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“The church of Lizzo is one of blissful liberation and self-care. She is a sweat soaked preacher delivering her message through witty, razor-sharp testimonies.” - The Los Angeles Times (Gerrick D. Kennedy)

Is Lizzo a hip hop prophet? This isn’t a far fetched question seeing as Lizzo– whose success explosive success is seemingly unmatched– has opened up her most recent shows wearing a golden choir robe and standing on an actual pulpit. 

This image of a preacher is not new to hip hop, in fact in class we discussed the notion of a rapper being a hip hop prophet of the hood. And while Lizzo doesn’t rap about hard hitting topics like Tupac did, her positive message of self-love and self-care resonates with audiences and marks a larger societal shift towards acceptance and celebration of differences. 

Her shows are a mix of performance and teaching. When Lizzo makes a point that her loyal fans, or congregation if you will, agrees with she is met with a unanimous “yass queen,” or “amen,” just as a reverend would on Sunday. 

What’s more, she preaches messages of female empowerment in an industry often saturated by images of promiscuity, violence and sexism. She flips the script on dominant male ideologies. Much of her work accentuates herself and other that look like her (just listen to “Worship”) and her lyrics, artwork, and performance exudes, nay radiates, confidence in her sexuality, body and beauty. 

Her prophetic message of self-love is very similar to the message of Queen Latifah in her video for “Ladies First.” Lizzo, like Latifah, could be considered a Queen Mother in Hip Hop, especially since  many of her lyrics “embrace black female empowerment,” and her music represents “community-based power” for her devoted fans (Keyes, 2000). 

However, Lizzo’s powerful message of self-love and acceptance along with her accompanying actions could, although slightly stretching the definition, be considered demonstrative of the fly girl archetype. Her lyrics, and artwork, specifically the nude portrait featured on her latest album, “Cuz I Love You,” is very indicative of her awareness of her erotic self around which she has “sculpted [her] own personality” (Keyes, 2000).

All I can say is that her music is refreshing and fun to listen too and I am excited to see where she takes this message and I think her other fans are excited as well.

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On Nov. 6 Kurtis Blow appeared on KUSI to promote the showing of the “Hip Hop Nutcracker” at the San Diego Civic Theater on Nov. 7. Kurtis Blow was one of the first rap artists signed to a record label, despite the anchor awkwardly calling him THE founding father of rap. Kurtis Blow graciously didn’t correct instead choosing to recognize and pay tribute to his contemporaries DJ Kool Her, DJ Hollywood and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Blow and the anchor talked briefly about old school hip hop and how it has influenced the creation of “Hip Hop Nutcracker.”

This recreation of the classical ballet set to Tchiakovsky’s music is the perfect example of all of the elements of hip hop coming together. The production features a production of dancers performing the different hip hop styles, while a DJ creates samples and beats over the original score. To bring it all together, Kurtis Blow is the MC for the whole event, hyping up the crowd and acting as an intermediary between the artists and audience, and while graffiti does not feature prominently in the production itself the “Hip Hop Nutcracker” logo is styled like graffiti.

It is interesting to hear about this amalgamation of modern hip hop aesthetics with classical art and music. What’s also worth mentioning is that hip hop seamlessly integrates with the Christian themes in the Nutcracker, since it is a depiction of the advent story. 

Moreover, “Hip Hop Nutcracker” is just one of many examples of rappers and dancers taking inaccessible “high” art and turning it into something that everyday people can access. Having seen the original Nutcracker several times (it is a family tradition to see it every year around the holidays) I know first hand that it is a tired, old story that aside from the music is out of date and borderline boring. Just like the DJ’s of the 70s and 80s, “Hip Hop Nutcracker” is an homage to the original music but through their creative process and skill they have turned it into something new. What it reminds me of is plays like Jesus Christ Superstar, where a classic bible story is modernized in a way that everyday people can understand. It brings the art to the masses. 

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In her latest book, Kathy Iandoli, a veteran Hip Hop journalist with bylines in Vibe, The Source, XXL, and Rolling Stone, chronicles the rise of female hip hop artists. The book, titled “God Save the Queens,” is a comprehensive history of the rise of the female rap star. 

According to a review from NPR, Iandoli starts from the beginning, talking about Cindy Campbell, DJ Kool Herc’s sister who played a pivotal role in the MC’s rise to fame. She also goes into detail about other early female hip hop figures like MC Debbie and the OG female hip hop superstar Roxanne Shanté. The book also covers the careers of other prominent names in hip hop like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa along with more contemporary female rappers like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. 

The NPR article says “sisterhood and competition propel the narrative of the narrative” and that makes sense seeing as we discussed in class that what sets female rappers apart from their male counterparts are the challenges associated with reaching comparable levels of fame and success all while confronting sexism and misogyny.  

According to the reading, female rappers made their mark by adopting characteristics that can fall under the four major archetypes: queen mother, fly girl, sista with attitude and lesbian. 

As mentioned earlier the book includes Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa as well as Roxanne Shanté. These three artists are representative of the first three archetypes, although as mentioned in class, there can be some overlap, for example, Queen Latifah, while considered by many to be a queen mother has incorporated fly girl motifs in her lyrics and videos. 

From what I gathered from reviews and summaries of the book, “God Save the Queens” is a methodical and deep dive into the contributions of female artists to the world and culture of Hip Hop. It is cool to see an entire book dedicated to their struggles against sexism, objectification, gender, money, sexuality, feuds and body image. It is almost like Iandoli is adding another chapter to the Hip Hop bible, but this time giving the women in the culture the attention, respect and praise they deserve. 

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The San Francisco Intenational Hip Hop DanceFest is returning to the Palace of Fine Arts for its 21st year in the coming weeks (Nov. 22-24). The two-day event is a perfect example of the pervasiveness and everchanging nature of Hip Hop culture. 

The festival, to be clear, is not a competition, but rather a space for hip hop dancers and groups from around the world to show off their skills and learn from each other. 

In class we discussed the four elements of hip (DJ, MC, graffiti, and dancers) and how each can be there own stand-alone phenomenon coming together to make up Hip Hop culture. The SFIHHDF is a real-world example of this. Although, there are some distinct differences between the b-boys and girls of the golden age of hip hop and the performers at this festival. 

Majority of the dancers featured at the festival perform choreographed routines instead of freestyling. However, according to the festival’s producer, Micaya who is also a dancer, there is no loss of authenticity. She says even without the freestyling elements, the performers are very much true to themselves. 

In the past the festival has featured Hip Hop groups such as ParadoxSal and individual dancers such as Gil the Grid from the Amenti Movement. 

ParadoxSal is an all female french group that specializes in several dance styles like locking, jazz, popping, hype, dance hall, contemporary and hip hop. They also are a part of several projects incorporating many of these styles. The All4House and All4House Afrika projects involve bringing together all of the hip hop dance styles and embodying, according to the groups website, “the bridge between the electro, traditional, and ancestral music of Africa.”

Gil the Grid is a performer from the Netherlands who approached hip hop dance from a very spiritual vantage point. His group, the Amenti Collective, prides themselves on their grounded movements and connection to the earth, a concept not far fetched in the realm of secular humanism. 

The Hip Hop DanceFest very much reminds me of a pilgrimage. At the festival, people from all over the world, from all walks of life come to celebrate in the culture, history and evolution of Hip Hop dance and culture. 

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Underground Turkish rap is taking on an oppressive authoritarian regime. One song in particular is making waves, especially since freedom of expression is nearly non-existent and sometimes something as simple as a social media post criticizing Turkey’s now active conflict in Syria can land someone in prison. 

“Susamam,” or “I Can’t Stay Silent” translated in English, is a 14-verse manifesto challenging a laundry list of social issues from domestic violence, climate change and animal rights to police brutality. 

The 45-minute long song has been labeled as a “terrorist co-production” by pro-government media, while others laud it as a protest anthem. Regardless, there is no denying that this form of underground rap isn’t holding back any punches. However, the artists involved in the project have had to find ways to get around government scrutiny and censorship. They dodge partisan politics and instead invite the listener to reflect inward. 

Despite having over 20 million views on YouTube, “Susamam” is still considered underground hip hop because it confronts the issues mainstream hip hop never would consider. 

According to the readings and in class discussion, unlike mainstream hip hop, underground hip hop “expresses the uncut and unruly ethos and pathos of a political culture” and the artists aren’t signed to a record label. This is the case with “Susamam.” Also, underground hip hop “transcends” main-stream hip hop’s “long-established sounds, lyrics and styles.”

The song is further an example of underground hip hop as it also confronts economic inequality, the flaws of a patriarchal society and the frustrations of a generation craving revolution. 

While it is a known fact that underground hip hop is a transnational phenomenon, popping up across the globe in places like Korea, Brazil, China and Germany, it is especially interesting to see how rap has developed differently in each region. For example Turkish underground rap, according to the article, is relatively young (1980s) and artists are grounded more in the tradition of spoken word and poetry, drawing inspiration from the Middle East and Asia, rather than wester hip hop culture. Turkish rap has a distinct “rhythmic grammar” and demands lyrics be delivered more syncopated, instead of relying on a beat to carry them. 

Just like underground hip hop in the United States, Turkish rappers are telling the stories of the parts of society no one ever pays attention to and inspiring other artists to do the same in order to stand up and make the change they want to see. 

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In 2012, Tupac Shakur rose from the dead, hypothetically, after a hologram of the rapper performed with Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre. This appears to have opened the floodgates for holographic concerts. A truly unnerving thought in my opinion. We talked about how there are many people who disagreed with the use of Tupac’s likeness at Coachella in 2012 and I would have to agree with them. The fact that we can use technology to essential resurrect anyone we want and make them say and do anything we want poses serious ethical concerns as well as threatens the musicians art itself. 

In this article from The Washington Post, the author describes several unnerving facts about the recent push to bring artists back to life, using holograms and other technologies to stage entire tours, raking in millions of dollars. 

In “Rap as Wrap and Rapture” Perkinson writes that “modern society uses its technology to flee the ubiquitous fact of mortality.” Although, they were referring to the advancement of medicine, this statement holds true in terms of creating holographic representations of artists. 

Although Tupac is mentioned in the article briefly the main focus is on touring holographic shows that are currently happening or are planned, featuring musicians such Buddy Holly, Frank Zappa, and Amy Winehouse among others like Whitney Houston and Billie Holiday. 

This discussion of artist’s mortality reminds me the lyrics we examined in class, especially Tupac’s “Thugz Mansion” where he raps “Drippin’ peppermint schnapps with Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. Then some lady named Billie Holiday sang sittin there kickin it with Malcom.” In these lines, Tupac honors the elders and highlights the finality of death. 

I am also reminded of lyrics from Chance the Rapper. He raps on “Sun Come Down:” 

“Please don’t make no holograms, don’t wanna do it twice. You wanna use my likeness approve it through my wife and if you got the license you better use it right. Don’t misconstrue my offerings to offer new advice.”

Chance’s lyrics capture the fears the author of this article expresses. The article mentions that some of the companies spearheading the effort to bring holographic concerts into the mainstream. These business people mention the potential for product placement. Could you imagine a hologram of Whitney Houston trying to sell audiences the latest iphone. They also mention the possibility of planting people in the audience in order to create an “authentic” concert experience. 

If this trend continues it will be interesting to see how people react. 

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When I first watched the music video for Fat Joe’s latest song “Yes” with Anuel AA and Cardi B I was shocked to see references to Santeria couple with overtly misogynistic lyrics and sexist motifs, and it seems that I was not alone in this criticism. Fat Joe faced backlash from fans disappointed in the rapper for what they saw as an appropriation of spiritual culture. The fan, according to an article from “Vibe,” saw the provocative dancing and explicitly sexual lyrics paired with a short clip of several women taking part in a Lucumí religious ritual as disrespectful and in poor taste. However, after looking into the video a little further I discovered that the intro clip featuring the ritual was an homage to salsa legend Héctor Lavoe, whose song “Aguanile” is heavily sampled on “Yes,” and himself practiced Santeria. Fat Joe apologized for any offense he might have caused in a tweet soon after the video was released. However, there is a prescient lesson buried in this controversy. 

The music video be seen as just one of many examples of how the combination of hip and religion can often go misinterpreted and viewed as controversial and perceived as incompatible. In class we discussed how hip hop because of the imagery it contains, the lyrics, and lifestyle it “promotes,” is often seen as antithetical to religion and religious values. However, we also learned that hip hop employs an alternate spirituality that operates outside the boundaries of traditional religious belief. The Fat Joe video contains many of the characteristics of gangsta rap. In class, during the discussion about N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton it was pointed out that the album counteracted hip hop feminism and Fat Joe’s video seems to do the same, featuring scantily clad women twerking and dancing suggestively on staged while Fat Joe, Anuel AA and Cardi B rap “Ass up, face down.” Also, Cardi B makes references to growing up in the orbit of The 59 Brims, a Bronx based Blood gang, of which she was recently named a member of by Tekashi69. However, unlike the imagery and motifs employed by rap groups like 2 Live Crew, Fat Joe’s video lacks the hyperbolic parody that differentiates it from other rap. 

Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that the depiction of the Lucumí religion in the video comes from a place of respect. In class we learned that rappers and hip hop culture often honor the elders and influencers by name-dropping and sampling. In his apology, Fat Joe echoed this sentiment. “We tried to pay respect at the intro of the video everyone who took part of this video knew the concept,” Fat Joe tweeted.  “We have nothing but respect Hip hop has always taken samples and flipped it into something new i tried to pay homage sorry you took offense i understand.”

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When talking about the intersection of Hip Hop and religion, Kanye West is a name that gets thrown around a lot, especially now as he finds himself making headlines and stirring controversy. However, the Kanye that released “Jesus Walks” and the Kanye that wears a MAGA hat and performs invitation-only Sunday Services are almost two different people. One has to wonder if Kanye’s recent projects are genuine explorations of religion in the context of his experiences or merely a way to distract from his stumbles. In a recent New York Times article, the author proposes that West’s current endeavors are only a “self-serving appropriation of black faith traditions,” and “concerts trading in aimless aphorisms and the cult of Mr. West’s personality.” The image that this critique calls to mind are that of Christian megachurches selling salvation to anyone willing to pay. It begs the question, if Tupac is considered a Hip Hop prophet, would Kanye be the Hip Hop equivalent to a televangelist? Regardless of the answer, it is clear that Kanye has turned over a new leaf and is entering the world of Christian rap.

In his latest, highly anticipated, release “Jesus is King,” the Gospel is center stage, and the rapper’s born-again Christian conversion is referenced throughout the eleven-track record along with his right-of-center political beliefs and many controversial sayings. This is what is most curious about the album. While it contains many of the hallmarks of Christian rap, as defined by Garth Kasimu Baker-Fletcher in his essay, African American Christian Rap: Facing “Truth” and Resisting It, it “flips the script” on Baker-Fletcher’s analysis from the angle of oppugnancy. It seems Kanye is taking the approach that the embedded forms of oppression in society are not those perpetrated by white people and colonial powers but rather by African Americans own compliance. He has made this belief very clearly publicly, tweeting in 2018 that 400 years of slavery was a choice. Kanye later apologized for the statement, however on two tracks off “Jesus is King” he appears to provide more context.

On the track “On God,” West invokes the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery. He raps, “All my brothers locked up on the yard/ You can still be anything you want to be/ Went from one in four to one in three/ Thirteenth Amendment, gotta end it, that’s on me.” Many scholars, activists, and even prisoners have connected a loophole in the 13th Amendment that allows slavery “as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted” with the proliferation of private prisons that incarcerate an unequal number of black people. On another track, “Hands On” West once again references the 13th Amendment. He raps, “Thirteenth amendment, three strikes/ Made a left when I should have made a right.” While it cannot be said for sure that the last part of this line is a reference to his shift towards more conservative politics, it is easy to see why people would be shocked by Kanye implying the 13th Amendment should be abolished. Again, this brings us back to the idea of oppugnancy. Baker-Fletcher defines the term as creative forms of resistance towards embedded forms of oppression. One thing Kanye hoped to get across to audiences in “Jesus is King” is that he is trying to fight against what he views as African Americans self-inflicted oppression.