I have made an attempt in my last few posts to try to have one overarching theme, maybe a title that reflects that focus, but both my mind currently, and the readings have me a little fragmented. So I’m taking the week off from that and just make some general points, and some questions that I found compelling this week. Disclaimer, I have also not had an opportunity to read the PDF on Eminem yet, and will get to that before comments on other posts.
1. Authenticity was another key theme this week. I feel bad returning to this point, because Matt has already touched on some of this due to his early post, and my post last week dealt with the issue from a personal perspective. However, when we here Griffey talking about being in the “songs business,” Simmons playing the role of the “Dumb N****” to make his way in the business world, Powell and Obama being promising candidates only to the level that they can leave the public “undermoved,” not to mention the many examples of public v. private personas of mainstream rappers, we must confront the fact that much of the “hip hop nation” is constructed artificially from guys who use to be from the streets to an audience that has no perspective on the realities of what they listen to.
2. If we believe that hip hop has been constructed in many ways by artificial influences, what does it say about a culture that wants to purchase this commodity? Proper use of English, respect for women, the importance of political action, these all are topics covered by industry leaders that are featured in Toure’s work. Why are these ideals often replaced by their opposites when these leaders hit the studio? There is actually an argument that 50 cent has seen significant benefits from an incident that could have ended his, and his closest friends, lives. Authenticity, or at least the appearance of authenticity, seems to be a crucial factor in the “songs business.”
I also wanted to throw out some links and cool things I’ve found on the interwebs this week that relate to our class.
For any sports fans out there:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/100126
Here is our apparently “undermovin[ing]” President Barack Obama speaking on hip hop:
I’ll throw this out for reflection purposes, he says: “Hip hop is not just a mirror of what is… it should also be a reflection of what can be.” Is hip hop either?
Tom-
ReplyDeleteI had many of your same thoughts about whether hip-hop glorifies artists who are easily commodifiable, and I think many industry leaders don't "practice what they preach," promoting artists with street cred. Although I thought Toure's interview/bio pieces were incredibly interesting, I think he tried too hard to show the "softer" and "more positive" sides of rappers who truly have come up through criminality and selling out. I think he leaves out the implications of someone like 50 cent being a role model. Yes, 50 cent "made it," but at what cost? And how can young listeners sort out what's real from what's fake in his music? It's a little troubling to me.
Nice thinking.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou "scooped" me on that ESPN story. I was thinking about writing on that for my weekly entry!
Yeah Tom, I really agree with you and Katie. It's strange that these people are creating music that is derogatory and devoid of social consciousness, but when Toure sits down to chat with them they have a totally different attitude. I'm still not sure if this reflects on the culture they are selling their music to or an industry that does not want to risk exposing people to new kinds of music that people might not like. Maybe it's both.
ReplyDeleteEither way, I am truly disappointed I won't be in class tomorrow night!
[I’ll throw this out for reflection purposes, he says: “Hip hop is not just a mirror of what is… it should also be a reflection of what can be.” Is hip hop either?]
ReplyDeleteI think hip hop is both. If you remember from those debate years way back when, how surprised I was by the amount of Asians and African-Americans that lived in Saint Louis. It just shows you, that where we live is relatively out of touch from the hip hop culture. I believe that until we are on the streets of LA or maybe have taken a stroll down Martin Luther King Dr. in Saint Louis (though I do not recommend) and conversed with those who live by the hip hop culture we can't accurately say what is and what is not. I also agree that it can be something great or something terrible. Hip hop is about glamour is some aspects but also about tribulation in others. Just like anything, it can go either way - and as all presidents point out - the result is up to us.
Perhaps it's like what Clooney said in Up in the Air. "Stereotyping is just faster" (ie: more convenient)