Michael Eric Dyson’s Know What I Mean? helped me begin to place hip-hop in the broader context of class struggle. Class is a crucial factor in shaping culture, especially American culture, and examining social and economic infrastructures allows us to trace patterns in cultural development. The politics of hip-hop are impossible to separate from class issues.
In the chapter entitled “How Real is This?”, Dyson writes about the role of authenticity in hip-hop culture—a topic we have already explored in readings and in class—and emphasizes the importance of the class divide between “ghettocentric black culture and bourgeois Negro expression.” Dyson almost seems to envision a continuum of authenticity. At one end lie the poor African-Americans who grew up in poverty and who deeply value staying true to the streets; at the other end, the more educated and wealthier members of the black community are primarily concerned with elitism. This creates a sort of chronic class tension, and we certainly see it manifested in hip-hop. How many rap lyrics revolve around “street cred” and financial struggles? At the same time, how many of them criticize African-American criminality and encourage intelligence and social action? Many hip-hop artists struggle to find their place on this continuum; they want to establish their authenticity and reach audiences hungry for a taste of the “ghetto experience,” but at the same time, they want to write intelligent, verbally-savvy lyrics, or to celebrate the fortunes they have earned through rapping.
This conflict is strongly evident in scholarly criticism of hip-hop. The way Dyson sees it, many African-Americans from the Civil Rights era are more elitist, and they have developed an aesthetic that has no place for the “base,” profane lyrics of many popular hip-hop songs today. They think rappers should try to raise awareness for the black community and help people move forward, rather than celebrate and perpetuate the life of crime and poverty many black people still endure. However, Dyson believes that hip-hop as an aesthetic movement has integrity, in all its forms, and should be afforded the same amount of respect as any other rich, evolving, controversial artistic genre.
I am interested to explore this topic more in class, and to discuss how class and authenticity inform the politics of hip-hop.
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Even though I didn't bring it up in my own blog post, Dyson's discussions on the authenticity of hip-hop was very interesting. I especially liked how he brought up all of the divides that plague hip-hop. I found all of them to be especially poignant, although the issue of ghettocentric culture and bourgeois Negro expression was obviously examined the most. I also hope that we look into this tomorrow in class, as this was one of the most important (at least to me) sections of the chapter.
ReplyDeleteYou have really great insight on the topics that Dyson addressed. I especially like what you said about hip-hop artists struggling to find their social identity in an art-form that idolizes the street yet expects lyrical elegance. You have given me a lot of things to think about! Thanks!
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