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library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id46
CHAPTER III
DISCUSSION
Throughout the history of the American society, the existence of rap music
becomes one of the self icons which shape the characteristics of the nation. Rap
music and the black people were not directly accepted by the American society
particularly for white one at the moment, but it has long chronicled events to be
just heard by the others. The component of the music such as the lyric, the tone,
and the beat gain the self interest of the society to take an attention towards the
music. There are so many philosophies contained in the music, particularly from
black people living the life as the American society that make rap music has a
special place in the audiences’ mind.
The power of rap music itself is strengthened by its artists who sing the song.
Once again as Gupta said that rap music is “ food for the soul ”, and it has different
meaning to different people (Gupta, 2014, para. 5). Rap music is a kind of art
product, but there is an odd feeling whenever it is sung by other than black people
since the basis of rap itself is about pain, miseries, and frustation suffered by black
people. It becomes credit union of the art product that rap music is identical to
black people.
The existence of media is also as the propelling power for rap music to be
accepted by Ameriscan society. It is true whenever rap music is said to have long
chronicled events to be heard by American society. It is sung from one place to
another place, and gathers the attention little by little. But by the media, it is not library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id47
only uniting all of black people in the U.S. but also gathered a lot of attention as
well as the audiences in brief. Packaged into music videos that represent songs all
at ones with the artists, it becomes popular and soon accepted by the American
society.
As a member of the marginalized society, “Public Enemy” which is also one
of rap groups in the U.S. also partakes into this momentum. It produces songs in
mp3 format at the former, but then they use media such as music video to deliver
its non-violence protests and show the discrimination towards black people.
This chapter is divided into two sub-chapters. The first sub-chapter discusses
about how “Public Enemy” represents the protest of black people about racism
and discrimination. The second sub-chapter discusses what matters “Public
Enemy” protests for to fight against inequality in the U.S. The discussion is
conducted by analyzing three “Public Enemy” music videos. The music videos are
taken from “Public Enemy” official music videos which were produced in 1989-
1991. They are, Can’t Truss it (1991) from the album Apocalypse 91...Enemy
Strike Black, Get the Fuck Outta Dodge (1991) from the album Apocalypse
91...Enemy Strike Black and Fight the Power (1989) from the album Fear of A
Black Planet.
A. The protest of black people in accordance with racism and
discrimination presented in the music videos of “Public Enemy” : Video
Analysis
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The sub-chapter contains analysis of the music videos of “Public Enemy”
which represents racism, discrimination, and segregation towards black people in
the U.S. The music videos will be analyzed through the depiction of images and
lyrics from each of the music video. The analysis will be done in two categories;
the depiction of images will be analyzed by using Barthes’ semiotic theory, and
the meaning of the lyrics of each song will be analyzed by using Rifatterre’
semiotic theory.
It can be seen from the perspective of American history that discrimination
against black people happen in almost all aspects of life. There are several aspects
that continue being discriminated as in the economic, social, and political issues
which are not visible but it has very huge effect in society. As reported in the
previous researches that the protest of black people often leads to discrimination
in the placement of job positions, the election of voting rights in some states,
differences in salary acquisition, discrepancy of social strata by the society,
discrimination in obtaining education, even discrimination in enjoying the
facilities provided by the government (Nisker, Reyna, and Brandt, 2009).
As a reminder, based on Cambridge dictionary, racism in a whole meaning is
the belief that some races are better than others, or the unfair treatment of
someone because of his or her race. From the unfair treatment , it can be derived a
term of ‘discrimination’ which means the treatment of a person or particular group
of people differently, in a way that is worse than the way people are usually
rd treated (Cambridge Dict. 3 ed, 2008). Perhaps the meaning of each terminology
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id49
is difficult to find in recent years, but it does not mean that the phenomena are
extinct.
1. Can’t Truss It (1991)
‘Can’t Truss It ’ is one of the music videos attached in the album of
“Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black ” released on October 1, 1991 by
“Public Enemy”. The album was produced and directed by The Bomb Squad/The
Imperial Grand Minister of Funk (the famous informal epithet fot the production
team). The Bomb Squad itself is an American hip-hop production team consisting
of Hank Shocklee (James Henry Boxley), Keith Shocklee (Keith Matthew
Boxley), Chuck D (credited as Carl Ryder) who are also member of “Public
Enemy”, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, and Garry G-Wiz (Gary Rinaldo) which all
members of its team were black people (www.publicenemy.com).
In brief, the song talks about another vicious form of slavery suffered by
black people in modern era. There is no longer work in cornfield, merchant or
manufactures, but it changed into a financial institution and multinational
corporation in which the work mechanism is exactly the same with the slavery era
that black people as the inferior one who produce more power to run the
company. To deal with the living the life in America, all people have to get a job,
therefore, business is needed, but it was just for the white people.
Institutions are needed to run the business, and black people do not have such
thing like that because of the legacy of slavery. Black people as passive society
still have limitation to own something in particular aspect; in this case is in
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economic aspect. Chuck D of the “Public Enemy” states about the depiction of
‘Can’t Truss It ’ content:
“Can’t Truss It is about how the corporate world of today is just a different
kind of slavery. We don’t control what we create. And because of the
media, we don’t control the way we think or run our lives . . . the number
one institution that teaches you how to deal is the family, but slavery fucked
that up. So the song is about the ongoing cost of the holocaust. There was a
jewish holocaust, but there’s a black holocaust that people still choose to
ignore” (Songfacts, 2014, para. 1).
It is typical with the term of racism and discrimination mentioned before, since
the branches of vicious forms of slavery still dominate most of actions depicted in
the music video.
‘Can’t Truss It ’ was made in narrative/storyline form of music video. Based
on Cambridge dictionary, narrative is a story or a description of a series of events
(Cambridge Dict. 3 rd ed, 2008). It is shown from the combination of scenes that
shows events in the past and events in the recent years in order to say something
to the audiences.
This music video is made in black and white mode or monochrome since it
gives a definite picture of the slavery experienced by balck people in the past. The
music video is not covered with any other color but black and white only. To find
out the meaning about the content of the music video itself, the audiences need to
wacth it properly since black and white mode gives a definite picture, a historic
event that happened in the past, gives a picture of what it is without being library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id51
modified by colors that tend to give new meaning about certain objects(evans,
1975). It says what it is shown.
There is also a plot in the music video. At the beginning of the scene, there is
a ship containing black people who arrived in American continent to be slaves.
Then they were sold by the white to get profit from them. After they were sold to
be a slave, it was not only the strength that they took from the black but also their
body and soul and their lives being exploited. They were employed outdoors
where there was no protection from UV’s ray for whole days. The white also
intruded into their lives of their personal matter in which black women were
forced to satisfy the sex desire of white men and became sex slaves.
The scenes are also filled with the same storyline of slavery, but in the
modern era. As mentioned before that they are (black people) no longer worked in
cornfield, merchant or manufactories, but it was changed into financial institution
and multinational corporation in which the work mechanism is exactly the same
with slavery of the slavery era that black people as the inferior one who produce
more power to run the business. Black people are placed at the lowest position in
the production process in which they felt the heat atmosphere from gas pipes, and
got low wage for their work.
The focus of the music video is not the artists but the other characters. The
artists appear in several parts of scenes to strengthen the characters of narrative in
the music video. The focus of the video is all black people in America from the
beginning of slavery era up to the modern era; to emphasize the notion of the
storyline itself. Thus, the certain mood can be built from the video, to put the library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id52
audience in objective position; since the most of the video scenes are about
depictions of certain occurences experinced by black people in the U.S. The
objective position does not mean that the white one or the side who oppress
cannot experience the occurences, since there are many ways to put someone to
get objective judgment about something, one of them is through “Black and
White” mode.
1. a. The comparison of slavery form in the past and modern era
As mentioned in many books of American society, that black people are
discriminated based on their race and skin color. The discrimination on black
people was diminished in the late 60s, but it was narrowed in several aspects.
Picture 1: A white man is watching Picture2 : a foreman is watching down through his binocular down cynical
As mentioned before in the previous discussion that slavery in modern era
isdiminished and more narrowed in particular occasion. In the first music video is
emphasizing the comparison about the same form of slavery but in different era.
The prominent procedure or mode proposed by Barthes for both pictures 1 and 2
is Pose mode since it shows the specific portrait or pose of the object.
It can be seen on the picture 1 a white man is using his binocular to see
something in distance and picture 2 shows a white foreman is watching down to library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id53
the workers. Picture 1 depicts that there is an obvious distance between the man
who is watching and the side which is watched. The binocular represents the far
distance of humanity level of both sides by the interpretation of the man since it
belongs to the the white man. Meanwhile, picture 2 represents cynical view of the
foreman toward the workers. The cynical view made by the foreman represents
the different level of humanity between high and low society; the cynical view
with underestimate thought.
It represents gap between the superior and inferior group, white people and
black people in the society. There is still segregation in the middle of the society
based on skin color in many aspects of life such as job classification, job
assignments, and payment. The connection between both picture 1 and 2 is the
discrepancy based on skin color inherited by their ancestors to the next generation
in which the discrepancy itself tend to disparage the minority. CNN/Kaiser Family
Foundation in 2014 provides amount of surveys that black people are still
discriminated in economic matter and it is proved around 26% of blacks and 15%
of hispanic said they felt that they had been treated unfairly because of their race
at their place of work in the past 30 days (Vega, 2015).
Picture3: A foreman is keeping an Picture4: A landlord is keeping an eye upon workers eye upon slaves library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id54
In the pictures 3 and 4 the combination of mode or procedure is needed. The
Pose mode and Object mode (in which each object has its own meaning) hold the
important role.
Picture 3 shows a foreman keeping an eye to the workers who are queuing the
timecard and picture 4 shows the landlord keeping an eye to his slaves who are
queuing to enter the work field. In fact, picture 3 says that arrogance, and
cockinessappears from the foreman with arms akimbo. Whilst the worker
represent irritated feeling, hatefulness, and take revenge since they are still
discriminated in modern era even in workplaces. It is not considered as naked
issue since they are working and need the money to live their life.
There is landlord that represents high class society who wears a well morning
coat full equipped with bowler also with arms akimbo in picture 4. It represents
vanity, ruling class, ascendancy, intelligent, modern, and sophistication. Since he
buys the slaves, he can do anything toward them without any excuse. Different
from the slaves (the opponent) that represents marginality, fatuous, oppressed
class, minority, low class society. They walk to workplace defenselessly and
loathly since they are oppressed and enslaved by the white. They are exploited for
all matters they have, body and soul.
Both pictures 3 and 4 represent the protest of reduplication of opression upon
black people in America in modern era. The oppression tend to harash and go into
physical threats toward black people. Roscigno and colleges (2007) gain the
evidence the physical threats toward black people done by whites in place of work
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and housing discrimination in form of filing claim in the Civil Rights Commission
of Ohio (Vega, 2015).
Picture5: slaves worked in Picture6: workers work in production workfield division Picture 5 and 6 has the same procedure as two previous pictures, which is the
combination of Pose mode and Object mode since each picture has strong
depictions need to be revealed in both modes. It can be seen in picture 5 that
slaves were working at castor oil plantation and heat exhaustion because of the
sun in the middle of the day. Picture 6 shows workers were working at production
division in gas pipes area in which the gas spraying out to their face. They feel
exhaustion and have to work hard to get mount of production that will be given to
their boss and enrich them. As mentioned before in previous discussion that
slavery is not over yet, they are no longer work in cornfield, merchant or
manufactures but it changes into financial institution and Multinational
Corporation in which the work mechanism is exactly the same with the slavery
era that black people as the inferior one who produce more power to run the
company.
Both pictures 5 and 6 show protest the same essence which is inequality in
workplace. Although black job applicant have skills and capability more than
white job applicant, companies tend to choose the white one to be hired to fill the library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id56
important position in which the decision making is highly needed.
Meanwhile,black job applicants put in the unfit position which is lower than white
job applicants and there is no need to work with brain but physical strength only
(Parcel & Mueler, 1983).
Picture7: a landlord is catching a black Picture8: the disappointment of worker woman accepting his wage
Picture 7 and 8 are included in the Pose mode in which the specific portrait or
pose of the object has the dominant role in constructing the meaning.
In picture 7 it can be seen that the landlord and his henchmen are trying to
catch a black wowan around rice barn. Picture 8 shows the disappointment of the
worker accepting his wage. Picture 7 says that the black woman is going to be
raped by the landlord and his henchmen in the rice barn. There are cruel, sexual
desires and underestimate views appear from the white men as if they own a
thing, and they can do anything upon the thing.
Picture 8 depicts sadness and disappointment appearing from the worker. The
foreman who represents underestimate view toward his workers and not giving
the equal wage to his worker and act like it is common thing. The relation
between picture 7 and 8 is the black people as the oppressed one being ‘raped’ by
white people. Unlike in the past, rape here means that their right of humanity is
being raped, ripped into pieces. Even until things that they naturally have such as library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id57
love and the wage as a result of their work are being discriminated. This scenes
absolutely represent protest on discrimination in receiving payment and wages.
Some statistical evidence comes to similar conclusions. Cancio et al. (1996), for
example, find that controlling for parental background, education, work
experience, tenure, and training, white men earn roughly 15% more than
comparable blacks (white women earned 6% more than comparable black
women) (Pager &Sheperd, 2008).
It can be said that black people in America still have not the true freedom yet
after the Civil Rights Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 who
prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national
origin, banned segregation and provided for the integration of schools and other
public facilities (www.history.com). By the time “Public Enemy” made the music
video in 1990s, at the same year there were vast transformation in economy sector
particularly for black people in America. As a result of the signature of the Civil
Rights Act in 1964, the job recruitment in companies was gradually opened for
black society and reaches the top of the realization in the 90s. At this point, it can
be said that black people were accepted by the society by mentioning the
achievement of black such as about 51 percent of all black employees sixteen
years old and over were classified as white-collar workers (Love, 2000, p. 622-
633). But here it is the problem; different taxes and payment existed and
‘narrowed’ sub-sector discrimination between black and white people. Michael J.
Love stated as quoted by Amistadresource.org about the new racial discrimination
toward black people: library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id58
“White car dealerships that charge blacks hundreds of dollars more for
automobiles than they do whites; hospitals that routinely provide
substandard treatment for minorities; insurance companies that
systematically charge black consumers higher rates than whites to insure
homes of identical market value; grocery store chains that transport older
produce from white suburban shopping-mall markets to groceries in
predominantly black communities; the denial of employment opportunities
at senior levels of management and administration in large companies and
institutions” (www.amistadresource.org).
It is the same system or slavery by gaining the racial discrimination toward black
people but it is definitely in different form. As mentioned in the previous chapter,
absolutely the problem is not limited to just the economic aspect, but it continues
to the other aspects such as in social, political, and laws.
2. Get the Fuck outta Dudge (1991)
“Get the Fuck Outta Dodge” is also one of the music videos attached in the
album of “Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strike Black” released on October 1, 1991
by “Public Enemy”. The album was produced and directed by The Bomb Squad /
The Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk (the famous informal epithet for the
production team). The Bomb Squad itself is an American hip-hop production team
consisting of Hank Shocklee (James Henry Boxley), Keith Shocklee (Keith
Matthew Boxley), Chuck D (Credited as Carl Ryder) whoarealso the member of library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id59
“Public Enemy”, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, and Gary G-Wiz (Gary Rinaldo) which
all members of its team were black people(www.publicenemy.com)
In brief, the song talks about the Noise Pollution Laws in Dodge city, Kansas.
In the city, most of the populations are white neighborhood. There is an odd
situation in which black people are not allowed to pass on most of the road in
Dodge City with loud sound comes from their car. In accordance with the issue, it
has direct connection with the democracy in which everyone who is the member
of the society of the U.S. has the same rights except black people in Dodge City.
Chuck D as one of the group members values the music video as a criticism
toward the society:
“Get The F—k Outta Dodge” is about apartheid in America, in the form of
noise pollution laws which are designed so that you can’t drive your car
through a white neighborhood with your system playing loud. And I’m
saying when the s—t gets that crazy, you’ve just got to get the f—k out of
town. I got stopped a while neighborhood in a jeep.” (SongFacts, 2014,
para.1)
There is a tangible event in which the social harassment toward black people
happens in Dodge city where most of its neighborhood are white people around
80’s. As the excuse or base of the social harassment itself is the Noise Pollution
Laws which the function is being deflected.The society follows the rules in
accordance with the Noise Pollution Laws issued by the Government in 1972. But
in some occation, the convention of its society is different from the laws. The
society is not reporting black people who are passing the road of the white library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id60
neighborhood with the sound loud coming from their car since it is quite difficult
to report unless they get the license plate car number.The neighborhoods are
mocking directly to the black people whoare passing the white neighborhood in
Dodge City. It is obviously represent one of discrimination phenomena and
against human right since the Act is aimed to the noise pollution produced by the
car machine, factories and industries, instead the loud of the sound system comes
froma car.
“Get the F—k Outta Dodge” represents the tangible event in Dodge City as a
protest toward society about social harassment as part of discrimination based on
skin color. This music video has a chronological plot. At the beginning of the
scene, there is a situation reported by black people’s media that some police
officers beat up the black people like a big criminal in the middle of the road.
Soon after the black people surrender, he is brought to the police office to get
penal provision dealing with his “crime” (which is not the actual crime).
The black people’s media go to their van to report the punishment, but
suddenly they are chased by the police, and the chasing action is unavoidable.
Both the van and the police car pass the same way, but right after they pass the
borderline of Dodge City, the police are surrounded by black people and they are
judged as the same as they judge the black people in Dodge City.
In addition, the focus of “Get the F—k Outta Dodge” is not the artists since it
is included as narrative type of music video in which there are some links leading
to a story trying to guide the audiences to draw a conclusion. The focus of the
music video is the short story of the discrimination toward black people in Dodge library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id61
City. With the stigma that they are still considered as uneducated and low society,
they are still different from the white as the member of the U.S. nation. They still
deserve to be treated haphazardlyrights where they stand as marginalized society,
particularly in Dodge City which most of the society are white neighborhood.
The analysis of “Get the f---k Outta Dodge”
The discrimination toward black people is not quite distinct in the society, but
it is narrowed and makes it something that is not very serious against human
rights. As in the depiction below, white society still break the norms by making a
convention among them to deal with black neighborhood. Race/color
discrimination and harassment against human rights is the issue that “Public
Enemy” protests in this music video. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission mentions that offensive or derogatory remarks about a person’s race
or color, racial slurs, and the display of racially-offensive symbols are considered
as race/color discrimination and harassment (www.eeoc.gov).
Picture9: a black man freeze by police officers
One of the protests as depicted in picture 9, is the scene of a black young man
being captured since he passes through the white neighborhood in Dodge City
with his loud sound system comes from his car. It is clear in the scene, the
audience is led to the story and pushed to realize that there is violation against library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id62
humanity. Just because white people do not like black people for some reasons, it
does not mean that all of black people are marginalized. White people cannot just
influence and force the other to have the same feeling of aversion toward black
people. It is absolutely break the concept of humanity.
The scene of picture 9 represents the protest to the social prejudice and
stereotype toward black people.In accordance to the inequality represented in the
music video, The University of Chicago held a survey shows that in most of states
in the U.S. the job opportunity is widely open for white people rather than black
people based on the name of the applicants. Names like Jake and Miranda which
has white sounding name has more than 50% to be called back to follow the
interview session rather than Lakisha and Jamal which more likely to be black
(Taylor, 2003). There is no consideration of educational backgrounds or anything
else to make a call for interview session other than the name inclusion.
Meanwhile, government as the one to control the nation which should protect
societies also tries to hide the black discrimination by giving wrong information to
the society. As part of discrimination represented in the music video, picture 10
represents the police officers blockade on black people’s media to cover the news.
Picture 10: a black man reporter is Picture 11: a police officer is pushing prohibited to cover the news black people barricade
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As well as in picture 11, the police officers (side who has authority) keep
pushing the reporter from the crime scene. It is a kind of short story that the
director wants the audience to understand that the discrimination toward black
people still exists even in the process of revealing the truth through the media. In
front of media, the black people are prohibited to tell the truth about what they
suffer in the society.There is a black barricade on picture 11 trying to stop the
police to beat the reporter. Itrepresent the capacity of black people in the
government. They are just the complement of the government, that black people
are also placed in the government and equally important as the others.Black
people in the government only have the capability to stop the act during the
violation, but not the rest. In fact, the rest of the action which is covered by the
media is highly important. It can yield bad point of view of the society toward
them (black people) if the media is controlled by the white people and there are no
black people who are strong enough to get involved into the body of the media
itself. The news is often manipulated and black people often become the
scapegoat on news related to black people either it is related to economy, social,
laws, and even in political environment.
The discrimination based on skin color in society depicted in both pictures 10
and 11 is also the representation of black people prejudice in America. The police
stop blacks and latinos is placed in top rate report of NYPD from 1970s to 2009.
85% of blacks and latinos who are stopped by police are frisked according to
information provided by NYPD, meanwhile when whites are stopped, only 8%
who are frisked. The same is true most other places as well. In a California study, library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id64
the ACLU found blacks are three times more likely to be stopped than whites.
(Quigley, 2011).
Picture12: a police car is chasing the van
The protest of discrimination and social harassment towad black people in
this music video is very intense although it has short duration which is 2 minutes
51 seconds only. It does not mean that the diretor wants to overwhelm the
suffering, but in fact it is the reality; even in the slightest event and in particular
occasion. In picture 12, it can be seena police car is chasing the van of black
media through the Dodge City neighborhood. The van itself represents an
institution which accepts aspirations from black people and it also has the white
color which means the institution is pure for humanity matters and there is no
profit in it.
Furthermore, picture 12 shows that the van is turning right, it represents that
the institution walks on the right path as mentioned in laws of the U.S. nation, to
facilitate the society by accepting the inspirations. However, the car is chasing the
van no matter what. This condition lead us to get the understanding that although
the black people do the right thing, it is not really ‘right’ for the white people and
they need to be punished upon the thing that they have done. That the van is still
chased by the police car also represents the black people who cannot tell the truth library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id65
to the world upon what they experiences. Although they can report it to the
general public, the police as the representation of the official government can
easily deny it since they have the power in public as in the laws and political
sphere. Black people are pursued to be silenced.
To conclude, there is one important thing which can be derived from the
second music video, i.e. stereotype and social prejudice. Since black people are
considered low human resources both in education and economy, they are
underestimated in many ways. Starts from economy problem and become poor
then it is widen to social discrimination in which “some fast-food restaurants in
ghettoes refuse to hire local residents because employers feared that they would
give away food to unemployed and low-income relatives and friends” (Love,
1998, p. 622-623). In peer intercommunication, most of young black people
grouped based on their skin color since they are underestimated and cannot access
the young white sphere in term of communication. The economic problem is still
remaining and black people are in uncertain condition in which one black person
is different with the other blacks. Whenever a bunch of young blacks committing
a crime it does not mean all of young black people are criminal. That is one of
ways black people are being discriminated through humanity and it is one again
being narrowed up to the narrowest gap in social life.
3. Fight the Power (1989)
“Fight the Power ” is one of music videos attached in the album of ‘Fear of A
Black Planet’ by “Public Enemy”. The song was very first issued on June 1989 as library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id66
one of film soundtracks entitled Do The Right Thing directed by Spike Lee.The
different version is produced in “Public Enemy”’s studio album in 1990. This
music video isquite special since the production process is done by the Bomb
Squad as well as the two previous music videos but it is directed by Spike Lee, the
director of Do The Right Thing film.
The music video in brief tells about black people pride, protest of reversed
racism and homophobia and anti-Semitism (SongFacts, 2014, para. 1). In general,
“Fight the Power ” does not meant to the fight the white society, but to fight the
party which has the authority to twist or distort the laws against civil rights. The
song persuades black people to be proud of themselves since they have the ability
that only them who can use and process it into something benefits (rapping). The
song also persuades all people in every phase of age and every race in the U.S. to
realize that everyone has the same right since they have many similarities as
human being.
“Fight the Power ” was made in performance type of music video. Mullen
states that performance music video can be live state performance in which the
shots of the artists / band or audiences (Mullen, 2016). It is similar to the video that
there is no story during performance, but it yields some reaction like joyness,
spiritual awareness and self satisfaction upon the audiences. It tends to accentuate
the combination of composition of the musical element, lyrical playing and
perform action.
There is also a plot of “ Fight the Power ” music video. At the beginning of the
scene, there is a short video about the history of the U.S. society to get the great library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id67
power to change the government’s system in all sectors. It was the massive non-
violent march in Lincoln Memorial, Washington held on August 28, 1963
(Faragher, 1999, p. 536). More than 250.000 people assembled to shout the march
of equal job and freedom. Then, it is continued with the performers of the artists
(“Public Enemy”) and the band and also the audiences. As if they want to make the
similar action for example in Washington, there are many audiences assemble
around the stage of the live concert bring big banners representingnames of cities
(Alabama, Cleveland, Montgomery, Birmingham, Nashville, Washington D.C,
Brooklyn, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, New York, Louisiana, Haarlem, and
South Bronx), but in different theme.
In the video, they demand peace and condemn the brutality and inequality in
every sectors experienced by everyone in minority happening in each city which
still has high rate of violation and criminality. Not only aiming the problem
mentioned before, the video also represents the black pride, anti-Semitism, reject
racism and homophobia since it is kind of social problem caused by bad
environments. They do not want to fight the power of the government, but directly
ask everyone in every element of society to annihilate a handful of unscrupulous in
the government for the good of the society.
Since it is kind of performance music video, the focus of “ Fight the Power ”
are the performance of the artists and the enthusiasm of the audiences. The specific
purpose of the video is to create certain mood upon the audiences from the
performance itself.
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id68
The analysis of “Fight the Power”
It needs big effort to get the liberation among society, particularly for those
who are considered as minority and have oppressed history in their background
like black people and Indians. It also needs huge desire and awareness to make it
happen and realize to gather people in one place to shout the same demand. As
depicted in the history of American society, in fact there is a big power more than
the government authority; the society itself.Previous researches mention that the
protest is not limited on the discrimination in ecenomic, social and political matter
only, but it is narrowed into the slighest thing in life.The social justification, social
prejudice, stereotype, constant exploitation in black music industry and
condemnation toward black people and considered as “low” culture and it is
unworthy to study are among the protests in accordance with the discrimination
on black people in America (Sullivan, 2003).
At the beginning of scene, there is a short video about the massive non-
violent march on Lincoln Memorial, Washington, held on August 28, 1963. As if
“Public Enemy” wants to remind the audiences, that the unity and integrity of the
society is the one ‘key’ to change the ideology and the broken system of the
government which was done by irresponsible elements in the government itself.
Picture14: people congregate on lincoln Picture15: many people shout the same memorial marches library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id69
They are united in the same awareness and demand; equal employment, equal
education, and equal freedom. It shows that the great power of a nation is in the
hand of the society, and when some people have ‘quality’ then the society have
‘quantity’.
For further protest, picture 16 shows many people brings several names of
cities in the U.S. It shows that the audiences are not only as the spectators of the
live stage of the “Public Enemy”’s concert but it also represents the people from
each city assembly in one place to protest the radicalism and crime from their
homeland. Ongoing inequalities because of the ruling parties are not performing
their duties properly.
Picture16: audiences bring banners representing each states in the U.S.
There is no additional lighting in the music video and it only use the light
from the sun; it represents ‘hope’ and it will be perceived by everyone in the U.S.
that justice will show its true form to judge everyone no matter what his / her
background is. There is no dominant color in the scene; it represents the diversity
of the U.S. society. Since they stands on the same ground, then it need high
tolerance and fair treatment to each other.
As “Public Enemy” emphasizes the other protests, picture 17 shows black
youngsters bring a big banner reads ‘register to vote’. It is not the new issue that library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id70
black people always have difficulties to have or to use their right to vote. The
right to vote for black people was first signed in August 6, 1965 by President
Lyndon Johnson.
Picture17: black youngsters bring “right to vote” banner
Nevertheless, it does not mean all black people in the U.S. could use his/her
right appropriately. The latest news said that in 2006 black people in South
Carolina required ID photo so they could use the right to vote while the other
(white) only showed their ID to vote (aclu.org, p. 1). Not only ID photo, the new
problem occuredwhen the restriction of the voters based on ID photo were found
and there was indirect action to this problem in 2011 (ibid. 5).
Picture18: black youngsters bring names of Picture19: vlavor vlav shows the symbol of “Public Enemy” members his rap group
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id71
Picture20: fans use the title of the song as property
Among the cities’ names, there are name of “Public Enemy” members
namely: Terminator X, S1W’s, and Chuck D. As we can see that the performer,
Flavor Vlav (William Jonathan Drayton Jr.) uses properties like big necklaces
made of clock and the symbol of “Public Enemy”. It is a kind of fine combination
to create the true meaning of a performance music video, since it creates certain
mood and specific understanding toward audience. The combination of names and
the symbol represent ‘promotion’ of the rap group itself in which the audiences
lift high the banner’s name. So with the artists use the big one clock made of
symbol of the group and in the next scene he kisses and the camera focus on the
symbol every time. Almost each audience included in the music video has the
symbol applied on their own property like on short and sticker.
Black pride in America is also to be represented by famous female singer
Beyonce in her song “Super Bowl 50” which included homages to Malcolm X
and the Black Panthers, has been described by the media as a display of black
pride (Gass, 2016). By showing the giant X letter in her tribute leading to
Malcolm X, and wearing black panthers berets as one of her tribute properties as
the representation of revolutionary black nationalist and socialist organization
founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in 1966. library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id72
The scene does not merely depict the promotion of the group, but it also
represents the promotion of the black pride. They want to say that black people
can also do what the other (white people) do. But there is one thing that white
people cannot or at least it is not the same with black if they do; rapping. It is the
origin legacy of the black people from their homeland, Africa. There are no other
races which have the same characterization whenever they are rapping. The black
people should be proud of themselves since it is a gift for their race.
It can be concluded that the power of black people in America is on the
quantity of the people itself where they can shout out their opinion, voice, and
demand to the government through united organizations. “Public Enemy” though
this music video intends to encourage all of youngsters no matter what their
background is to see the development of the politic in government by watching
the side who try to break the nations. They can see its indication by screening the
government policy; and to do so the higher education is required for the
youngsters. Indierectly, “Public Enemy” says that “united people no matter what
their background are” is the most important thing and the powerful strength to
build the nation.
In order to gain the spirit innovation in their own way to continue Jesse
Jackson’s achievement for the black people in presidential campaign in 1984,
“Public Enemy” composes the same significance of his achievement but in
different way. While Jesse Jackson’s achievement are one million black voters are
registered, strong progressive political relationship with the other minority groups,
and culminating in the subsequent elections of thousands of new minority officials library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id73
in federal, state, and local races during the late 1980s and 1990s (Amistad: 2009,
para. 6), “Public Enemy” tends to gaining the courage of all of youngsters to
partake in action to control the nation by giving aspiration, developing their
creativity, be proud of themselves, and tolerance to each other in many aspects of
life.
B. The protest of black people in accordance with racism and discrimination
presented in the music videos of “Public Enemy”: Semiotic Analysis of the
lyrics
This sub-chapter discusses the analysis of the three songs of “Public Enemy”
through each lyric of the song to reveal the meaning. The analysis will conduct
the Michael Riffaterre’s semiotic, namely: 1. Indirectness expression of poetry, 2.
Heuristic and Hermeneutic reading, 3. Matrix, Model, and Variant, and 4.
Hypogram.
The lyric will be provided first before conducting the analysis of the data. Then it
will continue to the analysis of Indirectness expression of poetry (in this case is
lyrics), Heuristic and Hermeneutic reading, Hypogram, and find the Matrix,
Model and Variant of each song.
As mentioned before in chapter two that rap lyrics contain so many slang
words and inappropriate grammar as part of emceeing and rapping itself to
enhance the rhythm. Then, before entering the analysis it will be provided the list
of the inappropriate words contain therein and the meaning of it.
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id74
1. Can’t Truss It
The contain of the song is not far from the Reconstruction Era in 1865-1877.
The southern whites keep the black people inferior socially and economically.
Although the fourteenth amandment had granted them citizenship, and the
fifteenth amandment outlawed suffrage discrimination based on race, color, or
previous slave status, in fact black people still stick with the term of ‘slavery’.
Black people are not out of number, but they do not have any education at all that
make them keep silence. They do not know how to start to fight for their own life.
Thus, they still accept the discrimination in all aspects of life since they do not
own their own body.
Bass in your face (1) Not an eight track (2) Gettin' it good to the wood (3) So the people (4) Give you some a dat (5) Reactin' to the fax (6) That I kick and it stick (7) (8) And it stay around Pointin' to the joint, put the Buddha down (9) (10) Goin' , goin' , gettin' to the roots Ain't givin' it up (11) (12) So turn me loose But then again I got a story (13) That's harder than the hardcore (14) (15) Cost of the holocaust I'm talin' 'bout the one still goin' on (16) (17) I know Where I'm from, not dum diddie dum (18) From the base motherland (19) (20) The place of the drum Invaded by the wack diddie wack (21) Fooled the black, left us faded (22) (23) King and chief probably had a big beef Because of dat now I grit my teeth (24) So here's a song to the strong (25) 'Bout a shake of a snake (26) library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id75
And the smile went along wit dat (27) Can't truss it (28) (29) Kickin' wicked rhymes Like a fortune teller (30) 'Cause the wickedness done by Jack (31) (32) Where everybody at Divided and sold (33) (34) For liquor and the gold Smacked in the back (35) For the other man to mack (36) Now the story that I'm kickin' is gory (37) Little Rock where they be (38) Dockin' this boat (39) No hope I'm shackled (40) Plus gang tackled (41) By the other hand swingin' the rope (42) Wearin' red, white and blue Jack and his crew (43) The guy's authorized beat down for the brown (44) Man to the man, each one so it teach one (45) Born to terrorize sisters and every brother (46) One love who said it (47) I know Whodini sang it (48) But the hater taught hate (49) That's why we gang bang it (50) Beware of the hand (51) When it's comin' from the left (52) I ain't trippin' just watch ya step (53) (54) Can't truss it An I judge everyone, one by the one (55) (56) Look here come the judge Watch it here he come now (57) (58) I can only guess what's happ'nin' Years ago he woulda been (59) The ships captain (60) (61) Gettin' me bruised on a cruise What I got to lose, lost all contact (62) (63) Got me layin' on my back Rollin' in my own leftover (64) When I roll over, I roll over in somebody else's (65) (66) 90 F--kin' days on a slave ship Count 'em fallin' off 2, 3, 4 hun'ed at a time (67) Blood in the wood and it's mine (68) (69) I'm chokin' on spit feelin' pain Like my brain bein' chained (70) Still gotta give it what I got (71) But it's hot in the day, cold in the night (72) library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id76
But I thrive to survive, I pray to god to stay alive (73) Attitude boils up inside (74) (75) And that ain't it (think I'll every quit) Still I pray to get my hands 'round (76) The neck of the man wit' the whip (77) (78) 3 months pass, they brand a label on my ass To signify (79) (80) Owned I'm on the microphone (81) Sayin' 1555 (82) How I'm livin' (83) We been livin' here (84) Livin' ain't the word (85) I been givin' (86) Haven't got (87) Classify us in the have-nots (88) Fightin' haves (89) 'Cause it's all about money (90) When it comes to Armageddon (91) Mean I'm getting mine (92) Here I am turn it over Sam (93) 427 to the year (94) Do you understand (95) That's why it's hard (96) For the black to love the land (97) Once again (99) Bass in your face (100) (101) Not an eight track Gettin' it good to the wood (102) (103) So the people Give you some a dat (104) (105) Reactin' to the fax That I kick and it stick (106) And it stay around (107) (108) Pointin' to the joint, put the Buddha down Goin' , goin' , gettin' to the roots (109) (110) Ain't givin' it up So turn me loose (111) But then again I got a story (112) (113) That's harder than the hardcore Cost of the holocaust (114) I'm talin''bout the one still goin' on (115) (116) I know Where I'm from, not dum diddie dum (117) From the base motherland (118) The place of the drum (119) library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id77
Invaded by the wack diddie wack (120) Fooled the black, left us faded (121) (122) King and chief probably had a big beef Because of dat now I grit my teeth (123) So here's a song to the strong (124) (125) 'Bout a shake of a snake And the smile went along wit dat (126) (127) Can't truss it The slang and inappropriate words and/or phrases
No. Words Meaning No. Words Meaning 1. Truss Trust 5. Fax Fact 2. Gettin' Getting 6. Pointin’ Pointing 3. Dat Digital 7. Goin’ Going audiotape or data (real) 4. Reactin’ Reacting 8. Aint’ Am not, is not, are not, has not, have not 9. Talin’ Telling 22. Swingin’ Swinging 10. ‘bout About 23. Wearin’ Wearing 11. Dum diddie Sound of small 24. Whodini Houdini dum drum (related to the origin musical tools of african)
12. Wack diddie Negative sign 25. Trippin’ Tripping
wack related to white people
13. Wit s.t. funny 26. Happ’nin’ Happening (jokes) 14. Kickin’ Kicking 27. Woulda Would
have 15. Mack Maximum 28. Layin’ Laying 16. Dockin’ Docking 29. Fuckin’ Fucking
17. ‘em Them 30. Sayin’ Saying 18. Hun’ed Hundred 31. Livin’ Lying
19. Chokin’ Choking 32. Givin’ Giving 20. Feelin’ Feeling 33. Fightin’ Fighting 21. Bein’ Being 34. Gotta Got to,
have to, have you got a… library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id78
B. 1. Indirectness expression
This phase analyzes the displacing of meaning, distorting of meaning, and
creating of meaning .
a. Displacing of meaning
In the song lyric of “ Can’t Truss It ”, “Public Enemy” uses some rhetorical
and figurative style of language. The rhetorical styles in the lyric are ellipsis and
alliteration, while the figurative styles are paronomasia and paradox.
Verses 5 and 6 use rhetoric style namely ellipsis since there are some words
which are hidden and it could be filled by the audience or the reader by
themselves to get the meaning. At the beginning of verse 6 it can be filled with
“so that you can” and be continued with the verse 6. In the verse 10 there is
repetition of consonant sound known as alliteration. It is also used in the verse 69
and 109. It is aimed to adjust the rhythm so it can produce the right tempo and
timing.
Verses 1, 2, and 3 use figurative style of language namely paronomasia.
Paronomasia is the word play which has nothing to do with each other. In this
lyric, it intentionally be put in the beginning of the song aimed to gain the
attention of the audiences or the reader to pay more attention to the next session or
lyric of the song. Verses 13 and 14 use the figurative style namely paradox which
contains contradictory meaning. The verse 13 says “But then again I got a story”
then the verse 14 says “ That's harder than the hardcore”. It is very clear that
story and hardcore is different things then there is comparison “harder” between library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id79
them. Story or narrative in its broadest sense is anything told or recounted; more
narrowly, and more usually, something told or recounted in the form of a
causally-linked set of events; account; tale,: the telling of a happening or
connected series of happenings, whether true or fictitious (Denning: 2016).
Meanwhile, hardcore is type of music genre which has strong, tough, enduring,
hardened characteristics.
b. Distorting of meaning
The lyric mentions several well-known names to represent the characteristics
and/or the existence of ambiguity. It is in the verse 9 (Buddha), verse 31 (Jack),
verse 48 (Whodini), verse 91 (Armageddon), and verse 95 (Sam).
As we know that Buddha is one of religions in which the name of the religion
is taken from its God’s name; Buddha. It says “ pointin’ to the joint, put the
Buddha down ”. Put the Buddha down means there is no hesitation and humanity
values so that the oppression toward black people still happens. Buddhism
upholds the nature of love and compassion for others, so if they are willing to put
the humanity values (love and compassion) down, it means the depravity is bigger
than humanity values as a result of capitalism.
Verse 31 mentions name Jack. Jack is the common name recent days, but not
in the past days. Precisely in the middle ages it was the slang word meaning
“man”, and man in England at that time led to white men (Campbell: 2016). In the
verse 31 says “ ’Cause the wickedness done by Jack ” which means the oppression
and slavery were done by Jack or the white people in the past. library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id80
In the verse 48, there is a name Whodini . It has nothing to do with the master
of magic or Legerdemain Houdini, but there is one hip-hop group named Whodini
consisting of Jalil Hutchins as the main lyricist, co-vocalist John Fletcher and DJ
Drew Carter (the breaks.com). One of its album ‘Escape’ (1984) including Five
Minutes of Funk and the Freaks Come Out at Night tells about the history of black
people but in unique way, which is in the urban perspectives. They are also as the
groundbreaking of hip-hop culture (Wikimedia foundation). This group also has
the same intention to uphold the humanity and deliver their critics as black people
through their song, particularly in their song lyrics.
Verse 91 mentions a name Armageddon . In Christianity Armageddon means
a place where armies gather in the Armageddon city as the armies of God to battle
with the wickedness led by Satan. It is not directly said that they are intentionally
put the name Armageddon as the assembly point of the armies of God, then they
will fight the wickedness led by Satan, but it has meaning when black and white
people have a conflict then the white will win in the front of court since they have
money and authority to manipulate the fact. The armies of God represent the
white people then the wickedness led by Satan is the black people, but the fact is
in the paradox realm. No matter who the armies of God are, the wickedness is the
white one since the oppression done by the white toward black people and
enslaves them.
Verse 95 also has the ambiguity in the matter of word “Sam”. It is not
literally mentioning the name Sam, but it means the United Nations of America
(U.S.A). The name Sam is taken from the epithet of the nation itself “Uncle Sam” library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id81
in which American in colonial era dominated by white people (in power of
authority and economy, not in the quantity). Then the verse here I am turn it over
Sam refers to all that I have got will be given to the American society or the
United States of America, they (black people) have no rights to own their own
profit and/or to own anything.
c. Creating of meaning.
Unlike poem, the construction of rap lyrics is not marked with line, stanza,
and verse, but it has its own construction. The constructions of rap lyric are: intro
– pre-hook, hook, verse, bridge, outro. The analysis of rap lyrics is quite difficult
as mentioned by Cole Mize, one of rappers from the U.S.: “Now keep in mind
there are endless ways to structure a song. These are just a few examples of some
of the most common forms found in rap music.” (Mize, 2015, par. 12). Then, the
separation of lyric analysis will take every caesura or juncture in the song.
The similarity between poem and rap lyric is the existence of rhyme. Each
stanza of a poem has different rhyme. The marking of rhyme is marked with
alphabet letter and always start with a letter, and every next stanza which has
different sound will be marked with alphabet order such as b, c, d, e , and so forth
(Atmazaki, 1993: 80). The song “ Can’t Truss It ”has rhyme pattern as follows:
Bass in your face a Not an eight track b Gettin' it good to the wood c
So the people d Give you some a dat e Reactin' to the fax b
That I kick and it stick f And it stay around g Pointin' to the joint, put the Buddha down g library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id82
Goin' , goin' , gettin' to the roots c Ain't givin' it up h
So turn me loose i But then again I got a story j That's harder than the hardcore k
Cost of the holocaust i I'm talin' 'bout the one still goin' on g
I know l Where I'm from, not dum diddie dum m From the base motherland n The place of the drum m Invaded by the wack diddie wack b Fooled the black, left us faded e King and chief probably had a big beef o Because of dat now I grit my teeth o So here's a song to the strong p 'Bout a shake of a snake q And the smile went along wit dat e Can't truss it r
Kickin' wicked rhymes s Like a fortune teller t 'Cause the wickedness done by Jack b Where everybody at e Divided and sold c For liquor and the gold c Smacked in the back b For the other man to mack b
Now the story that I'm kickin' is gory j
Little Rock where they be u Dockin' this boat c No hope I'm shackled v
Plus gang tackled v By the other hand swingin' the rope w
Wearin' red, white and blue Jack and his crew t The guy's authorized beat down for the brown g Man to the man, each one so it teach one n
Born to terrorize sisters and every brother t One love who said it r I know Whodini sang it r
But the hater taught hate e That's why we gang bang it r Beware of the hand n When it's comin' from the left r library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id83
I ain't trippin' just watch ya step h Can't truss it r
An I judge everyone, one by the one g Look here come the judge e
Watch it here he come now l
I can only guess what's happ'nin' x Years ago he woulda been o The ships captain x Gettin' me bruised on a cruise i What I got to lose, lost all contact b Got me layin' on my back b Rollin' in my own leftover k When I roll over, I roll over in somebody else's s 90 F--kin' days on a slave ship r Count 'em fallin' off 2, 3, 4 hun'ed at a time y
Blood in the wood and it's mine n I'm chokin' on spit feelin' pain x Like my brain bein' chained v Still gotta give it what I got w But it's hot in the day, cold in the night y
But I thrive to survive, I pray to god to stay alive y Attitude boils up inside y And that ain't it (think I'll every quit) z Still I pray to get my hands 'round g The neck of the man wit' the whip r
3 months pass, they brand a label on my ass s To signify j
Owned v I'm on the microphone n Sayin' 1555 y
How I'm livin' x We been livin' here t
Livin' ain't the word v I been givin' x
Haven't got w Classify us in the have-nots aa Fightin' haves a
'Cause it's all about money j When it comes to Armageddon n Mean I'm getting mine n Here I am turn it over Sam m library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id84
427 to the year ab
Do you understand n That's why it's hard e For the black to love the land n
Once again n
Bass in your face a Not an eight track b Gettin' it good to the wood c So the people d Give you some a dat e Reactin' to the fax b That I kick and it stick f And it stay around g Pointin' to the joint, put the Buddha down g
Goin' , goin' , gettin' to the roots c Ain't givin' it up h So turn me loose i But then again I got a story j That's harder than the hardcore k Cost of the holocaust i I'm talin''bout the one still goin' on g
I know l Where I'm from, not dum diddie dum m From the base motherland n The place of the drum m
Invaded by the wack diddie wack b Fooled the black, left us faded e
King and chief probably had a big beef o Because of dat now I grit my teeth o So here's a song to the strong p
'Bout a shake of a snake q And the smile went along wit dat e
Can't truss it r
Each stanza in the lyric has irregular pattern, but it has pressure momentum to
highlight the meaning of the song. The irregular pattern but has the pressure
momentum means the song want to tell a long story or event which each event has library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id85
important point to be told and connect it as one or unity. There is a loop of the
first stanza in the end of the song. It is not considered as reff like usual song but it
is kind of stressing of the early event of gathering audience’s attention toward
story of the song; to emphasize the event of the story of slavery era done by white
people in the U.S.
The diction used by “Public Enemy” in “ Can’t Truss It ”are informal, slang,
imagery, and even interjection but still has the denotative and connotative
meaning. The use of slang and informal word represent the originality of black
people as their own creation and represent creativity as a result of non-violence
protest. Besides, it also contains imagery words so it creates word combination
which yields poetic and averment meaning (Nurcahyanti, 2012, p. 30).
In combining words, “Public Enemy” uses some figurative language like
paronomasia and paradox style. The paronomasia appears in the first three verses
of the first stanza. Mentioning words which has no connection but the intention is
to gather the audience’s attention. The paradox style appears in verses 13 and 14.
It contains contradictory meaning which is quite different both in denotative and
connotative meaning. Moreover, if it is read verse by verse, then there will be no
meaning at all. So, the combination reading is needed to link each verse. It also
represents the non-violence protest which is delivered through the lyric and
considered as rarefaction meaning as a form of protest.
The typography of the lyric is set in order just like the usual song. The
process of writing also follow the rules of writing in which each verse begin with
capital letter. It represent the suitability lyric as a song, although it contain library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id86
chronicled stories and contain so many inappropriate words like the using of slang
word fucking, informal word givin’, happ’nin’, etc. But there is particular way in
the lyric to be written in which the dissection of each verse is too short
particularly in the stanza 10 -14 so it makes the lyric too long and enrich the
rhyme. The aim of the short dissection is to emphasize that each verse has strong
meaning represent each stanza and each part of story. The use of informal style
also appears in the title of the song, it represents the form of non-violence protest
through lyrics and the originality of the black people’s creation. Rapping and hip-
hop were born from low black people society which politeness is unimportant.
2. Heuristic and Hermeneutic reading
The Heuristic reading of “ Can’t Truss It ”lyric as follows:
Title
Can’t trust it (the story)
1st stanza
Bass in your face, not an eight track, (then) Gettin' it good to the wood, so the
people (can) give you some a dat (data)(so that you can) Reactin' to the fax (fact) That I (my people have been) kick and it (still) stick and it (still) stay around.
Pointin' (toward my kind) to the joint, put the Buddha down (put down the humanity values by enslaves us)
2nd stanza
Goin', goin', gettin' (deep) to the root (history) ain't givin' it (the story) up, so turn me loose (silent) but then again he (the author, the song maker) got a story (raise
to tell the truth) that's (the pain is) harder than the (beat of) hardcore (which the story) cost of the holocaust (among black people) I'm talin' (you) 'bout the one (event which are) still goin' on (the discrimination)
rd 3 stanza
I know (aware)where I'm from, (I am) not (such a) dum diddie dum (dumb people), (who are not knowing the truth) from the base motherland, The place of the drum (Africa and then) invaded by the wack diddie wack (white people) library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id87
Fooled the black, left us faded (destroyed by enslaving them) king and chief (the leader) probably had a big beef (big profit by doing the human trafficking)
Because of dat (the true story) now I grit my teeth (have courage), so here's a song to the strong (one)'Bout a shake of a snake (the bend) And the smile went along wit dat, Can't truss it
4th stanza
Kickin' wicked rhymes like a fortune teller 'cause the wickedness done by Jack (in which) where everybody at (the position) divided and sold for liquor and the gold (and they) smacked (us) in the back for the other man to mack (maximum level)
5th stanza Now the story that I'm kickin' is gory (extremely miserable), (it is the) Little Rock where they be (sold as slaves), Dockin' this boat (one by one with full of grievance with) no hope I'm shackled (in the ship) plus gang tackled. By the other hand (they are) swingin' the rope (they who are) Wearin' red, white and blue Jack and his crew. The guy's authorized beat down for the brown (black people). Man to the man, each one so it teach one (then) born to terrorize sisters and every brother (become legacy) One love who said it (and) I know Whodini (also) sang it, but the hater taught hate, That's why we gang bang it. Beware of the hand (which) when it's comin' from the left (a lie) I ain't trippin' (by telling the truth) (so) just watch ya step (to think about it), Can't truss it.
6th stanza An I judge (do whatever they want since they are the owner of) everyone (black people), one by the one, Look here come the judge, Watch it here he come now
th 7 stanza I can only guess what's happ'nin' (many) years ago he woulda been, the ships
captain Gettin' me bruised (torture) on a cruise (to go to America), what I got to lose, lost all contact (all of family) (it) got me layin' on my back, Rollin' in my
own leftover (food, excrement, etc). When I roll over, I roll over in somebody else's (the leftover) 90 F--kin' days on a slave ship (it makes them to) count 'em (self) fallin' off 2, 3, 4 hun'ed at a time.
8th stanza
Blood (spilled up) in (until inside) the wood and it's mineI'm chokin' on spit feelin' pain (of the torture) Like my brain bein' chained (yet) still gotta give it (all) what I got, but it's hot in the day, cold in the night
9th stanza But I thrive to survive, I pray to god to stay alive, attitude boils up inside (mind)
and that ain't it (think I'll every quit)(from this misery) (but) still I pray (hope) to get my hands 'round the neck of the man wit' the whip (to take revenge) 3 months pass, they brand a label on my ass to signify, (and) owned, (and) I'm on the microphoneSayin' 1555 (like a fishmonger) (and shout out) how I'm livin', we library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id88
(have) been livin' hereLivin' ain't the word (not like common living), (but lives which) I (have) been givin' (inappropriate/inhuman)
10 th stanza Haven't got (the payment of working as slaves), classify us in the have-
notsFightin' haves (owned slaves), 'cause it's all about money, when it comes to Armageddon (judgment) (which the true aimed) mean I'm getting mine (but) here
(again) I am turn it over Sam (lose power to defend what we have)
11 th stanza 427 (years ago) to the year (recent days), do you understand (what is it like?) that's why it's hard for the black to love the land (the U.S.A), once again (pressed)
12 th stanza Bass in your face, not an eight track, (then) Gettin' it good to the wood, so the people (can) give you some a dat (data) (so that you can) Reactin' to the fax (fact) That I (my people have been) kick and it (still) stick and it (still) stay around. Pointin' (toward my kind) to the joint, put the Buddha down (put down the humanity values by enslaves us) 13 th stanza Goin', goin', gettin' (deep) to the root (history) ain't givin' it (the story) up, so turn me loose (silent) but then again I got a story (raise to tell the truth) that's (the pain is) harder than the (beat of) hardcore (which the story) cost of the holocaust (among black people) I'm talin' (you) 'bout the one (event which are) still goin' on (the discrimination)
14 th stanza
I know (aware)where I'm from, (I am) not (such a) dum diddie dum (dumb people) (who are not knowing the truth) from the base motherland, The place of the drum (Africa and then) invaded by the wack diddie wack (white people)
Fooled the black, left us faded (destroyed by enslaving them) king and chief (the leader) probably had a big beef (big profit by doing the human trafficking)
Because of dat (the true story) now I grit my teeth (have courage), so here's a song to the strong (one) 'Bout a shake of a snake (the bend) And the smile went along wit dat Can't truss it.
The Hermeneutic reading is as follows:
st 1 stanza library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id89
Something terrifying which is not just gibberishdoes not be self-contented and
forget so that you can realize about the true history of American society (fact).
The fact that there were terrible things happened in the past in which huge misery
and mental depravity is in the highest level.
2nd stanza
Going to the deepest history (of American society), he (the author, the song
maker) will not let it (the truth) vanish without no track at all although it is quite
hard to bring it up, but remembering how big it was, still he have to re-tell it about
discrimination toward black people in which it is still happening until then.
3rd stanza
He is aware from which land he came from since he is not such a dumb person.
Hecame from Africa then my ancestors were getting enslaves by white people.
Black people became subject in their purchase and sale to enrich them. Now,
since there are laws which can protect us (black people) and the true data about
the history of black people, then he grit my teeth (have courage) to tell everyone
about the true story of black people who had been cheated like two branches of
snake tongue.
th 4 stanza
We took the wild and rough rhymes in the song to tell the story since we want to
depict the rhymes of wickedness of white people treat the black in the past (to
take revenge) in which one form of the wickedness was they sell us to exchange
with the liquor and gold (money), and after that they smacked us in the backyard
to do their family business and exploited our strength (up to maximum level). library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id90
5th stanza
The story we are going to tell is full of miserable. In Little Rock where they were
sold as slaves, we enter the boat which brought us with full of fear and no hope.
Inside the ship we were shackled and whenever we did anything suspiciously the
white will flogging to make us silent. Unfortunately, the authority of torturing
someone else is flowing into their blood and flesh and generated to their child and
become legacy until now. This kind of story was already told by Whodini (one of
rap groups), but they were ignored by the society. That is why we (“Public
Enemy”) rebuild and retell the story with our own style (gang bang it). So be
careful, if you (the white) still stick with the discrimination, we can do the same
thing right now; just watch your step.
6th stanza
We also can judge anyone who does the violations no matter what color skin they
have since we are equal now; black people also can be a judge to maintain the
justice.
7th stanza
(Go back to the story) I cannot imagine what happened in many years ago when
my ancestors were brought to America by ships. The white torture them, they
were losing all of their family. There were no proper facilities inside the ship; they
were sleeping, eating, shitting at the same room. For more than 90 days they
experienced for the same conditions, it made them stress out and got depressed
(count ‘em fallin’ off 2, 3, 4 hun’ed at a time).
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id91
8th stanza
Blood spilled up entire ship spaces because of the torture but the only thing that I
can do is hold out (choking on spit) feeling the pain. It drive them crazy like brain
got chained, there is no protection from the heat of the sun in the day, cold in the
night.
9th stanza
But we do not giving up, we get used to it and still have a hope that someday we
will free and there is a justice to protect us. When we arrive, the white people
brands us like a cattle and sells us like fish at the market yard. We shout out
looking for help, but it is useless since all of the societies are white and they want
us to be their slaves.
10 th stanza
We work for them in the day and night but there is no payment at all except to
breathe and eat. We were classified as the lowest society, when we demand to
claim justice in a court, it was useless since justice for sale for those who had
money; black people had no money at all, then it automatically white people win
against justice.
th 11 stanza
For more than 427 years there is no justice for black people even until now; we
are being discriminated in many ways for generations to generations. That is why
the black people difficult to accept white people in many ways, and there is huge
sensitivity among them.
12 th stanza library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id92
Something terrifying which is not just gibberish does not be self-contented and
forget so that you can realize about the true history of American society (fact).
The fact that there were terrible thing happened in the past in which huge misery
and mental depravity is in the highest level.
13 th stanza
Going to the deepest history (of American society), I will not let it (the truth)
vanish without no track at all although it is quite hard to bring it up, but
remembering how big it was, still I have to re-tell it about discrimination toward
black people in which it is still happening until then.
14 th stanza
I am aware from which land I came from since I am not such a dumb person. I
came from Africa then my ancestors were getting enslaves by white people. Black
people became subject in their purchase and sale to enrich them. Now, since there
are laws which can protect us (black people) and the true data about the history of
black people, then I grit my teeth (have courage) to tell everyone about the true
story of black people who had been cheated like two branches of snake tongue.
3. Hypogram
The song Can’t Truss It by “Public Enemy” has connection in hypogram
scope with a song by Billie Holiday entitled Strange Fruit . It will be provided the
lyric of the song:
“Strange Fruit”
Southern trees Bearing strange fruit
Blood on the leaves And blood at the roots library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id93
Black bodies
Swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hangin'
From the poplar trees Pastoral scene
Of the gallant south Them big bulging eyes
And the twisted mouth Scent of magnolia Clean and fresh Then the sudden smell Of burnin' flesh Here is a fruit For the crows to pluck For the rain to gather For the wind to suck For the sun to rot For the leaves to drop Here is Strange and bitter crop
The connection between the two songs is strong since both of the song depict
the same theme namely about racism, discrimination, slavery in the United States
of America. It is strengthened with some lyrical emphasizing. It can be seen from
the lyrics as follow.
Blood in the wood and it's mine
I'm chokin' on spit feelin' pain Like my brain bein' chained Still gotta give it what I got
But it's hot in the day, cold in the night “Public Enemy”, 1991 Blood on the leaves
And blood at the roots Black bodies
Swinging in the southern breeze Billie Holiday, 1939
3 months pass, they brand a label on my ass (78) To signify (79) library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id94
Owned (80) I'm on the microphone (81) (82) Sayin' 1555 “Public Enemy”, 1991
Them big bulging eyes And the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia Clean and fresh Then the sudden smell Of burnin' flesh Billie Holiday, 1939
Those parts of the lyrics from both songs describe the same themes, namely
suffering to death in slavery era. There were so many forms of violence since the
period of slavery in the U.S.; it was very long which about 500 more years. The
form of violence followed the development of the region itself. The more settled
the region, there were more laws to rule the slaves. The region of the U.S. was
divided into two, northern and southern.
The development of sophisticated technology influenced ways of thinking of
both white and black people. The northern was more sophisticated than southern;
hence, there are laws to control the cooperation between black and white people.
Black people get paid and have their own money, even there are some free black
people in northern. It is inversely proportional to the southern in which the
societies still maintain the conventional concept of cultivations (the biggest factor
is most the land in southern is owned by fewer landlords).
Both the songs tell about the misery of slavery in southern which is longer,
harder, more inhuman than that of northern region. Both songs tell about the
black’s bloodshed, violence, and torment, which are resulting death toward black
people. Being chained like a dog, like a machine production, they are not allowed library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id95
to stop until the cultivation target is fulfilled, not allowed to be sick and they have
to continue their work no matter what. Those who cannot stand with such
condition will be sick, stressed and insane, but they get torture by their landlord.
After they have reached their limit to live in which there is no hope for them to
live, they will be hung on trees.
Not only direct torture do they get, but also they have got humiliation among
society. It can be seen in the next part of the lyrics that the lyrics used the third
person as the subject. This style is aimed at depicting or describing the true
feeling of the misery experienced by black people through its lyrics. It is
unnecessary for the other to see the process of lynching and branding, it is enough
for the black people who see the branding and hanging, at least that is what they
see and what they feel when they are in such condition.
4. Matrix
Matrix of the song entitled ‘ Can’t Truss It ’ by “Public Enemy” is the black
people and slavery in the U.S. At the beginning, they keep the story for their own
since they are not protected by the laws. It will be a boomerang to them since they
have no power in many aspects of life like in politics, economy, laws, social,
defense and security. If they say something bad about white people, against them,
look for justice among the society, the result is not like what they expect but, they
definitely get the opposition one. Hence, after black people gain the power to have
equality on behalf of human being, in the end they have what they want, equality
among society no matter what their background are (although not all of aspect
reach the goals). library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id96
Now they have courage to tell the world about their stories, what they had
experienced. Of course, it is not literally telling mouth to mouth and trigger new
dispute among society, but they tell the story as a protest through music.
There are many variants that can be derived from the matrix of the song
which is implied in the lyrics. The first variant is the trafficking of the black
people.It is conceived in the first up to the third stanza. It is the awareness of the
author that story of their ancestors were very horrible, that humanity value is not
worthy. Mental depravity is everywhere; everyone has this kind of thing. No
matter how terrible it is, how big the trouble is, although it is hard for the author
to tell, but it is not something which can be compared to the spirit of their
ancestors living their lives. Actually it is something valuable, it can be a lesson for
the next generations to build piece among them. Now since they are equal as
human being, it is the time for the author to give lesson toward people around the
world particularly in America that there is a big story behind the big country like
America,nothing else is the story of black people.
The second variant is the injustice of the black people in the U.S. and it can
be identified in the fourth to sixth stanza. The author takes the story as rap song
which can bring the feeling of rough and wicked, so the listener also can feel what
author’s feeling when he tells the story. The author starts to tell about how
terrifying his ancestors had experienced in the past, how unspeakable the
treatment toward black people. Although the story already told by the other
people, but still there is no respond in the society. Hence, the author tries to tell
the story in different style, on his own way hoping that many people are aware library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id97
about his story. The author gives an ultimatum to the other that everyone can now
reach their own justice since there are laws rules the equality of all races in the
U.S. white people no longer can manipulate the court or the case or the officer
since we obey the government’s laws.
The third variant is that the slavery is an abomination. It is implied on the
seventh to eleventh stanza. The author’s imagination still cannot comprehend that
the misery experienced by his ancestors were actually happened, but still, he want
to share the story by telling the true events based on the data. The author
continues to tell the horrible story. That the only one thing his ancestors did in the
past are silent and to hold the pain and sorrow. The author tells that behind the
misery, his ancestors still believe there is still hope for their next generation will
find justice and peace. In the story, black people were not worthy to live except to
be slaves on the earth. The disappointment and deep pain because of what
happened in the past has affected the present life.
2. Get The Fuck Outta Dodge (1991)
This song talks about the ‘pruning rights’ of black people as member of the
society and bad prejudice on them as the continuing result of slavery. The way
white people to prevent the equality for black people are to deny the black vote in
electoral in the south.
I was wheelin' wit' the boom in the back
The treble was level, I like it like that I was rolly-roll-a-roll rollin' At 5 O looked and said, Hold it library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id98
And I stopped still, I never got ill 'Cause my license was clean an I showed
A peace powwow, instead of pow pow I'm straight up and I'm straight, so how you like me now
But I know how you do, you're straight from Babylon But I know how you do, you're straight from Babylon
They said, Turn it down 'cause it's a new law You never seen us before but we're raw like a war
They warned me once, they warned me twice So I knew I was warned they had it goin' on I got the f*** outta Dodge wit' my Bronco A 60 miles an hour, [Incomprehensible]
And I be pumpin' the sound drownin' out the cars Which tape should I rock, L.L.'s or R.A.'s? I'm in the streets of New York, go away I pop in my Kool G Rap 'n' Polo tape
And they was at it again, sirens in the air Ah sh**, so I'm outta here But the blue in the front called the blue in the back They cut me off and stopped me dead in my tracks
But this is minimal, I'm not a criminal I always did what I did because I'm not a kid And I looked around, they stared me down
Told me what I did, I ain't wit' it
'Cause word around town was a stickup
Yeah, yeah, yeah, B-boy n**** in a pickup But I was jeepin' and creepin', just a keepin' It down sound, here we go the run around
I'm blamin' me for the hardcore roar
But they the ones wit' the 44's I'm just coolin' I know the beat is rulin' Too loud for the crowd the bass is large, yeah
So I'll get the f*** outta Dodge
That's right y'all, el commando El commando you're in demand-o
Sgt. Hawkes and I'm down wit' the cop scene I'm a rookie and I'm rollin' wit' a swat team library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id99
Packin' a nine, can't wait to use it Crooked cop yeah, that's my music
Up against the wall don't gimme no lip son
A bank is robbed and you fit the description And I ain't your mama and I ain't your pops Keep your music down or you might get shot
This is a warning so watch your tail Or I'm a have to put your a** in jail I'm the police and I'm in charge You don't like it, get the f*** outta Dodge
The slang and inappropriate words and/or phrases
No. Words Meaning No. Words Meaning 1. wheelin' Wheeling 10. 'n' And 2. wit' With 11. S*** Shit 3. rolly-roll-a- Enjoy and 12. Ain’t Am not, is roll rollin' follow the not, are rhythm of the not, has music not, have not 4. 'Cause Because 13. N**** Naked 5. An And 14. Jeepin’ Jeeping 6. Powwow Piece, joyness 15. Creepin’ Creeping 7. Pow pow Powder which means drugs
which means bad, negative
8. it's It is 16. Keepin’ Keeping 9. we’re We are 17. goin' Going 23. Blamin’ Blaming
18. F*** Fuck 24. Coolin’ Cooling 19. Outta Out of 25. Rulin’ Ruling
20. Pumpin’ Pumping 26. Packin’ Packing 21. Drownin’ Drowning 27. Gimme Give me 22. A** Ass
B. 1. Indirectness expression
This phase analyzes the displacing of meaning, distorting of meaning, and
creating of meaning . library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id100
a. Displacing of meaning
In the song lyric of Gett The Fuck Outta Dodge , “Public Enemy” uses some
rhetorical and figurative style of language. The rhetorical styles are alliteration,
assonance, repetition, and silepsis and zeugma, while the figurative styles are
eponym, metonymy, hipalase, and irony.
The reader can easily find out the use of alliteration of rgetorical style since it
is put almost in each stanza of the lyric. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant
sound. Line three ‘ rolly roll a roll rollin ’, line four ‘ looked and said hold it ’, line
seven ‘ powwow – pow pow ’, line twenty six ‘ did did kid ’, line twenty nine and
thirty ‘ stick up – pick up ’, line forty four ‘ son - description ’, line forty eight and
forty nine ‘ tail - jail ’. All of them are aimed to adjust the rhythm so it can produce
the right tempo and timing.
The assonance of rhetorical style also appears in the lyric in which it is
representing the repetition of vowel sound. It can be found in line thirty nine ‘ el
commando – demand o ’. The vowel /o/ in word ‘ demand ’ can also be considered
as paronomasia since it is a kind of word play which has nothing to do with each
other.
The next rhetorical style of language is the repetition which repeats word or
group of words in the lyric. It can be seen in line nine and ten which have exactly
the same cosntruction of words. ‘ but i know what you do, you’re straight from
Babylon (9) but i know what you do, you’re straight from Babylon (10) ’. Its aim is
not only to reconstruct the typography of the lyric but also has naother goal which
is emphasizing the context of the word itself. library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id101
The last rhetorical style is sipelsis and zeugma. It is about the density
construction of words followed by incongruent or irrelevant words or only fit with
one side of word. It can be found in line five ‘ and I stopped still, I never got ill ’
and twenty five ‘ but this is minimal, I’m not a criminal ’. It is true that those words
are constructed in one verse, but there is no correlation at all between first phrase
and the second phrase.
The figurative style appears in line seven ‘ powwow – pow pow ’ is considered
as metonymy. Metonymy is a kind of figurative style which is changing the name
of something. The word ‘ powwow ’ is a kind of peculiar word which is rare to be
used in recent days. It is an American Indian celebration ceremony as for vitory in
a war (www.merriam-webster.com). The atmosphere of a victory usually are
happy, proud, peace, and clannish. For the next word ‘ pow pow ’ which means
powder in slang form (www.urbandictionary.com). Of course it is not led to flour
or tapioca powder, but drugs like in powder form (fentanyl, heroin, cocaine)
which is bad and negative only if it is used inappropriately, and something bad
usually accompanied by hate, vicious, dark, evil feeling.
Personification appears in line twenty three on the word ‘ blue ’.
Personification is figurative style which is identifying inanimate objects as human
being; it has characters, ability to do something, thought, and feeling. Blue
literally is representation of color, then it is impossible that color are able to do
something (e.g. to make a call). The next figurative style of language found in the
lyric is sarcasm. Sarcasm is figurative style of language which produce rough
pronunciation as an expression of scorn to make anger and hurt. It can be found in library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id102
line forty eight to fifty first. ‘ this is a warning so watch your tail, or I’m have to
put your ass in jail, I’m thr police and I’m in charge, you don’t like it, get the fuck
outta Dodge ’. It can be marked from the whole lyrics that it represents anger and
disappointment. Then it is produced to warn white people so that they can fells
what it is like being mocked by anyone else.
The last form of figurative style in the lyric is eponym. Eponym is a kind of
figurative language which is mentioning particular name to represent character or
existence of something. It can be found in entire lyric which has word ‘Dodge’ in
the verse. Instead of depicting the word as a part of phrase (to represent move
away from particular place qickly: let’s get the fuck outta here or let’s get the fuck
outta dodge), it represents the real name of a city in Kansas state; Dodge city.
b. Distorting of meaning
Distorting of meaning are caused by three elements, namely: ambiguity,
contradiction, and non-sense. In the lyric, there are ambiguity and non-sense.
Ambiguity can be found in the line seven in ‘ a peace powwow instead of pow
pow ’. A peace powwow can be determined as the informal meeting (ceremony) to
celebrate something in peace, there is no disturbance and it is used by native
Indians to meet together (www.urbandictionary.com). But it also can be
determined as the existence of come up with peace, innocent, joyness, and
happiness.
The word pow pow has no meaning at all in any dictionary, so it can be
concluded that the existence of this word is just to support the other lyric to match
up with the rhythm and the beat. On the other hand, the word pow pow means library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id103
“powder” as a result of slang word (www.urbandictionary.com). Powder here is
not just mere powder as tapioca or the other powder, but it led to drugs like
cocaine, fentanyl, heroine which connoted to bad and negative realm. If those two
words are connected to several lines before it has meaning that black people who
are playing music inside their car is in good condition, there is no problem at all.
Event they will share happiness to the others since they enjoy the music played
inside their car. The ambiguity as the representation of distorting of meaning also
can be found in word “dodge”. There are two perspectives in accordance with the
word dodge itself. First, as part of the phrase “get outta here/get outta dodge”
mean out of place in hurry. Second, in can be considered as a name of a city in
Kansas state in which the Noise Pollution Laws issed in 1972.
The next ambiguity can be found in line thirty five and thirty six. In like thirty
five the phrase ‘ the beat is rulin’ ’ has double meaning. It can be elaborated as the
beat is ruling the song and the rhythm to make symphony in the song. It also can
be elaborated as the beat is ruling the feeling of the audiences (particularly black
people) so that they can manage their emotion to face the society (white people) in
their lives. The phrase ‘ the bass is large ’ in line thirty six also take similar way as
one line before. It can be elaborated as something that can be measured by
numerical methods so that is covers the crowd within the area with the bass. On
the other hand, it is something which can influence the feeling of the audiences
with its high volume of the bass.
The non-sense can be found in line thirty nine where the word ‘ demand-o’ is
placed. The basic form of its phrase is demand in which it is not appropriate to library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id104
make rhythm. As in many lines before, there are so many repetitions either at the
end, middle, and former of line or word using consonant and vowel. The function
of /o/ letter as the end of word ‘demand’ as the additional item is to support the
lyrical aesthetic and also to have kind of emphasizing point after the beginning of
the lyric itself. Therefore, it can be assumed as the connecting structure of sound
which has no meaning but it yields particular associations in whole meaning.
c. Creating of meaning
The song Get The Fuck Outta Dodge has rhyme pattern as follows:
I was wheelin' wit' the boom in the back a The treble was level, I like it like that a I was rolly-roll-a-roll rollin' b At 5 O looked and said, Hold it c
And I stopped still, I never got ill d 'Cause my license was clean an I showed e A peace powwow, instead of pow pow f I'm straight up and I'm straight, so how you like me now f
But I know how you do, you're straight from Babylon g
But I know how you do, you're straight from Babylon g They said, Turn it down 'cause it's a new law f You never seen us before but we're raw like a war f
They warned me once, they warned me twice h So I knew I was warned they had it goin' on i
I got the f*** outta Dodge wit' my Bronco f A 60 miles an hour, [Incomprehensible]
And I be pumpin' the sound drownin' out the cars j Which tape should I rock, L.L.'s or R.A.'s? j
I'm in the streets of New York, go away k I pop in my Kool G Rap 'n' Polo tape l
And they was at it again, sirens in the air a Ah sh**, so I'm outta here k But the blue in the front called the blue in the back a They cut me off and stopped me dead in my tracks a library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id105
But this is minimal, I'm not a criminal m I always did what I did because I'm not a kid c
And I looked around, they stared me down i Told me what I did, I ain't wit' it c
'Cause word around town was a stickup n Yeah, yeah, yeah, B-boy n**** in a pickup n
But I was jeepin' and creepin', just a keepin' b It down sound, here we go the run around i
I'm blamin' me for the hardcore roar f But they the ones wit' the 44's j I'm just coolin' I know the beat is rulin' b Too loud for the crowd the bass is large, yeah
So I'll get the f*** outta Dodge e That's right y'all, el commando f El commando you're in demand-o f
Sgt. Hawkes and I'm down wit' the cop scene b I'm a rookie and I'm rollin' wit' a swat team o Packin' a nine, can't wait to use it c Crooked cop yeah, that's my music c
Up against the wall don't gimme no lip son i A bank is robbed and you fit the description i And I ain't your mama and I ain't your pops j Keep your music down or you might get shot e
This is a warning so watch your tail d Or I'm a have to put your a** in jail d
I'm the police and I'm in charge p You don't like it, get the f*** outta Dodge e
Each stanza in the lyric has irregular pattern, but each stanza has pressure
momentum to highlight the meaning of the song. The irregular pattern but has the
pressure momentum means the song want to tell a story or event which each event
has important point to be told and connect it as one or unity. The way it can be
united can be seen from the rhyme of each stanza has similarity and there is a loop
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id106
(eventhough in irregular form) in each stanza if the rhyme. So it can be a
remembrance of the audiences to catch the whole meaning of the song.
The diction used by “Public Enemy” in this song is very vulgar and rough
since it contain so many slang, interjection and objurgation words. It is aimed to
represent anger, disappointment, criticism, and tough protest toward the society
(particularly in Dodge City). When the audiences read the lyric repeatedly it will
visible the characteristics of the song since it contains denotative and connotative
meaning which yield poetic and strong meaning.
In combining words, “Public Enemy” uses alliteration, assonance, repetition,
as part of rhetorical style of language and some of figurative style like eponym,
metonymy, and personification. It is obvious that “Public Enemy” emphasize the
wordplay in the lyric since there are so many repetitions of either vowel or
consonant sounds in the song. It is aimed to invite the audiences to accept black
people existence through their creativity and to enter the song realm
(discrimination reality experienced by black people. The audiences are invited to
love the song at the former, the audiences understand about the song later.
The typography of the lyric is set in order just like the ususal song. The
process of writing also follow the rules of writing in which each verse begin with
capital letter. It represents the suitability lyric as a song, and contains so many
inappropriate words like the use of objurgation word like shit, ass, and fuck. There
is an additional feature from guest star, Sgt. Hawkes who are rapping without
follows the rhythm and the beat. It is as if he wants to emphasize something
through its lyric, and it is true. The lyric contain tough protest which is library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id107
represented with rude terminologies and parable to anyone else. In fact, the one
target of its lyric is the white people. The beat and rhythm or the rule of music
represents the rule of the society, to break the rule so the lyric uses the basic
rapping; it is not follow the beat and rhythm of the music.
B. 2. Heurictic and Hermeneutic reading
Heuristic reading of Get The Fuck Outta Dodge as follows:
Title
Get the fuck outta dodge (let us leave the Dodge city soon)
1st stanza I was wheelin’ (enjoy) wit’ the boom (high volume of music) in the back, the treble was level (up), I like it (and) like that (and) I was rolly-roll-a-roll-rollin’ (my body), at 5 O looked and sait, hold it. 2nd stanza And I stopped still (to listen the voice), I never got ill (in my mind), ‘cause my license was clean an I showed (good attitude), (like) a peace powwow instead of pow pow, (then) I’m straight up and I’m straight, so how (?) (do) you like me now
(?)
rd 3 stanza
But I know how you do, you’re straight from Babylon, (once again) but I know you’re straight from Babylon, they said (you says) turn it (the volume) down
‘cause it’s a new law (for you), you never seen us before (you do) but we’re raw like a war.
th 4 stanza
They warned me once, (and) they warned me twice, so I knew I was warned (that) they had it goin’ on, (so) I got the fuck outta Dodge wit’ my Bronco, (with) a 60 miles an hour (of speed), [incomprehensible]
5th stanza
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id108
And I be pumpin’ (the volume of) the sound (so that it will be) drownin’ out the cars, which tape should I rock (play), L.L’s or R.A.’s?, (and) I’m in the streets of
New York, go away (you police), I pop in my Kool G Rap ‘n’ Polo tape
th 6 stanza
And they was at it (warning) again, sirens in the air, Ah sh**, so I'm outta here (Dodge city), But the blue (police officers) in the front called the blue (police) in the back (to catch me),(then) They cut me off and stopped me dead in my tracks (I am busted) 7th stanza
But this is minimal, I'm not a criminal (either), I always did what I did because I'm not a kid (aware of rules and laws), and I looked around, they stared me down (underestimate me because I am black), Told me what I did (about lawlessness), (and you can see) I ain't wit' it
8th stanza
'Cause word (nigga) around town was a stickup (still with all of its insignificant additions), Yeah, yeah, yeah, B-boy (black people) nigga in a pickup (in their own property), But I was jeepin' and creepin' (being dragged and humiliated), just a keepin', It down sound, here we go the run around (go to jail)
9th stanza
I'm blamin' me for the hardcore roar (feeling regret), But they (as the opposite) the
ones wit' the 44's (playing their own rules), I'm just coolin' I know the beat (the convention of the society) is rulin', Too loud for the crowd the bass is large
(everybody had agree with the conventional that they made), yeah
10 th stanza
So I'll get the fuck outta Dodge (soon), that's right y'all, el commando, El
commando you're (all of black people in Dodge City) in demand-o
11 th stanza
Sgt. Hawkes:
And I'm down wit' the cop scene (pretend to be cops), I'm a rookie and I'm rollin' (patrolling) wit' a swat team, Packin' a nine (guns), can't wait to use it, Crooked
(fake and scoundrel) cop yeah, that's my music
12 th stanza library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id109
Up against the wall (laws) don't gimme no lip (motive or lie) son, A bank is robbed and you (white people) fit the description, And I ain't your mama and I
ain't your pops (no body can help you), Keep your music down or you might get shot
th 13 stanza
This is a warning so watch your tail (movements), or I'm a have to put your ass in jail (yourself, white people), I'm the police and I'm in charge (have the authority now), you don't like it, get the fuck outta Dodge
The hermeneutic reading as follows:
1st stanza
I (the singer) am enjoying the music with high level of volume; every part of
sound (bass, treble, echo, volume), and following the rhythm, rhyme, and the beat,
and swinging my body to follow the flow of the music. Suddently, there is sound
out of the music occurs.
2nd stanza
Then I pay more attention to the voice without any bad prejudice since I am clean
both my body and my background (criminal records). Then I show my good
attitude, my appreciation instead of suspicious gaze toward the police. Then I
talks to myself; so do you like me now with this kind of attitude?
rd 3 stanza
But I think I know what you think. You are white people who considered
themselves as the highest society in the world like Hebrew community and
accadians from Babylon. You said to me to turn off the music without any reason
(we’re raw like a war).
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id110
4th stanza
Actually I am keep going to play my music. Then they warn me twice. Finally I
amaware that they are taking it seriously. Then I take my leave at high speed to
leave the city soon with my car.
5th stanza
Not so far I leave the town but still inside, I level up the volume of the song again;
until it can be heard outside of car, with my favorite song which is related to my
kind of people (Kool G rap and Polo tape); and also which music shold I play,
music from L.L. (Little Locos from Las Vegas) or R.A.’s (R.A. Thorburn who are
also rapper in America). And start to yell to the police not to disturb personal
pleasure of others.
6th stanza
Again, the police warned but in serious condition in which they want to catch me.
Then, I run away from Dodge city as soon as possible, but pity on me. The police
already did the coordination to catch me. Then I was busted in my own car, my
own property, and because I played music loudly.
7th stanza
It is kind of small thing which is exaggerated by white people in Dodge city, even
I am not a criminal. I am aware about rules and laws in this nation (America)
since I am not a kid anymore, but the fact says in different side. When I was
busted I looked around and the expression of the people in the city made me sick.
They underestimate me and as if they looked international criminals being caught
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id111
by the law enforvement before their eyes. The fact is, I am not that criminal, even
I was a good citizen who are my freedom being raped.
8th stanza
This happened because the word ‘nigga’ still exist with its unimportant and
insignificant additions in this city. Hence, black people in this city were still
discriminated and there is still segregation among society. But here the black
people are, being humiliated and discriminated and became a hilarious clown
show for the society.
9th stanza
I was blamed for playing music too loud, and they have their own rules. I just give
up and follow their rules since I am the minority one here, in Dodge city. I was
just cooling down together with their own rules. The rules that they made, and
most of the society in the city agree with the rules and regulations.
10 th stanza
Finally I decided to leave the Dodge City soon and I think it is the right thing to
do. It is better for you all of black people in this city, and if you think that it is
kind of command, so be it. Then I demand you to leave this city as soon as
possible.
th 11 stanza
Only if my people (black people) be the cop, so here the scene will be. I am a new
cop in this place who is impatiently be on duty with my black team and using my
weapon (nine= TEC9). I will swank before all of the people in this city and says: I
am in charge right now. library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id112
12 th stanza
Do the impossible thing, against the regular rules and laws and you are not
allowed to give me comment or anything since I am in charge. Whenever there is
a crime I will judge straight to white people and try to fix the description of the
manager of the bank to you all white people. There is no one who are trying to
help you, not even your parents. So beware of black people cop in this city or
something bad happen to you.
13 th stanza
This song is a kind of protest, warning and lesson for all of people in the U.S. to
behave (particularly white people). Black people already have the authority, so if
you are trying to do bad thing I will handcuff you and put you in jail. Since I am
the police who have the authority, so if you do not like me and my authority as a
cop, you are getting out of this Dodge city.
3. Hypogram
The song Gett The Fuck Outta Dodge by “Public Enemy” has connection in
hypogram scope with a song by Lenny Kravitz entitled Mr. Cab Driver . It will be
provided the lyric of the song:
"Mr. Cab Driver"
Mr Cab Driver won't you stop to let me in
Mr Cab Driver don't like my kind of skin Mr Cab Driver you're never gonna win Mr Cab Driver won't you stop to pick me up
Mr Cab Driver I might need some help Mr Cab Driver only thinks about himself
Here we go
Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id113
Mr Cab Driver don't like the way I look
He don't like dreads he thinks we're all crooks Mr Cab Driver reads too many story books Mr Cab Driver pass me up with eyes of fire
Mr Cab Driver thinks we're all one sixty five'ers Mr Cab Driver fuck you I'm a survivor
Oh yeah, one more time, ahah
Let me in
Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver
The connection between two songs is strong since both of the songs depict
the same theme namely social tension, racial prejudice, and racial inequity. It is
strengthen with some lyrical emphasizing. It can be seen from the lyric as follows:
“They said, Turn it down 'cause it's a new law And I looked around, they stared me down Crooked cop yeah, that's my music B-boy n**** in a pickup” “Public Enemy”
Mr Cab Driver won't you stop to let me in
Mr Cab Driver don't like my kind of skin Mr Cab Driver don't like the way I look
He don't like dreads he thinks we're all crooks “Lenny Kravitz”
Those parts of lyrics from both songs represent the same theme, namely:
social tension, racial prejudice, and racial equity. In the U.S. particularly in Dodge
city, the social tension is quite high caused by the factor of skin color. It is also
determine the authority of an individual to do their activity. The major society in
Dodge city is white people in which the debris or the rest of of the legacy of
discrimination in America still exist even stick in people’s mind. Hence, they are
trying to get the smallest gap in social aspect (since it is quite big scope) to library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id114
maintain the discrimination, to put black people still as the lower society
compared to white. The other aspect of life they cannot penetrate since there were
already clear rule of laws from the government such as in economic and political
issues.
As part of social tension, the racial prejudice also becomes one of the major
issues in Dodge City. As it can be seen from the lyric “ croocked cop yeah ” from
“Public Enemy” and “ he don’t like dreads he thinks we’re al crooks ” from Lenny
Kravitz shows that black people are still considered as low and uneducated society
who led to bad and negative characteristics of human being. Every crime
happened always associated to black people. Even if black people do as the others
do like play music in car or stopping a cab; there is negative prejudice which yield
bad impression. As if black people are all criminals and scumbag so if we do
make a contact with black people we will be harmed.
It is obvious that society in Dodge City is lack of racial equity in which they
were misusing the regulation to fill it with something which gives benefit to them.
In this case is to oppress black people indirectly. On behalf of laws, they can
widen the gap between white and black people by doing castration throughout
laws. From the lyric “ and I looked around, they stared at me down ” by “Public
Enemy” and “ Mr. Cab Driver don’t like my kind of skin ” by Lenny Kravitz it can
be concluded that black people are underestimated and there is still discrimination
based on skin color. The society in Dodge city still cannot accept the existence of
black people in whole because of the slavery legacy and they still embrace it as a
pride. library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id115
4. Matrix
Matrix in song Get The Fuck Outta Dodge is the inequality of black people in
the U.S. The society had been misusing the laws of the government to judge black
people around the city who were passing the city roads, and all of the citizens
support such condition since they still have segregation and discrimination
mindset toward black people. There was still one thing which was surprised; the
police officer as the law enforcer in the city who should protect the peace among
society support the misusing laws to judge black people in the city.
There are many variants that can be derived from the matrix of the song and it
is implied in the lyrics. The first variant is black people stereotype in the society.
No matter what black people does, it always wrong before white people and it is
connected to crime. It can be found in the first to sixth stanza of the lyric.
Enjoying the music, the author hears someone yelling at distance. Hepaysattention
and stop the car since he respect the warning, moreover, the one who are warning
are police officers. Then he shows good attitude since he is clean in crime record
or in any other bad record, so there is nothing to be afraid of.The awareness of the
authorof the cops backround since he can see through their facial expression
toward him. However, he tries to show and act likes the other citizens who are
obeying the laws. True, the cops are giving command by yelling at him to turn off
the music from distance. He still plays the music since he pretends not to know
what the intention of the cop is. The cops run in hurry to approach his car and he
realizes that there is something incorrect in this situation. Then he decides to take
a leave.When the author thinks that his distance is quite far from the cops he level library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id116
up the volume of the music again inside his car until it can be heard outside. He
plays his favorite music, either rap music from Kool G Rap or Polo Tape. The
cops find out his location and try to warn him in different way. The cops are
switching the sirens and take a fast move with their car to reach him. He wants to
run away but it is too late. The cops are already making a contact to their partners
in every end of roads in the Dodge city. Finally the cops catch him.
The second variant is mental depravity of the society. They agree to make a
convention against humanity and worse, the truth defender such as police and
courts support this mental depravity with their own way. It is implied in seventh
to ninth stanza. There is no regret whenever the author gets caught by the cops
since he is standing on the right side. There is no law which is banning to play
music from his/her own property such as car and van while running. They read
hisimpeachment soon after they caught the authorlike a big criminal but again;he
did not get involved and has nothing to do with it. The society support and even
makes this kind of situation happen in this city. There is still discrimination based
on skin color and black people being underestimated. The only thing that the
author can do is to deal with them and their unofficial rules since he is out of
number. The author being accused violation which is not exist before laws;
playing music too much loud inside private property. But what hecan do, the law
enforcements that suppose to uphold justice among society support the
discrimination and backfired by examining the rules. The author wants the other
black people in Dodge city to make this incident as a lesson and he command to
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id117
leave the city soon. Even they are demanded to leave the city because of the bad
and how unfavorable the condition is to black people in the city.
The third variant is the black people prejudice in the society. The author
wants to turn the tide scene in which he (black people) becomes the cops. To
boast about oneself before the white and he can predict what will white people
think about himself; crooked cops, definitely. But it is okay, since black people
already had the label as discrimininationable race. Something beyond a usual
imagination happens before your (white people) eyes. When there is crime then
we as the law enforcement will point at you directly, even you are not suspect.
There is no one who wil help you include your closest people. The author says
that this is kind of system that you implied in this land, when you feel something
about it, then that is what I feel. If you do not like it, jus do what we do; go away
from us (black people), keep yourself safe from us.
3. Fight The Power (1989)
1989 the number another summer (get down) (1) (2) Sound of the funky drummer Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got sould(3) (Brothers and sisters, hey) (4) (5) Listen if you're missin' y'all Swingin' while I'm singin' (6) (7) Givin' whatcha gettin' Knowin' what I know (8) While the Black bands sweatin' (9) (10) And the rhythm rhymes rollin' Got to give us what we want (11) Gotta give us what we need (12) (13) Our freedom of speech is freedom or death We got to fight the powers that be (14) Lemme hear you say (15) Fight the power (16) library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id118
[Chorus] As the rhythm designed to bounce (17) (18) What counts is that the rhymes Designed to fill your mind (19) Now that you've realized the prides arrived (20) (21) We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart (22) (23) It's a start, a work of art To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange (24) People, people we are the same (25) No we're not the same (26) Cause we don't know the game (27) What we need is awareness, we can't get careless (28) You say what is this? (29) My beloved lets get down to business (30) Mental self defensive fitness (31) (Yo) bum rush the show (32) You gotta go for what you know (33) Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be (34) Lemme hear you say... (35) Fight the Power (36) [Chorus] Elvis was a hero to most (37) But he never meant shit to me you see (38) Straight up racist that sucker was (39) Simple and plain (40) Mother fuck him and John Wayne (41) (42) Cause I'm Black and I'm proud I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped (43) (44) Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps Sample a look back you look and find (45) (46) Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check Don't worry be happy (47) Was a number one jam (48) (49) Damn if I say it you can slap me right here (Get it) lets get this party started right (50) (51) Right on, c'mon What we got to say (52) Power to the people no delay (53) (54) To make everybody see In order to fight the powers that be (55) (Fight the Power) (56)
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id119
The slang and inappropriate words and/or phrases
No. Words Meaning No. Words Meaning 1. Hittin’ Hitting 10. Lemme Let me
2. Missin’ Missing 11. Nothin’s Nothing is 3. Y’all You all 12. Shit Objurgation (lead to negative expression
which can be compared to the word) 4. Swingin’ Swinging 13. Mother Objurgation (lead to fuck negative expression which can be compared to the word) 5. Singin’ Singing 14. C’mon Come on 6. Knowin’ Knowing 15. Givin’ Giving 7. Sweatin’ Sweating 16. Whatcha What you 8. Rolin’ Roling 17. Gettin’ Getting 9. Sould Soul and sold
C. 1. Indirectness expression
This phase analyzes the displacing of meaning, distorting of meaning, and
creating of meaning of the lyric of the song.
a. Displacing of meaning
In the song lyric of Fight The Power , “Public Enemy” uses some rhetorical
and figurative style of language. The rhetorical styles in the lyric are alliteration,
hyperbole, polisidenton, assonance, while the figurative styles are synecdoche
totem proparte, personification, and eponym.
The first rhetorical style of language is alliteration in line 6 and 7 which
repeat the consonant sound of /n/ like singin’ and gettin’ and there are many other
examples of alliteration canbe found in the lyric. The aim of alliteration is to
adjust the rhythm and rhyme so it can produce right tempo and timing. Unlike the library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id120
alliteration which repeats the consonant sound, the next rhetorical style of
language is assonance which repeat the vowel sound. It can be found in the line 24
(strang e), 25 (sam e), 26 (sam e), 27 (gam e). The aim of the vowel sound is exactly
the same as the alliteration which to produce the rhythm and rhyme so it has the
right tempo and timing. The next rhetorical style is polisidenton in which uses
conjunctions repeatedly. It can be found in line 11 and 12 which each says “ got to
give us what we want ” and “ gotta give us what we need ”.
The last rhetorical style of language is hyperbole. Hyperbole is kind of
rhetorical style of language which exaggerate the statement and overwhelming the
amount of the statement itself. It can be found in line 10 which says “ and the
rhythm rhymes rollin’ ”. Rhythm and rhyme is part of sound effect and it is kind of
abstract things, then it is impossible that it rolls like wheel or tire or propeller.
Go to the figurative style of language, the first is synecdoche totum pro-parte
which expresses in whole to represent part of it. It can be found in the line 1
which says “ 1989 the number another summer (get down) ”. It says the whole
summer in 1989 but in fact that it says particular event in the summer 1989. The
personification as part of figurative language can be found in line 20 which says
“Now that you've realized the prides arrived ”. The pride/s is an inanimate thing
and there is no concrete form of it, but it is said that it has the characteristic of
human being which is arrive.
Next figurative style of language is eponym. It is kind of figurative language
that mentioning particular names to represent characteristic or existension. It can
be found in line 37 mentioning “Elvis” and line 41 mentioning “John Wayne”. library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id121
Line 37 represents the existence of white people whose the art works in music
were inspired by blacks and line 41 represents the existence of white people who
took part in political view, but he was racist since in his opinion he put the
authority of the government in the hand of white people and considered that black
people were still lack of education, especially in leadership.
b. Distorting of meaning
The ambiguity can be seen when read at the title of the song. It says Fight the
Power; who will fight the power and what kind of power that should be fought
and who or what the enemy is. The title ‘ Fight the Power ’ has the ambiguity and
it can be translated into ‘spirit and brave’ which need to be planted into the heart
of every youngster in America to shout out the inequality and discrimination upon
everything, everyone, and everywhere.
The next ambiguity is also shown in the first line which says “ 1989 the
number another summer ”. It yield two understanding; first is the summer which
reach number of 1.989 times in America, second is the speciality of summer in
1989 in the U.S. and it is revealed that in summer 1989 in there was a riot that
involved young black people in shooting incident.
As part of distorting of meaning, the contradiction also appears in the lyric.
As in line 25 says “ People, people we are the same ” and line 26 says “ No we're
not the same ”; it yield a contradiction. As part of lyric, it is undeniable that lyrics
must coheren between one line and the other, but these two lines say in different
mode. It gives contradiction which relates to the subject of person. It contradict
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id122
when one of line is said by white and it is addressed to black people, and vice
versa; there is kind of rejection whenever one side equalize to the other side.
The other contradiction is in line 37 and 38. It says “ Elvis was a hero to most ,
but he never meant shit to me you see ”. The phrase ‘ he never meant shit to me you
see ” indicate that there is a contradiction inside. If Elvis Presley was nobody for
the author, it is easier to represent him with other terminology rather than ‘ shit ’.
The resemblance of the word is very negative but still the author says that he
(Elvis) never (not ever) meant something in the author’s life; put the word ‘not
ever’ before ‘ shit ’ word. Definitely this terminology encounters contradiction
although it is read in denotative meaning.
c. Creating of meaning
The song Fight the Power has rhyme pattern as follows:
1989 the number another summer (get down) a Sound of the funky drummer a Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got sould b (Brothers and sisters, hey) Listen if you're missin' y'all c
Swingin' while I'm singin' d Givin' whatcha gettin' d
Knowin' what I know b While the Black bands sweatin' d And the rhythm rhymes rollin' d
Got to give us what we want e Gotta give us what we need f
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death g We got to fight the powers that be h Lemme hear you say i
Fight the power a [Chorus] As the rhythm designed to bounce e
What counts is that the rhymes j Designed to fill your mind d Now that you've realized the prides arrived f We got to pump the stuff to make us tough k library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id123
from the heart l It's a start, a work of art l
To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange m People, people we are the same m No we're not the same m
Cause we don't know the game m What we need is awareness, we can't get careless j
You say what is this? n My beloved lets get down to business j Mental self defensive fitness j (Yo) bum rush the show b You gotta go for what you know b Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be h Lemme hear you say... i Fight the Power a [Chorus] Elvis was a hero to most o But he never meant shit to me you see h Straight up racist that sucker was p Simple and plain d Mother fuck him and John Wayne e Cause I'm Black and I'm proud b I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped f Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps q Sample a look back you look and find d Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check r Don't worry be happy i Was a number one jam s Damn if I say it you can slap me right here a
(Get it) lets get this party started right t Right on, c'mon u
What we got to say i Power to the people no delay i To make everybody see h
In order to fight the powers that be h (Fight the Power)
It is irregular but structured. As usual characteristic of rap music, the pattern
of the lyric also tend to be irregular in which the emphasixing point lies on the
beat, timing and rhythm. Although the pattern of the lyric is scramble and
irregular, but each stanza has several pattern which is emphasized. It is aimed to library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id124
emphasize the value contained in each stanza so that it can easily be read or hear
by the audiences.
The diction contained in the lyric is diverse. Common word is used but there
are some words categorized as objurgation and inappropriate. The use of informal
word represent the identity of rap music itself that rap comes from low class
society which inclined to have low education and knowledge so the word or
language that they use also represent low characteristic. The use of objurgation
words contained in the lyric represent the disappointment, anger, and demanding
justice through the lyric as a protest form to the society and the government
because the song can be heard by anyone entire world, there is no limitation in age
to listen the song.
In combining words, “Public Enemy” uses more rhetoric rather than
figurative style to construct the lyric since there is nothing which is hidden behind
the song. The author want the audiences directly know the meaning of the whole
song in hope that the audience will realize soon that the song is for all of the
american society particulary for the youngsters because youngsters are the future
generation of the nation. The use of figurative style of language are just in some
part of the song like personification in line 20; it is just to emphasize the meaning
of the line and it can go inside deep in heart and mind of the audiences when they
listen to the song. The use of eponym and represent some of names in the lyric is
to give example to the massive audiences that many people still do the
discrimination although they are well known and accidentally did. It represent that
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id125
discrimination and segregation upon skin color is already ingrained or deep rooted
in society’s mind.
Typography of the lyric is just like the usual song lyric, using capital letter in
each line, it represent that there is no different between this song and the others. It
follows the grammatical order. There is also the use of capital letter in mentioning
names of public figure like Elvis Presley and John Wayne in the lyric; it is not
only follows the grammatical order of written but it is to give honor to the name
itself. Although the connotation of the name is negative (at least in this song as the
representation of protest), but the author still gives respect to them since they were
public figure and honored by many people in America.
2. Heuristic and Hermeneutic reading
The Heuristic reading of fight the power song lyric as follow:
1st stanza
(Remember the incident in) 1989 the number another summer (get down), (then I will give you) Sound of the funky drummer. Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got sould (over body and soul), (Brothers and sisters, hey), (come on) Listen
(to the song) if you're missin' (your brave in your mind) y'all, Swingin' while I'm singin' (and I am) Givin' whatcha gettin' (feeling pain, disappointment), Knowin'
(the facts) what I know, While the Black bands sweatin' (play music), And the rhythm rhymes rollin', (you all should yell at the government) Got to give us what we want, (and) Gotta give us what we need, (tell them that) Our freedom of
speech is freedom or death (since we are black people, therefore), We got to fight the powers that be (our leader who are sitting in the government’s chairs), (again)
Lemme hear you say, (together and louder) Fight the power (that be)
2nd stanza
As the rhythm designed to bounce, What counts is that the rhymes, (and it is) Designed to fill your mind (to follow the joy and spirit of the song),
Now that you've realized the prides arrived (the spirit) , We got to pump the stuff (strengthen our power) to make us toughfrom the heart, (since for us, the song) It's a start, a work of art, To revolutionize (and to) make a change (which makes) nothin's strange (between our), People, people we are the same, No we're not the library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id126
same (based on several aspects in life), Cause we don't know the game (the true rules), What we need is awareness, we can't get careless (to each other), (and then
you says) You say what is this?, (oh dear) My beloved (brothers and sisters) lets get down to business (what matter), (we must retraining our) Mental (as) self defensive fitness (treatments), (Yo) bum rush the show, You gotta go (put aside
your understanding or discrimination) for what you know, Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be, Lemme hear you say..., Fight the Power
3rd stanza
Elvis was a hero to most (of people in the U.S.), But he never meant shit to me you see (you know that), (but he) Straight up racist that sucker (bad) was, (in) Simple and plain (way), (so I will say) Mother fuck him and John Wayne (who did racism directly), Cause I'm Black and I'm proud (being black and my own pride), I'm ready (to rock the society) and hyped plus I'm amped, Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps (be recognized and awarded), (for) Sample (please have) a look back (and) you look (again) and (you will) find, Nothing but rednecks (white people) for 400 years if you check, (but) Don't worry be happyWas a number one jam (one of our prides), Damn if I say it you can slap me right here (this pride), (Get it) lets get this party started right (my fellows), Right on, c'mon, What we got to say (to the society and the government), Power to the people (with) no delay, To make everybody see (our power as unity), In order to fight the powers that be (leader of us), (Fight the Power).
The Hermeneutic reading as follow:
1st stanza
I want you to remember the incident in the summer 1989 that brought gap
between white people and other minority, like black people and hispanic in which
there was funky sound or drum. The music was hitting the audiences and affect
the emotion of most of the audiences at that time who most of them are black
people. From the joyness of the event’s momentum, regain your spirit of the
moment by enjoying my music, dance and remember the feeling of that moment.
Feel the groove of the music up to the rhymes and rhythm, joy and happiness what
we want at that time was just to celebrate our (black people) freedom, but it yield
riots because of some parties did not like what we did. Now, we must fight library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id127
togheter as united people upon parties that have authority and do not like the
equality is enforced in America. We must fight the power together.
2nd stanza
As the flow of the music is coming from the rhythm and rhyme which
produce the joy and happiness, then without hesitation we have to accept our pride
with proud, our ability, our advantages and disadvantages. Then we need to
strengthen our power as united people deep from our heart starts from this song
(since we already proud of our ability which is rapping, emceeing, DJ-ing, and
graffiti) to make a revolution in many aspects of life. We are still considering that
we (white and black people) are different because we still do not understand the
fundamental rule living on this world; aware, care to each other, we are mere
human being. You said to me what is this (the interracial equality)?. My brother
and sister (white people), let us learn together once again what matter in life, we
need to put it in our mind as self training to embrace the other, tolerance, there is
no discrimination upon races on the world. Soon we understand, we need to show
our true power that makes us be separated because of small advantage (money and
capitalistic life style). Once again, together we shout “fight the power”.
rd 3 stanza
Elvis Presley was a famous artist; I also respect him as musician and
masterpiece of artwork in music. But I do not like the fans who says that Elvis is
the ‘King’ of Rock n’ Roll genre. I think it is overwhelming since there were so
many black musicians who came before him and also had many music products as
masterpiece. His works were also influenced by black artists, and I think it is kind library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id128
of racial discrimination for black musicians particularly, and for black people in
general. John Wayne also partake the racial tension by producing unusual and
inappropriate statements against the reality that black people are now equal to the
other race. I am black and I am proud to be black people no matter what they say
behind. I am ready to bring black people to raise the true equality through music.
We need to shout out loud to the public that black people are equal now and until
the leaders hear and recognize us as their free citizens. We still stand together
against discrimination done by those who have power in pilitic, economy, and
laws matters.
3. Hypogram
The song Fight The Power by “Public Enemy” has connection in hypogram scope
with many songs since it took some ideas to be assembled into a song, but the
emphasizing point is on the black pride itself. The most representative song to be
the hypogram of this song based on the black pride is a song by James Brown
entitled “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” released in 1968. Here will be
provided the lyric of the song:
“Say it loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud”
Uh! With your bad self! Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud! Some people say we've got a lot of malice
Some say it's a lot of nerve But I say we won't quit moving until we get what we deserve We have been bucked and we have been scorned
We have been treated bad, talked about as just bones But just as it takes two eyes to make a pair, ha Brother we can't quit until we get our share Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud! library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id129
One more time! Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud!
I worked on jobs with my feet and my hand But all the work I did was for the other man Now we demand a chance to do things for ourselves
We're tired of beatin' our head against the wall And workin' for someone else
Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud We're people, we're just like the birds and the bees We'd rather die on our feet Than be livin' on our knees Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud
The connection between two songs is strong since both of the songs depict about
the same theme black pride in the United States of America. It is strengthen with
some lyrical emphasizing. It can be seen from the lyric as follow.
Got to give us what we want Gotta give us what we need Our freedom of speech is freedom or death We got to fight the powers that be “Public Enemy”
We have been bucked and we have been scorned We have been treated bad, talked about as just bones But just as it takes two eyes to make a pair, ha Brother we can't quit until we get our share “James Brown”
Now that you've realized the prides arrived We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart It's a start, a work of art To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange “Public Enemy”
Now we demand a chance to do things for ourselves
We're tired of beatin' our head against the wall We're people, we're just like the birds and the bees We'd rather die on our feet
Than be livin' on our knees “James Brown”
Both songs describe the black pride in the U.S. with their own style of
artwork. The influence of the era is strong in each song. In the lyric of Fight The
Power it can be noted that sophistication is already exist by noticing the the word library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id130
“band” which tend to have full equipped tools of musical instruments like guitar,
bass, melody, drum, etc. It means that the condition of black people in the day
when the song was made is better than James Brown’s era. But, the song noticed
that not all of black people have the same condition as white since there are still
discrimination toward black people done by white until now. It can be seen from
the song mentioning the racial tension in social sphere, laws, and politic; black
people are still be loser. Therefore, the song sparked to all of youngsters from all
of races background not to widen the segregation in the past since we almost
reach the true liberation and equality as human being. Instead we need to be
united as a big society to fight the discrimination together done by everyone and
experienced by every race in the U.S. and gain the self awareness that we as the
united society cannot be fooled by few people who are sitting in the government’s
authority who wants to destroy our unity because of money.
For the song by James Brown, the spirit of black pride was based on
economic matter in which black people still did not get the equality of payment
system. Black pride brought by James Brown was based on the Civil Right
Movement in which he did not find the equality at all as mentioned in the Act.
Hence, he asked to all of black people at that time to raise and dare to demand
their rights as human being and as worker to be paid equally with the others
(white people) by making a song based on black pride.
4. Matrix
Matrix in the lyric Fight the Power is the black pride and the equality among
society. It starts from being proud of themselves no matter what background the library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id131
have (include race, gender, sex orientation), be proud of their own ability to create
something (perhaps from art, science, etc) and condemn the every single form of
discrimination and to make proud of the nation of what we are capable of.
There are many variants that can be derived from the matrix of the song and it
is implied in the lyrics. The first variant is encouragement of the young black
people. Memorizing the incident of summer in 1989 in which black people were
discriminated but in different ways as if it was just mere riot of social tension.
Based on that incident, we should make it as self learning and take the lessons like
joyness of the rhythm and the beat could affect the emotions of the audiences and
we should present it once again but in bigger portion so that everyone can enjoy it
and the spirit of youngsters can be built in their heart.
The second variantis embracing black people heritage. All of young black
people should be proud of what they have and what they are capable of since it is
not the time for them to fight like in the past. Theyneed to make a revolution
based on their ability as united society and put aside the differences based on
racial matters. We need to show them (the government) that we as youngsters also
have the power to shake the nation (in a good way) by making creations based on
our ability.
The third variantis gaining the nationalism. We need to throw away the
racism and discrimination toward black people since the history of American
society most of it is influenced by black people. It is enough for them who were
doing the discrimination, past is just in the past, now we should take the lesson
and not to do the same thing which is bad. Let us show them that we as youngsters library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id132
will not fall on the same hole like our ancestors did in the past. We should be
united as big society to construct the nation.
C. Final result: Racial discrimination caused by indigenous element of life;
power to control
Move to the core case of the racism and discrimination toward black people
in the United States of America, there are several terms need to be observed on
what the protests of “Public Enemy” reflected through its music videos and lyrics
are. It is obvious that each music video and the lyric of “Public Enemy” represent
at least one quintessence on social problem that lead to the racism and
discrimination in modern era.
In first music video entitled “ Can’t Truss It ” represents the discrimination
toward black people in ‘economic’ sector by making the comparison of slavery
era and recent years. The second video entitled “ Get The Fuck Outta Dodge ”
represents the discrimination in ‘social and law’ matters by making the crime
scenes concept. The last music video entitled “ Fight The Power ” represents the
‘political’ matter that black people experienced in the U.S. and added some
sideline themes like pride and skillful youngsters as the next generation of the
nation.
1. Economic life of black people through “Public Enemy” music video
If it is said that “Public Enemy” condemned the racial discrimination, then it
is true since it is reflected in the three songs in which the construction of each
song represent the slightest thing in discrimination realm. There is no hesitation to library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id133
depict the economic condition experienced by black people in America. It is all
clear through each element of the music video which starts from the appearance of
the video such as lighting, mode of music video itself, wardrobe choices,
characters’ movements, and from the lyrics such as the use of diction, style of
language, emphasizing point of each stanza of the lyric. It is as if the whole music
video is dedicated to the protest toward government and American society who
are still bounding to the racial matters.
The economic condition of black people is concentrated on the condition of
the American society. It is true that the depiction of “Public Enemy” music video
represents up to the small thing of discrimination realm like the condition of black
people in Multinational Corporation as the prime mover. But what/or who makes
the condition happens? There is system that makes the condition in which black
people still stick in the doomed condition at that time in particular aspect (one of
it is in economic sector). As Noam Chomsky proposed in his long documented
speech filmed by Peter Hutchinson, Kelly Nyks, and Jared P. Scott in 2015
entitled “Requiem for The American Dream: The Principles of Concentration of
Wealth and Power”, at least there are three principles that concentrate to the black
people as the second largest population directly.
1. a. Reducing democracy
Democracy in easy way is translated as the the voice of the society will have
effect for the policy then the government do the regulation upon society. For those
who have the power and wealth since the beginning, “It’s important to understand
that privileged and powerful sectors have never liked democracy, and for very library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id134
good reasons. Democracy puts power into the hands of the general population
and takes it away from them. Now, it’s kind of a principle of concentration of
wealth and power . Concentration of wealth yields concentration of power ”
(Chomsky in Gold, 2016). And also Adam Smith in his famous book Wealth of
Nations in 1776 ever mention that “in England the principle architects of policy
are the people who own the society; ... master of mankind; ... all for ourself and
nothing for anyone else” (Lumpenproletariat, 2016). Up to this point of critical
views, it is obvious that laying down the principle of majority and minority is not
on quantity but on the quality of each individual particularly in wealth and power
(politic) matters.
The starting point of the same condition in the U.S. is in the very first
presidential in the U.S. government in which James Madison as member of the
founding fathers proposed that the democracy should be designed. The design is,
the wealth has great responsible for the government no matter what, since they
have big contribution toward the government to conduct the nation. Democracy as
the main subject of the American ideology, it means that majority of the
population can control the nation which means they can take their (the rich)
wealth (at that time the senate were not chosen by election but appointed by the
rich). Then, there was double concentration upon the democracy itself; one hand
is to protect the minority, in other hand, the rich must be maintained. Chomsky
says that if Aristotle proposed to reduce the inequality called Welfare State (which
means all of people have the same position in society in many ways), Madison
proposed to reduce democracy (Chomsky in Gold, 2016). library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id135
As a direct result of such fundamental ideology that the founding had, the
black people as the poor will automatically trapped without escape ways in the
government shackle (since they were slaves at that time). Unfortunately, this
condition run by the government up to 1960s and they need to change the system
into dodgy way because of the Civil Right Movement. There were so many
interest groups shouted out on the same thing; equality in everything. This, will
give great power to the society to move the regulations of almost every single
govenment system in the U.S. Dodgy way does not mean government run the idea
itself since the rich who run their bussiness from merchant and manufacture
already turned into financial institutions and mutinational corporations willingly
to do the rest and of course, with so many agreements to both the government and
the society to maintained their wealth. Thus, both the rich and the poor get richer,
at the same point that the government seems uphold the American dream. It seems
it is the end of the black people suffer, on the contrary, it is the beginning of the
re-racism and discrimination toward black people in different form. High tax
payment, reduce the payment for black people, strict regulation for black people
to access public facility (so they can pay more to get it if they really want it to),
and so on. In fact, it yields other new cases of racism and discrimination upon
black people in the U.S.
1. b. Attacking solidarity
It can be said that root of the racial discrimination toward black people in the
U.S. comes from the economic life and wealth realm. As a result of the massive
progress of civil right movement in 1960s, almost all of black men in the nation library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id136
got job in blue collars level. It was better than as unemployment and as a slave
since they will get gaid later upon their works. But go back to the Adam Smith’s
statement that “don’t care about others” considered as vile maxim, it is okay for
the rich but for the others it is kind of devastation of life (Chomsky in Swanson,
2016).
When the others concern about work, then they will be paid, it is kind of
cycle that the rich already create to run the society. How come? The rich is
already knew that people from the poor who has a chance to improve the standart
of living will take the chance no matter what to get the work and maintain it as
long as possible. Then they are already driven by the rich to follow this cycle. The
rich attack the other’s mindset that the more you work; the more you will get paid.
The princip of solidarity in people’s head will disappear and change into how
to live their life. It does not rule out the possibility that as long as the primary
needs are fulfilled, we do not have to chase the others need. What if the
government change the exploitation of men from works to the other thing like
taxes? All of people will follow the rule as a result of the liberation that they have
got from the civil right movement. Why the government increase the taxes and to
burden the society, since they already have the mindset that the others have before
they realize it; to keep their rich and not allow the others to take it. It is easier for
them to make such regulation since they have power in economic and politic to
run the government indirectly.
The others or the poor who already have blue collar jobs will try to fulfill the
requirement as mere society to pay the taxes. But day by day they are increasingly library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id137
choking with such condition since there are so many taxes that need to be paid as
free men in the nation. For example the payroll taxes, public service taxes so that
the widows in the country can fulfill their need and the public school can run its
duty to teach the children. Then there is a question from the other; why should I
take care of the widows? Why should I take care of the education of the other
children since I have no children? As Chomsky said that public school is based on
solidarity, then if the solidarity is being attacked then what will happen to them?
Close it; privatize it (Chomsky in Swanson, 2015). The devastation of social life
of the nation begins.
That is not one case which is yielded by the economy construction of the rich;
the consumerism is the big deal of it. The practice of credit puchases of certain
goods is one of the principal problems in consumerism. The other has a chance to
own luxury goods and sophiticated things they actually do not need, but the do.
As a result, there are so many debts that they have. In instance, they cannot pay
the bills of credit purchase, and their private property be confiscated as guarantee
of the goods itself. They get poorer, and need more income to close all arrears,
then social problem occurs. Their children expell from schools, become
unemployed since the age does not meet to the requirement to get a job, social
delinquency occurs. At least, the condition maintained its existency up to the
modern era which is in 2000.
Not to mention all of the criminal cases in the nation, the used of ‘crack’ in
ghettos area in almost entire city in ther U.S. was already represent the masssive
depravity as a result of the economy construction in attacking the solidarity library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id138
among society. In fact it is not just happen without pressure from any party.
Therefore, there is no scapegoats, but it is automatically happen to black people
and other minority groups (included the rednecks) directly since they are in the
lowest position in wealth hierarchy in the U.S. As the final result, the tittle like
uneducated, savage, low class society, criminals are stick to them once again
although it is in modern era. Seclusion, underestimated, threatened, will be the
moral punishment to particularly young black people and the rich has nothing to
do with this condition which is experienced by the society although in fact they
are the main manipulator of this devastation.
Talking about poverty line, it does not mean that there are no white people
who live in poverty. The rednecks as “Public Enemy” mentioned before in one of
their songs, means the white people who are poor. It is absolutely exists but the
percentage is quite different in almost every state in the U.S. Poverty attached to
black people is more ‘concentrated’ and the sociologists called it ‘double burden’
of poverty (Badger, 2015). It is called so because they are already poor and
concentrated to the poor areas and worse, there are no laws to uphold justice for
them since at that time. Most of young black people are stereotyped as criminals,
they have no money to conduct the courts, and public advocates can be
‘conditioned’ to settle the court by the rich to keep it that way. In logical view, it
decreases the power of the society to make the ‘second’ Civil Right Movement
which moves the personnel up to millions, and this condition will live at its ‘safe
zone’. As if she wants to make it clear to support Chomsky’s argument, Emily
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id139
Badger (2015) states about why black people are pretty much stuck in such
condition:
Concentrated poverty is getting worse because poor people – especially poor
African-Americans – are increasingly left behind. And a number of forces
drive this pattern, including systemic discrimination, policies that have
historically concentrated public housing and modern zoning laws that keep
the poor out of wealthier communities (para. 7).
It could not help but to live it and make the other ways dodgy ways too to free
from such condition and of course, in massive condition as part of the democracy
itself.
1.c. Gradation in gaining power
Last but not least, the impact of Civil Right Movement era in 1960s definitely
gives black people greater chance to get involved in the U.S. government innards
whether the rich wanted it or not. In accordance with the issue of wealth and
power, the dynasty of ‘democracy’ that they have made is being penetrated and
undermined by their ‘outer’ counterparts; black people. Not to mention all of the
names, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who skyrocketed the public’s
spirit to move the government regulations in many ways. It does not like writing
activity, when you write then there is a mark on your paper sheet. There is a
process so that all of the public aspirations loaded in the government’s addendum
program.
In fact, the depiction mentioned before was not like that at all. It is true that
regulation of pilitical corridor is more open in which black people are involved is library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id140
shaping the government regulations through group interests and deliver their
aspirations. But on the other hand, they are the beginner player in the dynasty of
democracy which was shaped for more that 300 years; it is very much difficult for
them to penetrate it right to the core system. As a result, they just remark the
regulation on the surface. While they are busy with their ‘crucial’ businesses, the
rich were already manipulating the core system to defend their dynasty of
democracy to make it that way.
The example of these two phenomena is quite easy to find in the history of
American society. Jesse Jackson in 1984 represented himself as the representative
of the minority still defeated by his opponent because of the ‘Democratic
Machine’ (used to manipulate the amount of the vote and it is one of the core
system that the rich built inside the democracy). For more that fifty years the
‘Democratic Machine’ controlled municipal government by manipulating votes
and through the use of patronage and graft (Amistad: 2009, para. 2). Finally for
the second phenomena is the continuity of Jackson’s progress. Historians
mentioned many achievements of him soon after he lost the chance to win. Some
of his achievements are mushroomed the black voters, more alliance between
minority groups based on the same interests (which most of the interest groups
concern only the surface matter like what their leader did), and bloomed the
election of the minority one in many states.
The gradation in gaining power in political matter is quite obvious for those
who are considered the outer alliances of the U.S. government, but not for the
library.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id141
rich. It is just the great wave that they have made before actually to test how
strong the dinasty of democracy that they make in the government.
This is what Chomsky called with ‘visious cycle’ in gaining wealth and
power in the U. S. which yields a great devastation among races in the nation. As
part of the analysis, “Public Enemy” already represents all of the discrimination
experienced by black people in the U.S. in modern era but in different ways. It is
more obvious, understandable, and can be perceived directly by the society.