Upon trying to find to a topic to write about, I stumbled across an article written a few days ago entitled, “Rap disrespect of black icons raises concerns.” The article addresses the question, “has rap lost touch with black history?” I found it interesting how the article addresses the issue of today’s artists not being able to understand the happenings of the Civil Rights Movement. “While previous generations had to struggle with the racism and neglect of the 1970s or the crack epidemic of the 1980s, Hall [Jermaine Hall—editor-in-chief of Vibe, the hip-hop magazine and website] said, today's young people have not faced the same type of racial struggle – ‘They're sort of getting further and further away from the civil rights movement.’” Hall believes the new artists are not in “tune” with black history. The article speaks of actions of artists such as Nicki Minaj who recently posted an Instagram picture of Malcolm X and then issued a statement to his family apologizing if the meaning was misinterpreted. It is interesting how the article incorporates quotes from hip-hop historian Davey D, filmmaker Pierre Bennu, and Bakai Kiwana, “whose Rap Sessions organization just moderated a series of community dialogues between the civil rights and hip-hop generations.” These sources speak of today’s rappers as ones who “reflect our money-obsessed society” and disrespect humanity.
My question from this article is: at what point will genres of music stop resembling its history? While the article attempts to answer whether or not rap has lost touch with its black history, it refocuses its attention on how current rappers only care about the money and instead disrespect its history because they cannot relate to the racial struggles of the 70s and 80s. The article also fails to mention other rappers of the new millennium such as “Common.” What would the article’s commentators say about Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.? This rapper once partnered with No I.D., a producer who once-mentored Kayne West. Common’s lyrics also drew controversy when invited to the White House to read poetry. In an article by the Washington Times a few years ago concerning Common’s invitation to the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney stated, “I think that one of the things that the president appreciates is the work that Mr. Lynn has done with children, especially in Chicago, trying to get them to focus on poetry as opposed to some of the negative influences of life on the street.” It is very thought provoking to read the various contradictions and opinions of rap artists today; it makes one wonder what artists will sound like 20 years from now and if they will be able incorporate the genre's origins into their productions.
Sources: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=284815523http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/11/white-house-defends-rappers-invitation-poetry-even/
My question from this article is: at what point will genres of music stop resembling its history? While the article attempts to answer whether or not rap has lost touch with its black history, it refocuses its attention on how current rappers only care about the money and instead disrespect its history because they cannot relate to the racial struggles of the 70s and 80s. The article also fails to mention other rappers of the new millennium such as “Common.” What would the article’s commentators say about Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.? This rapper once partnered with No I.D., a producer who once-mentored Kayne West. Common’s lyrics also drew controversy when invited to the White House to read poetry. In an article by the Washington Times a few years ago concerning Common’s invitation to the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney stated, “I think that one of the things that the president appreciates is the work that Mr. Lynn has done with children, especially in Chicago, trying to get them to focus on poetry as opposed to some of the negative influences of life on the street.” It is very thought provoking to read the various contradictions and opinions of rap artists today; it makes one wonder what artists will sound like 20 years from now and if they will be able incorporate the genre's origins into their productions.
Sources: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=284815523http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/11/white-house-defends-rappers-invitation-poetry-even/
I like the fact that you brought up the example of Common. He and other artists like Talib Kweli are creating music that evokes certain feelings and causes the listener to question the state of black America today. However, these artists are often overlooked by the youth today who are instead obsessed with artists like Chief Keef and others whose songs are instead focused on money, drugs, and women. I tend to agree with the sources you mentioned in the first paragraph that most modern mainstream rappers are getting away from the history that allowed them to be in the position they are in today.
ReplyDeleteI think that the main driver behind any rap lyric is something that is relatable and that those who are listening will like. With that being said, that why rappers are constantly rapping about money, the dream of being rich, pushing through struggles, drugs and alcohol, and especially partying. All these subjects are relatable to just about every person at some level, which is why these records sell and are praised. In addition to this, I think that the reason history can lose its accuracy in music is because when artists write songs about history, they're still trying to make it relatable to the listener, which can cause the way they present it to be distorted. In other words, they'll rap about what they think people want to hear about history, rather than the truth about it. I believe that is a possible reason that history can be incorrectly interpreted through the art of music.
ReplyDeleteI love that you chose this topic! Although the themes of money, sex, cars, etc. are abundant in today's rap music, I have to disagree with critics who contend that rap today has lost a sense of its own history, It's difficult to generalize all rappers but those who are at the top of the industry continue to reflect a sense of pride and defensiveness over African American history. Similarly to Blues music, I hear a lot of lyrics referencing racism and challenges that are specific to African American culture today. I also feel rap music continues to embody passion, soul, and intensity that is distinctive from other genres. Thanks for sharing this post, I enjoyed reading!
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