Hip Hop Family in the Underground: the Words and Actions of the True School Community in Atlanta, Georgia
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THESIS HIP HOP FAMILY IN THE UNDERGROUND: THE WORDS AND ACTIONS OF THE TRUE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA Submitted by Andrew Anil Kumar Department of Anthropology In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Fall 2010 Master’s Committee: Department Chair: Kathleen A Sherman Advisor: Katherine E. Browne Richard Breaux Jeffery Snodgrass ABSTRACT OF THESIS HIP HOP FAMILY IN THE UNDERGROUND: THE WORDS AND ACTIONS OF THE TRUE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA Hip Hop Culture is the fastest growing culture on earth. Around the world, people of multiple ethnicities, religions, economic backgrounds, and political affiliations consume and produce Hip Hop music and culture for a range of reasons. The music and art surrounding the culture has been intimately tied to the entertainment industry, and Hip Hop’s national and international dissemination speaks volumes about the processes and outcomes of globalization. It is for this reason that the vehicle of Hip Hop is a useful tool to analyze a wide range of topics like gender, class, ethnicity, business, and performance to name a few. In my thesis I explore underground Hip Hop culture in Atlanta Georgia. My analysis draws on fieldwork I conducted from 2008 to 2009 and includes data from participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and a survey. In Atlanta Georgia, a group of underground Hip Hop practitioners and consumers who are affiliated with a socially conscious movement within the culture known as “True School,” form a tight network. This network is rooted in deep local connections to one another reinforced by multiple exchanges of resources and information as well as commitment to a community ethos that is tied to the True School Movement. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis, as modest as it is, is dedicated to Hip Hop culture and the creative perseverance that people exhibit in challenging situations. I would like to take this great opportunity to give thanks and credit to the many people whose support and wisdom made this humbling and rewarding process possible. To begin with, I must express gratitude to Minister Server, my good friend, spiritual advisor and key informant. Ever since I have met him he has honestly shared his life, views, community, home and family with no hesitation. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with, learn from, and get down with him these many years. My indebtedness to this man extends beyond the boundaries of this project. Additionally, I would like to give thanks and all due respect to Professor Griff of Public Enemy. After much deliberation, Hip Hop’s Ex Minister of Information was gracious enough to afford me some time to share his wisdom and views as well. I am still trying to unravel the layers of knowledge that were imparted to me that hot summer day in Atlanta. Both of these men are part of a community that I feel honored to have been granted access. This community also opened their lives to me. I feel fortunate and humbled by the powerful words that were shared with honesty and passion in the hopes that I would do their community justice in my presentation of their story. I pray that I do, and again I give thanks. On the other end of this equation is my committee. My chair, Dr. Kate Browne, has been the model of professionalism, consideration, and intelligence. She has iii supported and nurtured this project as well as my academic interpretations of Hip Hop and community over the years with patience, dedication, and skill. The more time passes, the more grateful, humbled, and impressed I feel. I don’t know how she does it all. Thank you so very much. I would also like to express my gratitude to my other committee members Dr. Richard Breaux and Dr. Jeffrey Snodgrass. Both of these men have made significant contributions to my understanding of ethnicity, community, and academic dialogue. This project would be far inferior without their contributions. I give all due respect and gratitude. I am also pleased to thank Dr. Norberto Valdez, who has challenged me for years in my academic pursuits and attempts in being a better human. I would not have engaged in this process without his prompting and support. Dr. Jan Valdez also deserves recognition and gratitude for her contributions. Without her support, academic talents, and constant words of encouragement I would not have completed this project. Thank you so very much for everything. Supporting me through this entire process, my mother and father have offered encouragement, finances, love, and just about anything I can imagine. I am blessed to have a sensitive, honest, and caring family who helps me up when I fall, and walks with me when I do not. Words are not enough to express my gratitude to them. Finally, I would like to thank my friends, academic or otherwise, who have also been a source of constant support and relief. Through the darkness and the light, a virtual army of hilarious and thoughtful support has surrounded me. Thanks for the hugs, pints, hikes, and love. This process has been educational on so many levels. I am filled with gratitude and am humbled by so much of this experience. It has been a lesson in community. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS AND SETTINGS ............................................ 12 Community Access ....................................................................................................... 12 Research Design ............................................................................................................ 13 Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 14 Quantitative Methods ................................................................................................ 14 Qualitative Methods .................................................................................................. 15 Research Settings .......................................................................................................... 17 Las Vegas Nevada: National Hip Hop Political Convention 2008 ........................... 17 Atlanta, Georgia 2007-2008...................................................................................... 18 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 22 Methodological Challenges and Realizations ............................................................... 23 CHAPTER 3: HISTORICAL COMPONENTS OF BLACKNESS THROUGH HIP HOP ........................................................................................................................................... 28 Spiritual Practices: Religion in Community Support .................................................... 29 Christian Influences .................................................................................................. 30 Islamic Influences ..................................................................................................... 31 Performance: From Griots to Emcees, creative reclamation and resistance ................. 35 Early Performance .................................................................................................... 35 Hip Hop Culture ............................................................................................................ 37 Hip Hop Begins: 1973- 1979 .................................................................................... 38 True School Hip Hop: The Golden Age: 1988-1992 ................................................ 41 Globalized Hip Hop: 1992-2000 ............................................................................... 43 Rise of Southern Hip Hop ......................................................................................... 44 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER 4: HIP HOP ATLANTA ................................................................................ 46 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 46 Atlanta, Georgia: Center of the “Third Coast” ............................................................. 49 True School: the “conscious” community in Hip Hop Culture: Atlanta, GA ............... 50 Community Institutions ................................................................................................ 57 Minister Server .............................................................................................................. 59 Professor Griff .............................................................................................................. 62 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 64 CHAPTER 5: TRUE SCHOOLERS REACH OUT TO THEIR ELDERS ..................... 65 Who gave support ......................................................................................................... 66 What support looked like .............................................................................................. 69 Hip Hop costs ................................................................................................................ 76 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................