Monday, April 8, 2013

Talking Points #9 (Extended Comments)

On this post I will try and do an extended comment on Andrea's Blog.

I agree when Andrea point out that:
We need more "conscious" rap on the radio. We need a diversification of what we have access to. As it stands, the popular rappers with the popular tracks are simply saying exactly what the Machine wants us to hear. The message being shared and what we are taking in falls in line with the dominant ideologies of society. 

 When I read this I also agreed with all the songs that Andrea put as examples. I also couldn't stop thinking off this song:


 I'm pretty sure everyone or almost everyone from class has heard this song in the radio before. Not only does it degrade women, it put money at as the most important thing you can have, because you can be a nigga but if your a rich nigga is a different story (paraphrasing). There is no question of how heterosexual this song tries to be.


On a different note: lets look at this song:




Not many have heard this one I'm sure because it talks about the reality of white supremacy and the way the black body is not valuable in our society. How it is easily dismissed by laws put in place to prevent us from moving forward and get any type of white justice. Could be a reason that radio station don't play this song, or that maybe her record sales are not that high.

In the video clip Andrea shared with us in the blog, I noted that there were some youth protesting to the "type" of hip-hop that radio stations put out there. My only problem with that is that, that is the only hip-hop we know. I know that it may not be the most positive but at the same time what is positive about living in the projects, feeling unsafe and hearing gun shots in the middle of the night, being scared that your child might fall into drugs because you have to work 4 5 different jobs. At the other side of that coin, I do agree that it has changed into money, hoes, bitches and weed. Which of course does not help the situation of the way the white folk look at us.

Hip-hop is a huge part of our culture and there are a lot of youth that identify with it. The problem is that they are identifying with the stereotypes and the yunk that The Machine wants us to listen to. Just another way for them to control our minds. This gives us a sense of self or identity when in reality is there plan all along.





Smile :)
kt
 

3 comments:

  1. I'm not sure how the text color went from white to black :(
    Hope you guys can read it .... I'm not sure on how to change it :/

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  2. Can I just say that I think that it's really funny that I know Lauryn Hill for her singing not for her hip hop? I always find it very interesting when someone reminds me how "political" (take that word for whatever it is worth) she can be. Also, I think it's interesting that you can say Lauryn Hill and the song "that thing", or "Killing me softly with his words" (I forget the name of it) are the songs anyone thinks about. I think that speaks volumes as to what is valued more in this society.

    Honestly, I've never heard the first song before and the deep misogyny in it actually made it really hard for me to get through. Although listening to Lauryn Hill makes me want to hear more.

    I think part of the reason I don't listen to hip hop is because there's this push on the mainstream radio to be like that Drake video. Like it's expected or something. And while I can cognitively sit here and tell you that I know not all hip-hop or rap is like this, there's still that weird thing inside of me that tells me that anything I hear on the radio or anything that even remotely sounds like hip hop has to be something that is judged more harshly than rock, country, metal, or any other type of music. I think there's a lot there.

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    Replies
    1. That Thing is actually a pretty substantive track, it's often listed on feminist hip hop playlists.

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