Welcome to Hip-hop and Popular Culture, a new course offered by the KU Theatre Department. My name is Nicole Hodges Persley and I am an Assistant Professor in the Theatre Department. This course blog offers students an opportunity to respond to course readings, music, performance and other course related topics. Each week, you are required to post a response using the key words of the week on your syllabus as a prompt. Your posts should be considered a virtual "reaction paper." You should probably draft your comments in MS Word first and then cut and paste them on the blog comment. Your responses must be an engagement with the topics we discuss in a particular week and should analyze your take on critical themes in a succinct manner (not more than a half-page single spaced). This is an exercise in writing your critical perspective in the same way that MCS do,every word counts. You must post your responses no later than Thursday at 12midnight. Late posts are not acceptable.
This blog becomes an archive of your growth and experiences during the course. Your work also prepares you for essay questions on exams. I hope you enjoy this process and begin to see Hip-hop music and culture as an expressive form that shapes perspectives around the world.
Keep Striving-
Nicole Hodges Persley, Ph.D.
Dick Hebdige describes the four elements of hip hop in his article “Rap and Hip-hop: The New York Connection.” I find the DJing element to be the most interesting because DJing allowed the first hip hop artists to be known around the country, and later, DJs became known all over the world. Breakdancing is the second hip hop element, and I enjoyed Hebdige’s description of the different types and moves that are a part of breakdancing. Graffiti art is another element, and I feel like it is important to the study of hip hop to know that graffiti is not always “vandalism”; it is another form of expression for hip hop artists. Finally, MCing is important to hip hop because that is what gives the song spoken words. MCing went through several changes since the beginning of hip hop in the 1970s, and today different styles of MCing can be seeing through the regional sounds of hip hop.
ReplyDeleteThe West Coast style shows the story telling element and contains the lifestyles of gangsters, while the East Coast is more typical of what I’ve thought of as “rap” music. The Mid-West style is closer to what is popular on the radio today, but the South style, such as “Welcome to Atlanta” shows what can be heard on several radio stations and in night clubs throughout the country.
The DJing element of Hip-Hop is what I think is the most interesting element. First of all the skill it would take to hit everything on the right beat, without all the technology we have today, and also the ability to pick out different sections of music from completely different genres and turn them into one great sound. I view the element of graffiti as a way for people to further expose their names throughout their area while expressing their artistic abilities.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for me to pick out differences and say what Region incorporates different elements. From what I can pick out I would say that the West Coast has more of the “old school” sound along with the “Gangsta Rap” feel. I am most accustomed to the Mid-West, it seems to me that it is more based on the speed and how fast a rapper can be.
After reading "Rap and Hip-hop: The New York Connection," I came to believe that out of the four elements of hip-hop, it all started with DJing. It not only got a new kind of music out there, but also kick started break dancing. Break dancing thrived off of DJing, especially in dance clubs. It gave fans a whole new way to enjoy the music and possibly a way to succeed in their life such as becoming a break-dancer that is in today’s music videos. MCing has evolved over the past 15 years tremendously. I felt that it always used to be just east coast versus west and which side had more power. Lyrics now are based strictly off what is going to impress and attract the audience to your music. Graffiti was just another way for gangsters to express what their lives are like and how hip-hop has affected them personally. West Coast music is more relaxed and talking about the lives of gangsters while east coast is faster paced. I am confused of how to describe south but Mid West is more about speed and impressing the audience.
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up all my life in the ubiquitous presence of hip-hop and rap music, I did not realize how recently the genre was born. After reading the two timelines and the article, I understood the repetitive documentation of rap artists winning Grammys and Academy Awards—these accolades are extremely recent developments in hip-hop. In light of the two timelines’ endings within the last three years, the Hebdige article seems outdated. It was more in-depth information on the evolution of hip-hop while the timelines gave quick overviews of the more recent developments. Since the Hebdige article is older, the tone seems more stilted and the author more distanced from hip-hop culture. I am excited to read more current scholarship to see how the rhetoric has changed when discussing the myriad issues in hip-hop, since all of these articles were factual in nature rather than theoretical.
ReplyDeleteLike reggae, hip-hop began as a movement oriented towards lower-class urban youth, and its chief advantage to its creators were its affordability, popularity, and continuity with a rich musical heritage. These were people taking familiar sounds and giving them back to their friends in “fresh” ways; the art of DJing began with Kool Herc’s traveling sound system, later to be augmented by new techniques like scratching. As DJing grew more intense, rapping/toasting over the breakbeats became a job in itself. The title of “MC” reflects how important this was to the block-party aesthetic. I admire the economy of this dual musical responsibility – it required no musical training beyond an innate rhythmic feel and encouraged all sorts of experimentation within these downtrodden slums. Early hip-hop further expressed its talent in terms of dance with the evolution of breaking. In this way, an audience could react to lyrical bravado and/or propulsive beats with a creative, athletic response. Graffiti, too, was transformed by the emerging music from simple gang insignias to bona fide works of urban art in the hands of its brilliant (if defiant) exponents.
ReplyDeleteAlthough classic hip-hop originated on the East Coast, Americans have created their own brands across the nation. West Coast ice-cold gangsterism, laid-back Southern drawl, and all sorts of Midwestern hybrids (from rapid-fire to avant-garde) have asserted themselves since then.
After reading the assigned materials for this week, I did a little more of my own research of both the four elements of hip hop and of how hip hop originated. I really enjoyed reading about DJ Kool Herc and how he essentially created hip hop. An online article, “The Four Elements of Hip Hop” at www.bbc.co.uk, details how he took two copies of the same record on a turn table and switched back and forth between them to play just the break over and over. This is amazing to me, and I deeply admire the inspiration and creativity of him and people like him who create something new and different. I also found this story interesting because it tells how the term hip hop was coined: from hip-hopping between the two records. The last thing that I enjoy about DJ Kool Herc’s story is his creativity in powering his equipment at block parties. This DJ in essence paved the way for a whole new genre of music and, eventually, a new culture. I had never heard of DJ Kool Herc before this week, and I’m very glad to now know his story.
ReplyDeleteThe culture of hip-hop is an interesting smorgasbord of styles from all over the world. What is even more intriguing is the genesis and evolution of not only a genre of music, but also the fashion, culture, slang, and art that came with it. The something-out-of-nothing mentality of the people and environment in the Bronx and Queens created, propelled, and perpetuated hip-hop culture as a testament to the human potential for creativity when neglected and downtrodden. It’s incredible that what started as MC Kool Herc’s necessity for multi-tasking to perform for an audience turned into the lucrative multi-faceted industry it is today, considering it’s less-than-profitable origin. Afrika Baambataa’s vision of music – hip-hop specifically – as a bridge between cultures to eliminate prejudice was indeed a noble and unheard of effort in his time. I’ve been interested and involved in hip-hop since middle school and I believe that this course will enrich my knowledge and understanding of how hip-hop is enmeshed and entwined in popular culture in the past and present.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments! Very nice way of incorporating the readings...
ReplyDeleteLet's Keep Building- Nicole Hodges Persley
Growing up, my father always listened to hip hop. In particular he loved West Coast music, so I was always in the car listening to Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, Tupac, and NWA to name a few. Hip hop is not only a sound, but it is a form of art from mcing, djing, breaking, and graffiti. I still remember my cousins in front of my grandmother’s house trying to mc over a snoop dog beat, and everyone standing in a circle enjoying what they were hearing. Till this day, I am still in love with the west coast sounds in hip hop, including The Game, and yes after all these years I still listen to Snoop Dog. Out of all the fundamental elements of hip hop, I mostly enjoy the mcing because to me it is a form of poetry telling about how raw life can be at times or even how good life can be. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the time line of Hip Hop because I remembered some of the music and events and to actually read how much hip hop has evolved over the years is most rewarding.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger I don’t really remember listening to much hip-hop. My parents aren’t from the USA so I was mostly listening to music from Haiti. The first hip hop I can truly remember hearing was The Fugees, and Lauryn Hill become my hero for years. The first hip hop CD that was given to me was on my eighth birthday. It was Wycleaf Jean’s first solo album and I listened to it on repeat for months. I still listen to now to this day. So as far as regional sounds I have always favored the east coast. I like all of the elements of hip hop because I feel like they all go together so well that you can’t take one away and have hip hop be the same. Although if I had to choose I would say that graffiti and DJing are my favorites. It could be because I am not very artistic and I wish I could do graffiti. My admiration of graffiti also stems from the fact that some of my first memories are of graffiti on the subways in New York. I like DJing because to me the best part of a party is the music. If the DJ is bad then it ruins the party. I like how a good DJ can transition from song to song and keep the party going and have everyone dancing.
ReplyDeleteThe four hip-hop elements are MC-ing, DJ-ing, breaking, and graffiti. Of these elements, DJ-ing has influenced the formation of hip-hop the most. After reading the book, timeline, and visiting the PBS website, I noticed a great deal of similarity regarding the creation of hip-hop with DJ Cool Herc being given credit in regards to the beginning. As a person from the Kansas City area, I have a strong bias towards the rap music of the Midewest particularly with artists from the independent record label, Stange Music, which features many artists from the Kansas City metro area such as Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko. Personally, I would've picked a Tech N9ne song because he's mroe popular with the Kansas City fans, and I have heard a lot f people argue for his side when it comes to Kansas City versus St. Louis (Nelly). Also, Tech N9ne's music does a lot of the same things other artists do by giving shoutouts to local things. For example Tech N9ne has had songs that featured things like the Paseo Bridge, Power and Light District, and other local towns such as Lawrence and Olathe.
ReplyDeleteI have always been an avid fan of Hip-Hop music but I was never aware that there were four elements that essentially comprise this almost abstract concept; two of the more obvious ones being “MCing” and “Dee-jaying”. There would not be Hip-Hop today without those two elements because hip-hop is originated being dubbed as the “art of storytelling”. Despite its current negative connotation, hip-hop is an avenue to express one’s self positively although its purpose has been warped with a new generation and turned into more materialistic. Graffiti is a favorable example because it is modernly associated with gang violence rather than works of urban art making a social commentary. In the article written by Dick Hebdige, there are various examples displayed. Afrika Bambaataa tried to use music with the Black Muslims to promote a sense of “self-help” and forge a sense of community, while Grandmaster Flash “rapped” about the confinements and tribulations of Bronx living and allowed it to surface to the commercial world. Regional sounds do also play an important role, because it shows different interpretations that shaped the way we hear hip-hop now. The delivery and style of Common (Mid-West) definitely contrasts to the metaphor usage of and rhyme scheme of Lil Wayne (South).
ReplyDeleteHIP-HOP ELEMENTS AND REGIONAL HIP-HOP SOUNDS
ReplyDeleteLiving almost my whole life in Minnesota I didn’t have the opportunity to really hear or see the most popular and legendary hip hop artists. As we talked about in class, it’s so important to be able to connect with the artist, and one of the ways to connect is regionally. I enjoy hip hop a lot and I found myself a little jealous or envious of the big cities where hip hop artist flourished, that is until I was introduced to Atmosphere. Atmosphere is a hip hop group with the MC Slug, all based in Minneapolis. Its pretty popular in the Twin Cities and sort of midwesternly. I was so excited to hear and be about to relate to the different songs. Through that experience I was more able to understand why the regional hip hop sounds are so different. I also discovered why region is so important.
BLACKNESS AND HIP-HOP
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “check yo self before you wreak yo self” I learned a new way of understanding the concept of “blackness”. In the reading the author discusses how blackness may not be literal in it’s meaning but have many different meanings. An example would be the on page 326 “the all white rap group Young Black Teen ages claim that Blackness is a ‘state of mind”. The “state of mind” that they are referring to is the “ghetto mindset”. In the Hip-Hop world you are able to gain respect by from being from the “hood”. I always though of claiming “blackness” as a “state of mind” if you weren’t black would be a little offensive, but maybe that’s because I don’t know very much on the subject. Something I did notice in pop culture was the incident with white rapper Vanilla Ice, he was found to have lied about his past claiming he was from a lower class side of an African American community- once it was discovered that he was not telling the truth many of his fans and peers lost a lot of respect for him and threw that he lost a lot of credibility. I just found that event to be interesting because a large part of his appeal was in his claim that he understood the poverty and hardship of the poor African American community- once that wasn’t true it seemed like he didn’t have the right to be a rapper anymore.
Hip Hop Elements
ReplyDeleteDifferent aspects of hip hop have always been a part of my life growing up. Whether it was the music that caught my ear making its way north out of Chicago and into the suburbs, the days after school that my friends and I would mess around with breaking, in our own amateur form, or the friends I still have that spend their nights tagging the dark spots of Chicago. The memory that left the most significant impact is the first time I heard one of my friends play the MC Juice/Supernatural battle, and I was hooked on my favorite elements, Dj-ing and Mc-ing. My eyes were really opened to these subjects when I began to read Cant Stop, Won’t stop, Jeff Changs book examining the origins of the movement we now know as hip hop. I found its root in the ghettos of Jamaica fascinating. In a world of struggle and definitely violence, music studios could spread the message of change from people such as Bob Marley. Street gangs would turn to collecting whatever sound systems they could get together in order to one up each other with better performances, and although this didn’t end the violence, it offered an alternative. As we briefly touched on in class when discussing Afrika Bambaataa and his Zulu nation, this music would also provide alternatives to the youths of places such as the Bronx as their world of poverty was literally burning down around them in the 1970’s. It allowed groups to express themselves and their message vocally, something that was not also an option to the lower classes. It also was vital to such a class because of its availability, as it didn’t cost anything to sample other artists tracks, yet Dj’s could put their own very recognizable twist on it, a practice that has continued in sampling throughout hip hop today.
Tosin Morohunfola: In the chapter "Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self:" we discover that “Blackness”, as a word and concept, is much more complex that one would expect. The initial and assumed definition is have dark skin, not actually black, but dark enough to suggest African descent. But as blackness becomes more of a cultural movement and a means of expression and identify outside of the African American community, Blackness’ range has grown. The perfect example of this is from a white rapper named Vanilla Ice’s who claimed “that he grew up amidst African American poverty and was once a victim of gang violence.” (Forman & Neal) Being low-class, poverty-stricken, and violence-stricken was enough for him to claim public blackness. And it is these issues that most hip hop artists rap about. Dare I say it, Hip hop is Blackness. Blackness has evolved so definitively because of the support and widespread acceptance of Hip hop within the “Black” community. Hip hop by definition, samples from other genres and artists, such as James Brown, George Clinton, Blues, Jazz, Gospel and Rock and for that reason diversifies its reach as well as the followership of Blackness.
ReplyDeleteTosin Morohunfola: Sampling has quite a “mixed” reputation. To some, it is a crime. To others, it is the highest form of artistry. Though I’m one of the “others,” those who think it’s a crime are not out of place for thinking so. As opposed to authentically creating one’s own music using the base tools of voice and live instruments, Hip hop often employs Turntabalism to mix and remix other songs into a new, combined song. It is not actually live music that DJs are creating and in this regard dissenters of Hip hop are vindicated. But here’s the thing, to be able to really mix music well is a practiced skill and inevitably leads to more new music, thus creating a new artistry. What DJs do is create music. They just don’t create it from scratch. Ironically, they scratch.
ReplyDelete“Throughout the history of art […] people destroyed the old to create the new. Hip-hop came along with the sample, a tool that refuses either-or statements. Hip-hop did not reject the past; it said, “It is part of us.” (Chang, 222) In this way, Hip-hop artists are more like librarians. Or rather, collectors. Organizing and reorganizing the past.