This week I want to talk about two different readings from That’s the Joint. First of all, I really enjoyed Bakari Kitwana’s “The Challenge of Rap Music.” Americans frequently get so caught up in the prevalent media stereotypes about hip-hop music and “ghetto criminality” that they forget its potential for positivity. I had no idea that Russell Simmons and other leaders from the hip-hop community participated in a summit in 2001 to address issues facing the culture, and I wish discussions like this could happen more often. Hip-hop deserves to be examined and talked about with the same respect as other art forms. I also liked that Kitwana listed several events and artists that reflect positively on hip-hop; it is refreshing to see rappers reaching out to the people around them and using their fame to influence the community. However, Kitwana is right that more needs to be done in order for hip-hop to reach its “potential to impact social change.” If other industry leaders would begin taking responsibility like Russell Simmons, hip-hop could begin to break apart the stereotypes and become even more of a positive artistic outlet.
I was also fascinated by Clarence Lusane’s essay, “Rap, Race, and Politics.” I am an English major, so I love the way that Lusane breaks down different lyrics and analyzes them to find out what they reveal about the rappers and the genre as a whole. He very methodically illustrates the ideology in Arrested Development’s music and then Ice Cube’s, comparing and contrasting them and then explaining why neither method of addressing politics in hip-hop is sufficiently effective. Many of the people who criticize hip-hop have never given an attentive listen to the music, and after Lusane’s explanation, I had a newfound respect for Ice Cube and even began to try and identify with the political rage he expresses in his lyrics. I like that Lusane treats hip-hop lyrics as a valid art form and analyzes them with a critic’s eye, and I think I might want to work on a paper along the same themes.
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Is it bad that I think less of ice Cube due to the manner that he tries to point out the contradictions in rap music - in my opinion - using the very ideas that he is trying to fight? I admire him for even trying, and perhaps trying to reach out to a different class, but I still view some of his lyrics as offensive for what he is trying to get across. Maybe I just interpreted wrong?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the 2001 Summit though! I wish it was successful and had invited a broader range of specialists to give advice from all sides. It's been 9 years since the creation of the Summit - by the link below - I think they are still trucking along! Baby steps! Baby steps!
http://www.hsan.org/Content/Home.aspx?pageId=241