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South Central Music Bulletin XV/1-2 (Fall 2016 – Spring 2017) • A Refereed Journal • ISSN 1545-2271 • http://www.scmb.us _________________________________________________________________________________________ South Central Music Bulletin A Refereed, Open-Access Journal ISSN 1545-2271 Volume XV, Numbers 1-2 (Fall 2016 – Spring 2017) __________________________________________________________________________________________ Editor: Dr. Nico Schüler, Texas State University Music Graphics Editor: Richard D. Hall, Texas State University Editorial Review Board: Dr. Paula Conlon, University of Oklahoma Dr. Stacey Davis, University of Texas – San Antonio Dr. Lynn Job, North Central Texas College Dr. Kevin Mooney, Texas State University Dr. Dimitar Ninov, Texas State University Ms. Sunnie Oh, Round Rock Independent School District Dr. Robin Stein, Texas State University Dr. Leon Stefanija, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) Dr. Paolo Susanni, Yaşar University (Turkey) Dr. Lori Wooden, University of Central Oklahoma Subscription: Free This Open Access Journal can be downloaded from http://www.scmb.us. Publisher: South Central Music Bulletin http://www.scmb.us Ó Copyright 2017 by the Authors. All Rights Reserved. 1 South Central Music Bulletin XV/1-2 (Fall 2016 – Spring 2017) • A Refereed Journal • ISSN 1545-2271 • http://www.scmb.us _________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Message from the Editor by Nico Schüler … Page 3 Research Articles: Contemporary Political Rap: An Analysis of the Genre through Lyrical Content by Brayden Gibson … Page 4 “It’s Your Thing”: Soul Music’s Pivotal Role in Modern Afrocentric Music by Tyler Hooks … Page 10 Trolling, Satire, and Internet Culture in the Music of Odd Future by Noah Dunstatter … Page 21 Book Review: Understanding Video Game Music by Brent Ferguson … Page 27 2 South Central Music Bulletin XV/1-2 (Fall 2016 – Spring 2017) • A Refereed Journal • ISSN 1545-2271 • http://www.scmb.us _________________________________________________________________________________________ Message from the Editor Nico Schüler, Texas State University, E-Mail: [email protected] As always, I would like to sincerely thank all mem- - short responses to articles published in previ- bers of our peer-review board for their hard work ous issues; and excellent suggestions for improving each arti- - bibliographies on any music-related topic, cle. which may or may not be annotated); All issues may contain articles and an- - reviews of books, printed music, CDs, and nouncements in the following categories: software; and - articles with a special focus on local music - reports on recent symposia, conferences, and traditions (any region in the world); music events. - research articles – generally, all music-related I would like to call for submissions that fit any of topics are being considered; these categories. Submissions by students are, as - opinion articles that are part of, or provide the always, very welcome. All submissions are ex- basis for, discussions on important music topics; pected via e-mail with attachments in Word format - composer portraits that may or may not in- or in Rich Text Format. For detailed submission clude an interview; guidelines visit http://www.scmb.us. 3 South Central Music Bulletin XV/1-2 (Fall 2016 – Spring 2017) • A Refereed Journal • ISSN 1545-2271 • http://www.scmb.us _________________________________________________________________________________________ Research Articles Contemporary Political Rap: An Analysis vious civil rights movements, it was a strictly black of the Genre through Lyrical Content fight. It was about segregation or about poverty in the ghettos, but today Black Lives Matter has by Brayden Gibson evolved into a multi-platform political sphere. They E-Mail: [email protected] hold opinions on issues from black identity to transgender inclusion. It is no longer just an Afri- Introduction can-American movement, but an American move- It is 2016, and currently African-Americans across ment for accountability on acts of racial injustice. the country are fighting for various rights of inclu- I recently was scrolling down my social me- sion, most recently being the “Black Lives Matter” dia feed when I discovered a video that I believe movement, a movement dedicated to becoming encompasses all 3 civil rights movements. The vid- “unapologetically black” and reaffirming their black eo is chaotic, it begins with yelling and chanting as heritage. It started after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin two sides, protesters and police officers, are advanc- was shot and killed, based on what many believe to ing towards each other. In an act of communal pro- be racial profiling by his assailant. This sparked test, all at once the protestors began to chant immediate outrage by the black community, who Kendrick Lamar’s song “Alright” (2015). This song viewed this as another example of systematic racial gives them energy and states to the police “we will oppression. The Black Lives Matter movement de- not back down”. As the lyrics “we gon be alright” scribes itself on its website are being chanted, an overwhelming sense of the (https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/herstory/) as African American political struggle was emitted. such: “Black Lives Matter is an ideological and po- Like the song says, Blacks will be “alright”. They litical intervention in a world where Black lives are have fought racial injustice before, and will do it systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. again. It is a song uniting those who believe in the It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to strength of the black community and its ability to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the survive under increased racial prejudice. face of deadly oppression.” This movement can be Every wave of the civil rights movement viewed as a third wave of civil rights, the first being had its songs as a rallying cry for support. In the age the 1960s with segregation, the second as the of segregation, the artist Sam Cooke released a song 1980s-2000s as poverty, and now, 2016, as a fight called “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964), which for accountability for black murder. like “Alright” states “’It’s been a long time coming, One of the most incredible aspects of the but I know a change gonna come”. It reminds those movement is its social media presence. Millions of fighting that we have been fighting for decades, and people across the world have all began posting it may be hard, but we will be okay. In the second “#BlackLivesMatter” on various social media out- wave, songs got more aggressive with the influx of lets. In this lies one of the biggest differences be- “gangster rap”, songs that led this era include tween this third wave of civil rights liberation and N.W.A.’s “Fuck tha Police” (1988), a song that ral- its previous iterations, the idea of social inclusion lies blacks against police brutality. This is the exact and accountability. People all across the nation are issue that black lives matter currently fights for. The participating in social commentary, from those three waves of civil rights all included songs that struggling in poverty to congressmen at our nation’s defined their motions and ideals, and currently the capital. Anyone with an internet connection can genre that defines black social movements is Politi- chime in on both sides of the argument. In the pre- cal Rap music. 4 South Central Music Bulletin XV/1-2 (Fall 2016 – Spring 2017) • A Refereed Journal • ISSN 1545-2271 • http://www.scmb.us _________________________________________________________________________________________ This article aims to create a guide through Would this song be considered political? While it contemporary political rap by examining the song does contain a political reference, the rest of the “Institutionalized” (2015) by Kendrick Lamar and song does not imply any stance on a political issue. its lyrical content. The song analysis is a spine that In my definition, this song is political, although allows us to branch off from it and examine several very little, it still does perpetuate some meaning in a important aspects of contemporary political rap. person’s mind, it still pushes the stance of police This will focus predominantly on song structure as brutality. Therefore, I would define political rap as well as meaning, because I believe it to be im- any song with lyrics referencing a social or political portant to analyze a song’s lyrical content in order issue, no matter how small it may be. My definition to accurately examine its political gravity and struc- aims to include as much music as possible, because ture. This song covers several aspects of African- the effect of political rap on its audience is not a American culture, which will be further explored. single effort by a minority of artists, but by a culture This article is categorically structured, but uses song of music. analysis to create a consistent union. Previous re- search of this genre focused on the past, the early How is political rap structured today? 2000s and 1990s. This article looks to the present One of the most politically fueled albums of 2015 with an analysis of a song released in 2015 and lyri- was To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. It co- cal allusions to songs released in the last five years. vers topics that many rappers have taken on before: This research is not just an analysis of the genre as a the idea of losing your home town idealism when whole, but an analysis of the genre in the present. you become famous. Lamar also covers harsh topics such as current black identity in conflict with Amer- What it political Rap? ican patriotism. In an effort to answer the question In order for us to examine a song we believe to have of contemporary rap structure, I will analyze the political rap stylings, we must first have a defini- song “Institutionalized” as well as explain how the tion. Robert Walker, as quoted in the book Pulse of song is structured to show its political attitudes.