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It's Been Real

Well that was fun! But really. This was a very interesting a eye opening course and I'm really glad that I took it. I learned a lot about music and it's influence from a variety of angles and outlooks, and got to think about things that I'd never stopped to ponder about. (like the representation of the LGBTQ community, the millions of stereotypes that popular artist perpetuate everyday or what a SCWAMP is) It's all been a great ride and this Tumblr pretty much sums it all up. It's been blast, so long for now!

-Ibet

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Justin Timber Time!

Don’t you just love Justin Timberlake? With his latest album The 20/20 Experience, he’s on top of his game giving us hit after soulful hit. With such great music, it’s hard to believe that he’s been out of the music scene for 6 years. (What was I doing with my life for all of that time?)

But even before that he returned from a 4 year hiatus when he so miraculously brought sexy back, and each time he seems to get better and better. Comebacks like these aren’t easy to come by and JT’s definitely got something special. According to an article by Duncan Watts, he may be a social product of “cumulative advantage.” Cumulative advantage is the idea that “if one object happens to be slightly more popular than another at just the right point, it will tend to become more popular still.” So every time Justin returns from the shadows, his comeback buzz makes him more popular than anyone else at the moment and thus, he becomes the most popular thing around.

Well, after waiting through all of those b-listed movies and marriages to woman who were not me, I for one was swept up in the excitement that he was conjuring up. However, if his popularity was based purely on cumulative advantage, he would fade as soon as the next hot thing came along- I’m still bumping his album almost every day.

 No, Justin didn’t get lucky with this one, he earned it; his music is actually worth the buzz. In songs like “Mirrors,” (my current jam) he shows us a great vocal range that’s only gotten better with age, a wonderfully produced track that’s courtesy of his Timbaland (they make one of the greatest producer- artist combos since MJ and Quincy Jones) and an overall catchy song that you can’t help but love.

Yes we all love Justin and in ten years when he wants to make another album, we’ll still love him.

Article:

Watts, Duncan. "Is Justin Timberlake a Product of Cumulative Advamtage?" The New York Times. 2007. <http://goldpmx.com/templates/new_york_times_is_justin_timberlake_a_productof_cumulative_advantage.pdf>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuZE_IRwLNI

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Country Music: Our Sad Anthems 

Coming from then south and hearing country music quite often, I’ve seen first-hand how sad and depressing it can be. I’ve jammed to my fair share of modern, feel-good, bear drinking hits, but there’s nothing better to wallow in your self-pity than some classic country.

Country music can be so depressing that it’s even associated with suicide. In Stack and Gundlach’s article about the connection between metropolitan suicides and country music, they drew on the fact that it’s all psychological. Many country songs deal with themes like alcoholism, death, disharmony between sexes and other sad things that foster suicide. Rest assured, if you start listening to country music now, you’re not going to kill yourself, but it may push you over the edge. 

One of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard is “Whiskey Lullaby” by Brad Paisely, which actually accounts for most of those sad country conventions. The song is about a man who comes back from war and sees his wife in bed with another man, which leads him to hit the bottle. Since he can’t drink away her memory, he shoots himself in the head. (Brad was so kind to describe this to us over and over during the chorus)

 But wait, there’s more. His wife is so guilty about her husband’s death that she starts drinking as well and ends up killing herself too. Now they’re both buried underneath a willow tree together. Then there’s some gentle “la, la, la, la, la, la la’s” and one can proceed to cry.

This is actually a beautiful song, but if I was in a similar situation and heard this, it wouldn’t exactly help. I’m actually not sure of the point of a song like this, unless you just want a good tear jerker. I think that music should be used as more of a form of healing and a way to help me through hard times, not an enabler to kick me while I’m down!

Articles:

Stack, Steven and Jim Gundlach. "The Effect of Country Music on Suicide." Social Forces. Volume 17, Issue 1. 1992. <http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/71/1/211.short>

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZbN_nmxAGk

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Peanut Butter

We’ve heard it time and time again, and even a few times on this blog, that women are sexualized in music videos. According to an article written by Steven Siedman, this is so common because it goes along with stereotyped gender roles presented in music videos. Siedman says that woman as opposed to men are usually seen as sex objects, are more like to wear provocative clothing and meant to be the object of affection for men.

We’ve seen this to be true in so many videos that I’m actually tired of it. That’s why I set out to find a video that turned convention on its head and shattered stereotypes. That’s when I found “Peanut Butter” by RuPaul. (Viewer discretion is strongly advised) The video features 2 and half minutes of scantily clad men dancing to a repetitive song- that’s pretty much it. Here we see RuPaul (the woman) wearing a full body suit as she sings the song while the men are objects of our affection. Breaking the rules! However, I must point out that this is not your typical video. RuPaul is of course a drag queen and therefore a man, so it’s not exactly the opposite, but who cares? We’re breaking one gender role, why not break them all?

However, the fact that we must step out of mainstream media to see this type of role reversal is very telling- most female artists who do use lots of male dancers overly sexualize themselves as well and therefore depart from an absolute role of dominance. “Peanut Butter” may be a bit much for us to see every day, but it may be a step in the right direction.

Article: Siedman, Steven A. "An investigation of sex-role stereotyping in music videos."Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media; Spring92, Vol. 36 Issue 2. <http://nq5hl7cp9d.scholar.serialssolutions.com/?sid=google&auinit=SA&aulast=Seidman&atitle=Profile:+An+investigation+of+sex%E2%80%90role+stereotyping+in+music+videos&id=doi:10.1080/08838159209364168&title=Journal+of+broadcasting+%26+electronic+media&volume=36&issue=2&date=1992&spage=209&issn=0883-8151>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFoRH-VtFO4

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Pay Attention!

Many people try to shelter their kids from the possible evils of the world, hoping to protect their innocence and safety, which is perfectly understandable. However, during adolescence, while kids are becoming adults and ultimately “finding themselves” it’s a wonder how much influence things like the media and music can actually have on them.

In a study done the US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health, when a group of adolescents were exposed to rap music, the percentage that were violent, got arrested, had multiple sex partners and used drugs and alcohol increased. Dang. Now, I know that there are other factors that contribute to these trends and that this does not mean the rap music will be the downfall of all of our children. But it is very telling about the influence that lyrics, images and music can have on young people.

 Lupe Fiasco’s “Bitch Bad” video, he not only explores the degrading use of the term ‘bitch,’ but also the effect that the use of the word can have on young minds. In the video we see a young boy who hears his mother use it, which later affects his image of women. Later we see a young girl who sees it used in music and later is devalues herself. Through Lupe’s video we see that at an age that children are still learning new concepts and ideas about the world, negative images can be powerful.

You may not have to lock your kids up entirely, but pay attention to what they pay attention to.

Article:

Wingood, Gina, Ralph J. DiClemente, Jay M. Bernhardt, Kathy Harrington, Susan L. Davies, Alyssa Robillard, and Edward W. Hook. "A Prospective Study of Exposure to Rap Music Videos and African American Female Adolescents’ Health." March 2003. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc1447759/>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3m3t_PxiUI

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That Thong, Tha Thong, Thong, Thong

With the popularization of people like Korrine Steffans, black women have so often been reduced to video vixens. Although she’s not the first one overly sexualized performance in many music videos and in her media portrayal is an example of the objectification of black women.

Women as a whole have fallen victim to objectification and sexualization, but women of color that are most commonly featured in hip-hop videos suffer from a special brand of defamation that is highlighted through black culture. Let’s look at the ever classy “Thong Song” video as a frame of reference. As Emerson described in her article, many videos start out with an emphasis of female parts. As Sisqo sings so passionately about female underwear, we see shots of women’s large butts and breasts as the dance on the beach. And a;though  there are not just black women seen, the style of the video still aims at black culture.

This may seem like your typical misogynistic video, but look a little bit closer (if you can bear it). In the black community robust backsides, thick thighs and bigger boobs are all the rage, and the girls dance in this video they accentuate their assets through their dance moves and the camera angles. (You can even compare this to Ricky Martin’s “Shake Your Bon Bon,” which was released the same year- not the same shaking)

The point I’m trying to make here is that themes within the black community and themes within music video convention interact to make the black woman the ultimate sexual object. Although “The Thong Song” will remain a treasured classic, the sexualization it imparts on black women is anything but sexy.

Article:

Emerson, Rana A. "Where My Girls at?: Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos." Gender and Society. 2002. <http://gas.sagepub.com/content/16/1/115.full.pdf+html>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oai1V7kaFBk

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The Beloved Tribute Song

Since Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones made magic in the 80s, the tribute song has been a go-to action by celebrities during ever crisis. Music heals the world, so it’s got to work every time, right? No really, as Driessens, Joye and Biltereyst pointed out in their article, many times when celebrities come together to do these songs, their star power overshadows the actual cause and it turns into “charitainment.”

This is very evident in events like “25 for Haiti.” In the video you see a bunch of random B-list celebrities, thrown into a room to sing their respective parts. In the end, most people were paying more attention to who was in the room and why. (between Jeff Bridges and Fonzworth Bentley, it was a little hard to pay attention) But also, it just seemed like a cluster of celebrities. You didn’t see them singing off of the same sheet music and giving each other encouraging glance like Diana Ross and Billy Joel did in the 80s; you didn’t get a sense of any genuine camaraderie for the cause.

The only tribute song I’ve seen in recent years that actually had that feel was Chaka Khan’s tribute to Trayvon Martin. In the less publicized song, Khan rounded up stars like Angela Basset, Eric Benet and Kelly Price in what looks like the recording studio in her house, to sing a song called “Super Life.” The song is uplifting and between the obvious love in the room and cute kids in the room, you can tell that it was a labor of love. Finally, as you see each of them in a simple hoodie, it's evident that they've checked their egos at the door in honor of the.  true message.

Article: Driessens, Joye and Biltereyst. "The X-Factor of Charity: a Critical Analysis of Celebrities' Involvement in the Flemish and Dutch Haiti Relief Shows." 2012. <http://mcs.sagepub.com/content/34/6/709.full.pdf+html>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mStv1F7FqM

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Saving the World Through Music

Music definitely has a way of bringing people together. When reading about how a simple James Brown concert single handedly saved Boston’s destruction after Michael Jackson’s assassination, I would say it also has the power to save lives. I thought it was amazing the Brown could have such influence, and even though he didn’t intend on being an activist, he stepped up to the plate for a good cause. It only led to one of Boston’s greatest concerts and one of Brown’s greatest humanitarian achievements.

The only the musical event that I could think of that brought so many people together was when Michael Jackson tragically died in 2009. As an MJ fanatic, I remember the day well; it ended with many tears and lots and lots of classic videos. However, in the days that followed, you could really see the impact that Michael had across the world. Of course, he was named the most famous person in the world at one point. But after he died, you saw people of all colors, all across the world moonwalking and singing “Man in The Mirror” all across the world. It was beautiful. In the video above, fans did a flash mob to “Beat It” in Rome.

Ironically, James Brown was one of Michael’s major musical influences, so there’s no doubt that MJ got some of his star power from Brown.  But even when he was alive, he connected his fans across the world with his killer dance moves and high pitched ‘heee, heee’s.

Article: Billinson, Jennifer. "Dance 'til You Feel Better": How the "Godfather of Soul" Saved Boston"<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpms.12015/full>

Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxmyyjYRrfo

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White Privilege

Peggy McIntosh defines white privilege as advantages that white Americans benefit from everyday whether they notice them or not. This could be the privilege of seeing yourself represented on every television channel or the assurance that you won’t be racially discriminated against on a daily basis. Because of it subtlety, McIntosh calls this an invisible backpack.

Macklemore addressed his own white privilege when it comes to his music in a song called “White Privilege.” In it, the white rapper says that he benefits from the fact that he can participate in a culture that stems from a struggle that he didn’t go through. For this reason he chooses his words wisely and only raps about what he knows. “If I think I understand just because I flow too/That means I'm not keeping it true, I'm not keeping it true/Now I don't rap about guns so they label me conscious/But I don't rap about guns cause I wasn't forced into the projects/See I was put in the position where I could chose my options/Blessed with the privilege that my parent's could send me to college.”

Bravo Macklemore, no one likes a poser. However, it’s very important to remember that this message shouldn’t just extend to whites; it should extend to privilege itself. Since the art form was created, rap has been an outlet for many to air their struggles and many more, white and black, tend to act as though the struggle is the only way to enter. Luckily, artists like Macklemore who revolutionarily mad a hip-hop hit about same sex love have shown that the topic of one’s rhymes does not have to be something rough and tough. Keep it true!  

Article:

McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege:Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." 1989. <http://www.nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp_lW7yYgiM

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Identification to Representation

Although it’s not perfect, I think many will agree that the representation of the LGBTQ community in music has come a long way. As Brett and Wood point out in their article “Lesbian and Gay Music,” over the years, music has moved from giving the community an identity first to then to an actual representation. Works such as The Changer and The Changed, an album by Cris Williamson, gave a voice to lesbian relationships and then later we saw artists like Madonna showcasing aspects of gay culture through songs like “Vogue.” (‘Voguing’ is a form of dance that originated in the New York gay club scene in the 1980s)

However, with representations like Madonna’s “Vogue” we only see the flamboyant, feminine depiction of gay men. In recent years, Adam Lambert has emerged as one of the most successful openly gay pop artists of the moment after coming in second place on American Idol with guyliner in full swing. Early on, he caught a lot of grief for his overly sexualized performances and very feminine form of glam rock, but his latest album shows us another side. Yes, he’s still wearing nail polish and plenty of powder, but we see more of his vocal range and the fun atmosphere of his song than his sexuality.

Lambert also comes to serve as a new representation of gay as opposed to a definition. We now see that gay men are capable of being successful pop stars period, not just gay singers. In this respect, we see artists like Frank Ocean carving out spots within the hip-hop community as well. If that’s not progress, I don’t know what is.

Article:

Brett, Phillip and Elizabeth Wood. "Lesbian and Gay Music." Electronic Musicology Review. Volume VII. December 2012. 

http://www.rem.ufpr.br/_REM/REMv7/Brett_Wood/Brett_and_Wood.html#III.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JsSXv1t9M4

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The Color of Music

The discussion of whether your musical taste shapes who you are is a much debated topic. In an article by Cecilia Torres, she argues that the construction of social identity is made up in part by our musical choices and tastes, and I would have to agree. The music you listen to is a part of you, but it doesn’t necessarily define you. Through my love of everything from Queen to Kendrick Lamar, I prove this to be true; you can’t put me in a box!

Although many have come to believe that a person cannot be defined by music, music itself is still often defined using very narrow characteristics. We tend to label genres like country and alternative rock as “white music” and R&B and soul music as “black music.” In “Stereo Types,” a web series that takes place on the streets of New York City, many try not to define music by color, before they admit that it’s there and pick their team.

One can argue that the source of the “music as a color” argument lies in the origins of each genre, but as each type of music has become so diverse I would venture to say that there are no such colors. You can’t really call soul music “black” with artists like Adele and Robin Thicke around and big number of non-black fans that it’s attracting. So if we can’t define a person by their music, why define music by a color?

Article:

Torres, Cecilia A. R. "The Construction of Identity and Musical Identities: A Literature Review." <http://www-usr.rider.edu/~vrme/v11n1/vision/Torres.Final.06.pdf>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGBnOZ43vJM

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Sadistic Delight

Robert Wright’s description of Marilyn Manson’s persona as sadistic delight pretty much sums up my feelings about outrageously dark musical acts like him. Through the blood splattering and dark makeup, fans find a certain joy in the twisted nature of it all and the sheer horror of the act. For what reason, I will never know, but it seems as though the act is more important than whatever it may represent.

We can first see this through appearance. Manson’s stark white face powder and dark makeup create this persona right off the bat that grabs your attention. Then we hear his dark, sexualized lyrics that complete the shock factor. In an interview with Bill O’Reilly, Manson said that his ultimate goal is to get people to think about things in a different way rather than promoting violence or anything satanic- his performance is meant to shock you into an epiphany.

However, when shocking acts leads to imitation, the situation gets serious. Manson falls into the same category as gangster rappers who promote violence when he glorifies self-mutilation, and other destructive acts in the name of art. Now, I’m all for the argument that it’s a parent’s job to teach their children right from wrong, but Manson takes it a little far. Manson may be a satirist of sorts, but his art is a bit destructive.

Article:

Wright, Robert. "'I'd Sell You Suicide': Pop Music and Moral Panic in the Age of Marilyn Manson." Popular Music. Volume 19. Number 3. October 2000.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6n5Oi4714o

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Dangerous Music

At the peak of 80s gangster rap, NWA was named the World’s Most Dangerous Group. Between their violence praising lyrics, anti-police stance and menacing jerry curls, many regarded their music and its message as a threat to society and everyone’s welfare. When they released songs like “Fuck Tha Police” and “Straight Outta Compton,” The LAPD and even the FBI put up their guards.

However, I’ve always found it a little hard to believe that their music would actually be the thing that sends someone over the edge. Of course people and children especially, can be influenced by the music the listen to and the images they see. But there are much bigger factors that determine actual action. No one will hear a NWA song on the radio and suddenly leave their perfectly stable life because they have the revelation that tells them that they need to perform some act of violence as quickly as possible.

As seen in Fried’s article about musical stereotypes, other factors such as person’s background and mental state have a significant bearing on rap’s violent affects are valid. So, instead of basing our concern so much on the music and its content, perhaps we should pay attention to the people that consume it and the capabilities- ultimately, it’s about what hands these violent or “dangerous” ideas end up in. So, enjoy the NWA classic, “Straight Outta Compton” and try not to get too riled up.   

Article:

Fried, Carrie. "Stereotypes of Music Fans: Are Rap and Heavy Metal Fans a Danger to Themselves or Others?" Journal of Media Psychology. Volume 8.Number 3. Fall 2003.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MrQtOoQRpc

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White Power Music

No matter how many times I re-read Corte and Edwards’ article about white power music, I will never actually understand it. I get the concepts presented, but I will never actually find any validity in the idea of white power music. I suppose because it’s largely racist and hateful. However, what troubles me the most is the fact that racist groups like the British National Front chose to use something like music to impose their views upon people, since it can be so influential.

Bono of U2 once said, “Music can change the world, because it can change people,” and it’s so true. Lyrics have a way of sticking in our brains to the beat of a hypnotic beat and when those lyrics are about hate, they can obviously be dangerous. For this reason, I was horrified that bands like Screwdriver would spread their views by using such an influential art form. (In my opinion, it was also a misuse since their music actually sounds like crap)

I’ve always thought of music as a positive thing and as a means of bringing people together for the common good. This is why I couldn’t help but think of the Black Power Movement when the topic was first presented. The Black Power Movement was a way to lift up the black community instead of pushing down others and the music that went along with it proclaimed that the oppressed community actually had strength and worth. (This is also why I don’t understand the White Power Movement- if whites are the majority, why is there a need to reclaim power if they’ve always had it?) Here, music uses its powers to spread a positive message instead of a hateful one.

I really hope that there aren’t more bands like Screwdriver emerging today. It’s 2013, so I’d like to think that we’ve evolved at least that much. But because music has the power to change minds and the world, I’m hoping that people aren’t still trying to change them for the worst.

Article:

Corte, Ugo and Bob Edwards. "White Power music and the mobilization of racist social movements." Music and Arts in Action, Volume 1, Issue 1. June 2008.

https://blackboard.syr.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_3_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_256826_1%26url%3D

Quote: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/bono141199.html

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The P!nk Riot

It’s still pretty evident that the music scene and society itself is still pretty misogynistic. We see women constantly objectified by men in music videos and are even sexualized in their own music. However, even deeper issues like rape and body image have been important topics among women and feminists as well. As Kristin Schilt pointed out in her article, “’A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians,” the female punk scene has been instrumental in bringing these issues to the forefront in a very bold way.

Schilt talks about the passion that bands like Riot Grrrl had about feminist issues that led them to write “slut” and “rape” on their bodies while they performed and even publish zines that served as safe spaces to talk about such topics. Bands like Riot Grrrl and even more modern artists like Alanis Morrisete and Fiona Apple were labeled “Angry Women” and their kind of music was seen as eye-opening and revolutionary, but they were treated like a joke by the media. Due to major label backing and their pop, cross-over audience, they were able to be pretty successful, but they were always labeled as those angry chicks that the media told parents to hide their daughters from.

One of the biggest stars today that riots just as much as these girls is P!nk. Her career has taken off with hit after hit since the early 2000s and her voice for female empowerment has not wavered. However, she stands apart from artists like Riot Grrrl for the fact that she’s not so much an angry woman as she is a cynical satirist.

In her hit “Stupid Girls,” instead of forcefully combating body image and eating disorders, she shows us how absurd they can be. In my opinion, these are the things that stick in your head and actually give more of an impact. P!nk has proved that to talk about these issues you have to give a little more than music with a message; you need a great catchy song, a visual that sticks in our head (like her making fun of nearly every popular female celebrity in her video) and a lot of talent. Although she presents herself as a tough chick, we’re not threatened by her appearance (she’s a Cover Girl for Pete’s sake!) and even men won’t scare away from her music because it’s so dang catchy.

So with her amazing voice and sassy attitude P!nk has found a way to maneuver around traditional female convention, and her 3 Grammys, 19 top twenty hits and growing fan base proves it.

Article:

Schilt, Kristin. "‘A Little Too Ironic’: The Appropriation and Packaging of Riot Grrrl Politics by Mainstream Female Musicians." The University of California Los Angeles. 01 Dec 2010.

<https://blackboard.syr.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_2801131_1%26course_id%3D_256826_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR4yQFZK9YM

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Doing it Like a Dude

In Francessca Brittan’s article about female Elvis impersonators, she points out the fact it’s not too hard to imagine a woman imitating a man since Elvis was an imitator himself. His revolutionary form off rock and roll was heavily influenced by R&B and soul music and as he performed in his signature hip-gyrating dances, he was said to be mimicking artists like James Brown and Little Richard.

But Brittan also says that Elvis’ whole persona is an imitation or performance of what a man is supposed to be. So once you perfect his sexualized dance moves, curl your lip and have his macho way of talking and moving down, you’re Elvis, you’re the King! However, since Elvis is mimicking man and Elvis impersonators can so easily become him; does this mean that the definition of man can be reduced to a simple list of gestures and traits? According to media and society, apparently so.

Through music especially, we’ve come to represent what it is to be a dude by a set of crotch grabbing, obscene gestures; case in point: Jessie J’s “Do it Like a Dude.” In this song, Jessie points out the fact that she can easily ‘become’ a man just by talking, dressing and dancing a certain way. The song’s pretty catchy but “doing it like a dude” has to include more than a nasty face and crotch grabbing, right? Well, through more diverse representations of masculinity like Adam Lambert, who brings the homosexual male to light and even Drake who has popularized sensitive hip-hop in recent years, we’ve seen that that just isn’t true. However, since Elvis’ reign as the King so many years ago up until Jessie’s hit, the over-arching masculine characteristics that are present in society are stereotypical, outdated and easy to define and imitate.

Article:

Brittan, Francesca. "Women Who "Do Elvis": Authenticity, Masculinity and Masquerade." Cornell University and Queens’ College, Cambridge.

<https://blackboard.syr.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_2801131_1%26course_id%3D_256826_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue>

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOf3kYtwASo

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Tupac and Beiber Fever

Tupac was a complicated man. According to Iwamoto’s article on hyper-masculinity, he’s the epitome of manliness through his thuggish persona and threatening lyrics in songs like “Hit Em Up.” But before that we saw a softer, socially conscious side with songs like “Keep Your Head Up.” Tupac actually got his start as a part of the rap group Digital Underground who’re famous for “The Humpty Dance” in the early 90s.

There was nothing thuggish going on as Pac danced around with a guy wearing a plastic nose, or when he starred in movies like Poetic Justice and Juice where he showed his emotional side. So what caused Tupac to turn into the ‘dangerous’ rapper that he was legendarily known as?

The violent threats that surrounded him obviously must’ve prompted the dis records and gun toting. However, as Iwamoto states, society’s pressure to define masculinity through rough and tough stereotypes was definitely a factor. This trend is even seen today in society- just look at Justin Beiber.

Now I know Justin Beiber and Tupac are nowhere near being one in the same, but their journeys are kind of similar. Justin Beiber started off as a flippy haired, YouTube sensation with an extremely high voice. Then, only a few years later, he’s being known for fighting with paparazzi and taking racy pictures in a hospital beds. It is clear that a major factor in Beiber’s wild behavior is pressure from society. Now that he’s growing up and looking for an adult audience, his desire to be portrayed as a man is growing even more, which is why he snapped when a photographer called him a bitch- he had to protect his manhood.

So just like Tupac, Justin Beiber is an example of society’s power to turn once harmless and upstanding men into ‘dangerous’ figures. In saying this, we realize that society's pressures have the power to not only change audience's perception of an artist through the image they reflect, but it also has the power to change an artist's motives.

Article:

Iwamoto, Derek. "Tupac Shakur: Understanding the Identity Formation of Hyper- Masculinity of a Popula Hip-Hop Artist." The Black Scholar. Volume 33, Number 2. 2003.

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