Term: Ghettocentrism
Music Video: Eazy-E –“Boyz n the Hood”
Ghettocentrism as defined by Samuels is “a style-driven cult of blackness defined by crude stereotypes” (Samuels, p.152). Historically the crude stereotypes that attempt to define blackness originate from chattel slavery and the fascination of the black body. The emergence of early rap in the late 1970's created a genre that appealed to a voyeuristic society trying to define black music and culture. “Raps appeal to whites rested in the image of blackness: foreign, sexually charged and criminal underworld against which the norms of white society are defined” (Samuels, p.147). Such exaggerated and romanticized images portrayed in rap videos during the 1980's and 1990's created rapper “superhero” status and reinforced stereotypes of living a ghetto lifestyle as to being the only reality of black experience in America.
Easy-E in 1991 released the song “Boyz in Da Hood” in which he narrated a day in the hood. Throughout the song he takes the listener through several areas of “hood” life that glorify violence, materialism, illegal activates and misogyny.
- “Cruisin down the street in my six-fo', jockin the bitches, slappin the hoes”.
- “young niggas at the path throwin up gang signs, ran in my house, and grabbed ma clip”
- “they greet me wit a 40 and I start drinking”
- “its all about makin that G.T.A. (Grand Theft Auto)”
- “I went to get them out but there was no bail, the fellas caused a riot in the county jail”
Easy-E goes on to say that boyz in the hood are always hard because surviving a day in the hood is hard. Although this type of black experience is the reality for some black youth, the commercialization of rap by music industry glamorizes ghettocentrism while failing to provide alternatives to the black experience.
Question: Being that rappers are the most influential “superheros” of the 21st century, by profiting rap as a consumable good, and reinforcing negative stereotypes, can one assume that achieving black superstardom means accepting overt racism?
Term: Power Move
Clip : Breakdance Power Moves on Youtube
Power Moves is defined as a form of dance moves. A combination of dance moves of all styles that require power in speed and movement fused together. An example of power moves would be break dancing. Break dancing has many combinations and styles of “power moves” from music played. For instance, in break-dancing there are moves such as the “foot”, head spines, windmill, arm wave and turtle freeze. There are many dance moves that are in creation and are still being created, especially dancers, moves are always improvised and created.
Power moves are based on beats and rhythm of the music played. Halifu Osumare says, “the original impetus in hip-hop culture was the break beat- the percussion beats that included bongos, congas, bells, and shakers- within songs that were looped together to extend the rhythmic interlude for the “break” dancers” (Osumare, 33). Power moves require the intensity to the flow of rhythmic beats and creative styles of dancing, in this case, break-dancing.
In this YouTube video clip, break dancing is shown and it takes place in a competitive battle setting. Many people comment on this video clip and describe certain moves such as the Babymill, Munchmill, Knuckle Zoo and Elbow spin. These are “new” moves created by the competitors in the competition. Like I said before, moves are always in creation and being created, especially for dancers.
Question: What kind of power moves do you see or recognize on rap music videos or hip hop music?
Term: Gangsta Rap
Music Video: Lil Wayne – “Snitch”
Gangsta Rap was first introduced and commercialized in the mid 1980’s by artists such as Ice-T, Schooly-D and infamous group N.W.A. This subgenre in Hip-Hop, described in class, became popular because of it’s lucrative and explicit lyrics. In the 1990’s gangsta rap evolved but faced criticisms from almost everyone. They were accused of promoting violence, profanity, gang rape, drive by shooting, drug dealing, alcohol abuse and the list goes on. Basically anything that has to do with common urban violence and crimes, gangsta rap was blamed for being influential.
One of the G-Codes (gangsta codes) that all gangsta rappers live by is this unwritten rule of “No Snitching”. Every gangsta knows this rule and live every day by it. Here is a list I compiled that describes a “snitch”.
- Any person who tells police or any authority of another's activity whether it’s a illegal or not. (Sometime snitches might even deny they snitched, but they’re still a snitch.)
- A jail informant. (paid and unpaid) who gives information to cops in exchange for reduced sentences, dropped charges and witness protection.
- A scared person who informs police of threats made to them.
Snitches sometime pay the consequences for snitching. Some live to tell their story but the ones caught, are usually murdered or beaten down badly. In this song “snitch” by Lil Wayne from his album “The Carter”, it demonstrates the consequences of snitching.
{Hook}
Don't let your mouth open up
Cuz you don't wanna see the handgun open up, no
Don't let your mouth open out
Cuz you don't wanna see the automatic open out, no
[Verse 1]
Aint no snitches ridin wit us
Ol motor mouth niggaz could holla the front
Cant no loose slips get on my yacht
I leave player haters at the dock, watch
And your nigga help ya burn the block
As soon as you get hot nigga turn to cop
Ya settin up federal appointments now
Nigga all in court pointing out
Daddy not knowing what he doin here child
We gon mail him his finger when he get out, yea
Just to show him what we's about
Never let shit about G'z leave ya mouth, yea
You inside can't leave ya house
Two donut lovers to police ya house
I sneak past those brothers leak in ya house
And put the heat dead in yo mouth, so shut up
[Hook - repeat 2X]
[Verse 2]
Wizzy nigga been bout me
Stay low so you don't know shit bout me
Make no mistake I'm a veteran at
Me never rat mommy taught me better than that
Get a gat if you ain't got one already
If you do then you ain't got enough get two
And you could never get me nigga get you
And you ain't got to fuck me girl fuck you
I'm rollin wit my goons
And I would never roll on my nigga take that to my tomb
aint no girl came out of mom's womb
Real nigga shit muthufucker I'm tuned, and I was taught
If a man talk about another man while that man ain't present
A man don't listen
They throwin brick but they hands is missin
Just watch what you sayin sissy
[Hook - repeat 2X]
[Verse 3]
Aint no telling who spillin the earl
You telling yo boy he tellin his girl
O, Now she telling the world
It ain't no secret I'm hotter than etha
But I don't neither cop shit neither
Either close yo mouth or meet the heater
We the dirty south where cocaine cheaper
You go up north nigga's boost they fee up
This where the real hustlers meet up
Look out anybody can be them people
Yo own people could be them people
No glasses can help you see them people
They around too many evil people
Detectives wanna get even equal
My desert eagle ain't even legal, but sssshhhhhhhh
In this song, Lil wayne talks about drug dealing, guns, murder and consequences of snitching. In the first verse, lil wayne claims a snitch pointing out in court so he said “we gon send him his finger when he get out”, meaning he’s going to pay the price for snitching. Then he states “Never let shit about G'z leave ya mouth, yea, You inside can't leave ya house , two donut lovers to police ya house, I sneak pass those brothers leak in ya house and put the heat dead in yo mouth, so shut up.” Meaning even with the police to watch over your house, he’ll find a way to sneak in and shoot you, specifically dead in the mouth.
Question: Now that you guys are familiar with snitching. Do you think “snitching” is a good or bad thug law to live by? If you were in the position to snitch, what would you do and why?
Term:: Gangsta Rap
Song: Ice T “6 in the Mornin’ ”
Ice T, along with other artists such as Schooly D, is revered as one of the founding fathers of gangsta rap. This style of rap, which portrayed the violent and dangerous lifestyles of youth within urban areas, was established in the 1980s and received mass commercial popularity late in the decade. Popularity continued throughout the 1990s with artists such as N.W.A., TuPac, and Snoop Dogg.
As popularity increased so did social criticisms of the controversial issues that the songs brought to light. Depiction of issues such as violence, drug use and trafficking, and degradation of women were among the chief complaints of critics. Those opposing the production of gangsta rap went so far as to insist on the censorship of the music in the early 1990s. Ultimately the artists defended their music by saying that they were not promoting the activities they were rapping about, but rather portraying them for an audience.
This song exemplifies many of the main ingredients that personify gangsta rap. It speaks of inner city struggles saying that “Living in the city is a serious task”. The song talks openly of violence, jail time for possession of weapons, and running from the cops. Along with including common social issues mentioned in gangsta rap songs, the style of flow in which the song is delivered is similar to styles seen
in other gangsta rap songs such as Eazy E’z Eazy Duz It.
Group Video: Biggie and Tupac Freestyle
- Two of most famous gangsta rappers are featured
- Each artist rhymes about exagerated violence, possesion of guns.
- “I got seven Mack 11's, about eight 38's
Nine 9's, ten mack tens, the shits never ends” - Reps their hood “Where brooklyn at” and speaks directly to “thugs”- Appealing to ghetto youth.
- Freestyle battles are common in BBoy community, use power moves to assert themselves. We thought that this could translate into freestyle rap, where their lyrical power moves are
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