Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Underground Hip-Hop
Underground hip hop is an "umbrella term" for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. The term is almost exclusively associated with independent artists, signed to small independent labels or no label at all. Underground hip hop is often characterized by having more socially conscious, positive, or anti-commercial lyrics than the mainstream; however, there is no unifying or universal theme - Allmusic suggests that it has "has no sonic signifiers". "The Underground" can also refer to the community of musicians, fans and others that support non-commercial, or independent music.
Underground hip-hop encompasses several different styles of music, though it is often politically themed and socially conscious. Numerous acts in the book How to Rap are described as being both underground and politically or socially aware, these include - Akir, Little Brother, Brother Ali, Mr. Lif, MURS, Binary Star, People Under the Stairs, Bad Habitat, Lifesavas, and Zion I.
Underground artists often have high levels of critical acclaim - acts who have been specifically noted as being both underground and having numerous critically acclaimed albums include Jurassic 5, Aesop Rock, Ugly Duckling, Little Brother, Brother Ali, El Da Sensei, Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious, Non Phixion, Freestyle Fellowship, Binary Star, Planet Asia, People Under the Stairs, Cannibal Ox, and Zion I.
Additionally, many underground artists are said to have "intelligent", "intricate", or "complex" lyrics, these include - Akir, Ugly Duckling, Brother Ali, Cage, El Da Sensei, Blackalicious, Mr. Lif, MURS, Bad Habitat, Dead Prez, Binary Star, Planet Asia, Lifesavas, and Zion I.
Some underground artists produce music that celebrates the fundamental elements or pillars of hip hop culture, such as People Under the Stairs whose music "recalls hip-hop's golden age"
Early stages of Underground Hip Hop
In hip hop's formative years, the vast majority of the genre was underground music, by definition. Although the Sugarhill Gang gained commercial success in 1979, most artists did not share such prominence until the mid 1980s. Ultramagnetic MCs debut album Critical Beatdown is seen as one of the earliest example of "underground hip hop"[43]. It was described that the album was characteristic of what would later be known as "underground hip hop".
In 1991, A Tribe Called Quest's "Check the Rhime" reached #1 on the Billboard Rap Singles Charts, but did not crack the U.S. Hot 100. Once hip hop music entered the pop sphere, a clear dichotomy began to form between the mainstream and the underground. Underground hip hop "scenes" or communities formed in many major U.S. cities bringing artists and audiences together for concerts, open mics, battles and parties.
It is important to note that many artists that are considered "underground" today, were not always so. Artists such as De La Soul, The Pharcyde, Wu-Tang Clan, and others all broke the U.S. Hot 100 chart more than once. Yet today, they are more likely to tour with today's alternative hip hop acts, than with their successors at the top of the hip hop charts. This reflects a general: modern fans of
underground hip hop music are more likely to embrace music from the genre's earlier, or classic periods, than the music on commercial hip hop radio stations. Prominent albums of this decade includes Masters of the Universe, which was described as a "refreshing alternative from the mainstream of rap". Other notable albums include Bad Habitat's "Swaggadocious Mixtape", Dead Prez' RGB and Common's acclaimed album "Be".
College and community radio stations were the traditional incubator of underground hip hop music. The radio charts that track college radio play continue to be one of the most important indicators of success for independent hip hop artists. Beginning in the late 1990s internet radio stations emerged as another powerful alternative tool for artists. Today, satellite radio offers even more venues for artists to find an audience without relying on traditional commercial radio play.
Today's Underground Hip Hop Are Mainstreamed By Internet Radio Stations, Such As: 4 Elements Radio , True Hip Hop.fm and Radio Mic-Beatz
There have been many small-scale publications that focus on so-called underground hip-hop. One recent online publication is called "aboveGround Magazine", and they provide interviews, downloads, reviews, and news from underground and independent hip-hop artists.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Hip Hop Music Sales Slump in Digital Age What Does This Mean for the Industry?
Before Hip Hop got accepted into the mainstream, many Hip Hop artists pretty much stayed underground to practise their art form. No one knew Hip Hop was going to become the titan that it would develop into. When Hip Hop first began, it started out in the streets. It was a movement by people who were disadvantaged, or were ostracized by the community - they were looking for a way to express themselves and their plight. And express themselves they did.
Hip Hop music is spontaneous and witty. For example, when a battle takes place between two artists, the lyrics are never pre-written. Each competitor will be given the opportunity to rap for a certain period of time. The audience is the judge. The culture of rap is that the judging audience is never biased making it a truly democratic art form. Whoever comes up with the most original and creative lyrics will win the battle. Of course, there is an element of like and dislike. So the lyrics have to connect with the audiences as well. The final results of the battle is based on the cheers of the audience. Whoever receive the loudest cheer, wins the battle.
As you can see, Hip Hop arises out of a need for talented artists to be heard. And the artists became really good from years of practising. As they practise, the world remains largely unaware of what is happening. It wasn't until the artists become more entrepreneurial that Hip Hop starts to take off.
Unlike other type of music, the Hip Hop community accepts was far reaching in content and profanity in the lyrics. The market finds it refreshing to hear such profanity in the records. And soon, Hip Hop music took off like a bullet with as much variety in tone as there were people. From the angry rebellious rap, to the happy its a party time songs.
The market soaked it all in mainly because they believed that the artists were just doing their thing - they were voicing repressed feelings, from lack of opportunity or showing you how to enjoy yourself and life. So record sales continued to soar. Recording artists like Eminem, 50 Cent Lil Wayne, Jay Z, T.I and Gucci Mane all did very well in the industry.
Unfortunately, the success of the Hip Hop industry has hit a turning point. In a few short years, sales for Hip Hop music begin to decline, and it continued to decline year after year. Some recording labels, once worth millions of dollars, are now near bankruptcy.
It is clear that the market has taken the time to learn about Hip Hop music and culture and have fully embraced it. After earning billions of dollars in the industry, and being widely accepted in the mainstream, what is the source of the decline in sales?
Many will argue, its all due to the Internet. The new Internet age has brought about many new opportunities along with many new threats to the old industries. Now its easier then ever to commit piracy and unfortunately the record industry has been resistant to change. Too stuck in the old mind frame and old distribution channels to fully embrace what the Internet could really mean for them.
Hip Hop artists are now being heard all over the world. There is no longer the element of distribution channels or lag from the artist to the market. Why? Because the Internet makes it instantaneous. As such old walls have been broken down where people had to wait for months or search relentlessly to be able to acquire all of an artists past works.
As such artists must continue to evolve in order to continue thriving. Perhaps it's still back to basics. No more focusing on big marketing budgets and record label driving initiatives. Maybe what the Internet has done is take Hip Hop out of the corporate boardrooms and back to the streets where all that counts is just great rap music lyrics from the heart.
Hip Hop – More Than Music, a Lifestyle
The rise of hip hop was not arbitrary. It happened in the 1970s, when people were tired of dance and rock and needed a change. But that was not the only reason. There were also some social and political causes. Hip-hop’s popularity grew in the same time with the power of black and Latino gangs. Hip hop became a protest against middle-class white community from the poor black community living in “ghettos”. The lyrics spoke about the reality in ghettos which wasn’t exactly peachy. Consequently, hip-hopers used their music to express their feelings and frustrations. Of course, what begun as a poor class’s protest transformed into a million dollars industry, but that is another story.
Today, hip hop is listened to not only by Afro Americans, but also by white people. In fact, many successful hip hopers are white, an example being the notorious rapper Eminem. Hip-hop fans have their own way of dressing (with large clothes usually, baggie pants, bandanas, tattoos, sportswear and gold or platinum chains) and speaking. Consequently, we can say that hip-hop is more than just music and has turned into a life style for many. However, given the popularity of rap music, there are very many artists and the competition between them is fierce. The question is how can a young artist, at the beginning of his career, become popular and make himself a name? How can he obtain the attention of a producer who can help him to get into show business? The first step would be to record a hip hop mixtape and send it to several important music studios. The problem is that these studios receive thousands of records everyday. Many young artists, charmed by the mirage of easy success and fame, knock at the doors of music studios with a hip hop mixtape in their hands.
What every aspiring hip hoper must know is that there are web sites where you can post your songs in order for thousands of interested listeners to hear them. If you are lucky, you will receive an offer from one of the music studios and get to record your first album. The most important thing is to believe in your talent and not to give up easily. Send your hip hop mixtape to all the producers that you have heard of. Even if you don’t get any feedback at first, don’t lose hope. If you are talented, your hip hop mixtape will eventually be listened to by someone who realizes your potential. The road to success is not as easy as it may seem; it requires hard work, talent and maybe a bit of good luck, but in the end it will be all worth it.
The Beginning of Hip Hop Clothing
This subculture has several main elements and this is one of the major reasons why hip hop gained the success that it has now. Besides the specific, new type of music that it brought: rapping, hip hop also introduced a new fashion trend: hip hop clothing, a new form of art, graffiti, another way of dancing, break dancing and last but not least beat boxing. With so many elements introduced there is no wonder that hip hop graduately started to develop and win the hearts of many people.
Besides rap music, which is the main element that hip hop is known for and appreciated, another important aspect of this subculture that had immediate appealing to fans as well as ordinary people, was hip hop clothing. Today there is not a clothing store that either sells hip hop clothing or has clothes that are also inspired from this type of fashion. All the major designer labels borrowed something from this amazing form of art known as hip hop.
One of the major reasons why nowadays there are thousands of clothing stores that promote and sell hip hop clothing is the fact that this simple fashion was and still is accessible and easy to wear. Large, baggy pants and long t-shirts are the two major iconic aspects of hip hop clothing. Moreover, this new trend allowed people to look a little uncouth as long as they feel comfortable with what they wear. Another reason why hip hop clothes must be very comfortable is because you have to be allowed to move freely in order to be able to break- dance.
In the beginning the hip hop fashion was looked at as being more appropriate for those who lived in the ghetto or had minimum wage. However, this was about to change very soon. What hip hop brought to the world was undeniable and there was no way that this was just some wave that was going to pass without leaving any trace. More than that, hip hop has not passed and it is maybe stronger today than it was when it first started. Hip hop clothes are a big hit, rapping is one of the most expressive ways of expressing yourself and break- dancing and graffiti have become an art form that you can not live without.
The numerous clothing stores that sell hip hop clothes and the number of brands that started to make such clothes increased considerably. This subculture is now appreciated at its value and although there are some bad things that hip hop promotes at times, the many great aspects of this subculture have brought it where it belongs.
Hip hop clothes are found in thousands of clothing stores, break- dance is thought in thousands of dancing schools, graffiti is found on millions of wall and hip hop music is listened by millions of people around the world.
The Essence of Hip Hop
It's was all surreal and as I watched America's corporate media do what they do best, sensationalize a story for ratings (prime example, after the Virginia Tech University shooting, one media outlet went so far as to place a picture of 50 Cent next to the shooter's picture, claiming that his music was responsible for influencing the killer to commit the violence).
Oprah's "Town Meeting On Hip Hop", BET's "Hip Hop vs. America", Paula Zahn's "Hip Hop: Art or Poison" allowed out of touch black leaders, right-winged whites, and angry women groups to all scream "Hip Hop"... "Hip Hop negatively influences youth to do this...", "Hip Hop promotes that....”, "Hip Hop is the source of all societies ills". To make matters worse the people on these panels who were invited to speak for hip hop were mostly rappers and members of the rap industry out to preserve their moneymaker. The legitimate members of the hip hop community on these 3 panels could be counted on one hand, Common (Oprah's Town Meeting on Hip Hop), Chuck D & Nelson George (Hip Hop vs. America), and a couple of others. Hip Hop wasn't giving a fair opportunity to articulate to America, that what was actually being pumped out on major radio waves and on the Viacom machine (MTV, BET, and VH1) was not Hip Hop but a commercialized version of Hip Hop called Rap. And as people continued to confuse rap for hip hop, things got totally out of control with the statement of the year "Hip Hop Is Dead". This declaration was first made by Nas when he released the self titled single, for his 2007 album, "Hip Hop is Dead".
Did he really believed the statement or was he using it as a clever way to create a buzz and draw attention to his album release? His response to the controversy bother me even more, saying he was referring to, not just hip hop, both the whole music scene in general, as far as creativity was concerned. Though I agreed with him 100% about the lack of creativity, I could not believe that he perceived hip hop as a once active member in mainstream music that, after being exposed to a virus called commercialism, fell victim and died.
Luckily, hip hop had major medias to represent and defend it against the assault...it... wait... what am I talking about... once the Source magazine started trixin' with Rap, the love affair was over and hip hop got kicked to the curb. And hip hop lived at Hot 97, in the beginning, but after they attracted enough listeners off that claim, they raised the rent so high it downgraded hip hop from the penthouse apt, to a one room studio in the basement, finally back to the streets.
That's when I decided to expand my presentation to do more then just highlight the differences between the culture of Hip Hop & commercial mainstream Rap, I also had to prove that Hip Hop was still alive. I decided the best way to do this was to present a clearer and more detailed description of what Hip Hop was. I had to go deeper than just identifying the 5 elements, which is what the original idea was, but to explain why people love hip hop, what it means to live hip hop, and what other than the 5 elements separate hip hop from rap. As a result not only did I create a 3 part presentation, I developed what I feel is the most important part to this presentation, what I call the "Essence of the Culture".
Hip Hop has a soul, an essence that is made up of 3 main factors: Creativity, Originality, and Skill Development. These are the main factors that fuel hip hop culture. It is the force that governs it and the foundation for which it’s built. It dictates the art, fashion, and media of hip hop. When the music industry attempted to bring the music element of hip hop culture to the mainstream, it failed to include (or purposely excluded) the essence, leaving them with nothing more than a product called Rap music. Once an element (or person) of hip hop culture is separated from its essence, it becomes disconnected and no longer part of the culture.
Hip Hop Fashion, A Very Fast Growing Field Of Fashion
In the hip hop fashion world, few things are the same as in other clothing lines. Because everything in the hip hop world is out of this world, it just makes sense that it has its own clothing line. And, it is one that is fast becoming a hot seller. Sometimes, items sell out faster than they can be put on the shelves. Because of the huge demand and the great looks of hip hop fashion, people just have to have it and wearing it, just means that you know what you are talking about. There are very few other fashion industries that have such a hardcore following. Look for hip hop fashions to keep popping up and becoming more and more available.
But, who says what look is the right look to have? Hip hop fashion is largely based on what the hip hop artists are wearing. Through the use of media such as their videos, concerts, and interviews, they convey the look that is hot. Hip hop clothing, like many other types, is often designed and produced under labels of some of the hottest artists in hip hop. One such example is the G-Unit clothing line. This clothing line was designed in part by 50 Cent, a very well known and often considered on the best artists in hip hop. But, hip hop fashion also incorporates quite a bit of jewelry, the flashier the better. All of this jewelry, from spinning belt buckles to iced out watches can be purchased on the web.
Hip hop clothing can be purchased in a number of different locations. Many times it can be found right on the web as well. In fact, to make sure you have the look you want with the right brands, you need to look on the web because often times stores either do not carry enough and run out or they simply do not carry the full line of clothing. Hip hop fashion is highly valuable and great looking. This comfortable, laid back look is one that is here to stay.
Hip Hop Message Forums, Talk About It
Hip hop message forums are out there for you. If you have a love of hip hop, you probably want to shout about it. Well do it! Talk about your favorite artists and what they are up to on hip hop message forums. Throughout the web, you will find various places to do this. There are often great websites out there that you can express your feelings, talk about your thoughts or just find out what is up with your favorite bands.
Hip hop message forums are a great place to stop and talk. Like the lyrics to a certain song? Want to find out the inside scoop on what your favorite hip hop artist is up to? The message forums are the places to go to find this. All sorts of various artists are out there and every once in a while you may just find one stopping in for a chat or a message about them. Hey, that’s worth it!
Of course, you can also use hip hop message forums to get in touch with others out there that love hip hop as much as you do. This is a great place to make some friends and talk some music. Get in touch with them in a safe place where you can just chat without worrying about anyone preying on you. Make some great friends and talk to others that love what you love, hip hop.
Hip hop message forums are out there and available to anyone who is looking for them. Some of the hottest hip hop sensations have their own chats and message forums. There are also a number of great websites that you can get online with others about hip hop in general. There are a million fans out there just like you who are looking to find someone to connect to. Get in touch with others and show off your knowledge of all that has to do with hip hop. Hip hop message forums are just the right place to do it
Underground Hip Hop
These’s no doubt that some of the mainstream hip hop being released is pretty good. After all, these artists generally have big budgets behind them. But have you ever wondered why you sometimes hear new songs on the radio and you absolutely hate them? And after a while, those same songs find a way of growing onto you.
Just to give you some background, one study showed that an ad from a new product or service has to be noticed by a prospect a total of nine times before that prospect becomes a customer. Two out of every three times a prospect is exposed to a new product or service, it’s ignored. That means that a customer has to be exposed to a new product an average of 27 times before he or she will buy. So what does that tell you about the music on the radio?
Quite simply, it means you have a personal musical taste that goes beyond the standard mainstream music on the airwaves. That’s why you fall in love with certain songs the instant you hear them. You don’t normally wait for a song to grow onto you, unless you’re forced to hear it again and again. Think about it. If you’re forced to hear a song that you don’t particularly like for an average of 27 times, wouldn’t you start to know some of the lyrics and maybe even sing along with it? You would, and you might even buy it.
Here’s the slap-in-the-face reality: In our experience, the typical hip hop consumer is only exposed to music that makes it onto radio play lists. It’s not necessarily the best music, but since the labels behind it have deep pockets, they can afford to have their material played over and over again, even if it means using payola tactics to get the job done. This obviously doesn’t make life easier for smaller labels since they don’t operate with big budgets. And in the end, the hip hop consumer is the one that ultimately suffers because he or she might never get to hear some of the best underground hip hop available.
How Hip Hop Started
Hip hop means many different things. It was first used to refer to the culture and way of life of urban city New York City. But, since then, the term has taken on a life of its own. The most popular meaning of hip hop is now music. Hip hop or rap as it is also called has several origins. In fact, there is no one origin that can be called the only one. There are several histories about how hip hop got started.
First of all, the influences that helped to inspire hip hop are thought to be traced back to African culture, but it isn’t until the multicultural mix of New York City that the music began to flow. But, even if we do not have a clear picture as to when hip hop was started, we do know that there are some major players in its history.
For example, one type of hip hop called dub is traditionally Jamaican style. Other forms such as Reggae are evident from the 1960’s. Through development with artists such as U-Roy, Dr. Alimontado and Dillinger that most began to change to incorporate a more obvious baseline and percussion element. Blues music also came to light inspiring another turn in the culture.
When we talk about the term of hip hop, we are often brought back to Kool Herc, a DJ when he began working with Afrika Bambaataa. There are many more people that fold into the story of how hop hip hop got started. If you want to take it back to decades ago with the combination of African music, reggae and blues you will find a line of wonderful artists. Or, with the urban culture of inner city New York, there is another line of artists that have made their mark. One thing is clear, though; hip hop continues to make history for years to come.
To find more information about how hip hop got started, you can find a wide range of information available to you right on the web. And, with so many people needing this information and wanting to know the roots of this music genre, it is safe to say that what you need to know is available to you here, on the web.
Hip-Hop Love Stories and the Construction of Socially Acceptable Urban Identities
Hip-Hop has historically existed as a male-dominated industry. Being a reflection of urban life and struggle, past Hip-Hop artists have been forced to maintain a certain level of masculinity in order to be accepted by their urban communities. Old school rappers who talked about love were often viewed as soft or corny. Because of this perception, the existence of love in Hip-Hop is a fairly new concept.
As the movement has gained support and recognition throughout the world, love has become an increasingly common theme in Hip-Hop music and poetry. However, the taboo still exists. Even today, Hip-Hop artists and poets present their love stories in a manner that allows them to maintain socially acceptable identities. Hip-Hop stories about love must still meet the masculine ideology in which the movement is rooted in order to be perceived as real and true.
The purpose of this study is to analyze Hip-Hop love narratives and how artists present these love stories in order to construct socially acceptable identities. I believe personal narratives are closely tied to the construction of identities. It is through personal narratives that people can recount life-changing events, realize socially acceptable behavior and create individual identities.
I have researched and studied several Hip-Hop love songs and analyzed the lyrics as text and poetry. In my research, I have found five common narrative forms used by Hip-Hop poets to tell their love stories: contrasting, perceptual, spiritual, conversational and metaphoric. These five narrative forms are used not only to present the story correctly, but also to maintain positive perception among a society that might view this sensitivity as weak. I plan to demonstrate each of these narrative forms and show how the poets use them to tell their love stories while establishing acceptable identities.
The Contrasting Narrative
One of the most common forms of Hip-Hop love stories is the contrasting narrative. Many artists use Hip-Hop music and poetry to tell stories about the negativity surrounding their urban environments. The contrasting narrative allows the poet to express his or her love story as a contrast to this negativity while constructing an acceptable identity because that negativity is real and understood in urban communities.
A great introductory example to the contrasting narrative would be the following passage from Method Man’s “All I Need”:
Back when I was nothin’
You made a brother feel like he was somethin’
That's why I'm with you to this day boo no frontin’
Even when the skies were gray
You would rub me on my back and say "Baby it'll be okay"
In this song, the poet uses the contrasting narrative to show his love for someone who stood by him when “skies were gray.” He speaks of his love interest as someone who helped him get through troubled times, thus providing a positive contrast to his negative surroundings.
Another example of the contrasting love narrative can be seen in this passage from Guru’s “All I Said”:
This world is crazy, she's supposed to help me stay sane
Supposed to help with the pain, supposed to help me maintain
In this song, Guru uses the contrasting narrative to share his view of what love should be. He admits that his “world is crazy”, and that his love interest is the one person who can make it bearable.
In “She Tried”, Bubba Sparxx uses the contrasting narrative to tell a story that actually recalls his love being there for him when he was in trouble with the law:
A fly country girl, just workin’ them gifts
She's my queen, was a virgin I guess
But I ain't never ask and I ain't never tell
But Betty had the cash every time I went to jail
This song further illustrates the use of contrasting narratives to express love. Though the poet confesses spending a lot of time in jail, Betty was always there to bail him out, again acting as a positive contrast to his troubles.
The Perceptual Narrative
Another common narrative form of Hip-Hop love stories is the perceptual narrative. Like the contrasting narrative, the perceptual narrative is based around the negativity that surrounds the poet’s life. But instead of presenting this love as a contrast to that negativity, the poet uses this narrative to explain how that love changed his or her previously negative perceptions. This narrative form also allows the poet to construct a socially acceptable identity due to the acknowledgement of the negativity of urban life.
In “Jazzy Belle”, Andre of Outkast uses the perceptual narrative to tell of how his love changed his former perception of women:
Went from yellin’ crickets and crows, witches and hoes to queen thangs
Over the years I been up on my toes and yes I seen thangs …
Now I’m willin’ to go the extra kilo-
Meter just to see my senorita get her pillow
On the side of my bed where no girl ever stay
House and doctor was the games we used to play
But now it’s real Jazzy Belle...
In this song, Andre talks about a personal change of perception caused by love. He admits that at one time he thought of women as “witches and hoes.” But “now it’s real”, and he has a new perception of women as “queen thangs.”
Another great example of the perceptual narrative can be found in the following passage of Black Star’s “Brown Skin Lady”:
I don't get many compliments, but I am confident
Used to have a complex about, gettin’ too complex
You got me, willin’ to try, looked me in the eye
My head is still in the sky, since you walked on by
In this example, the poet admits to having relationship issues, but tells of how love helped him to overcome these issues. The poet’s love interest helped him to change his perception of love and fear of “gettin’ too complex”.
In “Ms. Fat Booty”, Mos Def further illustrates this point by demonstrating the perception of other men and speaking to his love on how he is different:
Yo, let me apologize for the other night
I know it wasn't right, but baby you know what it’s like
Some brothers don't be comin’ right
I understand, I'm feelin’ you
Besides, ‘Can I have a dance?' ain't really that original
In this song, the poet uses the perceptual narrative to acknowledge that some men “don’t be comin’ right”, but that he has a different perception of women than these other men.
In “Come Close”, Common uses the perceptual narrative to express how love has made him change from his old ways:
I want to build a tribe wit you
Protect and provide for you
Truth is I can't hide from you
The pimp in me
May have to die with you
Although the poet used to be a “pimp”, an urban term for a man who romances a large number of women, he tells of how his love interest has changed his actions and perceptions.
The Spiritual Narrative
A third common form of Hip-Hop love stories is what I like to refer to as the spiritual narrative. The spiritual narrative relies on the poet’s characterization of love as a kind of godly being, spiritual force or royalty, often with the feeling that the story teller has to protect that force. The spiritual narrative allows the storyteller to construct an acceptable identity by characterizing love as spiritual or perhaps even predetermined.
A great example of the spiritual narrative can be found in this passage of The Roots’ “You Got Me”:
Somebody told me that this planet was small
We use to live in the same building on the same floor
And never met before
Until I'm overseas on tour
And peep this Ethiopian queen from Philly
Taking classes abroad
Here, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to describe the time, place and emotions that his love was founded on, speaking of them as if they were somehow meant to happen. He also refers to his love interest as “this Ethiopian queen from Philly”, using the royal characterization so common in spiritual love narratives.
In “Love Language”, Talib Kweli also uses a spiritual narrative form and refers to his love as a kind of royalty:
Now if they call you out your name
Then that's a different thing
Anything but Queen
I'll go to war like a King
This example shows the protection aspect of common spiritual love narratives. The poet feels it is unacceptable for anyone to “call you out your name”, or in other words, use derogatory language toward his love. If someone were to do so, he would “go to war like a King”, thus maintaining his masculinity.
In “Mind Sex”, Dead Prez uses the spiritual narrative to talk about love introductions:
African princess, tell me yo' interests
Wait, let me guess boo, you probably like poetry
Here's a little something I jotted down in case I spotted you around
So let me take this opportunity
In this song, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to tell a story about the introductory conversation he had with a love interest. He refers to her as “African princess”, once again showing the tendency of poets who use the spiritual narrative to refer to their love interests as royalty.
The Conversational Narrative
The fourth common form for Hip-Hop love stories is the conversational narrative. The conversational narrative allows the poet to recite or recreate a conversation with his or her love and present it as play-like story about a specific love experience. Conversational love narratives are typically characterized by introductory speech and compliments, and are most commonly used as tools to tell a story about a first meeting or impression. These narratives allow the storyteller to construct an acceptable identity mainly because they often include many smoothly-structured compliments, and make the poet look like a cool ladies man.
A great example of the conversational love narrative can be found this passage from Dead Prez’ previously mentioned “Mind Sex”:
Pardon me love but you seem like my type
What you doin’ tonight?
You should stop by the site
We could, roll some weed play some records and talk
I got a fly spot downtown Brooklyn, New York
In this example, the poet is reciting the conversation between himself and a love interest. As with many conversational narratives, it is based around meeting someone for the first time. The poet is telling a story about a girl he met that “seem[ed] like my type”. He then inquires “What you doin’ tonight?”, and follows with a list of charming speech in an attempt to create a social relationship with the girl.
In a similar narrative, “Beautiful Skin”, Goodie Mob uses the following conversational narrative to retell the first phone conversation he had with his love interest:
This is Carlito from a couple of days ago, you sound tired
Forgive me if I've called you too late
But what better time to relate mind-states?
Where could I begin?
Has anyone ever told you ‘You got beautiful skin’?
This example further illustrates the use of introductory language in conversational narratives. The poet asks his love interest if she would like to “relate mind-states”, or get to know each other. He then tells her that she has “beautiful skin”, an often successful introductory complement given to women.
Cee Lo uses the following conversational narrative in “Slum Beautiful”:
Look at you, unbelievably, brilliant beautiful you
You're looking deliciously divine darling you really and truly do
The very thought of has got me running at the speed of love
Exploring everything about you from the ground to the God above
In this song, the poet uses the conversational narrative to speak directly to his love interest through the song. Note the wide range of compliments offered in this passage, as well as the charm, again illustrating a common aspect of the conversational narrative.
The Metaphoric Narrative
This fifth form of Hip-Hop love stories is possibly the most fascinating. It is the metaphoric narrative. The metaphoric narrative is used when the poet speaks of love in a metaphor of some kind. The most popular and socially acceptable form of metaphoric narrative is using Hip-Hop as the metaphor. Many followers of the movement view Hip-Hop as a driving force of love and happiness in their lives. Thus, many metaphoric love narratives revolve around Hip-Hop itself.
A good example of such a metaphoric narrative is the following passage from Black Eyed Peas’ “Rap Song”:
Yo, she got hips to hop
And she ain't goin’ pop
She like a record that I wanna rock
When I'm rollin’ in my ride cruisin’ down my block
In this example, the poet actually uses a unique play on words and speaks of a love interest as a Hip-Hop metaphor. He relates this person to “a record that I wanna rock”.
The group further extends the metaphor in the following passage:
She like a beat that makes me wanna grab the mic
She like the lyrics that I wanna recite
She like the old school mic with the cable
You can bring your records and I'll bring the turntable yo
Again, the poet relates his love interest to other things he and his audience love, including “old school mic with the cable”, reciting lyrics and spinning records on a turntable.
Another great example of the metaphoric narrative is in The Roots’ “Act Too … Love of My Life”:
Learnin’ the ropes of ghetto survival
Peepin’ out the situation I had to slide through
Had to watch my back my front plus my sides too
When it came to gettin’ mine I ain't tryin’ to argue
Sometimes I wouldn'ta made it if it wasn't for you
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life and that's true
This passage is unique because it utilizes both the metaphoric and contrasting narrative techniques. The poet refers to Hip-Hop as “the love of my life”, while simultaneously showing how that love created a positive contrast to the tough “ropes of ghetto survival”. The poet admits that he “wouldn’ta made it if it wasn’t for you”, showing that his love for Hip-Hop was and is a driving force in his life.
And that leads us to the most popular metaphoric Hip-Hop love narrative of our time. In “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, Common Sense uses the metaphoric narrative to express his love for Hip-Hop. He starts off the narrative with the following passage:
I met this girl, when I was ten years old
And what I loved most she had so much soul
She was old school, when I was just a shorty
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me
In this example, the poet starts off telling a story about a girl he met when he “was ten years old”, and how she was always there for him. The poet continues to use the metaphoric narrative to speak of this girl, including the good times and hardships they faced together. Not until the end of the poem does the listener actually realize that the entire song is a metaphor. The song ends with the following passage:
I see rappers slammin’ her, and takin’ her to the sewer
But I'ma take her back hopin’ that the stuff stop
Cause who I'm talkin’ bout y'all is Hip-Hop
In this song, the poet used the metaphoric narrative to tell a story about the love of his life, the struggles she faced, and his desire to save her. In the end, he admits that this love is not a real person, but instead his love of Hip-Hop.
The presentation of Hip-Hop love narratives is a very difficult task. In order to talk about love and still construct a socially acceptable urban identity, artists tend to implement one of the five successful love narrative forms. I believe that our society’s analysis of Hip-Hop music and culture is lackluster at best. The Hip-Hop love narratives presented above could provide a great basis for linguistic and sociolinguistic studies. Not only are they presented in a variety of styled narrative forms, but they also include deep thought, perception and analysis of the urban environment that characterizes an increasing majority of American society. Through the analysis and study of these love narratives, linguists could come to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Hip-Hop vernacular, literature and, ultimately, culture.
All this is mostly seen in Underground Hip-Hop. Mainstream Hip-Hop typically flaunts chauvinism while the underground is more open to experimentation. Mainstream Hip Hop artists are under the pressure of their record company and managers to press albums that will sell and 12-18 year old males (hip hop's primary fan base) want sex in everything. Especially the music that they, and the girls they are trying to get with, are listening to. Underground Hip Hop and artists like Dead Prez, Common, Bad Habitat and Talib Qweli promote positive non-degrading music. Keep your eyes and ears open when listening to hip hop.
Peace
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bad Habitat at Calabash - Featuring: Raise The Bridges, Gepetto, Daps and More
The Bill: Bad Habitat, Raise The Bridges, Gepetto, Daps and More.
Another day, another bad ass hip hop show at Calabash. Portland's Hip Hop Heroes, Bad Habitat, are rocking in full effect Friday Night (11/13/09). All real Northwest Hip Hop heads should attend. This is not a show you want to miss. Club Calabash is popping Friday nights.
