Hip Hop had become.  As an MC, she has been able to influence lives while being fashionable and current.  She has been given a platform to speak on that most women have not been recognized as having.

     Nicki Minaj is a huge feminist activist as she claims that her “role was reintroducing the female rapper to pop culture” (XXL para. 8).  Hip Hop is arguably the largest music genre currently.  When I think of this genre, the first names that come to my mind are artists such as Drake, Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, and Chris Brown.  When I came across this article it really intrigued me as she was the only female on the XXL magazine cover shown.  It really made me think of our class discussion and the different ways to view this industry.  Although males have been the face of this industry, females have been involved since the beginning as claimed by Keyes.  

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      Graffiti is such a unique form of self expression used all around the world.  It absolutely blows my mind that someone has the incredible talent to portray these objects of art using rocks as a canvas.  Graffiti is one of the four (or five) elements of Hip Hop.  In the Hip Hop Culture reading we were given in class, it is stated that the word graffiti describes “the system of communication and expression depicted by writings, drawings, and scribbling on surfaces” (para. 1).  However, it is key to note different forms of graffiti known as hip hop graffiti and gang graffiti, which vary from one another.  Gang graffiti was used to mark ones turf and to display authority.  On the other hand, Hip Hop graffiti was a form of self expression and became prominent on the East Coast.  

      Eventually, this “scribbling” became a sort of revolution as seen in the movie Style Wars.  This clip showed how graffiti became a platform for teens to rebel against their parents, police authorities, and the general public.  A statement that caught my eye while watching this, was when the young artist stated that it is easier for the white boys to participate in this as they could easily steal spray paint bottles, compared to the colored kids.  This activity even created a bridge between human kinds, however, they would soon cross this and let nothing stand in their way.  Something that interested me immensely was the vocabulary that came along with this.  Some examples of these new found words are “Throw up” which is the quick execution of graffiti of any size, that is more than one color and “Bite” which means is a negative word coming about when you copy someones style.  

        I took this picture last year when I went on a day adventure with two of my friends.  However, in the moment I was simply admiring the pure artwork and how it appealed to my eyes.  Now I realize what a mistake that was.  This means so much more then teenagers going out and being disrespectful to nature, or just being something for me to take a picture of.  These rocks symbolize freedom, self expression, anger, creativity, and are a place of deep thought.  One thing I learned in class is that these artists must have an outline before putting up their piece.  This only goes to show how much thought and meaning their is behind each piece and personal tag displayed.  These artists stayed up in the late hours just to achieve these goals and to connect with those around them.