Magisterská Diplomová Práce Hip Hop: Rap Music As a Way

Magisterská Diplomová Práce Hip Hop: Rap Music As a Way

MASARYKOVA UNIVERZITA FILOZOFICKÁFAKULTA KATEDRAANGLISTIKYAAMERIKANISTIKY MAGISTERSKÁ DIPLOMOVÁ PRÁCE HIP HOP: RAP MUSIC AS A WAY OUT OF AN ECONOMICAL AND SOCIAL ISOLATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS BETWEEN THE 1970s AND THE 1990s Zdeněk Půža Vedoucí práce: PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil. Ph.D. Brno 2006 12 Prohlašuji,že jsemdiplomovoupráci vypracovalsamostatně,s použitímuvedenéliteratury. …………………………………. VBrnědne29.11.2006 13 CONTENTS i. Introduction 4 ii. Hiphopculture: 7 iii. Otherrapgenres 8 PARTONE–THEGHETTO Chapter1 - A Dead End :Asummaryofsocialandeconomicphenomena betweenthe1920sand1990sresponsiblefor emergenceofblack urbanghettos 9 Chapter2 Fight the Power: Riots inblackurbanareasinthe1960sand1990s 19 PART TWO–RAPMUSIC Chapter1–Gimme the break beat : Beginningsofrapmusic,culturalsources forearlyrappioneers 27 Chapter2 All we got left is the beat :Blackmusicasameanofresistance 37 Chapter3–Hip Hop Rules:Constructionofarapsong 40 Chapter4–In the limelight: Rapmusicgoescommercial 48 PART THREE–GANGSTARAP Chapter1–“Gangsta” rap :AnIntroduction 52 Chapter2Originsof gangstarapanditshistory 56 Chapter3 Ay yo baby, your mother warned you about me :YoungBlack Malesasa"MenacetoSociety” 63 Chapter4 Why do I call myself a nigger, you ask me? Recontextualizationofa meaningof aword nigga 65 Chapter5 Mack daddies, pimps and hustlers:adorationof acriminalfigure 68 14 PART FOUR–MESSAGERAP Chapter1 Prophets of Rage: Messagerap 76 Chapter2–Allahu Akhbar: AninfluenceoftheteachingofTheNationof Islamonmessagerapinthemiddle1990s 80 Chapter3–MessageRappersandtheReconstructionof theBlack Community 82 Conclusion 95 Bibliography 101 Abstractin Czech 105 15 i. Introduction A primaryaimofthisworkistopresentrapmusicasawayforAfricanAmericanshowto escapefrom themiserableeconomicandsocialconditions oftheghetto,inwhichithasalsobeen created.Thisworkfollowsnotonlythedevelopmentofrap musicsince its beginningsin Americanghettos inthe middle1970stothe late1990s,butalsoexamines politicaland economical phenomeona,whichweresignificantlyresponsiblefor pauperizationoftheseurban areas andmust betakenintoaconsideration. Reducingtheareaofourresearchintoonlytwodecadeshastheits reasons:itwouldbealmost impossibletoanalyze allthestylesandgenresintowhichtherapmusichasdiversifiedtill nowadays.Themoreimportantreasonforthislimitationisthatstereotypes,whicharetodayseen astypicalattributesofhiphop,hadbeenformedanddefinedjustinthese twodecadesandlater createdthe basisforthe upcomingcultural phenomenonknowntodayas hip-hop. Atthis pointIshouldalsosetout the wayIusetheterm“hip-hop”inthis work.Thisterm, althoughitistodaysometimesusedasthe termformusicalstyle,shouldcoverawholesetof culturalareaslike rapmusic(rappingand“deejaying”),dancing(breakdancing),urbaninspired art(graffiti) andlateralsofashion,rather thanmusiconly.While inacontemporarycontext the termhiphopcanbeusedasasynonymforalifestyleofitsexponents,Iusethis termasalabelfor thecultural phenomenonasitwas mentionedabove,wherethetermrap musicrepresents justone ofitselements.However,the termrapmusicshouldbealsomore preciselyspecified.Inrapmusic there isequilibrium betweenmusic(representedwith“deejaying”)andlyrics (rapping),andthus thisworkwillexamine bothits elements. EventhoughIsuggestedthat theworkwill befocusedonarather present periodoftwo decades betweenthelate1970sandthemiddle1990s,itssecondpartwillalsoexaminerootsof rapmusic,whichwere drawnnotonlyfrom musics,developedonAmericancontinent(likegospel song,jazz,funkyorrhytm’n’blues),butalsomoreorlesssubconsciouslyfromtraditionalmusic 16 oftheancientAfrica.Thishistorical backgroundisimportantforanunderstandingbothofits elements–“deejaying”andrapping,asthese are closelyconnectedwithAfricanoralandmusical tradition. Whilerappingwasnota prominent partofrapmusicfromitsverybeginnings,its position withinhiphopculturehasquicklychanged.The mainreasonforsuchchangewastheabilityofrap musicto“toarticulate the pleasuresandproblemsof blackurbanlifeincontemporaryAmerica” (Rose,1994:2).Thisfunctionwas,however,inhistoryof blackmusicnotnew–thesame function hadgospelor jazzmusic,butrapmusicarticulatedthe problemsoftheAmericanghettosina brandnewway.Rap musicis avoiceoftheghettoandthustheareafromwhichitcoulddrawan inspirationisalmostinfinite–a specificandconsiderablylargegroupofrappers,whonarrated violent,but oftenexaggeratedtales,inwhichtheyhave praisedtheireconomicstatusandsexual powerover women,developedagenrewhichwaslaterlabeledas“gangstarap”,whiletheother groupofrappers,whichhavecreatedgenreof“message” rap,rappedabouthowtoget outofthe miserableeconomicandsocialconditionstypical fortheghettos,howtorebuildanegative stereotypes ofthe blackmanoranintegrationwithintheAmericansociety–followingexcerptis fromagroupBoogieDownProduction’s(aclassicrepresentativeofmessagerapgenre)anitsson You Must Learn (Edutainment,1992): It seems to me that in a school that's ebony African history should be pumped up steadily, but it's not and this has got to stop, See Spot run, run get Spot Insulting to a Black mentality, a Black way of life Or a jet Black family, so I include with one concern, that You must learn Therebellious,antisocialandsometimesalsoviolentcharacter,whichwastypicalfor both genres,attractedmuchnotorietynot onlyfroma general public(representedwithparental, religious,feministorcivilrightsgroups) butthe FBIaswell.Iwill analyzethesegenresinmore 17 detailinPartFourandpartFiveofthiswork,because boththesegenres represent twomost notable approachtoadvancementofthe blackmanfromitsmiserable positionandhave significantlyinfluencedtheimageof contemporarymusic,whichwill bediscussedintheendof thiswork. Oneofthemostcriticizedaspectsofrap musicwasitsstressonmaterialism,whichwas explicitlypresentedinoverwhelmingnumberofraplyrics,justlikeina song In the Ghetto (Let theRhythm Hit‘Em,1990) byrappersErikB.andRakim: No more props, I want property, in every borough Nobody’s stoppin me, because I’m thorough Rhymes I make gimme real estate for me to own Iwill trytoshowthatthematerialism,forwhicharecontemporaryrapstars criticizedbyboth whiteandblackcommunities,is atypicalfeatureofhiphopculturesince its beginningsandhas alsoitsreasonablehistoricalandsocialexplanation. ii. HipHopculture Becausethe mainpurposeofthisworkistoanalyzerapmusic,itshistory,development, culturalsourcesanditsimpactoncontemporaryAmericansocietyIshouldalsoplace rapmusicin 18 a proper culturalcontext,whichisinthiscasehiphopculture.Iwouldliketoalsobrieflydescribe alsoitsremainingelements–breakdanceandgraffiti,whichweredevelopedtogetherwiththe emergenceofrap music,howeverduetolimitationsofthisworktheycan beexplainedonlybriefly inthis chapter. Alltheseelementsofhiphophavecreated“newkindoffamiliesforgedwithintracultural bondsthat,likethe socialformationofgangs,provideinsulationandsupportinacomplexand unyieldingenvironmentandmayserveasthe basisfornewsocialmovements”(Rose34).These newfamiliesweregroupofdancers(likeRockSteadycrew),crewofgraffitiartists andthanlater musicgroups.Theseartisticformsshareseveralcommonfeatures: 1) averystrongtieswithurbanbackground 2) individualityanduniqueness 3) andrebellious,antiestablishmentandprovocativecharacter Breakdancing Thisartistic formofhip hopculture,was justlikerapmusic,arebellious answertodisco, whichdominateddancingfloorsacrosstheUnitedStates inthelate1970s.Whilediscodances stressedtocontinuityandcircularity, breakdancinghighlights(justlikerapmusicdoes)and extends breaksinandbetweensongs.AccordingtoRose“atthese breakpointsinthe DJ’s performance,thedancerswould breakdance ,executingmovesthat imitatedtheruptureinrhytmic continuityasitwashighlightedinthemusical break”(Rose 47).Whenthisstyleofdancingwas inventedintheBronx,it wassetofseveralmovesandspecific footwork,butthiswasquickly changedandavariousnumberofacrobaticmoveswereaddedincludinghandstands,headstands, freezes,headspins,windmills,backflipsanothers,whichwerearesultof thecompetitivespirit, whichistypicalnotonlyfor breakdancing,butforthewhole hiphopcultureaswell.First breakdance crewsusedtocompetewitheachother,whichforcedindividualdancerstoimprove theirtechniqueanddevelopanownstyle.Thestylecouldalsobecomesodistinguishedfromthe 19 styleofthe otherdancersandbringitsinventoranappropriatenickname -CrazyLegs,Frosty Freeze,KenSwiftetc.Eventhoughthesedancerstriedtomainlypresentthemselves,the competitionstheywere takingpartin,werecompetitionsofdancecrews,representinga particular neighborhood(incaseofRockSteadyCrewitwastheBronx,Rockwell Associationwas representingManhattan) –andthewinningsidewasdeterminedbythedancer(s)whocould outperformtheother bydisplayinga setofmore complicatedandinnovativemoves(Wikipedia). Graffitiart Thesegatheringwereoftenalsoanoccasion,wherealsograffitiartistweremeetingtogether andcomparedeithertheir“alreadydone pieces” ortheirfuturelayouts.Ithinkthatgraffitiart is themosttypicalurbanart,whichreactsnaturallyonthe post industrialrealityofanurban background.Originsofgraffitiwill alsoshowitsoriginal purpose.Graffitihas itsoriginsina tag TAKI183,whichwasasignofafootmessengernamedPanayiotakis(thenumber183standsfor hisstreetnumber),whowasonhiseverydaytravelingthroughNewYorkcityleavingthissignon wallsandsubwaytraincars.This taggingwasthewayhowtoexpressone'sownexistenceinan urbancomplex,whosecomplexityis partiallyforlossofanownidentity–“thegoal of mostartists atthis point wascalled"gettingup" andinvolvedhavingas manytagsandbombsinasmany places as possible”(Wikipedia). Thistaggingwasfollowedbymanyothers,andjustlike breakdancing,it wasquickly developedintomore profoundartisticform.Original tagswereslowlyreplacedbymoreelaborate graffiti,whichwere bigger,theirshapesweredistortedandtheycontainedmanycolorsand

View Full Text

Details

  • File Type
    pdf
  • Upload Time
    -
  • Content Languages
    English
  • Upload User
    Anonymous/Not logged-in
  • File Pages
    111 Page
  • File Size
    -

Download

Channel Download Status
Express Download Enable

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

  • Not to be reproduced or distributed without explicit permission.
  • Not used for commercial purposes outside of approved use cases.
  • Not used to infringe on the rights of the original creators.
  • If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately.

Support

For help with questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us