Firstly, what I am totally loving about this class is that it is making me think of things in different ways, not just stuffing facts, figures and dates down my throat, so shout out to Dr. Tapley. Ok, so it is Rap music that I am now thinking differently of. Rap music as empowering nihilism...interesting, no? (Kate, Luke... google empowering nihilism) I always had an appreciation for Rap music, but now I am thinking of it in a new light. These rappers are genius! Taking the typical stereotype of the black man and using it not only to empower and validate them, but to belittle the white men. To rap about bling, drugs, fast cars and women is almost like showing off, saying yeah I am this stereotype and I am richer/more popular/better then you could ever be. Drive past any jr/sr. high school at lunch and you will hear the thump, thump thump of rap music pounding out of vehicles driven by young white boys. I wonder if all the little white boy rappers know that 50 Cent, Nelly, Ludacris is making fun of them, and making a mint.
PS. Right now on Ellen, Ludacris is telling me to shake my money maker, and maybe I will.
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Okay, so I googled as directed, and it was a bit of a wash. But I think I can figure out what empowering nihilism means anyway. See... I'm clever like that. So about that rap stuff - it's good that they are making something positive (money) out of their "oppression" and all that. However, as a teacher, I see the little white boys (or, in my experience, aboriginal boys) trying to emulate that culture. They don't listen to the message, they only get the visual. Which is that women are sexual objects, and should be desired only as such. Which, in turn, leads the girls to want that attention, and turn into (although not all the time) poorly-approximated versions of the "video booty girl." (that's not a real term, to my knowledge.
Where am I going with this? Even though Ludacris says his message is positive, which it very well may be, is that the message that is actually getting across? The answer, I would argue, is no.
This class also got me thinking about how I percieve rappers and rap music. The concept that black male rappers are selling thier music back to the same group that oppressed them and as you say "making a mint," is certainly a perspective I had not previously considered. However, I think part of what the article asks us to consider is how we can listen to their music in order to empathize with the historical oppression of the black man in society. It seems that to truly engage in the "shared sensibilities" that Hooks talks about, we need to become more actively involved in questioning the different ideologies that we are placed in on a day to day basis. Maybe it goes beyond just shaking your ass to Ludacris, and trying to come to an understanding of the different factors that contributed to him and his music. For me, this class left me with a sense that I need to question more, and to leave more doors open. But to be honest, I still have a hard time listening to rap music. And I don't think it has anything to do with the lyrics... maybe it's because I don't want to have little white boys in their fancy cars telling me that I am blasting some "sweet tunes...." auggghhhh..... pop culture is exhausting.
Luke... I am responding back, see I follow directions well. Interesting point about the use of visuals. I think the visuals are eaiser to understand and get then the lyrics. The MTV generation is used to being lazy, we a shown what to think about the music through award shows, videos, etc. So why care about the music? Understanding the lingustic complexity of a rap song is so hard compared to watching fast cars, bling and hot ho's shake it on a video...
I think people need to start listen to this songs, actually listening then see what they really mean.
Jay Z in Kanye West's Diamonds are Forever.
"I'm not a buisnessman
I'm a buisness, man"
how true
I agree with listening to the lyrics rather than watching the videos, Erin... but a)will it ever be accomplished? and b)how will it ever be accomplished? This may be pessimistic, but I don't see a generation of youth all of a sudden getting "un-lazy." So until rappers start toning down some of their videos, I think the cycle repeats. Although, Kanye West's Sierra Leone video is a good example of the way things should go... even if you turned off the sound, you would know that he is addressing social issues, rather than showcasing the latest winners of "So You Think You Got Back."
P.S. Thanks for following directions so well. You're too kind.
Hey team,
Sorry for the tardy appearance. Erin, nice work on the blog - and good topic. Rap music, although not a favourite genre for me personally, has often drawn me in with the occasional 'killer beat'. I had never looked at rap music from the perspective you presented erin, but its true. Although, im not sure all rappers are concious of this fact but more so they rap about what's popular to rap about - girls, guns and greed. Lukey, I also really appreciate your point of view. and I think society needs to take a better look at the impacts of these influences and promote performances that create social action or better images. Quite honestly I think youth will embrace what they are fed, maybe not overnight - but gradually. Banning performances by artists and putting 'R' ratings on albums just makes the youth want it more. wow... I really got off topic. Maybe thats why Im a horticulturalist - the plants dont mind when I get off topic...
Keep it up erin.
Kate.
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