UCD 2015: African American Music

The course Tumblr page for UC Davis's 2015 African American Music course (Music 28)

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Final Tumblr Post

Bransin Johnson Music 28 Mrs.Messbauer November 23 2015 Long Live A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky has separated himself from other rappers from the moment he was introduced into the rap industry. Although his critics want to label him as a somebody who is just another average rapper, but the way he was raised he is not going to cower back but face it head on. When you listen to A$AP Rocky he lets you know where he is from,what he has gone through, why hes significant to me and you , and what he represents through his lyrics, sounds(beats) . A$AP Rocky was born in Harlem, New York City before moving to Elmwood Park and brought up around Manhattan. His Dad was in prison for drug crimes when he was barely the age of 12. His brother was murdered near the area he lived before he was homeless at the age of 13. At a young age young A$AP Rocky lived on the worst side of what you can say is a series of unfortunate events, living through this feed his hustle on working hard on what he does and making sure he makes it at the highest level he can reach. Having to suffer the lose of a close relative and watching his father leave him inspired him to make sure that his family is living lavished and to make sure the people that listens to his lyrics understand the realness in reality. Most people when they listen to a song they listen to the lyrics.in general everyone has have different preferences for music that sounds good and that does not. What stays the same is what's real, meaning the lyrics doesn’t say one thing and later they change into something else. Everything that is on A$AP Rocky’s songs talks about what's going on in the headlines and helping you fight through adversity. In the album ‘AT LONG LAST A$AP’, A$AP depicts different themes that opens a window into how he sees things in society.The theme of the album was the struggles of life. Rocky raps about of at a young age how life has been nothing but fighting and scratching. Through his lyrics he paints his memories in your brain to make you really notice how hard one must battle through what life throws at you. A$AP Rocky has come a long way he always sees light at the end of the tunnel you just have to find it like A$AP has. In my opinion his best album was the ‘AT LONG LAST A$AP’. A$AP Rocky’s best song he wrote was called Canal St. Not only was this song the best song, but the lyrics really understand the true meaning of hustle and pushing on through adversity. For example the way he started out living his life being homeless, his dad in prison, and his brother dieing ; overcasts the theme of “struggles of life.” A$AP Rocky started off his song with this lyric “ Yeah, live through the strugglin', life's a every day (hustle) .” This is saying how he wasn't given what he wanted, so he had to take what he wanted. It helps the listener understand that without hard work you can not achieve anything and that eventually you will end up as a statistic. In the song he said “the rap game might as well be called the crack game.” Explaining how things aren't all what it is cracked up to be, and that there are always strings attached to whatever is told to you and what you do as your job. The lyric A$AP spit about how “Niggas will hold you back, that's why they say that we trapped.” This is a way of letting the listeners know that not everyone is interested in your success as much as you are. Don't let someone else stop what you have going for yourself. When he says “that's why they say that we trapped ” he means that nobody is safe and that once you're in you can't come out as easily as you came in.This is adding more to his previous lyric when draws parallel between the rap game and the crack game. A$AP has a good way to cover up who he is calling out, meaning in his song he said “ You say you got them guns, but I've never seen you bang, You say you got them drugs, but I've never seen you slang, You say you in that game, but I've yet to see you play, You say you going hard, but nobody feels the same, yeah ” he calls out those dealers or executives that are behind the scenes. They can be just manipulating you so you can become one of those who are trapped inside the rap game. This is what he lives in now and what he lived in from the past, those in power making moves and making threats but they are all just talk imposing fear into those who are under their authority. The setting of this is split between his past and present, through his song he gives pieces of both but connects what they have in common manipulation. A$AP Rocky’s lyrics and sound effects in his songs combine together telling a story in every song. In “Canal St” A$AP Rocky openly discusses where he is from and how far he has came. Listening to the lyrics closely allows you to clearly hear the different distinctions in stories of his life. A$AP Rocky in “Canal St” uses his lyrics to set up his beats. Throughout “Canal St.” A$AP Rocky allows sounds scratching the turntables to change scenes from past to future, and inputting the voices of the haters in his song. During the song I would often hear the scratching of the turntables. Every time before the scratch of the turntable sound he would have a lyric to set it up. For example “Takin’ packs up the block, them older niggas said i couldn’t (hustle) Man fuck’em niggas, I’ll be back, strapped back pack”, after this lyric you would hear the turntables turn and then you'd hear this next lyric “Bitch, I’m flippin’ work, hand in hand, I think they call it track (hustle). The first lyric is explaining how A$AP Rocky when he was younger used to take work meaning cocaine up to the street meaning the dealer's/ Higher ups and in return was told that he wasn't cut for the street life. Being a fighter rocky never gave up and, he told them he would be back. The second lyrics explains how he transforms into the machine flipping work all day, now he cops sells, the re-ups the standard rules of life for a trapper. Meaning that A$AP isn't fighting to make the average but instead he’s now above the average. Now the reason why the turntables sound was between them was because it was changing the scenes or changing the chapters of the story to his life. You see how in the beginning he was told he wouldn't make the cut before the scratch sound and after the scratch he is now the new and improved by setting the bar and not having to be the one to try to make it. Also it was used as a way to catch the listener's attention but in the way of trying to make us realize how he was once less than, but then became more than what the critics/dealers believed in what he was capable of doing. The scratch is also used as a tool to change perspectives on the rap game and crack game. Rocky draws parallel between the rap game and the crack game by explaining the up and down Canal St. in more than just an illegal capacity. During the song one can hear the different types of moans /comments after the lyric. Depending on what was said it would say something along the lines of hustle, trippin, uhh, etc. If you keep on listening to the lyrics but not just the lyrics you could connect the stories. For example he says “yeah live through the strugglin’ , life's an everyday ‘hustle’ i hustle everyday thinkin’ back takin packs up and down the street them older niggas said i couldn’ ‘hustle’ ”. The ending part hustle is the words of what the older dealers called it, it is the flashing back to the voices of the older dealers when he would refer to them or refer to what they would say to him or about hustling. So as he raps he can hear the voices in his head, that is why after every word of this type he would say a lyric that he feels proves them wrong for example “Man fuck’em niggas , ill be back , strapped back pack Bitch I'm flippin’ work, hand in hand , I think they call it“trappin”. A$AP Rocky does this too despite the dealers that said he couldn't do it and say it in there face by saying how he’s done this since then. A$AP Rocky lyrics and songs tell a story of who he is and was as a person. The lyrics describes the amount of motivation is feed his tenacity to prove them wrong. It also tells of what people thought of him at this age what people thought of him and the lyrics describes how he feels about them. The sounds of this song goes along the lines with the lyrics which gives the song more meaning and makes the song have more passion. Overtime, the way you look at things in the past that were just brushed under the rug and quickly off social media are now brought into light. A$AP Rocky inputs stories of his past and stories with his opinions in his songs to allow the listener to further what's right and what's wrong in his eyes. Although at first glimpse and how the rap industry portrays him at times he may look like he is someone who looks as though he will speak non sense, but because he is someone who knows the real he speaks the truth about what's going on when the people turn their back. A$AP Rocky exposes scandals, and explains what certain words and antics mean for the betterment of the listener. This is why I feel like A$AP Rocky has significance because he enlighten those who are in the dark about what's going on. People should listen to A$AP Rocky if they really want to understand that you can decide what's right and wrong instead of society telling you. In Canal St A$AP Rocky explains what kind of place it is and what it has to offer and also shed light on the spot. People have often times labeled Canal St and the rough and or the ghetto but really it's a place of business. Rocky gives significance by telling the world about Canal St. “Hit Canal Street, vintage gold medallion Smokin’ blunts in front of public housin’Wildin’ til they throw me in them cuffs” .He’s saying that Canal S is the spot to get some nice jewelry. Canal Street is a famous crosstown street in lower Manhattan, New York. It’s a source for people who travel there to get “bootleg”(things that are a rip off to the name brand) merchandise and it's the location for people to find art an other city spots. A$AP Rocky decides to expose those who were involved in the case of the Lewinsky scandal. This all relevant because the fact that he is putting things in the light that has been in so much darkness. It’s allowing people to be able to get a better understanding on how the government tries to mislead the people with false information. “ Uh, takin’ meetings on my bus, this shit my mobile office Gettin’ head while at my desk, this shit my oval office”. A$AP Rocky is giving allusion to the sexual misconduct in the presidential office known as the lewinsky scandal which involved the scandalous affair between Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton. This isn't the first time he has called out on Bill Clinton. The world has only seen a little bit of what he is capable of doing. If they let him he will be able to educate the people of his knowledge. You see he's doing all he can through his lyrics. This prolly the most any rapper can do to save the minds of the people that being feed the trash lyrics of other rappers who allowed themselves to be sell their morals and be used to brainwash the people. So, A$AP Rocky has not only speaks about the real but he speaks about the real to better the minds of those who listen. A$AP Rocky is a figure of knowledge in my eyes. The fact that he is able to spill the beans if you will about controversial topics even though he may get shut down for it. It’s important to listen to A$AP Rocky because he will be feeding you information society won't tell you. A$AP Rocky in my opinion separated himself from other rappers because he doesn't hold anything back. A$AP Rocky made himself significant to everyone who will listen to him by the way he speaks on truth Also his techniques with his choices in his style of beats help add effect to his lyrics which somehow make them more intriguing and causes society to wanna listen to him. The theme of his album is the struggle of life, and it can teach someone how to be able to fight through tough times. Listening to A$AP Rocky you can learn more than you think. Long live A$AP Rocky!

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Afroman Frolosphy by Long Hoang

“I do it because I want to hear people laugh”, a response Afroman gave radiohost Steven Knight when asked about the ideals of his music. He has always been a comedian and never fails to make his audience laugh with his music. During the peaks of his career he was able to use his humor to help create an internet platform for future musicians, promote weed culture, and create smiles on his audience’s faces. His funny raps soundscape of setting, sound, and significance has help create many of the aspects of society and music we see today.

   The story of Afroman, also known as Joseph Edgar Foreman, begins from humble beginnings. The young African American boy was raised in the Southern California suburbs with the care from his stay at home mom and his blue collar dad. He listened to many of the popular rap artists of his time while growing up like Sugar Hill Gang and Run DMC. He tells Steven Knight, “I think rap music has influenced my childhood growth tremendously. I remember pretending to be like one of the hard gangster rappers because it made the girls laugh. I will always cherish the moment when my middle school crush, Denise was her name, told me I sounded funny and liked me for it. And that’s how I found my sound”.  Afroman would study the music day and night, but still wouldn’t have his first musical performance experience until he was in the middle school.    Afroman’s first instrument was the bass guitar his uncle handed to him in the 6th grade. At first he had a hard time learning how to play the instrument, but after many nights practicing in the family’s garage he was able to overcome the obstacles of the instrument.  Afroman later would embarked on his music journey with his middle school friends. With his friends on keyboards and drum, Afroman was able to fully utilize his vocal chords while playing the bass guitar. He soon later realized that the music his band was playing wasn’t what he wanted to do, so thus started the beginnings of his rap career. Mix-tapes were Afroman’s main source of achieving fame. He recorded his raps and shared them with his classmates in his eight grade class. The principle of the school at the time did not fully respect the art of rap music nor did he understand it, so in turn was displeased with Afroman’s activities. This was because the late 1980s became the rise of a whole different kind of rap. People stopped rapping with funky beats and one word-per-second tempo. Rap was considered to be more deadly and an immanent danger society during this time. This is because the 1990s was the era of gangster rap. Rap became an outlet for those with unfortunate lives. It became a sort of poetry for the mourning and a genre of anger. With the rise of N.W.A, California has established the west coast as a major contender for hip-hop music. It was a violent when all rap lyrics had gunshots and death threats, but it allowed society to see what some of these people were going through. Regardless of the insights that gangster rap brought about black communities, Afroman was still suspended for disclosing his mix-tape raps to his classmates.   Although being suspended from school would the principle of fear for many young artists at his age, Afroman only grew more persistent with his music making career during his suspension.  When asked about the incident, Afroman told reporters “it sold about 400 copies: it was selling to teachers, students, just about everybody. And I realized that, even though I wasn't at school, my song was at school, so in a way I was still there”. With the help from his school, Afroman received all the recognition an aspiring rapper could have ever dreamed of and decided to take his music career to the next level.  With the usage of his comedy rap style he was later in life nominated for multiple grammys and became an online sensation in 2003. It is not everyday a rapper can sing about doing narcotics and being lethargic while an internet sensation for the years to follow. Afro-man combines a mix comedic context and modern hip-hop to produce a type of comedy rap for his audiences.   In the song “Because I got High”, Afro-man uses a variety of instruments to create the fundamental rhythm of the song. This includes a cymbal high hat and a bass guitar. It is a slow beat of bass note, “tsk” from the drum disk, two fast bass notes, another disk hit, and then a solo bass note. In an onomatopoeia form it creates the sound of, “bum, tsk, bumbum, tsk, bum”. This slow beat allows room for lyrics and vocals to fit in better because it allows Afro-man to have a fast or slow lyrical flow in his rapping. The beat, being slow, doesn’t dictate the Afro-man’s tempo and therefore gives him more breathing room to have more comedic context in each verse. The structure of the song follows a simple structure of introduction, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, and finally the conclusion. He begins the song with the sound of him smoking a joint then follows with the chorus of “la da da da da da da da da” and then into a verse of his shenanigans only to lead to his famous line of “but then I got high”. He ends every verse line with “because/but I got high” too add a sense of irony to his responsible adulthood. Afro-man also utilizes a call and response scheme throughout the whole track to emphasis a community feeling in his songs. Throughout the track of the song, you can clearly hear other voices commentating on his lyrics or laughing at his verses. He would sing, for example, “I was going to pay my child support, but then I got high” in which the audience in the track responses with “No you wasn’t” which adds another layer of comedy to it. The audience of the track plays an important part in his songs because it provides it a community feeling of him telling a story to his friends and them laughing at jokes. Afroman also uses the same style of audience call and response in his other song “Colt 45”. This song starts out with Afroman telling his friends with a joke about women legs smelling like fish and his audience encourages him to tell more stories. He then goes into a song about meeting promiscuous women from all over the world. The audience then “hypes” (a way of promoting the main voice with comments) Afroman’s verses with questions and laughter. For example in the verse, “Fucked this hooker in Iowa, I fucked her on credit, so I owe her” is followed with the response of the audience laughter and adds a sense of campfire story telling. This song is stands out in call and response because the audience actually joins in the chorus and harmonizes with Afroman main’s voice. Repetition is used a lot in lyrical form to farther expand Afro-man’s comedy and shenanigans. Afro-man expresses and promote weed culture by repetitively announcing that he was high. His famous line of “but then I got high” became an internet sensation and a practical excuse for young adults to not handle their responsibilities. It also adds to song by providing comedic relief. It is a key phase throughout the whole song and provides the song it’s backbone for existence. The lyrical context of his songs always portrays the attribute of mischievousness or irony similar of that to the “Stagolee” metaphor used in urban blues. In the song he would cause mischief and then playing it off with his marijuana addiction. This is similar to the metaphor of Stagolee because Stagolee portrays a character of mischief and gets away from the rules of higher authority. In this song, Afroman portrays himself as the blues metaphor of Stagolee in his lyrics as he is excused from his responsibilities because “he was high”. Afro-man has a unique sound of profane lyrical context and instrumentals. By using his unique sound he is able to provide a type unique type of comedy rap for his listeners. Although he is not the first to set this kind of genre, he is sure has refined the art and it was because of this he was able to contribute to society and the musical world. From the pop dance moves to changing the modern lingo of young people today, rap music has affected society since the 80’s at an endemic rate. Young people of the early twentieths century experienced the affects of rap music first hand as they danced to songs like “Soulja boy” and the “NayNay”. Among the rise of these popular rappers was the legendary AfroMan himself. Afro-man’s unique style of funny rap tracks. Afroman was able to effectively invaded the online world of society media with his unique marijuana anthem “because I got high” and helped introduce the internet as a platform for his fellow rappers. Afroman’s musical significance includes promoting marijuana culture, internet platform, and humor in rap. Afroman had a huge impact on weed culture with his song “because I got high”. In the song audiences can hear the chorus repeating the lines “because I got high” to emphasis his pot smoking habits. This song made its impact on weed culture by becoming an anthem for living room “stoners” far and wide. Due to the easily access tune of the song and the memorable quotes, many marijuana enthusiast would chant the song during their pot smoking sessions. It’s a song known by everyone who participated in the recreation of smoking pot and became a “meme” (A unit of cultural information that represents a basic idea that can be transferred from one individual to another, and subjected to mutation, crossover and adaptation) as smokers repeat the famous lines “but then I got high” to excuse themselves from responsibilities. There are many stories of rappers and singers who made it big by emerging from the internet. Pop superstar singers like Justin Bieber and Tori Kelly made their success from humble beginnings of the internet. These superstars’ fame can be grateful to the help of Afroman and his influence on the internet. With over 15 millions views on metacafe in 2002, Afroman virally produced music video of “because I got High” helped introduce the idea of using the internet as a platform for music. According to an article, written by the popular radio talk show host Cole Mize, on “Why Most Rappers Don’t Make It” he states that “there are many talented young rappers out on the streets today who are having a hard time getting themselves discovered, meanwhile the less talented ones are already well established in the game”. Cole Mize believes this to be true because most of the new rappers have no way of promoting themselves. They pass mixed tapes to audiences on the street in the hopes of being found by a local promoter that just happens to be passing by. These rappers would have a lot more success if they were to go viral with their songs as we have seen before with Afroman’s “Because I got high”. Other rappers who do succeed with the usuage of the internet, for example Korean superstar Psy of “Gangnam Style” and American rapper Childish Gambino, all followed the footsteps of Afroman with online mix-tapes and viral videos. They used the concept of viral videos and “memes” to promote themselves and expand into newer audiences the same way Afroman did in 2002. To understand how Afroman impacted rap culture and was able to insert his unique sound into the gerne we must take a look at the history of rap to understand it better. Hip-hop culture is defined by four key elements: raping, DJing, breaking, and tagging. It is a culture that was popularized by the young African-American youth of New York. Block parties in the New York Bronx is what brought together all four of these elements to form the hip hop culture we know today. Old school D.J’s like Kool Herc would bring out their turntables and spin break beats across popular soul and funk tracks. These tracks ranged to all certain type of genres and artists. Kool Herc’s apartment complex of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was then considered the birthplace of hip-hop because of the culture Kool Herc brought in with his block parties. It was then, in that small community room of Sedgwick Avenue where hip-hop began to take off as both a music genre and a culture. During the late 1970’s, deejays were emerging from all over the east coast. DJ’s like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Disco Wiz, and Disco King Mario started populating the genre with their own style and mixes. Disco Wiz was recognized as the first Latino MC and the first ever rap hit was made by the Sugarhill Gang. Sugar-Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”, with it’s funky bass line, deep piano notes, and snappy verses, topped the top 40 billboards and changed rap forever as it gave inspirations to other rappers. Rap music was quickly evolving. By the late 1980s, rap has changed from only spitting verses over an old track to raps with full-blown chorus and beats made just for the lyrics. People were starting to incorporate jazz and the first all white rap crew was formed, the Beastie Boys. With the introduction of the beastie boys, rap was no longer a “dark skinned” hobby, but for all people that wanted to express their feelings or ideas over a track. Although rap expanded and reached all cultures at this time, a lot of the rhythm remained the same with quick verses and funky tempos. The 1990’s became the rise of a whole different kind of rap. People stopped rapping with funky beats and one word-per-second tempo. Rap was considered to be more deadly and an immanent danger society during this time. This is because the 1990’s was the era of gangster rap. Rap became an outlet for those with unfortunate lives. It became a sort of poetry for the mourning and a genre of anger. With the rise of N.W.A, California has established the west coast as a major contender for hip-hop music. It was a violent when all rap lyrics had gunshots and death threats, but it allowed society to see what some of these people were going through. Songs like N.W.A’s “Fuck the Police” expressed how black lives were being mistreated and the overwhelming police brutality affecting their communities. Tupac allowed us to see that ghetto needed improvement with his song “changes”, while other members of N.W.A allowed us to see how violent inner city America really was with songs about guns and death. Rap was given a bad image during this time, but yet the genre still managed to top most billboards and charts.    The early 2000s was the age when gangster rap began to slow down. Rap music started navigating towards becoming club songs and R&Bs with catchy chorus and accessible verses. Among these new age of rappers was Afroman and his unique style of comedy rap. The purpose of comedy rap is to entertain listeners by telling humorous stories or jokes. Instead of rapping about the struggles of his family and in his community like the generation before him, Afroman rapped about smoking “tumbleweed” and “hitting the bong like chitchingchong”. He rapped about having fun and radiated his positive energy with happy sounding tunes in his songs. This concept of comedy rap was foreign in the music industry because most rappers at the time rapped about controversies and gangster activities. Afroman rapped about having a good time and spread positive vibes to all his listeners. As gangster rap started to fade in the early 2000’s, newer rappers began to realize that they didn’t have to put a bullet in another man to become successful in the business. Hardcore rap was over, and the early 2000’s were the grounds for raps about having fun and enjoying the simple things in life. Sisqo released his famous “Thong Song”, a song about the simple pleasure of seeing thongs, showed society that rap didn’t have to be all about being raised on the streets. Emienem released his single “Just lose yourself” followed up by 50-cent’s “in the club,” allowed rap music to invade dance clubs and parties. At this point rap music was about everything and anything. It spread across countries and languages as rappers like Big Bang from Korea and J-Cole from Canada raised to fame. This was the time where Afroman had his rise in fame with his unique style of comedy rap music. Afroman’s genre of music would never be as popular as it is today if rap music didn’t evolve like the way it did. Although Afroman is very unlikely to remembered in the history of changing hip hop, his significance was in his small contributions in both music and society. He helped founded the internet as a rapping platform with his music videos, promoted weed culture with his catchy song “Because I Got High”, and helped in introducing a new type of rap music into the industry. He will always, in my mind, be a cultural epidemic in rap history.  

Work Cited 1. History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in- history/hip-hop-is-born-at-a-birthday-party-in-the-bronx>. 2. History of Things History of Rap Music Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.historyofthings.com/history-of-rap-music>. 3. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/birthplace- of-hip-hop/>. 4.Lommel, Cookie. The History of Rap Music. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2001. Print 5.Mize, Cole. “Why Most Rappers Never Make It - ColeMizeStudios.” ColeMizestudios. N.P.,06 Nov. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. <Colemizestudios.com/rappers-never-make/> 6.Gardner, Janine. “Vibe Hip hop Divas. . “ Black Issues Book REview 1 Jan 2002: N. Pag web

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Kevin Gates, a window into the African-American experience

A great inequality has been, and unfortunately still is, in some places, strongly present in the lives of African Americans in America. The inequalities African Americans face today are mostly racial and economic. Depression and loss of self-respect are quick to come after constant racial abuse and poverty and African American communities have found a way since the very first Atlantic crossings to endure and fight away the pain. African Americans created music such as blues, jazz, soul, gospel and many spirituals to endure and express the hardships of the African American experience. The hardships African Americans face today are still of the same origin but they are modernized and can often be crime related. Just like how African American artists back in the day used their own styles of music to express themselves, artist today such as Kevin Gates use hip-hop. Kevin Gates’s music, through very particular sound and content has a strong influence from several African American music styles. Kevin Gates, just like artists such as B.B. King (blues artist), the Ohio Players (R&B, soul group) or Aretha Franklin (gospel/soul) consistently saturate their music with the proper sounds and lyrics to express their pains, frustrations, accomplishments and celebrations. Kevin Gates, as you will soon find out, is like a window into the darker realities of the African-American experience.

Kevin Gates, born Kevin Jerome Gilyard, is American hip hop artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is half African American and half Puerto Rican. He was born February 5, 1986 and has been an active artist since 2007. Through his music he expresses the forces of racial economic inequality that he has endured and overcome. This inequality in our society pushed Kevin Gates and many young African Americans to depression. Gates, on several occasions describes himself as a passionate person with a lot of strong feelings.   It is with this passion and emotion that he expresses so bluntly in his music that really made him skyrocket in popularity once his music was able to spread around the country.

Growing up in the slum of Baton Rouge, Kevin Gate’s life was destined for failure. Kevin Gates began selling drugs and working as an enforcer as seen in a comparison he often makes with himself and  Luca Brasi from the Godfather (the Luca Brasi story album). In the song “Narco Trafficante” Gates introduces his alter-ego Luca Brasi “Yo me llamo Luca Brasi, Ughh. Yo mato por nada. Yo tengo muchas pistolas, cabron. Yo tengo cocaina, marijuana, y lo que tu necessita. Numeros Bueno!” Kevin Gates describes himself as “the product of a broken home” in his song “Marshall Matters”. Kevin Gates grew up in a crowded home that couldn’t provide for him “In the neighborhood that I grew up in. They call it the Southside, everybody house overcrowded,Forcing them to hang outside.” He learned at a very early age that where he comes from being involved in the mafia is economically beneficial. Gates eventually gets sent to prison for three years on a gun charge (Kevin Gates:Love and Other Drugs by Kyle Kramer) just as his music was starting to excel. Do to the economic inequality in Baton Rouge Gates felt forced to be involved in criminal activity to support his family and his community.

Being in prison, a deep depression grew in Kevin Gates mind as he expressed in his song “Pourin the Syrup”. “late night, alone, can’t sleep I got too many problems The weight of the world on my shoulders Pray that heaven do something about it.” He speaks on his grief that led him to depression and because of this, he finds the Islamic faith.  Kevin Gates’s depression has developed from grief of fallen friends in the result of their criminal activity but also because no one ever took him seriously. In this verse “In the rain storm in the blizzard, expressing all of my feelings. Pause, never took me serious, naw, mama never wanna listen.” (IDGAF by Kevin Gates) he explains how he always tried to express his pain and his problems to people but no one ever listened, even his own mother. Gate’s rather dark past and his tendency of flowing “with total emotional honesty” (Kevin Gates:Love and Other Drugs by Kyle Kramer) means  he is able to connect deeply with his listeners through his music.  In his song “Tommorow” he says “Look, please don't talk inside the car This depression get the best of me I'm in my thoughts I don't want to talk until tomorrow”. This is him expressing how his depression effects his daily life. One of the first lines of his song IDGAF is “The reason I wear shades you can't see the pain in my eyes”. He explains that he hates it when people ask him “whats wrong?” (because of the pain in his eyes) because he already knows they won’t understand his pain (IDGAF- Genius.com) just like how his own mother and many others haven’t in the past. His past was very abusive in all ways and he is able to express it so rawly (just like a blues or soul singer) for himself and for everyone listening.

In his interview with Kyle Kramer, Gates admits that music is therapeutic to him.  “Because I suffer with depression, and it's my only form of releasing it”. So just as we would probably go talk to someone or a psychologist if we were in need of releasing, Gates “talks to the mic”. As a result Kevin Gates often talks about what is happening or has happened to him in his music. For example in his song “Neon Lights” he says “Public thought me a pessimist think my thoughts too pessimistic…Reminiscing”. Gates best expresses his deeper problems and emotions through his music. People think he is pessimistic, but he disagrees: he is really just reminiscing. Just the idea of expressing his difficult experiences through his music establishes a deep connection with the many similarly oppressed African American blues artist’s years before. The music, just like blues, jazz, soul and even gospel, was therapeutic to the musician singing it and to the audience listening to it.  The first people to hear Gates’s music were people from his own neighborhood in the same “struggle”. The “Struggle" refers to the difficulty and danger that is faced, every day, by those of lower socio-economic class living in areas such as housing projects and ghettos. It is a term often used to in Hip-Hop musicians a means of enlightening the listener to the difficulty of day to day life for many African-Americans living in those areas. Well the struggle that Kevin Gates raps and sings about is essentially the same struggle that African American artists sang about in the past. All of Kevin Gates’s songs express the difficulties and horrors of the “Trap” where he grew up. Blues, soul and gospel singers are very similar to Kevin Gates as they would also sing about hardships and racial abuse in their own “trap” that is called the Deep South.

 The Baton Rouge rapper, aka Kevin Gates has been making music since 2006. It isn’t  until he dropped The Luca Brasi Story in 2013 that he got widespread attention. Kevin Gates is not one of those classic “sell-out” hip hop artists and he prides himself on that in his music (Wish I had It). Gates is not looking to perform in clubs or pop radio. By comparing himself to guys like B.o.B. and Flo Rida in his song “Wish I Had”in the By Any Means Album, Gates draws a line between them and himself and stands opposite, as he vows to give you only that real. What is significant is that his music, through sound, content,  and beats in different ways has hints of older types of African American music. In fact Kevin Gates’s music is ‘real’ enough that it genuinely reflects the African-American experience in a lot of areas in this country.

In his music, Gates is very revelatory. Gates often sing/raps about: dark street narratives, romantic relationships, talking about being poor and the bullying that came with it, drug abuse, and treachery. Hardships that he has endured are mentioned in all of his songs, especially his popular ones like “I don’t get tired” or “John Gotti”. The themes of his songs are not the only thing reminiscent to past African American styles of music, the actual sound is too in a special way. The actual sound of Gate’s music is significantly different than that of other hip-hop artists. A lot of hip-hop songs today, including Kevin Gates’ music, have the same underlying “trap” beat. The trap sound consist of layered melodic synthesizers, deep sub-bass and a lot of rhythmic snares. The trap beat is usually around 140 BPM. This “trap” beat is very much enjoyed in the hip-hop community. A good example of a trap beat is in Asap Ferg’s song “Shabba” (examples of trap beat at bottom of paragraph). It creates an overall dark, harsh, grim and bleak atmosphere for the listener. It has a strong connection to drug related crime, poverty, street life or in other words life in the “trap”. Although it is not this specific trap beat that gives Gate’s his particularity amongst other artists, it is the combination of it with his voice.

This trap sound works hand in hand with Kevin Gate’s lyrics and voice. Kevin Gates rhymes in a throaty, deep croaky voice combined with a higher pitched voice. He comfortable switches between these two sounds and he also switches from a more rapping type of singing to a more “sing-song” type.  This croaky and low to high pitch switches sound can be heard clearly in his song “Arms of A Stranger” from the Luca Brasi Story album. This type of tone and singing effectively conveys a range of emotions just like one other famous African-American style of music: Soul. Soul singers use a variety of tones from gentle and smooth, to raspy and harsh. There is a certain degree of passion in soul music that Gates is able to match when he sings. His songs are never monotonous and emotionless. Kevin Gates rhymes either loudly with full intensity and honesty or in a more cool headed gloomy type of way. Also interestingly enough the original trap beat originated in Atlanta Georgia, the Deep South just like blues. Kevin Gate’s music, just like blues and soul back in the day, have lyrics and sounds that mutually support each other to express the general pain and difficulty of life for a whole community. The tempo of his music is generally slower. The texture of the music is fairly simple, just like blues. The overall “sad” vibe that his music gives to his listeners is equivalent that of blues and some soul music.

 On the other hand the lyrics in many of Gates’s songs are often pretty deep and full of hope and reassurances. In his song “I don’t get tired” (his most popular song today), he sings about how hard he “grinds” (works) and how it pays off. “I was tryna get it how I live, I want them dead presidents, I wanna pull up, head spin ,Get it, get fly, I got six jobs, I don't get tired.” IN this line he explains how before he was just trying to live with what he has and now he wants “them dead presidents (aka money) and wants to progress upwards. He has six jobs and never has time to do anything else, he doesn’t get tired. Gates says in his song that hard work eventually pays off and that you need to learn from your mistakes to progress: “Learn from every time you ever fail, If it never fail just grind smarter.” This theme of hope and reassurance is reminiscent to another well-known type of African-American music that was very prominent during the civil rights movements: gospel. Gospel music has been an important part of the spiritual life of the church since the late 1800s. It is a mix of both Negro spirituals (which have a strong African root) and traditional church hymns (from Europe). Kevin Gates also references God and religion in his music just like Gospel. In “I don’t get tired” he says “Iron sharpens, you the dagger”. This line is a reference to the bible verse “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Gates is really saying that you are the only one that can improve yourself through the knowledge that you learned from your mistakes (right before that line). IN the same song Gates says “Full time father, full time artist; Asked God, he said "grind a little harder"” again referencing his connection with God.  Kevin Gates with his music, just like in gospel, almost seem to be consoling the people that his music concerns: African Americans in  greatly less fortunate communities, “The moment you follow your heart, Keeping the faith even when it get dark, They say give up as I tell them "get lost"”.

Many people today, believe hip-hop artists are always trying to make us believe that they are expressing themselves in a poetic way but they really aren't. They believe music like Kevin Gates does nothing else but glorify violence. These people are blatantly critiquing a style of music that they simply do not understand. They are convinced hip-hop is used to promote gang-violence. Well, they have got it all wrong. Kevin Gates is a Hip-Hop artist and his lyrics would probably fall into what many of these critiques believe hip-hop is all about. Yes Gates speaks about money, sex, and violence in his music but the important thing here is that he is not at all glorying this lifestyle. If anything he wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Kevin Gates is simply expressing what he has experienced truthfully. The truth is dark, and it is violent. Gates, just like any soul or blues artist, sings about the hardships in his specific community (and time period). Back then the oppression that African Americans sang about was almost 100% related to the racial abuse they were enduring.  The truth is drug related crime, dirty money and violence today is a reality in a lot of these hip-hop artists’ communities and is for sure in Kevin Gates’s. The people from these places in America do not see his music as a ‘glorification’. People from Gates’s hood relate to his music. In fact, even people from other hoods are able to relate to what Kevin Gates is saying. African Americans today in all corners of America stand united behind Gates’s music against the difficulties just like how African Americans 100 years ago did against their hardships through blues, soul and gospel. There were most likely people, just like the ones today that could not relate to this brutal African American experience. The passion and lyrics present in blues, soul and gospel music would in fact be difficult for people to understand if they did not experience the sufferings of African Americans in the Deep South back then.

Kevin Gates’s music accurately expresses the African American experience that he grew up in.  The sound and content of his music is on the darker side as it helps listeners get in the proper mind set to really see and imagine the troubles experienced within African American communities. Many believe Kevin Gates’s music is unintelligibly vulgar when it simply truly is conveying an experience. He knows that he is not only speaking for himself. The inequality in the quality of people’s lives in this country is staggering. These inequalities have deep emotionally scarring consequences. Kevin Gates was going down a dark path because of his depression and pain but like he mentioned himself, he found a way to vent with music. One can almost say he saved himself with his music. He is only one of the very few African-Americans to make it somewhat out of the ‘struggle’. Kevin Gates is very wealthy now and can easily completely separate from the horror he grew up in, but he chose not too because he cares about his other brothers that did not make it out like him. He also does not want to become a sellout and wants to keep his music raw and real. In his music we learn everything about his life, the inequalities, the violence, the love and passion. He raps about how these inequalities turned him and many others bad. He raps about his deep depression. His singing style and all around sound is just like historic styles of African American music such as blues, soul and even gospel. Like the older styles of African American music, Gates’s music creates a passionate and therapeutic effect that is effectively giving hope and reassuring the many that are still stuck in the “struggle”. Kevin Gates is their voice just as soul and gospel singers, and blues players were the voice of their communities.

    References :

-          http://genius.com/4393671

-          http://time.com/3849844/music-hip-hop-revolution-pop-billboard-hot-100/

-          http://www.vibe.com/2014/04/interview-kevin-gates-talks-any-mean-jail-time-and-slanging-d/

-          http://www.trillent.com/boosie.html

-          http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/descriptive-rds-for-music.html

-          http://kevingat.es/?page_id=15

-          -Genius.com (The luca Brasi story songs)

-          - http://noisey.vice.com/blog/kevin-gates-interview-stranger-than-fiction

[ponderosamysteries-blog1]

YG by Aaron Moore

An artist’s most often used tool is experience; whether it’s painting, sculpting, writing, or singing, drawing creatively from life experiences is a powerful way to communicate to the audience emotion and purpose. Even people who are not artists are heavily influenced by how they grew up, therefore it is important for musicians to use their songs to tell stories that others can relate to. Rap artist, YG, started out as a young boy raised in the hood where his life experiences and upbringing translated to creating a new age style of rap that uses elements of his environment growing up which influenced the entire music industry, drew in a massive fan base, and created a new genre of music for other artists to expand on. 

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[ucdmus282015]

Thomas Dorsey and the African American Gospel Sound by Sierra Henderson

Sierra Henderson

Professor Messbauer

MUS 28

30 October 2015

Thomas Dorsey Setting

Thomas A. Dorsey, often regarded as “The Father of Black Gospel Music” revolutionized the music industry, as well as sacred and secular communities by successfully conjoining secular music with sacred text. From creating one of the most influential Gospel records in the genre’s history, to influencing future generations of religious communities to find various methods to reach broader audiences, Dorsey’s impact transcends time and music. Although his adversities led Dorsey to combine two completely opposing ideals to create such a well-known and beloved music genre, understanding how those adversities shaped his perceptions in a broader historical sense permits us to discern how and why Dorsey united two very distinct and differing worlds into one. Additionally, it also permits us to understand how this genre best described as “a marriage between secular blues and sacred text,” (PBS.org) was able to flourish, despite years of overwhelming disapproval that hindered its growth. Dorsey’s ability to discover and perceive how both genres as separate entities had a similar impact on their audiences and the close relationships between particular sounds led to his successful venture in musically developing the perfect formula for Gospel.

Despite his religious upbringing and contributions to the African American church, Thomas Dorsey frequently expressed how he was often dismissed from some of the most prominent African American churches; due to his association with Blues music and secular artists. Dorsey was born into a very religious family in the rural South. “[He] was the son of a Baptist preacher; his mother was the church organist”, which immediately established his connection with Christianity and religion from birth. (PBS.org) When his family left the rural city of Villa Rica, Georgia to Atlanta in his early life, his connection with church life and its components diminished gravely. Due to financial hardships, the family focus became less centered on faith and more so on achieving financial stability. Additionally, Dorsey experienced constant ridicule in his new surroundings. “[He] describes feeling alienated from school and church during his first years in Atlanta. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children….” (PBS.org) Arguably, it is the combination of these factors, but more so the feelings of rejection and ridicule that heightened Dorsey’s fascination with Blues music and the environment. After Dorsey dropped at out of school at 11 to work at a vaudeville theater, he became more entangled with the downtown lifestyle and nightlife, but more so after he experienced Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith perform. It is often speculated that their performances motivated Dorsey to learn how to play the piano and the organ.

Dorsey’s love for the Blues and desire to follow his passion prompted him to take part in what many describe as one of the largest migrations to take place within the United States. The First Wave of the Great Migration (1914 -18) prompted many African American families to migrate from the rural South to the North and Midwest. Exhausted from the limited opportunities for Blacks in the South, migrant Blacks were not only seeking better job opportunities with higher wages, but also the opportunity to be treated as more than second class citizens. A large population were also in pursuit of reconciliation with long lost family members separated by the slave trade. Many African Americans were often plagued by racism and risked the harsh realities of lynching and terrorism by organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan. There was no legal protection for African Americans in the South, which created an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. Additionally, most Blacks were expected to work under similar labor intensive positions closely related to slavery, while receiving minimal to no pay. Thomas A. Dorsey was no exception to the thousands of African Americans in pursuit of the American Dream; although it often meant parting with close family and relatives. Feeling discontent with the limitations of the South and a desire to advance in his musicianship, Thomas Dorsey joined the Great Migration North, headed towards Chicago in 1916 when he was 17 years old (This Far by Faith, Episode 3). He firmly believed in his capabilities as a musician to achieve success and eventually work alongside Ma Rainey, who was one of Dorsey’s favorite Blues artists.

Much to the surprise and disappointment of many African Americans, their desire for acceptance and prosperity in the North was met with opposition, not only from Whites, but from Northern Blacks, as well. There was a presumption of ignorance and savagery that many Northern Blacks carried about their Southern counterparts that transcended into almost every aspect of Black life. Many Northern Blacks even felt it was their obligation to inform Black Southern migrants about how to conduct themselves properly in society by creating a list of rules and guidelines they should follow. Migrants were often reduced to living in impoverished communities that rivaled their previous places of residence in the South.

In the church setting, Northern Black style of worship was similar to a European style, accompanied by Hymn Spirituals, rather than the Folk Spirituals commonly sung in most Southern Black Churches. This rift within the African American community caused a great divide that countered the core values of Christianity. Unable to find refuge and belonging not even in a religious context, prompted many migrant Blacks to reject the churches of the North and turn towards bars and blues hall. Thomas Dorsey was one of numerous African Americans who enjoyed secular music that were dismissed and disowned from religious communities. These settings became the places in which the exiled felt accepted, which is how and why Blues music became described as “the voice for the voiceless” and many turned away from “Sunday mornings” to adopt the “Saturday night lifestyle.” (This Far by Faith) To the church, Blues music was often perceived as the music of degenerates and sinners. The music itself did incorporate concepts and ideas that were considered very controversial and perhaps sacrilegious to a degree. For instance, Ma Rainey often sung of sexual encounters with both males and females and referenced drug and alcohol use. The stereotype of the time was where there was blues you would find alcohol, fornication and drugs. Dorsey himself was not necessarily involved with the presumed lifestyle associated with Blues (his focus was on the music), but playing alongside artists such as Ma Rainey made him guilty by association.

Despite the negative image Dorsey obtained by working closely with Ma Rainey, musically he did obtain overwhelming success within the Blues spectrum. He started working alongside Ma Rainey and Her Wild Cats Jazz Band (PBS.org) in 1924; together they developed a particular style of rural Blues most commonly referred to as “moanin’”, which received overwhelming praise amongst followers of the genre. Lyrically, this sub-genre had a very melancholy tone with themes of loss and misfortune; some of the most favorable topics were loss of love and financial hardships. Historically, many African Americans encountered great financial difficulties following their migration North because of segregation and racism. Those who were fortunate enough to find employment were still plagued with financial instability, which led to various other hardships. The struggles described within the lyrics of many moanin’ records attested to the realities that many African Americans encountered regularly, which substantiates its popularity, especially amongst those who could not rely on the church for comfort and solidarity.

To express the pain and discomfort conveyed lyrically, Ma Rainey would often moan and groan throughout the record, especially during her live performances. The moaning and groaning was not only presented to exemplify the hardships, but also to mimic the sound of certain instruments, particularly the saxophone. Her listeners would also moan and groan along with her, almost as if they were exchanging and empathizing with one another’s pain through the sounds. Both parties would often sway rhythmically to the music in what most would consider a very slow and seductive manner. The audience as well as the performers would often lose themselves within the music, bearing the full weight of the emotions conveyed lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. Dorsey was present throughout all of these performances as the lead pianist to witness how the music effected the listeners.

Although Dorsey was no longer prominently involved with organized religion, he still maintained a spiritual connection. For a five-year period, Dorsey was unable to create any music, appearing to be physically incapable of playing the piano. However, after receiving several medical opinions, there was nothing physically inhibiting Dorsey from playing, which prompted him to begin his quest for the gospel, believing his physical restraint was a message from God to devote his talents towards the church. He felt a conviction to provide a middle ground for his love of Blues and his devotion to God, which enabled him to create his first gospel song “If You See my Savior Tell Him That You Saw Him” in 1932. This particular record arguably utilized sounds more closely related to Blues music, which may attest to its reception from the religious community. The song has an upbeat tempo that most likely evoked dancing, a reaction to music that was not necessarily popular in most northern churches during the time period. The instrumentation in the song features the piano and the guitar, accompanied by Dorsey’s vocals, which featured long drawn out notes that one would typically hear in a Blue’s record. Because most spiritual music for most Northern African American churches contained very slow tempos, strategic vocal arrangements and drew heavily from biblical text, ‘If You See My Savior” was most likely too much of a Blue’s record in it’s essence. Despite his best efforts, many members within the African American church community denounced this valiant attempt as devil’s music. After receiving numerous adverse responses to the record, Dorsey felt discouraged and returned his focus towards Blues music. It was not until he suffered the loss of his child and his wife that he created his most famous Gospel song “Precious Lord” performed by Mehalia Jackson and fully devoted his music to Gospel. This record was a perfect balance between the two worlds, drawing from the best aspects of both genres.

Dorsey’s ability to revolutionize sacred music inherently created an opportunity to reach audience members that were not heavily involved within the church lifestyle, by utilizing a familiar instrumentation and musical styles to reach those audiences. It is reasonable to suggest that Dorsey’s relentlessness to create Gospel was in favor of the outcasts of the church community, rather than the church community itself. For instance, the Blues instrumentation permitted fans of the genre who were generally outcast from the church to be drawn in by the sound and then later captivated by the lyrics. By applying this approach, those who constantly felt exiled from the church felt as if Gospel music served as middle ground in which the secular and sacred community could understand one another. Additionally, seeking Mahalia Jackson, the “Queen of Gospel” (bio.com) solidified this middle ground because of her fame and influence within the spiritual music spectrum and church community. Mahalia Jackson, like Dorsey, grew up in the church; however, unlike Dorsey, she remained heavy involved in church music and lifestyle. By collaborating with Mahalia Jackson to perform the vocals for his hit “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and other songs, Dorsey was able to not only make the church community turn their heads, but also nod in overwhelming approval. Symbolically, this collaboration represented secular and sacred by establishing a collaboration between two artists that were prominent in both spectrums.

In “Oh Precious Lord, Take My Hand” the lyrics “When my light is almost gone; Hear my cry, hear my call” is not specifically speaking to a physical light, but rather the faith or hope of a person to sustain despite adversity. “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” written by Thomas Dorsey and performed by Mehalia Jackson exemplifies the manner in which conjoining two distinct musical genres yields a euphoric masterpiece. Instrumentally, the song utilizes the piano; however, the distinction lies between the riffs strategically placed to accompany Mahalia’s emotional conviction throughout her vocal performance. She incorporates the use of Blue notes, as a point of emphasis to the pain and suffering conveyed throughout the song and her vulnerability. While Jackson sings a Blue note, the piano plays in a much lighter key, creating a decrescendo effect, to permit the Blue notes to take the forefront of the musical arrangements. Although Jackson’s voice takes the forefront of the musical arrangements during the Blue notes, her voice simultaneously becomes lighter along with the piano. Contrastingly, whenever Jackson sings much more powerfully, the piano follows with a much louder and powerful style of playing.

Though it is never explicitly stated from Dorsey himself, it is reasonable to suggest that the impact that Blues music had on its listeners drawing similarities to that of a Southern church may have attributed to his quest to conjoin the two genres. Within the Southern church, many members would often wail, cry and shout in solidarity and would be overcome by so emotional conviction that it would appear as if the entire congregation could feel one another’s spirit through the music. The major distinction would be that most spiritual music spoke of liberation from adversities, while most Blues songs emphasized the pain of the circumstances themselves and the emotions that followed. Nevertheless, both genres provided liberation from circumstances by uniting people from various backgrounds facing similar strife. Musically, Southern spiritual music and Blues could have upbeat records, as well as records with slower tempos; however, it is the slower tempo records that are often most similar; both utilizing instruments such as the organ and the piano, often presenting the most serious topics, with more powerful and strong vocal arrangements. At the core of both of these genres which were often perceived as polar opposite, lied almost identical similarities. Dorsey, being heavily involved in various portions of his life in both worlds was able to discover the potential behind unifying these genres to establish Gospel. The fundamental similarities permit the two to function harmoniously. The two genres share a similar trait of relaying emotional conviction, primarily by utilizing strategic instrumentation and the use of signifyin’ and double entendre. Blues music and Spirituals in the context of the African American experience often permits its artist to express themselves without receiving overwhelming negative backlash from the cultural hegemonic group. Furthermore, both genres utilize the creative license and draw upon African influences of signifyin’ throughout the lyrics and various instruments, such as the saxophone, piano, guitar, etc. Signifyin’ is still utilized in Gospel music vocally, instrumentally, and lyrically; demonstrating how the African American sound ideals are present in every genre of music.

Prior to the inception of Gospel music, many artists were unable to successfully create a genre of its caliber, primarily because of the negative reception from church communities. Once Dorsey’s hit record received overwhelming support from the sacred community, the opportunities to couple sacred and secular genres became a very lucrative venture in the music industry to this present day. Since Dorsey’s era, Gospel music incorporates less Blues music, but draws from other secular genres, such as modern Rhythm and Blues. Additionally, there have been various sub-genres created following Gospel’s inception, such as Gospel hip-hop and even Gospel trap music. The Gospel trap music sound ideal is believed to be the most unorthodox combination between the two worlds. It incorporates the heavy base and claps that many would often associate with Southern gangster rap, while delivering a message of religious devotion and faith. Erica Campbell’s gospel trap record’s “I Luh God” success and positive reception greatly attest to how Dorsey’s efforts greatly shaped this innovation. Thomas Dorsey embarking in a very risky venture several decades prior has enabled many artists and record companies to explore various ways to intertwine spiritually charged lyrics with popular mainstream genres to expand musical creativity. This also established a greater focus on targeting the youth, believing that they are more easily swayed by attributes of a secular lifestyle.

Many Gospel artists and producers today use a very similar technique to spread their message, as well. For instance, modern Gospel artists such as Mary Mary are well-known for incorporating upbeat rhythm and blues background music, accompanied by lyrics that embody the essence of African American spirituality with a modern twist. Renowned Gospel artist Kirk Franklin provides his listeners with a church atmosphere by incorporating large choirs into his songs, while using call and response methods one would associate with hip-hop. For example, in the song “Stomp” there is a portion of the song in which Kirk Franklin calls out to the choir “GP (God’s Property) are you with me?” while the choir responds “Oh yeah! We having church we ain’t going no where”. (“Stomp”, Kirk Franklin) This style creates a familiarity, particularly amongst the youth, which usually draws them into sacred spaces that they may not enter otherwise.

Thomas Dorsey’s contributions to music greatly influenced the industry and the African American church community as well. Musically, gospel became a catalyst for further exploration of coupling spiritual and secular, which established a middle ground that transcended beyond music. He was able to discover the similarities between the two genres that made them almost identical in their essence. Vocally, most performers utilized long, drawn out notes to convey particular emotions to their listeners; lyrically, both genres speak of numerous hardships; musically, both genres utilize similar instruments and arrangements. Cultivating the relationship between spirituals and Blues music created opportunities to substantiates other relationship between the secular and sacred community outside of music. The physical, mental and emotional adversities throughout Dorsey’s life served as a pivotal influence to Modern musicians often incorporate issues into their lyrics that many people can relate to, while relating it to God’s salvation and liberation. Many Gospel artists that have a prominent following and influence would arguably would have met much more resistance, had Dorsey not taken the full extent of the backlash. “Without Thomas A. Dorsey…there would be no Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin…Kirk Franklin” – Margo McKenzie

        Work Cited

"People of Faith." PBS. Accessed October 29, 2015.

 “Guide My Feet” Episode 3. This Far by Faith, Public Broadcast Network, 2005

 McKenzie, Margo. "Thomas Dorsey Biography." Inspirational Christians. Accessed November 19, 2015. http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/thomas-dorsey.

 Biography.com Editors. "Mahalia Jackson Biography." Bio.com. Accessed November 19, 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/mahalia-jackson-9351242.

 Franklin, Kirk. Stomp (Remix). Kirk Franklin Ft. God's Property. Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/Verity/Legacy, 1997. CD.

 Jackson, Mahalia. By Thomas A. Dorsey. Precious Lord, Take My Hand. Mahalia Jackson. Thomas Dorsey, 1937. Vinyl.

[ucdmus282015]

A Trip Around the World With Taj Mahal

    Since the early 1950s, Taj Mahal has broken the seam on the confines of traditional delta and Chicago blues and ventured out to create his own diverse style.  Mahal’s style is an amalgamation of music from many unique cultures spanning from Africa to the Pacific Islands to the Caribbean, going far beyond the normal confines of the blues.  Now Mahal celebrates decades of recording and touring and has reshaped the definition and scope of the blues by his unique infusion of exotic sounds from around the world.  The significance of Mahal’s career can be attributed to his upbringing, his African-American culture, and his desire to incorporate World Music into his style.  His unique sound made him a two-time Grammy winning singer, songwriter, film composer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who recently gained the Lifetime Achievement for Performance Award 1.  Keenly aware of past traditions, Mahal has always been eager to create his own sounds.  We will take a look at how he did it.  

    Henry St. Clair Fredericks Jr. assumed the name “Taj Mahal” over a lifetime of experiences and spiritual growth 2.  Mahal grew up in the era where a Negro migration from small Southern towns to urban cities occurred.  They brought one important thing with them - the blues.  Without fully understanding the stories and historical experiences that inspired Mahal, it is difficult to grasp the reasons his style of playing is so eclectic.  Mahal speaks of how difficult it was for blacks to survive financially in the mid 1900’s and the severe depressions they endured in their search for better jobs and opportunities.  The real struggles blacks at this time faced inspired many blues artists to continue the legacy of delta and Chicago blues to express themselves 3.  Some artists even created their own unique style to create brand new sounds, like Taj Mahal. In his younger years, famous musicians such as Billy Eckstine, Trummie Young and other frequented his home in Massachusetts.  Mahal said about his youth, “There were about 1400 black people from around the world.  We had everything from Holy Rollers to people from Panama who were into Pocolmanian music.  So there was a lot of music” 4.  These people shaped the artist Taj Mahal would become.  He was fascinated with the roots-the origin of the music.  Growing up listening to a staple of his parent’s time, swing and bebop, Mahal developed a healthy taste for popular genres 5.  In those days, there were not a lot of decent places that catered to blacks 6.  Mahal learned from this nurturing environment and pulled together the roots from many cultures to leave his mark on the world of blues by playing it in a global context 1.       Growing up, Mahal was inspired by the diverse sounds of his neighborhood.  He said, “Man I was excited by those sounds.  Different cultures bumping up against each other”.  He called his neighborhood ‘ a big ol’ gumbo of African-American, West Indians, and everybody else” 4.  He was enriched by his young environment.  However, life experiences such as seeing his father die in a traumatic accident also changed him.  After witnessing his father’s head get crushed by a tractor, he turned into a man immediately.  He started work as soon as he could in Springfield.  

    Along with historical context comes the specific setting in which his music developed.  The civil rights movement took hold in the 1950’s, and Mahal was making his music along side it.  His music is not known for its protest of civil laws, but it is important to note he desired to expand the cultural foundation of the black community in the US by blending world music in with the blues.  This parallels some of the same motivation we see behind the Harlem Renaissance that occurred approximately 20 years earlier.

    His upbringing also taught him to appreciate American blues.  Mahal believes, “The challenge facing blues players today is to clearly transfer the traditions to the next generation”, which has been a significant career goal of his.  He acknowledges that there is not one time of true blues when he says, “The Northern honky-tonk blues you can dance by, the Southern down-home blues, that tells of the troubles you had, of the troubles the players heard, of the troubles about people they love and hate” 3.  Mahal realized full well that all types of blues and music in general are significant in different contexts and he spent his entire career to this day blending music from many cultures to stage the blues on a global context.  This diversity of musical experience formed the foundation for his first three recordings:  Taj Mahal (1967), The Natch’l Blues (1968) and Giant Step (1969).  Mahal’s eclectic nature is also derived from technological advancements such as the advent of the radio, “I was a radio listener, and I began to be able to tell the difference between the pop commercial sound and the sound of music that people played whether they got paid for it or not” 3.  

“I was a radio listener, and I began to be able to tell the difference between the pop commercial sound and the sound of music that people played whether they got paid for it or not” 6.

    Mahal acknowledges that blues is not an African music despite its richness, complexity, and diversity.  He strongly believes blues is an American music within which we can find some African survivals 3.  Taj Mahal built his music on a foundation of traditional African sounds and rhythms, but his innovations in response to African music, and even the blues that truly make his music unique.  Mahal’s style of blues playing is most visible in his early recordings, Taj Mahal (1967), The Natch’l Blues (1968) and Giant Step (1969), tends to follow a 12 bar style and a pentatonic melody.  He follows the AAB pattern to the lines –repeating the first and fourth bar lines with a rhyming third line.  We also note he follows the typical pattern of flatting blue notes on the I, IV, V major chords, which creates a deal of tension and stress.  Mahal believes this tension “reflects the lives of singers, the freedom to seek but not to find, which blacks experienced after emancipation” 3.

    A unique aspect about Taj’s blues manifests itself on his take of Sleepy John Estes’ song, “Diving Duck Blues” on his live album The Real Thing.  On this track, Mahal arranged a forceful brass section typical of big band music.  In essence, he fused big band intensity with country blues.  This unconventional take on the blues can be explained when Mahal said, “what influenced me to start playing the blues was the culture at large - although I grew up in the North, which seems to give ethnomusicologists the shudders, because that’s not supposed to happen” 2.  Sometimes Mahal prefers to perform the blues with a traditional style like in his “Fishin’ Blues”.  He plays this song with a fingerpicking style typical of country rag.  Ironically, the original song by Henry Thomas was a very typical county song and did not derive from blues.  Interestingly, Mahal’s take on it is highly syncopated that owed more to minstrel, pop, and vaudeville than it did to the blues 3.  Once again, Taj creates his own unique style from traditional origins.    

    Mahal connects his music deeply with his African Heritage, which forms the foundation for his music.  For example, in his 1999 album, Kulanjan, he says “Afro-Americans have the opportunity to not only see the instruments and the musicians, but they also see more about their culture and recognize the faces, the walks, the hands, the voices, and the sounds that are not the blues.  Kulanjan perfectly encompasses his musical and cultural spirit arriving full circle.  Afro-American audiences had their eyes really open for the first time.”  On this album, we witness syncopation typical of traditional blues on the track “Mississippi Mali Blues”.  This syncopation is mixed with the on-beat rhythm characterized by the kora (the kora is a 21-string West African harp) master of Mali’s Griot tradition, Toumani Diabate.  

    Never was Mahal ignorant of European traditions, as he grew up “aware” of classical music, opera and enjoyed listening to the more prominent musicians of the classical era.  However, African-American music was in his DNA so he chose to focus on it.  “The tone of southern country blues and its African roots were always around me as I spoke dialects of English that translate into the vocal aspects of my music…my interest was in my own people and the music and the different things that developed, but not to the mutual exclusion of anybody else’s music” 2.  Mahal believed the European system of music to be too formulaic for his taste, defined by “clear boundaries”.  When comparing the African tradition to that of the European, he claims, “The African aesthetic, the rhythm is alive and visceral and humane whereas the European meter and structure of the meter are cold…calculating” 3.  So naturally blues fit his bill much better.

    One of Mahal’s main goals is to bring African-Americans closer to their African roots, and their roots in this country 5.  Mahal acknowledges one of the earliest and most important ingredients in the American musical recipe was the multitude of African sounds introduced as a result of the slavery trade 6.  He owes a huge debt to a variety of African-American musics.  Significantly, as an ethnomusicologist, he studied older forms of African –American music, which the major record companies of the day largely ignored.  Mahal traces his music back to minstrelsy even.  His music resonates some of the same sentiment as minstrelsy, as minstrelsy represents a process of music making that honors the past while it moves the music forward into new arenas.  Minstrel music presents us with a crucial point at which black and white music mixed, as they combined to form our country’s earliest musical export 6.  Mahal is a practitioner of this very same process in his music as he takes traditional blues and African-American music, mixing in music of a multitude of new unique cultures.  The most striking example of Mahal’s advocacy of past traditions is his solo acoustic album, De Ole Folks at Home.  In his autobiography, Mahal recites a history encapsulated in the importance of the “Negro” migration from small towns in the South to urban cities.  He speaks eloquently of how difficult it was for blacks to make it financially and the hardships they endured in their search for better jobs and opportunities and they brought the blues with them.  Mahal is part of this history.  Mahal is the embodiment of success from such a time of strife, with those troubles that afflicted the ones close to him in mind, he writes and plays the blues 2.

    One of the few genres of black music Mahal does not fully not associate with is gospel, for his connection to it is ambivalent.  He even expresses anger when talking about the lack of acceptance many blacks have for blues, which he largely attributes to the black church.  Neglect of the blues, which is largely a secular music, is addressed by Mahal when he says: “The validity of African-American expression has been trampled on by the African-American Church” 5.  However, Mahal puts aside his ideological feeling about gospel music and uses it as a tool.  He grew up with gospel, his mother was a gospel singer and he was surrounded by it in his youth.  “On Sundays, Mom controlled the box (record player).  That meant Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, Clara Ward”, Mahal exclaims 3.  So, for Taj, it is important to note that the actual music can definitely be more important than the ideologies behind it.  Mahal doesn’t let his pride supersede musical ambition.

“The validity of African-American expression has been trampled on by the African-American Church” 5

    The real struggles blacks faced in the early 1900’s inspired many blues artists to continue the legacy of delta and Chicago blues 6.  Some artists even blended their own unique style to create brand new sounds, like Taj Mahal.  His 50+ year career is largely defined by fusing blues with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific.  It has been said that Mahal is “one of the major artists, if not the very first one, to pursue the possibilities of world music” 5.  Taj Mahal exclaims, “People say I’m eclectic!  We’re talking extended family here.  It’s all relatives, y’ know, that’s how I look at it, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends and extended family.  We’re presently in the global village… Y’ know we’re on the stage and it stretches around the world” 3, which perfectly sums up his internal view of his music.     Next, we can analyze the ways he fused the music of many cultures with blues via the instruments and tools he used to create unique sounds.  Mahal’s parents started him out on classical piano lessons, but he soon broadened his horizons to incorporate the clarinet, harmonica and trombone into his musical toolbox and realized he had an affinity for singing 2.  His main instruments include the guitar, banjo, harmonica, piano and ukulele and he identifies most often with the genres of blues, R&B, blues-rock, reggae and reggae fusion, which is unique for a blues man.  On his guitar, Mahal leads with his thumb and middle finger when fingerpicking, not his index finger as the majority of guitar players do 3.  When it comes to his vocals, author David Evans describes Mahal as having “an extraordinary voice that ranges from gruff and gritty to smooth and sultry” 5.

“People say I’m eclectic!  We’re talking extended family here.  It’s all relatives, y’ know, that’s how I look at it, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends and extended family.  We’re presently in the global village… Y’ know we’re on the stage and it stretches around the world” 3

    The global fusion approach he has taken has even caused a bit of controversy.  Miles Mellough comments, “While purists may have sometimes had issues with his unusual blend of acoustic blues mingled with the sweet sounds of Africa, the West Indies and the South Pacific Islands, I believe Mahal elevated the music form to an entirely new plane by approaching the blues from a global perspective” 1.  Later in his career, Mahal even moved to Hawaii and formed the Hula Blues Band, combining traditional Hawaiian music with the blues – how unique for a blues man!  Mahal’s music should be set apart from other blues genres.  Influenced heavily by world music, Mahal turns the blues into a broad collection of musical cultures, as his music is a reflection of his own struggles, life experience and appreciation for traditional blues.  Mahal even supports ideas from other cultures in his singing.  For example, on his 1986 album, Taj, he sings of dancing by the sea, he protests French weapons in the Pacific, and he documents the working conditions of island sugarcane farmers.  In these songs, Mahal mixes musical elements from the Caribbean and other island cultures 6.  Mahal collaborated with V.M. Bhatt in 1994, fine tuning his Indian connection.  He even connected with Indian cultural synthesis through his name-Taj Mahal.

    Overall Taj is an extremely talented musician and seasoned ethnomusicologist, he knows and appreciates many different types of music, and he does not lay idol-where others just are all talk, “oh I appreciate world music….”….”There must be something there”, Mahal acts.  He has been the driving force of blending world music with traditional forms of American and African-American music.  Without Mahal, it is doubtful that America would be in tune with the musics of the world in our current day and age.  It is very evident that Mahal paved the way and inspired other musicians to continue to diversify their music.  Influenced heavily by world music, Mahal turns the blues into a broad collection of musical cultures, as his music is a reflection of his own struggles, life experience and appreciation for traditional blues.  It is easy to see how Taj Mahal, through his upbringing, African American roots and his desire to incorporate World Music into his style, vastly broadened the scope of what blues can be musically.  What inspires him the most about his career is that he has been able to make a living playing the music that he always loved and wanted to play since the 50’s.  As Mahal proclaims, “I’m doing this the old fashioned way and it ain’t easy” 4.

Above- Taj Mahal and I at the 2011 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center.  We met at the Deering Banjo booth.  He came up to the Deering booth and sat down starting to play a banjo he liked.  He started to play “Fishin’ Blues”.  I was sitting next to him playing a Banjo that I liked.  I got up and walked over to my Dad after a large crowd formed.  I mildly confused.  A man from the crowd walked up to me and said, “Do you know who that was?!  That was Taj Mahal you were playing next to”.  Then I got this picture with him.  Every since, I have appreciated his music a little more.

-Eric Cibit

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28 COMMON RACIST ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

[odinsblog]

(By Jona Olsson)

Below is a list of 28 common racist attitudes and behaviors that indicate a detour or wrong turn into white guilt, denial or defensiveness. Each is followed by a statement that is a reality check and consequence for harboring such attitudes.

1. I’m Colorblind.

“People are just people; I don’t see color; we’re all just human.” Or “I don’t think of you as Chinese.” Or “We all bleed red when we’re cut.” Or “Character, not color, is what counts with me.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

Statements like these assume that people of color are just like you, white; that they have the same dreams, standards, problems, and peeves that you do. “Colorblindness” negates the cultural values, norms, expectations and life experiences of people of color. Even if an individual white person could ignore a person’s color, society does not. By saying we are not different, that you don’t see the color, you are also saying you don’t see your whiteness. This denies the people of colors’ experience of racism and your experience of privilege.

“I’m colorblind” can also be a defense when afraid to discuss racism, especially if one assumes all conversation about race or color is racist. Speaking of another person’s color or culture is not necessarily racist or offensive. As my friend Rudy says, I don’t mind that you notice that I’m black.” Color consciousness does not equal racism.

2. The Rugged Individual, the Level Playing Field and the Bootstrap Theory.

“America is the land of opportunity, built by rugged individuals, where anyone with grit can succeed if they just pull up hard enough on their bootstraps.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

These are three of the crown jewels of U.S. social propaganda. They have allowed generation after generation to say, “If you succeed, you did it, but if you fail, or if you’re poor, that’s your fault.” Belief in this propaganda is founded on a total denial of the impact of either oppression or privilege on any person’s chance for success.

Attacks on programs like affirmative action find rationalization in the belief that the playing field is now level, i.e., that every individual, regardless of color or gender, or disability, etc., has the same access to the rights, benefits and responsibilities of the society. 

The rationalization continues: since slavery is ended and people of color have civil rights, the playing field has now been leveled. It follows, then, that there is no reason for a person of color to “fail” (whether manifested in low SAT scores or small numbers in management positions) EXCEPT individual character flaws or cultural inadequacies. These “failures” could have no roots in racism and internalized racism.

3. Reverse Racism.

A. “People of color are just as racist as white people.” B. “Affirmative action had a role years ago, but today it’s just reverse racism; now it’s discriminating against white men.” C. “The civil rights movement, when it began, was appropriate, valuable, needed. But it’s gone to the extreme. The playing field is now level. Now the civil rights movement is no longer working for equality but for revenge.” Or D. “Black pride, black power is dangerous. They just want power over white people.” (Include here any reference to pride and empowerment of any people of color.)

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

A. Let’s first define racism with this formula: 

Racism = racial prejudice + systemic, institutional power. 

To say people of color can be racist, denies the power imbalance inherent in racism. Certainly, people of color can be and are prejudiced against white people. That was a part of their societal conditioning. A person of color can act on prejudices to insult or hurt a white person. But there is a difference between being hurt and being oppressed. People of color, as a social group, do not have the societal, institutional power to oppress white people as a group. An individual person of color abusing a white person – while clearly wrong, (no person should be insulted, hurt, etc.) is acting out a personal racial prejudice, not racism.

B. This form of denial is based on the false notion that the playing field is now level. When the people with privilege, historical access and advantage are expected to suddenly (in societal evolution time) share some of that power, it is often perceived as discrimination.

C+D. C is a statement by Rush Limbaugh. Though, clearly he is no anti-racist, both c+d follow closely on the heels of “reverse racism” and are loaded with white people’s fear of people of color and what would happen if they gained “control.” Embedded here is also the assumption that to be “pro-black” (or any other color) is to be anti-white. (A similar illogical accusation is directed at women who work for an end to violence against women and girls. Women who work to better the lives of women are regularly accused of being “anti-male.”)

4. Blame the Victim.

“It’s their fault they can’t get a job, or be manager.” Or “We have advertised everywhere, there just aren’t any qualified people of color for this job.” Or “If he only worked harder, applied himself more, or had a stronger work ethic.” Or “If she just felt better about herself – internalized racism is the real problem here.” OR “She uses racism as an excuse, to divert us from her incompetence.” Or “If he didn’t go looking for racism everywhere…” (As if racism is so hidden or difficult to uncover that people of color would have to search for it.)

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

All “blame the victim” behaviors have two things in common. First, they avoid the real problem: racism. Second, they take away from the picture the agents of racism, white people and institutions, who either intentionally perpetuate or unintentionally collude with racism.

This is similar to agent deletion in discussions of rape. Statements referring to a woman being raped, many by focusing on her clothing or behavior at the time of the rape and delete the male rapist from the picture.)

As long as the focus remains on people of color, white people can minimize or dismiss their reactions, and never have to look directly at racism and the whites’ own responsibility or collusion.

5. The White Knight or White Missionary.

“We (white people) know just where to build your new community center.” Or “Your young people (read youth of color) would be better served by traveling to our suburban training center.” Or “We (white people) organized a used clothing drive for you; where do you want us to put the clothes?”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

It is a racist, paternalistic assumption that well meaning white people know what’s best for people of color. Decisions by white people, are made on behalf of people of color, as though they were incapable of making their own. This is another version of “blame the victim” and white is right. It places the problems at the feet of people of color and the only “appropriate” solutions with white people. Once more the power of self-determination is taken away from people of color. Regardless of motive, it is still about white control.

6. Lighten up. (Lighten? Whiten?)

“Black people are just too sensitive and thin-skinned.” Or Indians should get a sense of humor. We’re just kidding around.” Or “I didn’t mean anything racist; it’s just a joke.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

Here are racism and agent deletion in partnership again. The problem and perpetrators are exonerated, because the rationale declares that humor isn’t hurtful. This form of denial serves most to trivialize the pain and reality of daily racism.

7. Don’t Blame Me.

“I never owned slaves.” Or “I didn’t vote for David Duke.” Or “None of my family joined the Klan.” Or “I taught my children that racism is wrong.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

Often white people hear blame whenever the issue of racism is brought up, whether or not blame has been placed on whites. As beneficiaries of racism and white privilege, you sometimes take a defensive posture even when you are not being individually blamed. You may personalize the remarks, not directed personally at you. It is the arrogance of your privilege that drags the focus back to whites.

When whites are being blamed or personally accused of racist behavior, this defensiveness and denial further alienate you and may preclude you from examining your possible racist behavior.

8. BWAME.

“But What About Me. Look how I’ve been hurt, oppressed, exploited…?

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

This diminishes the experience of people of color by telling our own story of hardship. We lose an opportunity to learn more about the experience of racism from a person of color, while we minimize their experience by trying to make it comparable or less painful than ours.

9. We Have Overcome.

“We dealt with racism in the 60s with all the marches, sit-ins and speeches by Dr. King. Laws have been changed. Segregation and lynching are ended. We have some details to work out but real racism is pretty much a thing of the past.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

The absence of legalized, enforced segregation does not equal the end of racism. This denial of contemporary racism, based on inaccurate assessment of both history and current society, romanticizes the past and diminishes today’s reality.

10. The End Run, Escapism.

“Of course, racism is terrible, but what about sexism? Or classism or heterosexism?” or “Racism is a result of classism (or any other oppression), so if we just work on that, racism will end, too.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

I agree with Audre Lorde’s statement, “There is no hierarchy of oppression.” I would not establish a rank order for oppressions. At the same time, we cannot attempt to evade recognition and responsibility for any form of oppression.

Statements like the ones above divert attention from racial injustice to focus on some other form of oppression. They are usually said by white people, (women, working class people, lesbians, gay men or others) who experience both white privilege and oppression in some form. Whites are more willing and more comfortable decrying their oppression than scrutinizing their privilege. Oppressions are so inextricably linked that if whites allow their fear, guilt and denial to constantly divert them from confronting racism, even while we work to dismantle other forms, no oppression will ever be dismantled.

11. Due Process.

“Lady Justice is color blind.” White parents who tell their children, “The police are here to protect you. If they ever stop you, just be polite and tell the truth.” Then when a black teen is beaten or killed by police, those same parents say, “He must have been doing something wrong, to provoke that kind of police response.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

White people’s belief that the police, courts, the legal system and social services work without bias; that due process, fair trials, juries, judges, police officers and case workers have everyone’s, including people of color, best interest at heart. Or at least, no less than they do for white people. This belief clouds reality. Whites tend to look at isolated incidents rather than the patterns of institutionalized oppression.

12. The Innocent by Association.

“I’m not racist, because… I have Vietnamese friends, or my lover is black or I marched with Dr. King.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

(Perhaps, if all white people who say they marched with Dr. King actually had, the current situation would look different!) This detour into denial wrongly equates personal interactions with people of color, no matter how intimate they may be, with anti- racism. There is an assumption that our personal associations free us magically from our racist conditioning.

13. The Penitent.

“I am so sorry for the way whites have treated your people.” Or “I am sorry for the terrible things that white man just said to you.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

While there is probably no harm in the “sorry,” if it is not attached to some action taken against racism, it is most often just another expression of white guilt. Being an ally to people of color is not limited to an apology for other white people’s behavior, it must include anti-racist action.

14. The Whitewash.

“He’s really a very nice guy, he’s just had some bad experiences with Koreans.” Or “That’s just the way Uncle Adolf jokes. He’s very polite to the black janitor in his building.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

We’re trapped by another version of white guilt response. Whites attempt to excuse, defend or cover up racist actions of other white people. White people are particularly prone to this if the other person is close, family or friend, and if we feel their actions reflect on us.

Keep reading

[ucdmus282015]

The young gun (Pries)

Preston Kreza - Diehl

11/30/15

music 28

Dave Roby

Born in Denver Colorado January 1, 1990 Le’Priese Brooks other wise known as Pries is one of the newest members to the rap game and up and coming stars. Starting out life on the streets of Denver and making his way to being a college student. At only 25 Pries has made a big statement in the rap community with his style that is seen as being different. Pries has gained attention from a big audience because of his authenticity and with how real he his with his stories. He says multiple times in a variety of songs that what you rap about is how you should be living or how you lived through a situation. He demonstrates setting in all his music through his lyrics by setting up a story line that relates to the everyday struggles in a college students life and the struggles of being poor.

Pries has similar ideas as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey who we have learned about in lectures so far. He does not pull inspiration from these two artists but just as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey together pushed the limits for how music and society was being viewed at the time pries in on that same path. These two women where not afraid to speak the truth and show their real life personalities and sexualities in their music. Pries has that same mindset being a young rap artist in todays world. Our society is made to believe rap is all about thugs and violence, where pries really wants to demonstrate rap music as a way to express true life feelings and events.

Setting appears in his music videos and concerts as well. In Pries’ music videos the center focus is always on him and he acts out his rap in a location that represents the story of the song. The music video “Im just a college kid” takes place in a college hallway while pries is waiting for the first day of class to start, and he really expresses his feeling towards whats expected and whats reality in the up and coming school year. Its shot from his point of view. Also with songs such as “Wake up drunk” “late for class” and “Bully” are music videos that capture the true feeling about how everyday school life is.

Pries has attracted a specific group of college students and kids in this world. The students that do not fit in or are treated differently. People who listen to Pries are ones who have problems in there lives and that have never been truly accepted for who they really are. People who have never felt these issues in there everyday lives tend to not dig deep or care to listen to his music. For example in the song “Bully” it takes place in a classroom where detention would be held and Pries starts off the song with talking about how he was bullied and how he was treated as being what most people call nerds or geeks. As the song continues and the music video progresses the view gets the impact that bullying has had on his life and instead of letting it continue to build up and getting worse Pries shows how he has now become the bully. the setting never changes drastically through out the video but his attitude, body languages and the voice tone shifts from a victim stand point to a aggressive stand point.

One other great example of how the music videos tie directly into the songs is in “late for class” he is riding the subway while talking about all the destructions in everyday life that have caused him to be late for his class. The subway represents a time for him to reflect back on all these issues and he really describes how even through everything gets hard he would rather be late then not show up at all. Pries has gone through trials in his life that have made him the rapper he is today. Living on the streets and as a poor young adult college male, it really hits home for the audience who feels the same way because when watching his videos and hearing the lyrics at the same time, you can really picture your self in that exact situation. It almost looks very similar to a movie of how you feel your life is going so far.

Pries is a very off the radar rapper in todays society. Comparing him to some of the most famous artists performing such as the Kayne west, Lil’ Wayne and Drakes of this world. He does not have a wide variety of music to choose from. His most listened to song on youtube is “STFU” which has over 2.6 million views. To some that seems like he is doing alright for him self only being 25, but that song is one that is rapped with a famous artist named Kid Ink. Pries is known as a feature in that song. A Song created and record only by Pries 8 months ago named Yeezus Piece has just over 39,000 views on youtube. Take this and compare it to the new Lil Wayne song Hollyweezy which aired 6 months ago with just over 14 million views.

The reputation and credibility of Pries in not at the level of most mainstream recording rappers today. Since the start of 2012 Pries has performed only 13 real concerts to date. 70% or 9 out of those 13 where performed in his home state of Colorado. A more shocking number is out of those 9 in Colorado, 6 where performed in his home town of Denver. Pries has been on tour throughout 2015 with his last concert coming October 31 in Denver Colorado. As far as fans tracking his concerts and dates of shows, Pries only has a little over 4 thousand trackers. Comparing this to a artist like Wiz Khalifa who has over 1.8 million trackers. Assuming about half of those fans would even be able to attend a show, Pries’ concerts are looking like a get together over a full scale performance.

Pries is a rapper who hasn't had the exposure or attention as most mainstream rappers. Although he isn't considered as popular as most, Pries has made a good starting name for himself at a young age. He is apart of that one percent that speaks their mind about real life issues. He says he is not willing to lie in a song in order to be signed. That is the culture that he has set out to chance in our society with his music.

“Poor me a cup maybe even two, going to take shots trying talk to the roof, buying out the bar, mixing alcohols, trying to wake up drunk if I even wake at all.” These are the lyrics to the chorus of “wake up drunk” by Pries released November 28, 2011 and it remains the most listen/ viewed song created to date by Pries according to “youtube.” (Pries 2011). Rhyming is usually one of the main component the everyday listener associates with rap music and in his lyrics Pries demonstrates techniques of rhyming and rhythm as one or two syllable words at the end of a verse. Very similarity to the first kind of rap music introduced when NWA and rap groups took the nation by storm with there style and lyrics. The traditional version of rap where the artist is rhyming each of the last words in a verse together is put on full display in the song “Fuck The Police” by NWA “Fuck the police coming straight from the underground

A young nigga got it bad cause I'm brown

And not the other color so police think

they have the authority to kill a minority” (Ice Cube 1988).

In This verse each of the last words rhyme together and that is how Pries has step up his musical outline. Back in the song “wake up drunk” each line has a one, maybe two, syllable words rhymed at the end. For example the opening lines to the song following the chorus are

“Frat party, Frat party, meet me at the frat party

red cup, fucked up

CIRCO go me actin naughty” (Pries 2011).

These lyrics are set up to almost exactly replicate the old school style of rap music just like the NWA song.

Pries tends to keep his lyrics in each verse very simple so it is easy to understand. Each line inside each verse, when listening to the song, never exceeds more than a few quick phrases to get the point across. These techniques are pulled right out of what we are taught in school about how to rhyme words together, Pries is just using that to his advantage in his lyrics to generate a general story inside his songs. Another technique he uses in his lyrics is the constant pattern of using the same word at the end of a line. A great song to look at for this concept of quick rhyming patterns in his lyrics would be his song “Late for class”. This was a song that was released in October of 2010 when Pries was at the start of his career, The opening verse starts out with repeating the word “one”at the end of line 2,4 and repeating the word “more” at he end of line 7 and 8.

“ Somethin like the phenix suns

thank God for my blessing, know I'm getting one

I aint tryin to live this life off pay stubs,

I swear I'm next in line for the greatest one

Lord knows I try hard, life is a reality check I cant sign for

bank account over checked should i say more

or maybe at church I should have paid more.” (Pries 2010)

Rap music has gone away from this style of music with the lyrics. Pries is trying to bring this style back with his music but he is also creating a new way for rap music within the melodies. The back ground instruments heard in Pries’ songs use a type of Signifyin when he is around a bus in the song “late for class” the beat speeds up and adds a quick hard bass in the back giving the feeling to the listener that a bus could be approaching. He is taking a old concept of musical beats and lyrics and changing them slightly. Similar to Miles Davis learned about in Lecture 10, “It All Comes Back To This” (Messbauer 2015). We covered how Miles Davis broke away from modern jazz at the time to create his style of what he called “Cool Jazz”. As it started it took time for people to catch on to what he was doing but by “1959: take five by Dave Brubeck Quartet was the biggest selling Jazz single ever” (Messbauer 2015).

Along with the great rapping and style of his lyrics Pries has a wide variety of instruments he uses in his beats and background music. The most powerful and one that stands out right away to an audience when listening to his music is his voice. Pries not only raps in his songs but usually his chorus partition is him singing. It is a change because a lot of rappers when listening to the music do not have this element instituted in the song. Another major instrument that pops up time after time in his songs is the piano. A smooth style of playing and relaxed tone of the piano gives the overall song and melody a easy to listen to while Pries uses his voice to sing in the chorus. The piano then speeds up when it comes to the verses and instruments such as bass drums to give the power of the beat along with a saxophone or other types of brass and/ or woodwinds. This mixture gives the feel of classical music when Pries in not singing or rapping along.

Within all of these pieces of Pries’ music, there is one last factor to the sounds of his voice and instruments used and that is the passion behind them sound. When hearing his voice and listening close to each word in the lyrics, passion in brought in and every time he shows a little more passion in a line of a song the beat and instrumentals speed up to dramatize the story.

As sounds and beats began to change, so will artists. Pries has been able to make lyrics and songs with a style of music that has not faded from the beginning of time it seems like with classical melodies and Pries has taped into using his voice to coincide with classic beat to combine rap lyrics with smooth beats.

Music has always been a way for people to express their true inner feelings in a controlled way. Some music has different effects on our minds. Rap music for example tells a story, through beats and rhyming patterns. rap music or hip hop is stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. This form of music has been manipulated by our society for people to think it is all about thugs, drugs, women and violence but in the case of listening to Pries music it demonstrates a musical form of telling a story about real life experiences. Pries uses his music to tell the story of his current life and past leading up to this point so far with some aspects of talking about his future. He talks about being bullied at a young age in school and being black going to college. These events shaped him and his music but also it directly relates to our everyday struggles in life. Kids are bullied everyday for many different reasons and Pries reaches out in his music to those groups of kids to let them know there not alone. He describes the hard fought battles of being black going to college and trying to make an education for himself. Racism is not looked at as being a crisis in our nation anymore but kids are still discriminated against among other students. Pries is known on a very low scale caliber among the Hip Hop stars but he is making a impact on kids who feel the same pain as he does. Pries is relating his music to the people who are in need of it, similar to the way the civil rights musical era was. Musicians from the civil rights time period constructed songs and made music to relate stories to match the feeling of being oppressed and put down as humans. In this time period people where looking to music as a way to escape these feelings but they wanted to hear the music from a person going through the same struggles so they could hear the passion behind the voice in the songs. Pries gives that outlet for the kids who like Hip Hop music but don't have any real rappers to relate to their struggles.

Pries is important because he is making an effort to change the way rap music and Hip Hop is looked at. It is looked at as being all about drugs and violence but by talking about his struggles as a man, father, rapper and college student Pries is using his music to reach the youth of our society. Jay Z said “Hip hop has done more than any leader, politician, or anyone to improve race relations.” (Jay Z 2009). This idea of musicians making a bigger impact on our communities today is one of the biggest weapons used by Pries. Instead of telling his audience what its like to be a rich rap star, which would be a lie because Pries is a struggling musician, he conveys a message of what it is like to be living at the bottom. Most colleges kids who are forced to find a way to provide for themselves once they get to college are able to relate in some way shape or form to these issues Pries is talking about. Listening to his music, coming from a personal experience, is a way to get the pain of your struggles off of your shoulders and release the feelings and ideas of what life is without doing something stupid or even illegal. Pries music promotes a positive alternative to our society of struggling middle to lower class people. Pries was a struggling college student who talks about life's obstacles in all his music which has allowed fans of his to empathize with his messages. His fans are people who generally know what it is like to be in that situation or are living in it at this very exact moment.

In todays society the vast majority of kids and younger adults will not take the time to watch the news or sit and read an article about a current event. The world wide news is taught to us through music. Musicians and artists, such as Pries, hold the key to having the ability to access all of the knowledge we think we need. Its true that sometimes simplest is best. it would be easier to just sit and watch the news channels instead of trying to unpack lyrics in a song to understand the current event or struggle the artists is trying to convey but when we hear these situations and struggles put into a story and performed by an artists with passion and rhythm it sticks with us longer. Just like the cicil rights music helped people continue to protest and push for their rights to be free. With Pries and his music you will already know the main topic of the song by looking at the title. The title of his songs are designed that way for a reason so we have a head start into knowing what he will be talking about.

At only 25 Pries has made himself a big statement in the rap community with his style that is seen as being different. Pries has gained attention from big named artists, such as Kid ink and Abstrakt, and he has the attention of a big audience because of his authenticity and how real he is within his stories. Many times in a wide variety of songs Pries claims he will not lie in a song to just be signed. For example in one of his newest songs “Little White Lie” he opens the song with the verse “Look what I've done in this last year, i did it because i love it not for a deal.” (Pries 2014).

The New York Times did a study to test weather happier people would work harder. In the test they pulled over 12,000 daily diary journal entrees from all kinds of working professionals. They came back with the answer of “Conventional wisdom suggests that pressure enhances performance; our real-time data, however, shows that workers perform better when they are happily engaged in what they do.” (New York Times 2011). Not all of Pries music talks about the downsides to living life as a struggle but he also encourages his fan base to do something they enjoy because they will be happier just like what was found in the New York Times article study. Pries has stated in his music that he is happy being a rapper and he shows that many time in his songs but it is straight to the point in his song “Little White Lie”. Pries is more interested in being a rapper and telling a story to people over the fame and being considered fake. This is important because the people listening to his music will understand that and feel the same way as he does when they find something to do in their life that makes them happy.

HIATT, BRIAN. "N.W.A: American Gangstas." Rolling Stone. August 27, 2015. Accessed November 5, 2015.

Pries. October 1, 2010.” Pries - Late For Class.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIrpL7ED-nY. November 1, 2015.

Pries. November 28, 2011. “Pries - Wake Up Drunk.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTBEiXj8F-o. November 3, 2015.

Messbauer, Sara .2015. “It All Comes Back To This.”

AMABILE, TERESA. “Do Happier People Work Harder?” New York Times. September 3, 2011. Accessed November 17, 2015.

Pries. January 5, 2012. “Pries - Little White Lie.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OsJWn-xyCg

G-Unit Promotions. “Jay A What Do You Think?” This Is 50. March 19, 2009. Accessed November 17, 2015.

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Watch: Erykah Badu threw some devastating shade at Iggy Azalea — and the crowd went wild.

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Rapping With A Purpose

Justin Hu

MUS 28

Sarah Messbauer

November 27, 2015

The music industry is full of artists who choose to use their music plainly for the sake of entertainment and making money. Songs are littered with meaningless, repetitive lyrics that revolve around sex, money, and drugs, to name a few things. The lyrics and beats have little to no positive influence on society and if anything, convey negative messages that highlight the things in life that are insignificant. However, there are a select few that do write lyrics and spread positive values in their songs. There are many underground artists who rap about “real” life, but conclusively, the mainstream artists who uphold valuable meaning in their songs are rap artists like Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Jay-Z, and most importantly, J. Cole. More specifically, J. Cole’s most recent works have delivered positive insights on matters that have been controversial throughout history and those that have lingered into modern times. In this blog post, I am going to argue that through J. Cole’s music is significant because of his childhood experiences in a racist environment, influential lyrics, and congruence with current socioeconomic issues like the Black Lives Matter movement.

Jermaine Lamarr Cole was born on January 28, 1985 in the city of Frankfurt, West Germany to an African American soldier and native German woman. He has one older brother named Zach. Before the age of ten, J. Cole’s mother relocated the family to Fayetteville, North Carolina, without the presence of their father (Music Times, 12/9/14).

Fayetteville was and still is not the safest of neighborhoods for a young child to grow up in with a single mother. However, J. Cole’s mother remarried another U.S. soldier and together they were able to buy a home at 2014 Forest Hills Drive. It was this home that Jermaine grew up in and learned to love music and cultivate his rapping potential. However, it was also at this home that Cole learned and experienced the injustices towards Blacks in the U.S. that would affect him simply because of the color of his skin. A case like the one described below is just one example of the type of environment that Cole grew up in.

In 1995, the year that J. Cole moved to Fayetteville, a terribly unfortunate event occurred. Former Private, James Burmeister 2d, who was with the 82d Airborne Division, shot and killed two African American individuals (Associated Press, 2/28/97). His motivation was driven by a passionate hatred toward African Americans and appeared to show remorse throughout his hearing. It was not until 1997 that Burmeister was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the deaths of Michael James and Jackie Burden. On the night of the crime, a search of Burmeister’s house revealed “white supremacist literature, a bomb-making manual, pamphlets on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, and magazines for survivalists and members of paramilitary groups” (Associated Press, 2/28/97). One cannot help but to think that instances such as this influenced J. Cole’s attitude and motivation for putting together music that is heard on his latest album 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

Jermaine Cole has been commended for various skills and accomplishments throughout his still-developing, but highly successful career. With having released only two mixtapes and three albums, Cole has risen to fame quickly and has been mentioned in talks involving greats like Kanye West, Tupac and Dr. Dre. His skill in storytelling and being a phenomenal lyricist is only part of why his work has been considered historic. Along with his raw talent, J. Cole delivers multiple messages in his work that connect with not only his fans but other artists as well. He has a deeper understanding of societal norms, status, and divisions, especially within the African American community. In, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole addresses various social issues that plague mainstream society as well as the African American subdivision of society that is recognized across the U.S. J. Cole is significant to the the music industry as well as African American society because he provides empowering lyrics and themes throughout his music at a time in history where African Americans are not only being targeted by law enforcement, but are now standing up and fighting against it.

On December 9, 2014, J. Cole released 2014 Forest Hills Drive, an album so fittingly named after his home in Fayetteville. The album released during the still-going heat of the Black Lives Matter movement. Only half a year earlier, one of the first incidents in the Black Lives Matter movement had occurred – the murder of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri (Buchanan et al., 8/15/15). Along with the murder of Treyvon Martin that occurred in 2013, these incidents sparked involvement across the country in adopting the cause and message of Black Lives Matter. This excerpt was taken from an article by Alicia Garza, one of the three founders of the Black Lives Matter movement:

Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression (Garza, 10/7/2014).

Cole’s album is extremely relevant to the time and era of the United States’ current events because of songs on the album like “Fire Squad” and “G.O.M.D.” In “Fire Squad,” J. Cole addresses the cultural appropriation of African Americans by whites in the U.S. and really attacks the injustice that still exists in today’s society. In the music video for “G.O.M.D.,” J. Cole plays the main character of a scene that is set on a plantation during the era of slavery. Both of these songs will be discussed in more depth later on in this post, but just at the surface level, one can see how 2014 Forest Hills Drive came to deliver a powerful message and provided support for African Americans during a time of need.

Both of these topics – cultural appropriation and slavery, are things we have discussed in class to a great extent. For J. Cole to rap about them in his latest album is a clear example of how relatable his album is to current society. Although slavery occurred hundreds of years ago, there is no doubt that its effects are still seen in modern day.

2014 Forest Hills Drive has been highly recognized in the music industry because it is the most recent hip hop album to go platinum without a feature since 1989 (DJ Z, April 2015). Although this is an amazing feat, analyzing the musical style and social commentary that Cole expressed through his exceptional storytelling ability in his lyrics and the sounds he chose to highlight throughout the album will unveil the true purpose of this album. J. Cole addresses various issues throughout the album ranging from dysfunctional habits in the African American community to acceptance and love for oneself. By rapping about these topics and sampling from other powerful songs, J. Cole has helped his audience realize the true concerns that should be focused on in society, while maintaining the important ability of allowing his audience to relate to his songs.

The song “G.O.M.D.” begins with a sample of what sounds like slave spirituals to introduce the beat of the song. The sample is looped and repeated throughout the song during various pauses. The actual lyrics are inaudible, but sound like a group of individuals singing with a faint, soft stomping sound in the background (JColeVEVO, “G.O.M.D.). This contributes to the significance of the song because Cole explained in an interview with MTV that the music video for the song “is really more of a commentary on the need for unity and togetherness more so than it is a comment on racism, because [the Black community] knows – we all know about oppression” (Markman, 3/27/15). The sample that occurs in the beginning is so powerful because slave spirituals gave African Americans the sense of unity that they needed during the era of slavery. J. Cole’s use of the sample throughout the song helps to maintain the idea of unity from the start to the finish of the song. In the same interview with MTV, Cole states that “What we’re not aware of is the dysfunction within our own community” (Markman, 3/27/15). The dysfunction that he is referring to has to do with the fact that there are different statuses of African Americans economically and socially within their own race, possibly related to the different shades in skin tone. The divides in the African American community are why he raps about needing a stronger sense of togetherness in order to combat stereotypes and other injustices that he notices. Keeping in mind that the album was released amidst the Black Lives Matter movement helps to exemplify the album’s relevance to current society. The Black Lives Matter movement specifically stresses that African Americans come together in order to fight the oppression that they face everyday. J. Cole’s ability as an important figure in the media to address social issues through his music helps those who are possibly unaware of the injustices to stand up and support the Black Lives Matter movement.

The lyrics of G.O.M.D. also aid in conveying the message that there is a need for unity amongst the Black community. Lyrics in the song ask “Why every rich Black nigga gotta be famous/ Why every broke Black nigga gotta be brainless/ Uh that’s a stereotype/ Driven by some people up in Ariel Heights” (“G.O.M.D.”, 2014 Forest Hills Drive). In these lines, J. Cole addresses the false ideas that wealthy African Americans can only be famous through the entertainment industry while the rest of the Black community who is not wealthy is ignorant or uneducated. He argues that these stereotypes were created by whites and flourish because of the White society who believes they are above Blacks that are not as well-off and as prosperous as they are. These lines especially stress the need for solidarity amongst Blacks because if African Americans were to adopt this same thinking - some have, according to J. Cole – it would only support the stereotypes surrounding African Americans and would entitle whites to continue making these assumptions. Thus, J. Cole’s songs become a commentary on social stereotypes regarding white perception of African Americans.

While many of J. Cole’s songs comment on the stereotypical dichotomy between famous African Americans and the rest of the Black community, other songs on the album address the dynamic between racism towards Blacks and what can be interpreted as “racial envy” (Messbauer, “The Spectacle of Racial Envy in Modern American Music”). “Racial envy” is the term used to describe the appropriation of African American culture by white society. It has occurred multiple times throughout history, a specific example being jazz music (Messbauer, “Bebop”). J. Cole addresses this phenomenon in his song “Fire Squad,” also on the album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. “While silly niggas argue over who gone snatch the crown/ Look around my nigga white people have snatched the sound/ This year I’ll probably go to the awards dappered down/ Watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile” (“Fire Squad”, 2014 Forest Hills Drive). In these lyrics alone, Cole tackles multiple themes that are evident throughout his album. The first line mentioned refers to an argument stated earlier about how Blacks need to unify, rather than compete with each other. The following line brings into focus the idea that white artists have appropriated rap music and other styles of music that were originated and developed by African Americans. This is a major issue for Blacks because music is such an influential part of their history. The issue of “racial envy” and the appropriation of African American music is rooted all the way back to the times of Blackface Minstrelsy – a period when white society mocked every aspect of Black culture, yet chose to take what was possibly the most important aspect of African American culture and degrade it to a mockery. To J. Cole, the most troubling idea surrounding the appropriation of rap is that not all African American artists see it occurring. Rather than Blacks recognizing this issue and trying to stand up for their culture, some are instead competing with each other to be better than the next Black artist. Hence, J. Cole acknowledges them as “silly.”

The third and fourth lines that were stated previously mention rapper Iggy Azalea at the Grammy’s. This was not a personal attack on Iggy, but more so an attack directed toward the entire music industry. Iggy Azalea’s music is an example of the appropriation of rap music. However, what makes the issue even worse is the fact that white artists will very likely win awards and be recognized for their work before African American artists because there is a much stronger presence of white Americans in the industry. The appropriation of African American culture by white society is an issue that seems to be recurring throughout history and has been further demonstrated in the current music industry.

The diverse sounds and beats along with the powerful lyrics throughout J. Cole’s album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, coalesce to embody the various messages that J. Cole wants to deliver to his audience. Issues such as racism, division amongst the African American community, and “racial envy” are all targeted throughout the album in one way or another. By effectively interpreting the sounds and lyrics produced by J. Cole, one is able to better understand the prominent obstacles in todays society.

A call for unity amongst African Americans is a major theme in 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Further addressing the music video for “G.O.M.D.,” Cole sends a very powerful message using a plot that takes place during the era of slavery. He plays the protagonist of the video who organizes an uprising of slaves on a plantation against the white property owners (JColeVEVO, “G.O.M.D.). Ultimately, Cole wanted his audience to realize that in order for African Americans to stand up to the social injustices of our time, they need to be together as one and fight racial stereotypes amongst multiple things as a single group. It is important to notice that he plays the protagonist of the video because it shows that he is willing and capable of being a leader of this movement so that he can set an example for others to follow and hopefully inspire more proactive individuals to join him.

In recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and all the horrendous incidents of police brutality that surfaced in 2014, J. Cole recorded a song in honor of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old male that was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri by white police officer, Darren Wilson (Buchanan et al., 8/15/15). The song has had such an impact on society that J. Cole actually performed the song for The Late Show with David Letterman. The song is called “Be Free” and carries a weight much more important than just honoring the life of Michael Brown. Instead, it is a cry for help and peace to the Black community in efforts to mourn, but also empower and fight against the inequality that exists in our society today. Cole relates the issues of current to those that have been present for hundreds of years with lyrics like “All we wana do is break the chains off/ All we wana do is be free” (Roshan Selvaratnam, “J. Cole Performs”). Clearly this is an allusion to our country’s history of enslaving Blacks and establishes the argument that African Americans have never truly been released from the prejudice that has surrounded them. Although J. Cole is not the first artist to address these issues, he may have been the first to perform such a powerful song addressing racism on a nationally televised program.

Along with J. Cole, many other influential African Americans have joined the Black Lives Matter movement. Other artists like Rick Ross, Wale, Diddy, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar have all recorded songs in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in order to spread awareness amongst not only African Americans, but hopefully other ethnicities as well (Markman, 12/22/14). Most importantly, effects of this historic movement are seen across the country everyday. Numerous protests have occurred across the country since the movement began and awareness of #BlackLivesMatter is seen all over social media. Furthermore, NBA basketball players warmed up in shirts with “I Can’t Breathe” printed in bold letters across the front. The quote is a tribute to Eric Garner, another unarmed, African American male who was killed at the hands of police brutality in New York last December (Thompson, 8/19/15). These instances are just a few of the examples of the breadth of the Black Lives Matter movement and how influential African Americans like J. Cole have contributed to its purpose.

J. Cole is an African American artist who has altered not only to the music industry, but also the mentality of his diverse audience. Through his lyrics and ability to relate to current society, J. Cole, along with other prominent role models, communicate a lesson to their audiences urging for solidarity amongst African Americans, and ultimately equality for all races. It is quite evident that the Black Lives Matter movement is one that will leave a bold mark on the history of the U.S. and although J. Cole is just one man, his ability to influence a large fan base with his music has significantly impacted the development of this long-awaited change.

J. Cole’s music is highly differential from other mainstream artists in today’s industry in the sense that his music truly holds meaning. His work is talked about in comparison to rap legends for its meaningful lessons and applicable truths to society. Cole’s musical involvement with Black Lives Matter has provided encouragement and much needed attention to its purpose through his various endeavors such as his performance on national television. This, along with his lyrics, focus on the discrimination of numerous social concepts that curse today’s population. J. Cole’s significance in today’s society stems from his lyrical abilities to tell stories that are influential to his audience as well as his relativity to modern issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Overall, J. Cole is a monumental artist whose work should be appreciated while he continues to produce music that positively enhances the views on current standards.

Works Cited

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Porter, Nia. “Exclusive: J. Cole Talks ‘G.O.M.D.’ Video Details and Inspiration.” Saint Heron. March 24, 2015. http://saintheron.com/featured/exclusive-j-cole-talks-g-o-m-d-video-details-and-inspiration/.

Thompson, Arienne. “Celebs’ link to Black Lives Matter can be Risky.” USA Today. August 19, 2015. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/08/19/do-celebs-matter-black-lives-matter-cause/31880745/.

Wood, Mikeal. “Review: J. Cole’s ‘2014 Forest Hills Drive’ hits authentic notes.” Los Angeles Times. December 8, 2014. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-j-cole-2014-forest-hills-drive-review-20141209-story.html.

[ucdmus282015]

What’s Going On?” - The Musical Impact of Marvin Gaye

by Shanice Buggs

Background

Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. was born in Washington D.C. on April 2, 1939 to parents Marvin Gay Sr. and Alberta Gay. According to Kimberly Brown and Helen Lopez, authors of Gaye’s fan page, Gaye’s love for music began at the early age of three years old when he sang in his father’s church choir. In addition to singing, he also learned to play the piano and drums. Later in life, Gaye dropped out of high school and enlisted in the air force. After leaving the air force, Gaye began singing in a local doo-wop group in Washington D.C. that recorded under Okeh Records. In 1958, he was invited to join the singing group, The Moonglows who recorded with Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. Gaye moved to Chicago with The Moonglows which opened up another opportunity for him with Motown Records. He caught the attention of Barry Gordy Jr which lead him to signing to Motown Records in 1961 (Brown and Lopez 2012). He remained with Motown Records until his death on April 1, 1984. Motown records describes him as, “…one of Motown’s most versatile performers, Marvin Gaye did it all: Balladeer, musician, singing idol, one-half of the most famous vocal duo in R&B history, and, finally, an artist who used his music to address the serious issues of his day” (Motown Records).

“What’s Going On” – The Politics of America

           During the time that Gaye signed with Motown Records, Black people in America were challenging the extreme oppression they faced from the American government and its citizens. Black Americans were in the middle of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement that attacked injustices such as the lack of basic civil rights, not having the right to vote, or the right to fair housing. The Vietnam War was also taking place at this time which sparked even more resistance within the Black community. Many Black political leaders felt that it was unjust of America to send troops to fight for and prevent the spread of communism in another country in hopes of creating a democracy, when they were not practicing democracy on their own soil. They also felt that they had no reason to fight against people that were not oppressing them, for a group that was in fact oppressing them. According to Brown and Lopez, Gaye’s brother, Frankie, was a soldier in the Vietnam War. He inspired Gaye to write the ‘What’s Going On” album after sharing stories about the war (Brown and Lopez 2012).

After conversations with his brother, Gaye decided to take a different approach with his music’s content. A quote directly from Gaye was shared in an excerpt from Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Gaye said, "In 1969 or 1970, I began to re-evaluate my whole concept of what I wanted my music to say…I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that I had to put my own fantasies behind me if I wanted to write songs that would reach the souls of people. I wanted them to take a look at what was happening in the world” (Rolling Stone). According to Brown and Lopez, in 1971, Gaye decided to record the album “What’s Going On.” Initially, his producer, Barry Gordy, did not support the album because he felt it lacked appeal and would not be successful. This forced Gaye to produce the album himself and on May 21, 1971 it was released. It was an instant hit, covering a range of topics relevant to the time period including the ravages of the Vietnam War, urban decay, drug abuse, civil unrest, injustice, poverty, and discrimination (Brown and Lopez 2012, Katzif). In his article, “Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’: Songs We Love, author Mike Katzif discusses Gaye’s hit album along with biographer David Ritz. Katzif notes that “What’s Going On”, “…sung to an era of marching in the streets and mourning for those both overseas and those lost in the struggle over civil rights” (Katzif). He was singing to his generation in an effort to make people aware of the struggles no one else was willing to discuss at the time.

Gaye’s lyrics in the “What’s Going On?” album are timeless. This is shown in the chorus of the song “What’s Going On?” It says,

“Picket lines and picket signs

Don't punish me with brutality

Talk to me, so you can see

Oh, what's going on

What's going on

Ya, what's going on

Ah, what's going on”

- Genius.com

These lyrics still apply to today in the struggle for rights for the Black American community through the Black Lives Matter movement. According to biographer David Ritz, “[Gaye’s music] it’s generational and repeats the question that each generation has. It’s a genuine open question asked to understand the state of the country” (Ritz).

Soul: A Unifying Sound

           Gaye used his skill and ability to create some of the greatest and most timeless hits in popular culture. Gaye used his musical creativity and ability to appeal to the masses to spread his message. According to Katzif, “What's Going On has become a template for how to marry a strong message with a pop sensibility in order to reach as large an audience as possible. Gaye's songs are filled with sophisticated yet instantly recognizable hooks and languid, jazz-inflected funk grooves that would keep anyone dancing and singing along. If it weren't for Gaye's skillful song craft, his message might have been lost” (Katzif 2011). A lot of Gaye’s success was due to his own soulful talents mixed with the “Motown Sound.”

According to the piece, “The Sound That Changed America” published by Motown Museum, the Motown Sound was “part storefront church gospel, part jazz joint on Saturday night, part street corner symphony…” It was a blend of “saintly and the secular” meaning gospel music and jazz, respectively. It merged call and response with syncopation and improvisation. The Motown sound was unique and thoroughly planned by owner Barry Gordy (Motown Museum). Gordy was very calculated in his approach to the music business. He would not produce and put the Motown label on any artist or any song, they had to fit into and contribute to the Motown Sound. In addition to having the Motown Sound, Gaye’s sound was heavily of the soul musical genre. Gaye along with other artists such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and James Brown, all were soul artists that helped pave the way for a lasting genre.

In the article “’What is Soul?’ New Faces Have Answers” by Ashley Kahn, Kahn describes soul music as a, “…gritty vocal style, filled with a feeling straight out of the Black church” (Kahn 2008). The genre was born in the 1950’s and became very popular in the 1960’s. According to Kahn, it was first mainstream Black music and then became mainstream American music. In the Black community soul spanned even further than just a musical genre, it became a way of life. Soul brothers and sisters, soul food, soul haircuts, soul shakes, and various other things all were bred out of the soul musical genre. Soul had such a great influence on the Black community and the greater American community because it was unique. The sound was different from past genres. Soul focused less on instrumentation and more on the artist’s voice. It was more about “naked emotion and personal testimony” than drum solos and big bands. Its’ uniqueness is one of the reasons soul music is still alive and well today (Kahn 2008).

Like most other genres, soul was influenced by other popular Black genres. In R&B and Soul expert Mark Edward Nero’s article, “The Definition of Soul,” Nero outlines some contributing elements of soul and touches on the origins of the genre. He stated that the distinguishing factor between soul and R&B is that soul uses gospel music devices. It has a greater emphasis on vocalist and its merging of religious and secular themes. Soul is the merging of gospel and blues music (Nero). Christopher Carter’s article, “What are the Characteristics of Soul Music” complements Nero’s article and elaborates on the contributing elements of soul. Carter describes soul’s tone, rhythm, repetition, and instruments in detail.

According to Carter, soul’s tone is emotional. Soul musicians used a variety of tones from gentle and smooth to harsh and raspy to properly convey the range of emotions (Carter). This is seen in Gaye’s music, especially in the song “Let’s Get It On”  where his gentle and raspy tones contribute to and enhances the overall romantic and sexual themes of the song. 

Carter goes on to analyze the rhythm of soul. He states that it borrows from the 12 bar, 3 line lyric style used in blues music of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Along with blues, it uses the African tradition of call and response. The lead vocalist will “call” out something and another singer or the background singers will provide a “response” (Carter). An example of call and response is in Gaye’s song “Distant Lover.” The background vocals respond to the lead vocals throughout the song.  In addition to call and response, Carter states that soul uses repetition (Carter). Throughout a song one hears the same musical notes, phrases, and rhythms. This is heard throughout the majority of Gaye’s music. Lastly, soul instruments include the piano, drums, and guitar. The distinguishing instruments however, are the horns including the trumpet and saxophone (Carter). The many elements of soul along with its influences from blues and gospel all made the genre timeless.

Marvin Gaye & Soul: A Lasting Influence

Marvin Gaye holds much significance in music history because of his social, political, and musical influence. His music spoke to relevant issues of the time including the Civil Rights Movement and Black people’s affiliations with America. His musical genre created a unique lifestyle for African Americans that was inspired by and derived from the Black Power Movement and defined by the term “soul”. Gaye’s significance to the politics and social awareness of America is greatly shown in his “What’s Going On?” album. Throughout, he sheds light on the experiences and emotions of African Americans that were fed up and seeking justice in the 1950s and 1960s. The soul music genre that he was a part of somewhat served as a means of communication from Black Americans to the rest of America.

           Marvin Gaye’s music career is situated in an integral part of American history. He signed with Motown Records in 1961 which was in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. At the time, Motown Records founder, Berry Gordy, and many other producers of the soul musical genre were hesitant to produce music that spoke on the Civil Rights Movement. They wanted to separate themselves and their sound from that of Civil Rights Era music in hopes of being able to appeal to a broader audience (Messbauer 2015). In his earlier music, Gaye abided by the limitations set by soul producers, however, later in his career he produced and released a politically driven album that hit the top of the charts. In 1971, Gaye released the ‘What’s Going On?” album after speaking with his brother who was a soldier in the Vietnam War about the war. The entire album spoke on the injustices faced in the world ranging from human interaction to the environment. He largely focused on the civil rights of African Americans and by illustrating their plight. This is shown in the lyrics of the song “What’s Going On?” below:

“Mother, mother There's too many of you crying Brother, brother, brother There's far too many of you dying You know we've got to find a way To bring some lovin' here today…

Father, father We don't need to escalate You see, war is not the answer… (Genius)”

The lyrics narrow in on the effects of the mistreatment of Black people in America while simultaneously providing a solution for these experiences. This is significant to the time because soul music was extremely popular during the era. It was an influential genre that many Americans enjoyed. With Gaye’s history as a musician and him creating a name for himself through other hit albums, he was able to use his popularity to create a platform that shed light on what was going on in the community to his people. Also, his and many other soul artists ‘defiance’ to soul music’s push against civil rights themed songs was significant because he and others decided to release music that they wanted to release and spread messages that they wanted the world to know. The lyrics in these songs are timeless and still speak directly to issues that we are facing today.

Soul: The Genre of a Generation

           In addition to Gaye’s personal music being significant, the musical genre that he was a part of held much significance to the African American community. The soul “movement” emerged alongside soul music. It centered on ideas from the Black Power Movement. According to the article “Black History”, the Black Power Movement began following Stokely Carmichael’s speech in 1966 at a mass rally following the murder of James Meredith (Meredith was the first Black person to enroll at the University of Mississippi) where he said the phrase “Black Power” and received a positive response from the crowd. Carmichael, who was a former member of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, was “heavily influenced by the words of Malcolm X, and rejected integration as a short-term goal. Carmichael felt that blacks needed to feel a sense of racial pride and self-respect before any meaningful gains could be achieved. He encouraged the strengthening of African American communities without the help of whites” (ushistory.org). The ideals that Carmichael gained from Malcolm X spread through the urban communities of Black people and was greatly accepted.

The soul movement continued to promote the ideals of the Black Power Movement including Black nation building, supporting Black owned businesses, and promoting and displaying Black unity. According to Portia K. Maultsby, author of "Soul Music: Its Sociological and Political Significance in American Popular Culture," soul music in the 1960s served as a vehicle for self-awareness, protest and social change. In the 1970s, it provided musical resources for the evolution of new forms of American popular music.”  Soul was used to elevate the consciousness of Africanism among African Americans. It established new trends and promoted Black pride and self-awareness concepts (Maultsby 2004). She goes on to define the term soul as Black Nationalism which is generally separation or independence from white society. It called for the re-ordering of attitudes and values. It encouraged the re-evaluation and re-definition of Black identity, experience, behavior, and culture by Blacks for Blacks. (Maultsby 2004). Soul was a movement for Black America that allowed them to connect with an identity that they were working towards establishing during the Civil Rights Movement and into the Black Power Movement. Black people were moving away from trying to integrate and be “accepted” by white people in a white dominated society. They were aiming to build their own and fit in with each other instead of the greater society.

Author, Joel Rudinow goes on to say that, “soul denotes an essence, the necessary and sufficient condition of authentic Blackness” in his article "Soul Music - Tracking the Spiritual Roots of Pop from Plato to Motown." According to Rudinow, during the 1960s the term became a signifier of solidarity within the African American community in the struggle for Black power and civil rights. It was adapted into everyday manner of cultural production and expression. It stemmed from cuisine hence soul food, to hairstyles like soul patch and afros and special recognition handshakes leading into soul brother (Rudinow 2010). From fashion to music, the fashion and hairstyles promoted connection with the motherland. Black people were wearing afros, dashikis, and the colors of the pan-African flag. They began expressing themselves based on their own agendas and did not abide by the limitations set by white America. Song lyrics promoted Black unity. Along with the movement, artists discussed the social and political conditions of Black Americans and also offered solutions. They were entering into the mainstream of the American society as politicians and spokesmen (Maultsby 2004). Musicians in addition to Marvin Gaye such as James Brown and Sam Cooke all focused on Black pride and the struggle within their music. Songs like “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown and “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke  both have the theme of Black pride. 

Overall, soul was more than a genre, it was a way of life that helped shape and redefine African American’s identity in America.

Marvin Gaye created music that spoke to a very sensitive time in Black history. He shed light on the African American fight for freedom and equal treatment as citizens in America through his “What’s Going On?” album. He used his platform to speak to the masses about these issues and showed his support. He also indirectly influenced the soul movement that emerged in the Black community alongside soul music. This movement, like his music, promoted unity and cultural awareness throughout the Black community similar to the Black Power Movement. The soul genre and Marvin Gaye’s music has a lasting impact on America musically and socially. Soul music never died and neither has the fight for justice.

Works Cited

Brown, Kimberly, and Helen Lopez. "Biography - Marvin Gaye." Marvin Gaye. 2012. Accessed October 20, 2015. http://www.marvingayepage.net/biography/.

Carter, Christopher. "What Are the Characteristics of Soul Music?" EHow. Accessed November 4, 2015.

"Featured Artists That Brought the Motown Sound to Life." Motown Museum. Accessed November 4, 2015.

Gaye, Marvin, Renaldo Benson, and Al Cleveland. "Marvin Gaye – What's Going On." Genius. Accessed October 21, 2015.

Kahn, Ashley. "'What Is Soul?' New Faces Have Answers." NPR. September 2, 2008. Accessed November 4, 2015

Katzif, Mike, and David Ritz. "Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On': Songs We Love." NPR. Accessed October 20, 2015.

"Marvin Gaye - Motown Sound Featured Artist." Motown Museum. Accessed October 20, 2015.

"Marvin Gaye, 'What's Going On' - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time." Rolling Stone. Accessed October 21, 2015.

Maultsby, Portia K. "Soul Music: Its Sociological And Political Significance In American Popular Culture." The Journal of Popular Culture 17, no. 2 (2004): 51-60. Accessed November 17, 2015. http://www.lalev.co/Soul Music Its Sociological and Political Significance in American Popular Culture.pdf.

Messbauer, Sarah. ""A Change Is Gonna Come" - Motown and Soul During the Civil Rights Movement." Lecture, Class Lecture, UC Davis, Davis, November 10, 2015.

Nero, Mark. "The Definition of Soul." About.com Entertainment. Accessed November 3, 2015

Rudinow, Joel. "Soul Music - Tracking the Spiritual Roots of Pop from Plato to Motown." University of Michigan Press. 2010. Accessed November 17, 2015.

ushistory.org. “Black Power” U.S. History Online Textbook. 2015. Accessed November 25, 2015.

[ucdmus282015]

Escaping the Archetype: It is Not All About the Android

 By Nioami Nemo 

       Visionary artist Janelle Monáe continues to surprise spectators with her suit and bowtie fashion, updo hairstyles, red lipstick, and fascination with androids. Starting with Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase), Monáe takes her fans to a unique world where her android alter-ego Cindi Mayweather falls in love with a human, named Anthony Greendown, and is ostracized by the droid community. Then, in 2010, she danced her way to the top of the charts with her first major single “Tight Rope” and pushed out her debut album The ArchAndroid. Three years later, in 2013, she followed up with The Electric Lady, which features Prince, Miguel, Erykah Badu, and Solange. Cindi Mayweather and the android community create a bigger picture than a theatrical short film. The human-like robots represent the humans pushed to the outskirts of society. “Whether it be for race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other flavor of ‘different,’ or as Monae puts it, ‘the other’” (Carson 2013) her music is inspiration for all. Janelle Monáe inspires the Other to embrace their uniqueness.

Courtesy of http://myfreeconcert.com/nyc/event/03/26/2015/Samsung-Galaxy-presents-Janelle-Monae/10014/ 

     Ideas of similarity and difference are central to our identity and social acceptance. Biologically, men and women are different. But socialization, process by which humans learn about the social world, shapes our ideas about what it means to be a man or woman. According to social theorist and feminist Simone de Beauvoir, women in society are categorized as the Other with reference to men. The concept of the Other shows how society creates a sense of belonging and social status by constructing social categories. Simone de Beauvoir said, “Otherness is a fundamental category of human thought. Thus it is that no group ever sets itself up as the One without at once setting up the Other over against itself”(Beauvoir 23). Social identities have some sense of exclusivity. They are not natural because they represent an established social order. Social institutions such as schools, the media, family, and the law tell us how we should be and not recognize our true self. Due to social identities and gendered oppression, sexism and gender discrimination affect women’s lives in the music business. Gender discrimination involves treating someone wrong because of his or her gender, and sexism is the ideology that one sex is superior to another (Zuleyka).

     In the 1960s, the identification of women as an oppressed group united women around the nation. Although there were many disagreements to the primary causes of oppression, gender conflict became the most basic form of human conflict. By the 1970s, a growing understanding of the diversity of both gender and identification led to the separation of domestic work and public sphere as the most significant boundary in society. As women continued to accept domesticated roles, men directed their time towards political activities outside the home. So women were seen as illegitimate and disruptive to agendas in the public sphere. “By the late 1980s, an increasing emphasis on sexual, racial, ethnic, and class awareness brought with it the recognition that the grand narratives [in feminism] obscure the very real differences between women and indeed, the various forms that sexism can take” (Whiteley 2). Thus the concept of ‘post’ implies a process of change. For feminist, they shift from recognizing only ‘equality’ to ‘difference,’ ‘otherness’ and ‘plurality’ where gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age are all relevant to someone’s social identity.

    Gender discrimination and sexism continues to exist because of socialization. One of the biggest culprits for spreading sexism is the media. Media possess the power to heavily influence humans’ perceptions. Julie Burton, president of the Women’s Media Center said, “[Sexism in the media is a major issue.] It is broader than politics, it’s our culture and it’s a culture that views women often as objects”(Gryboski). If people did not have to live for gender expectations, imagine how much happier people would be. Feminism in the music industry is an ongoing act. As a simple definition, “Feminist :  [is] a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes” (Adichie 2013). Since this dictionary definition is quite general, Nigerian Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, “Feminist: [is a] man or woman who says ‘Yes, there is a problem with gender as it is today, and we must fix it. We must do better’.” Black women in the pop and hip hop industry show their fight for equality. Beyonce is known to defy all the stereotypes of women. As a mother, Grammy award-winning artist, and wife she is truly an inspiration. Today, there is much controversy about Beyonce as a feminist because she freely showcases her curves and beauty. But who says you have to hide your body to be a feminist? Critics who disapprove of Beyonce’s feminist ways may miss some of her feminist moments. In many of Beyonce’s videos, she is completely aware and in control of her body. In addition, Nicki Minaj may not appear as a feminist to many, but she is a headstrong person in the male dominated hip-hop industry. Now, Janelle Monae may not wear leotards or show off her personal assets to make a statement, but she is still part of the bigger picture: embracing yourself and not comparing yourself to the media’s standards.

Courtesy of https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Janelle_Monáe_-_The_Electric_Lady_(Target).png

      The theme in The Electric Lady revolves around accepting yourself. This album is very empowering because it deals with a world where “these electric ladies were realizing their super powers, doing self-realization into self-actualization, and nurturing the community through their gifts and their unique perspectives on life”(Graff 2013). The electric ladies represent a new breed of confident women. In one notable funk based track “Q.U.E.E.N” featuring Erykah Badu, Monáe delivers a powerful rap segment. She said, “March the streets/ cuz I’m willing and I’m able/ Categorize me,/ I defy every label!” The phrases create a vibe for freedom. This song encourages people, who have felt ostracized from society, understand that it is ok to be different from the norm. Specifically, this song was made for all the marginalized and ostracized people in America. “Q” represents the queer community, “U” for the untouchables, “E” for the emigrants, “E” for the excommunicated, and “N” for those labeled as negroid (Benjamin 2013). The Electric Lady is different than her previous works, but it is equally inspirational and the best indicator that Monáe still knows how to break all the rules in the music industry.

     Janelle Monáe’s artistry is very unique. One musical piece that combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, and an imaginary world is the eccentric 8-minute orchestral piece “BaBobByeYa.” The track serves as the epic ending to the The ArchAndroid. The musical form of the piece contains three movements. Each movement describes the perspective of Anthony Greendown or Cindi Mayweather calling for each other.  The first movement opens the track with a description of Greendown’s and Mayweather’s love for each other. Despite the struggle of expressing their love in the public eye, the lyrics describe how their hearts will always carry love for one another. Specifically, at 1:48 Monáe extends her voice to emphasize the word BaBobByeYa. BaBobByeYa represents more than the ‘promise land.’ It is the nickname for someone’s significant other. When the second movement starts at 2:35 she begins to sing in Spanish. The Spanish lyrics strengthen the theme about love. Since the whole song is a love story, the Spanish lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song. Melodically, the song is very strong, and the Spanish lyrics during the second movement fit perfectly. Then, the third movement at 5:38, ends the song with a big bang. In movement three, Monáe decides to incorporate spoken word. Her words tell the story of how Cindi Mayweather and Anthony Greendown met. Then she ends with loud vocals to explain Mayweather’s vision of the future. She said, “I see beyond tomorrow/ This life of strife and sorrow/ My freedom calls and I must go/ I must go/ I must go/ I must go.” The lyrics stress Cindi Mayweather’s vision of a future where people will not judge others love. Love should be natural and the social group the person they love belong to should not decide where their heart should go. Mayweather envisions a future where android and humans can live with love and peace. But in order to achieve those possibilities, she must leave Greendown and carry on the fight alone. To make listeners feel a little more satisfied, Monáe tacks on a violin and piano based coda. The three movements support Monáe’s platform, which is to be an individual in the music industry. She strives to be creative and herself. The ArchAndroid and this song in particular present Monáe’s love for technology, science fiction, and just being outside the box.

     Janelle Monáe’s unique persona traces back to her upbringing. Monae grew up in a blue-collard family, and life was not an easy road. With her mother as a janitor, father as a trash man, and her step-father working at a post office, she had to help out. Monae said, “I did not come from middle class so I had to work hard. Once I got those opportunities to meat Sean Comb and work with Outkast, I said, ‘I am about to take this to the moon.’ Country girls like myself don’t get these opportunities.”(Latifah). Her family background influences her style. She is not afraid to be bold and herself. The 29 year old has crafted a unique persona with her distinctive look: upturned crowned hair, red lipstick, and black – and – white tuxedos. “As an artist to remain in control of your ideas, experimenting with my hair [and] experimenting with my clothes I think I decided I was going to wear uniform to pay homage to my parents who wore uniforms. Putting on those uniforms keeps me connected to the community,” said Janelle Monae (Teen Vogue). Janelle’s upbringing influenced her vision as an artist. In a world where gender roles and sexism are present, creating your own persona in the music world may be difficult to accomplish. Janelle Monae uses her past experiences and platform to inspire others to fit into their own mode, and not what the social world believes one should do. In her own words, “I represent the other and those who feel they don’t even want to be normal. They embrace the things that make them unique. Whenever I can [I want to] reach that young person and inspire them to go after their dreams, start their own movement”(Vickers).

     Women in popular music have the opportunity to be catalyst for equality and spread awareness about discrimination in a male dominated industry. Artists, within their respective genres, such as Janis Joplin, Madonna, and Joni Mitchell’s “contribution to popular music – not least in opening doors to the next generation of women musicians – is equaled only by their personal struggle against the inherently sexist attitudes that underpin the ‘material world’ of the music industry” (Whiteley 1). In the twenty-first century, the wealth of Beyoncé, Adele, Jessie J, and Ariana Grande suggests there is a better outlook on the artist side of the music business, but statistics show women are still experiencing gender discrimination on the creative and business side. “Creative and Cultural Skills report that the gender divide across all music industry related jobs is 67.8% male and 32.2% female” (Baker). The gender imbalance limits females role in the industry and if they are music artist, creatively.

     Visionary artist Janelle Monáe is one of the few stars not reliant on sexuality to sell records. Sexuality describes sexual identity, attraction, and experiences that may or may not align with someone’s sex and gender. Sexuality is socially scripted because it is learned and acted out within a given social context. Historically, white women, as a social category, have been portrayed as examples of self-respect, self-control, and sexual purity, but black women were often (and still are) portrayed as promiscuous. One of the first caricatures of African American women is Jezebel. Jezebel is the “promiscouous female with an insatiable sexual appetite”(Yarbrough). Jezebel’s actions exemplify lust, and appear appealing and openly seductive. The sexual myth of Jezebel functions as a tool for controlling African American women (Yarbrough). The roots of jezebel have negatively affected black women’s identity in the music industry. Since businesses use sex and sexuality to publicize their artists and sell music, black female artists, specifically, are limited to how much they can control their public image. The Jezebel stereotype, which evolved during slavery, continues to exist today. It contributes to black women’s lack of creative freedom in the music industry. Janelle Monáe continues to defy the hyper-sexualized female songster by wearing her black and white uniform and creating songs that address issues about acceptance.

     Janelle Monáe takes acceptance to a whole different dimension. She is extremely creative because she applies the ideas of Afrofuturism to her own craft. Afrofuturists seek to reimagine the future in a cross-culutural context. They explore the future by using various mediums (including science fiction, visual art, and music) as both an artistic aesthetic, expression of critical race theory and imagining a future with the lens of African diaspora (Pezanoski-Browne). Monáe highlights the ideas of Afrofutrism from a different angle. She transcends racial boundaries, which takes Afrofuturism away from being a black only aesthetic. Monáe uses the concept of the Other to connect with those who value acceptance for all. Acceptance for all is a heavy concept because it requires society to go through a social change. A social change “refers to the transformation of culture, behavior, social institutions, and social structure over time” (Barkan). There are five basic types of societies. The five are: hunting and gathering, horticultural and pastoral, agricultural, industrial, and postindustrial. When analyzing the difference between all of these societies, one can understand the ways in which each society becomes more modern. Modernization refers to the process of becoming more contemporary. Janelle Monáe’s theme for her published work revolves around advancement in technology and improvement in people’s behavior. Her alter-ego Cindi Mayweather kept fighting for independence and hoping for change in the android-human community. Mayweather wanted her droid community to accept her love for the human, Anthony Greendown. She wanted to show love has no boundaries.

     Another theme in Janelle’s album was love. Love can represent so many different meanings and understandings: sexual love, intimate love, companionate love, romantic love, friendship love, love for places, belongings, views (Carter). Love is interesting because it has a significant impact on our culture. Because love is something that we do not know, we have to investigate what role it plays in people’s lives. Love has a lot of power because it reflects how humans interact with one another. The way we can study love is by investigating cultural representations and understanding the structuring and organizing principles of love (Carter). The love between Cindi Mayweather and Anthony Greendown represented a relationship between two people that never judged one another. Regardless of their social category, Mayweather and Greendown looked beyond their social limits. Love has no conditions. Love accepts all people.  

     So where do we go from here? Sexism and gender discrimination in the music industry is a consequence of our culture. What matters the most is human’s attitude and how they see gender. Janelle Monáe’s music shows change is possible. Her music serves as a voice for the ostracized and oppressed groups in America. Oppression creates injustice, and I believe humans can remake and change their actions. We can think of a better, different, and fairer world. “Culture does not make people. People make culture” (Adichie 2013).

                                                Works Cited

Adichie, Ngozi Chimamanda. “We Should All be Feminists.” Online Video Clip.    YouTube, 12   April 2013. Web. 14 November 2015.

Barkan, E. Steven. “Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Brief Edition, v.1.1” Flat World Education : n.p.. Web. 27 November 2015.

Baker, Lara. “Women In the Music Business: Mind the Gender Gap. Huffpost. Huffington Post UK: 2013. Web. 22 October 2015.

Beauvoir, de Simone. The Second Sex. 1952. New York: Knopf, 1980. Print.

Benjamin, Jeff. “Janelle Monae Says ‘Q.U.E.E.N ‘ is for the ‘Ostracized and         Marginalized’.”fuse.tv. FUSE, LLC : 18 September 2013. Web. 4 November       2015.

Carter, Julia. “The Sociology of Love.” thesociologicalreview.com. The Sociological Review Publication: 2015 Feb. 8. Web. 27 November 2015.

Carson, Erin. “Five Reasons Janelle Mona Isn’t Your Average Sci-Fi Fan. Consequenceofsound.net. n.p. : 9 September 2013.  Web. 4 November 2015. 

Graff, Gary. “Janelle Monae Talks ‘Electric Lady’ Origins & Prince Collaboration.”Billboard.com: 09 September 2013. Web. 14 November 2014.

Latifah, Queen. “Janelle Monae Talks Self – Cofidence and Peace | The Queen Latifah Show.” Online Video Clip. YouTube, 2 Dec. 2014. Web 22 October 2015.

Gryboski, Michael. “Sexism in American Media a ‘Widespread Problem,’ Says Expert.” Christianpost.com. n.p.: 2013. Web. 22 October 2015.

 Pezanoski-Browne, Alison. “Interview with Ytasha Womack on Afrofuturism and the World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy.” bitchMedia: 2013 Nov. 18. Web. 27 November 2015.

Teen Vogue. “The Secret to Janelle Monae’s Hair and Her Awesome Life Motto – Breakfast with Bevan – Teen Vogue.” Online Video Clip. YouTube, 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 22 October 2015.

Vickers, Brittany. “Janelle Monae: ‘Silence is our enemy, and sound is our weapon’.”cnn.com. CNN : 2015. Web. 22 October 2015.

Whiteley, Sheila. “Women and Popular Music: Sexuality, Identity, and Subjectivity.”n.p.. 2000. Print.

Yarbrough, Marilyn and Crystal Bennett. “Mammy Jezebel and Sistahs.” The University of Dayton: 2015 Feb. 8. Web. 27 November 2015.

[ucdmus282015]

Killer Mike

Jeminat Okolo

Mus 28

Sarah Messbauer

Music is an important part of one’s culture. The two have an interactive relationship where culture influences the music associated with it and the music in turn, influences the culture. This can be exemplified during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Music reflected the desperation and hope African Americans felt during that time but it was also used as tool to rally people for a common cause (Bonnette, 2012). This type of relationship can be seen in the music of contemporary artist, Killer Mike. This is significant in the context of today’s culture because he promotes the discussion of race in America and strives to educate and share his opinion with others. Like the blues artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he brings the problems of societies to light. He states in an interview with National Public Radio,

"I'm a black man who grew up in America. I'm a father of four children. They don't all have the same mother. I own a business. I see the societal ills and woes on the news everyday just like you. And rap has given me voice to talk about all these things in a very honest, simplistically complex way” (Render, NPR, 2014).

He wants to tell a story using rap a medium as he sees it is the best way to freely convey his message. Also, since he is an African American male and identifies with the culture, he believes his perspective in his music should resemble that of an African American Male (Wilson, 2014, pg 26).

This sets the context in which Killer Mike’s music is performed. A large amount of his music is socially charged drawing from actual current events. He says he writes for the “ordinary people” which would be the individuals who live in the inner cities and anyone else who do not hold a position of power in our society (NPR, 2014). He writes to inform and educate his audience as well as act as an advocate for the black community. His musical identity is closely related to this notion. His latest album is called R.A.P. Music in which the R, A, and P stand for Rebellious African People which ties into his activism through music. Hs songs are blunt and upfront so he doesn’t take away from his message. He mainly uses samples and lyrics to add the story telling element to his music. For example, to add to the story that “Don’t Die,” which is from the R.A.P. Music album, is trying to convey, a part of comedian Dick Gregory’s comments on police brutality is used in the beginning as a set up to the topic.

The sample calls on the black community to question the movement of the police. This sets up the tone for the song since it is entirely about questioning the acts of police and not tolerating what the heinous acts that he has been witnessing being done by them.

“…And the only reason they do us what they do cause you tolerate it. Ok, I’m not telling you don’t chastise these young men! But Iain’t see you chastise the police!!” (Gregory, “Don’t Die” 2012)

This is an intro that allows for Killer Mike to use the rest of the song as a piece on questioning the police which is a form of resistance.  

“I woke up this morning to a cop with a gun

Who told me that he looking for a nigga on the run

I thought for a second and I screwed my face

And asked them dirty pigs, Why the fuck you in my place?”

(Killer Mike, “Don’t Die” 2012)

Gregory calls the black community to stand up for themselves and call attention to the actions of police and Killer Mikes responds by doing just that in the storyline of his song.

 Reagan,” from the same album as “Don’t Die” uses the beginning sample in a similar way.

This song uses a part of speech addressed to the nation Ronald Reagan gave on November 13th, 1986. The speech discussed the claims that the government helped sell weapons to Iran in exchange for hostages as well as funding for the Contras, which are rebel groups in Central America. Similar to the sample from “Don’t Die,” this sample set up the tone of the song. The scandal involving Iran and the Contras created distrust in the American Government which is relevant to the song since the lyrics negatively critique Reagan.

Both of these samples bring the issue of race in America right to the forefront of the songs. As a person listening to these songs they are instantly made aware of the issues. Killer Mike is intentionally saying that these issues demand attention.

Along with samples to evoke tone and opinions, Killer Mike’s lyrics engage in signifying. Signifying is a form or verbal wordplay that contrasts denotative and connotative meaning (Messbauer, 2015). It is based on a character call the signifyin monkey who used wordplay to outsmart his opponent, the lion. Signifying can be seen in songs like “Early” from Run the Jewels, the rap duo Killer Mike is apart of.  

If you look closely at the verse below, one can see how signifying conveys a certain tone to his music.

“It been feelin’ like the life that I’m livin’ man, I don’t control

Like every day I’m in a fight for my soul

Could it be that medicine’s the evidence

For pigs to stop and frisk me when they rollin’ round on patrol”

(Killer Mike, “Early” 2014)

 Pigs in the context of the song connotatively refers police officers instead of the animals one would find on the farm. “Rollin’ round on patrol” continues to further enforce the pigs/police officer analogy by equating patrols to pigs rolling around in mud. This metaphor is signifying Killer Mike’s disgust of the behaviors some police officers are engaging in. It is meant to conjure up a mental image that makes dirty cops and dirty pigs synonymous and convey his opinion of police officers but not in a way that is obvious.

“Reagan” is another example of his use of signifying that portrays his opinion but also educates the audience. This song critiques the war on drugs that was at its peak in the 1980s and 1990s and offers his view on some of the consequences of the war.

 “But thanks to Reaganomics, prisons turned to profits

Cause free labor is the cornerstone of US economics

Cause slavery was abolished, unless you are in prison

You think I am bullshitting, then read the 13th Amendment”

 Depending on knowledge of the subject, the term Reaganomics, convict labor, or the specifics of the 13th Amendment might not be familiar to the listener. Simply mentioning these terms and laws bring the listeners who are not as aware to the level of the listeners who know these systems existed. This is how Killer Mike educates through his lyrics. Now uninformed listeners have a starting point if they desire to learn more about these issues. The journalist, Michelle DeArmond, would call these types of lyrics “the urban newspaper of the inner city” while citing Killer Mike as the editor of said paper (DeArmond, 1996). He is composing stories on significant issues to inform those who would not necessarily have access to this information.

             While the editor and newspaper metaphor is a sound comparison, Killer Mike possesses bias that cannot be reflected in official news due to them having a standard of neutrality. As a rapper, Killer Mike is not held to the same standard so he can interject his perspective while educating his listeners. Still drawing from the musical example, “Reagan,” here are some lyrics that offer a biased perspective on the war on drugs.  

  “They declared the war on drugs like a war on terror

But it really did was let the police terrorize whoever

But mostly black boys, but they would call us niggers

And lay us on our belly, while they fingers on they triggers.”

Killer Mike is giving his interpretation of history and trying to combat the worship of Reagan that he claims is sweeping across the country because it is still living in the shadow of his era (Wilson, 2014, pg 24). During parts of the rest of the song, he equates President Ronald Reagan to the devil because of the heightened villainization of drugs during his time as president.

This is the perspective of a black man who lived in that era and can be used to describe the experience of the African American male during that time. It is vastly different from the perspective of the United States government of the 80s and 90s. To that government, the war on drugs is just a crack-down on drug affiliated crimes. These two perspectives are almost the exact opposite of one another but since one belongs to an institution with power and the other belongs to a marginalized group, the former is the perspective that will be heard. But by putting the perspective of the marginalized group in the song, Killer Mike is “following a tradition of musicians who used their popularity and celebrity status to speak for those whose voices and concerns are often not considered” (Bonnette, 2012). These other musicians include people like Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye who released songs that critiqued the brutalization of African Americans during the Civil Rights era. What Killer Mike is doing is not a new concept but he inserts this concept into the modern context. In fact, one can easily draw connections between his music and the music from earlier genres such as the blues. This genre, or more specifically, Delta River Blues, traveled up the Mississippi River with former slaves migrating out of the south and bringing their sorrows with them. These blues songs were played on porches and in bars and told a story of troubles African Americans have gone through up to that point. Many of Killer Mike’s songs follow along the same pattern of detailing the troubles of young black people.

 “Pain in my eyes as I’m passing the place

Where they found Sean Bell and they shot him

Forty one times, he committed no crime

But I guess life ain’t Times Square”

(Killer Mike, “Anywhere But Here” 2012)

 Blues followed its artists everywhere they went. It brought the context in which the artists wrote the songs with them. Killer Mike’s lyrics works the same way. Songs like “Anywhere But Here” can be played in the areas that the song talks about: the inner cities of America. However, it is not restricted to the inner city. Like blues, Killer Mike’s music can transcend any setting as long as people are willing to listen to his social views.

The use of signifying can also be compared to the delta blues music. Signifying in his music is a call back to the Delta Blues era. Many blues artists used double entendres to convey different meanings in their songs and allowed musicians to talk about topics that would otherwise be taboo to talk about (Messbauer, 2015).

“Ain’t got no mama now

Ain’t got no mama now

She told me late last night,

you don’t need no mama no-how”  

The above lyrics is from “ Black Snake Moan” written in 1926 by Blind Lemon Jefferson, a delta blues artist. He is using signifying to say that his girlfriend dumped him the night before. She is represented by the word “mama” and the break up is represented by the last line. The entire song discusses his desire to bed another woman but does not say it in exact words which ties back to signifyin being used to bring up taboo topics.

Now Killer Mike’s lyrics aren’t necessarily taboo but the connection between blues and Mike can be drawn because his topics are controversial issues that cannot necessarily be discussed with ease. His version of signifying is simply used to express his opinions on social issues and help his audience form mental images about these issues for themselves.  

Outside of his lyrics being used to discuss issues, Killer Mike promotes discussion and education about racial tension through interviews that he has done. He is very vocal regarding these topics and has done several interviews on them. Many news outlets had Killer Mike as a guest when the shooting of Michael Brown occurred. Each interview was frank and offered advice. For example, in an interview with CNN published on December 1st, 2014, Killer Mike discussed what he thought were holes in Officer Darren Wilson’s account of the night he shot Michael Brown in alleged self- defense. It is a common narrative echoed by many before Mike, but he followed it with advice about how to be a better ally which can be seen as a way to bridge the gap between white and black Americans. He encouraged people to engage in different experiences to help them understand what others are going through. By doing this, Killer Mike is using his time on the air to urge people to be better allies for one another.

Killer Mike also use his actual performance to discuss the same issues with his listeners. In the video that was shown in the CNN clip, one can see how affected he is by the grand jury’s decision involving the Michael Brown Case. He uses this feeling to connect to the crowd and lament along with them. Even though he educates and voices his opinions, talking on stage and with interviews shows how he is also a part of the movement. He is on the same level as the inner city child that is listening to his “Reagan” lyrics. This makes him significant in that regardless of his platform, he can relate to his listeners and feel the same pain he is going through with them.

 Works Cited

Bonnette, Lakeyta M. "BLACK POLITICAL ATTITUDES AND POLITICAL RAP

MUSIC 1." Ethnic Studies Review (2012). pg 157-0_12

 CNN. 2012. “‘Killer Mike’ breaks down over Ferguson” Rapper “Killer Mike” blasts Ferguson

officer Darren Wilson. Accessed November 18th, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67X8yMIEoSU

 Crawford, Nicole. “Characteristics of Rap Music.” eHow. 2015. Accessed November 3, 2015. http://www.ehow.com/list_6762987_characteristics-rap-music.html.

 DeArmond, Michelle. "Rap Music Charting New Course." Sentinel (1996). pg B, 3:3.

 Killer Mike. 2012. “Reagan” R.A.P. Music. Williams Street Recorders. MP3

 Messbauer, Sarah.2015. “Me and the Devil Walking Side by Side: Early Mississippi Delta Blues”

 National Public Radio. “Killer Mike: ‘Rap Has Given Me Voice.’” Accessed October 23,

           2015. http://www.npr.org/2014/11/28/366619092/killer-mike-rap-has-given-me-

Run the Jewels. 2014. “Early.” Run the Jewels 2. Mass Appeal Records. MP3

 Wilson, Joycelyn A.. “Render, R.A.P. Music, and "Reagan": Killer Mike & the Hip-Hop

           Imagination.” Art Papers Magazine. (2014): pg 22-27

[ucdmus282015]

Whitney Houston Leading The Way To Pop Mainstream For Future Divas

With striking beauty, confidence, charismatic stage presence, and pure, killer pipes, Whitney Houston’s dynamic range and versatility turned her into a crossover equally at home on the R&B, pop/dance and adult contemporary charts in the 1980s. Houston could traverse from fashion; she was one of the first black females modeling on the magazine Seventeen; she did music videos that kicked in the door; and she translated her pop and R&B stardom into movies.  For the post-Civil Rights generation, Whitney Houston is a successful crossover pop artist. She familiarized African American music aesthetics to mainstream audiences. In doing so, she has influenced an entire generation of diva singers to this day.

Whitney Houston, born and raised in Newark, New Jersey on August 9, 1963 grew up in a New Jersey middle-class setting and around many musical influences. Whitney had a very rich musical background: her mother, Cissy Houston, was a famous gospel singer; Darlene Love and Aretha Franklin were her godmothers (Browne, 2012).  Her own cousin was Dionne Warwick. Her musical career started in the choir at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church. From there she became a background singer for Arethra Franklin and Chaka Khan. Still her most lasting influence came from her own family and gospel music, which she sang all through high school.

Houston’s own experiences in Newark included watching the race riots of the 60’s erupt on streets in front of her house.  In music, the racial divide, while less violent, was no less stark.  White music and black music catered specifically to their own audiences, with sometimes the same songs being performed by both black and white artists.  Pat Boone had a national hit with his cover of Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti. There were crossover artists to be sure, whose supreme talent transcended racial bias.  But James Brown and Nina Simone’s crossover appeal was due to their hyper-racial posture.  In the post civil rights 70’s black artists kept their own music but their hits were segregated to their own R&B charts.  Crossover artists of the time, like Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations, were limited to white counter-culture, while female artists like Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Donna Summer were hyper-sexuallized limiting their mainstream appeal from teenagers and their parents who did not accept this.

Before the emergence of pop music, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Marian Anderson, Billie Holiday, and many female African American artists prior to Houston struggled through oppression and discrimination against their sexuality, race, and talent. Women for many years were objectified from their gender and ability/credibility as an artist. However, while music streams have been defined as “Black R&B/hip-hop” and “White rock,” and both categories have been dominated by men, racial and gender exclusivity in each market decreased during the 1980s. Two musical race markets vied for dominance in the commercial sphere to increasingly fuse into the popular mainstream. The 1980s remain an intriguing and unusual setting for Whitney Houston – an African American woman – to cast a spellbinding effect on the popular imagination (Shelton, 1995, 135). Even Houston knew how difficult it was to become an African American female artist: “To get into the music business and to actually have mass appeal, for a Black artist, it’s uncommon” (Chapelle, November 1991, 129). As a symbolic icon where race and class codes are mixed, Whitney Houston represents the dissolution of white and Black America during the 1980s.

At Houston’s debut in the 1980s, the racial divide in the music industry was still present. Race records and hillbilly records were labelled as “White Rock and “Black R&B” in which race was a central organizing category of how popular music was marketed and consumed. In the 80s, there was no longer separate black and white radio stations. Radio stations were created based on genres all going down racial lines and played race records and hillbilly records – soul radio stations, pop radio stations, and R&B radio stations.  Radio stations largely played only black music, and white radio stations largely played only white music. Televised music video productions were segregated by race and gender. During the early 1980’s, music video productions garnered televisual popularity in the promotion of rock music, a predominately white, male-voiced category (Shelton, 1995, 140). MTV at the time was harshly criticize for racism and discrimination because of the lack of videos by black artists screened on their channel. Michael Jackson broke down this color barrier with the release of his album Thriller in 1982. “These releases followed two landmark events that forever altered the scale and ambitions of pop: nationwide carriage of MTV and the triumph of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Though not all rock stars immediately embraced music videos, by 1984, MTV was affecting everything from advertising to fashion design to film” (Billboard, 2014, 1). However, “Houston was also one of the few young black women who maintained a high profile in the pop mainstream and thus also welcomed on MTV” (Gaar, 1992, 274-275). The video for her fourth song, “How Will I Know,” received heavy rotation on MTV. As one of the first black female artists to garner exposure on MTV, she knocked down racial barriers on the video front further pushing the door open to black music, like Michael Jackson (Mitchell, 2012). Whitney Houston was able to use the music video into a site for promotion, creativity, and self-expression as a female African American musician.

“As the industry solidified, so did sonic indications of race (musico-racial signifiers)” (Messbauer, 2015, “It Don’t Matter If Your Black or White”). Whitney Houston’s adopted glamourous crossover pop image transcends African American musical categories. Houston experienced criticism for lacking soul and “allegedly yearning to appeal more to whites and not wanting to be too Black” (Chapelle, November 1991, 129). Part of the reason why the black community criticized her is because her performance style mixes cultural signifiers by “creating a synergy between a Black voice and body and a white musical format and theatricality” (Rischar, 2004, 410). As a hyper/transracial artist, critics questioned which of her songs were authentic and inauthentic. Her black voice and body were hyperracially expressed to be authentic, but her performance and simple dance songs were transracially expressed as inauthentic. Her hits include a blend of African American traditions: gospel (“Greatest Love of All”), R&B (ballads such as “You Give Good Love,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Saving All My Love for You”), hip hop/pop (“It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “How Will I Know”), and heightened speech segments and melisma from soul/gospel (“I’m Your Baby Tonight”).

Houston’s first 1985 album Whitney Houston was a phenomenal success in constructing young Whitney into a pop icon by crossing over into the mainstream. Before Whitney, it was rare to see a female African American artist receive significant airplay on MTV. The colorful video for “How Will I Know” received heavy rotation. Access to music videos allowed images of Houston’s body to complement her signature voice. Becoming more than a flat canvas, Houston’s icon became embodied through her voice and represented by a rapidly expanding visual culture (Shelton, 1995, 138). The context of her videos are significant in representing Whitney’s hyper/transracial artistry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3-hY-hlhBg

“How Will I Know” is a pop song containing a breathy-pop style singing from Houston’s 1985 album, Whitney Houston . Electronic instrument tracks of percussions and beats are created into a repeated upbeat syncopated rhythmic pattern that continues through the song. The drums, electric guitar, piano, and horns are also added into the song with individual intermittent solos. As Houston sings the first verse, the music video shows her entering a room of carnival mirrors and looking at herself. The mirrors present a distorted image of Houston’s body size and appearance. She stares into the mirror while singing, which seems as if she is speaking to herself and to the viewers who see the mirror image of Houston from the video. She uses the reflective mirror to communicate her efforts to empower the black female body in not only the female perception, but also in the resistance against the misperception of the media’s and male gaze of females. The mirrors also turn the spotlight on her own identity, and Houston expresses her own agency and self-determination through direct action. This direct action proves the ability of a Black woman to define her own identity and life outcomes (Emerson, 2002, 126).  At the end of the first verse, Whitney sings “When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love, ooo” and the last “ooo” resembles rhythm and blues/gospel emphasis on emotion and cries. During the chorus, there is repeated call and response between Houston and the background singers, as she shouts “How will I know” and they softly respond “Don’t trust your feelings.” Male backup dancers dance behind colored walls, casting shadows of enigmatic male bodies. Houston transracially conveys a similar idea from Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”: if there is really love, ethnicity – black or white – and appearance does not interlude. The shadows are important in popularizing the transracial interpersonal relationships because it focuses on an objective and deeper level perspective of who the person really is, rather than the surface/external outlook of the person (skin color). Houston also incorporates musico-racial signifiers, such as African American traditions of gospel, in her music and in the video. In the verse after the first chorus, Houston sings “How will I know if he really loves me/ I say a prayer with every heart beat,” while the video shows Whitney as the preacher standing above a “choir” of both African Americans and white. Here, Whitney and the background singers harmonize and project their voices together to produce a homogenous sound – a similar sound to gospel’s concept of “community making music.” She accents every word as if she is shouting and makes quick breaks between the words for a drum beat to fall in, which is syncopation between her lyrics/voice and the instruments. The syncopated drum beats are significantly representative of her lyrics, in which it implies the drum beats and her shouting emphasis on each word as a heart beat. The “choir” is dressed under one gospel choir robe, and they put their hands together as Houston conducts them to sing along to “I say a prayer with every heartbeat.” The choir of different races under one robe also conveys racial harmony and a sense of unity and love, especially how Houston transracializes African American gospel traditions with people of different ethnicities. Throughout the song, Whitney sings the last word of each line as a flat note or with falsetto, and again, makes quick breaks between words, possibly trying to clearly convey her lyrics to the audience. Near the end of the song, there is a short electric guitar solo in response to Houston, and then a horn solo. These solos are not only a musical response to Houston, but also reinforcing the same groove, soul, and emotion Houston was singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0oRnyXxIrY

Concurrent racial separation in the music industry required Whitney Houston to crossover a couple of times. As the black community criticized Houston for lacking authenticity, the white audiences taste changed and sought out music with stronger black roots. Whitney and her producers ironically decided to make an album that would encompass more African American musical techniques than her first colorful pop song "How Will I Know." “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (Houston, I’m Your Baby Tonight , 1990) was Houston’s attempt to satisfy both black and white audiences. The instruments she used are electronic tracks of beats, strings, percussions, the tambourine, and a keyboard. She uses many gospel and soul/funk aesthetics such as broad pitch ranges and melisma. There is an emphasis on the first beat, however, Houston incorporates this soul technique with her voice rather than an electronic track of an instrument. The melisma she integrates when singing certain words in her lyrics is very similar to scatting; she sings “I feel like an angeeeelll~, who just started to fly” with melisma and this affects how her change in pitch sounds like an angel who just started to fly.  During the last verse, Houston sings “Looks like I’m fatal, It’s all on the table/And baby you hold the cards, You got the magic And I’ve got to have it…And I’ll be your baby tonight.” Here, she sings at a very upbeat fast pace, and this fast tempo is similar to bebop styles.

Whitney Houston proved to America that she embodied the black voice and the black female body because of her own desire to be the master of her own destiny. This desire/dignity to appeal to both races – black and white – empowered her public persona and her strength to be a black female superstar in the stereotypical mainstream. Whitney Houston opened the doors for many contemporary female pop artists – white and black – by challenging the label of a crossover into popular American mainstream as an active hyper/transracial artist. She introduced black musical characteristics to mainstream pop, and by extension to a wider white audience, thus paving the way for other artists. “The quality of her voice and her ability to cross over to every listener and ‘connect on a human level in a way that affected everybody’ paved the way for many of today’s renaissance artists” (Kaufman, 2013). “She made the aesthetics of black female vocalizing once and for all not only mainstream (as Aretha Franklin had done in the late ‘60s by way of her uncompromising Muscle Shoals soul) but also accessible to the masses, across age groups (the very young and the old who maybe didn’t groove to ‘Bad Girls’ at Studio 54; the teens and 20-somethings who saw a Seventeen magazine model girlfriend in the singer), and across racial groups, by delivering the good news of the gospel melisma in shiny pop music deemed ‘universal’ rather than ‘distinctly African-American’” (Brookes, 2012).

Her bubblegum appeal in her music videos led her to a casting in a lead of the movie The Bodyguard. This is significant because it was the first time a black female actress was casted as a true romantic lead with a white man without racial consideration. The cast showed transracial acceptance for this interracial pairing, unusually seen in previous movies/castings. Before, black actresses struggled avoiding racial scrutiny when paired with white men (Shelton, 1995, 144).  Her various national exposure through media – MTV, movies, magazines, and radios – encouraged many young aspiring contemporary artists to earn superstardom. The artists she influenced will continue her legacy.

Houston’s authenticity as a female African American hyper/transracial artist cannot be questioned when she cover’s Dolly Parton’s country-version “I Will Always Love You” and her revision of the Star Spangled Banner sung at the Super Bowl XXV. These two examples are significant in appropriating a white, traditionally American/European song into an African American musical emblem. “I Will Always Love You” and the revision of the Star Spangled Banner contains African American musical traditions, such as melismatic notes, flatted notes, melodic improvisations, and an elevated sense of energy and emotion – all incorporated in gospel, R&B, and soul. Houston’s gospel influenced version of the national anthem changed white America’s acceptance of black culture, and how the white anthem would be sung by both white and black artists, such as Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé, in a traditional African American manner. For many years, artists would sing the Star Spangled Banner with varied pitches and vibrato that connotes none other than blackness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNM5HW13_O8

Houston inspired many contemporary pop artists such as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé Knowles. Two artists – black and white females – Beyoncé Knowles and Lady Gaga, along with many artists, have named Houston as a big influence on their careers. Lady Gaga said at the 2011 Grammys, “When I wrote ‘Born This Way,’ I imagined her singing it, because I wasn’t secure enough in myself to imagine I was a superstar” (OWN, 2012). In Lady Gaga’s song, she also touches on a similar theme conveyed in Houston’s song “It’s Not Alright, But It’s Okay” and “How Will I Know” – speaking out against the hegemony in stereotypical female bodies and womanhood. Beyoncé was inspired by Houston as a little girl and wanted to be just like her (Beyoncé, 2011). We see how Beyoncé also challenges the “diva” label of superstardom in her song “Diva” (Knowles, I Am…Sasha Fierce , 2008). Houston hyper/transracially expressed her dissatisfaction for the constructed public persona of a diva, but Beyoncé speaks out directly by defining the word “diva”: “a successful and glamourous female performer or personality// especially: a female singer who has achieved popularity <pop diva>” (beyonceVEVO, 2009). Beyoncé highlights the development of double consciousness as a pop star by performing the song in a glamorized costume appearance and displaying dance moves that coherently mocks society’s definition of a superstar. She also mocks this paralyzing double consciousness of how the mainstream views her as an artist by posing with gold mannequins.  This glamorization portrays excessive sexuality of the Black woman, like how Houston depicted in the song “Greatest Love of All.” When Beyoncé burns the pile of mannequins at the end of the video, she also projects the diva as a “bad man” figure refusing to subject to society’s definition of a superstar. Houston hyperracialized black women’s sexuality to “exemplify a process of negotiating those contradictory and conflicting notions, and more significantly, represent an attempt to use the space of the music video to achieve control over their own sexuality” (Emerson, 2002, 128).

From the 1980s to the early 21 st century, Whitney Houston’s songs were hits all around the world, and American culture changed drastically. Crossing over into the mainstream meant a whole new black experience for African American artists and for the way visual media would construct Houston’s beauty, performance, and musicality. She was successful in garnering attention from the white and black community, because her voice had so much emotion and she could give a song a feeling that anyone could relate to. The mainstream may have gained critiques about her music being too white, but the most powerful instrument Houston used was her voice – melismatic, soulful, and precise. She represented the ability to use black music aesthetics in however way she wanted – hyperracially and transracially. Contemporary female pop stars followed Houston’s footsteps to superstardom.  

Works Cited:

"1984: Pop Music's Best Year Ever." 2014.Billboard - the International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment, Nov 01, 50-61. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1636127846?accountid=14505.

Brooks, Daphne A.. 2012. “I’m Every Woman: Whitney Houston, the Voice of the Post-Civil Rights Era.” TheNation. Feb 14.

http://www.thenation.com/article/im-every-woman-whitney-houston-voice-post-civil-rights-era/

Browne, David. 2012. "WHITNEY HOUSTON: The Diva and Her Dark Side." Rolling Stone, Mar 15, 30-37. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1030355554?accountid=14505 .

Chapelle, Tony. 1991. "The Three Faces of Whitney Houston." The Black Collegian - The Career and Self-Development Magazine for African Americans 22.2 (Nov. 1991): np.

Emerson, Rana A.. 2002. “"Where My Girls At?": Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos”. Gender and Society 16 (1). Sage Publications, Inc.: 115–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3081879.

Gaar, Gillian G. 1992.

“She’s A Rebel”

The History of Women in Rock & Roll.

Seal Press; New York.

Houston, Whitney. 1985. “How Will I Know.”

Whitney Houston. Arista Records, Inc. MP3.

Houston, Whitney. 1987. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).”

Whitney. Arista Records, Inc. MP3.

Houston, Whitney. 1998. “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

My Love Is Your Love.  Arista Records, Inc. MP3.

Houston, Whitney. 1990. “I’m Your Baby Tonight.”

Whitney Houston. Arista Records, Inc. MP3.

Kaufman, Gil. 2013. “Whitney Houston’s Influence Lives on In Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hudson.” MTV News, Feb 11. http://www.mtv.com/news/1701747/whitney-houston-influence/

Messbauer, Sarah. 2015. “It All Comes Back to This.”

Messbauer, Sarah. 2015. “We Shall Overcome.”

Messbauer, Sarah. 2015. “It Don’t Matter If Your Black or White.”

Mitchell, Gail. 2012. "WHITNEY HOUSTON: 1963-2012." Billboard - the International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment, Feb 25, 6-7. http://search.proquest.com/docview/993047026?accountid=14505.

Rischar, Richard. 2004. “A Vision of Love: An Etiquette of Vocal Ornamentation in African-american Popular Ballads of the Early 1990s”. American Music 22 (3). University of Illinois Press: 407–43. doi:10.2307/3592985.

[ucdmus282015]

The Legendary Roots Crew

Sara Ahmed

MUS 28

Sarah Messbauer

November 27, 2015

Word Count: 3,602

The Roots are one of the longest running hip hop groups in the genre. Not only did they bring their own sound to the music game, but they have been able to bridge gaps between different sounds while being able to compete with new age artists while always exploring with their talents and sounds. Though the Roots are better known as a hip hop group, the all of these instrumentalist are hard to be placed under one umbrella. The Roots are known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip-hop. Abandoning the usual hip hop formalities, their music is produced without any samples or previously recorded material. They feature live musical instrumentation, which is something that’s hardly being done in the hip hop world. The group later lays down the skeleton for neo-soul, which is another subgenre of hip hop. The brilliance of the Roots is that they're able to make contemporary, real-time titles and music that resonates with social issues as well as them all being real and true musicians. They also helped some of the most important artists of culture cultivate their own sounds. While shapeshifting through these rolls, the group even landed a gig that tests their talents every night. This kindred group is always moving and forever stands the test of time. 

Setting:

Who would've thought that one of the most prolific and important bands of our time would start with a small run-in at the principals office? Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) both met on their second day of freshmen year of school in 1987 at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. Questlove walks into the principal􏰀’s office for a lunch pass when Black Thought all of a sudden busts through the doors all because he gets busted by the school guards for engaging in “􏰁extracurricular􏰂 activities” with a ballerina student in the women’s bathroom. After getting to know one another, they learned that Questlove was a thorough drummer and Tariq was working towards being an MC. In this moment, they decided to create music together. What they had no idea of was that they were on to take on and make a huge impact in the hip hop world.

Questlove got into Juilliard Academy and Black Thought attended Millersville University where he met a bassist named Leon “Hub” hubbard, and rapper Malik B.Slowly but surely, the small group moved from street performances to playing at local clubs which helped them score a whole lot of street credibility and a huge underground buzz. With Questlove’s encyclopedic musical knowledge and Black Thought’s superb ways with words, they were in the game for the long run.

Do You Want More?!!!??! was the group's first major album which was released in 1995. The group performed at the new festival at the time, Lollapalooza, where they had the pleasure of introducing a crowd of largely alternative rock fans to their very own hip-hop sound. Around this time, the industry was in phase of oversampling, but their album had non! This gave them edge. They relied solely on live instrumentation and their team was full of strong players. Their live shows get even bigger at another performance at Lollapalooza as well as the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. These stages were made quintessential because the musical stylings of Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye have a;so blessed that very stage.

Illadelph Halflife’s release in 1996 was the group’s first album to break the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart. “Clones,” was their first single to reach the Top 5 on the rap charts, and “What They Do,”’s music video is acclaimed to be one of the most expressive and innovative visuals of all time. 

By 1999, the group has reached Platinum selling status thanks to the album Things Fall Apart which included the Grammy-winning hit single, “􏰁You Got Me” which features Eve and Erykah Badu and written by Jill Scott. What one found particularly interesting was the history of their jam sessions. While their commercial base was expanding, they created a safe space for up and coming artists. With the help of the Jazzyfatnastees and Jaguar Wright, they organized the musical salon Black Lily, where they had jam sessions that gave Beanie Sigel, Bilal, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli a boost in their soon to be exploding and important careers. Puff Diddy was even in attendance! 

The group took a two year break because they decided to take a more serious stance in music. Game Theory􏰀 was an album that focused on issues in the music business as well as political and social ills that were going on in the world all while making sure the tracks contained hard-hitting beats and grooves which contained samples from Sly Stone, the Ohio Players and the Jackson 5. The band also honors their late great friend and producer James Yancey (J Dilla) whose death from kidney failure in February which devastated the Hip-Hop world. The group honors Dilla in their album Dilla Joints where they cover some of their favorite dilla joints through live instrumentation

Sound:

From their 1993 release of Organix to their 2011 release of Undun, The Roots have remained one of the prolific and progressive Rap groups in contemporary music.

Since Questlove is a walking human music dictionary and Black Thought is swift with his verbiage, pushing the envelope in the music world was what they were meant to do. Along with their jazz-rap,hip hop, sound the group lays down the skeleton for “neo-soul”, which is another subgenre of hip hop. They currently feature a rapper, drummer, saxophonist, keyboardist, percussionist, guitarist, bass guitarist and sousaphonist.

Jazz rap is a subgenre of hip hop that developed in the late ‘80s and early 1990s. Jazz rap had it’s start in the streets as an underground favorite. The sound was much more positive and was a stylistic break from the hardcore gangsta rap that became popular in the 90s. The lyrics had a flow that complimented the hard drums and displayed an afrocentric political and conscious style which shed light to their historical and social awareness. According to AllMusic.com, jazz rap is a genre that "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the past with a newly dominant form of the present, paying tribute to and reinvigorating the former while expanding the horizons of the latter".  Sonically, the rhythms are typically ones that fit hip hop rather than jazz. The jazz comes in with the signifying, shout and response, and forestalling with the instrumentation. When it comes to improvisation, some groups improvise lyrics and solos, while some chose not to venture into that land.

Improvisation, syncopation, breaks, stops, and quoting are the main musical features of jazz that the Roots soaked up and applied to their early album Do You Want More?!!!??!. The group also incorporated egalitarianism, which is a New Orleans jazz styling where there’s one player on each instrument. Instead of a vocalist singing in blues notes, they had a rapper who usually spoke on social ill’s, love, and personal woes in chronological order. So, the music sounded like a story that you could sway to. They maintained the use of live keys which are rich and lush. The basses are nice and deep, the drums crisp, hard, clean, sharp and clear. The band always played with some playful filters like scatting along with the keys and harmonizing . There's also a lot of beat boxing in the production of some tracks on this, too. The band didn’t stick to one song formula, each song had it’s own feel and style but seemed to fit in. Sonata form was alive and well in their musical stylings. The songs usually consisted of 2 themes: a home key (I) and a dominant key (V) which helps the song contrast in mood and character. Their songs never maintained one theme, they changed keys, orchestration, harmonies. At times, it seemed like the instrumentation was unstable, but it somehow stayed right on cue. They would then reintroduce the main theme the song started off with, but the instrumentation was different.

In tracks like “Essaywuman?!!!??!”, they play with the whole idea of call and response. On this track, Black Thought was introducing the band/crew in a clever way: he methodically goes through each of the instruments the guys plays and beat-boxes/scats a quick riff for that instrument. The appropriate band member then plays back that same riff (which was just beat boxed/scatted) on the actual instrument. Black Thought (on the mic) would say, “Base check, 1,2 ” then the base would respond. He then says,“Keys check, 1, 2” and key play a note. He does this with all the band members. “Sit back ya’ll, just relax ya’ll” and the band would respond with the same words in their own ways. Here is where the old styling of spirituals would chime in. They had a heterogeneous sound ideal, where it was okay if the responders did not sound on key, as long as you felt the music. You can definitely tell that music making was a spiritual experience. It was like you were listening to them in concert and the whole band was having fun. The whole album, and this track in particular, has a real live, playful, feel to it which is what makes this album still as enjoyable to listen to to this day.

Phrenology was the Roots album that came out in 2002 which is where they forged their way into “neo-soul”. “Neo-soul” is a term coined in the 90’s meaning a mix between R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul and Jazz and was a soul revival movement. The term “neo-soul” was coined by Kedar Massenburg to market the new soul sound that was coming out of the contemporary hip hop and R&B world. Basically, to keep it real, a white man came and tried to label their sound. All of the artists that it this “group” didn't like it, just because they did it solely for the music. Elements that were incorporated range from from jazz, funk, and hip hop to pop, fusion, and even African music. It has has conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female and male vocalist presence. It earned great and fast mainstream success. 

Phrenology means the study of the shape size and making of the cranium which is a supposed indication of intelligence and character. The themes they spoke on was of the commodification of the hip-hop culture. This album shapes a relation between hip hop and the tail-end of “neo soul”. Musiq lends vocals on "Break You Off", the lead single which introduces a great blend of drum and bass and live strings. Black Thought’s rapping and Musiq's soulful singing is a perfect blend while the catchy melody keeps the audience listening closely while rocking their bodies. This song is smooth and transitions perfectly through their thematic breaks throughout the song. It's a beautiful melody that starts off with some euphoric keys then start to bring in some maracas and snares with a hard hitting beat. Black thought raps about about relationship woes, cheating while they both know she’s off limits. The song then takes a break from it’s original theme of beat and rap to a keyboardist lead where the notes make you feel like the song is on lift off, it then is the drummers turn to take the lead, then slowly transitions to the strings finishing off the songs. Each main instrument gets a solo in this track. “Neo soul” is meant to hit your soul and speak on things that one usually won’t say aloud while adding a soulful sound that will uplift you. Though this song came out in 2009, it’s still VERY relevant and played a whole lot, today.

In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Questlove shares that people in urban music are afraid to have the balls to get serious, they just wanna make a whole bunch of party tracks while neglecting worldly and real issues. Game Theory was a bit more of a darker, serious body of work. The album combines their progressive susceptibilities and profound, jazz influenced hip-hop into a more homogenous, meaning uniform, and cohesive recordings. This album touches on the war in Iraq to violence in music. They felt as if there was to much going on in the world and it didn't feel right to sit back and ignore it. 

This album cuts down on the length of the songs, call and response, and the heavy jazz influence. "In the Music" exemplifies the deeply textured nature of the album's production work along with a rolling and disturbing rhythm, throbbing bass, ringing percussion, tight spirals of the guitar that sounded reflective were all wound-tight by Porn's structures chorus and Black Thought's and Malik B.'s cypher-inspired deliveries. 

How I Got Over was the Roots most lyric-driven album. After their previous albums, this one album literally sounds like the light at the end of the tunnel. To me, the most important thing about this album is its purpose. Built in terms of showing one how to overcome. It alludes to gospel as well as being spiritual-minded. It isn't “religious” but it definitely shows the presence of a higher power. In this album, the Roots and the features on this album aren't afraid to show emotion like rage, frustration, as well as meekness-- to a point to where you forget that they're professionals and seem like you and I. They're not afraid to show humility and frustration when confronted with struggle, operating on the same level of humanity as the people who listen to it.

They basically want folks to grow and experience a mood progression. The sounds changed from defeated, angst-stricken piano-ballad’s to rebellious statements of survival and resilience, which is shown in "Radio Daze" ft. Blu, P.O.R.N., & Dice Raw. 

Significance:

The Roots helped give rise to some of the most important artists of our time. An example of there thirst for new sounds and experimentation is when the group asked their agency for three very specific things: a warehouse for jam sessions, new instruments, and a topnotch chef. He believed that with great food, women would come through. Most importantly, he knew that it would be a way  to entice other musicians to come play with them. In the late nineties, they ended up having the sessions in his home and before he knew it, there were round the clock emcee’s, singers, and artists in his home in South Philly. This was how South Philly’s “neo-soul” movement came about! Some of the people that were in these jam sessions were from The Roots, but most of the ones that came in and out, weren't. People that showed up to play were normal people who aspired for careers in entertainment-- anyone was welcome. A girl who worked at Jeans West decided that she wanted to sing, a girl named Jill Scott. Later the pizza delivery guy, Jamal, decided that he might want to take a chance on the mic because he thought that he’d have some vocals to contribute. This guy ended up being Musiq Soulchild. A young teen howling jazz songs beyond his time was Bilal. Then a stripper who aspired to be a rapper took her chance, this turned out to be Eve. Questlove’s friend brought over a girl with a guitar who turned out to become India.Arie. Also, Jasmine Sullivan was there-- a ten year old but sang with the soul of a grown woman. Common was also in attendance. The Roots basically helped lead these artists to at least eleven separate record contracts and endless praise.

Something that the Roots also greatly contributed to music was the formation of the Soulquarians.

Questlove realized that his friends J Dilla, and keyboardist, James Poyser, all had a love for “sickness” in their work. Offbeat rhythms, unorthodox chords, stacks of harmony-- just an overall rebellious revolutionary sound and attitude towards the status quo. He also realized that they were all Aquarians. In an interview with Vibe Magazine, Questlove says, “I’m a cynic when it comes to astrology… we knew it wasn’t just a coincidence. Perhaps the stars play a role in our genuine love for the unknown.” The Soulquarians were a collection of “neo soul” artists from the late 1990’s and early 2000’s that reshaped and added to the canvas of Black art. The members of this dream team consisted of ten legends: Questlove, Bilal, Common, Roy Hargrove, Pino Palladino, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, James Poyser, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and J. Dilla. From 1996 to 2006, the group made its magic at the Electric Lady Studios, which was founded by Jimi Hendrix. Many didn’t know that the studio was still in operation, but the studio didn't get this much use since the likes of Stevie Wonder and David Bowie. The Roots served as the “powerhouse” of helping these artists work come about. The Roots' Things Fall Apart (1999), D'Angelo's Voodoo (2000), Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun (2000), and Common's Like Water for Chocolate (2000).  In an interview for Spin Magazine, Common said that "It was one of those time period that you don't even realize when you're going through it that it's powerful".

The Electric lady studio had vibes that has every artist obsessed and never wanting to leave. The music that was made was magical and everlasting. The studio has been quieted down, but since they started working her, stars like Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, Eric Clapton, Chris Rock and Rick Rubin wanting to work with them. The Soulquarians knew that the work being made here at this time was going to be historical, so most of them ended up sleeping here for weeks at a time because they didn't want to miss any of the magic. Around this time, many of the artists starting getting into P-Funk (Psychedelic Funk). Many jammed out to Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton, Lord Zeppelin, Pink floyd, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye while trying to hone in their magic into their own sound. In an Red bull Music Academy interview, Russell Elevado says:

Questlove was the one who started bringing people there. He told everyone what was happening. He was the original Twitter before Twitter… He wanted them to catch the vibes he was getting at Electric Lady. It was this super organic, soulful, psychedelic vibe that he was getting. Electric Lady brought out a certain type of psychedelic vibe in D’Angelo and everybody else, including me.

Each artist had their own room as well as setup and this helped them gain confidence and really find their own sound. All the artists in the studio ran back and forth to different floors and rooms to help everyone out and give their own opinions. They all wanted to impress each other and it motivated a great generation of sound. In an article for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot describes the movement as them:

...creating a community of likeminded musicians forging a style that doesn't have a name yet. Organic soul, natural R&B, boho-rap--it's music that owes a debt to the old-school sounds…without mimicking any of them. It refreshes these traditions with cinematic production techniques gleaned from hip-hop and with attitude that is street- smart but above all highly individual, celebrating quirks instead of sanding them down for mass consumption. Instead of crooning about booty and blunts...these albums is idiosyncratic and personal, ranging from the spiritual crises of Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo and Maxwell to the socio-political concerns of the Roots and Mos Def.  

From Questlove and James Poyser making fun of common for losing an opera role to Mos Def by playing records that would hurt ending up turning into Bilal’s most famous song, a petty little beat contest with Questlove and J Dilla turning into a production on Common’s album, and asking to trade beats from each other's upcoming albums all are examples of the melting pot.

The Roots helped all these artists within the “neo soul” grouping by assisting them with their sounds, sampling, ideas, you name it. However, since the members were all so busy helping these artists, they never really got to take the sound that they basically created and put it into their own work. 

Today the Roots have a residency on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. For the first time, a hip hop group is the in house band for a national syndicated show. this platform, the group is able to reach a whole new audience as well as putting their professional abilities to the test. One thing that they do with incoming artists is play one of their songs with classroom instruments. They recently did this with Adele’s “Hello”.

The band started off with humble beginnings and have naturally and organically turned into one of the most influential beings in hip hop today.  They stuck to their guns and payed the music that they felt was right and never saved into commercial nothingness. These professional artists make conceptual albums that have a mission to uplift and make people think, and they have yet to fail. The band has been working hard for twenty-eight years and have still maintained the most distinguished collection of artists. They don't do it for the money or fame, but for the music. From assisting new up and coming artists , forming new genre’s, and making sure to conquer the underground world first assisted in their beautiful and flawless incline. The Roots have remained one of the prolific and progressive hip hop groups in contemporary music.

                                                   Works Cited

"Http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/jazz-rap-ma0000012180." All Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.

Breyton, Rebecca. "The Roots: History of the Hip Hop Band." WatchMojo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

Kot, Greg. "A Fresh Collective Soul." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. N.p., 19 Mar. 2000. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Nelson Jr, Keith. "Questlove Explains The Day Of "The Soulquarians' Funeral"" RSS. N.p., 13 May 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Peisner, David. "D’Angelo: What the Hell Happened?" SPIN. N.p., 5 Aug. 2008. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Questlove, and Ben Greenman. Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

"THE ROOTS HISTORY." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

Williams, Chris. "Red Bull Music Academy." Red Bull Music Academy. N.p., 1 June 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

[ucdmus282015]

Short Dog’s in the House

Darren Easterling

The opportunity to live in the Bay Area exposes you to a top tier life experience. The Bay Area is at the forefront of education as it is home to some of the most prestigious universities, in UC Berkeley and Stanford. Even in today’s technologically ran world, the Bay Area also hosts major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Twitter in the Silicon Valley. It even has proud ownerships of some of the best sports teams in America. Whether it be academia, technology, or sports, these aspects of the Bay Area not only make the Bay Area what it is, but are all at the top of discussion in their respective categories. However, one aspect of the Bay Area that is often overlooked is the individual musical talent, specifically in Rap and Hip-Hop. Too $hort, arguably the most recognized and successful Bay Area rapper of all-time, is often, disregarded when it comes to recognizing people that have made the Bay Area, Rap, and Hip-Hop what they are today. This is interesting however, because Too $hort continuously embodies throughout the years, the dominant perception of rap. Today’s dominant perception of rap defines it as negative “noise;” it is commonly said to promote a lifestyle of violence, excessive flashiness, and unhealthy sexual obsessions, thing’s Too $hort was accustomed to expressing through his songs, though was not the case for all of his songs. Though the majority of his music is very explicit, Too $hort has several songs that spread a positive or political message. This in turn enables many to reference Too $hort as one of the most influential rappers of all time [3].Through Too $hort’s sound, setting, and significance as an artist, are what made Oakland, the West Coast, and Hip-Hop what they are today.

First, I will analyze the physical conditions and limitatios that plagued many of the black communities throughout the United States. The current perception of rap in today’s media is nothing if at all positive. However, these perceptions disregard the role that white America played in creating poor socioeconomic conditions for black youth in the ghetto. It is important to note that Rap is a subcategory of Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is the term that encloses the practice of graffiti artists, break-dancers, turntablists (DJ’s), and emcees (rappers)[1].  Although Hip-Hop originated as a supplement to the New York party scene, rap’s earliest beginnings saw it as a resource for blacks to creatively and positively address their racial disparities. Rap came to the lime light during the mid 1980’s, when racial tensions on both coasts of the United States were at an all-time high. The black youth at the time read and listened to tapes of The Black Panther Party and Malcolm X, which as a result inspired a level of consciousness within the youth [citation]. The youth used rap as an outlet for expressing their anger and emotion on issues plaguing them from within their community, and from outside of their community (i.e., drug and gang violence, and institutional racism). Public Enemy, a black rap group from long Island, NY consisting of infamous MC’s Chuck D, and Flavor Flav, was known for their militant stance on these issues[1]. They aimed to instill a sense of political consciousness within the youth through their music.  Public Enemy was one of the first rap groups to reach mainstream success, after the release of the studio album “Fear of a Black Planet”. The album released one of the most politically influential songs of all time, “Fight the Power.” The song challenged the black community to oppose the institutionalized and internalized racism that limited them from reaching prosperity. One powerful line from the song “People, People we are the same / No we’re not the same / Cause we don’t know the game,” illustrates that although whites claimed to see the black person as an equal, there was still a level of ignorance in the racial disparities. “Fight the Power’s” political message carried the song and Public Enemy to a dynamic level of popularity with the black youth throughout the country, simultaneously raising black consciousness. This community-positive method of expressing rebellion to a higher power became a practice familiar with Rap on the East Coast. Rappers from New York’s coastal counterpart, Los Angeles, however, spread their political messages via a more aggressive route.

Blacks throughout the entire country faced similar socio-political struggles; racial and financial disparity, police brutality, and gang violence. While rappers from New York addressed these issues by spreading awareness and knowledge, rappers from the West Coast spearheaded these issues aggressively and explicitly. The various wrongdoings perpetrated against blacks ultimately lead to the formation of Gangster Rap, a genre of rap that is influenced by the gangster lifestyle. Gangster Rap first became popular with the Rap group NWA during the late 1980’s[6]. NWA brought to light a lot of the critical issues facing blacks in America, which were often disregarded and swept under the rug. “Fuck tha Police,” arguably NWA’s biggest and most controversial song, shines the light on police injustices. Fed up with the way they were treated by the ones who’s purpose was to protect them, NWA uses such lyrics as “Searching my car, looking for the product, thinking every Nigga is selling Narcotics,” simultaneously addressing two of the major issues at the time. One issue is the previously discussed racial profiling. The other issue is the major crack cocaine epidemic that plagued the major cities in the United States through much of the 1980’s and 90’s. While NWA’s efforts to bring social issues to light focused on the justice and racial systems present in the country, a certain rapper hailing from Oakland, CA by the name of Too $hort.  

The 1980’s were an eventful time for the black culture. Rap became a multimillion-dollar corporation during the 1980’s, Oprah started The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Reverend Jesse Jackson excited black people to vote[3]. Unfortunately, also during the 1980’s the United States experienced a nation wide crack cocaine epidemic that plagued major cities throughout the U.S. Between 1984 and 1985, the number of frequent users of cocaine jumped form 4.2 million to 5.8 million[4]. The communities most affected by crack cocaine were the African American communities. Crack cocaine was cheaper, more potent, more easily manufactured alternative to powdered cocaine. Similar to the racial disparities African Americans faced, the cocaine epidemic inspired black artists to express the effects it had on the black communities. Too $hort, a Bay Area rapper from Oakland, CA, witnessed first hand the effect of crack cocaine on arguably one of the most devastated cities.  In Too $hort’s music video for his song titled “The Ghetto,” he shines a light on the effects crack cocaine, and violence have on the community. The music video set in ghetto; the people look poor and depressed, and the houses are very shanty. In the video it lightly follows the experience of one woman. A person close to her was murdered on the street, and she turns to drugs to help ease her pain. Furthermore, Too $hort uses lyrics to explain the severity of the issues. The voice in the background, emphatically sings “People are dying in the ghetto.” Too $hort raps about women neglecting their children just to get an “H-I-T”. Sadly, this is much of the physical reality that people within the ghettos frequently faced. Now I will address the sound of Too $hort’s music. Not only does the setting of “The Ghetto” show a sense of seriousness,the sound of it does as well. From the very beginning of hip-hop, the 1980s, rap served as a means to educate and spread knowledge to people. Rap began in the urban neighborhoods of Brooklyn, and was utilized by the youth as a means of expressing their disdain for unfair relationships with higher institutional power. Therefore, the value and depth of the message behind the lyrical content meant more than the complexity of the rap beat. The rap beats were simpler, and less complex so that the lyrical message can be illustrated easier. During the 1980’s the black communities were virtually destroyed by the crack cocaine epidemic. Too $hort addressed these issues in his song titled “The Ghetto”. The underlying beat of the song is very simple. There is a heterogeneous sound ideal formed between the drum set and a string instrument playing the beat, in a low octave to help express the sad tone of the song. As a result, the two instrument beat amplifies Too $hort’s message; the severity of the drugs, poverty, and gang violence effecting the ghetto. During the chorus of the song, a voice in the background repeats the words “The Ghetto” in a deep tone at the first beat of every bar. The front singer of the chorus describes certain issues plaguing the ghetto, simultaneously, so the chorus reads “People are dying (the ghetto), children are crying (the ghetto) …”. On top of the lower octave played by the string instrument, the deeper toned background voice adds a sense of seriousness. “The Ghetto”, one of Too $hort’s earlier songs obviously has a deep message to bring to his audience. However, as the hip-hop community developed and music industries were formed, the rap culture swayed form increasing social awareness to a more violent and crude form.

Furthremore, during the 1990s to early 2000s, the rap industry completely evolved from what it was from its beginnings during the 1980s. The story-esque style of the rap from the 80’s began to fade, and lyrics of sex, money and drugs came to the forefront. With the success that gangster rap saw from sporting more up-tempo beats and explicit lyrics, it provided insight on the type of music that is capable of bringing in the big bucks. One of Too $hort’s most popular song emphasizes these aspects. “Burn Rubber”, one of Too $hort’s most popular songs, released in 2003, and was a major hit throughout the United States [3]. The song is titled “Burn Rubber” because the entire song he is degrading and sexualizing women; the women are the pavement, and Too $hort is the driver of a car “burning the rubber” of his tires with no regard to the pavement. The song’s beat has the high-pitched sound metal clanging, along with the typical drum bass that is common to rap songs. One aspect of the song that is unique is the DJ scratching the records in the background. The sound of the DJ scratching is a unique sound to hip-hop and rap. While this aspect may not bring anything substantial to the lyrics of his song, it does provide an audible aesthetic to the song. DJ scratching was very typical in the earlier rap songs, and by Too $hort utilizing it in “Burn Rubber”, it provided a contrast between the current form of music and the music when DJing was popular. 

Lastly, I will analyze the signifance of Too $hort and his sound style. The 1980’s were an eventful time for black society within the United States. Rap became a multimillion-dollar corporation during the 1980’s, Oprah started The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Reverend Jesse Jackson excited black people to vote[1]. Unfortunately, also during the 1980’s the United States experienced a nation wide crack cocaine epidemic that plagued black neighborhoods throughout the U.S. Oakland, CA was one of the U.S. cities that was hit hardest by the crack cocaine epidemic. Too $hort, though originally born in South Los Angeles, was raised in Oakland, so he got to see first hand the effects crack cocaine had o his neighborhood[4] . So, as a means to shed light on the conditions happening in Oakland and other black neighborhoods alike, Too $hort wrote “The Ghetto”, a rap song that provides the audience with a lens on the struggles living in the ghetto poses. The video revealed several harsh truths for those in the ghetto; The level of financial poverty, the fear of violence on a day-to-day basis, and the drug epidemic. “The Ghetto” was able to provide significant critique on the living conditions for many poor blacks in the ghetto and Oakland. In turn, it helped spread some awareness on Oakland’s condition to the rest of the world.

Not all of Too $hort’s song were as political as “The Ghetto”. In fact, the majority of Too $hort’s songs were not political at all. Too $hort is more widely known for his songs emphasizing Pimping and other related sexually charged topics. With the rise of gangsta rap in the late 1980s to early 1990s, Too $hort’s style found a natural place in mainstream gangster rap. Too Short’s popularity surged with the release of his album “Shorty the Pimp”, which contained songs like “No Love from Oakland”, and “Hoes”, both which entertained the characteristics of a pimp[2]. Though Too $hort’s explicit lyrics coincided with the explicitness of Gangster Rap, Too $hort was the first rapper to heavily invest in the pimp persona. Too $hort pioneered the pimp aspect of gangster rap, and influenced many other rappers as a result. Snoop Dogg is only one of several rappers to be compelled by Too $hort’s pimp persona and utilize the identity of a pimp within their songs. Although not the most socially appreciated, Too $hort’s affinity for lyrically expressing his affinity for the exploitation of women influenced many other rappers of his generation to do the same, ultimately assisting in the creation of a multi-billion dollar empire, in the rap and hip-hop industry.

Though Too $hort’s love for the pimping game might not have been the most socially acceptable contribution to Hip-Hop, Too $hort himself, as a Bay Area rapper influenced many other Bay Area rappers and styles. Too $hort’s influence on the late Mac Dre is evident in Mac Dre’s “Too Hard for the Radio”. Short Dog’s rap style boasts a laidback sound, with a relatively monotone voice. He’s also credited with incorporating replayed funk riffs (as opposed to a sample) within his beats[7]. These aspects are easily identified in “Too Hard for the Radio”. Mac Dre’s voice is relaxed, and almost sounds similar to Too $hort’s voice in his songs in term of the tone. Furthermore, throughout the verse of “Too Hard for the Radio”, “Tell me something good,” is sung and repeated throughout. “Tell Me Something Good”, is the name of Rufus & Chaka Khan’s song released in 1974. This riff from “Tell me something Good” is incorporated into the beat, rather than the entire sample of the song. Mac Dre is just one example of a rapper that has also utilized Too $hort’s method of creating his own music. Mac Dre would go on to be one of the most legendary and respected rappers to come out of the Bay Area, and the creator of the hyphy movement.

Too $hort often credited with being one of the first pioneers of West Coast Hip-Hop. However, that title does not do Too $hort justice in his specific role of shining light on the harsh conditions of the ghetto’s of Oakland and other black communities, creating themes present in much Gangster Rpa, and the way rappers find success within their own music. From the whole significance of Too $hort’s “The Ghetto”, to his influence on other Bay Area Rap legends, Todd Shaw, has undoubtedly made Oakland, the West Coast, and Rap what it is today. Too $hort, Todd Shaw, Short Dogg, whichever name you prefer to reference him, is one the most significant and influential rappers to bless our sound waves.

Works Cited

[1] R.J. Riesch. "Hip Hop Culture: History and Trajectory." Graduate School at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Dec.-Jan. 2005. Web. Sept.-Oct. 2015. <http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=gs_rp>.

[2] Staff, History.com. "Black History Milestones." History.com. A+E Networks, 21 Oct. 2015. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-milestones>.

[3] "Too $hort." Hiphop.sh •. Hiphop.sh, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. <http://hiphop.sh/tooshort>.

[4] "Finding the Goat (Round 2) Ice Cube vs. Too Short." Ambrosia For Heads. Parfit, 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. <http://ambrosiaforheads.com/2015/11/a-f-r-o-has-co-signs-from-dj-premier-gza-talib-kweli-r-a-more-this-mixtape-shows-why/>.

[5] "Too Short." Rap Wiki. Wikia, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. <http://rap.wikia.com/wiki/Too_Short>.

[6] "The Crack Epidemic - The History of Crack Cocaine." Drug Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. <http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crackcocaine/a-short-history.html>.

[7] Maraji, Shereen. "The Many Sounds Of 1993 Bay Area Rap." NPR. NPR, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/03/28/175489318/the-many-sounds-of-1993-bay-area-rap>.

[ucdmus282015]

Coltrane’s Sound Track

John Coltrane was a prominent jazz giant whose short career reached three stylistic periods: Hard Bop, Modal, and Free. Coltrane is now one of the most well-known artist in jazz. “Merely mention the name John Coltrane and you’re likely to evoke a deeply emotional, often spiritual response from even the most casual jazz fan” (Jowcol Music). As an African American and a world war two veteran, he was well acquainted with the social injustices and inequality in the United States. Therefore, his music reflects a deeper connection with social movements towards equality, a deeper connection for the human condition.  John Coltrane’s approach and use of music emphasized the root of African American music. It brought back spirituals which the oppressed minority used “as a mode of psychological revitalization” (Pratt). Through his music, Coltrane reflected the condition of African Americans in their journey towards freedom and equality during the Civil Rights Movement.

John Coltrane’s style in 1955 to 1958 was hard bop. The distinctive characteristics of hard bop is a dark, heavy, and impassioned timbre focused on the lower tenor sax and drummer who played assertively; it is “more urban, straight-ahead, more rhythmic and emotional” (DeVeaux). Additionally, the instrumentation in hard bop is similar to bebop which consists of two or three horn instruments supported by a rhythm section, particularly drums and bass (DeVeaux). In his 1957 album, Blue Train, Coltrane's group was made up of a tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums played respectively by Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones articulating the sound of hard bop. In particular, he combines the naturally dark and heavy timbre of the trombone accompanied by the trumpet in the introduction of “Blue Train.” He then follows this with his saxophone's dark tones at the beginning of his solo at 0:37 – 0:58. In this way, his sound is similar to Benny Golson's at 3:43 of “Moanin'” on Art Blakey & The Jazz Messenger's 1958 album Moanin'. Also, it is important to note the assertive drumming on both recordings by Philly and Art; they do not merely blend in the background. They assert their presence. Art's group sound is a good reference for the sound of hard bop due to his title as the “father of hard bop” (Machosky). Coltrane's “Blue Train” molds to the characteristics of hard bop tonal quality. Moreover, his solo, as seen in Panach's transcription in Figure 1, illustrate a rhythmic and emotional edge through blue notes. Though the rhythmic edge is apparent in the pyrotechnics of his solo, the emotional edge can only be explained through the cultural implications of blue notes in America by the blues genre. Overall, Coltrane's use of instrumentation, rhythm, and notes emphasized his hard bop style in “Blue Train.”

Figure 1

As aforementioned, the distinctive qualities of hard bop was dark, heavy, impassioned, and assertive. On 1954 the Supreme Court rules in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation is unconstitutional therefore dismantling the segregation laws of Jim Crow.  By 1955, the black community's assertion for equality began to take shape when Rosa Parks was imprisoned for refusing “to give up her seat to a white bus rider” (History). This assertion lead to the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement as the impassioned black community, led by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., responded to her injustice with the Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted for over a year  (History). On 1957, the momentum spread with Desegregating Little Rock where Eisenhower enforced the federal ruling of desegregation against governor Faubos' disregard for it (New World Encyclopedia).  The characteristics of the community parallel with the distinct characteristics of hard bop. The drummer's assertion and call for presence reflect the community's assertion of presence as equals. The dark and heavy tone's reflect the dire circumstances African Americans had to deal with in order to assert their cause. It imitates the dense atmosphere built when “military personnel” were necessary to ensure the safety of nine African American students attending classes. Finally, the impassioned play style of hard bop replicates the fervent attitude the African American community had for equality as they endured racial discrimination through nonviolent actions. Coltrane reflected the harsh conditions through his style of hard bop. He continues this trend of replicating the mood of society as the Civil Rights Movement gains even more momentum which in turn signifies his transition onto Modal Jazz.

In his 1960 album My Favorite Things, Coltrane transitioned from hard bop to modal. Modal is a style that juxtaposed bebop from the Harlem Renaissance. While bebop focused on pyrotechnics and dense harmonies, modal “went in the opposite direction by decreasing harmonic density so that melody became the focus” (DeVeaux). It organizes the music in a “scalar ('horizontal') way rather than in a chordal (“vertical”) manner… to create interest by other means: melody, rhythm, timbre, and emotion” (Spitzer). This means that instead of relying on multiple chordal changes to keep the song interesting, the song has minimal chord changes and force players to use the varying modes to create an illusion of change eminent in hard bop and bebop. A good visual representation can be found on Figure 2 and 3 between the sheet music of John Coltrane's “Blue Trane” and Miles Davis' “So What.” In Coltrane's hard bop tune, it is clear that multiple chordal changes are used for the melody and in turn for the solos that followed. On the other hand, Davis' tune only contains two chords, D-7 and Eb-7. Coltrane grasps this concept and applies it in his take of “My Favorite Things.” According to Scott DeVeaux and Gary Giddins, Coltrane's version reduced the pitch material into “two scales, one major, the other minor.” Moreover, Coltrane uses a soprano saxophone as opposed to his signature tenor saxophone which made the tune more emotional through the tension the sound gave as it pierces through the bass and drums. 

In 0:58 – 1:13 of his live take in Belgium, he adds more tension and texture by vibrating the reed and almost over-blowing to a squeak as he goes back to repeat the head (melody) of the tune. Throughout his solos from 1:31 till 2:38, again from 13:18 till 16:39, and again from 16:56 till 19:00, Coltrane combined over-blowing, vibratos, pyrotechnics, and modes to emphasize an emotional statement (Coltrane). His style greatly differs from “Blue Train” where harmonies are intact and a clear musical path was visible. In “My Favorite Things” his dissonant communication with Elvin Jones' intrusive and attacking style made the musical path unpredictable to the point where it did not matter anymore. To an extent, a blackface minstrelsy playwright, ignorant of the music, could describe his sound as savage due to its divergence from the traditional European sound.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Coltrane moved ever closer to reflecting the black condition in his transition to modal jazz. Modal's main characteristic is its simplicity, a “less is more,” type of approach as seen in Miles Davis' tune “So What.” In Davis' recording of the tune, his melody as well as his space-filled solo from 1:34 till 3:27 contradicts Coltrane's melody and note-filled solo in “My Favorite Things.” While Davis invented modal music through his Kind of Blue album to pull in the masses (instead of pushing them away in bebop), Coltrane took it a step further and captured the increasing momentum of the Civil Rights Movement (DeVeaux; Messbauer). On 1960, “four African American students from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical College launched the southern sit-in movement” to desegregate restaurants and diners (Evergreen). By 1961, Freedom Riders moved and rode buses around the south to desegregate busses. Finally on 1963, “Letters from Birmingham Jail” of Martin Luther Ling Jr. was published where King states,

“Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” (2).

A month later, Birmingham Church Bombing occurred. At this time, the African American community is in despair as they continue to endure for equality. Coltrane's emphasis on dissonance creates tension similar to the tension Martin Luther King Jr. wished to create through direct action. His music addresses these cries in his tune “Alabama.”

Coltrane's “Alabama” was influenced by the state of civil unrest demonstrated by the black community during the Civil Rights Movement. Two months after the Birmingham Church Bombing in 1963, Coltrane recorded the tune for his 1963 album Live at Birdland which “incorporated not only his emotional response but the rhythms in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s eulogy for the girls” that died (Feinstein 315). Coltrane's tune signifies' the eulogy in full. The piano's low and dissonant notes which McCoy Tyner (the pianist) constantly plays along with Jimmy Garrison's (the bassist) prolonged bass notes mimic the tension of King's crowd as he starts his speech addressing the tragedy. Coltrane's rhythm and pace mirror King's articulation from short notes to long notes. Coupled with a minor scale, the melody of “Alabama,” from 0:00 to 1:45, accurately recreates the dismal atmosphere of the area (Coltrane). During the solo section from 1:46 till 2:45, Coltrane alludes to the hope King provides the crowd as he makes use of the incident to unite the black community (Coltrane; King). Elvin Jones (the drummer) plays in a swing pattern and Tyner switches to occasional chord hits also known as comping. 

This makes the mood of the tune lighter and brighter because it creates space for everyone to breath. However, Coltrane juxtaposes the light mood by continuing to mirror the pace of King and keeping a minor scale sound. Just to clarify, a minor scale tends to depress a song; a good example is provided by The Gregory Brothers' YouTube video, Happy Sad Songs and Sad Happy

Overall, the juxtaposition of Coltrane's sound against the rhythm section (bass, drums, and piano) replicates the hope King gives the people and the arduous road to it. Coltrane's musical cadence with King's eulogy prompted his followers to adhere with King's call for nonviolent retaliation. According to Nisenson, Coltrane sidesteps “any didacticism or preachiness, [he] approaches the subject with the insight of the true artist, and by so doing makes us feel the tragedy and, even deeper, hope” (qtd. in Coleman). This event is similar to how James Brown later saved Boston from violence and riots the night following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. He went through with his concert and had it televised in order to keep potential rioters off the streets. Moreover, he addressed the crowd saying, “Wait a minute, wait a minute now WAIT! Step down, now, be a gentleman….Now I asked the police to step back, because I think I can get some respect from my own people,” when some fans started to climb up the stage (Leaf). James Brown took control of his fans and diffused the potential riots that would have emerged. John Coltrane's homage had a similar effect for his fans. According to Hirsch, “When you listen to "Alabama," you understand Coltrane is writing this melody because he's reading the rhetoric of Martin Luther King's eulogy for these children” (qtd in Coleman). In other words, Coltrane merely repeated King's words in the form of musical notes. Through this coded language African American music is known for, Coltrane influences those that stray from King's preachiness and didacticism to heed his words. The emphasis on hope diverted the black communities' thirst for revenge and reminded them the goal they set to achieve, equality.

In his time in Modal jazz, he reflected the social tension produced by direct action at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The dissonant harmonies and blatant tension it shows signifies the tension between African Americans and Whites during the 1960s. This apparent in his album My Favorite Things released in 1960. In the main tune, “My Favorite Things”, the bass constantly creates tension while the rest of the band blends together. The bass still fits in but has a slight difference just as African Americans only have a slight difference with Whites.

Towards the end of his life in avant-garde (free jazz), Coltrane released Interstellar Space in 1967. Avant-garde music seems to have no structure and only controlled chaos. Although it may sound like chaos, the lack of structure can also represent a child that is overjoyed. This can be inferred through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which explicitly banned the discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Through free jazz, Coltrane reflects the joy of African American communities that are now protected by the law. Another way to interpret the tunes is the reflection of Whites who are forced to adjust to the change. John Coltrane was the mirror of society. His music represented the struggles and the changes that stirred within it.

He stressed the concept of freedom through his evolution towards and contribution for avant-garde jazz. Avant-garde jazz is a new form of jazz that uses collective improvisation to neglect traditional rhythm and tonal harmonies in favor of accenting emotion. Musicians “believe that no matter how improvised a performance becomes or how much it deviates from the constructs of functional tonality, unifying bonds of an emotional nature are present” (Such 4). In other words, it is the instrumental equivalent of the goal spirituals, ring shouts, and the Civil Rights Movement wish for, collective freedom. Each instrument in the music play what they wish while the rest choose to either support or counter his sound; however, they are still connected to one underlying piece called emotion. Coltrane is significant to this genre because his “intense exploration of materials, [gave] in the view of many his intuitive free jazz developments a tremendous power and spirituality” (Pressing). Coltrane incorporates roots of African American music, spirituals, to free jazz which further strengthened the genre's ties to emotion. He even added new vocabulary to the music by introducing his influence on Indian traditions to it. This Indian tradition can be spotted in his 1965 live recording of My Favorite Things in Belgium on 1965. At 0:58 to 1:12 just before he repeats the melody of the tune, Coltrane goes back and forth between two notes rapidly and does it again at a higher octave; he repeats this trend throughout the track. This feature is in “His great 'free' epic” single track album, Ascension (Pressing). At the middle of Coltrane's solo (3:10-3:20), uses the tradition as a motif. This sound Coltrane creates closely mimics the cries of people. At 5:50-5:56, the trumpets Freddie Hubbard and Dewey Johnson reestablish such sound as a sign of acceptance. Through Coltrane, the collective sound of free jazz begins to pay homage to African American roots as it signifies' not only the freedom of music but also the human condition through the use of blue notes.

John Coltrane aided in controlling the civil unrest of society during the Civil Rights Movement and he extended the sound of avant-garde (free) jazz. He is influenced by the black communities' dissatisfaction of racial injustices and expresses it through the unique sounds he emanates through his horn. In return, he influences other individuals to redirect their emotional rage away from violence through using his music as an outlet of expression. Coltrane helped the Civil Rights Movement by making sure the people keep their eyes on the prize, freedom, and he stresses this freedom through his contribution in free jazz.

Coltrane is a prominent figure for the black community. By 1964, he released his best album, A Love Supreme. This album illustrates his triumph against his addiction towards heroin and a “profound religious experience associated with it” (PBS). In the three years after such release, Coltrane died of liver disease at the age of 40. However, in those three years, he has “acquired an almost saintly reputation among listeners and fellow musicians for his energetic and selfless support of young avant-garde performers” (PBS). He is revered as a saint in Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church founded by Archbishop Franzo King and Reverend Mother Marina King. Franzo claimed to have felt “the presence of God” when he and his wife attended Coltrane's 1965 San Francisco concert of A Love Supreme (King). Musically, “Coltrane has even been acknowledged by rap and hip-hop culture, perhaps most prominently by one of its most politically controversial groups, Public Enemy” (Coleman). Coltrane was true to his music just as he was true to everyone around him. He used music as a positive influence to the mass to connect them and a drive a powerful force. In his interview with Frank Kofsky, Coltrane told him that he wants “to be the force which is truly good.” All in all, John Coltrane was a musician who strived for positive change through music. He reflected society through his tunes, his improvisations, and urged for social change.

It is apparent that as Coltrane changes his sound in his career, he moves closer to the roots of African American music of blues and spirituals. He started with hard bop that retained the intellectual prominence of bebop but moved closer to its roots by reducing harmonic density and regaining melodic emphasis in the blues as seen in “Blue Train”. With that start, he already the foundation of African American musical roots of syncopation and improvisation that is clear in blues and in spirituals (Messbauer). He then transitioned to modal jazz which reduced chordal density even more and stressed emotion in his take of “My Favorite Things.” And, to tie it all up, in his modal tune “Acknowledgment” from A Love Supreme, at 6:05 to 6:41 he incorporates the traditional chant style of folk spirituals and ring shouts. He sings the melody by uttering the words, “A love supreme.” With these changes, he has adjusted it to fit the dismal and  tense mood of society resulting in a clear replication of it in sound.

Coltrane used his music to spread the word of freedom. He used his track “Alabama” to remind the people of the Civil Rights Movement of their goal for freedom. He extended the scope of free jazz to include its roots of spirituals and blues so that it is not restrained by musical freedom but also emotional freedom through music. Coltrane is significant because his music controlled the black community and propelled them forward in society and the arts.

Works Cited

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Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Moanin'. Blue Note Records, 1958. CD.

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