Political Rap and Boogie Down Productions
In the fall of 1987, Scott la Rock, the DJ of the rap group Boogie Down Productions (B-D-P) was shot in a car after trying to break up a fight (Small 77). In light of B-D-P's role in reforming rap in the succeeding years, his biography is significant; he was college educated and was employed--in addition to his musical activity--as a social worker. He had released a groundbreaking record that year, and had already worked on a follow-up, which would defy older categories of rap music. His violent death seemed a cause for pause to reflect on rap music's new direction.
The effect on the other member of B-D-P, the rapper K-R-S One (Chris Parker), was devastating but quickened his mission. Nearly two years after the murder, he preached against black-on-black crime, promoting education, spirituality and vegetarianism. Rap had to be political and it required self-denial, even asceticism; he had made rap music an extremely serious endeavor.
Enlightened rap seemed poised to enjoy mainstream popularity. But something about its message did not capture the popular imagination, and it has remained a sub-genre. Conversely, the highly materialistic rap that was popular when B-D-P appeared in 1987, glorifying jewelry, cars and brand names, is in vogue again. However, B-D-P--vintage B-D-P--enjoys a paradoxically respected position. This is strange because in some respects B-D-P's version of political rap was stricter than the other groups that comprised the so-called New School, the consciousness-raised groups that followed in his path. Something about B-D-P's asceticism had an edge that made it strangely attractive. I wish to explore this ambiguity.
K-R-S One was the guiding force of B-D-P, writing its lyrics and producing its albums. He is generally regarded as the popular artist who, along with Chuck D of Public Enemy, politicized rap in the middle 'eighties. It is well known that popular rap was capable of political content from its earliest beginnings. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released both "The Message" (1982) and "White Lines" (Don't Do It) (1983), the first a lament about ghetto life and the second a powerful indictment of cocaine (then called "freebase"), well before crack became a mainstream epidemic. Run-DMC rapped in "Hard Times" about the early 'eighties inflation economy.
Of course, the political discourse of rap music has been pointed out before, but almost always in exalted form.
He allegedly quit his job for the disrespect that his boss was giving three innocent girls who happened to be wearing bathing suits when there mom asked them to go into the store for some snacks. He was brave and a big hero for what he did in this story. After what Lengel said to the girls Sammy protested and said, “The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say ‘I quit’ to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (204). The girls just kept on walking though as if they didn’t hear anything. When Lengel finally heard what Sammy said Lengel replied with, “Did you say something Sammy?” (204) Sammy went ahead and repeated himself, “I said I quit. You didn’t have to embarrass them” (204). As the protagonist Sammy really stuck to his gut feeling and did the right
Both movements use “rhythm and poetry” (Gladney 291) to address social issues affecting the black man, including racism, education and drug use. These movement can both be linked to extreme examples of frustration and rage felt be a large part of the black community, like “the Los Angeles riots of 1992 and the riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968” (Gladney 292). However, Gladney observed that the Hip-Hop genre has developed more of a focus on commercialism and only in the underground rap world do we still see the idealist who is in touch with the pulse of the black communities. Many rappers in the mainstream lack the political, racial, and social tone of the black community. The notable exception being the groups who use shock and a sold ghetto theme to crossover to the commercial market but maintain their artistic
Gail Hilson Woldu, author of “The Kaleidoscope of Writing on Hip Hop Studies,” emphasizes the importance of cultural theory, urban history, and black feminism in the study of Hip Hop and its influence over the last several decades. The cultural theory aspect throughout the studies of hip hop, specifically in Houston Baker’s Black Studies, Rap, and the Academy, focuses on the importance of the “classic black sound” and the ability for the rap industry to be a profitable resource for an alternative American authority (Woldu 16). The cultural theory helps expand the knowledge of “hip hop” as an idea and influence on society. Mark Anthony Neal discusses the development of the understanding of hip hop by dissecting the layers and complexities of
The cultural theory helps expand the knowledge of “hip hop” as an idea and influence on society. Mark Anthony Neal discusses the development of the understanding of hip hop by dissecting the layers and complexities of the culture, “Hip-hop music and culture emerged as a narrative and stylistic distillation of African-American youth sensibilities in the late 1970s,” within What the Music Said (Woldu 18). Urban history is a large, yet vital characteristic throughout the study of hip hop and its progression; Russell Potter shows how critical the representation of black musical expression and the “history of vernacular speech” is for the hip hop community in his book, Spectacular Vernaculars (Woldu 19). As decades pass and the hip hop scene expands, the history of this culture becomes influenced by more historical movements and creations. However, that is not the only historical significance that runs deep within the hip hop culture. The history and influence of the black feminist movement within the hip hop scene became a demanding characteristic in the development of the hip hop culture. As the gender divide became an evident aspect through the hip hop generation, women, especially female rappers,
John Updike's story "A&P" talks about a 19-year old lad, Sammy, who has a job at the local grocery store, the A&P. Sammy works at the register in the store and is always observing the people who walk in and out each day. On this particular day that the story takes place, Sammy is caught off guard when a cluster of girls walk into the store wearing just their bathing suits. This caught Sammy's attention because the nearest beach is five miles away and he could not figure out why they would still be in their suits. Sammy continues to overlook the girls in the store throughout their endeavor to pick up some item's that they were sent in for. While they are wandering around the store Sammy watches the reactions of other customers, is yelled at for ringing up a woman's item twice, and watches the whereabouts and gestures of the girls until checkout. Once the girls proceed to checkout they are approached by the manager of the store for being improperly dressed in public. Sammy felt that the encounter with the manager was unnecessary and discomforting to the girls and he decides it is time to quit his job. Sammy's decision to quit his job at the grocery store shows his development from an immature teenager to a person who will take a position for what he believes in no matter the consequences.
Games similar to soccer were played in China as early as 400 BC. In about 200 AD the Romans played a game in which two teams tried to score by advancing a ball across a line on the field. The Romans passed the ball to one another but they never kicked it. London children in about 1100 played a form of soccer in the streets. During the 1800’s the people of England played a game similar to soccer. Many rules changed and each person interpreted the rules differently. In 1848 a group of school representatives met at Trinity College in Cambridge and drew up the first of soccer rules. In 1863 English soccer clubs founded the Football Association. By the late 1800’s soccer began to spread to the rest of the world. The Canadian Soccer Association was established in 1912 while the United States Soccer Federation was set up in 1913.
Aleksov, B. (2011). Croatia since Independence: War, Politics, Society, Foreign Relations/Croatia after Tuđman: Encounters with the Consequences of Conflict and Authoritarianism. Europe-Asia Studies. Slavonic & East European Review, 89(4), 782-785.
After reflecting more on my experiences and knowledge of popular culture, I have come to focus on specific questions and concerns that open up and explore a methodological path into my own viewing, listening, dancing and other creative encounters with hip-hop culture. Specifically, I engage the following questions:
Influential Black Nationalist spokesmen Malcolm X, and others alike, preached racial solidarity, economic self-sufficiency, and black self-help during the tumultuous times of the 1960’s in America. Organizations like the SNCC, CORE, Black Panther Party, and Black Muslims attracted hundreds of thousands of followers for the sole purpose of bringing the black community, during these tremendously hard times, together. Musicians like Otis Redding, Ray Charles, and Sam Cooke touched on the struggles of the black man during this time period. It wasn’t until 10 years later that self-conscious poetry spoke of Black Nationalism over a beat, but from that point on the genre coined “hip-hop” has transformed.
Athletes who play football share the same goal as athletes who play soccer: score the most goals to win the game. In football, there are two areas on opposite sides of the field where one can score points by bringing the football over the goal line. Soccer shares this same concept by having two nets on opposite sides of the field where one can score a point by kicking the soccer ball into the net. Also, both sports share the concept of having an offense and defense, and both sports each have eleven players on a team on the field at a time. These are only few of many similarities between these two sports, but in actuality, they are significantly different. The rules, rituals, and concepts of both sports distinguish themselves from each other.
Soccer has proven to be a notable sport throughout the years starting with its unique history. Soccer began all over the world tracing back thousands of years. The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Ancient Greek, Persian, Vikings, as well as other nationalities all played a form of the game soccer. In China and Rome, games that were similar to soccer were played around 200 B.C. (Helmer and Owens, 5). People believe that soccer started more than a thousand years ago when villagers killed attacking pirates by cutting off their heads and kicking them around (Helmer and Owens, 5). As time went on, people in Europe also played a game similar to soccer during Medieval Times. In fact, soccer was used to prepare warriors for battles in Ancient Greece and Rome (Dilov-Shultheis). In later history, the English called the game “Football” because soccer was played by kicking the ball with the foot (Helmer and Owens, 6). The name “soccer” came to be when the American’s Association Football was shortened to assoc., and later to soc. Eventually in 1895 it was called soccer (Helmer and Owens, 9). By the late 1700s and 1800s, soccer was played in many universities, but the rules were not ...
Conventionally, there are more than twenty derivatives of Hip-Hop. The Hip-Hop style which is the most familiar to the world is known as “conversational rap” (Higgins, 2013). This form consists of the artist using a conversational method of rapping where they appear to be telling a story or holding a personal discourse. Conversational Rap is utilized by many of the industry’s current juggernauts. Some of the artists which use this style of rap are: Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Wiz Khalifa. It is universal to understand that Hip-Hop is indiscriminative. In his article Hip-Hop Judaica: The Politics of Representin ' Heebster Heritage, Judah Cohen observes that “Rap music, on the other hand, is anti-classical, a UN-friendly music with dozens upon dozens of subgenres to accommodate and account for the full range of experiences that make up the human condition—irrespective of one 's race, gender, age or geography.” (Cohen,14). Moreover, Hip-Hop/Rap’s most problematic form is known as “Gangster Rap”. This form of Hip-Hop/ Rap is understood to be the turning point in the world of Hip-Hop culture. The “thug life” movement within Gangster Rap started with rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur, known as 2pac. In her article titled “East Coast/ West Coast Rivalry, Yvonne Bynoe states that throughout the 1990’s, 2pac and New
From its birth in 1918 to its death in the 1990’s, Yugoslavia has always been a whole. Yugoslavia was kept together by it’s diplomacy and their good reputation and achievements during the administration led by Tito. As a result of his death, neighbors that lived in peace for decades turned on each other, ethnic hatred was occuring and republics were declaring independence one after the other. The country was gradually falling apart. There were many reasons for the breakup of Yugoslavia but one of the most important one was realism which basically deals with politics.
Diana Baurmind and Alfred Adler have similar categories of parenting styles. Authoritative parenting can be compared to democratic and encouraging. Both of these styles offer love and security of the child. They express the parent is in control, but the parent also respect their child with explaining parental actions in a positive way. Permissive parenting can be compared to over-submissive parenting style. The child is rude, and demanding. The parent usually accepts the child’s behavior. In my opinion, the parent does not want to upset the child, or bother with correcting the behavior, so they will give in by rewarding the child in order to correct the child’s behavior. Authoritarian parenting can be compared to over-coercive parenting. These parents are very strict with children. My father can be compared to this parenting style. There was no reasoning, no communication, and his actions were final. This kind of parenting reminds me of being in the military. Finally, uninvolved parenting can be compared to neglecting parenting. I almost wanted to compare uninvolved to rejecting, but I cannot necessarily say the parent has denied acceptance. The parent is selfish, and does not even provide the bare minimum for their child’s necessities. I can compare this type of parenting from a 16 year old mother from the show Teen Mom’s. Jenelle had her son Andrew at a very young age. After his birth, she was distance and cared more about partying. Her
The European Football, or soccer, as Americans call it, is simply known as football. It is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a sphere-shaped ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the world’s most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The purpose of the game is to score by using any part of the body besides the arms and hands to get the ball into the opposite goal.