Religion & Hip-hop Final Exam PDF

Religion & Hip-hop Final Exam Podcasting: Podcasting (not a key term in the exam; there is a focus on the liminality of podcasting is important) What is a podcast? Downloadable audio that can accessed through digital media outlets. - Podcasting serves as a new aural culture that offers autonomy → Li...

Religion & Hip-hop Final Exam Podcasting: Podcasting (not a key term in the exam; there is a focus on the liminality of podcasting is important) What is a podcast? Downloadable audio that can accessed through digital media outlets. - Podcasting serves as a new aural culture that offers autonomy → Listener have control over the content compared to the radio which one does not have any control (e.g., advertisements, songs etc.) transcending the limitations of traditional radio. It is a liminal space where interplay of mediatory possibilities take place. All the instances of liminality that you hear when listening to podcasts → 3rd space: i. Subjectivity/objectivity (2): - Even ones based on factual information the podcasters are projecting their interpretation on these supposed facts. Engagement in the podcasters objectivity and subjectivity. ii. Individual/Collectivity (2): Each person has their own unique take with the subject matter, but it can be a collective experience. iii. Exterior/Interior (—“Perhaps such immersion into a simultaneously interior and exterior sonic experience may be the reason why podcasts have become so popular. - While podcasts are an external medium, the act of listening involves internalizing the content. When creators produce podcasts, they are externalizing their internal thoughts and ideas. Listeners often return to specific podcasts because they resonate with personal feelings or beliefs. iv. Digital/Material— [podcasts] offer the listener a means to explore the self while simultaneously providing anchoring points in the chaos of a digital and material experience that is increasingly blurred.” (2) Podcasting and Identity Construction: The Podcasting Self - Related to the podcasters identity (directly connected to liminality) it is a result of the podcasters creative play. Utilizing podcast as an outlet to explain identity. Identity also forms by way of creating the podcast. Reading: Podcasting as Liminal Praxis: Aural Mediation, Sound Writing and Identity D. Llinares: A form of creative play from the aspect of the podcasters (they share with us the podcasting self or selves). Mediated subjectivity is the podcasting self. He is concerned with the third space (the intersection between material and digital ontologies) Quote from the reading (Pg. 135-136): Indeed, podcasting through its very liminality, particularly with regards to the fusing of material and digital ontologies—the centrality of physical presence, conversations with others, the use of the voice, all of which are captured, shared and listened to digitally— offers a profoundly valuable approach to understand mediated subjectivity Question: Is podcasting a form of complex subjectivity or the dynamical self? Dynamical Argument: Your own uniqueness as a podcasters comes out, and this happens in relationship with other podcasters and listeners. Everyone on a podcast is sharing their own personal unique viewpoints on a topic, but they are all discussing and sharing them collectively as a group. Ones desire to create connections with a group (podcasting community & interests) & also at the same time find your authentic self. Complex subjectivity Argument: Podcasters think of themselves within categories but also look beyond those categories through the medium of podcasting. Snoop Dogg’s GGN & Louder than a Riot Podcasts - compare & contrast African American Humanism: a nontheistic form of life orientation that relies on human ingenuity and creativity to achieve greater life options and a greater degree of subjectivity. - Black humanism is considered an orientation, not a religion, similar to the 5%ers' philosophical approach. - Black humanism is rooted in cultural practices, music (rap and blues), and community spirituality. Anthony Pinn argues: 1. Human responsibility: Pinn emphasizes that human beings are fully responsible for shaping their lives and the world around them. This means rejecting the idea that an external force or supernatural entity governs human destiny.  2. Supernatural suspicion and human evolution: Pinn critiques Black theological perspectives that suggest Black suffering is part of a divine plan, imposed by a supernatural force. Instead, he posits that these experiences result from human intent and actions (removes the emphasis from supernatural causality and places it on human responsibility and accountability). 3. African American culture and religion: Pinn argues that to see Black humanism at work, turn your attention to black cultures and black religiosities outside institutionalized forms of religion. 4. Transformation on 2 levels: Pinn highlights that Black humanism operates on both personal and collective levels → individuals are encouraged to pursue personal growth but also are viewed as part of a larger collective effort toward societal transformation. This dual concern is what Pinn sees as a factor that sets Black humanism apart from other forms of humanism. 5. Human de(constructive) abilities: Pinn acknowledges that humans have both the capacity to build and to destroy. While humans are capable of great things, they are also responsible for the systems of oppression and injustice that plague society. Therefore, must also be the ones to deconstruct these harmful systems and create something better in their place. Connecting the dots: Existential questions, complex subjectivity, and African American humanism - Pinn draws on Tupac, highlighting his humanist sensibilities through struggles with existential crises and identity. - Tupac’s refusal to fit neatly into social categories, like blackness, reflects complex subjectivity—he embodies both his identity and something beyond it. - Pinn argues that African American humanism functions like a religion, addressing existential and subjective questions, even without being theistic (2/4 functions) What is death: A symbol of nothingness and the possibility of the complete annihilation of being (physical death) Pinn offers a symbolic interpretation of death, equating it with blackness, where death symbolizes meaninglessness. He argues that African Americans have been "zombified. - Neither fully human nor fully dead. They occupy an in-between space, characterized by a lack of agency and meaning within the larger socio-political context. This zombification reflects how Black bodies are made to carry the fears and anxieties of death for the dominant society, reinforcing oppressive structures by projecting meaninglessness onto Blackness. Theodicy: Is the defense of justification of God’s justice and righteousness in the face of evil’s existence in the world. the problem of reconciling evil with belief in a good God in rap music. It is focused on WHY? (existential question) - Theodicy: Is the defense of justification of God’s justice and righteousness in the face of evil’s existence in the world.” - How does a good God permit evil in the world? (Why do bad things happen to good people) Black Theodicy: one that not only exonerates and justifies God’s purpose and works in the face of evil, but also determines the cause of black suffering or oppression. a. Spirituals Lens: Angela Nelson: Proposes “The Harder the Cross/The Brighter the Crown” – the more challenges or obstacles one overcomes, the greater their achievement or success will be. If I suffer now, God is going to reward me. If not in this life, I will be rewarded in Heaven b. Blues Lens: JM Spencer: “Reap what you sow” or “Work of the Devil,” theodicies suggesting You do evil in the world, you get evil done back to you & Blaming negative things on the devil. A convenient option because it doesn't acknowledge the theodicy of “you reap what you sow”. Black liberation Theology: God is fundamentally aligned with the oppressed, particularly Black people experiencing systemic racism, and actively works towards their liberation in this life, not just in the afterlife (liberation in the physical world or in the next) William R Jones: Humanocentric theism: “puts the responsibility for human actions and evil upon human beings... human beings then become cocreators of human existence.” → emphasizing human agency in addressing evil. i. Jones is responding to black liberation & black theodicy (God is on the side of the oppressed, on the side of the people) ii. Jones believes that the evil of the world is not some outward expression of the devil or God, but it is human beings iii. If humans are involved in the production of evil, then humans will be involved in the production of freedom or liberation Secular theodicies: White supremacy theodicy: Blatant forms of European (white) dominance over nonwhite populations. Attributes black suffering to racist choices and actions by white people. Slave mentality theodicy: The mental adjustments slaves made during over two hundred years of slavery; the “marks” left be bending to the will of the white oppressor. Blames continued black suffering on internalized oppression among African Americans. 3 actors of play: 1. Source of personal orientation and affirmation. (Chuck D) and Omniecinet and Omnipotent Being (Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five) 2. Satan: adversary with no good in them. And Causer of division among races and the source of racism between whites and blacks. 3. Nature of black suffering: The single experience of slavery and its residual effects and No logical answer Song: This is America by Visual analysis: - If you dance with America and you play the game – then you Childish Gambino Childish Gambino holds a gun won’t get hurt. towards the head of a hooded White Supremacy Theodicy: Depiction of Racist Violence: The music man, which evokes imagery video portrays scenes of gun violence, mass shootings, and police reminiscent of Jim Crow-era brutality → symbolizing the racist violence and systemic oppression lynchings → historical and faced by Black people in America. ongoing oppression of Black people representing both human - Attributes Black suffering to racist actions and systemic and systemic evils that inequalities perpetuated by white supremacy. perpetuate Black suffering. Slave Mentality Theodicy: The video touches on the idea of internalized oppression and how Black individuals may be coerced into participating in or perpetuating their own subjugation through cultural norms and systemic pressures. E.g. focus on dancing and entertainment amidst violence can be seen as how Black culture is consumed and appropriated, often detached from the struggles faced by the Black community. Kendrick Lamar exploration Kendricks thoughts on religion: - His religiosity is bigger than just “god-talk” rather an engagement with existential questions and human experiences. - Kendrick wants answers: we dare to ask & we dare to search → the essence of being human. - Emphasis on human relationships Kendrick: “The mirror” : starting each day in the Mirror (interview) Complex Subjectivity: - References being 9 years of age and seeing something in the mirror a bit different from what the eye can see in the physical form → “soul” → He is seeing awe and terror when looking through and seeing his soul and is central to mystic self - form of mysticism. - Young black kid living in Compton (social identities in a variety of ways) yet he sees something greater. His communion with himself (higher form of himself) – not with god but with himself. Interpretive lens: Functions (1-3), African American humanism, & Sacred/profane (Durkheim) Durkheim's religion: "A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden -beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them." (The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, p. 44) Sacred: "something" set apart or consecrated (e.g. gods, spirits, beliefs, gestures, objects, expressions, words, ect.) → (given distinction and uniqueness) Profane: opposite of sacred in that it possesses the ability to contaminate the sacred → (not set apart from everything else) Cover Art Analysis: Section 80 The Bible is a sacred text, but its association with profane objects can diminish its sanctity/sacred qualities. The cover art of Section 80 exemplifies this idea, as Kendrick Lamar disrupts the rigid boundaries between sacred and profane by juxtaposing marijuana with the Bible. This pairing creates a “third category,” allowing for a new interpretation that blends both worlds. Section 80 also references affordable housing, drawing on Kendrick's personal experiences growing up in such environments, grounding his narrative in real-life struggles and societal realities. Song: “The Heart Part 5”: commentary on the complexities of Black culture Inspiration: I want you lyrics by Marvin Gaye - Marvin Gaye is in love with this women, but she does not love him back in the way that he loves her. Kendrick Lamar takes this song and centers it in one of his songs. - Lamar takes what was once widely known as a love anthem and rewrites the other love interest as a more significant social phenomenon → black culture - His desire for someone/something who does NOT want him is the idea that Kendrick takes from this song into his own song (transposes it into his own song) → “The Heart Part 5” - Marvin Gayes object of affection was a women but for Kendrick it was culture. He longs for culture and love in the form of respect. Culture expands to his local community and the broader community as a whole (rap community etc). - Lamar shape-shifts so this is his way of expanding from personal transformation to also collective transformation. - Culture is not monolithic for Kendrick → community is NOT loving him back and he wants that respect. c. "I want the hood to want me back" → want for acceptance and validation from his community, longing for mutual love and respect. d. "But I want you to want me too": Despite Kendricks contributions and efforts to better his community aren't always met with the same level of appreciation or support Music production: “I am, All of us” : represents different facets of the Black experience, from fame and controversy to tragedy and legacy. - Kendrick includes controversial figures include OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle. - 7 not only represents divine fulfillment, but it is also representative of the cardinal sins. - Dynamical self – personal self (Kendrick) + Kendrick starts to morph between different artists (collective self) - Not just the local community he is talking about or the African community - Kendrick Lamar is saying when they are up, and high people loved them but then these figures fallen from grace (most of these individuals have fallen from grace) → public perception of Black figures and the pressures they face. Ex: OJ in the video is painted not as a monster, rather “black success.” - Look at why they felt he needed to do these things: these men are making sacrifices for our entertainment; they gave their all through their athletics, production and music but the community tore them apart. - Uses technology (digital space) to establish this connection with other black men (dynamical self). Kendrick uses the technology to also talk to the audience, the culture, his family and even the people who killed them. 3 perspectives on black culture: e. Own → toxic culture (sex, drugs, money etc) and will the culture accept him if he discloses the evil parts of their livelihood. f. Media portrayal → murderers/criminals + struggles with mental health like OJ and Jussie Smollett (criminals + even more criminalized) & Kanye and Will Smith (mental health problems public exploitation) → image of culture “we see” despite all the inspiration/hope they may have brought to the community. g. The martyrs → Kobe + Nipsey (***Video ends with Koby and Nipsey both dead figures – they represent supernatural entities in this video. - They represent that the legacy will not die even if their physical body is not here, my legacy is alive and brings hope with it → Hopefulness captured with both Kobe and Nipsey Visual album art analysis: Good kid mAAD city album cover Key items : Liquor (profane) and baby bottle (innocence) (2012) – takes the form of a Polaroid, 1. Blurring eyes → Kendricks eyes are open (meant to represent innocence) but has a picture of a family in the middle all the adults eyes are closed. Kendrick is able to see everything, yet the adults is young Kendrick held by his uncle can be blind to what they do in the presence of children (conversation about (two present) and his grandfather to innocence and children). the right. 2. Baby bottle vs the alcohol placed on the same table (what it means to be human) – things we think should be separated but are not separated. 3. His uncle is embracing him, but his uncle is at the same time throwing up signs (sex sign) 4. The photo reveals how Kendrick was raised and the life style he was involved in when he was in Compton. Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale and the a. Crown of Thorns: Represents what Jesus wore during his crucifixion. Big Steppers b. Symbolic Figure of Jesus: The symbolic crown of thorns signifies the suffering of Black men. The gun at his waist adds a layer of complexity, indicating the reality of violence and struggle within their lives. c. House Representation: The house depicted on the album cover symbolizes the idea that no matter how much money one makes, it does not change the harsh realities of life. Our past allows us to internalize things that we cannot forget. d. Human Responsibility: We, as humans, bear the responsibility for both constructive and destructive behaviors. e. Daughter's Gaze: The daughter's focused and intent gaze, directed at the camera, implicates the viewer in her emotional reality. It suggests: "While the public focuses on my father, you divert his attention away from me. f. Materiality and Religiosity in Hip-Hop: Artists like Kendrick Lamar use material representations to convey themes of religiosity. g. Regardless of wealth, the message is clear: as a Black man in this country, one remains subject to systemic oppression. h. Intersection of Blackness and Sacredness: The video establishes a connection between Blackness and sacredness but hardship folloes closely follows. Scratch Documentary: Captures the inner essence if Dj-ing 1. Turntablism— “…the rearrangement of pre-recorded music and sound samples to produce new musical soundscapes and complex performance routines by manipulating at least two turntables with an audio mixer and a crossfader.” (Clay, 23) 2. Turntable— A device used to play vinyl records using the circular plate (function), essential for DJing and turntablism. The turntable was utilized to play records but was manipulated to be a musical instruments. 3. Fader— A control on a DJ mixer that adjusts the volume between two audio sources 4. Break (i.e. “break-beat”)— A section of a song where all instruments except percussion stop, often looped by DJs. (1) Can be a Gap between two songs or (2) apart of the song where most of your instrumentation is halted and one instrument becomes the focal point specifically the percussion (emphasis of one dimension of sound). 5. Break / God Self— Direct correlation between the god self and the break – they are showing their constructive god self. DJ manipulates the break is a manifestation of the god self. (ex: African bombada establishes a relationship between the art form and identity) 6. Scratching— “is a turntable technique that involves playing the record back and forth with your hand by scratching the needle against and then with the groove.” (Rose, 53) Moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds - collapsing of time (characterizing element of DJing) 7. Backspin— Manually moving the record backwards with your hands (Spinning a record backward to replay a section, creating a looping effect) 8. Body Tricks— allows DJs to focus on their uniqueness through their body and embodiment the simultaneous movement of the body as the DJ manipulates the break. Physical maneuvers DJs perform while manipulating records, adding visual flair  9. Jam Session— An informal gathering where musicians improvise and play together. (it is a cipher – continuous unbreakable knowledge within a circle to showcase special abilities (personal self) but there’s a moment they come together to make a collective sound (collective self) but still can hear the uniqueness (sonically) → dynamical self) 10. Battling— Competitive performances between DJs showcasing skill and creativity. 11. Battling as “Ritual Practice”— clay argues that battling beyond just being a competition there is something more going on. Battling is seen as a form of ritual practice → connection between battle and ritual practice through ritual studies (she turns of anthropologists to solidify her argument → Ronald Grimes and Catherine bell). a. Time/performance (grimes): there is a collapse of time, there is not past, present, or future, when they battle they enter into a space where they lose a sense of time (suspended in time) (ex: DJ Q-bert and talk about getting into a “zone”). b. Power relationships (bell): She was a cultural anthropologist the focused on ritual performances for her you cannot talk about ritual performances without talking about power dynamics (ex: gender and DJing which is male dominated). Social dynamics and hierarchy established through battling. - Women if they were to enter Djing they do have to taking on a different role – they are still treated in the same way (prop DJ’s) and not turntablists. - Battling provides creative medium inserting different forms of embodiment 12. Battle Messages— cut and paste function – you cut from a sample and you out some words and you pu You step to me you get hurt – messages to the competitors battling is a creative medium and outlet to create battling messages, DJs can play (creative play) 13. Battling as “Creative Process”— 14. DJing (Battling) / Complex Subjectivity— e.g. being a proud philiphino turntablist (he recognizes this social category) but then he is more than that but when we listen to DJ Q-bert we do know his gender, ethnicity or social identity btu an artist command of techniques and creative output. You cannot deny your heritage but also transcends through the art form). DJing as Religious: 1. Transmitter of Belief System(s): digging as a spiritual practice: Dj shadow is considered to be the king of digging (“considered to have a Spidey sense”). - the little area where he goes digging he refers to as his “Little Nirvana” – archive of music culture and there is the promise of finding something you are going to use within the stacks → finding the break that no one else has. - Records would call him (attract him) giving material objects essence - “looking through the records and it is sort of like a big pile of broken dreams in a way, almost none of the artists still have a career, you have to kind of respect that in a way. If you are making records you are sort of adding to this pile” → He is grappling with the ways in which his legacy is not permanent but also has an understanding that it is inevitable (F3: existential) 2. Communicative link with supernatural + F1 - Mix Master Mike (influence of cosmic energies on his creativity) & DJ Qbert (inspired by his belief in aliens and his desire to create music that resonates with otherworldly frequencies) infuse their music with themes of extraterrestrial beings and intergalactic travels. - Both artists have expressed a belief in the possibility of communication with extraterrestrial beings 3. Identity: Creative medium to construct subjectivity: identity based on technique, not just social categories & jam session: personal unique + collective belonging Intro to the topic of musical production: Challenge if rappers wrote children books → money trees & the giving tree The Giving tree by Shel Silverstein is a children's picture book about a boy and an apple tree that share a special bond: Childhood: The boy and the tree are happy playing together. Adolescence As the boy grows up, he asks the tree for more things, such as money, a house, and a boat. The tree gives everything to the boy, and the boy is never content. Old age: The boy returns to the tree as an old man, who only needs a place to sit. The tree, now reduced to a stump from giving so much, is happy to provide a place to sit (unidirectional relationship). - Premise of the song: complexities of growing up in an environment where the pursuit of money (+ lust and material wants)often overshadows other aspirations. - Overlap: Both works examine the costs of taking from something/someone until there's nothing left (which can become unstable). They question whether pursuing material wealth leads to happiness and the price of prioritizing material gains. Money tree instrumentals done by DJ Dahi: DJ Dahi produced the instrumental for Kendrick Lamar's song "Money Trees," which features Jay Rock and is part of Lamar's album "Good Kid, M.A.A.d City. - Sample from Beach House's "Silver Soul" but reversed - DJ Dahi's production style is characterized by its cyclic structure, live instrumentation samples with digital manipulation. - bird chirping (from original piece) and cow bell was inserted intertwined with layering to provide a natural/tree/breeze aspect 3 Ps of Hip-Hop Music Production example:  1. person: DJ Dahi 2. process: invited us into the process (through the video), use of looping, chopping, balancing etc. He pulls inspiration from alternative music specifically Beach House song "Silver Soul" from their 2010 album Teen Dream. 3. product: money trees by Kendrick lamar - DJ artists the creation about hip-hop beats = experimental, working in the “crib” = lab and that they themselves are scientists. Producers goal: To construct a “hip hop beat” - Hip hop beat: A beat that “consists of a number of real-time collective performances (original recordings), which are digitally sampled and arranged into a cyclic structure.” (159) - Arrangement of music that takes a cyclic structure - Every producers have a unique Fingerprint, and are identifiable through their distinct style. ex: DJ mustard DJ and producers – you can listen to a song and know it is the artist because he announces it at the start. Process: The producer’s methodology - “Individual experimentation with the intention of discovering worthwhile musical combinations.” (151) Experimentation in DJing involves: - Chopping (flipping): Breaking a sample into smaller parts and rearranging them to create a new rhythm or melody/ Taking a well-known sample and transforming it to sound different. - Looping (manipulative element): when a producer takes a sample and do not alter it much (repeating certain sounds strategically). - Layering: a technique that involves combining multiple sounds or audio tracks to create a richer, more complex sound - Balancing: The process of adjusting elements within a track, ensuring that no part overpowers another and is cohesive to the ear. - Looping (rhythmic structure): Actual repeating of the beat in a circular manner. - Locking: Finished hip-hop beat – Achieving a seamless blend of sounds that ‘lock in’ together, creating a cohesive rhythmic pattern that feels unified. Note: Kendrick Lamar for instance, sees his voice as instrument and that it also has to balance with the beat itself. Product: The final output of a hip-hop track or beat (finished beat) Case Study: “Kingdom” (song) by Common aka (Dion “No I.D.” Wilson) Producer: Ernest Dion Wilson, known professionally as No I.D Process: 1. A sample pulled from a gospel group known as the voices of conquest – O yes my lord (voices + the instrumentation in the music was unique about this group as they used percussion heavily deviating from traditional gospel music) - Within the traditional sense of gospel music, the organ instrument 2. Song premise about getting the access to heaven, “request is the key to the kingdom, They unlock the door”. NO ID counters Durkheim’s rigid structures of the profane vs the sacred (blurring of the lines) Kingdom by Commons Video production analysis Lyrical analysis Song is reminiscent of the themes found in blues music (nitty gritty Title analysis: Kingdom is similar to ab-souls naming of the “book of of life specifically in Chicago during that time). soul” (thesis) → powerful and serve to be similar thesis while the Syncresis (start point): the protagonist is laying down (then the first lyrics are like the evidence to support/unpack the title meaning. line by common leads to the protagonist to wake up) - Kingdom is not unpacked only by common but also by Venice Word progression on the screen is occurring at the same time staple → discussed in the lens of MC’s. (wording and lyrics at the sample happening at the same time) One side (sacred): Discusses the kingdom of heaven (manifestation of Inversion: choir (from the sample) → driving actions of the spirituals) → considered to be a sacred understanding of kingdom protagonist Other side (profane): the representation of the kingdom as a actual Micro Rhythms: Playing with the color of the protagonist hoodie physical place → Chicago. The kingdom is not just some heavenly Structure: Start at the beginning (the sound was omniscient), immaterial space (there is a long for it to be like that) but there is a moving towards the verse (Vince staples), the image of the video longing for correction to happen in their everyday kingdom. shifts to become much darker, and towards the end it became much - Artist offers us a form of grappling of the ideal and non-ideal softer as if the end has come forms of kingdoms (suffering vs happiness/satisfaction) - He wanted to illicit an emotion that involved thinking. - Mentioning of “keys”: Christian understanding of reaching or getting to heaven (F1) Hyde Williams (producer) spends time with both the lyrics and the Lyrics: Second row of the church with my hood on (sacred and artist. profane) - When in a sacred space should not have your hood on  i. Shows the Nitty Gritty of life (blues influence) by focusing on a - He is at the church attending a funeral protagonist (unknown gender) - Presence of “Death talk” (common is sitting in the church and his Bedroom - has items of the sacred and the profane (children vs friend is being funeralized and the priest is discussing the death) adult items) which relates back to Kendrick Lamar Good Kid Maad Lyrics: Revenge is 'posed to be the Lord's, but I use my own accord city album art. - Christianity (quoting from scripture regarding gods wrath) while - Faces are blurred (similar to Kendrick Lamar’s art) –Kendrick uses common opposes this idea and states he will take matters into his it to contrast innocence and toxicity, but Hyde uses it differently own hands (shows form of African American humanism – human it is denotes mysteriousness, wants us to look and interpret and responsibility and destructive capabilities). start to fill in the blanks based on what he has to offer us (allows - Discussion about the murder rate in Chicago (and the idea of for viewer engagement). revenge) - The main character is unknown if it is a man or a women (there Lyrics: These streets was my religion - refers to institutionalized is no distinctiveness). Hyde Williams is playing with societal forms of religiosity but also the essence of his religion is in the streets categories – normally people place others in boxes/categories Verse 1: He discusses the keys to a heaven but also to a prison door based on particular environmental cues but in reality it can be (duality of the keys – dynamic of the sacred and the profane) anyone. Gender roles are being meshed (presenting an image of - The power of choices – when the boy exacted his own revenge hyper masculinity in Chicago) by killing the one responsible for his friend’s death → now locked - Common shows a women being arrested (could be two different him in an undesirable life of drugs and violence and prision. protagonists) Verse 2: Conversation with god Lyrics: My money ain't straight, my fam ain't straight Ain't wanna Musical production” push kis, Heaven couldn't wait I was hurting, couldn't get no work - Chopping: e.g., “oh yes, my lord” You created me from dust—that's why I did dirt You said that the - Song had a slower tempo compared to the original gospel piece last shall be first Now, I'm in a hearse; what's this cash really worth? (but remains unchanged looping) - Manifestations of function F1 - creation of humans - Drums are retained in the song but there is another form of - He is talking/conversing with god – talking, questioning and drumming that’s more digital with an emphasis of cymbals in throwing scripture at god → form of black theodicy (this is what the original snippets of the song from Voices of conquest. you said but now what because I am the one that’s hurt even Call and response aspect in the song at the hook: (conversational) when I take the high road) The gospel vocal sample serves as the "call," while Common's - The verse does utilize the keys → in a heavenly sense, but he also rapping acts as the "response." This interaction creates a dialogue talks about himself pushing keys or “kis” = kilos of cocaine. within the song. Lyrics: Standing at the gates, ‘cause I know you’ve forgiven what I’ve Lyrics: Help me get, get the keys to the kingdom (Yeah), (And the done I’m your son, do I have the keys to get in? streets say) Ah, yes (And the people say) My Lord - Conversing with god yet again. He is standing at the gate, not - He is chopping up the sample and they are being filled with trying to force his way in (hoping god will forgive him for the dirt commons lyrics he has done and allow him entry into heaven) thus he is waiting - Has looping type of beat (start-end- repeat → no disruption – Lyrics: Tryna hop the gate to Heaven ‘cause I couldn’t get a key very cyclical Vince staples takes different action at the gate → He is trying to hop the gate (black humanist sensibilities – taking matters into my own hands) Lyrics: We still wading in the water, Cocaine blunts marinating in the water Spiritual song: wading in the water (referring for baptism) – waiting for anticipation for god. - For Staples the water is filled with problematic materiality. The waters are not peaceful, the expectation is to wait in these waters but there is all of these harmful and addictive’s items floating around me - These MC’s are challenging god – they are looking at their kingdom and grappling with what we are seeing – you can’t expect me to wait and sit around given my experiences. - The sample used in the song is also in conversation with the MC’s Religiosity in music production: 1. African American Humanism comes to life via black music producers, but also from utilizing their human ability to create something constructive (human ingenuity). 2. Human responsibility: Seen with the artist Common who was in conversation with the sample – he was grappling with what was happening within Chicago during that time (for which humans created the conditions for → hardship and death). But despite all this ID (producers) offers common a scaffold to be able conversate with the sample to give hopefulness in such despair.  3. Complex vs dynamical self – each producer has their own fingerprint e.g.; NO ID identifies with producers within the hip- hop culture (collective-self) (similar to DJ’s) and has a unique (fingerprint) (personal self). 3 Media Of Music Videos: 1. Music: Beat Production 2. Lyrics: Words of the MC’s; voice overs 3. Image: Still and/or moving: Images are more controllable (Direct control), Concreteness, occupies space - Grammatical noun— for images are seen as “objects of sight that can be owned, procured, possessed.” (176) Sound: (1+2)(music + lyrics): The sound is considered to be the action and uncontrollable (in terms of projection) Sound : Process-oriented (It is not static; it involves action and change, much like a verb in grammar → grammatical verb), Ebbs and flows, and begins and ends (characterized by its dynamic nature with variations). No direct control over it. Images: § Concrete and occupies space, there is direct control - can change the image § Represents nouns (person, place or thing) § Grammatical noun: images are seen as “objects of sight that can be owned, procured, possessed” Music Video Images: “Images that adopt the phenomenological qualities of sound: these images, like sound, come to the fore and fade away, ‘stream,’ surround us, and even reverberate within us, and mimic timbral qualities.”(177) 1. Relationship between sound/image: 2. Reversal possibilities: Image and sound will take on the qualities of the other (reversal of the noun and the verb) Characterizing Elements: 1. Micro rhythms: Fine granular elements that appear throughout the video – meant to emphasize certain things. 2. Inversions: Sound or image created the conditions for the action to happen 3. Synchresis: This describes a type of connection where visuals and sounds are linked in a way that emphasizes their relationship, even if they don’t directly correspond. It refers to an underlying association that ties elements together. The mental fusion between a sound and a visual when these occur at exactly the same time. Intersection = Sync points → needed for lyrical or production emphasis → A BIGGER PICTURE Structure of Music Video: The relationship between sound and image is very important 1. Beginning: There is a close relationship between sound and image. Most productions will start usually with a sync point - Close synchronization (sound and image intersect through space simultaneously). - Zones of liminality: A third space where video producers can be very creative due to the intersection of sound and image. 2. Middle: similar to an essay body – the place where you prove your thesis (heart of the paper); the meanings the producers want you take away. There is a shifting relationship between sound and image with an increasing gap between them. Reversals can take place (sound usually acts are the verb and image is the noun) – and now the sound could be more controllable (noun) and the image could become the verb. Extension Dissolution (music / image) Increased emphasis 3. End: At the end of the video there is a decrease in the distance between sound and image. There can be reversal possibilities, and it is left open ended.  3 approaches to death in rap music: 1. Braggadocio Lyrical Analysis: In "Dead or Alive," Too Short addresses the rumors and wishes surrounding his supposed i. Song and Artist: Dead or deathes → “I heard there was a rumor Too $hort was dead”. alive by Too Short He confronts the fascination that people want him dead or constantly think he is dead → This sets the tone for the braggadocio style, where he confidently rejects the notion that he could ever be defeated or silenced. "I never let 'em bury me without my mic": The artist claims that even if he dies physically, his legacy and influence will persist through his music → his art will outlive his physical form. "Am I a zombie, or something close?" He equates himself to a zombie, but in a unique way—he isn’t a victim of societal zombification, as Pinn describes, but instead, he uses the idea of being undead as a marker of his resilience and invincibility → immortal. "Dead or Alive, I'm still Born to Mack": Why do they want him dead? Because no one can beat him at his game (music and lyrical creation). Regardless of the rumors or challenges he faces → always excel in his craft. Album cover analysis: v. “Rest in peace”: Too Short is symbolically burying these weaker rappers, claiming that they’ve been outmatched and outlasted. vi. “Died on the wax” – too short kills him with his lyrics not physically vii. The term "MC" stands for Master of Ceremonies, and refers to rappers who controlled the microphone. "Sucker" is a derogatory term for someone who thinks they have skills but don't (whack artist). 2. Anticipatory Anxiety Lyrical analysis: i. Song and artist: Death Outro: Child: Why you by the window? What's wrong daddy? Mother: I know what's wrong with that crazy around the corner by motherfucker He just stand by the goddamn window With that fuckin' AK all day (There you go) You don't Tupac work, you don't fuck, you don't eat: Tupac is mentally checked out of life – he is not able to enjoy his life and live in the moment because he is fixated on death and the possibility that every turn he takes may be his last. He is the embodiment of the zombie Pinn mentions. “Ran out of indo, and my mind can't take the stress, I'm out of breath Make me wanna kill my damn self, but I see death around the corner”: The anxiety is so much, he is stressed therefore figures that he can get liberation if he kills himself. He acknowledges the stress he is living, and goes to say that people who many love may be out to get him. Regardless he chooses not to kill himself even with this internal battle. 3. Contemplative Posture Artist: Don’t forget about me by Noname Song & Artist: Don’t forget Lyrical Analysis: about me by Noname Noname reflects on mortality and the inevitability of death, particularly within the context of her mother's Song & artist: Artist: illness. She contemplates the fragility of life and the approach of death. Noname recognizes that our earthly Shadow man by Noname bodies are temporary vessels and hopes that her spirit will outlast her physical form. She wants to be remembered and hopes that her existence will endure beyond physical death (her spirit is eternal). Key Lyrics: "I know everyone goes someday, I know my body's fragile, know it's made from clay. But if I have to go, I pray my soul is still eternal. And my mama don't forget about me. I pray my mama don't forget about me. I pray my granny don't forget about me." Inspiration: “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!” - Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats In Shadow Man, Noname draws inspiration from Keats’ line, where the nightingale represents eternity. While many people move through life as if they were born to die. Keats proposes that we are born for eternal existence. Noname reflects this sentiment in her work, suggesting that, like the nightingale, there’s an essence in us that transcends mortality. This connection to Ode to a Nightingale shows Noname’s depth as a reader and her skill in integrating classical literature into her music. Symbolism of the Nightingale: Noname reveres the nightingale, recognizing its symbolism of eternal life and using it as a lens through which to explore her own thoughts on death. This metaphor speaks to her understanding of mortality not as a definitive end but as a passage to something beyond. Lyrics: “When I die there's 27 rappers at my funeral Moses wrote my name in gold and Kanye did the eulogy Remember all the bashfulness, understand the truancy Here I stand in front of a college dropout.”  In the first verse, Noname envisions her own funeral with a sense of pride (braggadocio) imagining the scene as grand and celebratory. This confidence about her “funeral” suggests a triumphant view of her legacy— acknowledging death but hinting at an ongoing essence or “dust body” that will carry on. “Bless the nightingale” – Noname uses the nightingale as a symbol of eternal life but also to contemplate mortality. Duality of Death and Immortality: Similar to Too Short, Noname reflects on lyrical immortality, aware that her words might outlast her physical presence. There is an element of anticipation—dual anticipation (anticipation that death will come) but an equal anticipation that immortality or eternal life will follow. What is graffiti? Where did it originate? Graffiti as a movement preceded hip-hop but it is the hip-hop platform that brought eventually global visibility to graffiti. The Graffiti movement crossed socioeconomic lines and ethnicities and social categories - The art form of tagging was birthed in Philadelphia (late 70’s) → first documented artist: Cornbread (older gentlemen) - Then there is an eruption in NY city specificity with the artist Taki 183 (name, Address) who is of Greek ancestry & younger → he started the art of bombing and bombed her neighborhood which garnered the attention of the NY times. Time-line: Early’s 1970’s: Writers focused on stationary objects – work was mostly found in their local environments. Used very simple tools like sharpies, shoe polish, and spray paint. Late 70’s to Early 1980’s: shifting towards the early 80’s the tool kit was diversified, and new techniques emerged to get more variety. Shift towards putting signatures on moving objects like trains. Ex: supercool adjusts the aerosol spray can such that it can cover a larger surface area. 1990’s: The train was still a canvas but now graffiti artist starts to put their pieces on canvases. They is a transition to a global recognition as actual artists. Tagging (tag – fill in): A simple form of graffiti that often involves a signature or name written quickly and provides notoriety. Tags are often used to establish an artist's unique mark. Tagging is often done in hard-to-reach or public spaces, and can be seen as a challenge and risk as it is illegal. Throw ups, or throwies: are a form of graffiti that fall between tags and pieces in complexity. The name comes from the way they are designed to be "thrown" onto a surface as quickly as possible and is considered to be illegal. They are almost always done with aerosol paint and have the artists tag with the end goal of notoriety & showcasing artistic ability (has more layers, colors, usually a dark outline and a lighter shade for emphasis). Bombing: A form of graffiti that involves covering as much space as possible in a short amount of time using simpler styles, such as tags or throw-ups *Speed is important*. Bombing can involve painting many different walls inside one city area or train within a very short timeframe. Documentary: Style wars Grand Concourse 149th Street Station, graffiti writers gather at what they call the writer's bench (which can be translated to their cipher or jam session). - The documentary starts with the presentation of 15 and 16-year-old kids running the system but throughout it the documentary it showcases that it is extremely diverse in age, class, gender etc. - The need for an outline (usually in white) and adjustments & bold color usage. Outline – soft fill in –put colors – then make 3D. Society/justice system view of graffiti: I. Locking up repeating offenders. Preventing them from going down in the old-subways because they have no business down there and it is dangerous. II. Belief that is children heavy & they have this inherent belief of immortality III. The cost of damage – the idea that they are destroying the “life-style” and making it difficult to enjoy life. IV. Parental worry and skepticism – that they just want/need for attention → for them the idea was to go all city. All city means that everyone will know your signature line.  Wayne Roberts: Is an example of an artist that complicates the simple idea of the tag by incorporating an image. - He pulls his inspiration from a show called the Saint (popular culture). - His form of the saint/angel is smoking a blunt/weed – relating to “staying high”. Example between Pink vs Aiko tags: i. Varying thickness of the tool ii. Both incorporated a symbol (star vs heart) iii. Use of different tools → (Sharpie vs shoe polish or aerosol) iv. varying in handwriting complexity Example of graffiti artists: Lady Pink About her: Considered to be one of the early Queens of graffiti writings in New York City, and was one of the few female artists as it was male dominated. Her work was instrumental in the beginning of graffiti writing. Function of graffiti in her life: Graffiti to a degree is a rebellious act to her just as writing can be considered a rebellious act but it was more as she is an introvert. It gave her way to express herself through her own creativity, a medium that gave her a voice and a form of communication. In us we trust piece: created by a group Tats Cru: The group itself started in the early 80’s but this is found in Bronx, NY 2009 done by several artists: BG183, Nosm, Bio, Nicer, How and Dmote 1. Modelled upon stain glass windowed in a church. Represented in the gothic styled architecture (brick & candles) 2. Pipe organ that takes up the focal point of this piece – common instrumentality found in church. There is money behind the organ. 3. Central figure gold tooth, un-humanlike hands, unproportioned body to head ratio, halo on the head. Represent individuals or institutions that misuse religious authority to manipulate and control vulnerable populations for personal gain. 4. Individuals on the bottom represent different institutionalized religions, (left to right) – Islam (praying position also F2), Buddhism, Judaism, and catholic (rosemary beads) (F1). Legalistic Christian/evangelical or Baptist – the one that casts judgment. Other characters are the blessed mother in the stained glass, an alienlike figure with the all-seeing eye (illuminati). 5. Throw ups in the panes Dynamical self: Result of collaborative creativity – but each pane was done by a separate artist – highlights the skill set of each individual artist which is similar DJ Q Bert jam session where there is collectivity is emphasized but so is individual agency. Complex subjectivity : Recognition of institutionalized religions and using their art as a medium to transcend these categories. o Critiquing world religions, “In us trust” – their trust won’t be in religions rather in humans capabilities (agency and creativity) → humanism as a belief system. o It is not known the social locations of any of these artist, but what is known is there artist ability (similar to DJ-ing). When their art is visible, the audience does not know the social categorizations that these graffiti artists fit into rather what is known is an identity formed from a tag name/signature. Therefore, identity is tied to their artistic abilities. Tattooing & HipHop culture: Tattoos have meaning where the body is the canvas instead of inanimate objects like in graffitiing Image: Artist YG with his head tattoo 1. “no weapon formed against me shall prosper” – drawn directly from the biblical text (F1). Personalized the tattoo with “me” than “you” 2. Blessed mother Mary imagery – he sees the importance of the divine intervention (intercede) of the mother. Regardless of his religious orientation (if he is Christian or not). 3. The clouds and doves (celestial capturing or feeling) – someone watching and protecting me. 4. The positionality of the tattoo on the head – protective covering (the most vulnerable place) from the bad thoughts and physical harm. General definition: Tattooing is the insertion of pigments under the skin to create permeant marks either with pigment or texture. **Branding is considered a form of tattooing (in the reading) Cultural understand of tattooing is the process of intentionally reconstruction the corporeal in order to symbolic represent & physically chronicle changes in one identity, relationships, thoughts or emotions over time →Tattoos are fluid and change over time (a form of malleability). Tattooing acts as: Tattooing is a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural differences & similarities. It acts as a way to create & to express multiple forms of identity. 1. Boundary between self and society: tattooing conjoins & can separate i. Sets you apart from the other members who do not have it ii. The people within the tattoo group may have either similar placement or similar tattoos (forms different in-groups). Tattoo analysis: Tear drop tattoo analysis Lil Wayne (left): Symbolic representations of individuals he has lost (perpetual mourning and memorializing) but also an act of remembrance. Birdman (right): Birdman does not discuss his tear drops: some assumptions can be drawn from the typical meanings such as, revenge, killing or attempting to kill someone. Similarities: Both have tear drops on their face (separates them from society – people with other tattoos and un-tattooed people) → creates both disunion and unity. They are connected by music as well. Differences: in meaning, shapes, size, placement, color (Lil Wayne = more reddish shading vs birdman solid black) and # of the tears (4 vs 2). 2. A way to create and express multiple forms of identifies - Liminal space is the dynamical self (identity form that brings together, overlaps between collective and personal self in tattooing (simultaneous expression). Personal self: Tattoos serve as autobiographies inscribed on the body, signifying individuality by capturing meaning that is personal. Collective self: a form of establishing connection/ group membership e.g., Forms a connection with people with the tear drops (collective self) but tattoos can be a way to separate (reason, positionality, & meaning) (personal self) Body is seen as very secular (our skin is the canvas) – profane and secular about this approach. There is elements of profanity and liminality. Lil Waynes facial tattoos & back tattoos’ (others): 1. “Fear God” : F1: using his body to exert a particular belief system (he believes in god and reveres god) Lil Wayne understands that he may not wake up the next morning (awareness that when you are asleep you are at your most vulnerable). 2. “I am music” – F4/F3: complex subjectivity: Who I am is bigger than my social categories, his identity is so fluid, he aligns himself with an artform and not fix himself in a particular genre of music. 3. Fleur-de-lis embellishment that represents his hometown new Orleans Louisiana (his social category as a black man). - Prayer to god back tattoo (F2 and F3) – talking to god and is praying for guidance & courage The back is considered one of the most vulnerable places for him. 4. A Skull with dreads – F3 grappling with death (answering existential questions) embodying himself with death (he is thinking about his own mortality) – a form of anticipatory anxiety but Lil Wayne does not stop rather he puts his confidence in god. Conversation occurring between the two tattoos on his back (prayer vs the skull like representation of himself) - Tupac on the other hand had much less hopefulness in his song death around the corner. Religious Material Culture by Morgan: Material culture involves the use of created forms to offer a meaningful interpretation— one fluid enough to undergo change via mutual reciprocal interaction—of self and the world. Material culture is considered to be a creative form (implied within that there is a creator). - Material culture includes objects, spaces, and practices that give form to belief. Interaction with the creative forms (material culture) tends to be a way to create meaning. - There is an impact that the object has on you and vice versa (reciprocal interaction) but the relationship to objects changes. Nellie Belle (Morgan, pp. 71, 73): Material culture object → Professor Guillory’s car that reminded her of all her life transitions (life- experiences intimately connected to her identity). - What seems secular (may have been created to be secular) but the way that people engage the object as if it was the subject allows it to take on religious qualities. Religious material culture based on Morgans definitions (defining characteristics): Belief (57-58): involves feelings and emotions (emotive posture) – not tied to an institutionalized form of religiosity rather tied to sacredness in general. Embodiment (59-60): The physical body is important and the creative form of the object (which has a body). - Belief takes shape in the body: How belief is physically enacted and experienced through the body Ex: Nellie has a body (body of the car) Space (62)— Belief manifests itself in space and places → Locations made holy through ritual, belief & particular objects. Durkheim: that a particular room (e.g., classroom or bedroom) is considered profane, and if you add sacred objects to a profane space you will pollute the object. Morgan: can create a transition of a space from profane to the sacred through embodiment and materiality. Performance/Practice (68): involves movement of body (subject) but also the movement of objects and this is a form of embodiment which is all tied by belief. The enactment of belief through ritual and social roles. Aesthetics (70): Sensory experiences of beauty and transcendence in religious contexts (features). Aesthetics of the object and the body Belief is captured from the body, actions & materiality (belief is the focal point of identifying an object that acts as religious material culture) Jesus piece case study (chain that contains pendant which is some depiction of Jesus or Jesus-like figure): Biggie Funko Pop (considered to be material culture): Can be argued to be religious material culture (by morgans definition) as Biggie is adorned with the Jesus Piece, he is one of the first rappers that mentioned the Jesus piece in his lyrics. Drakes Jesus Piece: i. One of Drake’s Jesus Pieces depicts Tupac as he sees Tupac as a Jesus figure to him. - Tupac was an individual that during his lifetime on earth was subject to crucifixion (Tupac also saw himself in this way as well) - Drake paying homage to Tupac and establishing a correlation between Jesus’ suffering on earth and Tupac’s life ii. Commodification of this image Reading: The Jesus Piece: explores the relationship between gangsta rappers and Jesus Christ. It argues that gangsta rappers see Jesus as a relatable figure because of his life story. The many roles of Jesus: 3C’s i. Companion Jesus: Rappers often depict Jesus as a figure who understands their struggles and stands by them. This Jesus is often portrayed as black, reinforcing the connection between the oppression faced by African Americans and Jesus's own persecution. Clipse Jesus album cover lord willing: They are riding in an old school Lincoln in Virginia city where Jesus is found in the back seat with his hand propped up instead of the drivers seat. Therefore, Clipse is driving (he is in control of his own life), but Jesus is in the back figuratively and literally – the back is seen as the most vulnerable, and he has their back (protection) → similar to Lil Waynes back’s tattoo reasoning. - Secular hip-hop group, where Jesus is seen as a homie & a faithful companion. ii. Crucified Jesus Kanye: “Jesus Walks” – No matter what you have done in your life, Jesus walks with you Lil Wayne: Freaknik cartoon with trap house depiction of the Last Supper. Jesus is a former drug dealer that will take on the disciples → disciples are inspiring rappers. Message is still the same that Jesus is a constant companion. Snoop’s Jesus: Gives the opposite of companionship, Jesus is presented as a trickster figure (e.g., murder was the case) & has the power to operate against you iii. Commodified Jesus: The "Jesus piece," a lavish piece of jewelry featuring Jesus's face, symbolizes the blending of capitalism and spirituality. It reflects the gangsta's desire for wealth and recognition. Kayne West – represented as a crucified Jesus (Crown of thrones) in the rolling stones magazine. The passion of Kanye West – I am always being crucified, Self-sacrificial for a greater body of people. Remy Ma: She refers to herself as Shesus Christ – Album cover: she’s on the cross, being crucified with all her feminine features (nails & hair done) → she is playing with gender dynamics. How women in hip-hop culture are constantly being treated in the industry & the culture (forms of marginalization). - She is capturing the whole passion event: The Passion of Christ is the story of Jesus Christ's arrest, trial, suffering and finally his execution by crucifixion but also includes the Resurrection. - There is also tones of liberation because “Christ” is mentioned in her naming → restructuration. - Nas: Hate me now (produced by Hyde Williams): Crucifixion of Nas which is inclusive of the whole passion of Christ as towards the end he looks towards the heaven (form of hopefulness). - Makaveli  Commodified Jesus: Has become so commodified that there are different price points of different qualities. - Jason of beverly hills is one of the people that individuals go to for high end Jesus pieces. - Jesus piece is a symbol that you’ve made it– a status symbol eg. Kanye, Jay Z, Megan Thee Stallion - Rick Ross has 10 Jesus pieces (boasting about his ability to spend money on more than one piece) - Some see themselves with power – Jesus beat death (e.g., Tupac) Jesus Piece: Studio album by The Game Golden salvation by Wale Album Cover of the Jesus piece: The game Album cover: Presents himself (Wale) as the Jesus Piece which - Jesus is a member of Bloods as he has red bandana on is the actual pendant that hangs from the chain. - Traditional stained glass background with LA in the background - Playing with a sacred image within Catholicism (the sacred heart Lyrics/song analysis: of Jesus) → Sacred/profane relationship The Jesus Piece is rapping and is critiquing the commodification - The Jesus like figure is pointing to the heart rapped in gold of himself. A scared object that is surrounded by profanity shackles & Jesus is wearing the Jesus piece and pointing towards “While you sinning, I wait Fornicating with women, I sat right it. there on your table” – How the jesus piece is found in profane environments and is not being treated as sacred. Lyrics/song analysis: “So, get Jacob to come find me And religion is a style, if not, “It was God that brought Dre to me / Bless but them n**** Kanye then why this shit a quarter mil?” - He mentions Jacob the for me” → Using God and Jesus interchangeably – to say that there Jeweler who is charging money and profiting over this. was divine intervention that allowed him to connect to Kayne West “I died for you all, now niggas die over me” – exsistential to come together and create music together questioning “Made a nigga feel ashamed of the the city where he live” → He is “Jesus piece, but don't nobody wan' know Jesus' peace, no” – struggling with the fact that his city holds a lot of bad memories word play on piece & peace (death of BigE) & events and but he loves his city and he is trying to “Sunday services, pastor is the wealthy ones… Gospel gone come to terms with this. commercial, pray the purpose isn't cruel” - Critiques the hip- 1. He humanizes the trinity (Father, son, Holy Spirit) – Puts rappers hop artists & the church – that money is extended in those positions (e.g., Scarface) → “Hip Hop was better off - Tats crew piece can be connected here (same idea of when it was just Dre, Scarface, and Esco” money & corruption) 2. At the hook: he starts to talk about money (transition for the - The visual captures what he offers in the song (he is the chorus – which talks about his Jesus piece) → (connection pendant that actually hangs from the chain) – everything between money & Jesus piece = form of commodification also surrounding makes connections between suffering in the city but in the end - Governmental buildings in the back → Washington it’s all about money “amen” → ending of the song (let it be) Global Hiphop: Transnationalism: a localized phenomenon or product that developed under multi-national or multi-cultural (ethnic) influence. Song analysis: Azet & Zuna Rappers from Germany and their song: LELELE Start: existential crisis → Character needs food for his baby, so he leaves his house Middle: story unfolds → Plots to rob a rich man, robs the man, is warned by him (“Boys you are making a big mistake”) End: existential disaster: Death & Symbolism of Hell a. Islam as a belief system is found in the lyrics and video, however, it is not very overt b. Islam defines what is right and wrong / sinful (Selling drugs as wrong because it is a sin, not because it is illegal according to a country’s law) Dynamical self: They are two different people, but they have paths in life that are very similar The MC’s have been hired to kill someone who robbed a white affluential males mansion. These individuals are forced to fight one another due to their circumstances but the reality is they should be fighting the oppressor– inferiority complex. Personal-self: different unique struggles (forced slave vs Collective-self: being victims of white supremacy & also having refugee different personal experiences between the MC’s & similar socioeconomic backgrounds. the protagonist). Connection between slavery and immigrant/refugee MC sees himself with the protagonist– understands what he’s doing a. Zuna is a refugee from Lebanon MC sees himself with the protagonist– understands what he’s doing b. Protagonist is a black man in Brazil (brought to a. Self-identification with another person brazil forcefully - chattel slavery) b. Bags the head so he doesn’t see that he’s killing himself– visual separation  Similar existential crisis’s: Poverty, providing for one’s c. He bags the head, so he doesn’t see that he is killing himself (the family & relying on illegal means → lack of options and bag is the visual separation between him and himself). constant threats Humanism § Believing in God but also disobeying the underlying tenants of religion by committing crimes § Punishment appears to come from humans and not inheretly from god specifically. Azet God is good, all the time. Believe in Islam, but fails White Enemy, tempter, has a significant presence in God is not the source of in applying some of its supremacy, teh good because they’ve been abandoned the problems, the tenents poverty, Drugs, and marginalized problems come from prison, etc disobeying Him Feels unable to stop “Poverty bro, is it normal that the children jump when the devil says “ay”” White Supremacy Theodicy Slave Mentality Theodicy Lyrics Having to leave home country in search Witness intimidation for a better life ** Selling drugs because he is hungry ** Interaction of whiteness with the devil Video poverty and suffering caused by white The characters are both oppressed in greed, legacy of slavery, continued their respective contexts, but they end racism up being pitted against one another in white man in the house calling for a very search for livelihood. harsh punishment for robbing, being fine Relating the experience of people who with being extravagantly rich while are descendants of slavery in Brazil with others are starving. Muslim immigrants to Germany. white Jesus looking on and doing nothing Summary Poverty, suffering, caused by white The protagonist being pitted against the greed, racism, and transatlantic slavery rappers/hit men, despite their similar Examples: backgrounds in their respective countries. They don’t want to kill each other, rob each other, be violent against each other, but they feel like they must. However, in the case of the rappers, they lament that they go too far by seeking the riches of the white Germans too.