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An autoethnography of Scottish hip-hop: identity, locality, outsiderdom and social commentary
Dave Hook
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of
Edinburgh Napier University, for the award of
Doctor of Philosophy
June 2018
Declaration
This critical appraisal is the result of my own work and includes nothing that is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text. It has not been previously submitted, in part or whole, to any university or institution for any degree, diploma, or other qualification.
Signed:_________________________________________________________ Date:______5th June 2018 ________________________________________ Dave Hook BA PGCert FHEA Edinburgh
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Abstract
The published works that form the basis of this PhD are a selection of hip-hop songs written over a period of six years between 2010 and 2015. The lyrics for these pieces are all written by the author and performed with hip-hop group Stanley Odd. The songs have been recorded and commercially released by a number of independent record labels (Circular Records, Handsome Tramp Records and A Modern Way Recordings) with worldwide digital distribution licensed to Fine Tunes, and physical sales through Proper Music Distribution. Considering the poetics of Scottish hip-hop, the accompanying critical reflection is an autoethnographic study, focused on rap lyricism, identity and performance. The significance of the writing lies in how the pieces collectively explore notions of identity, ‘outsiderdom’, politics and society in a Scottish context. Further to this, the pieces are noteworthy in their interpretation of US hip-hop frameworks and structures, adapted and reworked through Scottish culture, dialect and perspective. Reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of hip-hop studies, an autoethnographic framework (Monaco, 2010; Munro 2011) is combined with poetic analysis, musicological discussion and social and cultural studies to examine the pieces that comprise the published works. Through a consideration of poetics, linguistics, sociological issues and cultural considerations, a schematic emerges, describing a construct of lyrical techniques, signifying practices, social interactions and outsider narratives that speak to (re)imagining, (re)creating and (re)constructing local culture by expressing it through hip-hop and vice versa. This study demonstrates new knowledge regarding global and local intersections in Scottish hip-hop, identity construction and negotiation, and creative approaches to rap storytelling.
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Acknowledgments
Thank-you to Professor Chris Atton, Dr Haftor Medbøe and Dr Justin Williams for their knowledge, support and time, given freely and with enthusiasm. Thankyou also to Professor Alistair McCleery and Sam Boyce for setting me on this path in the first place. Thank-you to Dr Anne Schwan and to Professor Fergus McNeill for giving their time and insight, both very much appreciated. Thanks to Dr Paul Ferguson and Rune Lilledal Hansen for words of encouragement throughout. Finally, a million thank-yous to my wife Stella for putting up with even more of a hip-hop obsession than has become the norm.
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Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 1
Research Themes .............................................................................................................. 2 Structure........................................................................................................................... 3 Methodological Approach ................................................................................................. 4
Chapter 1 – Hip-Hop Rules and Techniques, Global and Local .................................... 8
Introduction...................................................................................................................... 8 Global to Local .................................................................................................................. 9 Frameworks and Perspectives ........................................................................................... 9 Rap vs Hip-Hop................................................................................................................ 10 Technical Writing and Lyrical Devices .............................................................................. 11 Flow: The Evolution of Rhythm and Rhyme ..................................................................... 12 ‘Multis’ – Compound Rhyme in Rap................................................................................. 16 Punchlines....................................................................................................................... 19 Quotation ....................................................................................................................... 20 Quotation in My Work .................................................................................................... 22 Topics and Themes.......................................................................................................... 24 Braggadocio .................................................................................................................... 25 Social Commentary ......................................................................................................... 26 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 28
Chapter 2 – Identity and Authenticity, Global and Local .......................................... 30
Introduction.................................................................................................................... 30 Identity in Society and Music........................................................................................... 31 Authentic Identity ........................................................................................................... 33 Authenticity and Fluid Identity........................................................................................ 35 Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself: A Rap Introduction............................................... 39 Connecting the Global and the Local ............................................................................... 40 Scots Accent and Language in Music................................................................................ 45 Constructing Spaces, Creating Identities.......................................................................... 50 Musical Identity .............................................................................................................. 52 Identity Crisis: Mixed Musical Messages.......................................................................... 54 Live Performance of Authenticity .................................................................................... 57 Music Constructing Authenticity...................................................................................... 58 Reception Constructing Identity ...................................................................................... 60 My Identity Analysed ...................................................................................................... 61
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Close Reading: First Verse of “The Numbness” (2009)...................................................... 63 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 67
Chapter 3 – An outsider in a genre of misfits ........................................................... 69
Introduction.................................................................................................................... 69 What is Outsiderdom? .................................................................................................... 70 Outsiderdom in Hip-Hop ................................................................................................. 72 Inside Outsiderdom – A Personal Account....................................................................... 74 An Informal Study of Lyric Writing (1994 – 2004)............................................................. 78 Analysis Part 1: Signifying outsiderdom........................................................................... 80 Close Reading: “Will the Last One Out Please Turn Off the Light” (2012) ......................... 81 Analysis Part 2: Lyrical Portraiture................................................................................... 86 Close Reading: “Draw Yir Own Conclusions” (2014)......................................................... 87 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 93
Chapter 4 – Rap Essays on Independence and National Identity .............................. 95
Introduction.................................................................................................................... 95 Hip-Hop as Social Commentary ....................................................................................... 95 Discussion: The Scottish Independence Debate ............................................................... 96 The Journey from Winter… to Son................................................................................... 98 “Winter of Discontent” (2011)......................................................................................... 98 “Antiheroics” (2012)...................................................................................................... 100 “Marriage Counselling” (2012) ...................................................................................... 103 “Son, I Voted Yes” (2014) .............................................................................................. 106 Post-Indyref Postscript.................................................................................................. 110 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 116
Chapter 5 – Growing Up and Getting Personal....................................................... 121
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 121 Navigating Hyper-Masculinity in a Genre That Won’t Acknowledge Vulnerability.......... 123 Rap Strategies for Expressing Emotion .......................................................................... 124 Topic One: Love, “Day 3” (2012) .................................................................................... 126 Topic Two: Parenthood, “Put Your Roots Down” (2014) ................................................ 130 Topic Three: ‘Getting mad wae it’: Scottish Drinking Culture, “Carry Me Home” (2012). 136 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 145
Conclusion............................................................................................................. 147
Global and Local Intersections in Scottish Hip-Hop ........................................................ 147
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Identity Construction and Negotiation .......................................................................... 149 Approaches to Rap Storytelling: Social Commentary and Outsiderdom ......................... 150 Areas for Further Study ................................................................................................. 151
Bibliography.......................................................................................................... 155
Discography .................................................................................................................. 167 Filmography .................................................................................................................. 170
Appendices ........................................................................................................... 170
Appendix A................................................................................................................... 172
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List of Figures
FIGURE 1: RHYTHMICAL ANALYSIS OF RUN DMC’S “KING OF ROCK” OPENING LINES..............................13 FIGURE 2: STANLEY ODD “LET MA BRAIN BREATHE”, FIRST FOUR BARS, NOTATION OF DELIVERY ..........15 FIGURE 3: RHYTHMICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN FIRST LINES FROM BROTHER ALI “UNCLE SAM
GODDAMN” AND STANLEY ODD “WHO AM I?” .............................................................................114
FIGURE 4: 6/8, 4/4 AND RHYME SCHEME RELATIONSHIPS IN STANLEY ODD, “DAY, 3” ..........................127 FIGURE 5: STANLEY ODD, "PUT YOUR ROOTS DOWN", MUSICAL MOTIF................................................131
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List of Appendices
Appendix A: A reflection on the literary mechanics of the first verse of “Let Ma Brain Breathe”
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Songs Submitted as Thesis
The thesis comprises the following pieces (in order of appearance in the text):
Chapter One
Let Ma Brain Breathe (2014), Stanley Odd Pan Breed (2013), Louie x Solareye x Scatabrainz *
Chapter Two
The Pageant (2012), Solareye * Chase Yirsel (2014), Stanley Odd Ten to One (2010), Stanley Odd By Way of Explanation (2011), Stanley Odd The Numbness (2010), Stanley Odd
Chapter Three
Ten to One (2010), Stanley Odd Will the Last One Out Please Turn Off the Light (2012), Stanley Odd Draw Yir Own Conclusions (2014), Stanley Odd
Chapter Four
Winter of Discontent (2011), Stanley Odd Antiheroics (2012), Stanley Odd Marriage Counselling (2012), Stanley Odd Son, I Voted Yes (2014), Stanley Odd The Man with Many Names (2013), Stanley Odd * Princes on the Pavement (2014), Stanley Odd * Who Am I? (2014), Stanley Odd To Be This Good Takes Stages (2014), Stanley Odd
Chapter Five
Day 3 (2012), Stanley Odd Put Your Roots Down (2014), Stanley Odd Carry Me Home (2012), Stanley Odd
The audio for these songs is available on the following Stanley Odd albums included in CD format with this submission*:
Oddio (2010) Pure Antihero Material (2011) The Day I Went Deaf (2011) Reject (2012) Chase Yirsel (2014) A Thing Brand New (2014)
The songs can also be downloaded from the following link: http://bit.ly/DHSongsForThesis
* Songs marked with an asterisk (*) are only available via download
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Introduction
Scottish hip-hop is, for some, a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron (with emphasis on the ‘moron’), a laughing stock, an impossibility, at best a novelty. Those that do chronicle its output have regularly observed the tendency of the general public to condescend and ridicule, while making assumptions about its creators’ social, economic and cultural backgrounds (Gallogly-Swan, 2016). Concurrently, Scottish hip-hop has seen an increase in visibility and credibility in recent years, that disproves these assumptions while challenging lazy stereotypes regarding its content and cultural worth (Rimmer, 2016). During this process, what becomes apparent are the unique ways that hip-hop artists in Scotland interpret and adapt global hip-hop culture, making it compatible with Scottish culture and believable in Scottish society, while still representing global hip-hop values. Hip-hop exists within a set of contradictions and dualities (Rose, 1994). It operates as mass culture that critiques and parodies mass culture. It is a mainstream, global culture that also allows for stories to be told from the margins. In Scotland, it is simultaneously a mainstream musical genre (US hiphop) and a marginalised subculture (Scottish hip-hop).
This critical appraisal for PhD by Published Works is an autoethnographic study, focused on rap lyricism, identity and performance, considering how I, as an individual, interpret global hip-hop and filter it through local culture to create something original, believable and authentic. This is a study of the poetics of Scottish hip-hop from a personal perspective; of how the local, global and individual intersect to “devise unique ways of communicating thoughts, emotions and everyday realities” (Alim, 2003: 62). Furthermore, the critical appraisal also considers how Scottish cultural attributes create alternative strategies in expressing established hip-hop formats, contributing to new remixes and hybrids of cultural interpretation.
As primary songwriter, mixer and producer with hip-hop group Stanley Odd, I provide comment regarding the musical elements of the songs that comprise the thesis where appropriate and useful. For example, during a discussion on how music contributes to identity and authenticity it makes sense to consider the musical aesthetics and production. However, the main focus of this critical
1appraisal is the lyrics, and the poetics involved in writing and performing them. Through a consideration of poetics, linguistics, sociological issues and cultural considerations, I describe a framework of lyrical techniques, signifying practices, social interactions and outsider narratives that speak to (re)imagining, (re)creating and (re)constructing local culture by expressing it through hip-hop and vice versa. This work is concerned with the spaces and places where boundaries and intersections in society meet boundaries and intersections of genre.
The published works that form the thesis are a selection of hip-hop songs written over a period of five years between 2010 and 2014. The critical appraisal takes the form of a retrospective reflective and analytical review of creative practice, placed in the context of academic frameworks, to reveal the knowledge that can be extracted from the artefacts. The original contribution to knowledge can be found in how the pieces collectively explore notions of identity, ‘outsiderdom’, politics and society in a Scottish context. The pieces are also noteworthy in their interpretation of US hip-hop frameworks and structures, adapted and reworked through Scottish culture, dialect and perspective.
Research Themes
From initial analysis of the thesis materials and review of current literature, research themes were formed around the following questions:
How is global hip-hop interpreted and translated (localised) through Scottish culture?
What is the process of constructing a rap identity in Scotland? What creative approaches can be applied to expressing outsiderdom in Scottish hip-hop?
How did Scottish hip-hop and my work in particular reflect and shape discussions around Scottish independence 2011-2014?
How does one mature, show emotional sensitivity or weakness within a genre known for its hyper-masculinity?
These questions form the basis of the five chapters that make up this document. There follows a brief summary of each chapter’s content and thematic approach.
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Structure
Chapter one is focused on identifying key terms and techniques in hip-hop lyric writing. Through discussion of academic writing and practical examples I present these techniques and demonstrate my continuation and extension of the musical practice through local filters. Chapter two is concerned with identity construction and authenticity. Analysis is carried out regarding various factors contributing to identity and authenticity and how these intersect with Scottish culture. Consideration is given as to how these factors converge with the techniques and devices discussed in chapter one. Combined, chapters one and two provide a suitable lexicon for addressing the content in chapters three to five. Chapter three addresses themes of marginalisation and ‘outsiderdom’ in my work, discussing how images and people from outside of the mainstream are represented. The chapter reflects on how outsiderdom is represented in hiphop in the US and how it manifests when localised in Scotland. The second section of this chapter comprises the close reading of two pieces of my own work that demonstrate different approaches to expressing or narrating outsiderdom in rap. Chapter four chronicles and dissects a creative engagement with Scottish politics and the 2014 independence referendum over the period from 2011 – 2014. Considering hip-hop as social commentary, this chapter examines how Scottish hip-hop has embodied the social and political elements of hip-hop culture and traces a line through my creative output from early 2011 until the end of 2014 regarding political and cultural commentary relating to the Scottish independence referendum. Chapter five is about how to frame creative reflective practice and aging within existing generic structure; the idea of going from growing up with hip-hop to growing up in hip-hop. Taking examples from my writing that involve personal, reflexive commentary as opposed to cultural or social commentary, the chapter analyses my approaches to expressing universal themes such as love and fatherhood within the established confines of a genre. Consideration is also given to pervading issues of hyper-masculinity and how to negotiate these restrictions while trying to be honest, original and maintain authenticity.