Rap Music vs. Movies

 Today in class, we listed out key characteristics of the Rap music we hear today. All of these features seemed to me to be accurate. When listening to Rap music, we hear about violence, police encounters, alcohol and drug use, hard knock lives, hustlin', etc. Then, as were discussing, these features, we came to the realization that a lot of these are the exact same things we hear about and learn about in movies and other forms of entertainment. So, why does Rap music get a bad rap for doing this? The question especially applies when we look deeper into the lyrics of a lot of Rap music and realize that the lyricists are actually criticizing these features.

I have two theories in mind. The first deals with the idea that perhaps, Rap music get blamed for negatively influencing our youth to a greater extent than other like forms of entertainment because of the concentration of the negativity in these works. With a lot of Rap music, it's not just a line here or a line there that has a some kind of negative connotation (especially for those just listening for the words, not the deeper meaning). Typically, every line or at least every other line has either bad language or a seeming bad message. This is different in movies or books where there may be scenes of negativity but there are usually other scenes depicting quite different messages. So, in a way, after listening to a particular Rap song (not all), there is no way of leaving without a sense of negativity just because of the concentration of certain words that may be present. I'm not sure how much I necessarily agree with this, but perhaps it can provide some kind of reasoning.

 Kind of going off of my first theory, or more specifically the fact that we often just pick up the words and not the deeper meaning behind the words, I would be certain to say that the beat has some influence on the fact that Rap music can be so influential. The beats of a lot of Rap songs are captivating and I'll listen to most Rap because of the beats. So, potentially people get locked into the song by the beat and then really only care to pick up on the words and not the deeper meaning because they're focused on the beat. Often times movies have quite captivating scenes but not in the same way that a beat can get you, pull you in and bring you back multiple times later. This could potentially play an effect on the bad name that Rap music gets because people are brought back to the music because they are hung on the beat and then they are  not picking up on the deeper meaning behind these words that they are hearing.

Next, it could be due to the amount of time we spend listening to music versus watching movies. I know I listen to a lot more music throughout the day and consequently it has more of an effect on my everyday actions than movies do (whatever effects may occur as a result, if any). If we spend a longer amount of time on any given thing, we become more attached or influenced by that thing, so maybe that is some of the reasoning behind it all.

So maybe these are a few reasons for why Rap music often gets a bad name (although some songs inarguably are just crude and uncalled for). Do you agree or do you think that maybe Rap music is just easy to blame because it, without further attention, seems to be quite crude? Doe you think there are other factors at play here?

Gentrification with Justice

Throughout this semester, I've been connecting discussions to my Urban Geography class because in that class we often talk about concentration of poverty and race. I'm writing my final paper on a topic we discussed a while ago about the idea of re-neighboring. Re-neighboring is the idea of people who have access to certain resources such as those who contain jobs and have an education relocating to inner-city neighborhoods that lack these resources. The neighborhoods formed in the first place for a few resources but namely, joblessness. This joblessness caused a concentration of impoverished people in certain inner-city areas. In these areas, we see the same cycle occur over and over simply because the people do not have access to outside resources to make any kind of change. This is where re-neighboring comes into play. People move in to these neighborhoods with the intent of connecting, as a neighbor, with these people to both provide and receive resources that the other doesn't have but could benefit from. In other words, it's not a bunch white, affluent people taking over these neighborhoods or the individual lives of these people. It's a mutual decision to become closer to our neighbors and provide each other with what we have to help end a period of social isolation and poverty.

I personally believe that this could be the forefront to social change. However, critics have presented opposing views. You can probably imagine the most heavily cited critique. Most people take this idea of re-neighboring to mean that white people (because yes, it is generally white faith based volunteers) need to move in to help impoverished black people and immigrants. This is absolutely not the case at all. From personal accounts of people who have chosen to move into these communities to support their neighbors, I've read stories where the new residents actually have gained more since they've been there than they felt they've contributed. Both groups has something to offer and they are mutually benefitting each other by strengthening their neighborly bonds, because that's what they are, that's what we all are, neighbors.

I see more benefit coming out of implementing this outreach, but clearly it has it opposition as well. Where do you think you would stand on the issue? A prominent group in this social change is FCS Urban Ministries, and you can go here to learn more about them like where they do their work and the successes they've had (http://fcsministries.org/). I think it's a highly interesting concept and is worth much, much more further investigating. Do you have any qualms about it? Do you think that it potentially instills this idea of racial separation in inequality even though it's bringing these communities together? Maybe I'm just being hopeful in thinking that all communities will see it this way when really some will see it as an infringement upon their rights and as subjecting the impoverished people.

"Why aren't we happy?"

In regard to the significant gains that have been made among the African American community over the past 200 years, Professor McKinney asked the question, “Why aren't we happy with the progress?” Listening to the comments in class and reading the blog posts, I have noticed that it is not that we are unhappy with the progress that has been made, but we are dissatisfied with the ever present immeasurable amounts of inequality in relation to race, socioeconomic class, gender and more. Professor McKinney mentioned that currently there are more African American males enrolled in colleges and universities than incarcerated. This is a positive for which we are happy. However, when analyzing the campuses of predominantly private white institutions, we see that the amount of racial diversity is sub-par, which further depicts the reasons for which we are dissatisfied. However, on these campuses the issue of racial diversity is only one aspect. In conjunction with this topic, we must also examine the issues centered on socioeconomic class.

Recently, an article titled, “The Challenge of Being Poor at America’s Richest Colleges” was published in Forbes magazine. Below you will find the link. This article discussed the challenges students from low-income backgrounds encountered at the nation’s richest colleges. Again, we see the dichotomy of positives and negatives in relation to the progress that has been made. A positive is that more students from varying socioeconomic classes are being enrolled into these wealthy institutions. A negative, as noted in the article, are the sentiments of inferiority felt by these students at these institutions. The question arises, why aren't we happy? This is an example, of why we are dissatisfied.

Within the political spectrum, we as a nation have made momentous strides in that currently, we have a President who identifies as African American. However, as many students’ posted and commented, President Obama has had to balance his identity, to avoid scrutiny from the public. In doing this, limitations have been imposed on his speech and appearance. And, he has been subjected to an immense amount of critique in regards to his perspectives on various areas of politics as opposed to past Presidents. The election of President Obama can be viewed as a positive attribute in relation to America’s transition toward cultural understanding and acceptance. However, the notion that he has to seemingly “wear the mask” is indicative of the progress that still needs to be made. And, further highlights, why we are dissatisfied.  

             As we observe the moments of equality and inequality in relation to the progress that has been made, the original question of “Why aren’t we happy?” begins to morph into the question “When will we be satisfied?”

Source

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2013/11/27/the-challenge-of-being-poor-at-americas-richest-colleges/

Effect of Hip Hop music on Black Culture

Alas, we have reached the end of a very interesting and rewarding African American History class. We have all, whether we admit it or not, altered our way looking at certain things in life. Our last discussion was about hip hop music (which most of us listen to). This post is addressing the affect of hip hop music on black culture. As we stated in class, most artists rap about what they have encountered in their lives. The reason I say "most", is because we just found out that Ice Cube was in art school when he started in write gansta rap. However, in modern times, many students have taken the music to heart and have been participating in violence. Therefore, many critics say that hip hop has a negative affect on black youth. Although approximately 75% of the rap and hip hop audience is nonblacks, blacks are the focus because of the high crime rights in the black community. Although this is true that there are high rates of crime in the black community, I don't think that hip hop music is the reason for the violence. The picture is much bigger than that which is another blog post. Hip Hop music has plenty of positive impacts which includes raising political awareness and exploiting the social injustices that exist in society. Hip Hop is one of the most influential music genres around the globe because of the audiences that it reaches.

Racial Identity in Transracial Adoptions

Transracial Adoption

I’ve noticed a few posts on racial identity and wanted to pose a similar topic from a different perspective. The little that I know about the adoption process is that it is long, complicated, and costly. It appears that many adoption agencies have been using the transracial term to refer to couples that are opting to adopt children of a different race, who in some cases are biracial kids.

After reading “Interracial adoption: One couple’s Story” and seeing the process that one couple experienced in trying to adopt, I realized that different reactions that many coupes in a similar situation may encounter. I hope that for families looking to adopt a child of another race have a conversation with adult adoptees, as described by Lloyd and Pellissier. I think that having a conversation with David, Andrea, and Julia (adoptees from the article) cuts through all the stuff, for lack of a better word, and truly lays out the very real consequences of being raised in a household with parents of different races. Julia is able to cut through the white privilege goggles and is able to not only voice her concerns about interracial adoption but does so in a manner that is interesting and captures the audience.

In the Lloyd and Pellissier article, a white couple would rather adopt a black toddler and set him/her up with a college fund, rater than spending their life savings on a white infant. First, the idea that the kids waiting to be adopted are not only ranked according to how likely they are to be adopted (which is based on race and gender, among other things) but are also given a price is just ridiculous to me. Second, the idea that Hank believes that adopting a child of color won’t be a big deal because he and Carol are knowledgeable in black culture paints which creates this image of a parent trying to teach a kid ‘how to be black.’ Not only are the parents using a huge brush to cover the complexities of the adoptees experiences and creations of identities, but it makes me think that as long as Hank thinks he knows about African-American hist/lit, music, etc. and Carol knows about hip-hop and other music and activities that they are as well equipped to raise a black child.

I would like to believe that at one point or another I have thought about adopted children’s process of creating an identity for himself; unfortunately, I don’t believe I have done so. After reading Julia’s discussion with Carol and Hank I hope that more families are able to go through similar conversations. I am more interested, however, about how these now-adults handle themselves in society. I can’t tell a parent what they need to do to make their future child’s life better but if we all had the opportunity to hear from more multiracial kids raised in interracial household, we would be able to understand better. Hearing these individuals’ testimonies would be a deciding factor for many, I’m sure. But I’m more concerned about the now-adults that I have had this conversation and their stories about their experience.



Carol Lloyd and Hank Pellissier, “Interracial Adoption: One Couple’s Story” http://www.salon.com/1997/08/04/adoption970804/ l

YouTube video “#$%@ People Say To Transracial Families” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFp61HAj-nk

The Light of Memphis

Towards the end of my senior year in high school, I competed for a scholarship here at Rhodes, and on an application I was asked a question that has stuck with me as an avid lover of Memphis, my hometown. I thought it’d be interesting to duel my responses between when I had only a surface level high school education and then having a concentrated study of civil rights. Here was the question:

Some have stated that the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King has stunted the progress of our city, but Mayor AC Wharton refers to Memphis as a "city on the move." What do you believe is the future of Memphis in light of its difficult past?

Pre-History 242: “I wholeheartedly agree with Mayor Wharton and disagree with the conjecture that we are held back by the death of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Dr. King left us with these words: “…I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.” Dr. King left us with optimism and hope for the United States, including Memphis. The only cause of  Memphis’s stagnation is our own selves. We haven’t, as a community, grasped the hope of Dr. King and fully accepted his call to action. Memphis has a bright future with ethical leaders and a supportive population with a common goal of Memphis being a city of model stability. The key to actually achieving that goal, however, is being aware of Memphis’s past and not living in it.”

Post History 242: I have a couple of criticisms for this question. 1) We have discussed the obsession and commitment to the larger narrative of African American history, Dr. Martin Luther King’s death being the assumed peak of African American History. It is not an accurate or fair to condense this nation’s history to one event, making Memphis a stunted city. 2) We don’t discuss how Memphis still resides in that history. A good example is the apparent favoritism and discrimination in this city’s school systems. Per the Tennessee Department of Education report card of the 2011- 2012 school year (http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=200:1:3598217713481567),  Memphis City Schools(MCS) , the more urban school system had 94,629 student promotions versus Shelby County Schools (SCS) , the suburban school system, promoting only 44,312 students. The problem is that in MCS there were 4,361 expulsions beating SCS’s 64 expulsions. Now, we can attribute some of MCS’s student promotions versus SCS’s to the majority in population but when we consider 4297 student expulsion lead Memphis has on Shelby County, it is apparent that Memphis City Schools System does not take as much pride in educating their students as Shelby County does. The top tier officers of education in Memphis have, at some point, lost hope in the urban students of color and not made educating students a priority verses the anterior goal of simply letting students pass. So, simply, Memphis’s light is re-calibrating our education system’s priorities and goals. Though this statement has been used a lot, these kids are the future and if we don’t align them on a path towards knowledge, that light will implode like a dying star. 

Yeezus the Revolutionary

Hip hop artists critique popular culture through their must, but artists also critique stereotypes of the African American community through their behavior. Artists tend to band together in what at first glance could be considered a gang. In some ways, this action alone defies a common systematic stereotype. It is believed that the black community is still impoverished because members do not form helping relationships among each other like those of the white and Asian communities do. I would argue that in forming conglomerates like Death Row Records, Murder Inc., Shady/Aftermath, Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music and Young Money that hip hop artists are mirroring themselves after what they view predominately white conglomerates to appear as. Instead of struggling alone, the choice is made to market themselves as a package to gain support. 

Kanye West has always been controversial. One of his first releases was a hip hop song titled “Jesus Walks” where he proclaimed his religious faith. During the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, West claimed that President Bush did not care about black people due to the delayed national response time. Interrupting VMA winner Taylor Swift during her acceptance by assuring that Beyoncé had the best video made him appear even stranger. Between paparazzi confrontations, illuminati membership rumors, and the adaptation of the moniker “Yeezy,” (short for "Yeezus" a play on the name of Christianity’s martyr and on Jay-Z's "HOVA"), Ye can come off as abrasively ignorant, but I believe that he actually has intellectual ideas to express.

In the face of critics of his newest project, "Yeezus,” West recently made an appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” a syndicated hip hop talk show on New York’s Power 105.1 fm. Although “Kanye Kardashian” is a controversial individual, when given the chance to speak outside of his music, he raises important points about African Americans and hip hop culture. Kanye's central argument in the Breakfast Club interview is that in order to be free from label and material slavery, African Americans need to be billionaires so that they own companies. He states that "when you have money, can't nobody fire you." One interviewer known as Charlemagne tha God, openly called West a "walking contradiction" because on one hand the artist openly loathes corporations, yet he understands that he needs their support to be successful/popular. Of course Kanye has money to power a few of his artistic pursuits, but West expresses that it is not about the money; it is about the relationships that billionaires have with one another. They are speaking an exclusive language.

He supports these views with a few anecdotes. A few years ago, West designed and released "Air Yeezys" through Nike. It was said that the company refused to give him royalties for the shoe that he designed and are also unsure as to when the next shoe is to be released despite societal demand. When asked about a $120 shirt that he designed for the A.P.C. fashion line, West says that he did not determine the merchandise's price. It is that lack of control that Ye feels suppressed by society. He believes that his name and his accomplishments have earned enough merit to make those types of executive decisions. Why is it that he cannot? What institutions are put in place to stop even the most affluent people of color? Is he simply playing up his rebellious image, or is he actually facing some form of adversity because he is black?

As an aside, Kanye West claims that hip hop artist do not make much money from radio spins and album sells, despite popularity. West views himself as popular as British royalty, yet claims that he and Kim do not have royal money. Why do he believe this? In America, is popularity favored over funds?