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UNMASKING HIP HOP: LANDSCAPING THE SHIFTS AND IMPACTS OF A MUSICAL<br />
MOVEMENT<br />
A Thesis<br />
submitted to the Faculty of the<br />
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences<br />
of <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the<br />
degree of<br />
Master of Arts<br />
in Communication, Culture and Technology<br />
By<br />
Shani Ali Smothers, B.A.<br />
Washington, DC<br />
April 29, 2004
Copyright 2004 by S.A. Smothers<br />
All Rights Reserved<br />
iv
UNMASKING HIP HOP: LANDSCAPING THE SHIFTS AND IMPACTS OF A MUSICAL<br />
MOVEMENT<br />
Shani Ali Smothers, B.A.<br />
Thesis Advisor: Matthew Tinkcom, Ph.D.<br />
ABSTRACT<br />
The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement originally grew out of the ranks of urban oppression in<br />
and around the New York City boroughs in the 1970s. The movement at that time used<br />
music, dance, and graffiti art to challenge status quo values, institutions, and the<br />
dominant order over society. In this study, I propose that the movement of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has<br />
changed due to an ideological split manifesting within the culture. I hypothesize that<br />
the rap facet of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement has divided and is traveling two extreme paths,<br />
one which maintains and reinforces the dominant order of society and one, which<br />
critiques this order. This divisiveness of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is a result of the culture industries, but<br />
moreover the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community has allowed the movement’s original purpose, as an<br />
outlet to critique society and politics, to be redirected. This study attempts to make<br />
sense of what has caused this division and the impact this now divisive movement has<br />
on listeners’ mentality, ideological preferences, and social and political engagement.<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is an undeniable social force for youth, particularly urban youth. This musical<br />
form exercises its force by shaping the identities, and furthermore the social character<br />
of its listeners. It grooms individuals, particularly youth to accept or reject their<br />
economic, political, and social conditions. The future path of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement is<br />
v
uncharted. Ultimately it is up to the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community to accept or reject the current<br />
construction and appropriation of this musical form, which potentially can work as an<br />
agent of social and political change.<br />
vi
PREFACE<br />
Over time, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> music has had its share of academic supporters as well as<br />
critics. One particular academic article motivated me to work on this topic. “Music and<br />
Music Videos” by Christine H. Hansen and Ronald D. Hansen (Oakland <strong>University</strong>) in<br />
Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer’s Media Entertainment: The Psychology of Its<br />
Appeal (2000), enraged me and filled me with a need to respond intellectually. Hansen<br />
and Hansen (Zillman and Vorderer, 2000) make questionable statements such as,<br />
“…BET (Black Entertainment Network) offers music videos for a (mostly) Black<br />
audience.” First of all BET stands for Black Entertainment Television NOT Black<br />
Entertainment Network. Secondly, it is a questionable fact that BET’s audience is<br />
mostly Black. Assumptions such as this example absolutely need data to support them.<br />
In the authors’ discussion of popular music and its appeal, they mention rap and<br />
“gangster rap” as having negative effects, but they fail to mention any rap that is<br />
positive or socially/politically conscious. They also fail to qualify any historical<br />
contexts from which rap arose. The section on rap music has a blatantly negative tone<br />
filled with negative generalizations about rap, rap fans, and the effects of rap music.<br />
Not only did this article contain statements, which were questionably false or had no<br />
evidence to support them, but also the authors admitted that their sample of 100<br />
participants was predominantly female and 96 percent of White descent. It is this type<br />
vii
of intellectualism, which is often fed to the public through articles and segments about<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
Realizing that every academic writer has his or her biases, I am not offering a<br />
critique of Hansen and Hansen’s opinions, but their method. Acceptable academic<br />
work typically covers various perspectives on the chosen topic and then offers a unique<br />
perspective. Additionally, intellectualism typically uses sourced information and<br />
thoroughly structured samples, surveys and results. These authors should have written<br />
on the White female perspective on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, rather than making generalizations about a<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture based on this non-representative sample. Hansen and Hansen have<br />
much to learn about <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and maybe a better approach in the future would be to<br />
gather findings from individuals who listen to and are affected by <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
With this in mind, I have derived this study of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> by drawing from a wealth of<br />
academic subjects such as, African American studies, African studies, anthropology,<br />
communications, cultural studies, education, history, liberation theology, media<br />
studies, musicology, political science, poverty studies, sociology, sociolinguistics, as<br />
well as academia on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. Although Chapter 5 of this study uses a convenience<br />
online sample to describe how <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> can be connected to several ideological and<br />
behavioral patterns, the methods used are statistically accurate and the results are of<br />
sound use in the pilot study. For every bad apple, there are several good ones. This is<br />
to say that for every anti-intellectual piece written on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, there are ten times as<br />
many thorough and intellectually stimulating pieces on this cultural art form.<br />
viii
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a dynamic musical movement, which impacts the lives of individuals,<br />
communities, and cultures, especially American culture. Hip <strong>hop</strong>, over time, has<br />
proven its viability and its power of influence—its potential to change the world in<br />
which we live.<br />
ix
Special Thanks goes to:<br />
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />
Dr. Matthew Tinkcom, my thesis advisor, for all of your support, understanding, and advice. Thank you<br />
for your <strong>Georgetown</strong> presence, your enlightening perspectives and for encouraging me and other<br />
students to think ‘outside of the box’.<br />
Dr. Diana Owen, my second reader, for your tireless dedication to the students, your amazing statistical<br />
expertise and for your interdisciplinary and unbiased perspectives.<br />
Dr. Richard Wright, my third reader, for your dedication to social change, your enlightening crossgenerational<br />
perspective and for challenging me and other students to take the extra step in critical<br />
analysis.<br />
My fellow Thesis Colloquium students for your comments and criticism, which helped me to improve<br />
my content.<br />
Dr. Pensri Ho and Professor Jessica Davis for your dialogue which particularly helped to shape this<br />
research.<br />
CCT alum, Autumn Lewis (’03), for being my CCT saving grace and opening my eyes to the power of<br />
selection.<br />
Robert Pham for all of the technological support and genuine care and support of CCT students.<br />
Heather Kerst, Davina Sashkin, Kendra Fowle, and Tonya Puffet for all of the administrative support.<br />
Dr. Mikell, Bernadetta Killian, Veronique Dozier, and Denis Williams for all of your support and for<br />
helping me to have such a remarkable experience in Tanzania.<br />
To all of the students, professors, and others whose conversations and dialogue helped to shape my<br />
project.<br />
My editors and proofreaders: Letita Aaron, Elaine Ayensu, Dr. Pensri Ho, Allissa Hosten, Kisha Ross,<br />
Dejuan Stroman and Grant Tregre.<br />
Father Phillip Linden, Jr., S.T.D, Ph.D for helping me to change my perspective, my goals and my life<br />
for the better and to fulfill my purpose.<br />
To my mother, Gladys Cole, for her unconditional support, her endless sacrafice for her children, and for<br />
envisioning my infinite potential.<br />
To my fathers, James Smothers III and Lionel Cole, for all of your love and support over the years.<br />
To my siblings, Malaika, Kiesha, Dale Janette, Jimmy, Courtney, and Gabriel, for all of your love and<br />
support.<br />
x
To my friend, confidant, and soul-mate, Grant, for all of your love, support and encouragement. Thank<br />
you for believing in me.<br />
Special Thanks goes to the Johnson, Cole, Smothers, Hicks, Doyle, Reels, Reese, Ward, Caldwell,<br />
Cochran, Lewis, Rhodes, Tregre, Rovaris and Hebert families for all of their love and support.<br />
xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
Cover Sheet………………………………………………...……………………………i<br />
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………....…ii<br />
Preface…………………………………………………………………………………..v<br />
Chapter I: The Changing Face of Hip Hop—The Movement of this Musical<br />
Continuum……………………………………………………………………………....1<br />
Defining and Reinventing Hip Hop………………………………………………...…..3<br />
Contextualizing the Evolution of Hip Hop……………………………….………….....6<br />
Project Summary………………………………………………………….…………….9<br />
Chapter II: Exploring the Functionality of Hip Hop: Moments and Evolution……....12<br />
The Communication and Communal Functions of Music……………………………13<br />
Hip Hop’s Communication and Communal Functionality………………………..….18<br />
Staccato Moments in Hip Hop History………………………………..….…………..22<br />
The Sub-Genres of Hip Hop………………………………..…………….………..…24<br />
Summary: Beyond Moments and Functions……………………………...………..…26<br />
Chapter III: Power, Culture Industry, and Hip Hop as an Undermined Movement….28<br />
The Power of the Repressive State and Ideological State Apparatuses………………30<br />
Mechanisms of Power and Social Movements…………………………...…………..32<br />
The Power of the Culture Industry…………………………………………………....36<br />
The Undermining of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> Movement………………………………………....44<br />
Summary……………………………………………………………………..……….52<br />
.<br />
Chapter IV: Words Are Weapons: The Hip Hop Language Dialectic………………..53<br />
The Power of Music Language…………………………………...…………………..56<br />
Lyrical Analysis……………………………………………………….…………..….59<br />
Summary…………………………………………………………………………...…93<br />
Chapter V: Hip Hop’s Impact on Mentality, Ideological Preference and Political and<br />
Social Activity…………………………………………………..…………………....96<br />
Methodology……………………………………………………………………..….100<br />
Sample Characteristics…………………………………………………………..…..100<br />
Variable Description………………………………………………………………...102<br />
Results: Ordinary Least Square Regression Analysis……………………………….102<br />
Results: Logistic Regression Analysis………………………………………………107<br />
xii
Results: Correlation Analysis……………………………….………………………..108<br />
Discussion of Results……………………………………………………………...…111<br />
Summary……………………………………………………………...……………...123<br />
Chapter VI: Conclusions: Understanding Hip Hop’s Potential and Moving Toward a<br />
Collective Movement……………………………………………………………...…132<br />
Future Research………………………………………………………………………134<br />
What is in Hip Hop’s Future…………………………………………….…………...136<br />
Notes……………………………………………………………………………...….139<br />
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………….149<br />
Statistical Appendix A……………………………………………………………….156<br />
Statistical Appendix B……………………………………………………………….161<br />
Statistical Appendix C……………………………………………………………….170<br />
xiii
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES<br />
Figure 5.1: Race and Ethnicity Demographics<br />
Table 5.1: Dependent Variables<br />
Table 5.2: Independent Variables<br />
Table 5.3: Regression Analysis<br />
Table 5.4: Logistic Regression Analysis<br />
Table 5.5: Correlation Analysis I<br />
Table 5.6: Correlation Analysis II<br />
xiv
It is past time for all poor people to release themselves from the deceptive<br />
strangulation of society, realize that society has failed you; for an attempt to ignore<br />
this system of deception now is to deny you, the need to protest this failure later. The<br />
system has failed you yesterday, failed you today, and has created the conditions for<br />
failure tomorrow<br />
_John Africa 1<br />
The black revolutionary writer Frantz Fanon once asserted that each generation, out<br />
of relative obscurity, must discover its own destiny. Then it has a choice: it may<br />
fulfill that destiny or betray it. How can today’s rising generation of African-<br />
American young people come to terms with their own destiny? What is the meaning<br />
of the challenges and opportunities that history has planned for them? What kind of<br />
ethics or moral anchor is required for group empowerment and collective<br />
advancement?<br />
—Manning Marable 2
Chapter I<br />
The Changing Face of Hip Hop—The Movement of this Musical Continuum<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is not a political movement in the usual sense. Its advocates don’t elect public officials. It<br />
doesn’t present a systematic (or even original) critique of white world supremacy. Nor has it produced<br />
a manifesto for collective political agitation. It has generated no Malcolm X or Dr. King. It has<br />
spawned no grassroots activist organization in the order of the Southern Christian Leaders<strong>hip</strong><br />
Conference, the Black Panther Party, NAACP, or even the Country Music Association. Hip <strong>hop</strong> has<br />
actually had surprisingly little concrete long-term impact on African-American politics. It has made<br />
its mark by turning listeners onto real political icons (Malcolm X), radical organizations of the past<br />
(The Black Panther Party), and self-sufficient operations of the present (the Nation of Islam). It<br />
spread the word about the evils of apartheid. It articulated and predicted the explosive rage that<br />
rocked Los Angeles in 1992. It has given two generations of young people a way into the<br />
entertainment business and<br />
an uncensored vehicle for expression.<br />
—Nelson George 3<br />
Rap music is, in many ways, a hidden transcript. Among other things it uses cloaked speech and<br />
distinguished cultural codes to comment on and challenge aspects of current power inequalities. Not<br />
all rap transcripts directly critique all forms of domination; nonetheless, a large and significant<br />
element in rap’s discursive territory is engaged in symbolic and ideological warfare with institutions<br />
and groups that symbolically, ideologically, and materially oppress African Americans. In this way,<br />
rap music is a contemporary stage for the theater of the powerless. On this stage rappers act out<br />
inversions of status hierarchies, tell alternative stories of contact with police and the educational<br />
process, and draw portraits of contact with dominant groups in which the hidden transcript<br />
inverts/subverts the public, dominant transcript. Often rendering a nagging critique of various<br />
manifestations of power via jokes, stories, gestures, and song, rap’s social commentary enacts<br />
ideological insubordination.<br />
—Tricia Rose 4<br />
Both Nelson George and Tricia Rose portray accurate depictions of the current<br />
state of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, especially the culture’s facet of rap music. While George discusses <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong>’s social and political shortcomings, he also articulates this movement’s greatest<br />
social and political triumphs and furthermore its potential to impact individual<br />
1
consciousness. Rose, in particular, illustrates one path of the present divergent<br />
directions of this underestimated and furthermore underplayed musical movement.<br />
Since its origins, rap music has possessed an element, which critiques dominant<br />
institutions and values; but in the last two decades, it has also moved towards the<br />
maintenance of dominant ideologies and institutions. Just as rap music challenges<br />
domination, powerlessness, and oppression of the American poor, it also has moved to<br />
maintain dominance, increase and reinforce powerlessness, and contribute to the<br />
material, economic, and political manipulation of the urban oppressed. Rap is a hidden<br />
transcript, but as George and Rose suggest, it has moved along a different political and<br />
social plane than traditional activism or leaders<strong>hip</strong>. Rap has made its mark by<br />
spreading ideological, political, and social messages, which undeniably have an impact<br />
on individuals as well as society at large.<br />
How is it possible that this musical form engages in a critique of the American<br />
political economy, while still confined to economic, political, and social subservience?<br />
This question brings to bear the reality of all American-based social movements, which<br />
either achieve success based on skillful and effective critique within the bounds of the<br />
economic, political, and social order, or succumb to failure as a result of infiltration<br />
and divisiveness. George (1998) says that it is essential to understand that values,<br />
which underpin <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, are by products of the function and dysfunction of the<br />
American cultural context. 5<br />
2
In this study, I intend to connect <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> to the American context by showing<br />
how it maintains and reinforces American repressive and ideological apparatuses,<br />
while simultaneously critiquing these institutions and power structures. By situating<br />
this musical art form within the social context of American life, it can then be<br />
positioned as a social and political force, which exercises influence over individuals.<br />
Defining and Reinventing Hip Hop<br />
Trying to devise a clear-cut definition of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is a challenging task. Artists,<br />
record executives, academics, and critics define <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> in several different ways. As<br />
with any term in need of definition, it is advisable to reflect on various perspectives<br />
and then try to potentially formulate a comprehensive definition of the term. In the<br />
early 1980’s, published definitions of the term <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> were scarce, but currently <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> is defined and seriously discussed in several academic discourses. Its definition is<br />
multi-faceted and it has changed to fit sporadic inner-city urban cultural shifts.<br />
Todd Boyd in The New H.N.I.C.: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of<br />
Hip Hop (2003) states,<br />
Hip Hop 101; rap is the act of rapping, spittin’ rhymes over beats produced by a<br />
DJ…The word ‘rap’ also came to denote the more popular aspects of the genre<br />
by the mainstream, and this label was also used by true heads to call out anyone<br />
who was thought to be abandoning the culture’s roots. As the age-old<br />
assumption goes, as one becomes more popular or mainstream, the less<br />
politically engaged and substantive the music would become. Hip <strong>hop</strong> changed<br />
the game on this though (Boyd, Todd, 2003, p. 45).<br />
3
As Boyd (2003) notes, the transformation of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> over time has left us with this<br />
distinction, which has had complex effects. “Rap is what you do; Hip Hop is what you<br />
are. Rap is the act; Hip Hop is the culture (Boyd, 2003, p. 48).” Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a testament<br />
to the strength of the oppressed, which have and continue to overcome the obstacles<br />
that American life often imposes on inner-city urban communities, especially the youth<br />
(Boyd, 2003, p. 152). Boyd suggests an age-old assumption that says, as rap artists<br />
become more popular, the less politically or socially engaged the music becomes.<br />
Boyd is correct in his conclusion because <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> often uses its popular status to<br />
channel social and political messages. Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a movement that evolved over a long<br />
time span and is not just a historical moment in the urban cultural experience.<br />
Alonzo Westbrook in Hip Hoptionary: The Dictionary of Hip Hop<br />
Terminology (2002), defines <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as,<br />
The artistic response to oppression. A way of expression in dance, music,<br />
word/song. A culture that thrives on creativity and nostalgia. As a musical art<br />
form it is stories of inner-city life, often with a message, spoken over beats of<br />
music. The culture includes rap and any other venture spawned from the <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> style and culture (pg 64).<br />
Westbrook makes an important point, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has always creatively drawn on nostalgia<br />
in order to connect to its audience. This nostalgia could be musical, social, or even<br />
political, but in almost every instance it reflects collective experiences of the urban<br />
poor. George says that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> at its most fundamental level is a product of the post-<br />
civil rights era—a multifaceted culture born of African American, Caribbean American<br />
4
and Latin American youth in and around New York in the 1970s (George, 1998, p.<br />
viii).<br />
Rose (1994) reiterates these points,<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a cultural form that attempts to negotiate the experiences of<br />
marginalization, brutally truncated opportunity, and oppression within the<br />
cultural imperatives of African American and Caribbean history, identity, and<br />
community. It is the tension between the cultural fractures produced by postindustrial<br />
oppression and the binding ties of black cultural expressivity that sets<br />
the critical frame for the development of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> (p. 21).<br />
Rose emphasizes that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture grew from attempts to negotiate the oppressive<br />
experiences of youth living in the multicultural environment of the New York<br />
boroughs. New York youth in this transition, were relegated to the margins as a result<br />
of post-industrial economic backlash, rapidly changing political landscapes, and shifts<br />
from segregation to multicultural integration and back to cultural polarization. These<br />
divisive circumstances of cultural communities in New York fueled the fusion of a<br />
unified <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> cultural community.<br />
This study will show that academics, critics, and rappers appropriate these and<br />
other definitions of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as needed. It should be noted that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> in the 1970s<br />
could be thought of as a single culture with distinctive elements, whereas over the last<br />
decade <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has become more like a melding of several local and regional cultures<br />
and sub-cultures. In a broader sense, I realize that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is regarded as the culture<br />
and rap as one facet of that culture. For the purposes of this study, I use <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and<br />
rap interchangeably. These definitions of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and rap will be useful in further<br />
5
discussions of the evolution of this culture and particularly the changing landscapes of<br />
rap music.<br />
Contextualizing the Evolution of Hip Hop<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a form of communication and an agent of community building. In<br />
the past, various genres of music have served particular functions. Music often<br />
supplied responses to societal or community needs. American <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> emerged at a<br />
time when the inner city youth of New York needed an outlet to express emotion about<br />
the social ills they faced and the environmental, political, and economic conditions of<br />
their marginalization. Hip <strong>hop</strong>, in these early stages, operated as a force, which<br />
challenged the social, political, and economic order of American society. It used its<br />
communicative power and its ability to reach the masses to engage the urban<br />
oppressed.<br />
The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement did not emerge spontaneously, but followed the<br />
historical and social pattern of movements born out of inequality and subsequent<br />
communal uprising. The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement is the musical successor to movements,<br />
which attacked social inequalities of the 1950s and 1960s. Maultsby (1985) says, “new<br />
styles, rather than evolving independently, arise out of existing traditions (Berry and<br />
Manning-Miller (eds.), 1996, p. 266).” She explains this in terms of the evolution of<br />
conscious music into the formation of rap. She says that rap music discloses shifts in<br />
values, attitudes, and social needs. 6 These social needs, which Maultsby mentions, now<br />
6
have become part of a market-embraced display of popular culture.<br />
Pratt (1990) discusses what he terms ‘emancipatory uses’ of popular culture.<br />
He says popular culture is emancipatory when it challenges dominant institutions (p.<br />
14). He notes a parallel in Douglas Kellner’s (1987) work, “TV, Ideology, and<br />
Emancipatory Popular Culture”.<br />
“Emancipatory” signifies emancipation from something that is restrictive or<br />
repressive, and for something that is conducive to an increase of freedom and<br />
well-being. Such a conception, as Kellner describes it, ‘subverts ideological<br />
codes and stereotypes…It rejects idealizations and rationalization that<br />
apologize for the suffering in the present social system, and, at its best, suggests<br />
that another way of life is possible’ (Pratt, 1990, p.14).<br />
These emancipatory functions of music still exist in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> music. Some forms of <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> continue to challenge dominant institutions and situations of inhumane cultural<br />
practices that contribute to the marginalization of the poor. Hip <strong>hop</strong> also functions as a<br />
communal backbone to support an identification in collective values. Pratt (1990) says<br />
music like any other form of art is an ‘impulse of opposition to existing conventions’. 7<br />
Pratt (1990) elaborates on this reinforcement of support and morale. He says music<br />
serves as “substitute imagery,” which mediates experience (p. 5). Music mediates<br />
individual experiences, though perhaps not to the same degree as television.<br />
Nevertheless, it creates a commonality of cultural experience that remains part of each<br />
individual’s cultural heredity (Pratt, 1990). Though Pratt speaks of this phenomenon in<br />
terms of elites that control culture industries, which then use rap to manipulate the<br />
public, this script is flipped by socially conscious music that uses critique to attack<br />
7
dominant ideologies and institutions. Music often embodies cultural and social<br />
commonality. Furthermore, he asserts that music has the capacity to create and reflect<br />
community forms—it is the product of social relations<strong>hip</strong>s within a community (Pratt,<br />
1990). As E.P. Thompson (1963) notes, that class as a social relations<strong>hip</strong> must always<br />
be situated in a pragmatic context (Pratt, 1990). Pratt (1990) explains the functional use<br />
of music, which can be seen in all forms of music produced from the experiences of the<br />
African and African in America. Hip <strong>hop</strong> reinvents their historical experiences to shed<br />
light on the present situation of communal oppression facing the multicultural<br />
American lower working class, and furthermore, it helps to build on the global<br />
community of those oppressed everywhere. “Serving cultural and social purposes, rap<br />
music provides a vehicle for group interaction, an outlet for creative expression, and a<br />
forum for competitive play (Berry and Manning-Miller (eds.), 1996, p. 256).” The<br />
appropriation of rap music as a force, which maintains the current social and political<br />
order, is to combat its effectiveness as a threat to this order 8 .<br />
Societal constructions of Blackness 9 , and furthermore the construction assigned<br />
to all urban youth, particularly males, historically have operated as forces which<br />
combat the potential threat of these social actors. 10 Rose (1990) says in “Never Trust a<br />
Big Butt With A Smile,”<br />
The history of African –American music and culture has been defined in large<br />
by a history of the art of signifying, recontextualization, collective memory and<br />
resistance. ‘Fashioning icons of opposition’ that speak to diverse communities<br />
is part of a rich Black American musical tradition to which rappers make a<br />
significant contribution (Bobo, 2001).<br />
8
Rose is one of the first critical theorists to recognize the positive contributions rap has<br />
made to the establishment of community and collective consciousness. It is important,<br />
however, to recognize the negative impacts of rap music that emphasizes and<br />
encourages acceptance of status quo values, solutions, and maintains ruling elite’s<br />
political and ideological power over the masses. The connection between<br />
consciousness and cultural expression has the potential to evidence <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s success<br />
and failure as a social movement.<br />
Project Summary<br />
The purpose of this study is to explore the duality of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement and<br />
how it has shaped the divergent paths in which rap music has and continues to travel.<br />
This study proposes to answer the following research question: How has the division of<br />
the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement given way to two extreme-driven paths of rap music; on one<br />
hand, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> provides political and social criticism, on the other hand, it has some<br />
adverse characteristics and consequences. Rap music while critiquing Althusserian<br />
Repressive State Apparatuses (prison system, courts, governing bodies, etc…) and<br />
Ideological State Apparatuses (education system, churches, media, etc…), it also<br />
maintains and reinforces those values and institutions. Chapter III will theoretically<br />
situate this project by providing a foundation of how power mechanisms, the music<br />
industry, and furthermore the culture industry have ushered this divisional path of rap<br />
9
music and its influence. Chapter IV will explicitly focus on the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
and how rap lyrics evidence this divisional shift of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. Finally, Chapter V presents<br />
a pilot study on how this division and the resulting paths of rap music have affected<br />
individuals situated within the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community in terms of mentality, ideological<br />
preference, and social and political engagement.<br />
This study primarily focuses on the language and lyrics of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> which<br />
inevitably shape individual perception by influencing attitudes, ideological<br />
preferences, and furthermore social and political engagement. Just as William Eric<br />
Perkins 11 gives a fresh perspective on rap music’s ongoing and bewildering love/hate<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong> with American society and its role in the continuing evolution of popular<br />
culture, this study intends to give a fresh perspective on rap music’s role in shaping<br />
individual attitudes, ideological foundations, and social and political action. Recent<br />
research on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and politics studies how <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> actors have stepped into the realm<br />
of social and political activism. This study is more concerned with how the music,<br />
itself, plays a role in the formation of character—how it grooms individuals towards<br />
complacency, disengagement, or activism with American society. This study will show<br />
that the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement is more than celebrities raising money or publicly<br />
supporting causes—it is a movement because its music and language affect individual<br />
mentality, ideological preferences, and social and political participation. Thus, this<br />
study will unmask <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> by landscaping the shifts in this musical movement as well<br />
as by showing how this musical phenomenon acts as a socializing agent.<br />
10
Chapter II<br />
Exploring the Functionality of Hip Hop: Moments and Evolution<br />
“I met this girl, when I was ten years old<br />
And what I loved most she had so much soul<br />
She was old school, when I was just a shorty<br />
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me<br />
on the regular, not a church girl she was secular<br />
Not about the money, no studs was mic checkin her<br />
But I respected her, she hit me in the heart<br />
A few New York niggaz, had did her in the park<br />
But she was there for me, and I was there for her<br />
Pull out a chair for her, turn on the air for her<br />
and just cool out, cool out and listen to her<br />
Sittin on a bone, wishin that I could do her<br />
Eventually if it was meant to be, then it would be<br />
because we related, physically and mentally<br />
And she was fun then, I'd be geeked when she'd come around<br />
Slim was fresh yo, when she was underground<br />
Original, pure untampered and down sister<br />
Boy I tell ya, I miss her.”<br />
Common Sense 12<br />
In this verse, the artist Common Sense, now known as just Common,<br />
personifies his relations<strong>hip</strong> with <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> music. This relations<strong>hip</strong> with the opposite sex<br />
that he describes is undoubtedly his relations<strong>hip</strong> with his other half—<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. By<br />
reviewing academic and non-academic intellectualism, this chapter intends to explore<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s total being; her definitions, her history, her function and her evolution.<br />
Common’s nostalgia for the old <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> he knew evidences the ‘evolutionary’ or<br />
11
‘counter-evolutionary’ path this culture has taken and the joy ride it has endured. The<br />
original flow of resistance, which mainstreamed into a commercially viable industry<br />
has taken society on a full throttled ride leaving a distinct mark on American urban<br />
culture.<br />
The Communication and Communal Functions of Music<br />
In order to indulge in a discussion of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a musical movement, it is<br />
necessary to situate this movement historically. Black music, including <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, has<br />
served both communication and communal functions. These functions of music have<br />
paved the way for <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> to engage and disengage individuals. Something to note is<br />
that the Black musical continuum serves as only one of the three cultural contexts<br />
within which <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> can be historicized. 13 Music has been used to help preserve<br />
communication and thus community, especially by the use of language within musical<br />
texts. 14 Musical language, and particularly <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hip</strong> language, functions as a force,<br />
which communicates to urban communities. It can build and preserve these<br />
communities or divide them.<br />
For Africans and Black-Americans, music as communication dates back to the<br />
indigenous tribal experiences. The Scottish surgeon, Mungo Park, is noted as the first<br />
European to explore the region of the middle and upper reaches of the Niger River,<br />
which is the land of the Mandingos and Malinkes. Park describes the connection<br />
between music and language through the form of poetry. 15 Angela Davis in “Black<br />
12
Women and Music: A Historical Legacy of Struggle” says that West African music<br />
functioned as more than an external tool—more than music, which facilitates human<br />
activity. Music was inextricably embedded in the activity itself (Bobo, 2001).<br />
Thus music was not employed as an aesthetic instrumentality, external to work<br />
but facilitating its execution; rather, work songs were inseparable from the very<br />
activity of work itself. Janheinz Jahn has referred to the West African<br />
philosophical concept of Nommo—‘the magic power of the word’—as being<br />
the very basis of music. According to the world-view of West African<br />
culture—if such a generalization is permitted—the life force is actualized by<br />
the power of the word (Bobo, 2001).<br />
This power of the word is a clear retention, which reappears, in conscious<br />
music across history and cultures. This instrumentality of Nommo also shows up<br />
within the plantation community in new form—work songs, which though grounded in<br />
the foundation of West Africa, evolved to serve new functions as well. Music has<br />
always resided in the realm of freedom—has always had a role in concrete historical<br />
and social transformations (Pratt, 1990). Davis says that Harriet Tubman’s spirituals<br />
were functional in relaying concrete information and collective consciousness about<br />
the struggle for liberation (Bobo, 2001). She infers that collective consciousness of<br />
freedom is not a result of oppression, but rather communal resistance must be taught.<br />
Tubman contributed to these teachings by the music and content of her spirituals. Karl<br />
Mannheim (1936) says the spirituals established by the plantation community suggest<br />
that music may function in a profoundly utopian way. Spirituals were the plea of slaves<br />
to transcend the existing order of slavery and oppression.<br />
During Reconstruction, a cruel and sorrowful time for newly freed slaves, the<br />
13
musical art form of Blues developed and was used as a communicative channel to<br />
voice the conditions of oppression faced by the communities of freed slaves. This new<br />
form of music drew on personal trials, which arose as a result of a collective<br />
experience. Pratt says the Blues were understood in terms of meaning established by a<br />
community. 16 The Blues, as M. Dyson (1993, 1997, 2001) notes thrived on its ability to<br />
spew forth reality to its audiences. Dyson also says this realism within blues appears in<br />
more modern forms of conscious music.<br />
African American culture places high value on ‘telling it like it is.’ Again, this<br />
realism is reflected in the lyrics of the blues and gospel music (White and<br />
Parham, 1990) as well as rap and <strong>hip</strong>-<strong>hop</strong> music, all of which portray the<br />
difficulty of life and advise a cool steady, and persistent toughness needed to<br />
overcome this difficulty (Hecht, Jackson, and Ribeau, 2003).<br />
This type of realism-based communication has always been instrumental in the<br />
preservation of identification in a collective experience of struggle. Black musical<br />
forms have been noted to “tell it like it is.” From tribal songs within West African<br />
culture to spiritual; blues to jazz; soul to <strong>hip</strong>-<strong>hop</strong>; the reality of collective Black<br />
experiences has always been communicated through music.<br />
In addition to serving as a channel of communication, music has served as a<br />
catalyst for the establishment and reestablishment of community. In African tribes<br />
music was essential to communal life. Davis says West African music was always<br />
functional—inextricably linked to communal economics, interrelations<strong>hip</strong>s, and<br />
spiritual pursuits. 17 Park also describes the West African function of music as a means<br />
of preserving community. His description of the function of West African music<br />
14
esembles music’s function within the plantation community.<br />
They lightened their labor by songs, one of which was composed extempore,<br />
for I was myself the subject of it. It was sung by one of the women, the rest<br />
joining in a sort of chorus…Among the free men [in the slave-coffle<br />
procession] were six Jillikea (singing men) whose musical talents were<br />
frequently exerted, either to divert fatigue or obtain us a welcome from<br />
strangers (Southern (ed.), 1983).<br />
The plantation community utilized the creative expression of music to voice<br />
their consciousness of personal struggle and alleviation from suffering. Comparatively,<br />
the free Black community during Reconstruction and Segregation used music to voice<br />
their personal struggles, which pertained to a collective experience. Ernest Borneman<br />
describes a scenario in his account of songs sung by Africans in America. He says one<br />
type of song was, “used by workers to make their task easier: work songs to stress the<br />
rhythm of labor, group songs to synchronize collectively executed work, team songs<br />
sung by one team to challenge and satirize the other (Bobo, 2001).” Pratt (1990)<br />
further elaborates on the oppositional character of work songs as being a critical form<br />
of collective consciousness.<br />
Collective forms of oppositional consciousness grew under the very eyes of the<br />
overseer. As Alan Lomax put it concerning work songs, “Here, right under the<br />
shotguns of the guards, the black collective coalesced and defiantly expressed<br />
its unity and belief in life, often in ironically humorous terms (Lomax, 1977)!”<br />
(Pratt, 1990).<br />
Music in this way contributed to the physical and spiritual survival of slaves on the<br />
plantation. It was used as a spiritual escape from the daily physical brutality suffered<br />
by Black people under the institution of slavery. James Cone, noted in his insightful<br />
15
theological research, says Black music has been essential to the unity and the<br />
realization of collective struggle and liberation.<br />
Davis dutifully notes Ma Rainey as an example of music, which strengthened<br />
community based in identification of struggle related to race, gender, and class<br />
collective experiences. Davis says,<br />
Ma Rainey, on the other hand, performed in circuses, tent shows, minstrel and<br />
medicine shows, singing all the same about the Black predicament and<br />
establishing the basis in song for the sharing of experiences and forging of a<br />
community capable of preserving through private tribulations and even<br />
articulating new <strong>hop</strong>es and aspirations. Ma Rainey’s most essential social<br />
accomplishment was to keep poor Black people grounded in the Southern<br />
tradition of unity and struggle, even when they had migrated to the North and<br />
Midwest in search of economic security (Bobo, 2001).<br />
Davis further expands on Ma Rainey’s music as emanating from problems in<br />
personal relations<strong>hip</strong>s. “She [Ma Rainey] used creative expression to speak of sexual<br />
love, but metaphorically revealing economic, social, and psychological difficulties,<br />
which Black people faced during the post-Civil War era (Bobo, 2001).” The men and<br />
women of the Blues era used music to relate the personal experiences of, for example,<br />
losing a man or a job, which in turn voiced an experience, which others within the<br />
community could relate to their own similar experience. The Blues spoke of collective<br />
experience, but it manifests in terms of the individual. Cone (2001) says Black music<br />
“unites the joy and the sorrow; the love and the hate and the despair of Black people<br />
and it moves the people toward the direction of total liberation.” He also says that<br />
Black music shapes and provides a definition of Black being which creates cultural ties<br />
16
and forms the structure for Black creative expression. “Black music is unifying<br />
because it confronts the individual with the truth of Black existence and affirms that<br />
Black being is possible only in a communal context (Bodo (ed.), 2001).”<br />
Black music, which often arises from marginal and oppressed communities,<br />
functions to awaken a collective sense of struggle and furthermore a motivation to rise<br />
up against that source of struggle. Music was an important tool of empowerment—a<br />
strengthening arm of the Black community, providing <strong>hop</strong>e and the possibility of<br />
improvement. Pratt (1990) states,<br />
Music functions in important ways as political behavior…However it has been<br />
used, throughout its history it has proven to be highly effective politically in<br />
terms of its instrumental utility (Billington, 1980). This function arises out of<br />
the unique ability of music seemingly to create a kind of spontaneous collective<br />
identity or facilitate the investment of people’s psychological energies.<br />
Pratt’s example gives music a direct connection to collective identity and the political<br />
behavior of communities. This foundation sets the stage for an exploration of the<br />
present forms of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> music which act as political agents spawning collectivity and<br />
social change. The present forms manifest in terms of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and modern Soul music.<br />
Hip Hop’s Communication and Communal Functionality<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong>’s form and function has given breath to its communicative capacity.<br />
Maultsby (1985) says new styles, rather than evolving independently, arise out of<br />
existing traditions.<br />
New forms of black musical expression are, in essence, new impulses drawn<br />
17
from the environment, blended with the old forms and given a new shape, a<br />
new style, and a new meaning…Black music is a manifestation of black culture<br />
and it serves a communication function within tradition. Because rap music<br />
exists as a functional entity within black America, the creation of this new style<br />
discloses shifts in values, attitudes and social needs (Berry and Manning-Miller<br />
(eds.), 1996).<br />
These social needs now have become part of a market-embraced display of popular<br />
culture that serves as an outlet to voice concerns to structural oppression.<br />
says,<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> has been and continues to be the voice of the voiceless. Boyd (2003)<br />
What I find so compelling is the way in which this relatively simple form of<br />
communication, rhymes over beats, however you slice it, is truly quite<br />
complex. Because Black people have always had to make do with so little, the<br />
relative abundance of one’s own words is at times all we have to use in fighting<br />
against a corrupt and vicious society (pg 143).<br />
Even in its most irate and eclectic forms, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> continuously engages in some sort of<br />
fight against the dominant order of society.<br />
This is not to say that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> does not engage in contradiction as well. For<br />
every revolutionary or radical message, there is a corresponding mainstream, quieting<br />
and conformist message, and often this message, which conforms to the society at-<br />
large, prevails because of reinforcement from societal institutions and trends. Hip <strong>hop</strong><br />
since its mainstreaming in 1979, has displayed the double-character of a fragmented<br />
community. It has been a viable communication method, which has expressed both<br />
distress and pride in the reality of oppression and its aftermath.<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> serves a second function as an agent of community and collective<br />
18
consciousness. In Marx and Engel’s on Literature and Art 18 , “It is not the<br />
consciousness of men [and women!-AYD] that determines their being, but, on the<br />
contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness (Bobo, 2001).” Davis<br />
expands on the Marx and Engel’s point that social consciousness does not occur<br />
spontaneously, but arises based on human life and concrete conditions within society<br />
(Bobo, 2001). Davis says,<br />
If it is true that music in general reflects social consciousness and that African<br />
American music is an especially formative element of Black people’s<br />
consciousness in America, the roots of the music in our concrete historical<br />
conditions must be acknowledged…And indeed, precisely because Black music<br />
resides on a cultural continuum which has remained closest to the ethnic and<br />
socio-historical heritage of African-Americans, it has been our central aesthetic<br />
expression, influencing all the remaining arts (Bobo, 2001).<br />
It is this particular connection between consciousness and cultural expression, which<br />
gives enlightenment to the rise of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. The rhythmic retentions from African and<br />
Black American music as well as the language of the lyrics has enabled Black youth to<br />
reconstruct a community in which collective consciousness enabled the potential for<br />
social change. Over time, the strength of community has been recognized and targeted<br />
by governmental and nongovernmental institutions in order to maintain control over<br />
dissidence. Pratt (1990) notes in The Hidden Dimension by Edward Hall, he speaks of<br />
music as an element of communal cohesion.<br />
Human perceptions of the world are ‘programmed’ by the language spoken<br />
(Hall, 1969). Can music, itself a language and composed of language, program<br />
or ‘reprogram’ human existence? Because people live in communities, their<br />
popular music may become a significant constituent of community—however it<br />
19
is defined, whether spatially, denoting a particular location or milieu (Buttimer,<br />
1973), or through psychological identification (Pratt, 1990).<br />
Pratt establishes music as part of a social relations<strong>hip</strong>. “Music both creates and reflects<br />
forms of community…The music of a people is a social relations<strong>hip</strong> (Pratt, 1990).” As<br />
E.P. Thompson (1963) notes with respect to social class, “The relations<strong>hip</strong> must<br />
always be embodied in real people and in a real context (Pratt, 1990).” Pratt (1990)<br />
says that every form of modern popular music can be traced back to real people and<br />
real contexts. Pratt (1990) also notes an extremely important use of music, which can<br />
be seen in all forms of music produced from the experiences of the African and<br />
Africans in America.<br />
Music is used to construct some sense of collectivity memory, but what kind of<br />
memory is it? How is it used? What are the functions? What images does it<br />
maintain? Perhaps Orwell’s antiutopian projection of a brainwashed future has<br />
come about in ways more elegant and subtle and yet more total than he ever<br />
dreamed possible as a synthesized past is processed and bought (Mander,<br />
1978). Yet, as the use of musical examples might suggest, it can also be a<br />
‘usable’ past—a means of resistance and a way to revision the future through<br />
invoking past and presently used cultural materials (Hebdige, 1987).<br />
This dynamic is especially invoked as part of the backbone of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. Rose (1990)<br />
says in “Never Trust a Big Butt With A Smile,”<br />
The history of African –American music and culture has been defined in large<br />
by a history of the art of signifying, recontextualization, collective memory and<br />
resistance. “Fashioning icons of opposition” that speak to diverse communities<br />
is part of a rich Black American musical tradition to which rappers make a<br />
significant contribution (Bobo, 2001).<br />
This form of music looks to the historical experiences of Africans and Africans in<br />
20
America to shed light on the present situation of communal oppression facing the<br />
American lower working class. Furthermore, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has gained popularity with urban<br />
oppressed youth globally, making it a reference point for building a community of<br />
those oppressed everywhere.<br />
Staccato Moments in Hip Hop History<br />
In a Los Angeles hospital lobby in 1979, my mother, suffering from extensive<br />
labor pains, gave birth to me, her third child, standing up. The same year, conscious<br />
music was also being birthed again in America as a response to the third generation of<br />
labor, pains, and suffering. W<strong>hip</strong>ped through the plantation slave community, reduced<br />
to mediocrity in the segregated community, and underdeveloped in the post segregated<br />
community, in the new generation of the oppressed, a new form of conscious music<br />
developed. Standing up and in pain, the impoverished and marginalized youth of the<br />
South Bronx borough of New York gave birth to a new voice in the eyes of<br />
mainstream America—<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. Hip <strong>hop</strong> may have been born to mainstream America,<br />
but it was its second or maybe even a third birth for this dynamic art form.<br />
This new form of conscious music lived and grew on the underground scene for<br />
some time before traveling its path to mainstream acceptance. Hip <strong>hop</strong> culture evolved<br />
from speeches, spoken words and poetry of resistance in the marginalized<br />
communities. Tricia Rose, one of the early 90’s <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> scholars, said in Black Noise:<br />
Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America (1994),<br />
21
Musical and oral predecessors to rap music encompass a variety of vernacular<br />
artists including the Last Poets, a group of the late 1960s to early 1970s black<br />
militant storytellers whose poetry was accompanied by conga drum rhythms,<br />
poet, and singer Gil Scott Heron, Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, the 1950s<br />
radio jocks, particularly Douglas ‘Jocko’ Henderson, soul rapper Millie<br />
Jackson, the classic Blues women, and countless other performers.<br />
Even before the 1960s, Nathan Davis (1996) notes,<br />
Although rap gained its popularity during the 1970s, its roots date back to the<br />
1940s and 1950s when African American youth gathered on urban street<br />
corners to sing acapella and participate in ‘rap’ sessions. These sessions, in<br />
which young African Americans talked ‘jive’ to each other, told a story about<br />
an event or crisis that had affected the storyteller. The stories were revealed in a<br />
rhythmic and poetic manner, and always in a provocative and suggestive way.<br />
Rap evolved from a communicative form of arranging language in rhythmic patterns,<br />
which can even be said to date back to African tribes, and the words recited over<br />
rhythmic beats of the drum. 19<br />
In 1979, Sylvia Robinson of Sugar Hill Records created the Sugar Hill Gang<br />
and released the first known mainstream <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> song, “Rappers Delight” (Rose,<br />
1994). After “Rappers Delight” was released, the music industry, print media, and the<br />
fashion industry ‘discovered’ rap as a viable profit-making trend, which they needed to<br />
cash in on quickly before the fad of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> passed (Rose, 1994). Media quickly<br />
realized that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture was much more than a passing fad. This developing<br />
culture was attracting the lucrative youth market and soon became part of popular<br />
culture.<br />
22
The Sub-Genres of Hip Hop<br />
Davis (1996) hits the mark when he says, “Rap mirrors the rap artist’s society.”<br />
Just as society has been fragmented, rap has evolved in fragmented ways to reflect<br />
virtually all aspects of American social schizophrenia. Like the youth of New York in<br />
the 1970s, who found an alternative identity (Rose, 1994. p.34) and social status in <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> culture, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> itself in various environments has undergone identity formation.<br />
Rose (1994) says,<br />
Identity in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is deeply rooted in the specific and local experience, and<br />
one’s attachment to and status in the local experience, and one’s attachment to<br />
and status in a local group or alternative family. These crews are new kinds of<br />
families forged with intercultural bonds that, like the social formation of gangs,<br />
provide insulation and support in a complex and unyielding environment and<br />
may serve as the basis for new social movements (Rose, 1994, p.34).<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong>’s specificity to the local experience of oppression resulted in the formation of<br />
alternative <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> characters or identities. The generalization of these local<br />
experiences has added to the categorization of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> into sub-genres including, but<br />
not limited to, Gangster Rap, Message Rap, Popular Rap, Underground Rap, and Local<br />
Rap.<br />
Gangster Rap: According to All Music Guide to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>: A definitive Guide to Rap<br />
and Hip Hop (2003), gangster rap is described as having an edgy sound with abrasive<br />
lyrics that either accurately reflect reality, or exaggerate ‘comic book<br />
23
stories’(Bogdanov, etal., 2003).<br />
Message Rap: Definitions of political rap seem consistent with what I term ‘message<br />
rap.’ Political rap is <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, which merges rhymes with political philosophy to create<br />
a new style of rap. I add that message rap expresses frustration with power structures<br />
and economic, political, and social oppression.<br />
Popular Rap: The guide describes pop-rap as, “…a marriage of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> beats and raps<br />
with strong melodic hooks, which are usually featured as part of the chorus section in a<br />
standard pop-song structure. Pop-rap tends to be less aggressive and lyrically complex<br />
than most street-level <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, although during the mid-to late ‘90s, some artists<br />
infused the style with a more hardcore attitude in an attempt to defuse backlash over<br />
their accessibility (Bogdanov, etal. (eds.), 2003).” I would also add that popular forms<br />
of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> or rap have music industry backing because they can produce crossover<br />
sales with the American white <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> audience as well as some global <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
audiences.<br />
Underground Rap: I simply define underground rap as rap that is not mainstreamed,<br />
but passed along, heard, or sold, through an underground network of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> or rap<br />
fans. Underground rap is not mainstreamed to radio, television, or any other industry-<br />
controlled outlets. It does not seek commercial appeal, but it rather thrives on the<br />
24
support of live audiences. Sarah Thornton, in “Moral Panic, the Media and British<br />
Rave Culture,” says, “Undergrounds denote exclusive worlds whose main point is not<br />
elitism, but whose parameters often relate to particular crowds (Ross and Rose, 1994,<br />
p. 177).”<br />
Local Rap: Local rap is a unique style of rap that rises out of a particular local culture<br />
and experience and remains true to that particular local style of flow, local style of<br />
beats, and local vernacular of English.<br />
The Hip Hop Guide (2003) also defines other categorical distinctions of <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> including: Alternative Rap, Bass Music, Christian Rap, Comedy Rap,<br />
Contemporary Rap, Dirty Rap, and Freestyle Rap, just to name a few.<br />
Summary: Beyond Moments and Functions<br />
This chapter discusses how music functions in society as a social force, and<br />
furthermore how <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a communicative form socially functions to strengthen<br />
communities. The many births of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> convey this art’s communicative and social<br />
functions. Boyd (2003) sums up <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s past, present, and future. He says,<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a lifestyle. It is an ideology. It is a mode of being. It is an allencompassing<br />
life force that far supercedes any dismissive tactic from those<br />
whom Flava Flav once chided as ‘nonbelievers.’ No matter how much you<br />
want to dismiss it, it is still here, having passed many tests, and poised to<br />
triumph even more in the future (pg 152).<br />
25
It is these triumphs as well as failures of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> that I wish to further explore in<br />
subsequent chapters. Hip <strong>hop</strong>, as a movement, has triumphed as well as failed inner-<br />
city urban oppressed communities. These next chapters will grapple with how the split<br />
of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement has occurred over the past two and half decades. This split is<br />
inevitably a result of historically situated economic, political, and social moments,<br />
which will be hermeneutically approached, focusing not just on individual moments.<br />
26
Chapter III<br />
Power, Culture Industry, and Hip Hop as an Undermined Movement<br />
Poet laureate of power, herald of freedom—the musician is at the same time within society, which<br />
protects, purchases, and finances him, and outside it, when he threatens it with his visions. Courtier<br />
and revolutionary: for those who care to hear the irony beneath the praise, his stage presence<br />
conceals a break. When he is reassuring, he alienates; when he is disturbing, he destroys; when he<br />
speaks too loudly, power silences him. Unless in doing so he is announcing the new clamor and glory<br />
of powers in the making…Ramblings of revolution. Sounds of competing powers. Clashing noises, of<br />
which the musician is the mysterious, strange, and ambiguous forerunner—after having been long<br />
imprisoned, a captive of power<br />
(Attali, 1985, p.11).<br />
Six short years after the mainstream birth of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, Jacques Attali, through<br />
his analysis of music in Noise: The Political Economy of Music (1985), prophesized<br />
the great expansion and destruction of the movement known as <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. Attali’s<br />
description of the double character of musicians can be directly paralleled to the<br />
present lifestyle and career choices faced by contemporary <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artists. Hip <strong>hop</strong><br />
artists can be likened to the musicians Attali describes; while noble, reassuring,<br />
disturbing, and loud, the creativity of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artists can be simultaneously<br />
revolutionary, alienating, destructive and silenced. Over time, competing forces within<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> have determined the path and pattern, whether chosen or contrived, of the<br />
movement’s evolution.<br />
Attali (1985) discusses music in terms of its economic and political attributes.<br />
He says the political economy of music is,<br />
More than colors and forms, its sounds and their arrangements that fashion<br />
27
societies. With noise is born disorder and its opposite: the world. With music is<br />
born power and its opposite: subversion. In noise can be read the codes of life<br />
the relations among men. Clamor, Melody, Dissonance, Harmony; when it is<br />
fashioned by man with specific tools, when it invades man’s time, when it<br />
becomes sound, noise is the source of purpose and power, of the dream—Music<br />
(pg 6).<br />
Music is an uncontestable source and subject of economic and social power, but I will<br />
argue that music is also a source of unseen political power. In noise can be read the<br />
codes of life which define relations, analyze, mark, restrain, train, repress, and channel<br />
the sounds of language, of the body, of tools, of objects, and of relations<strong>hip</strong>s between<br />
self and others (Attali, 1985, p.6). Attali recognizes the double character of music and<br />
musicians especially those who operate within the confines of the industry. In an<br />
attempt to understand the power dynamics used to control, maintain, and creatively<br />
direct the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> industry, this framework will explore these dynamics and how they<br />
apply to the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement<br />
This chapter will first define Louis Althusser’s concepts of the Repressive State<br />
and Ideological State Apparatuses. It will then delve into a theoretical framework of<br />
power and cooptation as it applies to the evolution of movements, especially <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. It<br />
will discuss the power mechanisms and exploitative channels by which <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has<br />
expanded, and been thus concurrently created and destroyed. Finally, this chapter<br />
intends to make sense of the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the culture industry and the<br />
simultaneous success and failure of this musical movement. Overall, this chapter<br />
discusses the uses of power within industry to exploit and undermine musical<br />
28
movements, especially the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement.<br />
The Power of the Repressive State and Ideological State Apparatuses<br />
It is necessary to discuss power mechanisms and more specifically the specific<br />
power of the Althusserian concepts of State Repressive and Ideological State<br />
Apparatuses (Althusser, 2001). In order to understand what forms these constructs take<br />
in society, we must first comparatively define these terms. Althusser discusses the<br />
State in the context of power and power relations<strong>hip</strong>s. In this particular instance he<br />
positions the bourgeois class as the ruling class, which uses the State to ensure their<br />
domination over the working class, thus subjecting, by repression, the working class to<br />
the extraction of surplus value; capitalistic exploitation. Althusser’s concept of the<br />
State resembles the Marxist concept of the base. Marx discusses this same dynamic of<br />
the State, but in terms of the hierarchal levels it manifests.<br />
Marx conceived the structure of every society as constituted by ‘levels’ or<br />
‘instances’ articulated by a specific determination: the infrastructure, or<br />
economic base (the ‘unity’ of the productive forces and the relations of<br />
production) and the superstructure, which itself contains two ‘levels’ or<br />
‘instances’: the politico-legal (law and the State) and ideology (the different<br />
ideologies, religious, ethical, legal, political, etc.) (Althusser, 2001, p.90).<br />
The State is the economic, political foundation of any given society. It could also be<br />
referred to as what is thought of as the political economy. If we think about the State as<br />
this machine of repression, this complete and hierarchical control, then understanding<br />
its apparatuses becomes much clearer. Althusser (2001) says the State is the<br />
29
government, administration, army, police, courts and prisons—these institutions make<br />
up what he calls the repressive state apparatus (p. 92).<br />
With this theoretical base, Althusser’s concept of the Ideological State<br />
Apparatus can be discusses in relation to this Repressive State Apparatus. Althusser<br />
argues that when you think about power and certain classes or cultures that rise to<br />
power, they inevitably take their values, social norms; language and other aspects with<br />
them into power and these things become dominant (Althusser, 2001,p.98). For<br />
example, when Europeans colonized Africa and in turn rose to power within African<br />
countries, their European value systems, social norms and languages became the<br />
dominant ideological tools upon which the restructuring of society was based.<br />
Althusser further maintains that, “No class can hold State power over a long period<br />
without at the same time exercising its hegemony over and in the State Ideological<br />
Apparatuses.” Through institutions established early on as trustworthy, ideologies<br />
enforced by these institutions maintain subjugation to the State, or political economy<br />
and its state apparatuses, both repressive and ideological.<br />
It might be helpful to break down Althusser’s concept of the Ideological State<br />
Apparatus. Althusser describes this phenomenon as, “a certain number of realities,<br />
which present themselves to the immediate observer in the form of distinct and<br />
specialized institutions (p. 96).” The examples present are institutions in the form of<br />
religious, educational, family, legal, political, trade union, communications, and<br />
cultural. Whereas the Repressive State Apparatus functions by “violence,” the<br />
30
Ideological State Apparatus functions by ‘ideology’ (p. 97). This is what makes it<br />
powerful because it has the capacity to affect the unconscious, further enacting<br />
messages that by subliminal injection maintain subjection.<br />
Political class struggles revolve around the state and its execution of power via<br />
ideologically driven apparatuses. This is where Althusser gives the means to explore<br />
the Ideological State Apparatus, in terms of real world examples. He says that<br />
institutions like education, church, and communications, helped to repress the<br />
resistance of the marginalized by expressing contradictions, which inevitably divide. It<br />
is these types of institutions which are the most pertinent when discussing the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
movement. This is not to say that studies, which cite the blatant policing of rap, are not<br />
important. 20 These studies are inextricably linked to this discourse. Blatant examples of<br />
how repressive state institutions (police, the courts, and the prison system) clearly<br />
define how policing and overt force is exercised to contain <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, but these are not<br />
the only mechanisms of power used to control rap. For the purposes of this study, I will<br />
focus on the subliminal forms of control, those mechanisms that use ideological<br />
manipulation to contain the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement.<br />
Mechanisms of Power and Social Movements<br />
In order to discuss the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement as a force caught in the dialectic of<br />
social subservience to Repressive State and State Ideological Apparatuses, the concept<br />
of power must be defined and then discussed in terms of its mechanisms. David A.<br />
31
Baldwin in Paradoxes of Power (1989), says, “[Power], in Max <strong>Web</strong>er’s classic<br />
definition, ‘is the probability that one actor within a social relations<strong>hip</strong> will be in a<br />
position to carry out his own will despite resistance, regardless of the basis on which<br />
this probability rests’ (<strong>Web</strong>er, 1947, p.152). Power can be exercised in two ways: 1)<br />
through the use of overt force; 2) or through the use of influence, persuasion and<br />
sometimes manipulation. Althusser’s Repressive State Apparatus is characterized by<br />
the use of power by overt force, while the Ideological State Apparatuses exercise<br />
power by force which influences, persuades and often manipulates. Neither does<br />
conflict or fear necessarily accompany power and how it is exercised (Jackman, 1993,<br />
p. 29). 21<br />
This study will focus on the use of power in the more implicit forms—those<br />
used by the Ideological State Apparatuses to maintain societal order and control. A<br />
close examination of power and how it has been most successful in history will provide<br />
an enlightened view of the role of fear in exercising power. Power is most successfully<br />
imposed when exercised without using fear. Fear only induces resistance and thus the<br />
possibility of social revolution. Jackman (1993) suggests that fear is not the actor,<br />
which induces a relations<strong>hip</strong> between influence and compliance, but moreover<br />
conditioning and socialization play key roles. Jackman describes force in a similar<br />
way.<br />
Like power, force involves a conflict of values, and therefore, of interests,<br />
Unlike power, force does not induce compliance: the exercise of force is<br />
instead an admission that compliance cannot be induced by other non-coercive<br />
32
means. Those who use force are indeed attempting to achieve their goals in the<br />
face of noncompliance (Jackman, 1993, p. 30).<br />
It is important to note that power necessarily involves a relations<strong>hip</strong>, which is often<br />
negotiated, between actors. Crozier and Friedberg (1980) suggest,<br />
‘[Power] can develop only through exchange among the actors involved in a<br />
given relation. To the extent that every relation between two parties<br />
presupposes exchange and reciprocal adaptation between them, power is<br />
indissolubly linked to negotiation: it is the relation of exchange, therefore of<br />
negotiation, in which at least two persons are involved (Jackman, 1993,p. 30)’<br />
Not only can power only be exercised in the presence of at least two actors, it<br />
necessarily thrives on the unbalanced relations<strong>hip</strong> between the actors. Shifts in power<br />
and resulting relations<strong>hip</strong>s born of these shifts inevitably foster social movements.<br />
Ron Eyerman and Andrew Jamison in Music and Social Movements (1998) say<br />
that social movements are central moments in the reconstitution of culture. Eyerman<br />
and Jamison’s cognitive approach to the study of social movements involves an in-<br />
depth analysis of the relations<strong>hip</strong>s between culture and politics; and music and<br />
movements, as collective learning processes (Eyerman and Jamison, 1998).<br />
These collective learning processes are constantly testing the universalibility of<br />
the normative order of civil society (Stewart, 2001, p. 261). Stewart (2001) also notes,<br />
‘Their mechanism is the resolution of contradictions by argumentation or<br />
“critique”.’ Collective learning processes have therefore become the foundation<br />
for the model of modern society; the greater the extent to which social relations<br />
can be organized and integrated through the medium of such processes, the<br />
greater the possibility of the democratic organization of the well-being of<br />
society (Eder, 1993, p.24)’ (Stewart, 2001,p. 216).<br />
Because social movements enable this possibility for a truly democratic organization of<br />
33
society, they are dangerous because of their capacity to break down existing social<br />
orders that benefit ruling elites. Stewart (2001) says that social movements coexist with<br />
institutionalized order of economic policy and cannot be regarded as completely<br />
divorced as an emancipated critique because they draw on structural and institutional<br />
necessity, on social networks excluded from the dominant order (Stewart, 2001,<br />
p.225). He says social movements flourish on the necessity of constructed new<br />
political identities (pg 225) (Stewart, 2001). They cannot completely denounce ties to<br />
the dominant order of society because in part the movement in one way or another<br />
thrives on some of those dominant structures. Furthermore, the only accounts of<br />
successful movements in history were inevitably connected in many ways to dominant<br />
ideology, political and economic structuring, as well as social dynamics, which favored<br />
ruling elites more so than the oppressed. Stewart (2001) explains how the break down<br />
of conflicts based on the collective consciousness of class struggle were deemed as one<br />
of the most dangerous types of mobilization and thus demobilization of collective class<br />
conflicts occurred (Stewart, 2001,p.225). This is by far not the only means nor the<br />
most effective means of controlling social uprising. Over time, the strength of<br />
collective social movements has been recognized and targeted by governmental,<br />
nongovernmental, and private institutions in order to maintain control over social<br />
dissidence. History has proven that effective infiltration uses the power of implicit<br />
force in order to break down the organization, momentum, and support of the social<br />
movement. These implicit methods of force cause social movements to implode from<br />
34
within, thus disabling the movement’s capacity to communicate with its supporters and<br />
maintain a collective plan of action.<br />
One of the most important power dynamics used to control social movements is<br />
cooptation. According to the Cambridge Dictionary of American English (2003) 22 ,<br />
cooptation is “creating alliances/arrangements with a group that allows you to redirect<br />
the groups priorities so they fall in line with the interest of the status quo.” Cooptation<br />
of movements uses collaboration and the arrangement of alliances in order to redirect<br />
the priorities and foundational goals of the movement. The cooptation of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
movement began in 1979 with its birth, which was really a rebirth, of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a<br />
mainstream American phenomenon. The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement, which was quoted as a<br />
“passing fad” quickly gained mainstream success and spiraled into a corporate entity<br />
capable of creating, building, and redirecting profit, but always subject to industry<br />
control. One of the most instrumental mechanisms of power used to co-opt the<br />
blossoming movement of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is ideology. Whether it was imparted through the<br />
lyrics, through videos, or used to shape artists, ideology has played a key role in the<br />
split of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement.<br />
The Power of the Culture Industry<br />
I might've failed to mention that this chick was creative<br />
But once the man got you well he altered her native<br />
Told her if she got an image and a gimmick<br />
that she could make money, and she did it like a dummy<br />
Now I see her in commercials, she's universal<br />
35
She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle<br />
Now she be in the burbs lickin rock and dressin <strong>hip</strong><br />
And on some dumb shit, when she comes to the city<br />
Talkin about poppin glocks servin rocks and hittin switches<br />
Now she's a gangsta rollin with gangsta bitches<br />
Always smokin blunts and gettin drunk<br />
Tellin me sad stories, now she only fucks with the funk<br />
Stressin how hardcore and real she is<br />
She was really the realest, before she got into showbiz<br />
I did her, not just to say that I did it<br />
But I'm committed, but so many niggaz hit it<br />
That she's just not the same lettin all these groupies do her<br />
I see niggaz slammin her, and takin her to the sewer<br />
But I'ma take her back <strong>hop</strong>in that the shit stop<br />
Cause who I'm talkin bout y'all is <strong>hip</strong>-<strong>hop</strong><br />
–Common Sense 23<br />
In “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” Common Sense, personifies <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and describes<br />
the evolutionary journey “she” undergoes. I argue that this path of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> he<br />
describes is characteristic of the developing divisiveness of the movement once it<br />
became mainstreamed and exploited by the industry. Hip <strong>hop</strong> became a true pop<br />
culture commodity and in the process it left behind some its resistive origins. Common<br />
acknowledges that once <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> gained its popular culture status it was susceptible to<br />
the engineering, marketing, and rearrangement of the music industry, which is<br />
reinforced by past productions of a deep-rooted culture industry. Culture in American<br />
society is a controlled concept. The evolution and split of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement is<br />
inevitably a result of the power of the culture industry.<br />
Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno in the Dialectic of Enlightenment<br />
(1997) describe the culture industry as a universal stamp, a systematic uniformity of<br />
forms of art, especially those arts, which thrive on mass production. "Culture now<br />
36
impresses the same stamp on everything. Films, radio and magazines make up a<br />
system which is uniform as a whole and in every part (Horkheimer and Adorno, 1997,<br />
p. 120)." Adorno (1991) clarifies that ‘industry’ is not to be taken literally. He says it<br />
refers to standardization and the rationalization of distribution techniques, but not<br />
strictly to production processes (Bernstein (ed.), 1991, p. 100).<br />
Horkheimer and Adorno (1997) argue that the culture industry is produced by a<br />
combination of mass production and monopoly. They say,<br />
Under monopoly all mass culture is identical, and the lines of its artificial<br />
framework begin to show through. The people at the top are no longer so<br />
interested in concealing monopoly: as its violence becomes more open, so its<br />
power grows. Movies and radio need no longer pretend to be art. The truth<br />
that they are just business is made into and ideology in order to justify the<br />
rubbish they deliberately produce. They call themselves industries; and when<br />
their directors' incomes are published, any doubt about the social utility of the<br />
finished products is removed (Horkheimer and Adorno, 1997, p. 121).<br />
As the discursive practices of those in control become more openly apparent, the<br />
power of culture as an industry grows and its effects are more apparently felt. Because<br />
millions of participating consumers fuel these industries, certain reproduction<br />
processes become necessary and as classical economic models reassure, the required<br />
supply must matches the demand for the product. Horkheimer and Adorno (1997)<br />
claim that standards are based on consumer needs, therefore standards are usually<br />
accepted with little resistance. Although Debord and others argue that these needs are<br />
manufactured. Horkheimer and Adorno (1997) say the result is a circle of manipulation<br />
in which the unified system steadily gains strength.<br />
37
Whereas Horkheimer and Adorno argue that the manipulation of individual<br />
consciousness represses the need for resistance, Arthur Asa Berger (1995) argues that<br />
not only does the manipulation of consciousness result in repression of the culture<br />
industry itself, but also in the repression of resistance against existing social and<br />
ideological orders of control.<br />
Berger in Cultural Criticism: A Primer to Key Concepts, (1995) says the<br />
purpose of the culture industry is to manipulate the consciousness of the masses in<br />
order to maintain state repressive and ideological state apparatuses (p.45). “Capitalists<br />
societies utilize the arts and the culture industries to maintain themselves and to<br />
prevent revolution or radical social change (Berger, 1995, p.45).” Music as a “culture”<br />
industry manipulates the audiences’ consciousness to complacently accept the<br />
dominant social order. Berger (1995) describes a similar process, where culture<br />
industries act more forcefully than manipulatively. He says interpellation is the<br />
process by which cultural representations coerce individuals into accepting ideologies<br />
carried by these representations (Berger, 1995, p. 57). 24 Berger also notes that<br />
reproduction and reinforcement work hand in hand to maintain this ideological control.<br />
Industry controlled cultural commodities are governed by the realization of their<br />
market value not by the variation of their content. In “Culture Industry Reconsidered”,<br />
Adorno notes that Brecht and Suhrkamp, nearly thirty years prior to his work,<br />
expressed,<br />
The entire practice of the culture industry transfers the profit motive naked onto<br />
38
cultural forms. Ever since these cultural forms first began to earn a living for<br />
their creators as commodities in the market-place they had already possessed<br />
something of this quality. But then they sought after profit only indirectly, over<br />
and above their autonomous essence (Bernstein (ed.), 1991, p. 99).<br />
Adorno connects a profit motive to the production of cultural forms. However, he<br />
cautions that at a particular point profit became the only motive and autonomy no<br />
longer a concern. Adorno implies that cultural reproduction is a characteristic of texts<br />
produced by culture industry. In terms of the effect of reproductions of culture on the<br />
masses, Adorno argues that there is a blind acceptance of routines and behavioral<br />
patterns by the masses that has a detrimental effect on not only the differential lines<br />
between art and reality, but also the reality of what is changeable and unchangeable<br />
within society (Bernstein (ed.), 1991, p. 105). This blind acceptance also manifests as<br />
a complacency of the masses.<br />
Attali (1985) notes that Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz describe the ideal political<br />
organization as a ‘Palace of Marvels,’ which is a harmonious machine within which all<br />
of the sciences of time and every tool of power are deployed.<br />
‘These buildings will be constructed in such a way that the master of the house<br />
will be able to hear and see everything that is said and done without himself<br />
being perceived, by means of mirrors and pipes, which will be a most important<br />
thing for the State, and a kind of political confessional’<br />
(pg 7).<br />
A ‘Palace of Marvel’ is exactly how the culture industry is governed as an Ideological<br />
State Apparatus. Attali (1985) argues that eavesdropping, censors<strong>hip</strong>, recording, and<br />
surveillance are weapons of power. These weapons are exercised well by the culture<br />
39
industry, especially the power to censor and record noise. Attali (1985) adds,<br />
The technology of listening in on, transmitting, and recording noise is at the<br />
heart of this apparatus. The symbolism of the Frozen Words, of the Tables of<br />
Law, of recorded noise and eavesdropping—these are the dreams of political<br />
scientists and the fantasies of men in power: to listen, to memorize—this is the<br />
ability to interpret and control history, to manipulate the culture of a people, to<br />
channel its violence and <strong>hop</strong>es. Who among us is free of the feeling that this<br />
process, taken to an extreme, is turning the modern State into a gigantic,<br />
monopolizing noise emitter, and at the same time, a generalized eavesdropping<br />
device. Eavesdropping on what? In order to silence Whom (p. 7)?<br />
The Culture Industry operates as the State’s gigantic noise emitter. It emits the noise of<br />
reproduced and reinforced cultural value. It reproduces stereotypes and ideologies<br />
which ruling elites maintain in order to ensure the existence of a permanent underclass,<br />
and thus their financial stamina as top beneficiaries of the western capitalistic<br />
economic order. It is the culture industry’s ability to disguise its manipulation of<br />
consciousness, which enables it to control this machine. Adorno adds that the culture<br />
industry uses its facade of concern for the masses in order to “duplicate, reinforce and<br />
strengthen their mentality, which it presumes is given and unchangeable (Bernstein<br />
(ed.), 1991, p. 99).” Attali (1985) also says that the banning of subversive noise is<br />
necessary to curb the demands for cultural autonomy. He says totalitarian theorists<br />
argue that bans on revolutionary art are used as controlled tonalism. Attali (1985) says,<br />
Support for differences or marginality: a concern for maintaining tonalism, the<br />
primacy of melody, a distrust of new languages, codes, instruments, a refusal of<br />
the abnormal—theses characteristics are common to all regimes of that nature.<br />
They are direct translation of the political importance of cultural repression and<br />
noise control (pg 7) (Attali, 1985).<br />
Modern musical distribution strategy contributes to social censors<strong>hip</strong> of art and<br />
40
cultural reproduction. Attali notes that economic and political dynamics lead to the<br />
investment in art, which then becomes controlled and industry-shaped art. Artists are<br />
left with few options because they have less and less control over content artistically<br />
speaking and it seems whatever is produced serves an ulterior function as commodity,<br />
as reproduction, or as meaningless popularly accepted “noise”. Attali (1985) further<br />
explains this phenomenon of control.<br />
The economic and political dynamics of the industrialized societies living<br />
under parliamentary democracy also lead power to invest art, and to invest in<br />
art, without necessarily theorizing its control, as is done under dictators<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
Everywhere we look, the monopolization of the broadcast messages, the control<br />
of noise, and the institutionalization of the silence of others assures the<br />
durability of power. Here, this channelization takes on a new, less violent, and a<br />
more subtle form: laws of political economy take the place of censors<strong>hip</strong> laws.<br />
Music and Musicians essentially become either objects of consumption like<br />
everything else, recupertors of subversion, or meaningless noise (p. 8).<br />
It is this type of cooptation of music, which helps to repress its capacity to be an agent<br />
of social change and to motivate and encourage social and critical consciousness<br />
amongst listeners.<br />
Various types of media reinforce different viewpoints, perspectives, and<br />
ideologies. Music is not an exception. Berger (1995) says, media are most effective<br />
when stimulating people and activating already stored material, which generates<br />
desired responses. In addition he says, “people respond to works not on an individual<br />
basis, but collectively, generally as part of an unrecognized massification or<br />
mobilization of acceptance.” It is this individual choice, manifested in terms of<br />
collective decision-making, which has enabled the success and thus maintenance of the<br />
41
culture industry of music, and furthermore the cultural production of popular <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
Attali (1985) says,<br />
Music is prophecy. Its styles and economic organization are ahead of the rest of<br />
society because it explores, much faster than material reality can, the entire<br />
range of possibilities in a given code. It makes audible the new world that will<br />
gradually become visible, that will impose itself and regulate the order of<br />
things; it is not only the image of things, but the transcending of the everyday,<br />
the herald of the future. For this reason, musicians, even when officially<br />
recognized, are dangerous, disturbing, and subversive; for this reason it is<br />
impossible to separate their history from that of repression and surveillance (p.<br />
11).<br />
Attali recognizes that artists are inevitably linked to the processes and goals of the<br />
industry, which in turn reports to the demands of the State to operate within the<br />
confines of subservience to the political economy. Horkenheimer and Adorno say the<br />
effect of the culture industry in total is one of “anti-enlightenment” in which<br />
enlightenment is described as the:<br />
The progressive technical domination of nature, becomes mass deception and is<br />
turned into a means for fettering consciousness. It impedes the development of<br />
autonomous, independent individuals who judge and decide consciously for<br />
themselves. These, however, would be the precondition for a democratic<br />
society, which needs adults who have come of age in order to sustain itself and<br />
develop (Bernstein (ed.), 1991, p. 106).<br />
Horkenheimer and Adorno suggest that because culture industry acts as anti-<br />
enlightenment, that it prevents the formation of necessary preconditions for<br />
democracy. The “fettering of consciousness” they describe works against fully<br />
developed adults’ ability to sustain and continue to develop a functional democratic<br />
system. Attali further connects this construct of musical texts as part of the total<br />
42
construction of society. He says in the reality of everyday life, few are given a voice<br />
(Attali, 1985, p. 8).<br />
The culture industry phenomenon and its manifestation in the music industry<br />
have inevitably shaped the cultural shift of musical movements, especially the split of<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> into either the noise of a mass produced culturally-deafening industry or a<br />
repressed, lost, and forgotten self supported underground whisper of empowerment.<br />
The Undermining of the Hip Hop Movement<br />
The undermining of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement has occurred primarily as a result of<br />
power exercised by ideological state apparatuses such as the culture industry and mass<br />
media. Indirectly, other ideological apparatuses such as education, the church, and<br />
family also reinforce the power and control of the culture industry and mass media.<br />
Studies on venue resistance 25 and radio airplay trends 26 exemplify the explicit policing<br />
of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, but few studies categorically look at ideological institutions and how these<br />
“trusted entities” falsify, construct, and embed values, ideals, and stereotypes that<br />
benefit the status quo. Even though this study separates the repressive state<br />
apparatuses, such as the police, from the ideological state apparatuses, such as<br />
education, it is important to think of these apparatuses as a system or machine that uses<br />
specific parts to achieve particular goals. These apparatuses function in everyday life<br />
and from remarkably early ages, individuals are socialized—ideologically-trained as a<br />
result. Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a movement of no exception. From its mainstream birth, the<br />
43
traditional apparatuses (culture industry, mass media, education, church, family) as<br />
well as some created apparatuses such as The Parents Music Resource Center 27 , have<br />
worked to undermine the movement. This undermining, which has resulted in<br />
divisiveness, manifests in both explicit and implicit ways. The culture industry and<br />
mass media continue to have the most damaging impact on the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement.<br />
The culture industries and mass media work to construct <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> for the<br />
masses, this undermines its potential as an effective social movement. Hip <strong>hop</strong> artists<br />
are caught between two worlds; one, which provides the riches, fame, and glory of<br />
mainstream industry success, and another which leaves the artists to fend for<br />
themselves as outsiders of the economic order, which ensures their survival, but<br />
necessarily contradicts their politics. As a result, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has undergone a divide. One<br />
path of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> evolution is rich, famous, and glorified by mainstream industry and<br />
maintains and reinforces governmental ideological controls by maintenance of<br />
Repressive State and Ideological State Apparatuses. The other path of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s<br />
evolution critiques governmental and industry power structures and control<br />
mechanisms, but is often forced to operate outside mainstream recognition and success.<br />
The latter path of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> gathers success on an underground, usually local small venue<br />
circuit. Keith Negus in Music Genres and Corporate Cultures (1999), notes that Kevin<br />
Powell, a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> historian, said in a magazine profile of Death Row Records<br />
published prior to Tupac Shakur’s death:<br />
‘There is no way to truly comprehend the incredible success of Death Row<br />
44
Records—its estimated worth now tops $100 million—without first<br />
understanding the conditions that created the rap game in the first place: few<br />
legal economic paths in America’s inner cities, stunted educational<br />
opportunities, a pervasive sense of alienation among young black males, black<br />
folk’s age-old need to create music, and a typically American hunger for money<br />
and power. The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> Nation is no different than any other segment of this<br />
society in its desire to live the American dream’ (Negus, 1999, p.84)<br />
Powell acknowledges that the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> industry is no different then any other American<br />
capitalist industry, which seeks to profit and make the rich richer, while keeping the<br />
poor poorer. The “American Dream” here is discussed as the pursuit of money and<br />
power and Powell makes the connection between the current direction of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and<br />
what life goals are ideologically embedded in the minds of youth—the goal of<br />
achieving money and power. Negus (1999) adds,<br />
The approach to the relations<strong>hip</strong> between rap music and the recorded<br />
entertainment industry that I am proposing here is more complex than the often<br />
narrated tales of co-optation, exploitation and forced compromise to a<br />
commercial agenda, although these pressures are certainly not absent. At the<br />
same time, it is an attempt to avoid the celebration of black entrepreneurialism<br />
or the endorsement of rap as a type of material success-oriented ‘fun<br />
capitalism’ (pg 85).<br />
Here Negus points to the internal pathology of the movement as part of the complex<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong> between rap music and industry. I argue that the cooptation and<br />
exploitation of rap is socially situated and ideologically grown as part of larger<br />
political, economic, and social contexts. Negus says in his chapter titled, ‘Between the<br />
street and the executive suite’, rappers simultaneously are identified with “the street”<br />
but also take on the role as executives (Negus, 1999, p.85).<br />
This level of analysis points the finger at the “Othering” 28 of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
45
industry, when it is not an “Other” at all, but an industry that thrives on the same<br />
economic principles and order as all other western capitalistically-driven industries of<br />
commodity exchange and profitability. This leads to an interesting point of how it is<br />
possible for <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> to be one of the most profitable industries, but one of the most<br />
vilified forms of music in history 29 . Todd Boyd (2003) says in The New H.N.I.C: The<br />
Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of Hip Hop, “Hip <strong>hop</strong> transcends the boundaries<br />
of culture, race, and history, while being uniquely informed by all three (p.18).” Boyd<br />
says <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s move to mainstream success presents the opportunity to investigate<br />
these boundaries and their impact on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a social movement.<br />
Media Coverage of Hip Hop<br />
Trends in media coverage of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is inevitably interconnected with trends in<br />
coverage of minorities and particularly the portrayal of Black Americans in media<br />
coverage 30 . The few studies that have been done on media coverage of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> have<br />
concluded that media make associations between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and criminality as well as<br />
violence in behavior. Other forms of rap such as gangster rap maintain these<br />
stereotypes, but they by far are not the foundation of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture. Coverage<br />
suggests that the culture is inherently ignorant, violent, abrasive and sexist. Manuel<br />
Castells (1997) states,<br />
“End-of-millennium ghettos develop a new culture, made out of affliction, rage,<br />
and individual reaction against collective exclusion, where blackness matters<br />
less than the situations of exclusion that create new sources of bonding, for<br />
instance, territorial gangs, started in the streets, and consolidated in and from<br />
46
prisons. Rap, not jazz, emerges from this culture. This new culture expresses<br />
identity, as well, and it is also rooted in black history, and in the venerable<br />
American tradition of racism and racial oppression, but it incorporates new<br />
elements: the police and penal system as central institutions, the criminal<br />
economy as a s<strong>hop</strong> floor, the schools as contested terrain, churches as islands of<br />
conciliation, mother-centered families, rundown environments, gang-based<br />
social organization, violence as a way of life. These are the themes of new<br />
black art and literature emerging from the new Ghetto experience.”<br />
While Castells may be correct in his portrayal of society’s oppression and the<br />
separation between the oppressed and middle class of the Black community. He makes<br />
an essentialist claim, which is flawed. His assertion that black art and literature<br />
emerging from the “ghetto experience” reflects these themes and no other is seriously<br />
problematic. It is necessary to differentiate between how this experience produces two<br />
types of black art and literature—those that advance existing stereotypes and political,<br />
economic, and social subservience and those that try to present critiques to this<br />
manufactured powerlessness.<br />
The negative portrayal of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> also contributes to what Lance Bennett calls<br />
news dramatization. He says, “Superficial but dramatic news can drive more<br />
substantial but complex issues to the margins of public attentions (Bennett, 2003).” It<br />
seems that because in order for capitalism to work, there must be a permanent<br />
underclass, media and other key actors can continue using these misrepresentations and<br />
stereotypes to generate profit and at the same time keep these groups on the margins of<br />
society and ‘under control’. Berger reminds us that, “mass media outlets in the United<br />
States are businesses that make money by selling print advertising and radio and<br />
47
television commercials. This means that the basic commercial function of the media is<br />
to deliver audiences to advertisers (Berger, 1995).” Berger further explains,<br />
The media function most effectively when they stimulate people and activate<br />
material already stored in the minds of the audiences and generate desired<br />
responses. Much of that stored material, it should be pointed out, was put in the<br />
heads of the audience by media in the first place (Berger, 1995).<br />
By reinforcing stereotypes, media can also work hand in hand with advertisers who<br />
need these type of identity ambiguities in order to convince the working class that<br />
buying products or contributing to consumerism will counteract some of the societal<br />
alienation they experience. Inevitably this process is subliminal, in which neither<br />
individual actors in media or the victims will blatantly understand the impacts and<br />
consequences of maintaining these types of stereotypes. The construction of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> by<br />
mainstream media as inherently ignorant, violent, abrasive and sexist reinforces key<br />
stereotypes that continue to work against <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s primary audience, urban youth.<br />
Hip Hop Verses Industry<br />
As mentioned earlier, power develops through an exchange between actors and<br />
thrives on the unbalanced relations<strong>hip</strong> between those actors and it is these unbalanced<br />
dynamics, which fosters social movements (Jackman, 1993,p. 30). If the culture<br />
industries and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> are actors, then their relations<strong>hip</strong> is one of negotiation. The <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> movement has been in a state of negotiation since its commodification. Rose<br />
(1994) says that after the release of “Rappers Delight” in 1979, rap and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> was<br />
48
“discovered” by industries, which rushed to cash in own what was thought to be a<br />
passing fad (p.3).<br />
In The ’Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip Hop,<br />
Murray Forman (2002) says Rose is only partially right. He argues that the expansive<br />
growth of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is not a pure result of its massification from external forces, such as<br />
industry, because <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> expansions were frequently internally initiated (Forman,<br />
2002, p. 106). Forman’s basic point is that the dynamic between industry and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
is not completely one of cooptation because <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has also propelled industry<br />
exploitation. This argument, although it recognizes that fans and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> savvy<br />
entrepreneurs have contributed to the cooptation of the movement, it neglects to situate<br />
their drive and motivations within the context of social life. Small-scale <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
entrepreneurs<strong>hip</strong> rose as a result of industry monopolization by corporate moguls. Just<br />
as in traditional economic theory, small-scale entrepreneurs<strong>hip</strong>s act as the underdogs of<br />
business, fighting for every inch of the market that the larger monopolizing business<br />
entities neglect. Hip <strong>hop</strong> savvy entrepreneurs, by developing their own marketable<br />
commodities, learn by example to profit from this exploitation. Rose (1994) adds that<br />
because <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> was initially rejected by the mainstream record industry, independent<br />
entrepreneurs and labels pioneered <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s early marketing. But as soon as <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
viability was established, major labels begun dominating production and distribution<br />
channels (Rose, 1994, p.6). 31<br />
Even in the midst of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> entrepreneurs’ attempts to profit from the industry<br />
49
of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, small-scale entrepreneurs were either overlooked, or overstepped in gaining<br />
control of the most profitable part of the record industry—distribution. Rose (1994)<br />
says three factors complicate music industry consolidation and control over<br />
distribution: the expansion of local cable access; the sophistication and improved<br />
accessibility of mixing, production, and copying equipment; and new relations<strong>hip</strong>s<br />
between major and independent record labels (p. 6).<br />
Boyd (2003) asks essential questions regarding <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and its double<br />
existence, which I refer to as the division of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement.<br />
How do we define progress in a genre where progress is often looked upon<br />
suspiciously? This is the question faced by <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> now that it has become a<br />
lucrative cultural entity permanently etched into the ledger of Americana. How<br />
does a culture that started off on the margins deal with its own now-mainstream<br />
success? How does <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> continue to exist in light of all the changes? Has <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> at times been guilty of hatin’ on itself (p. 100)?<br />
The first baby step towards answering these questions is to first acknowledge that what<br />
was once known as a monolithic movement defined by colors of unique characteristics<br />
and authenticity is now a kaleidoscope of movements shifting in different directions,<br />
and taking on different shades, that can never again be equated with the original<br />
movement’s brilliance.<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> has become the ultimate capitalists tool. 32 More than ever before, we<br />
must understand the directions in which <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> continues to move because of its<br />
definite and powerful impacts on global youth.<br />
50
Summary<br />
The undermining of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement has been a result of societal shifts,<br />
the uses of power and force, and the inevitable social responses to these dynamics. 33<br />
Since <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> achieved mainstream success, it also suffered critical changes, which<br />
have divided the movement of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. On one hand, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artists and text reinforce<br />
state control and ideological state imposed values. On the other hand, it critiques these<br />
controls and tries to stay afloat on underground circuits with an almost no profit<br />
status. 34<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> embodies a world of contradictions and impacts listeners in various<br />
ways. The following two chapters will examine the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and how lyrics<br />
reinforce the division within the movement and the potential impact of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
listening patterns on individual mentality, ideological preferences, and political and<br />
social participation.<br />
51
Chapter IV<br />
Words Are Weapons: The Hip Hop Language Dialectic<br />
Clap for you freedom dog, that's what's happening<br />
My spit take critical political action<br />
The hustle is a puzzle each piece is a fraction<br />
And every word that's understood is a transaction<br />
—The Roots featuring Nelly Furtado 35<br />
“Ultimately, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s concern with cultural identity has been about affirming authenticity, in what<br />
would otherwise be considered a postmodern, technologically driven, media-dominated, artificial<br />
world. To ‘keep it real’ means to remain true to what is assumed to be the dictates of one’s cultural<br />
identity. Although there are very strict rules in regard to what counts as being real, this quest for<br />
authenticity often translates to one person’s perception in the marketplace. It also has to do with<br />
one’s relations<strong>hip</strong> to capital. Can <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> serve two masters? Is it possible for <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> to remain true<br />
to its roots, and at the same time still be popular?<br />
—Todd Boyd 36<br />
The last line of the above verse, from the song, “Sacrifice” by The Roots, relays<br />
the function of musical language and especially that of rap. Every word that is heard<br />
and understood is a piece of a puzzle—an understood transaction. When listeners of<br />
rap music engage with a rap text, what messages are relayed? Furthermore, what is<br />
understood and internalized? These are important questions that some previous studies<br />
have attempted to answer. This chapter will show that transactions of rap are powerful<br />
and can be used as weaponry. Todd Boyd’s insight in the above quote describes the<br />
present moment of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. Rappers are trying to explore the double character of <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong>, in which a dialectic exists between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as popular culture and what Boyd<br />
terms “authentic”, which remains true to its original roots of resistance. Authenticity,<br />
52
no matter what the cost, has always been a mandatory prerequisite for acceptance into<br />
rap culture and its audience base. Overall, rappers have embraced the double character<br />
and displayed its accompanying contradictions within texts. Hip <strong>hop</strong> language can be<br />
viewed as what Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno (1997) would call a ‘Dialectic<br />
of Enlightenment’.<br />
Horkheimer and Adorno assert that knowledge has this dialectical capacity.<br />
Their analysis of knowledge can be extended to the knowledge of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> channeled<br />
through language. They say, “Knowledge, which is power, knows no obstacles: neither<br />
in the enslavement of men nor in compliance with the world’s rulers (Horkheimer and<br />
Adorno, 1997).” Art, conveying knowledge, inevitably acts in the same way, knowing<br />
no obstacles: neither in the enslavement of subjects or the compliance with the status<br />
quo. Art, especially music has the power to “enlighten,” but moreover this transfer of<br />
knowledge manifests in terms of a Horkheimer and Adorno dialectic. This dialectical<br />
character of music is important especially when discussing power differentials and the<br />
cultural transformation <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
As mentioned in Chapter 3, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> evolution has been the result of societal<br />
shifts, power dynamics, and the social responses to these occurrences. The culture<br />
industries, particularly the music industry, often shape content in order to appease<br />
popular culture. This market-centered approach often imposes restrictions on the type<br />
of language used or content written and rapped about. Because the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
is extremely important to the direction of this cultural movement, these industry and<br />
53
marketplace influences over content are dangerous unseen hands.<br />
In “Cultural Survivalisms and Marketplace subversions: Black Popular Culture<br />
and Politics into the Twenty-First Century,” Tricia Rose says,<br />
While rap music and our most troubled young people remain in the spotlight as<br />
the cultural carriers of sexism and moral decline, global and local cultures of<br />
gender, class and racial oppression (the family, corporations, schools, religious<br />
institutions, the workplace) are shadowy figures in the national landscape<br />
(Adjaye and Andrews, 1997).<br />
Rose makes a necessary connection between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and youth, but she also connects<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> to some of Louis Althusser’s Ideological apparatuses including the family,<br />
corporations, schools, religious institutions, and the workplace. Rose implicates these<br />
apparatuses in the creation and maintenance of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s various messages. This<br />
chapter will analyze the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, which focuses on themes such as politics,<br />
social inequality, education and religion as apparatuses, and materialism and<br />
consumerism. This chapter will also address how popular <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> can be contradictory.<br />
This chapter takes a deeper look at the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and the power of the<br />
messages it conveys. It will discuss <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> language as a force that either maintains<br />
and reinforces or critiques the State Repressive and Ideological Apparatuses. I will<br />
argue that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> lyrics maintain and thus reinforce status quo values and social<br />
control mechanisms, while simultaneously critiquing these values and control<br />
mechanisms.<br />
54
The Power of Music Language<br />
Before advancing to the lyrical analysis, it will be helpful to understand the<br />
power of music and especially the power of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. In The Language of Music<br />
(1959), Deryck Cooke asked the critical question of why composers feel the impulse to<br />
write works founded on certain texts, programs, ideas, or musical genres? Cooke, says,<br />
Something more than a passing whim, surely: it must be that he (or she) has<br />
something to say, whether he (or she) knows it or not. In other words, a certain<br />
complex of emotions must have been seeking an outlet, a means of expression,<br />
of communication to others, a state of affairs of which composer may have<br />
been quite aware, or only half aware, or completely unaware.<br />
Even though Cooke is speaking strictly about the musical language of classical music,<br />
his insight can apply to an analysis of music in general terms that reveal the artist’s<br />
motivation and how language, especially in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, is used as an “outlet, a means of<br />
expression, of communication to others.” Cooke purposefully mentions that the<br />
‘composer’ may be aware or unaware of the type of connection his or her creation can<br />
have to its listeners. Nevertheless, he stresses that the language of music is powerful in<br />
its communicative capacity. He compares the musical language of classical music to<br />
the language of poetry.<br />
‘Music is no more incapable of being emotionally intelligible because it is<br />
bound by the laws of musical construction than poetry is because it is bound by<br />
the laws of verbal grammatical construction’. The artist who has something to<br />
communicate through the medium of his chosen language—be it speech or<br />
music—must be the master of that language, not its servant (Cooke, 1959).<br />
Cooke points out that whether it is music or poetry, the composer must be a master of<br />
language, and particularly the language of the potential audience of the text. Like<br />
55
poetry, Hip <strong>hop</strong>, which is its cultural successor, requires a mastery of the language and<br />
the horizontal stylistic variances that exist in order to effectively communicate with its<br />
audience. The intended expression or emotion must connect with language mastery in<br />
order to convey the intended message. Cooke says that often expression and form are<br />
viewed as estranged from one another, but that separation is not always valid.<br />
However complex and allusive the form of an expressive musical work may be,<br />
it is still simply the means whereby the composer has expressed an emotional<br />
attitude towards existence by imposing a meaningful order on expressive terms;<br />
and it is the continual failure to recognize this fact that is responsible for our<br />
generally ambiguous fruitless approach to music—which can be summed up as<br />
‘form is form and expression is expression, and never the twain shall meet’<br />
(Cooke, 1959).<br />
It is this expression and form, which makes the language of music powerful. It is this<br />
connection between expression and form, which is actualized through language, which<br />
makes Hip <strong>hop</strong> one of the foremost methods of effective communication with global<br />
youth of the 20 th and 21 st Century. One thing to note is that effective communication is<br />
not necessarily synonymous with positive communication. Hip <strong>hop</strong> is capable of<br />
transmitting messages both positive (showing social cohesion and empowerment of the<br />
masses) and negative (divisive and those messages which relegate the audience to a<br />
state of powerlessness). Sherley Anne Williams (Wallace and Dent (ed.), 1992)<br />
presents a critique of the statement: Rap is a statement in the tradition of black<br />
expressive culture.<br />
I haven’t ‘condemned’ rap; I’ve questioned the content of some rap songs. To<br />
question my motivation in those terms implies that rap is above criticism,<br />
particularly by black people, and is just another way of avoiding open, and<br />
56
serious, discussion about the meaning and implication of rap’s themes…This<br />
critique is a response to that statement, a necessary comment upon it. And, as in<br />
classic blues verse, the meaning of both statement and response must be taken<br />
into account if the song is to move toward any successful resolution.<br />
It is time for black academics, critics and intellectuals who have, by and large, refused<br />
to call rap content, where appropriate, “pathological, anti-social and anti-community,”<br />
to reevaluate their one-sided critiques of rap says Williams. “By our silence, we have<br />
allowed what used to be permissible only in the locker room or at stag parties, among<br />
consenting adults, to become the norm of our children (Wallace and Dent (ed.), 1992).”<br />
As mentioned earlier, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has definite roots in prior historical moments of<br />
Black culture. In the “Singers, Toasters, and Rappers” chapter of John Russell<br />
Rickford and Russell John Rickford’s Spoken Soul: The Story of Black English<br />
(2000), some of these prior moments in particular Black music history are linked.<br />
Rickford and Rickford make the connection between the “spoken soul” of jazz, the<br />
toast, which is a narrative poem, recited in a theatrical manner, and rap.<br />
The badmen of toasts thus represent irreverent heroes of redemptive<br />
proportions. They’re immortal, and they’re worth mentioning in a chapter on<br />
singers because they help us understand first, the continuum of oral dexterity<br />
that blurs the distinction between black speech and song, and second, the<br />
wicked self-aggrandizement found in the newest chapter in the African<br />
American book of folklore, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>…The precise origin of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is a matter<br />
of dispute, but the originators appear to have been New York City youths who,<br />
in the middle of the 1970s, with nothing more than turntables and imagination,<br />
began mixing old-school jams by funk prophets such as James Brown and<br />
George Clinton (Rickford and Rickford, 2000).<br />
57
Sherley Anne Williams echoes these connections in “Two Words on Music: Black<br />
Community.” Williams says,<br />
Originally, rappers rapped about the Djs and the words were almost incidental<br />
to the groove or beat. Aggressive, self-aggrandizing boasts about the rapper’s<br />
own prowess were added, in the tradition of the badman street toasts, together<br />
with new sayings going the rounds in the streets. These tributes, boasts, and<br />
slogans were unified by internal rhymes—the virtuoso single-sound freerhyming<br />
that Stephan Henderson first identified as a hallmark of black<br />
vernacular style (Wallace and Dent (ed.), 1992).<br />
Williams (Wallace and Dent (ed.), 1992) also talks about how <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, early on, took<br />
an oppositional stance to popular cultural messages of the 1970s, which romanticized<br />
upward mobility amongst other ideologies.<br />
These improvised street boasts and rhymes, freed of melody because, they like<br />
the toasts that fathered theme, were chanted rather than sung, communicated in<br />
more detail, and with greater directness, than conventional song forms and<br />
displaced the romantic idealism and upwardly mobile ethic of such anthems of<br />
the disco era as ‘Staying Alive’ and ‘Good Times’ (Wallace and Dent (ed.),<br />
1992).<br />
Rickford and Rickford say that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is a tribute to the resilient history of an<br />
annihilated people that expressed themselves by music and the form of swing, bebop,<br />
and now <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. With each new generation, these expressionists reinvent themselves<br />
artfully using the same indispensable weapon (Rickford and Rickford, 2000).<br />
Lyrical Analysis<br />
As mention before, historically music has been used as a channel of<br />
enlightenment, in the sense that it has illuminated various inequitable social conditions<br />
58
faced by oppressed people. From the blues of Billy Holiday 37 , the jazz of Nina<br />
Simone 38 , to the revolutionary soul music of The Last Poets 39 and Gil Scott Heron 40 ,<br />
music has served a function of giving a voice to those underrepresented in societal<br />
dialogues. Hip <strong>hop</strong>, since its origins, has also taken on this character of being a voice.<br />
Countless artists within various sub-genres of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, use their personal experiences<br />
to create texts that resonate with urban youth, who often face similar situations.<br />
Various sub-genres of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> display implicit as well as explicitly obvious<br />
messages that maintain or critique State Repressive and Ideological Apparatuses. The<br />
following lyrical analysis will first explore both the explicit and implicit messages in<br />
what is termed “political” or “message” rap. It will then engage in an analysis of lyrics<br />
that either reinforce or critique materialism and consumerism. And it will also analyze<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artists and language that are political and popular, and still exhibit the double-<br />
character of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> through contradictions. It will respond to the question is this<br />
double-consciousness by design and what purposes does it serve? Finally, this analysis<br />
will explore the creativity of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and its approaching new cultural moment.<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> and the Apparatus of Education<br />
Why Haven’t you learned anything? Man that school shit is a joke<br />
The same people who control the school system control<br />
The prison system, and the whole social system<br />
—Dead Prez<br />
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Dead Prez takes a radical and militant approach to developing content, but that<br />
does not counteract the powerful language they use and their explicit critique of state<br />
repressive and ideological apparatuses such as the education system and the prison<br />
system. Dead Prez also critiques things that they feel are of individual control such as<br />
health, relations<strong>hip</strong>s, and personal discipline. Because Dead Prez is at one extreme of<br />
the spectrum of political rap music, it is important to give a rigorous analysis. I will<br />
begin the analysis with the language they use, because it is the most explicit; their<br />
lyrics name the apparatuses and attack the way in which these apparatuses operate.<br />
Louis Althusser (2001) says that in general all ideological state apparatuses<br />
contribute to the same result: the reproduction of the relations of production, for<br />
example contribute to the capitalistic relations of exploitation. He says the educational<br />
ideological state apparatus is the dominant ideological state apparatus in western<br />
capitalistic formations. Using the musical score as a point of metaphor, he goes on to<br />
further explain the role of ideological apparatuses, especially education, in the<br />
maintenance of State power.<br />
The score of the Ideology of the current ruling class which integrates into its<br />
music the great themes of the Humanism of the Great Forefathers, who<br />
produced the Greek Miracle even before Christianity, and afterwards the Glory<br />
of Rome, the Eternal City, and the themes of Interest, particular and general,<br />
etc. nationalism, moralism and economism. Nevertheless in this concert, one<br />
ideological state apparatus certainly has the dominant role, although hardly<br />
anyone lends an ear to its music: it is so silent! This is the School (Althusser,<br />
2001).<br />
Children, at an early age, become the keys on which this score is played. Because<br />
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young children are vulnerable, family and educators present large amounts of either<br />
similar or conflicting ideologies that in turn squeezes those vulnerabilities. In the<br />
instances of education and communication, exploring contradictions or conflicting<br />
ideals can make things more confusing, but it also helps one understand that everything<br />
can be approached from more than one angle. This is exactly what the Educational<br />
Ideological State Apparatus does—it presents one angle as the truth and purports that<br />
no other perspective exist or is important. One example of this is in the teaching of<br />
history.<br />
Dead Prez, says in “They Schools” from the Lets Get Free album,<br />
I tried to pay attention but they classes wasn’t interestin<br />
They seemed to only glorify the Europeans<br />
Claimin Africans were only three-fifths a human being<br />
Most urban youths’ early educational experiences are similar to the lyrics above. It is a<br />
given fact that most history books are presented from the viewpoint of the innovative<br />
European explorer and conqueror, and teachers often skim over the miniscule<br />
information provided about slavery, the slave trade, the exploitation—annihilation of<br />
the Native Americans and the Black and Native American roles in the political,<br />
economic, and social functioning and strengthening of America. Some parents are<br />
aware of what is missing in education, but not everyone has parents who take the time<br />
to give comparative perspectives and inform, a task that is technically along the lines<br />
of what educators are supposed to do in educating. If educators did take this approach,<br />
they would be in direct conflict with the ideological state apparatus of education.<br />
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Althusser (2001) says that the “know how” given in education is where the<br />
working class learns its place and people in other social hierarchical levels learn their<br />
place as well. Within the repressive and ideological state apparatuses, the ultimate<br />
condition of production is the reproduction of the conditions of production (Althusser,<br />
2001). This is what the majority of K-12 educators do; they reproduce the conditions of<br />
subjection in order to groom more individuals to be put socially in their place and serve<br />
their societal function for the benefit of the those in power.<br />
The reproduction of labor power thus reveals as its sine qua non not only the<br />
reproduction of its ‘skills’ but also the reproduction of its subjection to the<br />
ruling ideology or of the ‘practice’ of that ideology, with proviso that it is not<br />
enough to say ‘not only but also,’ for it is clear that it is in the forms and under<br />
the forms of ideological subjection that provision is made for the reproduction<br />
of the skills of labor power (Althusser, 2001).<br />
Education plays a key role in the maintenance of a permanent underclass, where<br />
generation after generation is physically, but more importantly ideologically<br />
reproduced in the same way to maintain the existing social order, where the masses<br />
produce wealth for the upper echelon of society. It is interesting that when one is<br />
growing up, ideology and its suppliers are given unconditional trust. Parents, teachers,<br />
and immediate peer groups help individuals understand the world and their particular<br />
position within the political, economic, and social order.<br />
The social dynamic of authority is key to establishing this early foundation of<br />
an understanding of the State and its power. Children are not only subjected by the<br />
State, but by parents and teachers. Children are taught to ask questions that are relevant<br />
62
to subject matter and then it is ultimately up to the teacher to answer or claim that the<br />
question irrelevant. This dynamic is problematic because not only do the teachers pick<br />
and choose which questions they feel are relevant, but the questions actually answered<br />
are purported as truth; this is problematic because in reality they are their opinions and<br />
perspectives. The same could be said of the school curriculum and particular texts used<br />
to teach that particular curriculum. I am not attempting to say that teachers and<br />
administrators are solely responsible, because in today’s society, curriculum mandates<br />
and mounted pressure for educators to conform ensures that the ruling ideologies<br />
prevail in the classroom. So much of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> speaks implicitly about education and the<br />
school system’s failure to balance important ideological foundations, which are taught<br />
in early education. In “I Can,” Nas purposely directs his lyrics toward young children<br />
because he realizes this balance is missing in the way history is taught. Nas gives a<br />
mini historical perspective on the conditions, which existed prior to exploration and<br />
slavery.<br />
Be, be, 'fore we came to this country<br />
We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys<br />
It was empires in Africa called Kush<br />
Timbuktu, where every race came to get books<br />
To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans<br />
Asian Arabs and gave them gold when<br />
Gold was converted to money it all changed<br />
Money then became empowerment for Europeans<br />
The Persian military invaded<br />
They learned about the gold, the teachings and everything sacred<br />
Africa was almost robbed naked<br />
Slavery was money, so they began making slave s<strong>hip</strong>s<br />
63
Nas, with this perspective on history, presents some of the elements that are<br />
intentionally or unintentionally left out of American history books, especially those<br />
typically used in elementary and high schools. I am not claiming that this is the<br />
“correct” historical perspective, because no single tale of history is completely factual.<br />
Nas simply conveys that everything is constructed from one angle or another,<br />
especially history and other subjects that are rigidly presented as fact. This song<br />
addresses the presence of stereotyping and the absence of encouragement and positive<br />
affirmation within education. Nas uses lyrics to encourage and positively affirm urban<br />
youth in the chorus, where he sings with children, “I know I can be what I wanna be; If<br />
I work hard at it, I’ll be where I wanna be.” He further goes on to say,<br />
If the truth is told, the youth can grow<br />
They learn to survive until they gain control<br />
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes<br />
Read more learn more, change the globe<br />
Ghetto children, do your thing<br />
Nas acknowledges that typically urban youth, particularly Blacks and Latinos, are<br />
stereotyped as criminals, ignorant, or promiscuous. He encourages this new generation<br />
of youth to value literacy, to raise more questions, and to use what they learned to help<br />
change the world. Throughout primary school, I had no idea that the books that my<br />
teacher passed as ultimate truth were from only one narrow perspective. This structure<br />
of curriculum ushers societies’ subjects into the mode of what I call “non-thinking”<br />
learning. Althusser says,<br />
In other words, the school (but also other State institutions like the Church, or<br />
64
other State apparatuses like the Army) teaches ‘know-how’, but in forms which<br />
ensure subjection to the ruling ideology or mastery of its ‘practice’ (Althusser,<br />
2001, p.89).<br />
What is interesting about this school process is that the curriculum structure is<br />
becoming more and more rigid due to state standards and guidelines. Not only do K-12<br />
teachers have daily regimens for teaching, they also have to minimize creativity and<br />
personal attention because there is not enough time in the day to get all of the<br />
mandated curricula done. And educational technology advocates wonder why teachers<br />
do not incorporate technology in lesson plans and educational activities. It is because<br />
state mandates make it virtually impossible (pun intended).<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> and the Police and Prison System Apparatuses<br />
As mentioned earlier in Chapter 2, the All Music Guide to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>: A Definitive<br />
Guide to Rap and Hip <strong>hop</strong> (2003) describes “Political Rap” also known as Message<br />
Rap as ‘<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, which merges rhymes with political philosophy to create a new style<br />
of rap.’ I add that message rap expresses frustration with power structures and<br />
economic, political, and social oppression. There are artists from every sub-genre of<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> that at some point or another deliver social and political messages. The<br />
following artists and lyrics presented in the next two sections deliver the “message” of<br />
message rap.<br />
This section will focus on lyrics, which reveal the reality of the police and their<br />
interaction with urban youth, especially black and Latino males. It will also reveal the<br />
65
use of rap lyrics to critique the prison system, which thrives politically and<br />
economically from a copious stock of criminal labor 41 . Additionally, this analysis will<br />
also briefly discuss political imprisonment and how some rap artists use their lyrics to<br />
spread the unheard stories of political prisoners.<br />
Just as Louis Althusser discusses and defines the State (Chapter 3), rap artists<br />
also discuss this entity called the state. As a lead into the song “Police State,” Dead<br />
Prez use an excerpt from a speech given by Omali Yeshitela of the African People’s<br />
Socialist Party to explain what the concept of the state is and how it becomes necessary<br />
because of urban inner-city conditions:<br />
You have the emergence in human society<br />
of this thing that's called the State<br />
What is the State? The State is this organized bureaucracy<br />
It is the po-lice department. It is the Army, the Navy<br />
It is the prison system, the courts, and what have you<br />
This is the State -- it is a repressive organization<br />
But the state -- and gee, well, you know,<br />
you've got to have the police, cause..<br />
if there were no police, look at what you'd be doing to yourselves!<br />
You'd be killing each other if there were no police!<br />
But the reality is..<br />
the police become necessary in human society<br />
only at that junction in human society<br />
where it is split between those who have and those who ain't got<br />
The majority of poor urban males have occupied an oppositional stance toward police,<br />
the legal system, and prison since post-segregation and in the wake of the Black Power<br />
movements. Venise T.Berry and Harold T. Berry Looney Jr. say culturally and<br />
functionally, the relations<strong>hip</strong> between inner-city youth and the police has always been<br />
66
one of distrust and disrespect (Berry and Manning-Miller, 1996). Tupac says in<br />
“Trapped” that he is caught between two prison worlds—the streets and jail.<br />
Walk tha city streets like a rat pack of tyrants<br />
Too many brothers daily heading for tha big penn<br />
Niggas commin' out worse offthan when they went in…<br />
Tired of being trapped in this vicious cycle<br />
If one more cop harasses me I just might go psycho<br />
[Uh uh, they can't keep tha black man down]<br />
They got me trapped<br />
Countless rap texts discuss police brutality and racial profiling, but what is interesting<br />
is that these accounts, whether in the form of rap or oration, are vivid recollections of<br />
real experiences. 42 Dead Prez takes an oppositional stance toward this controlled fate<br />
of urban young males in “Police State.”<br />
We sick of workin for crumbs and fillin up the prisons<br />
Dyin over money and relyin on religion for help<br />
We do for self like ants in a colony<br />
The average Black male<br />
Live a third of his life in a jail cell<br />
Cause the world is controlled by the white male<br />
And the people don't never get justice<br />
And the women don't never get respected<br />
And the problems don't never get solved<br />
And the jobs don't never pay enough<br />
So the rent always be late; can you relate?<br />
We livin in a police state<br />
Dead Prez offers not only a critique of the prison system, but they bridge connections<br />
between the exploitation of low-income workers, oppressive conditions of inner-city<br />
communities, and the unbalanced numbers of people of color, which fill the prisons.<br />
They also indirectly point to some of the larger social phenomenons, which help to<br />
maintain these conditions, such as what feminist and cultural critic, bell hooks, terms<br />
White Supremacist Capitalistic Patriarchy. 43 Dead Prez uses music to explicitly<br />
67
examine theoretical concepts and apply them to reality.<br />
The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> generation 44 has been a product of several historical situations<br />
including Reconstruction 45 , the aftermath of civil rights 46 , and war, especially the<br />
Vietnam war 47 . Dead Prez illustrates in “Behind Enemy Lines,” the impact of the<br />
Vietnam war on not only Vietnam vets, but on their families.<br />
Little Kenny been smokin lucy since he was 12<br />
Now he 25 locked up wit a L<br />
They call him triple K, cuz he killed 3 niggas<br />
Another ghetto child got turned into a killa<br />
His pops was a Vietnam veteran on heroin<br />
Used like a pawn by these white North Americans<br />
Mama couldn't handle the stress so went crazy<br />
Grandmama had to raise the baby<br />
Just a young boy, born to a life of poverty<br />
Hustlin, robbery, whatever brung the paper home<br />
Behind enemy lines, my niggas is cellmates<br />
Most of the youth never escape the jail fate…<br />
You aint gotta be locked up to be in prison<br />
Look how we livin 30,000 niggas a day, up in the bing, standin routine<br />
They put is in a box just like our life on the block<br />
Behind enemy lines<br />
Many artists describe the condition of the inner-city urban environment as comparable<br />
to prison. Walking down the neighborhood block often resembles the conditions of<br />
walking the prison block. The suffocating four-block radius of housing projects<br />
psychologically mirrors the four square foot prison cell, which many urban males<br />
occupy at some point or another. Dead Prez situates these social and historical<br />
conditions. These lyrics paint a picture of the returning Vietnam vet, often suffering<br />
from shell shock amongst other types of psychological trauma, who was then thrown<br />
back into a social environment of unemployment, financial responsibilities, and limited<br />
68
opportunity. The post-Vietnam era also marked a new moment in drug usage,<br />
especially amongst war vets, who needed to numb the pains of war and realizing they<br />
had limited opportunity. All of these post-war factors took a deadly toll on the structure<br />
of the family, leaving many children parentless. Dead Prez use this example as a<br />
metaphor for the many fatherless, motherless, youth that grow up in the inner city with<br />
no role models other than neighborhood drug dealers or gang bangers. Additionally,<br />
glorification of these images is reinforced by news media myths 48 .<br />
Talib Kweli in “Get By” on his second solo album Quality, outlines the<br />
conditions of life in urban impoverished areas act as a whirlpool in which the currents<br />
of drug selling, drug abuse, and imprisonment, coming from different sources;<br />
eventually pull poor people into a whirlpool of self-destruction.<br />
We keeping it gangster say “fo shizzle,” “fo sheezy,” and “stayin’ crunk”<br />
It’s easy to pull a breezy, smoke trees, and we stay drunk<br />
Yo, I activism—attackin’ the system,<br />
the Blacks and Latins in prison, Numbers of prison they victim black in the vision<br />
Shit and all they got is rappin’ to listen to<br />
I let them know we missin’ you, the love is unconditional<br />
Even when the condition is critical, when the livin’ is miserable<br />
Your position is pivitol, I ain’t bullshittin’ you<br />
Now, why would I lie? Just to get by? Just to get by, we get fly<br />
The TV got us reachin’ for stars-Not the ones between Venus and Mars,<br />
the ones that be readin’ for parts<br />
Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers<br />
Saturday sinners Sunday morning at the feet of the Father<br />
They need somethin’ to rely on, we get high on all types of drug<br />
When, all you really need is love-To get by…just to get by, Just to get by, just to get by<br />
Kweli speaks first of the vernacular and its connection to the reality of urban life. He<br />
also indulges in what I call “communal nostalgic phrases” such as “fo sheezy” and<br />
“pull a breezy” to engage his audience. He speaks of the unbalanced situation of the<br />
69
imprisonment of people of color in large numbers, but he offers these prisoners <strong>hop</strong>e<br />
through <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and unconditional love by recognizing that their situation is one of<br />
unique oppression typically overlooked. Kweli then speaks of the social construction<br />
of the material world in which both young and old poor people strive to be high-class<br />
celebrities and hypocrites. He articulates that these social constructions are reinforced<br />
as role models by television and other forms of mass media. The overall message of<br />
this song is to outline problems within poor communities as a part of a larger social<br />
context of implicit oppression imposed by the state channeled through the prison<br />
system, media, and other ideological apparatuses. Kweli names the complacency as a<br />
means of survival—a “just to get by” measure to endure the suffocating conditions of<br />
urban life.<br />
Besides the blatant descriptions of the horrendous conditions of prison and how<br />
it operates as a business, many “political” rappers and even some popular rappers, take<br />
on the issue of political imprisonment in their lyrics. In the past, artists like Sista<br />
Souljah have openly rapped about the evils of South African Apartheid and the<br />
political imprisonment of Nelson Mandela 49 , but the majority of lyrics that discuss<br />
political imprisonment have been about American political situations. Americans are<br />
taught that political imprisonment is a foreign concept, even human rights<br />
organizations have shied away from American political imprisonment issues until<br />
fairly recently.<br />
70
Many of American political prisoners, by design, happen to have been Black<br />
empowerment leaders of the 1960s. Dead Prez discuss the political imprisonment of<br />
Fred Hampton Jr., the son of a Fred Hampton, a Black panther shot and killed back in<br />
the 60s, in “Behind Enemy Lines”.<br />
Yo, little Khadejah pops is locked, he wanna pop the lock<br />
But prison ain't nothin but a private stock<br />
And she be dreamin 'bout his date of release<br />
She hate the police<br />
But loved by her grandma who hugs and kisses her<br />
Her father's a political prisoner, free Fred<br />
Son of a Panther that the government shot dead<br />
Back in 12-4-1969<br />
Not only do these lyrics point blame toward government conspiracy, but Dead Prez<br />
also briefly mentions the private sector’s interest and utilization of the prison system.<br />
Tupac in “Hold Ya Head” mentions many other political prisoners connected to Black<br />
empowerment movements, including his stepfather Mutulu Shakur.<br />
My homeboys in Clinton and Rikers Island<br />
All the penitentiaries<br />
Mumia 50 ,, Mutulu 51 , Geronimo 52 , Sekon 53<br />
All the political prisoners<br />
San Quentin (who can save you).. all the jailhouses<br />
I'm with you<br />
All four of these men were extremely active in Black empowerment movements<br />
including promoting Black health, and programs like the Free Breakfast program.<br />
Tupac , through his lyrics, shows solidarity with political prisoners and all who, in his<br />
opinion, have been falsely imprisoned.<br />
One of these political prisoners, Mumia Abu Jamal 54 , accused of killing a<br />
police officer in 1981, has been the subject of many raps addressing political<br />
71
imprisonment and biased trial proceedings. In “Mumia 911/fatlip Remix/Diamond D<br />
Remix 12,” artists like Black Thought of The Roots, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Dead<br />
Prez, and others, united to voice their support for Mumia and the campaign to release<br />
him from prison. Dead Prez’s verse says,<br />
This ain't no free country, niggas get murdered for their ideas<br />
Free Mumia means all Africans let go<br />
Cause just livin in the ghetto puts you on death row<br />
You don't know? You seen how the tried to do Assata<br />
Till some real niggas organized theyselves and went and got'er<br />
Dead Prez in these lyrics indirectly show how the conditions of poverty and inner-city<br />
urban oppression can be linked to what is sometimes called the natural cycle of social<br />
uprising and repression. When a movement threatens the dominant social and political<br />
order, often the leaders of these social uprisings become the object of government and<br />
state containment in order to weaken the movement. Dead Prez also connect Mumia’s<br />
story to that of Assata Shakur 55 , a Black panther, who was convicted of killing a state<br />
trooper in 1973. Common said he read Assata Shakur’s autobiography 56 and “felt this<br />
sister deserved a verse.” He summarizes Assata’s case and story in “A Song for<br />
Assata.”<br />
They moved her room to room-she could tell by the light<br />
Handcuffed tight to the bed, through her skin it bit<br />
Put guns to her head, every word she got hit<br />
"Who shot the trooper?" they asked her<br />
Put mace in her eyes, threatened to blast her<br />
Her mind raced till things got still<br />
Opened her eyes, realized she's next to her best friend who got killed<br />
She got chills, they told her: that's where she would be next…<br />
Listen to my Love, Assata, yes.<br />
Your Power and Pride is beautiful.<br />
May God bless your Soul.<br />
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Assata’s story is just one of many narratives of political imprisonment voiced through<br />
the lyrics of rap music. When conducting this particular analysis of rap lyrics, which<br />
focus on the police and the prison system, I found very few cases that spoke positively<br />
about the police interaction or prison. Therefore, I conclude that the majority of rap<br />
texts that include discussions about the police or prison, use lyrics to critique the<br />
repressive tactics used by state apparatuses such as the police, courts and the prison<br />
system.<br />
Hip Hop and the Apparatuses of Politics and Government<br />
Poor people learn from experience when and how explicitly they can express their discontent. Under<br />
social conditions in which sustained fontal attacks on powerful groups are strategically unwise or<br />
successfully contained, oppressed people use language, dance, and music to mock those in power,<br />
express rage, and produce fantasies of subversion (Rose, 1994).<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> developed in the post-Black empowerment era, but most importantly,<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> gave a voice to the ideals of suppressed social movements as Rose suggests. 57<br />
Tupac Shakur, in “Panther Power,” makes an attack on politics and government by<br />
expressing that he feels the American dream doesn’t apply to black people, and<br />
furthermore it doesn’t apply to any, who struggle as the lower working class trapped by<br />
their social existence.<br />
The American Dream wasn't meant for me<br />
Cause lady liberty is a hypocrite she lied to me<br />
Promised me freedom, education, equality<br />
Never gave me nothing but slavery…<br />
The rich get richer and the poor can't last<br />
The American Dream was an American nightmare<br />
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Tupac mocks the representations of America as a country of freedom and liberty. He<br />
discusses the lack of freedom and equality especially in terms of wealth distribution in<br />
a capitalistic system. He asserts that what is often called the “American Dream,” often<br />
turns out to be an “American Nightmare,” for the poor. Nas, in “Ghetto Prisoners,”<br />
also describes this American Nightmare and gives special credit to poor people living<br />
under the oppression of poverty as God’s children. He compares them to references in<br />
Christianity, which call the poor and persecuted, God’s children.<br />
Yo we gotta be God's children, habitats in tall buildings<br />
Rats crawl in filthy hallways, incinerators<br />
Sinners who faithless, still there's <strong>hop</strong>e, pray it's answered<br />
Dreams turned real - what's a wicked nation?<br />
One with blind men - not takin charge of the situation<br />
Empty arguments and real conversations needed<br />
The world'll need it, to hear it<br />
Ghetto prisoners.. ghetto prisoners..<br />
Ghetto prisoners.. get up, wake up, rise<br />
These lyrics descriptively illustrate the conditions of urban oppression and for most<br />
listeners these verses bring recollection of personal experiences of urban inner-city<br />
living of filth, rats, and incinerators. Nas tends to attack government, state, and other<br />
state apparatuses directly. He insinuates that the United States is a wicked country<br />
because seemingly blind men in power ignore oppression. The chorus uses the same<br />
reoccurring metaphor of ghetto life’s similarity to a prison sentence.<br />
This use of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has continued through the present. Nas makes a clear attack<br />
on the political and government apparatuses of political leaders<strong>hip</strong>, agencies and<br />
Congress in “ I Want to Talk to You.”<br />
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I'm just a black man why y'all made it so hard damn<br />
Niggaz gotta go create their own job<br />
Mr. Mayor imagine if this was your backyard<br />
Mr. Governor imagine if it was your kids that starved<br />
Imagine your kids gotta sling crack to survive<br />
Swing a mack to be live cart ack to get high<br />
It's the ghetto life yea I celebrate it I live it<br />
And all I got is what you left me with I'ma get it<br />
Now y'all combinin all the countries we goin do the same<br />
Combine all the cliques to make one gang<br />
It ain't all about a black and white thing<br />
It's to make the change, citizens of a higher plane<br />
Nas discusses several political pitfalls that have been either ignored or undertaken at<br />
any and all cost for the benefit of those in power. He suggests that conditions of urban<br />
city living would not be that way if it was the mayor’s neighborhood or if it was the<br />
mayor’s family or closest friends, who endured those living conditions. He then details<br />
what he believes is a master plan of global capitalistic hegemony and control. It is<br />
important that Nas takes the next step in political critique to say that it is not a black or<br />
white thing, meaning that these pursuits pertain less to race, than to class, power, and<br />
global political control. He goes on to say,<br />
People reverse the system politics verse religion<br />
Holy war muslim verse christians<br />
Niggaz in high places they don't have the balls for this<br />
People in power sit back and watch them slaughter us<br />
Mr. President I assume it was negligence<br />
The streets upside down, I'm here to represent this<br />
Nas says the power to reverse systemic politics is in the hands of the people. Just as he<br />
positions people opposite power to structures and politics, he mentions the ongoing<br />
battles between politics and religion and between Christianity and Islam. To reiterate<br />
that these problems are not about racial solidarity, he acknowledges that Black people<br />
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in high places transcend race and operate as agents of class, particularly their own class<br />
or higher classes, by watching poor people get slighted by policy and other oppressive<br />
controls. He holds all state, political and government apparatuses accountable for urban<br />
conditions.<br />
In Meshell Ndegecello’s “Hot Night” featuring Talib Kweli with excerpts from<br />
speeches given by Angela Davis, Ndegeocello also questions the nature of the Black<br />
Diaspora. She says an in-depth understanding of the relations<strong>hip</strong> of Black people to<br />
each other is needed before embracing Black Nationalism, Afrocentrism, or even Black<br />
Bourgeoisie Middle Classism. She further expounds on her own state of confusion and<br />
personal transformation.<br />
Seems I got caught up in this romanticized idea of revolution<br />
with saviors, prophets, and heroes-but in the silence of my prayers<br />
I had a vision of my hatred<br />
dissolving into grains of sand<br />
realized that to my universe -that’s all I really am-just a grain of sand-I know I get caught up<br />
in all that spiritual shit, but there ain’t much to hold onto<br />
we all living in a world built upon rape, starvation, greed,<br />
need, fascist regimes-white man, rich man democracy<br />
suffer in the world trade paradise hear me now<br />
Ndegeocello first focuses on the confusion, which is offered by global politics and the<br />
world’s understanding of democracy as a construction of reality. She voices what she<br />
feels is an unheard perspective that calls into question the validity of capitalism and the<br />
western concepts of democracy. In Mos Def’s “New World Water,” he warns listeners<br />
to cherish natural resources, particularly water 58 . He uses verses to discusses, and<br />
furthermore connect drought, corporate pollution, the business of water production and<br />
distribution, and American wastefulness of natural resources.<br />
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The rich and poor, black and white got need for it (That's right)<br />
And everybody in the world can agree with this (Let em know)<br />
Consumption promotes health and easiness (That's right)<br />
Go too long without it on this earth and you leavin it (Shout it out)<br />
Americans wastin it on some leisure shit (Say word?)<br />
And other nations be desperately seekin it (Let em know)<br />
Bacteria washing up on they beaches (Say word?)<br />
Don't drink the water, son they can't wash they feet with it (Let em know)<br />
Young babies in perpetual neediness (Say word?)<br />
Epidemics <strong>hop</strong>ppin up off the petri dish (Let em know)<br />
Control centers try to play it all secretive (Say word?)<br />
To avoid public panic and freakiness (Let em know)<br />
This song is just one example of other political issues, such as preserving natural<br />
resources, which rap lyrics critique. Often, political raps or raps with messages are<br />
seen as only focusing on a issues that relate to Black people or urban oppression. This<br />
is not the case, more than often rap verses take up subjects such as healthy eating,<br />
healthy sexual behavior, and spiritual and mental health, just to name a few.<br />
Hip Hop and the Apparatus of Religion<br />
The apparatus of religion and church is not surprisingly often the subject of rap<br />
texts. Ever since slavery, religion and church, has served as an important and<br />
empowering entity for Black Americans. Even the exploitative measures of religion in<br />
the past, have impacted Black communities in empowering ways. Religion and church<br />
within rap texts usually appears in one of three ways: the artist(s) either uses scriptures<br />
from religious books; talks directly to God or god (s), the church, or a higher being; or<br />
critiques the organization of church and religion. Over the span of Tupac’s career, he<br />
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composed several texts which use or address God or religion in the ways mentioned<br />
above. In “So Many Tears,” he says,<br />
I shall not fear no man but God<br />
Though I walk through the valley of death<br />
I shed so many tears (if I should die before I wake)<br />
Please God walk with me (grab a nigga and take me to Heaven)…<br />
Ahh, I suffered through the years, and shed so many tears<br />
Lord, I lost so many peers, and shed so many tears<br />
Tupac uses his own version of well-known psalm 23:4, to openly talk with and to God<br />
about dying and the large amounts of young black males, who are killed or face death<br />
everyday living in urban impoverished environments. Many rap artists have inherited<br />
the ingrained belief that you deal with life on earth, and receive your reward in heaven<br />
after death because this is a foundational principle of most Christian religions. It is<br />
important to note that this is a principle in “religions,” and that this view of accepting<br />
life as is with rewards in an afterlife, is a constructed concept that was even used to<br />
pacify slaves in the plantation era. 59 Nas and the Bravehearts say in “Pray,”<br />
I only pray when shit is fucked up!<br />
I only pray when my life is lookin' bad luck!<br />
I only pray when I'm in mothafuckin' handcuffs!<br />
Callin' out for someone, somewhere!<br />
Is there anybody out there?<br />
I look up at the sky, why do young niggas die?<br />
Nas acknowledges that often people pray when life situations are overburdening, but<br />
he also notes that people often use prayer as a measure to let them cope with their<br />
woes. They pray to a pie in the sky god 60 that will help them to cope, not to take action<br />
to change their overburdening situations. Arrested Development explains this reach<br />
and belief in the pie in the sky god better in “Fishin’ 4 Religion.”<br />
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Sitting in church hearing legitimate woes<br />
Pastor tells the lady it'll be alright<br />
Just pray so you can see the pearly gates so white<br />
The lady prays and prays and prays and prays<br />
and prays and prays and prays and prays...it's everlasting<br />
"There's nothing wrong with praying ?" It's what she's asking<br />
She's asking the Lord to let her cope<br />
so one day she can see the golden ropes<br />
What you pray for God will give<br />
to be able to cope in this world we live<br />
The word "cope" and the word "change"<br />
is directly opposite, not the same<br />
She should have been praying to change her woes<br />
but pastor said "Pray to cope with those"<br />
The government is happy with most baptist churches<br />
coz they don't do a damn thing to try to nurture<br />
brothers and sisters on a revolution<br />
Baptist teaches dying is the only solution<br />
Passiveness causes others to pass us by<br />
I throw my line till I've made my decision<br />
until then, I'm still fishin' 4 religion<br />
Arrested Development particularly attacks this problematic approach of Baptist<br />
religion, but I assert that most Christian churches, even those that are not Baptist, also<br />
place a high relevance on “coping” verses changing the conditions which ensue the<br />
need to cope.<br />
Many artists assert that there is a balance between evil and good rather than a<br />
supreme being that controls everything. This rationale is often a product of feelings<br />
that question, “If there is a God, why do so many bad things happen.” In “Jesus<br />
Walks,” Kanye West says,<br />
To the hustlas, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers<br />
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah<br />
Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly<br />
I know he hear me when my feet get weary<br />
Cuz we're the almost nearly extinct<br />
West asks Jesus to watch more closely over those plagued by social ills, especially<br />
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those that cause or help to maintain these social problems. He reaffirms his belief that<br />
a higher being does watch over him when he gets weary, and therefore he must also be<br />
watching over these individuals. West takes a middle ground on this issue of religion.<br />
Nas takes the approach that humans are pawns to a spiritual war between two opposing<br />
forces, which he names god and the devil. In “Life is What You Make It,” he says,<br />
Deals made by God and the Devil, and we in it<br />
Pawns in the game, can't complain or say shit<br />
Just strap up and hold on, <strong>hop</strong>e for the best<br />
prepare for the worse, no fears no nothing on earth<br />
No tears if I'm dumped in a hearse, I won't be the first<br />
Nor the last nigga, let's get this cash nigga<br />
Nas takes an approach to life similar to Tupac’s determinist outlook of what is going to<br />
happen is going to happen, so while on earth you have to live and survive by any<br />
means necessary. Jay Z uses some religious counterproductive and ritualistic beliefs to<br />
take this approach as well to not only life, but also violence. In “Lucifer,” he says,<br />
"Lucifer, don of de morning! I'm gonna, chase you out of – earth”<br />
[Jigga] I'm from the murder capital, where we murder for capital<br />
Lord forgive him, he got them dark forces in him<br />
But he also got a righteous cause for sinnin<br />
Them-a-murder me, so I gotta murder-dem<br />
First emergency, doctors performin procedures<br />
Jesus, I ain't tryin to be facetious, but<br />
"Vengeance is mine" said the Lord<br />
You said it better than all<br />
Leave niggaz on death's door, breathin on<br />
res-por-rators for killin my best, poor haters<br />
In Los Angeles, like an evangelist<br />
I can introduce you to your maker<br />
Bring you closer to nature<br />
Ashes after they cremate you bastards<br />
Hope you been readin your Psalms and chapters<br />
Payin your tithe, bein good Catholics, I'm comin<br />
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Jay Z basically uses the “eye for an eye” philosophy to justify his retaliatory actions<br />
and to mock religious ideas and critics that staunchly believe that paying tithes and<br />
reading the bible will save them from evil. The use of religion in this way is unique<br />
because it mocks, but also send a message reinforcing that death is a means of<br />
connecting with heaven or hell, depending on if your “ maker” is a higher or lower<br />
being.<br />
In this analysis of religion and church discussion within rap texts, I conclude<br />
that the majority of these types of texts reinforce dominant religious affiliations and<br />
practices, and in turn even in the midst of critique, still help to reinforce and maintain<br />
religious occupation as individual power and a mechanism for coping. This is not a<br />
revelation, considering that most Black and Latin American families have a history of<br />
either forced or voluntary Christian conversion.<br />
Hip Hop, Materialism and Consumerism<br />
As mentioned in Chapter 3, interpellation is the process by which media<br />
representations coerce individuals into accepting the ideologies carried by these forms<br />
and representations (Berger, 1995). This part of the analysis will take an in depth look<br />
at rap texts that maintain and reinforce materialism and consumerism. These two<br />
concepts are inevitable elements of American capitalistic society. Consuming<br />
maintains the economy and trendy materialism is a way to ensure capital circulation<br />
within industries driven by this ethic. Rap, in particular has been, a viable advertising<br />
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agent. As early as the reign of Run DMC 61 up until now with Nelly’s “Air Force<br />
Ones,” 62 companies have been benefiting from artists that use particular commodities<br />
as well as blatant free advertisement displayed in the song lyrics. Rap continues to<br />
boost sales in several industries especially clothing, jewelry, footwear, accessories, and<br />
even some car industries. Rap artists support these commodities by wearing or using<br />
them in videos or by advertising these products in lyrics. This section will look at some<br />
of these lyrics that encourage consumerism by reinforcing materialism. It will also look<br />
at some lyrics that try to combat this push toward the excessive consumption of<br />
material objects.<br />
Most youth, especially youth of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> generation, have a fascination with<br />
luxury cars, rims, and sound systems. It is almost expected that if you have money, you<br />
should look like you have money, this means that you ‘floss the most expensive car<br />
with the best rims’, and of course have a ‘monster’ sound system. The Big Tymers in<br />
“Big Ballin” say,<br />
New cars<br />
Pretty broads<br />
Neighborhood superstars<br />
Going far<br />
Car shinna<br />
Rim blinda<br />
20 inch rida<br />
Rhyming about new cars and blinding rims is typical of groups on the New Orleans-<br />
based Cash Money record label. Juvenile, also from Cash Money, talks about he<br />
wanted as a product of the ghetto. In “Ghetto Children” he says,<br />
All I want is the Gs<br />
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With a trunk full of keys<br />
A benz on 20s<br />
Cuz I don't like dreamin' bout makin' no cheese<br />
Wanna see my muthafuckin' bank account O.D.ed [(over dosed)]<br />
Lyrics discussing material possessions are abundant, but what is important to<br />
understand is that many of these rappers are products of poverty-stricken environments<br />
and now that they have money they feel everyone needs to know, especially people<br />
who still live in their neighborhoods. This excitement over cars and money get passed<br />
on to youth who are inspired by the fact that someone from their hood ‘made it out’<br />
and became successful. Just as youth admire drug dealers, they look up to rappers, who<br />
have money and fame.<br />
Another prevalent material object spoken about in rap are diamonds. Diamond<br />
marketing strategies have been dangerously successful. Diamonds have successfully<br />
been passed in the market as rare, expensive, and as a symbol of love. The Cash<br />
Money click popularized the phrase, “bling bling” and in almost every song someone<br />
is rapping about the ice (diamonds) they possess. In Juvenile’s “Rich Niggaz” he says,<br />
I'll damned if these diamonds and golds ain't shinin<br />
My Rollie ain't mine and my bank ain't climbin<br />
You lookin at a multi-millionaire in the flesh…<br />
Won't count the diamonds just around my neck<br />
X amount-a dollars on a bankroll check<br />
Similarly, the notorious Lil Kim titled a song, “Diamonds” where she, a materialism<br />
“expert” outlines her favorite material objects including various types of diamonds and<br />
luxury cars.<br />
If I could make it rain,<br />
I’d make it rain diamonds<br />
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So all the girls in the world<br />
Could keep shrining<br />
From princess cuts to emeralds to H-classes<br />
Yeah, I failed math, but bet I passed the E-class<br />
Interestingly, Lil Kim, says her type of “education” is to educate herself in the finer<br />
things in life. She basically points out that urban youth invest more time into staying<br />
abreast of the latest and most popular material objects like E-class Mercedes Benzes,<br />
than they invest in school.<br />
Popular rapper, Jay Z, says he is addicted to the “floss”, but he knows it’s a<br />
“foolish fetish.” In “Money Ain’t A Thang,” featuring Jermaine Dupri, Jay Z says,<br />
Tryin to stay alive, hundred thou' for the bracelet<br />
Foolish, ain't I? The chain'll strain ya eye<br />
Twin platinum gun son, aim for the sky<br />
Ice on my bullet, you die soon as I pull it<br />
Jay Z at least acknowledges that his consumption of high-priced material objects is<br />
foolish. Most rappers that have taken on this trend of being “iced up” or “flossin',”<br />
either do not realize the idiocy of spending exorbitant amounts of money to project an<br />
image, or don’t care and want that image no matter what the cost. Black feminist and<br />
cultural critic, bell hooks (1995), says hedonistic materialism is central to imperialist<br />
colonialism, which maintains white supremacist capitalistic patriarchy. Therefore, a<br />
true societal transformation will only occur with a complete rejection of corporate<br />
driven materialism (hooks, 1995).<br />
Despite the overwhelming portrayal of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a genre of music only<br />
focused on possessing the most expensive gear, jewelry, and cars; some artists take a<br />
critical approach to media supported materialistic imaging. No one said it better than<br />
84
Notorious Big, “the more money we come across, the more problems we see.” In Ms.<br />
Dynamite’s “It Takes More,” she elaborates on this concept of rampant materialism in<br />
Black communities and what impact it has on Black communities abroad as a result of<br />
rap videos and materialistic representations in media.<br />
Now, who gives a damn about the ice on ur hand<br />
If it’s not 2 complex<br />
tell me how many Africans died 4 the buggettes on your rolex<br />
So what you pushin’ a nice car<br />
Don’t u know there there’s no such thing as superstars<br />
We leave this world alone<br />
So who gives a fuck about the things u own<br />
Ms. Dynamite’s discussion of global Black consciousness and the Black Diaspora in<br />
this verse points out that just because we are ascribed as Black does not mean that we<br />
are aware or identify with the issues, conflicts, and concerns of all Black people around<br />
the world. She specifically speaks of the lack of consciousness about the diamond<br />
industry and conflict diamonds 63 . Black Americans, especially those of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
generation, have gotten caught up in the material world and support of industries such<br />
as diamonds. Whether consciously or unconsciously, rappers that glorify diamonds<br />
contribute to the African blood shed over conflict diamonds just as other Americans<br />
contribute by their support of such industries. Why should they be exempt of<br />
criticism—because they are Black or because they grew up in a lifestyle of poverty?<br />
This point is important because it is high time that rap and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> take responsibility<br />
for the images it generates and the industries it directly or indirectly supports.<br />
In Kweli’s verse in Meshell Ndegeocello’s “Hot Night, ” he verbalizes his<br />
85
frustration with the construction of capitalism, overabundance, and consumption<br />
patterns of those poverty-stricken in America.<br />
niggas be fighting for jordon’s they can’t afford<br />
bought in a store costing more than a hundred,<br />
yeah, capitalism got em trapped in a vision,<br />
that ya love to watch way more than a sunset<br />
Ah, I feed my babies with music-I tell the truth<br />
but now I’m a target in they market, ain’t that a summummabitch?<br />
it’s an urgent emergency, courtesy of the counterinsurgency,<br />
trying to murder me-yeah-and now it’s on, and ah<br />
It’s cuz I verbally hurdle all their absurdities<br />
accurate rhyme poem and I, survive the storm and<br />
Ah, certainly words can be weapons, if people heard me they thinking they god,<br />
that they decide what’s right and wrong<br />
they live in a bubble, I live for the struggle<br />
Kweli first delves into the rampant materialism, which plagues the poor, especially<br />
those living in Black and Latino communities. He makes reference to how people<br />
camp over night or get up and go wait in front of stores at four in the morning to be the<br />
first to get the new Jordon’s that they can’t even afford. Kweli acknowledges that he is<br />
a threat to institutions, which benefit from oppression because he uses his knowledge<br />
to create music that reaches urban communities. He makes a point to say that words<br />
can be used as weapons, but it is also the rhythmic appeal, which makes the music<br />
even more powerful.<br />
The Popular, Political and Contradictory Contours of Hip Hop<br />
George (1998) says that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s major problem as a political movement is<br />
that rappers are not social activist by training or by inclination—they are products of<br />
the entertainment industry and subject to the marketplace. Hip <strong>hop</strong>’s double character<br />
86
displays the divisiveness of the movement. Furthermore, artists feel caught between<br />
marketability and unique content based on their personal experiences. Rose (1994)<br />
says,<br />
In the case of rap music, which takes place under intense public surveillance,<br />
similar contradiction regarding class, gender, and race are highlighted,<br />
decontextualized, and manipulated so as to destabilize rap’s resistive elements.<br />
Rap’s resistive, yet contradictory, positions are waged in the face of powerful<br />
media-supported construction of black urban America as the source of urban<br />
social ills that threaten social order. Rappers’ speech acts are so heavily shaped<br />
by music industry demands, sanctions, and prerogatives.<br />
George reiterates this point of Hip <strong>hop</strong> manipulability, especially when it comes to<br />
societal influences, especially those of the music industry. “While <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s values are<br />
by and large fixed—its spirit of rebellion, identification with street culture,<br />
materialism, and aggression—it is also an incredibly flexible tool of communication,<br />
quite adaptable to any number of messages (George, 1998).” J.I. Simmon’s and Barry<br />
Winograd say musicians are often the poets and troubadours—they impact listeners<br />
with innovation and propaganda 64 . This section will deal with the “double-character”<br />
of popular <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, which is most powerful because it reaches listeners with implicit<br />
messages. Whether these messages are positive, negative, or often contradictory,<br />
displaying a little of both, popular <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> undeniably has the largest audience<br />
compared to other rap sub genres. This section will focus on specific artists where this<br />
double character is consistently displayed. Artists such as Master P, Jay Z, Tupac, Nas,<br />
and Kanye West, display various contradictions in the language they use and often<br />
87
voice their recognition of these contradictions. This section intends to show how artists<br />
can simultaneously critique and reinforce images, behavior and portrayals.<br />
As previously discussed, since its inception, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture, and rap in<br />
particular, has been an outlet to relay the realities of urban life. Often this discussion of<br />
urban life is anchored in an underlying narrative of victimization. While, this is the<br />
reality of urban poverty, rappers often take this approach of victim of the “ghetto,” and<br />
in the same breath they glamorize the negative aspects of this lifestyle. Master P, New<br />
Orleans-based rapper and CEO of No Limit Records, exhibits this behavior in his<br />
songs, “Ghetto Life” and “Ghetto D.” In “Ghetto Life,” Master P asserts that “ghetto”<br />
life victimizes individuals and institutions, like media, brainwash urban youth into<br />
believing they’re destiny is to be criminals.<br />
We working with no leverage or incentive g<br />
'Cause their nothing you ever give to me<br />
On television or them history books<br />
Got black kids thinking they only out on this earth to be crooks<br />
Whereas in “Ghetto D,” Silk the Shocker’s verse explains, in detail, how to make crack<br />
from cocaine.<br />
But fuck that I'm bout to put my soldiers in the game<br />
And tell ya how to make crack from cocaine<br />
One - look for the nigga wit the whitest snow<br />
Two - no buying from no nigga that you don't know<br />
Make yo way to the kitchen where the stove be<br />
You get the baking soda I got yo D<br />
Get the triple beam and measure out yo dope<br />
Mix one gram of soda every seven grams of coke<br />
An shake it up until it get harder<br />
Then sit the tube in some ready made cold water<br />
Twist the bitch like a knot while it's still hot<br />
And watch that shit while it can rise to the fuckin top<br />
Now ya cocaine powder is crack<br />
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These verses do not display the typical narrative of ‘I used to sell drugs, that was my<br />
lifestyle and now I’m rapping abut it.’ These lyrics indirectly teach the skill of<br />
transforming cocaine into crack, and they also send the message that if you are going<br />
to sell crack, these are the steps to ‘getting in the game’ and then surviving. What is<br />
interesting about these lyrics is that in one instant, rappers feel like they have been the<br />
victim of society and media criminality, and in the next they are the<br />
victimizers—encouraging criminal behavior and likewise reinforcing and maintaining<br />
the criminalization of urban youth.<br />
Many rappers feel they are trapped between the worlds of success and political<br />
resistance. Nas, as political as his approach is, says in “Life is What You Make It,”<br />
Got to eat yo, everyday my daughters feet grow<br />
You wack and cheap with the doe, my heat could blow<br />
Payin doctors when I'm born, a preacher when I'm buried<br />
That's why cash is needed for my kids to inherit<br />
Gotta pay just for living, tax life is a b'ness (business)<br />
If you catch a bad deal, watch your life diminish<br />
Popular rappers like Nas have learned to take a middle ground between what popular<br />
cultures wants to hear and what political messages they relay. In the verses above he<br />
talks about hustling and crime because money is needed. Even though he speaks of the<br />
urban male in the impoverished environment, he also uses this as an underlying<br />
message and explanation of his method of simultaneously giving fans the nostalgia of<br />
trends and glamour in his verse, but also slipping in his political commentary on the<br />
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side. In “Money is My Bitch,” he personifies money as a woman where the<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong> just doesn’t work out.<br />
The ho turned me out, green eyes, had a crush on her<br />
Since 5 years old, met her, fell in love wit her…<br />
I wont sell my soul to you<br />
I think I like'd you better when you were illegal<br />
But you had to get professional<br />
Musical<br />
Now when we fuck we use profalactic, hard plastic<br />
Stick you in ATM's, limited cash quick<br />
Said you'd give me luxuary, when I asked it<br />
Fucking me, I gave you back shots in ya ASSets<br />
Promised happiness, but really did nothing for me<br />
I guess bitches like you just grow on trees<br />
Similarly, Jay Z also has resistance verses success on his brain. He displays the double<br />
identity of existing within the confines and constraints of mainstream success and the<br />
complicated matter of “keeping it real” staying true to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and its roots of<br />
resistance. Jay Z says, in “ Moment of Clarity,”<br />
If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be<br />
lyrically, Talib Kweli<br />
Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense<br />
But I did five mill' - I ain't been rhymin like Common since<br />
When your cents got that much in common<br />
And you been hustlin since, your inception<br />
Fuck perception go with what makes sense<br />
Since I know what I'm up against<br />
We as rappers must decide what's most impor-tant<br />
And I can't help the poor if I'm one of them<br />
So I got rich and gave back, to me that's the win/win<br />
So next time you see the homey and his rims spin<br />
Just know my mind is workin just like them...<br />
... rims, that is<br />
Jay Z says that lyrically he would like to rhyme like Talib Kweli and Common Sense,<br />
who take a very political, non-materialistic approach to rap content. He says he took<br />
the political approach at first, but he says that when your rhymes have that much<br />
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political sense to them, they are rejected by popular culture, industry, and promotion.<br />
Jay Z says he cannot help the poor by being one of them, therefore he thinks that the<br />
solution is to make money and then give back, to him this is the ‘win-win’. Although<br />
this explains his move toward popular culture, it does not combat the fact that<br />
materialism in a reoccurring theme in his lyrics. But in “Public Announcement,” he<br />
appears to address this when he says that he likes and supports material things and that<br />
he is complex and doesn’t claim to “have wings.”<br />
Kanye West similarly presents this “trapped,” reasoning as his contradictory<br />
approach to success, money, and materialism. Kanye West in his lyrics presents the<br />
dilemma of American materialistic society and how it is problematic, especially for the<br />
alienated poor, but like other rappers, he cannot fathom a viable solution to this<br />
problem. He says in “Breathe In Breathe Out,” that he always thought he would rap<br />
about something significant, but “now I’m rappin’ bout money, hoes, and rims again.”<br />
Likewise in “All Falls Down,” Kanye West says,<br />
I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that versace!<br />
Then I spent 400 bucks on this<br />
Just to be like nigga you ain't up on this!<br />
And I can't even go to the grocery store<br />
Without some ones thats clean and a shirt with a team<br />
It seems we living the american dream<br />
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem<br />
The prettiest people do the ugliest things<br />
For the road to riches and diamond rings<br />
We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us<br />
We trying to buy back our 40 acres<br />
And for that paper, look how low we a'stoop<br />
Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coop/coupe<br />
Kanye West acknowledges that he is self-conscious and that most people are worried<br />
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about what others will say or think if they do not keep abreast of the latest trends. In<br />
other words, it is pop culture and whether critics like it or not, it is supported by youth,<br />
rappers, and the several commodity industries. Todd Boyd (2003) says in The New<br />
H.N.I.C: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of Hip <strong>hop</strong>, “At some overt level,<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has always been about cultural identity of those who perform the music.” High<br />
fashion, jewelry, nice cars, and fancy rims have become the culture of urban youth,<br />
therefore this is why <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> critiques and maintains this cultural transformation.<br />
Trends and stereotypes glorified by society are reiterated in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture. This is not<br />
rocket science, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture has been mainstreamed and has taken on characteristics<br />
of the mainstream. This cultural evolution of the form manifest in a double-character<br />
of the movement. Even though this double character shows some cultural<br />
contradictions, it is the prevailing middle ground of the form. This lyrical analysis<br />
attempts to show how the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has moved in opposing directions,<br />
which combat social ills and the direction of maintaining these social ills because it is a<br />
cultural form not exempt from mainstream influence and control.<br />
Summary<br />
In the past, rappers have either gone the popular route or remained neutral,<br />
including at the very least one song that carries political messages. Take Missy Elliot’s<br />
song, “Wake Up” on her latest album that addresses such issues as drug dealing,<br />
stripping, materialism, especially the reinforcement of these behaviors within <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
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Another road taken by rap artists is the extremity of political opposition. Dead Prez<br />
takes this militant anti-establishment stance in their lyrics. Their approach is powerful<br />
because of the shock value, but can also be damaging because it limits their audience<br />
reach, and therefore their ability to deliver these messages. Rose (Adjaye and Andrews,<br />
1997) says,<br />
The role of the market or commodified culture in sustaining subversive or<br />
resistant cultural practices—is what most interests me here. I suggest that<br />
commodified cultural production is a deeply dangerous but crucial terrain for<br />
developing politically progressive expression at this historical moment. In other<br />
words, whatever counter-hegemonic work is done outside the market, work that<br />
takes place inside is also very important. In a way, inside and outside are<br />
fictions, since market forces and market logic, to one degree or another,<br />
pervade all American culture and politics.<br />
Rose argues that political agendas continue to be directly and indirectly serviced by<br />
cultural forms, expressions, and representations (Adjaye and Andrews, 1997). These<br />
agendas will continue to be serviced by rap as well as other musical forms, but <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
is in a new moment, where rap artists are finding a middle ground—a median between<br />
popular art and political resistance. This new moment, little by little, is becoming a<br />
more viable tool to relay messages to a more massive popular rap audience. Like<br />
Lauryn Hill says in “Everything is Everything,”<br />
MCs ain’t ready to take it to the Serengeti<br />
My rhymes is heavy like the mind of Sister Betty…<br />
Now hear this mixture<br />
Where <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> meets scripture<br />
Develop a negative into a positive picture<br />
Lauryn, ahead of her time, prophesizes the current moment of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>—the Kanye<br />
West Moment. I have named this new moment the Kanye West Moment in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
93
ecause it is characterized by popular beats, popular producers, good promotion, and<br />
unexpected political critiques. Kanye West combines popular style, trendy beats and<br />
content, as well as political language and messages. He connects the various <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
worlds—the world of the political, the popular. He connects the bling bling money<br />
thing to the government and political conspiracies. Dangerous in the best and worst of<br />
sense, this Kanye West moment is a powerful building and joining of a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
community, which could potentially cross the lines from passive listening into creative<br />
change and action. I assert that this new kid from the Chicago hundreds might have<br />
initiated a rap style, which will have state apparatuses and its controllers and promoters<br />
of ideological agendas, thinking ahead as to how to undermine this new middle-ground<br />
movement in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. This new style, if it catches on as a trend, might turn out to be<br />
more powerful than any of the extremes taken in the past. As Tricia Rose and Lauryn<br />
Hill have prophesized, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is evolving into a more effective and politically<br />
engaging form. In this Kanye West Moment, MCs may not be ready to take it to the<br />
Serengeti, but <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> may be ready to meet scripture and turn the negatives, slowly<br />
but surely, into positives.<br />
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Chapter V<br />
Hip Hop’s Impact on Mentality, Ideological Preference and Political and Social<br />
Activity<br />
Today’s establishment reviews of rap-as-genre seem distinguished for the corporate white axioms they<br />
assume and impose on the very music they’re remanding to marginal status. The indictment of rap’s<br />
‘vague threat,’ its connection to the urban crisis stats that make us grimace over our morning<br />
croissants, depend especially on a never named, undebated assumption: a pop art form once tightly<br />
bound up and hugely popular with a certain social group (or class, or subclass, or subculture)<br />
apparently has Mesmeresque power over it, can not only express or even encourage but actually<br />
dictate attitudes and behavior; can literally move its devotees. (Costello and Wallace, 1990, p.44)<br />
In Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present, Mark Costello and<br />
David Foster Wallace (1990) assert that the critique of rap as marginal or threatening,<br />
also reaffirms its power to mesmerize, encourage, and dictate attitudes and behaviors.<br />
Music is a powerful force in the lives of individual, particularly because of its capacity<br />
to store information in the unconscious as well as the conscious.<br />
Media produce effects that impact the audience in various ways. David C.<br />
Barker (2002) in Rushed to Judgment: Talk Radio, Persuasion and American Political<br />
Behavior, notes how radio is used to persuade. “The ‘peripheral or heuristic route to<br />
persuasion requires relatively little mental effort on the part of the audience member.<br />
Audience members shrink cognitive shortcuts (a.k.a ‘heuristic’) to make up their<br />
minds. Some of the heuristics upon which people most often rely include emotions,<br />
party identification, social desirability, or core values.” This physical phenomenon of<br />
arousing emotion, identification, social desirability, or core values is not directly<br />
95
elated to the technology as much as it is related to the content or music played on<br />
radio. It is the rhythms and lyrics that contribute to this engagement of audience with<br />
radio. It is a fact that in a democratic society, individuals choose to identify with a<br />
particular political culture. It is debatable what influences help to shape political<br />
cultures and what forces influence individuals to ascribe to one political culture over<br />
another. Berger (1995) says political culture is shaped by historical, societal and<br />
political experiences, and furthermore it is shaped by an individual’s private, and<br />
personal experiences as members of society and the polity. Implicit knowledge<br />
received through personal experiences makes up the majority of internalized messages,<br />
which leads to the development of individual consciousness.<br />
Music and listening patterns have an impact on individuals and their<br />
perceptions of self and their place in society and politics. Given the historical<br />
significance of language especially vernacular language in connection with urban<br />
youth in particular, the language of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is more than just lyrics over a beat. It<br />
influences their daily lives, their societal outlook, their hunger for or abandonment of<br />
education, as well as the values that shape their lives. Hip <strong>hop</strong> music reaches the youth<br />
of today’s society and carries the capacity to transform their lives.<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong>’s modes, rhythms, and lyrics have the potential to “tune” urban youth into<br />
social and political engagement or to relegate them to disengagement. For many<br />
indigenous and underrepresented groups, music has been an important terrain of<br />
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culture and politics. Both music and language serve functions such as a foundation for<br />
culture, an educator, and as a political and social outlet, just to name a few.<br />
Kathleen Marie Higgins (1991) makes a valuable connection between music<br />
and individual ethical make-up and outlook. She says that the “universality of<br />
‘humanly organized sounds’ used to heighten and inspire the signal features and events<br />
of human and cultural life is a prima facie reason for taking music seriously as an<br />
ethical medium (Higgins, 1991).” She says music can be a rallying point for members<br />
of society to cooperate and coordinate activity as a group. Music has the capacity to<br />
bring collectivity to a group of individuals. Higgins (1991) says that music provides a<br />
rallying point for individuals in society to engage in cooperation and coordination of<br />
activities. 65<br />
In the present moment, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is especially operative in servicing ideological<br />
agendas, which then often result in political activity or inactivity. In America the<br />
political agendas are implicitly expressed through ideological reoccurring themes in<br />
language and images. In African countries like Tanzania, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is explicitly used to<br />
push the political agendas of politicians who rally youth by propaganda campaigns<br />
broadcasts in the form of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> songs. The manifestation of ideological and political<br />
agendas may not be as obvious in American popular art, but nevertheless <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has<br />
an undeniable connection to individual formulation of attitudes, their political<br />
preferences, and in what social and politic activities they engage. This chapter will<br />
argue that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> language is powerful and has the capacity to transform character,<br />
97
social individual and communal beings, as well as community dynamics. Very few<br />
empirical studies have been conducted to date, which examine how listening patterns<br />
impact individual attitudes, ideological preferences, and social and political<br />
participation.<br />
In this chapter, I examine a sample of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community to gain a better<br />
understanding of whether listening to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their political decisions, how<br />
they understand politics and policy, how they perceive their role in the political<br />
process, and how they take action to participate or not participate in social<br />
organizations, politics and political and social decisions affecting them.<br />
This analysis proposes to answer the following questions: How do <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
messages influence the political and social mentality and action of listeners? Do<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong>s exist between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> listening patterns and individual attitudes,<br />
ideological preferences, or various trends in political and social activity or inactivity? I<br />
hypothesize that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> listening or activity patterns have a strong influence on<br />
individual’s attitudes, ideological preferences, and/or engagement with social<br />
programming or politics. Furthermore, this study analyzes <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s capacity to<br />
facilitate individual critical consciousness or repression. The concepts that I deal with<br />
are musical preference, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-related activities, such as reading poetry over a beat, or<br />
consumer behavior. I also explore whether <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> mediates political preferences and<br />
social and political activity.<br />
98
Methodology<br />
The methodology for this research began with composing a thirty-question online<br />
Zoomerang survey (Statistical Appendix A), which was circulated via email. The<br />
survey was also posted on several Black Planet Discussion Boards 66 as well as the<br />
panel of RapAttackLives.com 67 ; BrainRaps.com 68 ; the <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Communications, Culture, and Technology list serve; the Black Young Professionals<br />
Public Health Network 69 ; as well as some Greek organizational list serves. A snowball<br />
sampling technique was used. The survey was posted for 83 days and received 532<br />
complete responses, 597 visits and 65 partial responses. There is no reason to expect<br />
history effects because no significant event occurred in the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community during<br />
this period.<br />
This statistical analysis process began with converting the Zoomerang data file into<br />
a Microsoft Excel sheet. While in Excel I made several manual recodes of variables<br />
from alpha into a numeric form. The Excel sheet of data was then opened in SPSS and<br />
converted to an SPSS file system. The analysis began with running frequencies on all<br />
of the variables. Reliability tests and dummy variable information for all scales used in<br />
the analysis appear in Statistical Appendix A and B.<br />
Sample Characteristics<br />
The following describes the characteristics of the survey sample. The survey<br />
found that 95.5 percent of the participants listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. The majority of<br />
99
participants agreed that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influenced their lives (67.1%). It also found that<br />
participants primarily used radio (40.1%) and CDs (42.7%) to listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. The<br />
majority of participants lived in urban areas. Figure 5.1 gives a race and ethnic break<br />
down of the participants. 70<br />
(Figure 5.1 About here)<br />
This race and ethnic breakdown shows that the majority of participants (67.1%)<br />
were Black American. The demographic information also showed that 98.7 percent of<br />
participants currently lived in the United States and that almost every state was<br />
represented in the sample. Fourteen percent of participants lived in New York; 12<br />
percent in California; 11 percent in Maryland; 10 percent in Washington, DC; and 10<br />
percent in Virginia. The other states were represented in less significant percentages<br />
(Statistical Appendix C). The majority of participants were female (70.8%) as<br />
compared to male (29.2%). In terms of annual income, the majority of participants<br />
(57.9%) made under $ 39,000 per year and 78.9 percent made under 59,000 per year.<br />
Nearly half (49.2%)of the participants were 18-25 years old and 43.5 were between the<br />
ages of 26 and 35. In terms of religious ideology, the majority of participants identified<br />
themselves as Baptist (27.1%), nondenominational (24.4%), and Catholic (22.2%). The<br />
other religions were represented in less significant percentages (Statistical Appendix<br />
C). Although the sample is not strictly representative, it contains an over sample of<br />
groups most likely to listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
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Variable Description<br />
and Table 5.2<br />
A description of the indicators employed in this analysis appear in Table 5.1<br />
Results: Ordinary Least Square Regression Analysis<br />
A series of ordinary least square regression (OLS) analyses was performed in<br />
an effort to predict whether <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> listening and activity patterns have a strong<br />
influence on individual mentality, ideological preferences, or engagement with social<br />
programming or politics. Regression analysis looks at mathematical relations<strong>hip</strong>s<br />
between independent and dependent variables. The variance in these regressions is<br />
explained by the R square values. The Durbin Watson statistics reveal that there was<br />
no problem with heteroskedasticity for any equation. Table 5.3 shows eight models<br />
that support this hypothesis.<br />
(Table 5.3 About here)<br />
The voterace model illustrates the relations<strong>hip</strong>s between various independent<br />
variables and agreement/disagreement with the statement: voting and voting results<br />
only affect certain races. The R Square for the model was .002, indicating a weak fit.<br />
The results showed that those participants who listened to popular forms of rap music<br />
were less likely to strongly agree that voting and voting results only affected certain<br />
races. It also illustrates that those that danced or appeared in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> videos or those<br />
who had performed poetry were more likely to strongly agree that voting and voting<br />
101
esults only affected certain races. The results also showed that those participants who<br />
identified themselves as White American (White Anglo Saxon) were less likely to<br />
strongly agree that voting and voting results only affect certain races. The voterace<br />
model also shows no significant relations<strong>hip</strong>s between the dependent variables and<br />
those that listen to gangster, message, underground, or local rap. No significant<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong> exist between the dependent variables and those participants that rapped,<br />
wanted to be a rap or <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artist, or those that had written original rap lyrics. None<br />
of the other independent variables or demographics produced a significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
The voteover model illustrates the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent<br />
variables and whether the participant votes on a local and national level. The R Square<br />
for the model was .092, indicating a moderate fit. The results showed that participants<br />
who listened to gangster and underground rap were less likely to vote on local and<br />
national levels. The results also showed that participants who listened to popular rap<br />
were more likely to vote on local and national levels. It also showed that those who<br />
want to rap or danced in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> videos were more likely to vote on both levels. It also<br />
showed that the older the participant, the more likely they were to vote on both local<br />
and national levels. None of the other independent variables or demographics showed a<br />
significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
The racesoc model illustrates the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent<br />
variables and whether the participants thinks that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their attitudes<br />
toward race, class, society, and their status in society. The R Square for the model was<br />
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.012, indicating a weak fit. The results showed that participants who listened to<br />
message rap were more likely to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influenced their attitudes to ward<br />
race, class, society, or social status. The results also showed that participants who want<br />
to rap or have performed poetry were more likely to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their<br />
attitudes toward race, class, society, or social status. It also showed the White<br />
Americans and Asian Pacific Islanders were more likely to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
influences these attitudes. It further showed that the younger the participants, the more<br />
likely they were to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their attitudes toward race, class,<br />
society, and social status. None of the other independent variables or demographics<br />
produced a significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
The gvpolvt model shows the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent variables<br />
and an index on participants’ responses to the following items: agrees that the<br />
government cares about the poor and poverty; politicians care about the poor and<br />
poverty; government cares about low-income workers; and politicians care about low-<br />
income workers. The R square for the model was .211, indicating a strong fit. The<br />
results show that participants who listened to message and underground rap were more<br />
likely to disagree with the above statements. The participants that listened to popular<br />
rap were more likely to agree that the government and politicians care about the poor,<br />
poverty, and low-income workers. The results also showed that participants who want<br />
to rap or have danced or wanted to dance in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> videos were more likely to<br />
disagree with the statements. Africans were more likely to disagree that the<br />
103
government and politicians care about the poor, poverty, and low-income workers.<br />
None of the other variables showed a significant relations<strong>hip</strong> to the index.<br />
The spenfin model shows the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent variables<br />
and whether the participants agrees that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their attitudes about their<br />
personal financial situation and their attitudes toward money and spending on clothes,<br />
shoes, and jewelry. The R square for the model was .101, indicating a strong fit. The<br />
results showed that participants who listened to popular and local rap, were more likely<br />
to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their attitudes toward personal finances and spending.<br />
The results also showed that those that want to rap or have danced in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video<br />
were more likely to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their attitudes toward personal<br />
finances and spending. None of the other independent variables or demographics<br />
showed a significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
The <strong>hip</strong>cd model shows the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent variables and<br />
the amount of money the participant spends monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> compact discs. The R<br />
square for the model was .008, indicating a weak fit. The results showed that<br />
participants who listened to gangster and underground rap were more likely to spend<br />
more money monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> CDs. The results also showed that Asians were more<br />
likely to spend more money monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> CDs. None of the other variables or<br />
demographics showed a significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
The <strong>hip</strong>conc model illustrates the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent<br />
variables and the amount of money spent on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances and night<br />
104
clubs. The R square for the model was .004, indicating a weak fit. The results showed<br />
that participants that listened to popular, message, underground, and local rap were<br />
more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances, and night clubs.<br />
It also showed that White Americans and Asians were more likely to spend more<br />
monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances, and night clubs. The results also showed<br />
that Europeans were more likely to spend small amounts or no money on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
concerts, performances, and night clubs. None of the other independent variables or<br />
demographics showed a significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
The <strong>hip</strong>cloth model shows the relations<strong>hip</strong> between the independent variables<br />
and the amount of money spent on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style clothing, shoes including <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
name brands. The R square for the model was .013, indicating a weak fit. The model’s<br />
Durbin Watson score of 1.869, which is close to 2.000, indicates that there is a high<br />
degree of homogeneity of variance. The results showed that participants who listened<br />
to gangster, popular, and underground rap were more likely to spend larger amounts of<br />
money on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> style clothing and shoes. The results also showed that those that<br />
listened to message rap were more likely to spend lower amounts or no money on <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong>-style clothing and shoes. The results also showed that those who want to rap were<br />
more likely to spend large amounts of money on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style clothing and shoes.<br />
These results also showed that Asians were more likely to spend large amounts<br />
monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> clothing and shoes. Finally these results showed that the younger<br />
the participants, the more likely they were to spend less on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> clothing and shoes<br />
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per month. None of the other independent variables or demographics showed a<br />
significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
Results: Logistic Regression Analysis<br />
Logistic regressions allow you to do regression analysis on variables that are<br />
not dichotomies. In this study, we employed logistic regression on participants in<br />
volunteer organizations. Although, several logistic regressions were performed, only<br />
one showed significant relations<strong>hip</strong>s to the independent variables.<br />
(Table 5.4 About here)<br />
Table 5.4 illustrates the predicted relations<strong>hip</strong>s between the independent<br />
variables and whether the survey participant is involved in volunteer organizations.<br />
The Cox & Snell pseudo R square for the model was .108, indicating a strong fit. The<br />
Nagelkerke pseudo R Square for the model was .146, also indicating a strong fit. The<br />
classification table indicated that the model resulted in 66.3 percent of cases being<br />
correctly classified in terms of values of the dependent variables. The results showed<br />
that participants, who listened to message rap, who have danced in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> videos, or<br />
performed poetry, were more likely to participate in volunteer organizations. The<br />
results also showed that Asians and those that want to rap, were less likely to<br />
participate in volunteer organizations. None of the other independent variable or<br />
demographics produced a significant relations<strong>hip</strong>.<br />
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Results: Correlation Analysis<br />
In order to explore some other relations<strong>hip</strong>s that were not strong enough to use<br />
in regression, correlations were performed on independent and dependent variables.<br />
(Table 5.5 About here)<br />
Table 5.5 illustrates both positive and correlations between variables. The first<br />
set of correlations explain a number of relations<strong>hip</strong>s between those, who listen to<br />
certain sub-genres of rap and why they listen to those types of rap. The results showed<br />
that those that listened to gangster, message, underground, and local rap, agreed that<br />
they listened to these forms because they liked the rhythm and music, they liked the<br />
images and videos produced, they like the lyrics and messages, and they like the artists<br />
lyrical ability—their style of rapping. These results also showed that those that listened<br />
to popular rap, listen to it because they liked the rhythm and music, the artist images<br />
and videos, and their lyrical ability. It also showed that participants who listen to<br />
popular rap did not listen to this form because they liked the lyrics and messages the<br />
artist produces.<br />
The correlations also showed the relations<strong>hip</strong> between listening patterns and<br />
political party identifications. The correlations showed that participants, who listened<br />
to popular rap, strongly identified with the Democratic party, but did not identify with<br />
the Socialist party. The results showed that those, who listened to message rap did not<br />
identify with the Republican party, but strongly identified with communist and<br />
socialists parties. The results showed that those who listened to underground rap<br />
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identified with the Republican, Communist, and Socialist parties, but did not identify<br />
with the Democratic party.<br />
This analysis also gave some insight to the relations<strong>hip</strong> between listening<br />
patterns and identification with political ideologies. The correlations showed that those<br />
that listened to popular rap were less likely to identify with the political ideology of<br />
socialism. The results also showed that those that listened to message rap, were less<br />
likely to identify with conservative political ideologies. The results showed that<br />
listeners of underground rap were more likely to identify with socialism and were less<br />
likely to identify with conservative political ideologies.<br />
The correlations also showed some relations<strong>hip</strong>s between listening patterns and<br />
political and social participation. The results showed that listeners of gangster rap were<br />
less likely to participate in volunteer organizations. The result also showed that<br />
listeners of popular rap were more likely to participate in Greek organizations, but less<br />
likely to participate in community-based organizations. Listeners of message rap were<br />
more likely to participate in community-based, professional, and volunteer<br />
organizations. The results also showed that listeners of underground rap were more<br />
likely to participate in community-based organizations.<br />
(Table 5.6 About Here)<br />
The correlations also showed connections some relations<strong>hip</strong>s between spending<br />
on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> objects and activities and several other demographic variables as well as<br />
independent variables. The results showed that the older the participants, the less likely<br />
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they were to spend monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> clothing, shoes, and accessories. The results<br />
showed that White Anglo Saxon Americans were less likely to spend monthly on <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> CDs, tapes, records, videos and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> books. The results showed that Black<br />
Americans were more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> accessories like bags<br />
and jewelry. The results showed that Africans, Latinos, and Asians would most likely<br />
spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances, and night clubs.<br />
In terms of listening habits and spending, which, in addition to running OLS<br />
regressions, I ran correlations that showed significant relations<strong>hip</strong>s as well.<br />
Participants, who listened to gangster and local forms of rap were more likely to spend<br />
more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> CDs, tapes, records, videos, concerts, performances, night<br />
clubs, clothes, shoes, accessories and books. The results also showed that participants,<br />
who listened to popular rap were more likely to spend on all the above listed items<br />
except for <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> books. Those that listened to message and underground forms of rap<br />
were more likely to spend more monthly on all of the above listed items except <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
accessories.<br />
Overall, the correlations showed that some sub-genre listening patterns had a<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong> to spending on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, political party identification, political ideological<br />
preferences, and if participation occurred in social and political activities. It also<br />
showed how some race and ethnic categories were more or less likely to identify with<br />
political parties, political ideologies, to spend on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> objects or activities, or to be<br />
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active in social or political organizations.<br />
Discussion of Results<br />
Patterns for Listening and Why<br />
The results from the correlations between listening patterns and the reasons for<br />
listening give insight as to what forms are listened to for what reasons. The results<br />
showed that participants who listened to gangster, message, underground, and local rap<br />
agreed that they listened because they liked the rhythm and music of the text, they<br />
liked the images and videos produced, they liked the lyrics and messages, and they like<br />
the artists lyrical ability—style of rapping. These results showed that participants, who<br />
listened to popular rap agreed that they listened because they liked the rhythm and<br />
music, the artist’s images and videos, and lyrical ability. This shows that popular forms<br />
of music are not listened to because the individual likes or dislikes the messages. In all<br />
forms, participants listened because they liked the rhythm, which acknowledges that<br />
rap beats and music have just as much impact on listening as do lyrics or artist appeal.<br />
The results also showed that in all forms participants listened because they liked the<br />
artist’s images, videos, and lyrical ability—style of rapping. This shows that an artist’s<br />
image and the videos they produce are connected to their reach, and furthermore the<br />
reach of their messages. These dynamics that make up rap texts and artist’s style are<br />
important to the music’s capacity to reach particular audiences.<br />
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Hip Hop Influences Attitudes<br />
As mentioned before, 67.1 percent of the participants agreed that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
influences their lives. Specifically, I assert that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> plays a key role in shaping<br />
individual attitudes about themselves and their economic, political and social<br />
environment. The racesoc model shows that participants who listen to message rap<br />
were more likely to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences their attitudes about race, class,<br />
society, and the participant’s status in society. These results mean that message rap has<br />
an impact on individual attitudes about race construction, racial interaction, and racial<br />
dynamics and conflicts. It also means that message rap influences individual’s attitudes<br />
about class dynamic, and most likely the separation and relative power of middle and<br />
upper classes, when compared to the powerless lower classes. It also shows that<br />
message rap influences societal attitudes, including who is considered inside and<br />
outside of society. Message rap is also shown to have an impact on how individuals<br />
perceive social engagement and civility. Message rap also has influence over<br />
individuals’ attitudes toward their own status in society, meaning that message rap<br />
contributes to individuals’ attitudes about their societal status and their motivation to<br />
shift this status in society.<br />
Additionally, the gvpolvt model shows that participants, who listened to<br />
message and underground rap, were more likely to disagree that the government and<br />
politicians care about the poor, poverty, and low-income workers. This shows that<br />
message and underground rap influences individual attitudes about governmental and<br />
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political agendas and whether they have the poor and low-income worker’s interest at<br />
heart in making political decisions and policy. It showed that those who want to rap or<br />
have danced in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video were more likely to disagree that the government and<br />
politicians care about the poor, poverty, and low-income workers. This is interesting<br />
because usually those that want to rap or have danced or appeared in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> videos<br />
are usually trying to attain mainstream success. Africans were more likely to disagree<br />
that the government and politicians care about the poor, poverty, and low-income<br />
workers. Participants that listened to popular forms of rap were more likely to agree<br />
that the government and politicians care about the poor, poverty, and low-income<br />
workers. The majority of messages presented in popular rap do not challenge<br />
government or politicians, therefore it is to be expected that those who listened would<br />
agree that the government and politicians care about the poor, poverty, and low-income<br />
workers. This outcome was also expected because often, popular rap because of its use<br />
and promotion of societal trends often tends to pacify or distract individuals into<br />
accepting status quo values of consumerism and materialism.<br />
This last point connecting popular forms of rap to material and consumer<br />
distractions is also illustrated in the spenfin model. The results showed that participants<br />
who listened to popular rap, want to rap, or have danced in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video were more<br />
likely to agree that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influenced their attitudes about money, spending, and their<br />
personal finances. This shows that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and particularly the messages of<br />
materialism and consumerism have an impact on individuals attitudes about money,<br />
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how they spend money, and how they view their personal financial situations. This<br />
could also be an indication of the motivation of some to acquire money by any means<br />
in order to keep up with <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> trends, especially those images maintained and<br />
reinforced by rap music.<br />
Hip Hop and Its Connection To Spending<br />
The <strong>hip</strong>cd model showed that participants who listened to gangster and underground<br />
rap were more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> CDs, tapes, records, or videos.<br />
This is not an unusual result, considering that listeners are going to spend money on<br />
their chosen texts. The results showed that Asians were more likely to spend more on<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> CDs, tapes, records, or videos.<br />
Similarly, the <strong>hip</strong>conc model shows that participants who listened to popular,<br />
message, underground, and local rap were more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances, and night clubs. What is interesting about these results is<br />
that rap forms like popular, message, underground, and local are more likely to drive<br />
individuals to engaging with these forms publicly or in communal environments;<br />
furthermore in order to engage with the form in this way participants are often required<br />
to spend money. For popular, message, and local rap, individuals may be more driven<br />
in their behavior by the possibility of personal interaction with the artist. Whereas with<br />
underground rap, participants are probably more engaged by the communal<br />
environment rather than the artist. Rap artists that perform on underground circuits are<br />
viewed more as a part of that particular underground <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community, rather than as<br />
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celebrities or superstars. This could also be true of message rap engagement, but at<br />
present, message rap has been popularized and often functions in industry as also a<br />
popular form. The results of this model also showed that White Americans and Asians<br />
were more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances, and night<br />
clubs. In contrast to Europeans, who were less likely to spend monthly on these types<br />
of activities.<br />
The <strong>hip</strong>cloth model likewise showed that participants, who listened to gangster,<br />
popular, and underground forms of rap were more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong>-style clothing and shoes including signature <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> name brands such as Russell<br />
Simmon’s Phat Farm, P. Diddy’s Sean John, Damon dash and Jay Z’s Roc-a-wear or<br />
even new brands such as Nelly’s Applebottoms. This result was expected because as<br />
previously mentioned popular rap sends messages that encourage materialism and<br />
consumerism. It is also important to note, that popular artists, who have started their<br />
own <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> clothing companies or made deals with shoe companies 71 have been more<br />
successful than other lower profile artists, such as Wutang Clan’s Wu-Wear venture.<br />
The results from this model show that participants who want to rap or have danced or<br />
appeared in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video were more likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style<br />
clothing and shoes. This is an expected result because those that aspire to get<br />
mainstream recognition follow and abide by popular fashion trends. Asians were more<br />
likely to spend more monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style clothing and shoes. Asian <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
spending habits could be a result of the recent surge of Asian participation and support<br />
114
of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. 72 In contrast, the results showed that participants who listened to message<br />
rap, were less likely to spend monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style clothing and shoes. This is also<br />
an expected result, considering that message rap often critiques materialism,<br />
consumerism, and the societal need to follow popular trends. The results found that the<br />
younger the participant, the less likely they were to spend monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style<br />
clothing and shoes. This result was unexpected, but could be the result of the number<br />
of students (41.5%) in the sample. Something to note is that the correlations which<br />
were run between the listening patterns and spending produced more significant<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong>s than the OLS regressions, but the regressions are better predictors of<br />
significant relations<strong>hip</strong>s controlling for a myriad of factors simultaneously.<br />
Hip Hop and Societal and Political Ideology and Participation<br />
As previously discussed, the results showed interesting connections between<br />
listening patterns and attitudes toward politics and government. In addition, the results<br />
also make connections between ideological preferences and participation in political<br />
and social organizations. These results show <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s capacity to encourage or<br />
discourage civic participation as well as support certain ideological preferences.<br />
In terms of party identification, the correlations show that participants, who<br />
listened to popular rap strongly identified with the Democratic party. These results<br />
were expected because popular rap listeners are more likely to accept societal values<br />
and strive toward mainstream success, they would more likely participate in the<br />
Democratic party, which caters to the middle class and upwardly bound people of<br />
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color. The results also showed that participants who listened to message rap, strongly<br />
did not identify with the Republican party, but strongly identified with the Communist<br />
and Socialist parties. The results also showed that participants, who listened to<br />
underground rap were more likely to be active in the republican, communist, and<br />
socialist parties. This is also an expected result, because message and underground rap<br />
often critiques popular political parties and their agendas. These forms of rap also often<br />
presents critiques of capitalism and conservatism, by giving support for or offering a<br />
different perspective on communism and socialism. An interesting result is that<br />
listeners of underground rap were more likely to be active in the Republican party.<br />
This is an unexpected outcome, but could be explained by mounting disapproval of the<br />
democratic party’s political agendas and the impact of democratic supported policy on<br />
urban communities. Other incidents, where democratic leaders have publicly denied<br />
rap’s value as an art form could also be related to this outcome. 73<br />
In terms of political ideological preferences, the results showed that<br />
individuals, who listened to popular rap, were less likely to agree with the socialism<br />
ideology. This is an expected result because listeners of popular rap tend to either<br />
support the capitalist ideology, as long as they have the option to participate. Socialism<br />
infers that the wealth is equally distributed, meaning no one person would be able to<br />
have exorbitant amounts of wealth to spend on jewelry, car and clothes. The results<br />
also showed that individuals, who listened to message rap, were less likely to agree<br />
with conservative ideologies. The results also showed that individuals, who listened to<br />
116
underground rap were also less likely to agree with conservative ideologies, but more<br />
likely to agree with socialist ideologies. These results were expected because of the<br />
political critiques these two forms give in lyrics.<br />
In terms of voting and voting attitudes the results showed connections between<br />
listening and voting on local and national levels and furthermore, the motivation or<br />
non-motivation to vote. The voteover model showed that participants, who listened to<br />
gangster and underground forms of rap, were less likely to vote on local and national<br />
levels. It also showed that participants, who listened to popular rap, want to rap, or<br />
have danced in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video, were more likely to vote on both local and national<br />
levels. As expected, it also showed that the older the participant, the more likely he or<br />
she were to vote on both levels.<br />
The statement, “Voting and voting results only affect certain races,” seems like<br />
a strong statement, but this is often one of the reason why low-income poor people do<br />
not vote and are uninterested in politics. For example the voterace model shows that<br />
participants who listened to popular forms of rap were less likely to agree that voting<br />
and voting results only affect certain races. It showed that those participants who had<br />
danced in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video or performed poetry were less likely to agree with that<br />
statement. It also showed that the only race or ethnicity that was less likely to agree<br />
that voting and voting results only affect certain races were those that identified<br />
themselves as White Anglo Saxon Americans.<br />
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This study shows that besides voting, other ideological preferences and<br />
participation habits are affected by various sub-genres of rap and their capability to<br />
reach audiences. The volun20 model shows that participants, who listened to message<br />
rap, who have danced or appeared in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video, or performed poetry, were more<br />
likely to be active in volunteer organizations. The results also showed that certain<br />
correlations existed between listening and participating. Participants who listened to<br />
gangster rap were less likely to participate in volunteer organizations. This makes a<br />
connection between gangster rap listening and civil society engagement. The results<br />
also showed that participants, who listen to popular rap were more likely to be active in<br />
Greek organizations, but less likely to participate in community-based organizations.<br />
This makes some connection between popular rap and the type of civil engagement<br />
with which participants are drawn. These participants were drawn more to<br />
organizations, where recognition is a recognized benefit, rather than those<br />
organizations, which hardly received recognition. This also relates to the results, which<br />
showed that participants, who listened to message rap were more likely to be involved<br />
in community-based organizations and volunteer organizations, as previously<br />
mentioned. As well as the results, which showed that participants, who listened to<br />
underground rap were more likely to participate in community-based organizations.<br />
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Open-Ended Questions and Responses<br />
In addition to the statistically useful questions and responses from above, I<br />
asked some open ended questions which generated interesting responses. For example,<br />
I asked, “Why do you listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>?” One participant responded,<br />
It’s mostly the beats that attract me….I think that in my growing up. I’m<br />
noticing that in listening to the actual words of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> songs a lot of them<br />
SUCK!!! But I listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> because in general it’s cool. I just wish that<br />
there were more Commons and Erykah Badu’s and the Roots and less Jay Zs,<br />
Ja-Rules.<br />
There were so many responses that said they like <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> primarily because of the<br />
beats and music. There were also responses to this question that said, “Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a<br />
powerful medium of expression of life and politics.” Similarly, one participant said, “I<br />
think it conveys the messages of my generation, and it speaks to a lot of issues in the<br />
lives of black youth. I love <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, it is everything!”<br />
Another open-ended question I asked was What annoys you or needs to be<br />
changed about <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>? This question, in particular, generated some interesting and<br />
varying responses. One participant said that political <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> needed better promotion<br />
in order to achieve better mainstream success. Many respondents said they were<br />
annoyed by the misogyny and the way women are portrayed. One participant also said<br />
that in addition to misogynistic lyrics, homophobic lyrics that promote violence toward<br />
gays or women needed to stop. Participants also said they were annoyed by<br />
representations that glorified money, power, and materialism. One participant<br />
responded in all caps,<br />
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Everything in mainstream <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> needs to be changed it is bullshit fake <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong>, not delivering any real message. I couldn’t list all the things wrong with<br />
conventional <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> these days. It is just rap—retards attempting poetry.<br />
Many participants also commented on the need to change the repetitive negative<br />
messages presented in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. One response truly disturbed me. The participant said,<br />
Rappers need to recognize that they are living the American dream and<br />
therefore need to stop complaining about how US oppresses them, Hip Hop<br />
needs to realize that their shitty lives aren’t the fault of the American<br />
government but of their own community and culture. The only way to rise up<br />
out of the dirt is to change the hearts and minds of their community and not by<br />
attacking the government and then asking for handouts.<br />
While, I agree that the victimization role does not create change and acknowledge that<br />
this is often a faulty approach used by those who have historically been oppressed.<br />
This does not excuse the conditions urban youth face on day to day basis, nor does it<br />
excuse the fact that the upper echelons of American society benefit from our political<br />
system and these urban youth’s “shitty lives.” It is a proven fact that in a capitalistic<br />
system, there must exist a permanent under class and it is no false reality that people of<br />
color primarily make up this underclass. Government and politics are responsible for<br />
every community’s conditions, not just suburban environments, which are primarily<br />
middle and upper class. Politicians have been charged to improve the conditions of all<br />
communities not just their own backyards. This participant insinuates above that <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> artists, or those that listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> have miserable lives and that it is their own<br />
fault. In my opinion this participant’s attempt to lay blame on the culture of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is<br />
just a cop out—which denies the role of the social context in exacerbating the<br />
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problems of poverty and the oppression of poor low-income workers. It also denies the<br />
involvement of state repressive apparatuses (such as the police, the courts, and the<br />
prison system) and state ideological apparatuses (such as the media, education system,<br />
the church, and even some non governmental and volunteer organizations) in maintain<br />
these conditions.<br />
Responses like this example demonstrate why more studies need to be done on<br />
art forms like <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. It is necessary for people to understand that the evolution of this<br />
form has been guided and shaped by economic alienation, political agendas and<br />
manipulation, as well as social oppression over a long time span. The problems often<br />
found in urban communities did not spontaneously arise as a result of culture. These<br />
conditions were created—constructed to support the current political economic order.<br />
An old African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” If society is the<br />
village, then urban youth have been left out in the cold to be raised by the wild. They<br />
are homeless and hungry, yet taunted by the lifestyles and opportunity of their societal<br />
counterparts. I am not advocating that individuals take on the victimization role nor do<br />
I assert that handouts need to be given. I am simply challenging government and<br />
politicians to live up to their responsibility to serve the people—all people, not just the<br />
middle and upper classes. Overall participants wanted to change the sexual explicitness<br />
of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, the promotion of materialism and consumerism, the portrayals of women<br />
and endorsements of sexual promiscuity, and the monotony of popular forms of rap.<br />
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Summary<br />
Overall, the results of this study proved the validity of the hypothesis: <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
listening or activity patterns have a strong influence on individuals’ attitudes,<br />
ideological preferences, and/or engagement with social programming or politics.<br />
Additional data, which I collected in the survey, but did not analyze, could also be<br />
done. For example, a study could connect <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> listening patterns and engagement<br />
with other mediums like television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to each<br />
medium’s impact on individuals’ mentality, ideological preference, and civic<br />
participation. This study can only be considered a pilot study because of its use of<br />
convenient, rather than random sampling techniques. Nevertheless, this research<br />
provides preliminary indications of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> messages and their impact on individual<br />
mentality, ideological preferences particularly political ideology, as well as some civic<br />
participation behavior. The result presented in this chapter support this research’s<br />
overall hypothesis that the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement has a distinct divisiveness—that some<br />
forms of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> maintain and reinforce state repressive and ideological apparatuses<br />
and in contrast, some forms critique these apparatuses. Even though this study<br />
primarily deals with traditional concepts of social and political activities, Ray Pratt in<br />
Rhythm and Resistance says, “To appreciate the complex political impulses in popular<br />
music one must go beyond traditional Anglo American institutionally based<br />
conceptions of participation in politics such as voting, influencing the behavior of<br />
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officials, proposing legislation, and running for office (Pratt, 1990).” Social<br />
organization and politics involve much more than state constituted social political<br />
engagement. The creation or recreation of community and collectivity based in<br />
communication, very much affects politics and is political in its own right. Hip <strong>hop</strong> is a<br />
modern musical form, which inspires collective knowledge and understanding about<br />
individual experiences within communal political, economic, and social environments,<br />
which structurally and implicitly oppress. Future studies should examine the<br />
connection between listening patterns and non-traditional concepts of social and<br />
political engagement.<br />
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80.0%<br />
70.0%<br />
60.0%<br />
50.0%<br />
40.0%<br />
30.0%<br />
20.0%<br />
10.0%<br />
0.0%<br />
White<br />
19.7%<br />
European<br />
5.1%<br />
Black American<br />
67.1%<br />
Figure 5.1<br />
Race and Ethnicity Demographics<br />
Caribbean/V.I.<br />
11.8% 9.8%<br />
African<br />
Latin American<br />
3.4%<br />
124<br />
Latino<br />
7.1%<br />
Asian<br />
4.1%<br />
South Asian/S.A.A.<br />
1.9%<br />
A.P.I.<br />
5.8%<br />
Native American<br />
2.6%
Dependent<br />
Variables<br />
Table 5.1<br />
Dependent Variables<br />
Description<br />
voterace Participant thinks voting and voting results only affect certain races.<br />
racesoc Hip <strong>hop</strong> influences participant’s attitudes about race, class, society and<br />
participant’s status in society.<br />
gvpolvt Hip <strong>hop</strong> influences participant’s attitudes about government, politics and voting.<br />
spenfin Hip <strong>hop</strong> influences participant’s attitudes about money and spending and about<br />
their personal finances.<br />
voteover Participant votes on local and national levels.<br />
<strong>hip</strong>cd Participant spends varying amounts of money monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> CDs, tapes,<br />
records or videos.<br />
<strong>hip</strong>conc Participant spends varying amounts of money monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> concerts,<br />
performances, or night clubs.<br />
<strong>hip</strong>cloth Participant spends varying amounts of money monthly on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>-style clothing<br />
or shoes including <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> name brands.<br />
rhythm Participant listens to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> because they like the rhythm and music<br />
accompanying the artist.<br />
artists Participant listens to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> because they like the artist’s images and or videos.<br />
lyrics Participant listens to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> because they like the lyrics and messages the artist<br />
produces.<br />
style Participant listens to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> because they like the artist’s lyrical ability—their<br />
style of rapping.<br />
repub18 Participant identifies with the republican party.<br />
democ18 Participant identifies with the democratic party.<br />
indep18 Participant identifies with independent parties.<br />
comm18 Participant identifies with the communist party.<br />
social18 Participant identifies with the socialist party.<br />
none18 Participant does not identify with any of these parties.<br />
conser19 Participant identifies with conservative ideologies.<br />
liber19 Participant identifies with liberal ideologies.<br />
green19 Participant identifies with green peace ideologies.<br />
capit19 Participant identifies with capitalistic ideologies.<br />
social19 Participant identifies with socialist ideologies.<br />
none19 Participant does not identify with any of these ideologies.<br />
polpar20 Participant is active in a political party.<br />
cbo20 Participant is active in community-based organizations.<br />
ngo20 Participant is active in non-governmental organizations.<br />
lobby20 Participant is active in lobbyist or policy groups.<br />
greek20 Participant is active in Greek organizations.<br />
prof20 Participant is active in a professional organization.<br />
volun20 Participant is active in volunteer groups.<br />
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Table 5.2<br />
Independent Variables<br />
Independent<br />
Variables<br />
Block 1<br />
Description<br />
gangster Participant listens to gangster rap in varying degrees.<br />
popular Participant listens to popular rap in varying degrees.<br />
message Participant listens to message rap in varying degrees.<br />
undergrd Participant listens to underground rap in varying degrees.<br />
local Participant listens to local rap in varying degrees.<br />
Block 2<br />
rapped Participant has rapped.<br />
wantrap Participant wants to rap or be a rap artist.<br />
danced Participant has danced or appeared in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video.<br />
original Participant has written an original rap or <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> lyrics.<br />
poetry Participant has performed poetry.<br />
Block 3<br />
white Participant identifies themselves as White American/ White Anglo Saxon<br />
euro Participant identifies themselves as European<br />
black Participant identifies themselves as Black American<br />
african Participant identifies themselves as African<br />
latino Participant identifies themselves as Latino<br />
asian Participant identifies themselves as Asian<br />
api Participant identifies themselves as Asian/ Pacific Islander<br />
Block 4<br />
sex Describes the participant’s biological sex.<br />
income Describes the participant’s yearly income range.<br />
age Describes the participant’s age range.<br />
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Table 5.3<br />
Regressions Analysis of Hip Hop Listening Patterns<br />
Reported are the Standardized (Beta) Coefficients<br />
D.V. →<br />
I.V. ↓<br />
voteracevoteoverracesocgvpolvtSpenfin<br />
<strong>hip</strong>-cd<br />
<strong>hip</strong>conc<strong>hip</strong>cloth<br />
gangster -.064 -.132* -.029 .020 -.066 .171* .045 .105*<br />
popular .193** .119* -.004 -.151* .132* .013 .172** .164*<br />
message -.070 .088 .184** .124* -.055 .068 .136* -.171*<br />
undergrd .038 -.105 .034 .195* .095 .185* .133* .187*<br />
local -.087 .005 .070 .031 .116* .042 .116* .066<br />
rapped -.071 .018 -.023 -.020 -.027 -.089 -.012 -.023<br />
wantrap -.030 -.016 .106* .121* .103* .032 .045 .146*<br />
danced -.110* -.030 .085 .104* .114* -.014 .037 .013<br />
original .063 .030 .005 .020 -.021 .091 .023 -.018<br />
poetry .112* .099* .111* .067 .044 -.039 .047 .024<br />
white .141* .108* .105* -.023 -.057 -.055 .102* -.071<br />
euro -.096 -.075 .090 -.045 .066 -.068 -.118* -.020<br />
black .091 .188** .021 -.050 -.011 -.032 -.070 -.032<br />
african -.053 -.161** -.046 .089* -.005 -.043 .043 .018<br />
latino .059 .069 .012 .066 .071 .071 .110* .025<br />
asian -.085 -.052 -.083 -.011 .004 .128* .083 .114*<br />
api .090 .044 .133* .049 -.025 -.036 .006 -.042<br />
sex -.016 .019 -.063 .018 -.055 -.069 .063 -.086<br />
income .013 .049 .060 .040 -.012 .064 -.028 .013<br />
age .039 .119* -.090* -.003 -.088 -.044 .021 -.097*<br />
.002 .092 .012 .211 .101 .008 .004 .013<br />
Durbin<br />
Watson<br />
2.003 1.984 1.998 2.020 1.930 2.168 2.027 1.869<br />
n 488 493 500 500 500 498 497 489<br />
R 2<br />
*Coefficients significant at the .05 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
**Coefficients significant at the .001 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
I.V. —Independent Variables<br />
D.V. —Dependent Variables<br />
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Table 5.4<br />
Logistic Regression Analysis for Dependent Variable: volun20<br />
Independen<br />
t Variables↓<br />
Beta S.E.<br />
gangster -.183 .120<br />
popular -.038 .114<br />
message .310* .124<br />
undergroun<br />
d<br />
-.065 .116<br />
local .032 .099<br />
rapped .333 .355<br />
want to rap -.972* .339<br />
danced .994* .378<br />
original .356 .224<br />
poetry .499* .303<br />
white -.013 .303<br />
euro .316 .525<br />
black .211 .252<br />
african .017 .350<br />
latino .539 .398<br />
asian -.270 .579<br />
api -1.303* .540<br />
sex .334 .253<br />
income -.059 .050<br />
age -.262 .151<br />
*Coefficients significant at the .05 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
**Coefficients significant at the .001 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
Cox & Snell R Square .108<br />
Nagelkerke R Square .146<br />
Hosmer and Lemeshow Test (Significance) .083<br />
Classification Table (Predicted Correct) 66.3%<br />
128
Table 5.5<br />
Correlation Analysis I (Spearman’s Rho)<br />
gangster popular message undergrd local<br />
rhythm -.239** -.393** -.163** -.082 -.171**<br />
artists -.260** -.218** -.130** -.119** -.190**<br />
lyrics -.095* .072 -.443** -.406** -.242**<br />
style -.253** -.104** -.352** -.358** -.233**<br />
repub18 .010 -.013 -.126** .096* -.059<br />
democ18 -.037 .156** -.043 -.134** .004<br />
indep18 -.011 -.014 .042 .051 -.044<br />
comm18 .012 -.049 .137** .123** .040<br />
social18 .031 -.105* .154** .146** .013<br />
none18 .005 -.083 .020- .086 .060<br />
conser19 -.003 .012 -.131** -.148** -.022<br />
liber19 -.034 .063 .010 -.074 -.033<br />
green19 -.048 -.073 -.011 -.005 -.036<br />
capit19 .077 .077 -.079 -.045 .005<br />
social19 .003 -.118** .056 .093* -.066<br />
none19 .025 .003 .004 .007 .005<br />
polpar20 .019 -.015 .078 .085 .009<br />
cbo20 -.079 -.091* .094* .104* .043<br />
ngo20 -.022 -.036 .080 .065 -.034<br />
lobby20 -.011 -.046 .039 .040 -.009<br />
greek20 .035 .169** .047 -.025 -.012<br />
prof20 -.011 .075 .102* .000 .034<br />
volun20 -.095* -.013 .124** .032 .055<br />
*Coefficients significant at the .05 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
**Coefficients significant at the .001 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
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Table 5.6<br />
Correlation Analysis II (Spearman’s Rho)<br />
<strong>hip</strong>cd <strong>hip</strong>conc <strong>hip</strong>cloth <strong>hip</strong>access <strong>hip</strong>book<br />
income .043 -.048 -.073 -.064 .067<br />
age -.061 -.064 -.152** -.121** .000<br />
white -.097* -.027 -.079 -.082 -.112*<br />
euro -.010 -.040 -.015 -.076 -.003<br />
black .046 -.022 .041 .090* .052<br />
african .046 .087* .056 -.017 .057<br />
latino .067 .142** .040 .023 .060<br />
asian .110* .110* .139** -.008 -.045<br />
aip .045 .068 .026 -.043 .007<br />
nativam -.031 -.062 -.055 .038 -.249<br />
gangster .245** .209** .263** .140** .095*<br />
popular .125** .238** .206** .218** -.010<br />
message .243** .263** .098* .074 .197**<br />
undergrd .303** .261** .237** .046 .255**<br />
local .168** .246** .227** .165** .197**<br />
*Coefficients significant at the .05 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
**Coefficients significant at the .001 level of statistical significance (2-tailed)<br />
130
CHAPTER VI<br />
Conclusions: Understanding Hip Hop’s Potential and Moving Toward<br />
A Collective Movement<br />
Nowadays rap artists, comin’ half hearted<br />
Commercial like pop, or underground like black markets<br />
Where were you the day <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> died<br />
Is it early to mourn is it too late to ride<br />
—Talib Kweli 74<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is like an interdisciplinary academic community, combining the fields of sociology,<br />
psychology, political science, English, ethnomusicology, economics, American studies, and African<br />
American studies, and offering a choice of electives to its subscribers. The weight of all this is what<br />
makes <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> something far beyond music, and far greater than the fashion, language, and ideology<br />
that expresses it. Hip <strong>hop</strong> is an unrivaled social force; it is a way of being. It is a new way of seeing<br />
the world and it is a collective movement that has dethroned civil rights and now commands our<br />
undivided attention.<br />
—Todd Boyd 75<br />
Where were you the day <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> died? Is it too early too mourn or too late to<br />
ride this new wave of popular cultural production. Is the Kanye West moment the<br />
viable option for <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> to continue to build an informed community of listeners?<br />
Talib Kweli prophesizes the functional and dysfunctional reality of the current state of<br />
<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. More than commercializing or being relegated to the underground market, <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> is on the one hand producing the ideal citizen to support American capitalistic<br />
markets and on the other hand, building a community of followers, who are in<br />
opposition to this social order. However, those in opposition to the social order often<br />
feel trapped between social action and economic survival. Hip <strong>hop</strong> is undeniably a<br />
social force as Boyd illustrates in the quote above, but moreover <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> socializes,<br />
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drawing from both the negative and positive aspects of American society 76 . George<br />
says, musical movements, at their peak, are certainly indestructible, and then in the<br />
next moment, reduce to nostalgic unnoticed texts played on AM radio (George, 1998,<br />
p. x). Is this what is to become of a once collective musical movement? Or will<br />
divisiveness cause a surge in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> collectivity? This study has clearly defined the<br />
division of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and how this divisive character will have future impacts on <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
as a movement. What is important to note here is that <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has the potential to keep<br />
dividing or to merge several communities of listeners into a collective entity, sharing<br />
similar mentalities, ideological preferences, and possibly the common goal of social<br />
change. “At some overt level, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has always been about the cultural identity of<br />
those who perform the music, and those who constitute its core audience (Boyd, 2003,<br />
p. 18).” Furthermore, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s power to inform this audience can have both positive<br />
and negative effects. The narratives of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> do more than tell stories of urban<br />
impoverished life, these narratives shape identities—form characters that reinforce or<br />
contradict values which underpin these narratives. Hip <strong>hop</strong> has the power to groom<br />
“perfect” citizens, who live within the boundaries of the American dominant order, or<br />
it can groom individuals to make up a collective to change and reconstitute beneficial<br />
and non-exploitative economic, political, and social landscapes. Boyd (2003) says,<br />
Unlike previous eras when politics and ideology produced culture, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong><br />
stands at the forefront of contemporary culture for it seems to both reflect and<br />
produce the politics and ideology of its time. The salient issues that inform <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> are rooted in the function of identity, emphasizing race, class, and gender<br />
distinctions, in contrast to the mainstream (p. 18).<br />
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It is this threatening potential of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>, which has caused its appropriation and thus,<br />
its division. A divided movement traveling in opposing directions is weaker than a<br />
collective one, which travels and operates as a unified entity. Hip <strong>hop</strong> will either<br />
continue to travel two divergent paths, or it will merge this fork in its path to build a<br />
mobilized community of listeners and socially aware activists. Hip <strong>hop</strong> culture without<br />
a doubt stands at the forefront of contemporary American culture, but more than<br />
producing the politics and ideology of our time, it serves to reinforce or critique<br />
existing politics and ideological controls. By critical analysis, this study connects <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> language to the division of the movement. Furthermore, a connection has been<br />
made between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> listening and individual political and social engagement. Hip<br />
<strong>hop</strong> continues to function through the identity and character of its artists and their<br />
influence over their audiences. I hypothesize that individuals’ character will ultimately<br />
determine the fate of the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement. Individual mentality, ideological<br />
preference, and civic engagement inevitably will constitute or undermine the<br />
movement’s effectiveness.<br />
Future Research<br />
The possibilities for future research following this study are endless. Since this<br />
study has particularly focused on rap music, studies could continue on the cultural<br />
shifts in other elements of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> like break dancing or street art (graffiti). These<br />
133
studies could question if these elements of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture have also divisively evolved<br />
or constituted a middle ground between evolving as American popular culture or<br />
reverberating with their origins of social and political critique? Other studies could<br />
build upon <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as it relates to culture industry, particularly <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a product of<br />
cultural reproduction or its potential to revolutionize reproduction by its nostalgic<br />
creativity. Chapter 5 serves as grounding for continued research, which examines the<br />
deep-rooted relations<strong>hip</strong> between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> listening and individual mentality,<br />
ideological preference, and social and political engagement. Furthermore, the findings<br />
allude to whether <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> has an influence on collective mentality and action and<br />
moreover whether it has the potential to build or diminish collective awareness, action,<br />
and social change.<br />
Another interesting study, which this research has spawned, is the Eminem<br />
phenomenon and his potential to build a multicultural community of social activists.<br />
Eminem, who operates in both popular and political realms, has the potential to<br />
collectivize various ethnic and cultural communities. Eminem’s combination of<br />
popular beats, lyrics critiquing American society, politics and economics, and his large<br />
following, could be particularly dangerous to the existing economic, political, and<br />
social order. Imagine the potential of combining the followings of Eminem, with the<br />
popular and subjective appeal of Kanye West, and the socially and political awareness<br />
of Talib Kweli. Eminem is definitely a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> actor to be reckoned with, if possible,<br />
134
given his extreme critiques of White America and his class-centered (verses the typical<br />
race-centered) approach to the divisions of American society.<br />
Other research could investigate the mixing and melding of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> with other<br />
musical genres such as rock or reggae and the impact these collaborations have on<br />
audience reach. Furthermore, studies could explore how collaborations help to build a<br />
large scale <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement, which draws support from other musical genres.<br />
What is in Hip Hop’s Future<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> is in the midst of uncertain times and an uncharted future. The current<br />
paths of rap music have resulted from power mechanisms, culture industry<br />
appropriations, as well as a mimicking of dysfunctional American societal structure.<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong>’s love/hate relations<strong>hip</strong> with American society continues constantly<br />
reinforcing and critiquing America’s repressive and ideological domination over its<br />
citizenry. This relations<strong>hip</strong> between <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and the American social order necessarily<br />
fashions individual identities and furthermore <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s double-character. It is<br />
uncertain whether changing <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> and its messages will impact society, or whether a<br />
societal restructuring is necessarily in order to change the character of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>. A<br />
median between these two is essential, <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> must conquer its contradictions and<br />
divisiveness and society must reexamine its commitment to challenge complacency<br />
and its current “give back” 77 mentality of helping the poor, especially urban<br />
impoverished communities. The root causes of urban problems must be attacked.<br />
135
Finding middle ground seems to be a viable solution. Hip <strong>hop</strong> artists, who operate at<br />
ideological extremes, must find this middle ground, with which to unite an effective<br />
movement working toward social change. The potential of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> as a movement<br />
must make differentiations between its emission of nonproductive noise and the noise,<br />
which is necessary to change American society for the better.<br />
This research opens with two quotes: one from John Africa and the other from<br />
Manning Marable. These two quotes embody the choices the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community faces.<br />
John Africa states,<br />
It is past time for all poor people to release themselves from the deceptive<br />
strangulation of society, realize that society has failed you; for an attempt to<br />
ignore this system of deception now is to deny you, the need to protest this<br />
failure later. The system has failed you yesterday, failed you today, and has<br />
created the conditions for failure tomorrow (Abu Jamal, 1997).<br />
The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community must release themselves from the deceptive strangulation of<br />
society. They must realize that powerlessness is never about the powerful; rather it is a<br />
manifestation of accepting this construction of being powerless. 78 Political and social<br />
movements of the past have been destabilized because the status quo finds a way to<br />
redirect any movement, which threatens its power. Hip <strong>hop</strong> has been undermined and<br />
its goals redirected in this way because it originally challenged status quo values and<br />
institutions. The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community must recognize its susceptibility to manipulation<br />
and its cooperation and complicity in the arrangements to reproduce the status quo.<br />
Manning Marable (1997) notes that Frantz Fanon once asserted that each<br />
generation must discover its own destiny and choose to either fulfill that destiny or<br />
136
etray it. Only the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> generation can determine this movement’s fate. Will <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> activism and its lyrics of social and political critique ever counteract its messages<br />
and images which maintain the power of ruling elites and their constructed economic,<br />
political and social order? The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> community is at an economic, political, and<br />
social crossroads, where it can choose to fulfill or betray its destiny as an art, which<br />
socially and politically impacts society. The <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> movement must be unmasked, it<br />
must realize its failures, overcome its obstacles, and landscape a future guided by<br />
communal engagement and political and social change.<br />
137
Notes<br />
1 Abu Jamal, Mumia (1997) Death Blossoms: Reflections from a Prisoner of<br />
Conscience. Farmington, PA: Plough Publishing House.<br />
2 Marable, Manning. (1997). Black Liberation in Conservative America. Cambridge<br />
MA: South End Press.<br />
3 George, Nelson. (1998) Hip Hop America. New York, NY: Viking Penguin. p. 154.<br />
4 Rose, Tricia (1994) Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary<br />
America. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan <strong>University</strong> Press. p. 100.<br />
5 George (1998) says, “It is also essential to understand that the values that underpin so<br />
much of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>—materialism, brand consciousness, gun iconography,<br />
antiintellectualism—are very much by-products of a larger American culture. Despite<br />
the ‘dangerous’ edge of so much <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture, all of its most disturbing themes are<br />
rooted in this country’s dysfunctional values. Anti-Semitism, racism, violence, and<br />
sexism are hardly unique to rap stars but are the most sinister aspects of the national<br />
character (pg xiii).”<br />
6 “New forms of black musical expression are, in essence, new impulses drawn from<br />
the environment, blended with the old forms and given a new shape, a new style, and a<br />
new meaning…Black music is a manifestation of black culture and it serves a<br />
communication function within tradition. Because rap music exists as a functional<br />
entity within black America, the creation of this new style discloses shifts in values,<br />
attitudes and social needs (Berry and Manning-Miller (eds.), 1996, p.266).”<br />
7 Pratt (1990) says, “Music, like any form of art, in its function as an ‘impulse of<br />
opposition’ to existing conventions, generates a rich and complex variety of enclaves<br />
of autonomy in the world through creation and maintenance of an alternative<br />
psychological reality which becomes a different kind of public space, a new little<br />
world within the old (Hein, 1976). If such enclaves of are largely psychological—a<br />
feeling—are they any the less real? They are inevitably connected to real social<br />
situations and organizational forms, serving to engender and reinforce support and<br />
morale. In the end this may be the most important function of music…”<br />
8 “Rap music is fundamentally linked to larger social constructions of black culture as<br />
an internal threat to dominant American culture and social order. Rap’s capacity as a<br />
form of testimony, as an articulation of young black urban voice of social protest, has a<br />
profound potential as a basis for a language of liberation. Contestation over the<br />
138
meaning and significance of rap music and its ability to occupy public space and retain<br />
expressive freedom constitutes a central aspect of contemporary black cultural politics<br />
(Perkins, 1996, p. 253),”<br />
9 Kisha Ross (2003) in her <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong> Communications, Culture, and<br />
Technology thesis, “Race as a Social Technology: (Re) Constructing Conceptions of<br />
Blackness,” discusses ‘Blackness’ and its various constructions. She also provides a<br />
detailed analysis of possible reconstructions of ‘Blackness’, and moreover social<br />
labels, and social labeling in general.<br />
10 In “Hidden Politics: Discursive and Institutional Policing of Rap Music” Rose says,<br />
“The public school system, the police, and the popular media perceive and construct<br />
young African Americans as a dangerous internal element in urban America; an<br />
element that, if allowed to roam freely, will threaten the social order; an element that<br />
must be policed. Since rap music is understood as the predominant symbolic voice of<br />
black urban males, it heightens this sense of threat and reinforces dominant white<br />
middle-class objections to urban black youths who do not aspire to (but are haunted<br />
by) white middle-class standards (Perkins, 1996,p. 237).” Rose also asserts that her<br />
central concern is the institutional and ideological power exercised over rap music, as<br />
well as how rap fans and artists respond to these ideological and institutional<br />
constraints. “More specifically, I try to untangle the complex relations<strong>hip</strong>s between the<br />
political economy of rap and the sociologically based crime discourse that frames it<br />
(Perkins, 1996,p. 237).”<br />
11 Perkins (1996) says, “Rap music and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture’s ongoing and bewildering<br />
love/hate relations<strong>hip</strong> with American society requires a fresh evaluation of the role<br />
street culture plays in the continuing evolution of American popular culture ( p.1).”<br />
12 “I Used to Love H.E.R.” on the album Resurrection (1994) by Common Sense.<br />
13 In New York City during the early 70s, the birth of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture directly resulted<br />
from a mixing and exchanging of three unique regional cultures: Black American;<br />
Afro-Caribbean, and several overlapping Latin-based cultures.<br />
14 In African American Communication: Exploring Identity and Culture, Michael L.<br />
Hecht, Ronald L. Jackson III, and Sidney Ribeau note “Instead of conforming, some<br />
individuals and groups would rather sustain their commitment to their own mode of<br />
speaking or devise new words that morph the language as it is known. McRae (2001)<br />
argued that this “<strong>hip</strong>” style of speaking is highly characteristic of jazz and other<br />
musical forms. It is a way to respond to a linguistically constraining set of rules, which<br />
139
at times are counter to the linguistic traditions of African Americans. Both Major<br />
(1994) and McRae asserted that musical artists have always introduced new words to<br />
affirm the innovative tendencies of African American cultural interactants and the<br />
unique conventions discovered in instrumental sounds, sounds that emulate spoken<br />
language. Likewise Dyson (2001) critically assessed the means by which <strong>hip</strong>-<strong>hop</strong> and<br />
rap music forms reinvent language to express an oppressive socioeconomic condition<br />
in the United States.”<br />
The evolving Black vernaculars were continuously reinvented to invoke<br />
creative and innovative ways to express the social situation. These vernaculars were<br />
the dominant form of language used in Black music from slave spirituals, to blues and<br />
jazz, to the formation of lyrics in bee bop and rock and roll, and up through modern<br />
soul and <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>.<br />
15 Lovers of music have a natural connection to the taste for poetry. “Fortunately for<br />
the poets of Africa, they are in a great measure exempted from that neglect and<br />
indigence, which in more polished countries commonly attend the votaries of Muses<br />
(Southern (ed.), 1983).”<br />
16 “The simultaneity of joy and sorrow may be found there, as heard in a classic blues<br />
such as Bessie Smith’s version of ‘Empty Bed Blues’ and as expressed theoretically<br />
with such literary beauty as Albert Murray in Stomping the Blues (Murray, 1982).<br />
Bringing it to consciousness requires significant sensitization for the uninitiated who,<br />
nonetheless, have felt those elements originally encoded with meaning for as long as<br />
blues-influenced American popular music has been heard (Pratt, 1990).”<br />
17 “Traditional West African music was never merely amusement or entertainment; it<br />
was always functional and was a central ingredient of every facet of community life.<br />
Always inextricably linked to economic activity, communal interrelations<strong>hip</strong>s, and<br />
spiritual pursuits, all of which were themselves interrelated, music as an aesthetic<br />
abstraction from the activities of daily life was unknown to the African ancestors of<br />
slaves in the United States (Bobo, 2001).”<br />
18 Baxandal, Lee and Stefan Morawski (eds.). (1973). Marx & Engels on literature &<br />
art. A selection of writings; St. Louis, MO: Telos Press.<br />
19 Elaine Ayensu (2003) brings these connections between rap and drum rhythms of<br />
African tribes to bear in her <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong> Communications, Culture, and<br />
Technology thesis, “Communication and Culture in Ghana: Technology’s Influence<br />
and Progress in a New Digital Age.”<br />
140
20 Tricia Rose (1994), in “Hidden Politics: Discursive and Institutional Policing of Rap<br />
Music” of Black Noise, cites examples of the policing of rap with specific observations<br />
regarding venue resistance to host rap concerts based on media coverage and other<br />
discursive stereotyping of rap concert and rap fans.<br />
21 In Power Without Force: The Political Capacity of Nation-States, Robert W.<br />
Jackman (1993) says, “The general point is that the exercise of power does not require<br />
the overt presence of conflict…My distinction between interests and values should not<br />
be taken as a ringing endorsement of the general idea of false consciousness, as the<br />
latter term is generally used. Instead, I am simply suggesting that values are always<br />
situationally defined by conditioning and socializing mechanisms that involve arbitrary<br />
boundaries (p. 29).”<br />
22<br />
Cambridge <strong>University</strong> Online Dictionary (2003). Cambridge Online Dictionary.<br />
Retrieved February 20, 2004 from<br />
(http//dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=coopt*1+0&dict=A).<br />
23 “I Used to Love H.E.R.” on the album Resurrection (1994) by Common Sense.<br />
24 “The process by which the representations found in a culture (in media such as<br />
television, film, and magazines and in art forms such as advertisements and<br />
commercials) coerce, so to speak, individuals into accepting the ideologies carried by<br />
these forms of representations (Berger, 1995, p. 57).”<br />
25 Tricia Rose (1994), in “Hidden Politics: Discursive and Institutional Policing of Rap<br />
Music” of Black Noise, cites examples of the policing of rap with specific observations<br />
regarding venue resistance to host rap concerts based on media coverage and other<br />
discursive stereotyping of rap concert and rap fans.<br />
26 Sarah Handel (2003), in her <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong> Communications, Culture and<br />
Technology thesis titled, “Sound Salvation: Radio Consolidation and the<br />
Marginalization of Political Voices,” discusses how control over the radio industry and<br />
consolidation marginalize political voices, and furthermore political art. Murray<br />
Forman (2002) also notes “With major labels servicing the priority requirements of the<br />
nation’s mainstream radio outlets, independent labels had a greater difficulty reaching<br />
them and introducing their product for consideration, which further reduced their<br />
material’s exposure to wider markets (p. 131).”<br />
141
27 The Parents Music Resource Center was Tipper Gore’s ideological project she<br />
founded in 1984 in order to mount pressure and force the record industry to sticker<br />
products with ratings for obscenity (George, 1998, p.174).<br />
28 Both Manuel Castells (1997) in The Power of Identity. The Information Age:<br />
Economy, Society and Culture - Volume II and Stephen Cornell and Douglass<br />
Hartman (1998) in Ethnicity and Race: Making Identities in a Changing World, discuss<br />
race, identity, and how these construction create “othering”.<br />
29 Autumn Lewis (2003) in her <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong> Communications, Culture and<br />
Technology thesis titled, “Media Representations of Rap Music: The Vilification of<br />
Hip Hop Culture,” explores the vilification of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> in print media, namely the New<br />
York Times.<br />
30 In Race, Myth, and the News, Christopher Campbell (1995) outlines the problem of<br />
biased and stereotypical news coverage of Black Americans as well as the under<br />
representation of people of color in news rooms.<br />
31 Rose (1994) says, “In a number of ways, rap has followed the patterns of other black<br />
popular musics, in that at the outset it was heavily rejected by black and white middleclass<br />
listeners; the assumption was that it would be a short-lived fad; the mainstream<br />
record industry and radio stations rejected it; its marketing was pioneered by<br />
independent entrepreneurs and independent labels; and once a smidgen of commercial<br />
viability was established the major labels attempted to dominate production and<br />
distribution. These rap-related patterns were augmented by more general music<br />
industry consolidation in the late 1970s that provided the music corporations with<br />
greater control over the market. By 1990, virtually all major record chain store<br />
distribution is controlled by six major record companies: CBS, Polygram, Warner,<br />
BMG, Capitol-EMI, and MCA (p. 6).”<br />
32 George (1998) says, “There are scores of stories that illustrate <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>’s essential<br />
mutability. They are literary, cinematic, fashionable, and political in ways that have<br />
nothing to do with Black nationalism, for <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> is the ultimate capitalists tool (p.<br />
156).”<br />
33 One impact not discussed in this study is how White youth consumption has<br />
impacted <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture. In “Blackophilia and Blackophobia: White Youth, the<br />
Consumption of Rap Music, and White Supremacy,” Bill Yousman (2003) outline<br />
some of these important impacts of the increase in white consumption of rap music<br />
(International Communications Association).<br />
142
34 “Across the spectrum of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artists, managers and producers a number of<br />
individuals have achieved considerable financial success, an ascendancy which<br />
automatically makes them once removed from the world of the streets. Others have<br />
deliberately turned away from violent, antisocial, “thug” image cultivated by some of<br />
the genre’s most visible icons (Thall, 2002, p.262).”<br />
35 In “Sacrifice” on the album, Phrenology (2002) by The Roots.<br />
36 Boyd, Todd (2003) The New H.N.I.C: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong>. New York, NY: New York <strong>University</strong> Press.<br />
37 Billie Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit,” resonated with black communities in the<br />
1930s and 1940s because it metaphorically compared black lynchings to the presence<br />
of a strange-type of fruit on trees.<br />
38 In Nina Simone’s “Baltimore,” (1978) she describes the oppressive economic,<br />
political, and social conditions of inner-city Baltimore. She sings in the chorus, “Oh<br />
Baltimore, Ain’t it hard just to live.”<br />
39 The Last Poets were a controversial soul group that used poetry over beats to present<br />
political messages, such as in “Niggaz are Scared of Revolution,” which criticized<br />
pseudo revolutionaries and the assimilation phenomenon of Black Americans.<br />
40 Gil Scott Heron was a revolutionary soul poet of the 1960’s that used the famous<br />
word of Huey P. Newton to compose the song, “The Revolution Will Not Be<br />
Televised.”<br />
41 Davis, Angela. (2003) Are Prisons Obsolete. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press.<br />
The Prison Industrial Complex (2000) (CD-ROM) AK PRESS; 1st edition<br />
42 In “Rap Music, Black Men, and the Police” by Venise T. Berry and Harold T. Berry<br />
Looney Jr. (Berry and Manning-Miller, 1996) excerpts from Looney’s real experience<br />
of an encounter with police is given, but is presented in lyrical form to show how the<br />
style of rap is similar to exact accounts of experiences with police.<br />
43 The term, “White Supremacist Capitalists Patriarchy,” is discussed in great depth in<br />
bell hook’s (1995) Killing Rage: Ending Racism.<br />
143
44 Kitwana, Bakari (2002) The Hip <strong>hop</strong> Generation: The Crisis in African American<br />
Culture New York, NY: Basic Civitas Books.<br />
45 Dubois, W.E.B. (1976). Black Reconstruction. Millwood, NY: Kraus International<br />
Publications.<br />
46 Marable, Manning. (1983). How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America.<br />
Cambridge, MA: South End Press.<br />
Frazier, E. Franklin (1962) Black Bourgeoisie. New York, NY: Collier Books.<br />
47 Davis, Angela. (1981). Women, Race and Class New York, NY: Random House.<br />
48 Race, Myth, and the News (1995) by Christopher Campbell examines the media<br />
portrayals of Black Americans.<br />
49 Both Nelson George (1998) and Michael Eric Dyson (2002) discuss Sista Souljah<br />
and her activism role in <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture.<br />
50 Abu Jamal, Mumia. (1996) Live From Death Row.New York, NY: Avon.<br />
(2001) All Things Censored. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press.<br />
51 Mutulu Shakur <strong>Web</strong>site (2004) Retrieved on April 1, 2004 from<br />
(http://www.mutulushakur.com/index.html).<br />
52 Olsen, Jack. (2000). Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo<br />
Pratt. New York, NY: Doubleday.<br />
53 Churchill, Ward and Jim Vander. (2002) Agents of Repression: The FBI's Secret<br />
Wars Against the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement (South End<br />
Press Classics Series, Volume, 7) South End Press; 2nd edition<br />
54 Abu Jamal, Mumia.(1996). Live From Death Row. New York, NY: Avon.<br />
55 Shakur, Assata.(1988) Assata: An Autobiography Assata Shakur. Chicago, IL:<br />
Lawrence Hill & Co.<br />
56 Ibid<br />
144
57 Churchill, Ward and Jim Vander. (2002) Agents of Repression: The FbI's Secret<br />
Wars Against the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement (South End<br />
Press Classics Series, Volume, 7) South End Press; 2nd edition<br />
58 Amnesty International (2004) Amnesty International’s World Water Forum<br />
Retrieved on February 21, 2004 from (http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ec-water-eng).<br />
59 Raboteau, Albert J. (1980) Slave Religion: The Invisible Institution in the<br />
Antebellum South. Oxford, UK: Oxford <strong>University</strong> Press.<br />
60 Gutierrez, Gustavo (1998) A Theology of Liberation. (10 th ed.) Maryknoll, NY:<br />
Orbis Books.<br />
61 Run DMC released “My Adidas” in 1986, which resonated strongly with urban<br />
youth. The group never received any acknowledgement or any royalties from the<br />
adidas company for starting the <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> fashion trend of wearing adidas products. Run<br />
DMC in this song demonstrate the ultimate corporate profitability of free advertising.<br />
62 Nelly released a song called, “Air Force Ones,” which discusses how he loves his<br />
Air Force One Nike tennis shoes including the ones he had custom-made. This is just<br />
another example of how <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artists constantly engage in free advertising.<br />
63 Amnesty International (2004) Amnesty International’s Campaign against Conflict<br />
Diamonds. Retrieved on February 21, 2004 from<br />
(http://web.amnesty.org/diamonds/index.html) and (http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ecdiamonds-eng).<br />
64 J.I. Simmons and Barry Winograd in their book It’s Happening informed their<br />
colleagues, “The new musicians are the poets are acting also as innovators and<br />
propagandists. As propagandists they still cloak their thoughts behind frequently<br />
murky lyrics; words that are vague to censors or parents, but ‘in’ with the<br />
listeners…The music has become a chronicle of events and messages, with the latter<br />
approaching the esprit of past eras’ revolutionary ballads. The words are different, and<br />
even though it’s difficult to define antagonists, the force of feeling and craving are all<br />
too clear (Denisoff, 1985, p. 451).”<br />
65 Higgins (1991) says, “Historically, the world’s philosophical traditions have<br />
advanced a number of arguments in support of idea that music is linked to ethical<br />
experience. These arguments tend to fall into one of three categories: (1) music has<br />
physiological or psychological effects that have benign ethical influence on outlook<br />
145
and behavior; (2) music develops capacities that assist our ethical outlook or our ability<br />
to behave ethically; or (3) music makes revelations that are ethically valuable to us<br />
(Higgins, 1991).<br />
66 Black Planet (2003) Black Planet website. Retrieved on October 22, 2003 from<br />
(http://www.blackplanet.com).<br />
67 Rap Attack Lives (2003) Rap Attack Lives website. Retrieved on October 22, 2003<br />
from (http://www.rapattacklives.com).<br />
68 Brain Raps (2003) Brain Raps website. Retrieved on October 22, 2003 from<br />
(http://www.brainraps.com/mb.cqi?bid=brains).<br />
69 Black Young Professionals Public Health Network (2003) Black Young<br />
Professionals Public Health Network Yahoo Group. Retrieved from<br />
(BYPPHNetwork@yahoogroup.com).<br />
70 One note to make is that Native American was accidentally omitted from the race<br />
and ethnicity question of the survey. The responses from Native Americans<br />
participants were determined from the “Other” category and recoded to reflect a<br />
category for Native American participants.<br />
71 Jay Z became the first rap artist to ever get a tennis shoe endorsement in 2003, when<br />
he sign a deal with Reebok to have Jay Z branded tennis shoes.<br />
72 Tharp, Marye C. (2001). Marketing and Consumer Identity in Multicultural<br />
America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 1st edition.<br />
73 Tipper Gore, wife of former democratic vice president Al Gore, formed the group,<br />
The Parents Music Resource Center in 1984 in order to mount pressure and force the<br />
record industry to sticker products, particularly rap with ratings for obscenity (George,<br />
1998, p.174).<br />
74 In “Too Late” on the album Train of Thought by Talib Kweli and DJ High Tech.<br />
75 Boyd, Todd (2003) The New H.N.I.C: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of<br />
Hip Hop. New York, NY: New York <strong>University</strong> Press.<br />
76 George (1998) says, “It is also essential to understand that the values that underpin<br />
so much of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>—materialism, brand consciousness, gun iconography,<br />
146
antiintellectualism—are very much by-products of the larger American culture.<br />
Despite the “dangerous” edge of so much of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> culture, all of its most disturbing<br />
themes are rooted in this country’s dysfunctional values. Anti-Semitism, racism,<br />
violence, and sexism are hardly unique to rap stars but are the most sinister aspects of<br />
the national character (p. xiii).”<br />
77 Gutierrez, Gustavo (1998) A Theology of Liberation. (10 th ed.) Maryknoll, NY:<br />
Orbis Books.<br />
78 Fanon, Frantz. (1986). The Wretched of the Earth. New York, NY: Grove Press.<br />
147
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155
Hip Hop and Politics Survey<br />
Statistical Appendix A<br />
This is a voluntary survey conducted by a Masters degree candidate in the Communications, Culture,<br />
and Technology program at <strong>Georgetown</strong> <strong>University</strong>. All survey participants and survey information is<br />
completely anonymous.<br />
Thank you for participating in the survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will advance future<br />
research conducted on Hip Hop.<br />
If you are interested in the results of this survey, please send an email to sas55@georgetown.edu.<br />
1. Do you listen to Hip Hop?<br />
Yes/No<br />
2. What City, State, and Country did you live in when you first started listening to Hip Hop?<br />
3. Who introduced you to Hip Hop?<br />
4. How often do you listen to each of these types of Hip Hop?<br />
(Very Often/Often/Occassionally/Hardly Ever/Never)<br />
Gangster Rap (Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, etc..)<br />
Popular Rap (Jay Z, Nelly, Eve, Jadakiss, Ja Rule, etc…)<br />
Message/Political Rap (The Roots, Common, Talib Kweli, Nas, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill)<br />
Underground Rap (Not played by radio, or other media outlets)<br />
Local Rap (Specific to a particular city or area)<br />
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements. I like listening to Hip Hop because...<br />
(Strongly Agree/Agree/Don't Know/Don't Care/Disagree/Strongly Disagree)<br />
I like the rhythm and music accompanying the artist<br />
I like the artist (s) images and/or videos<br />
I like the lyrics and messages the artist produces<br />
I like the artists lyrical ability—their style of rapping<br />
6. Why do you listen to Hip Hop?<br />
7. How often do you use the following mediums to listen to Hip Hop?<br />
(Very Often/Often/Occassionally/Hardly Ever/Never)<br />
Radio<br />
TV (Videos, movies, etc..)<br />
Live Performance (Concerts)<br />
Compact Disc (CD)<br />
Tape<br />
Internet<br />
156
8. How often do you use the following sources to get information about Hip Hop? (Very<br />
Often/Often/Occassionally/Hardly Ever/Never)<br />
MTV<br />
BET<br />
VH1<br />
Entertainment News TV<br />
Vibe Magazine<br />
The Source<br />
Internet Sites<br />
9. Other sources you use to get information about Hip Hop, Please Specify.<br />
10. Do you or Have you ever? Mark All that apply.<br />
Rapped<br />
Wanted to be a Rap or Hip Hop artist<br />
Wanted to sing on a song with a Hip Hop artist<br />
Danced/Appeared in a Hip Hop video<br />
Wrote original rap or Hip Hop lyrics<br />
Performed Poetry<br />
11. Do you think Hip Hop influences your life?<br />
(Yes/No)<br />
12. Mark the following statements you agree with. Leave those you disagree with or are unsure<br />
about blank. Hip Hop influences my...<br />
Attitudes about government<br />
Attitudes about politics<br />
Attitudes about society<br />
Attitudes about your status in society<br />
Attitudes about your personal financial situation<br />
Attitudes about money and spending (clothes, shoes, jewlrey, etc.)<br />
Attitudes about voting<br />
Attitudes about race<br />
Attitudes about class or social status<br />
Attitudes about the opposite sex<br />
Attitudes about dating and relations<strong>hip</strong>s<br />
Other, Please Specify<br />
13. How much money do you spend monthly on...<br />
($0-10/$10-20/$20-40/$40-70/70-100/$100-500/ Over $500<br />
Hip Hop CDs, tapes, records, or videos<br />
Hip Hop Concerts, Performances, and Night Clubs<br />
Hip Hop style Clothing, Shoes (including Hip Hop name brands)<br />
Hip Hop accessories (bags, jewelry, etc.)<br />
Hip Hop books<br />
157
14. What annoys you or needs to be changed about Hip Hop?<br />
15. Do you vote on a local level (mayor, governor, local issues, etc.)<br />
(Yes/No)<br />
16. Do you vote on a national level (president, senate, etc.)?<br />
(Yes/No)<br />
17. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?<br />
(Strongly Agree/Agree/Don't Know/Don't Care/Disagree/Strongly Disagree)<br />
I vote or will vote because my vote makes a difference.<br />
I do not vote or will not vote because my vote does not make a difference.<br />
Voting and voting results only affect certain races.<br />
Voting and voting results only affect wealthy people.<br />
Politics and political activity only affect wealthy people.<br />
Government cares about the poor and poverty.<br />
Politicians care about the poor and poverty.<br />
Government cares about low-income workers.<br />
Politicians care about low-income workers.<br />
18. What party do you identify with? Mark all that apply.<br />
Republican<br />
Democrat<br />
Independent<br />
Communist<br />
Socialist<br />
None<br />
Other, Please Specify<br />
19. What political ideology do you identify with? Mark all that apply.<br />
Conservative (Right Wing)<br />
Liberal(Left Wing)<br />
Green Peace<br />
Capitalism<br />
Socialism<br />
None<br />
Other ideologies or peer groups, Please Specify<br />
20. Mark the type of political or social organizations you are active in?<br />
Political Party<br />
Community-Based Organization<br />
Non-governmental Organization<br />
Lobbyist or Policy Group<br />
Greek Organization<br />
Professional Organizations<br />
Volunteer Groups<br />
Activists or Advocacy Groups, Please Specify<br />
158
21. What Country, State, and City do you currently live in?<br />
22. What type of area do you live in? Mark all that apply.<br />
Urban<br />
Rural<br />
Inner City<br />
Suburb<br />
Other, Please Specify<br />
23. What is Your Ocupation?<br />
Professional and related<br />
Academic<br />
Researcher<br />
Sales<br />
Administrative<br />
Service Industry (Resturaunts, Hotels, Resorts, Hospitality)<br />
Self Employed<br />
Student (Please Specify Major in Comment box below)<br />
Other, Please Specify<br />
24. How old are you?<br />
12 and under<br />
13-17<br />
18-25<br />
26-35<br />
36-45<br />
46-60<br />
Over 60<br />
25. What is your biological sex?<br />
Male<br />
Female<br />
26. What is your preferred gender type?<br />
Feminine<br />
Masculine<br />
27. Which of the following races or ethnicities do you identify with? Mark all that apply.<br />
White American (White Anglo Saxon)<br />
European<br />
Black American<br />
Caribbean/Virgin Islands<br />
African<br />
Latin American<br />
159
Latino<br />
Asian<br />
South Asian/South Asian American<br />
Asian American/Pacific Islander<br />
Other, Please Specify<br />
28. What religious ideology do you identify with? Mark all that apply.<br />
Catholicism<br />
Baptist<br />
Methodist<br />
Evangelism<br />
Jehovah Witness<br />
Islam<br />
Judaism<br />
Hinduism<br />
Buddhism<br />
Indigenous Religions (Traditional African, Traditional Native American, Traditional Latin,<br />
etc…)<br />
Non-denominational<br />
Atheist<br />
Other, Please Specify<br />
29. What is your relations<strong>hip</strong> status?<br />
Single (looking)<br />
Single (not looking)<br />
Dating<br />
Committed relations<strong>hip</strong><br />
Married<br />
Married with Children, Please specify ages<br />
30. What is your average yearly income?<br />
Under 10,000<br />
10,000-19,000<br />
20,000-39,000<br />
40,000-59,000<br />
60,000-79,000<br />
80,000-100,000<br />
Over 100,000<br />
Do not Want to Answer<br />
160
Statistical Appendix B<br />
Codebook and Data Preparation<br />
Survey Question Question Type Recoded<br />
Variable<br />
Q1: Do you listen to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>? 1-Yes<br />
Q4: How Often Do you Listen to<br />
each of these types of <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong>?<br />
Gangster Rap (Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg,<br />
Dr. Dre, etc…)<br />
Popular Rap (Jay Z, Nelly, Eve,<br />
Jadakiss, Ja Rule, etc…)<br />
Message/Political Rap (The Roots,<br />
Common, Talib Kweli, Nas, Mos Def,<br />
Lauryn Hill)<br />
Underground Rap (Not played by<br />
radio, or other media outlets)<br />
Local Rap (Specific to a particular city<br />
or area)<br />
Q5: Do you agree or disagree with<br />
the following statements? I like<br />
listening to <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> because…<br />
0-No<br />
1-very often<br />
2-often<br />
3-occassionally<br />
4-hardly<br />
5-never<br />
1-strongly agree<br />
2-agree<br />
3-don’t care/ don’t know<br />
4-disagree<br />
5-strongly disagree<br />
161<br />
Variable<br />
que<br />
gangster v10<br />
popular v11<br />
message v12<br />
undergrd v13<br />
local v14<br />
I like the rhythm and music<br />
accompanying the artist.<br />
rhythm v16<br />
I like the artist’s images and/or videos. artists v17<br />
I like the lyrics and messages the artist<br />
produces<br />
lyrics v18<br />
I like the artist’s lyrical ability—their<br />
style of rapping.<br />
style v19<br />
Q10: Do you or Have you ever? 1-have participated<br />
Mark All that Apply<br />
0-have not participated<br />
Rapped rapped v38<br />
Wanted to be a rap or <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> artist wantrap v39<br />
Wanted to sing on a song with a <strong>hip</strong><br />
<strong>hop</strong> artist<br />
wantsing v40<br />
Danced/Appeared in a <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> video danced v41<br />
Wrote original rap or <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> lyrics original v42<br />
Performed Poetry poetry v43<br />
Q11: Do you think <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences 1-Yes<br />
hhinflue v44<br />
your life?<br />
0-No
Q12: Mark the following statements<br />
you agree with. Leave those you<br />
disagree with or are unsure about<br />
blank. Hip Hop influences my…<br />
1-<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> influences<br />
2-<strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> does not influence<br />
Attitudes about government gov v47<br />
Attitudes about politics politics v48<br />
Attitudes about society society v49<br />
Attitudes about your status in society status v50<br />
Attitudes about your personal financial<br />
situation<br />
finances v51<br />
Attitudes about money and spending<br />
spending v52<br />
(clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc…)<br />
Attitudes about voting voting v53<br />
Attitudes about race race v54<br />
Attitudes about class or social status class v55<br />
Attitudes about the opposite sex oppsex v56<br />
Attitudes about dating and<br />
dating v57<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong>s<br />
Q13: How much money do you spend<br />
monthly on…<br />
1-$ 0-10<br />
2-$10-20<br />
3-$20-40<br />
4-$40-70<br />
162<br />
5-$70-100<br />
6-$100-500<br />
7-Over $500<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> CDs, tapes, record, or videos <strong>hip</strong>cds v60<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> concerts, performances and<br />
night clubs<br />
<strong>hip</strong>conc v61<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong>-style clothing, shoes<br />
(including <strong>hip</strong> <strong>hop</strong> name brands)<br />
<strong>hip</strong>cloth v62<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> accessories (bags, jewelry,<br />
etc…)<br />
<strong>hip</strong>access v63<br />
Hip <strong>hop</strong> books <strong>hip</strong>book v64<br />
Q15: Do you vote on a local level 1-Yes<br />
votlocal v66<br />
(mayor, govenor, local issues,<br />
etc…)?<br />
0-No<br />
Q16: Do you vote on national level 1-Yes<br />
votnatio v68<br />
(president, senate, etc.)?<br />
0-No<br />
Q17: Do you agree or disagree with 1-Strongly Agree<br />
the following statements?<br />
2- Agree<br />
3-Don’t Know/Don’t Care<br />
4-Disagree<br />
5-Strongly Disagree<br />
I vote or will vote because my vote<br />
makes a difference.<br />
ivote v71<br />
I do not or will not vote because my<br />
vote does not make a difference.<br />
novote v72<br />
Voting and voting results only affect<br />
certain races.<br />
voterace v73<br />
Voting and voting results only affect<br />
wealthy people.<br />
vwealth v74<br />
Politics and political activity only<br />
affects wealthy people.<br />
pwealth v75
affects wealthy people.<br />
Government cares about the poor and<br />
poverty.<br />
Politicians care about the poor and<br />
poverty.<br />
Government cares about low-income<br />
workers.<br />
Politicians care about low-income<br />
workers.<br />
Q18: What party do you identify<br />
with? Mark all that apply.<br />
1-Respondent identifies with<br />
party.<br />
163<br />
govpov v76<br />
polpov v77<br />
gcarelow v78<br />
pcarelow v79<br />
Republican repub18 v81<br />
Democrat democ18 v82<br />
Independent indep18 v83<br />
Communist comm18 v84<br />
Socialist social18 v85<br />
None none18 v86<br />
Q19: What political ideology do you 1-Respondent identifies with<br />
identify with? Mark all that apply. ideology.<br />
Conservative (Right Wing) conser19 v89<br />
Liberal (Left Wing) liber19 v90<br />
Green Peace green19 v91<br />
Capitalism capit19 v92<br />
Socialism social19 v93<br />
None none19 v94<br />
Q20: Mark the type of political or<br />
social organizations you are active<br />
in?<br />
1-Respondent Participates.<br />
Political Party polpar20 v97<br />
Community-Based Organization cbo20 v98<br />
Non-governmental Organization ngo20 v99<br />
Lobbyist or Policy Group lobby20 v100<br />
Greek Organization greek20 v101<br />
Professional Organization prof20 v102<br />
Volunteer Groups volun20 v103<br />
Activists or Advocacy Groups<br />
Q21: What country and state do you<br />
currently live in?<br />
v104<br />
Country 1-U.S.<br />
0-Outside U.S.<br />
country v105<br />
States Abbreviation v106
Alabama<br />
Arizona<br />
Arkansas<br />
California<br />
Colorado<br />
Connecticut<br />
Florida<br />
Georgia<br />
Illinois<br />
Indiana<br />
Iowa<br />
Kansas<br />
Louisiana<br />
Maryland<br />
Massachusetts<br />
Michigan<br />
Minnesota<br />
Missouri<br />
Nebraska<br />
New Jersey<br />
New York<br />
North Carolina<br />
Ohio<br />
Oklahoma<br />
Pennsylvania<br />
South Carolina<br />
Tennessee<br />
Texas<br />
Utah<br />
Virginia<br />
Washington<br />
Wisconsin<br />
Washington, DC<br />
Q23: What is your occupation?<br />
Professional or related professi v115<br />
Academic academic v116<br />
Researcher research v117<br />
Sales sales v118<br />
Administrative admin v119<br />
Service Industry (Restaurant, Hotels,<br />
Resorts, Hospitality)<br />
service v120<br />
Self-Employed selfempl v121<br />
Student student v122<br />
Q24: How old are you? 0-12 and under 3-26-35 age v124<br />
1-13-17 4-36-45<br />
2-18-25 5-46-60<br />
6-Over 60<br />
164<br />
AL<br />
AZ<br />
AR<br />
CA<br />
CO<br />
CT<br />
FL<br />
GA<br />
IL<br />
IN<br />
IA<br />
KS<br />
LA<br />
MD<br />
MA<br />
MI<br />
MN<br />
MO<br />
NE<br />
NJ<br />
NY<br />
NC<br />
OH<br />
OK<br />
PA<br />
SC<br />
TN<br />
TX<br />
UT<br />
VA<br />
WA<br />
WI<br />
DC<br />
1<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
9<br />
10<br />
13<br />
14<br />
15<br />
16<br />
18<br />
20<br />
21<br />
22<br />
23<br />
25<br />
27<br />
30<br />
32<br />
33<br />
35<br />
36<br />
38<br />
40<br />
42<br />
43<br />
44<br />
46<br />
47<br />
49<br />
51
Q25: What is your biological sex? 1-Male<br />
2-Female<br />
sex v125<br />
Q27: Which of the following races or 1-Identifies with race or<br />
ethnicities do you identify with? ethnicity<br />
White American (White Anglo Saxon) white v128<br />
European euro v129<br />
Black American black v130<br />
Caribbean/Virgin Islands carr v131<br />
African african v132<br />
Latin American latinA v133<br />
Latino v134<br />
Asian v135<br />
South Asian/South Asian American sasian v136<br />
Asian American/Pacific Islander api v137<br />
Native American nativam v138<br />
Q28: What religious ideology do you 1-Identifies with religious<br />
identify with? Mark all that apply. ideology<br />
Catholicism catholic v140<br />
Baptist baptist v141<br />
Methodist method v142<br />
Evangelism evang v143<br />
Jehovah Witness jehovah v144<br />
Islam islamic v145<br />
Judaism judaism v146<br />
Hinduism hindu v147<br />
Buddhism buddhist v148<br />
Indigenous Religions (Traditional<br />
African, Traditional Native, Tradition<br />
Latin, etc…)<br />
indigeno v149<br />
Non-denominational Nondenom v150<br />
Atheist atheist v151<br />
Q30: What is your average yearly 1-Under 10,000<br />
income v155<br />
income?<br />
2-10,000-19,000<br />
3-20,000-39,000<br />
4-40,000-59,000<br />
5-60,000-79,000<br />
6-80,000-100,000<br />
7-Over 100,000<br />
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Questions Dummy<br />
Variables<br />
Dummy Variables Contain<br />
Q20 particip polpar20+cbo20+ngo20+lobby20+greek20+prof20+volun20<br />
Q15+ Q16 voteover votlocal+votnatio<br />
Q12 attitude gov+politics+society+status+finances+spending+voting+race+class+oppsex+dating<br />
Q17 gvplcar govpov+polpov+gcarelow+pcarelow<br />
Q17 vpwealth vwealth+pwealth<br />
Q12 racesoc race+class+society+status<br />
Q12 gvpolvt gov+politics+voting<br />
Q12 spenfin spending+finances<br />
Q12 dateopsx dating+oppsex<br />
Q19 cnsvcap conserv19+capit19<br />
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Data Preparation<br />
This statistical process began with converting the Zoomerang data file into a Microsoft Excel<br />
sheet. While in Excel I made several manual recodes of variables from words into a numeric form. The<br />
Excel sheet of data was then opened in SPSS and converted to a SPSS file. The analysis began with<br />
running frequencies on all of the variables.<br />
Several reliability tests were run on variables from question 12. First, I ran a reliability test on<br />
all of the variables including: gov, politics, society, status, finances, spending, voting, race, class,<br />
oppsex, dating. The Cronbach Alpha value of .8675 showed that the correlations were strong enough to<br />
combine these variables into a scale. The new combined variables were then recoded into the dummy<br />
variable attitude.<br />
A reliability test was also run on the variables votlocal and votnatio from questions 15 and 16.<br />
The Cronbach Alpha value of .7304 showed that a correlation between the two was strong enough to<br />
combine these variables into a scale. The new combined variables were then recoded into the dummy<br />
variable voteover.<br />
Several reliability tests were run on variables from question 17. A reliability test was run on all<br />
the variables including ivote, novote, voterace, vwealth, pwealth, govpov, polpov, gcarelow, and<br />
pcarelow. The Cronbach Alpha value of .5649 showed that these variables could not be combined into a<br />
scale. I then ran additional reliability tests on groups of variables from this question. These four<br />
additional tests included one for ivote, novote, and voterace, which yielded a –1.3235 Cronbach Alpha<br />
value (not high enough to combine variables into a scale); one for ivote and novote, which yielded a<br />
–4.2822 Cronbach Alpha value (not high enough to combine variables into a scale); one for novote and<br />
votrace, which yielded a .5048 Cronbach Alpha value (not high enough to combine variables into a<br />
scale); and one for gcarelow and pcarelow which yielded a .8671 Cronbach Alpha value (high enough to<br />
combine variables into a scale). As a result of running the gcarelow/pcarelow test, a second reliability<br />
167
test was run, which in addition to using the gcarelow and pcarelow variables also included the variables<br />
govpov and polpov. The Cronbach Alpha value of .9223 showed that the correlations between the four<br />
variables were strong enough to combine these variables into one scale. These combined variables were<br />
subsequently recoded into the dummy variable, gvpolvt.<br />
A reliability test was run on vwealth and pwealth yielding a .8957 Cronbach Alpha value,<br />
which showed that the correlations were strong enough to combine these variables. These two variables<br />
were recoded as vpwealth. A reliability test was also run on the variables from question 18 including:<br />
repub18, democ18, indep18, comm18, social18 and none18. The Cronbach Alpha value of -.1757<br />
showed that none of these variables had strong enough correlations to combine them into a single scale.<br />
A reliability test was run on the variables from question 19 including: conser19, liber19, green19,<br />
capit19, social19 and none19. The Cronbach Alpha value of -.2049 showed no correlations high enough<br />
to combine these variables into a scale. The last reliability test run was for the variables from question<br />
20 including: polpar20, cbo20, ngo20, lobby20, greek20, prof20 and volun20. The Cronbach Alpha<br />
value of .5430 showed that these variables could not be combined into a scale. A reliability test was also<br />
run on just the variables: cbo20, ngo20, lobby20 and volun20. The Cronbach Alpha value of .5160<br />
showed that these variables also could not be combined into a scale.<br />
Several ordinary least square regression analyses were performed to test what independent and<br />
dependent variables had the strongest and most significant relations<strong>hip</strong>s. Originally, I used only one<br />
block of independent variables, which included the listening pattern variables (gangster, popular,<br />
message, undergrd, and local. A regression was run with this block and the dependent variables from<br />
question 10, which include the variables rapped, wantrap, original, poetry, and danced. I also ran<br />
correlations on the first independent variable block and these variables. I determined the variables from<br />
question 10 could be used as a second block of independent variables. I ran a regression with the original<br />
block of independent variables from question 4 and the following variables as the second block: rapped,<br />
wantrap, danced, original, and poetry. Using these two blocks I ran regressions with several dependent<br />
variables including: gvpolvt, spenfin, dateopsx, gvplcar, vpwealth, and voterace. I then added<br />
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demographic information into separate blocks of independent variables. The first block included race<br />
and ethnic identifications and the second block included sex, age, and income. I determined that these<br />
four blocks of independent variables would give the most significant models.<br />
Using the four blocks of independent variables I ran regressions on dependent variables,<br />
including: voterace, ivote, novote, vpwealth, racesoc, gvpolvt, spenfin, dateopsx, and gvplcar. From<br />
these regression analyses, I determined that to create better models I could eliminate some of the race<br />
and ethnic independent variables including: Caribbean/Virgin Islands, Latin American, and South<br />
Asian/South Asian American. I ran the regressions using all of the previously mention variables<br />
excluding these race variables. From these regressions, I determined that the strongest models were run<br />
with the dependent variables: voterace, racesoc, gvpolvt, spenfin, and voteover. Later I realized that it<br />
might be interesting to explore the relations<strong>hip</strong>s between the independent variable block and the<br />
dependent variables from question 13, which shows how much is spent on <strong>hip</strong> CDs (<strong>hip</strong>cd), concerts<br />
(<strong>hip</strong>conc), clothing (<strong>hip</strong>cloth), accessories (<strong>hip</strong>access), and books (<strong>hip</strong>book). I ran regressions with these<br />
variables and determined that only <strong>hip</strong>cd, <strong>hip</strong>conc, and <strong>hip</strong>cloth produced usable models.<br />
Logistic regressions were run on some of the party identification, political ideological<br />
preferences, and participation variables from questions 18, 19, and 20. I also ran these linear regressions<br />
for the dependent variables repub18, democ18, indep18, comm18, social18, none18, conser19, liber19,<br />
green19, capit19, social19, none19, polpar20, cbo20, ngo20, lobby20, greek20, prof20, and volun20.<br />
The logistic regression for volun20 was the only dependent variable to give a high enough predicted<br />
percentage correct (62.3 %) to use.<br />
Correlations were run on a number of independent and dependent variables to determine<br />
relations<strong>hip</strong>s that existed, but were not strong enough to include as regressions. Correlations were run on<br />
the variables from questions 4 and 5; questions 4 and 18; questions 4 and 19; questions 4 and 20;<br />
question 13 and income; question 13 and age; question 13 and the block of race and ethnicity<br />
independent variables; and questions 4 and 13. Several of these correlations were significant and were<br />
used in predicting results.<br />
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Statistical Appendix C:<br />
Participants’ Location By State<br />
States Abrreviation Code Percent<br />
Alabama AL 1 .8<br />
Arizona AZ 3 .8<br />
Arkansas AR 4 .2<br />
California CA 5 12.0<br />
Colorado CO 6 .2<br />
Connecticut CT 7 .2<br />
Florida FL 9 2.5<br />
Georgia GA 10 7.1<br />
Illinois IL 13 3.3<br />
Indiana IN 14 1.2<br />
Iowa IA 15 .2<br />
Kansas KS 16 .4<br />
Louisiana LA 18 4.3<br />
Maryland MD 20 10.8<br />
Massachusetts MA 21 2.2<br />
Michigan MI 22 1.8<br />
Minnesota MN 23 .6<br />
Missouri MO 25 3.1<br />
Nebraska NE 27 .8<br />
New Jersey NJ 30 .8<br />
New York NY 32 14.1<br />
North Carolina NC 33 2.0<br />
Ohio OH 35 .6<br />
Oklahoma OK 36 .4<br />
Pennsylvania PA 38 1.6<br />
South Carolina SC 40 .2<br />
Tennessee TN 42 2.0<br />
Texas TX 43 2.9<br />
Utah UT 44 .2<br />
Virginia VA 46 9.6<br />
Washington WA 47 1.6<br />
Wisconsin WI 49 .8<br />
Washington,<br />
DC<br />
DC 51 10.6<br />
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Participants’ Religious Affiliation<br />
Religious Affiliation Percent<br />
Catholicism 22.2<br />
Baptist 27.1<br />
Methodists 9.4<br />
Evangelical 1.3<br />
Jehovah Witness 1.3<br />
Muslim 3.6<br />
Judaic 2.4<br />
Hindu .8<br />
Buddhist 3.8<br />
Traditional Religion<br />
2.1<br />
(African, Latin, or Native American)<br />
Nondenominational 24.4<br />
Atheist 4<br />
171