qiantmyers

[qiantmyers]

Week 10: "Black Metal and Praise Breaks: Ecstasy, Rupture, and the Mosh Pit"

DUE TO THEIR BEING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF CHARACTERS I COULD USE FOR THESE TYPES OF POST, HERE'S A LINK TO A GOOGLE DOC THAT COVERS THIS TOPIC:

[qiantmyers]

Week 9: The Shift Toward Commercialization: The Capitalist Co-Opting of Rap

Yes I do believe that the commercialization of rap has honestly and sadly betrayed its roots by putting one’s own wealth and capitalist principles over collective struggles of the urban poor. Once upon a time, rap was a form of resistance. It originally came from the streets of neighborhoods such as the Bronx, where colored people, particularly black people who used music to speak truth to power. The artist Public Enemy’s song “Fight the Power” and Grandmaster Flash “The message” were amongst the songs that really helped to expose police brutality, racism, and inequality. The urban hardships of poverty, neglect and brutality were mentioned and expressed in rap, which acted as a collective voice. However, when rap started to become more popular and growing in the 90s, its focus started to shift, majorly. Labels and companies started to support artists who rather prioritize luxurious things, materials, and individual success after seeing that rap had a huge financial potential. The hustle out of nowhere started to become more about making money, oftentimes at the expense of the community rather than facing oppression in a systematic fashion. Rappers such as Jay-Z and Diddy created a very successful image of themselves that was much more aligned with capitalist principles than Justice for everyone. The new narrative of rap to make sure you own fancy cars, fancy clothing, and hold millions of dollars in your bank account. Rap’s original purpose was really damaged and compromised by this huge change. Rather than fighting for more public power, it started to promote a sense that only some individuals are going to be able to escape poverty through fame and wealth, and everyone cannot come out on top. The elevation of personal wealth has also really had a lot of negative effects. It really overlooks the systemic challenges that most of black communities to this day still have to face and also promotes the idea of excellence, which especially claims that any and everyone can be successful if they work at becoming successful hard enough. It tells kids that success also means to abandon their society rather than helping/improving it, and it converts systemic issues into individual failures. All in all, rap’s commercialization has often come at the cost of the genre’s heart, even though it has really helped and elevated certain individuals to become wealthy and famous. The main emphasis on personal financial success has overgrown the main idea of empowerment, unity and resistance. What used to really allow voice to the voiceless is now often used to promote materialism and champagne. This is not growth, it is betrayal.

Week 9: The Funk of Invisibility, Social Death and Optimism

In the most simplest way possible, funk music easily represents a very extreme kind of promise despite societal death. Funk puts a huge emphasis on rhythm, joy and visibility as tools of resistance, which in all honesty challenges the suffering and misery that Black communities have to face and experience rather than just simply disguising it. Funk responds to Afro-pessimism’s idea that Black life is truly defined by elimination and absence with inescapable movement, music, and joy. Considering the Soul Train Line which was a nationwide broadcast, which at that time Black individuals were constantly and commonly left out of popular stories, promoted a lot of unapologetic black joy, inventiveness and style. Put it like this, imagine many rent parties, which acted as acts of survival, resiliency and friendship as well as being an alleyway to escape. The joyful and vibrant rhythms of funk were used as statements of existence instead of idle distractions. We feel. We grow. If you really pay attention to funk, you can tell that funk really understands that Black grief is so real. Matter of fact, it turns pain easily into motion, into something real lively and very vibrant, into something groovy. That change is an act of power, not an act of disguise. Funk humbly makes Blackness super memorable in a world that really wants to wipe it out completely. This is revolutionized through the use of rhythm, not just hope.

Feedback: Tom Nguyen "Hi Qiant, I love how you mention that rhythm and joy were used as tools of survival and resistance, to challenge the misery and dire situations that were faced with joy and happiness is extremely powerful. I also love how you connected the rent parties being acts of friendship being its own way of resistance. In bleak moments that the black communities had to face during this time, it's important to be optimistic and use joy to help shape not only the present, but also the future. Good work!"

[qiantmyers]

Week 8: Blog Post #4 "Doom City: Funk, Rap, and the Rhythms of Geo-Logical Resistance"

Chicago

The amazing city long known as the “Heart of the Midwest,” Chicago was super important to the fall and development of the U.S. This city witnessed huge financial shifts in the late 20th century, especially in the communities of color on the West and South sides, after previously being an abundance of stockyards, steel mills and factory jobs. These cities were hugely affected by industrialization, and music developed as an important outlet for cultural resistance and expression. Both rap and funk, which really have foundation in Black Americans lived experiences, grew into platforms for documenting injustice, envisioning possibilities for the future, and even honoring survival. Though this song was not made in Chicago, I feel as if James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” had a huge influence on the city’s tunes. Generations of artists from Chicago have really depended on that song’s unique breakbeat, which is probably one of the most sampled beats in hip hop history. MCs were able to communicate the truth above the background noise of societal errors by using that amazingly deep, irregular rhythm as a tool of challenge. Common’s song “The Corner” a rapper out of Chicago hugely honors the urban rioters, regular residents that lived in the neighborhood and street philosophers, portraying their sense of rhythmic challenge. In this song Common made which when he made it, was supported by a beautiful soulful beat, talks alot about what it is like to live after being left behind financially: “the corner was our magic, our music , our politics”. The song then emphasizes how the communities still kept their roots even though they were losing their jobs left to right and violence was on a rise, Turning the corner into a sacred place where culture thrives amidst hardship. Chicago’s economic status is also brought into today by a rapper named Noname who created a song labeled “Blaxploitation”. Rap’s spoken word urgency and funk’s rhythm were both brought to life in the song's complex jazzy and rhymes, chopped up funky sound. Noname really uses an amazing poetic, meditative tone to make sure to attack state violence, stereotypes and materialism. Chicago's music chore is also really known for its creativity, which is seen in her approach. The song's title refers to a genre that has previously benefited and profited from Black culture, but Noname makes sure to take it back, turning the narrative into a more conscious and self aware kind of protest. Chicago’s industrialized decline left so much more than just emptied warehouses; it also left an entire generation struggling with widespread jail time, underfunded public systems and poverty. The city’s funk and rap culture is hugely influenced because of these facts. Chicago’s scenes culture wise, created places of resistance and resilience, from politically heated open mics at centers in many different communities to house parties on the South side. The music still to this day continues as both resistance and documentation, whether it’s Noname dismantling systemic racism, or Common remembering the corner. Funk and rap rhythms act as survival methods in addition to being different kinds of music. Funk’s mesmerizing grooves demand attention while rap’s sharp and crucial lyrics question the status of things. But at the end of it all they both serve as an overall soundtrack for a city that has really struggled to be respected for decades.

https://youtu.be/AoQ4AtsFWVM?feature=sharedLinks to an external site.JAMES BROWN FUNKY DRUMMER 

https://youtu.be/uT3uK24vL6w?feature=sharedLinks to an external site.NONAME BLAXPLOITATION

https://youtu.be/6mnKNr2Tiq8?feature=sharedLinks to an external site.COMMON THE CORNER

[qiantmyers]

Week 7: Cult-Nat vs Freaky Deke

According to Greg Tate, the battle between “Cult-Nat” and “Freaky-Deke” ideas of Black freedom is mostly about trying to really understand how both exist inside Black cultural expression than it is about choosing one over the other. The Harlem cultural festival reflects the idea of a Cult-Nat , which is that blackness is very proud, sacred and purposeful, through its festivities and celebrations of creative brilliance, dignity and political consciousness. On the other hand, Freaknik emphasizes the Freaky-Deke blackness as unrepentantly happy, impulsive and often disorderly. In my own opinion, there are choices connected with both ideas, but neither one of them is more incorrect or correct than the other. Sometimes, Cult-Nat opinions and beliefs can really start to become too rigid or respectability focused, criticizing Black freedom manifestations that fault to “look” right or rebellious enough. Though being releasing in its unwillingness to be monitored or enforced, Freaky-Deke society can often lead issues socially when freedom starts to turn more into recklessness or carelessness or even when misogyny and consumerism are allowed to continue to exist and not be challenged. However, both are super soul expressions, one as transform while the other as legacy. In my opinion, soul is both an essence to be honored and a performer to be influenced. The specific freedom that both Freaky-Dekes and Cult-Nats are looking for in many ways has been limited and restricted by control, thereby no one group or individual should posses the authority the decide and determine what “true” Blackness is. At the end of all this, maybe letting these two viewpoints criticize eachother and consequently expanding the definition of Black freedom, is harder than attempting to reconcile them. 

Feedback: Tom Nguyen "Hi Qiant, I agree with the stance that neither one of Cult-Nat or Freaky-Deke are more important than another, rather it is their coexistence that allows for black art expressions to continue to grow and thrive. I also stand by the fact that Freaky-Deke would be the more controversial of the two. With the idea of Freaky-deke being to completely disregard respectability, a lot of Freaky-deke expressions can seem as reckless and looked down upon by the general public. They both approach the freedom of black expression in different ways and in order to keep the idea of being free, there shouldn't be one approach that dictates a correct way on how to do so".

Doraly Perez "Hi Qiant, I agree with you that Cult-Nat can be too rigid or respectability focused. I think because I see as a form of assimilation which is why I can't get behind it although there is a place for it. I think you are right to say these two viewpoints should criticize each other and that might help expend Black freedom. However as I said in my post I think people need to unite and go against white supremacy together and put the other stuff aside for now".

[qiantmyers]

Week 6: Blog Post #3 Soul Studies Prompt

I chose to select Marvin Gaye’s legendary performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the NBA All-Star Game in the year of 1983 for my Soul Studied blog post. I found this performance to have been extremely moving because of its tremendous depth of emotion, unique interpretation and the way it is able to reinvent national identity within a soul centered point of view. 

 Personal Connection

A traditional national song has been transformed into a very deeply personal and passionate statement in Gaye’s rendition, which really makes his song stand out. His use of R&B styling and drum machines provide the song with a very intimate, modern, and revolutionary vibe. His performance challenges established perceptions and invites listeners to connect with the song in greater detail and meaningfully. 

 Soul and Body Connection 

 Through his physical performance, Gaye effectively represents the anthem's fundamental ideas of justice, freedom and identity. He conveys confidence and desire with his singing style, which is really defined by expressive inflections and melimatic runs. The anthems main targets are very real and super emotional because of the patient and sweet swinging of his entire body and his closed eyes during his time of performance, which really shows a strong personal connection to the music being played and performed. 

 Existential and Phenomenological Analysis

Existentialism: The existential quest for real and purpose is also shown in Gaye’s legendary performance. He dismisses traditional limits and declares his unique freedom by bringing his own style into the song. A huge subject in the philosophy of existence, the struggle between collective identity and individuality is emphasized by the act of individual expression during a national event. 

 Phenomenology: In terms of phenomenology, Gaye’s performance changes the anthems' real life meaning. The song evolves from an average nationalistic practice into a very powerful, shared experience of emotion by Gaye’s fiery performance and bodily presence. The swinging, praise and passionate participation of the audience shows how his performance changed the song's impact and meaning. 

 Philosophical Exploration

 Gaye’s performance promotes reflection of national identity and freedom. His genuine rendition provides an image of a nation that emphasizes emotional genuineness, individuality and variety. By integrating Buddhist ideas such as interconnectedness and impermanence, the performance emphasizes the passing yet strong nature of shared emotions and can be seen as a short but significant connection between the audience and the artist. 

 Creativity

 I can’t help but find myself thinking about how one powerful NFL player at the time named Colin Kaepernick, who also used the anthem as an opportunity for speaking out against inequality, while listening to Gaye’s song today. The amount of harsh criticism he faced shows how tightly people hold on to their view of “America” but Gaye’s song acts as an example that there is a different America that relies on soul, expression and suffering. 

 Overall, Marvin Gaye’s legendary 1983 performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” extends far beyond an ordinary song performance to turn into an emotionally charged reflection on identity, freedom, and the experience that everyone shared. In addition to reinventing the song with his unique rendition, Gaye delivered a powerful note on the shifting American experience. 

[qiantmyers]

Week 5: Cosmic Utopia VS Earthly Struggles

Sun Ra’s image of space in the videos “Outer Space Employment Agency” and "Space is the Place” honestly and genuinely provide a huge powerful and effective point for freedom. According to Sun Ra black individuals have the ability to reconstruct their life’s while being in space, free from white supremacy and oppression that happened long ago, and they may also use their time being at this location to spend time alone, away from everyone and the real world. This type of god gifted escape door really demolishes a huge number of earthly limitations such as poverty, racism and even capitalism. I believe that this is the perfect scenario to show an important argument which is, are we the people able to ignore the misery and injustice happening as we speak by focusing solely on a utopian future. Though Sun Ra’s perception is very powerful, motivating and inspiring to many individuals particularly those who are angry, disappointed and even struggling by the flaws of the earthly systems, there still is a huge chance that it will also encourage many individuals to want to focus on their goals of departing rather than getting themselves into everyday events they don’t deserve to be in. This disparity has really been made clear by Elon Musk’s aspirations for interplanetary. His main concept of space travel as a backup plan for the wealthy individuals relies solely on making a profit and also making sure the existence of those in need, instead of freedom. Musk's suggestions, like increasing the accessibility to Mars and limiting space travel for certain individuals, are often unrealistic and really do not have any impact on the areas that are mostly affected by economic inequality, organizational violence and climate change. This actually means that without a strong and clear commitment to justice, the exploration of space honestly has a good amount of potential to either worsen current injustices or maybe even make them worse then what they currently are. However, Sun Ra’s ideas can be linked with practical changes if we actually see them as a structure for accomplishing freedom and not as an actual retreat. Regaining creativity, agency and dignity is the main goal of the video “ Outer Space Employment Agency” idea, which is far beyond labor. By making sure to highlight Black reality and imagination, Sun Ra really hopes and craves for individuals to see themselves as a way that goes way beyond the limited positions that the outside world places on them, or forces them to be in. I feel as though in order to successfully achieve both instant justice and major change, community collaboration needs to be the main foundation of creative thinking. The itch for space needs to be a source of inspiration and not a simple attempt at avoiding organizing on Earth. We can also really employ theoretical concepts in order to support effective solutions as long as we create and keep strong commitment to structural change and unity. 

[qiantmyers]

Week 4: Dead People, Dead Jazz

Jazz, Social Death, and the Spirit of Black Resistance: 

Miles Davis was talking about a much deeper issue about how black culture is perceived by the dominant population when he stated that jazz was dead. This idea obtains significant meaning when seen through the respective lenses of Moten’s Black Optimism and Wilderson’s Afropessimism. Jazz transcended tone and evolved into an analogy for Black existence, which is vibrant and super creative in soul yet seen by the majority of people as culturally “dead”. According to Wilderson’s Afropessimism, black individuals are excluded from humanism by white capitalist systems and remain in an environment of permanent social death. Jazz has also been transformed and criticized. It lost its freedom, extreme edge and rawness once it was absorbed into popular culture. Therefore, Black life’s continuous separation from dominant systems which is a kind of non relationality is expressed by jazz’s called “death. Henry Dumas’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, which argues the “circle” of Blackness lives beyond the framework of white society, clearly mirrors this. White people come across anything strange, possibly harmful, as they reach this area. Jazz flourishes outside of capitalist systems of value, just like Dumas’s coterie does. Therefore, its death represents a refusal which is a struggle towards being consumed, rather than disappearing. However, Motens Black Optimism gives us another viewpoint. Despite being excluded, Black culture refuses, shifts and adapts. A possible way to look at jazz’s “death” could be defined as a rejection to be accepted, a way of living outside of the frameworks that attempt to govern it. It's an escapee, not dead. It haunts places it should not: jam sessions, basements, songs containing many samples, and shared memories. Is the circle actually broken? Or has jazz just avoided mainstream culture with the goal to keep its community, resistance, and spirit? I believe that Davis was encouraging all of us to devote more of our attention to what lingers and look beneath what is easily seen. 

[qiantmyers]

Week 3: Review and Reflect

Title of Blog Post 1: Finding Myself in the Blues

Feedback Given: “Call It Stormy Monday” by T-Bone Walker really strengthen Jefferey’s analysis of the mental strain of adapting to the real world after college and the peace he goes through in the midst of social needs. The lyrical representation of everyday difficulties and the feeling of getting caught in an ongoing cycle of hardship are two elements of this song that perfectly express the Blues Aesthetic. The song's lyric, “They call it Stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad…,” goes perfectly with Jeffrey’s ideas on the pause in uncertainty and progress. It could give his description of feeling stuck a little more depth. Connecting this could show how the blues are not just expressing but they are also periodic, expressing the truth of societal and emotional stagnation. The song’s very sluggish, sad rhythm and repetitions mirror the mental cycle Jeffrey is currently in. Amiri Baraka’s poem “An Agony. As Now” can be a very effective partner to improve this thought. The lyrics “I am inside someone who hates me,” and “I look out from his eyes…” are lyrics that show inner conflict and emotional purgatory. This is very similar to the instability that Jeffrey talks about, in which personality is simultaneously forming and dissolving under stress. The poem's honest description of emotional fatigue and separation from oneself matches Walker's song mental cycle. By combining both of these amazing pieces you could really see how the blues aesthetic usually reveals not only suffering but also the physiological part of it too. 

Title of Blog Post 2: Adding a Bluey, Blue Lens onto Modern Day Oppression

Feedback Given: Tom’s post talks about structural injustices and emotional strains in modern society. By emphasizing the Double Consciousness idea “Downhearted Blues” by Bessie Smith could really act as a strong contrast to the section on mental health and social media. Smith’s lyric, “Trouble, trouble, I’ve had it all my days,” in the song Downhearted Blues, conveys an endless internal dispute, somewhat like the battle many currently fight between their real selves and the online identities they portray. Including this song could strengthen Tom’s point concerning the unseen cost of controlled worlds. This duality of being one person outdoors and another person indoors is a modern version of W.E.B. Du Bois’s double consciousness. It also really shows how feelings conflict continues throughout the years regardless of changes in the media. Reginald Harris poem “The Cab Driver Who Ripped Me Off” is one of the poems for this week that I think would really strengthen this connection. This poem gives a very sharp critique on how judgment and prejudice based on status intensify the same physiological disparity in order to move the topic at hand. Despair for the poor is obvious in the cab driver’s expression, which really devalues them by combining their misery with apathy.  For example, "That ain't work." Do you believe that to be work? Work is defined as "something you do that's of value to someone else." This emphasizes how only labor that satisfies capitalist standards is given societal value. This poem captures the brutality of systemic power and the ease with which society may suppress empathy. When combined with Eady's poetry, Tom's criticism of contemporary emotional strain gains even greater impact. The cab driver's dehumanizing tone is reminiscent of today's digital culture, when people, particularly online, tend to dismiss other people's suffering as weakness or failure. Tom's argument that the blues are not only about personal sorrow but also about systemic cruelty masquerading as normalcy may be strengthened by combining the poem with the music.

Feedback Received By Deon Cavitt:

Title of Blog Post 2: Blues Isn't Just a Sound, It’s My Reflection in the Mirror

When Qiant writes about the relationship between blues and how it puts music to words he can’t always describe, I think of the term “The blues aesthetic.” The whole purpose of the blues aesthetic is to help match emotions to an experience guided by words. A song that I feel puts words to an experience that is hard to explain unless you have been there is Id rather go blind by Etta James. This song may not necessarily exemplify both sorrow and optimism completely. But the sorrow in the song is matched by the optimism in expression and getting the emotions out in a healthy way and I really feel that every time I hear it.

Feedback Received By Daniel Matagi:

Blues Isn’t Just a Sound, It’s My Reflection in the Mirror – Qiant Myers: Qiant’s post is powerful and honest. They connect their struggles with mental health, money, and love to the blues in a really moving way. The songs they chose—Sinner’s Prayer, The Sky Is Crying, and Bring It On Home to Me—match those feelings perfectly. The idea of Afro-Pessimism comes through clearly in how they describe poverty and feeling stuck, and Cultural Memory shows up in how they see their pain as part of a larger story. A song like I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James could add to the love and heartbreak theme, giving even more depth. Qiant’s writing feels real, like the blues itself.

[qiantmyers]

Week 2: Syncopation and The Downbeat

Blues isn’t Just a Sound, it’s My Reflection in the Mirror

When I was struggling to find words, music was always my outlet because it really spoke to me. Instead of whispering, blues music just seems to shout loudly enough to trigger something in me to explode. Sam Cook’es “Bring it On Home to Me,” Ray Charles’s “Sinner’s Prayer,” and Elmore James' “The Sky is Crying” did not sound like songs at first. They sounded more like pieces taken right from my own story. More than that, they provided my problems with mental health, money and love a feeling of vitality and rhythm. Each song recalled a different part of my struggle. 

A Cry for Peace: Ray Charles’s “Sinner’s Prayer” and My Mental Health

Ray’s lyrics “Lord, have mercy if you please” instantly brought back bad memories of many nights laying in bed, awake at five in the morning, replaying talks, regrets and anxieties about the days to come like an endless loop. This song felt way more than just some blues song; it was something that I had never mentioned out loud before. Sometimes, especially when I’m in school, I can’t tell if I’m filled with sadness or just exhausted. I sometimes pretend that everything is going to be okay, as I walk around the campus with my earphones on and this sad song is just playing over and over. I have personally gone through the silence treatment, which is not always talked about or available in nowadays communities. When Ray sings this song it seems like he is attempting to keep his composure, even just for one simple day, when he sings with his cracked, broken voice. This is exactly how I have been feeling, not fixed but just still standing. 

The Weight of Poverty: “The Sky is Crying” and Childhood 

While I was growing up, I witnessed my mom work very long hours and still have to pick between buying groceries for the house so we could eat or pay the light bill. It feels like opening the front door on a cold stormy morning after the power had been shut off when Elmore James starts with that first note. The tone in the guitar conveys a sense of quiet sorrow and distress. One Christmas I could remember, me and my siblings had only just three presents each, wrapped up in grocery bags and a very small tree. It wasn’t till I witnessed many other kids comparing and contrasting gifts that I began to start feeling poor and broken. The sky began to start screaming and crying in my head at that very point. The continuous wait for matters to change is much more important than just not having enough money for things. The blues let us, the people, wait in the rain until you’ve experienced every drop of rain, rather than just informing you that it’s raining. 

Regret in Love: Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” 

When you’ve accidentally hurt someone that you really cared about, Sam Cooke’s tone of voice sounds very unique. I messed up a perfect relationship because I was super scared of being observed too closely, and when listening to this song, it really reminds me of this situation. I remember making an apology letter which I never ended up sending, but never knew why; all I knew was that I had let something so great slip right by me. I could really feel Sam’s voice shifting between sadness and pride. Black men aren’t usually taught how to communicate feelings such as “I was wrong” or “I miss you” without hiding these feelings behind their ego. All in all, this song is the perfect voicemail that I never got the courage to send. 

Conclusion: My Blues, My Story

These beautiful blues songs aren’t just background tunes. These songs serve as a memory, my mirror and my therapy. I listen to these songs very often since coming across them and found that they are my therapy that I could never afford. I really learned from blues music that I am not lonely in my own struggle. It’s an element of a bigger story that has been retold for many decades. You are going to hear more than sorrow if you really pay careful attention. Resilience will be engraved in you like a beat. 

[qiantmyers]

Week 1: Blues Journal

Life sometimes can feel like a nonstop juggling act and right now in my life that’s exactly how it feels. I feel as if I’m juggling a bunch of things that are weighing down on me but there are three things that weigh on me the most and they are: school, trying to figure out my basketball career, and feeling exhausted. Balancing academics, while at the same time trying to figure out what is best for my basketball career leaves me feeling exhausted most days of the week. 

1.School - “Trouble in Mind” by Nina Simone

This song really resonates to me because it captures a feeling of being tired, exhausted and overwhelmed but at the same time still having a little bit of hope. Similarly to how I cope with the pressures of schoolwork and obligations, the lyrics in the song create a feeling of heavy responsibility while also touching at perseverance. There’s also an idea that better times will come even through all the stress. 

2.Basketball Career Decision - “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” by Bessie Smith

My decision between staying in college to continue to play ball or going pro relates to this song’s story of uncertainty and struggles. Just like my own personal situation, this song really reflects on the importance of maintaining respect and keeping steadiness while also showing the fear of risking all for an opportunity at success. 

3. Exhaustion - “Tired of Being Alone” by Al Green

Even though this song’s main topic is about feeling alone, the raw passion and feeling of need speak to how drained and exhausted I have been feeling lately. It’s about seeking change and feeling stuck in a cycle of exhaustion, which is comparable to what I’m experiencing, trying to fight and fight day after day.