Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Week 11- Hip-hop, Race and American Film
How has Hip-hop's aesthetic shaped American film? In what ways do we see race articulated through a Hip-hop aesthetic? As you explore the readings, audio and visual references, think about the ways in which Hip-hop has influenced the cinematic and storytelling styles. How do you see particular elements of Hip-hop translated into film? How does the race of a filmmaker impact his/her vision if at all? As you watch the films Do the Right Thing, 8 Mile and Hustle and Flow, think about the ways that diverse racial and ethnic groups use Hip-hop as a platform to tell stories.
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Hip hop culture has been integrated into the film industry since the early 1980’s. According to Robin D.G. Kelley, "Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look" (Lecture 3/26).This quotation frankly relates to how race is represented in Hip-Hop based films. Race has always played a major role in films, and when hip hop influences a film, the film’s storyline revolves around several characters coming from diverse cultural backgrounds and different lifestyles. “Hip-hop emerged as a voice for black and Latino youth” (Forman and Neal 220). Watching these films makes us open our eyes to the struggles the characters have faced and why it means so much to them to be successful in their work. We see these different cultures and specific struggles in the films “8 Mile” and “Do The Right Thing”. “Do The Right Thing” revolves around blacks and Italians living in a black neighborhood. In the film, Spike Lee is a black male who made friends with an Italian despite the dispute between their two diverse groups. “8 Mile” represents how blacks and whites can be a part of the same group, with no differences other than skin color. “The desire is not to really tell any kind of new story, but just to rely on the stereotypes that we already have” (Arnold 312). For example, lighter women like J-Lo are objects of affection, while darker girls, like Queen Latifah are the best friends. Although film and media frequently take part into racial stereotypes, our culture must open our eyes to look past race and see the whole story.
ReplyDeleteThe images of the hip-hop aesthetic have become popular subjects for fine art throughout America, including paintings, photography, cinema. Images of the four elements of hip-hop, race issues, gender issues, and urban/suburban space are all included in the aesthetic of hip-hop itself (Hodges Persely). The amount of hip-hop content in American fine art has increased with the increase of hip-hop’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteIn the modern era of american filmography, hip-hop is a popular subject for filmmakers. The evolution of hip-hop involvement in film has gone from just the documentation of the hip-hop culture, portrayed in the 1980s, to a specific “hip-hop cinematic style” of movies that released in the late 1990s to early 2000s (Hodges Persely). In Curtis Hanson’s “8 Mile,” produced in 2002, the cinematography style linked the old-school style of Hip-hop film, as seen in “Wildstyle”, to the more modern style known as a bio-pic (Hodges Persely). In the late 2000s we see a increase in the amount of Hip-hop documentaries being produced and watched by large audiences (Hodges Persely). One of the popular subjects of hip-hop films and documentaries focuses on the poverty stricken areas in which different artists careers began. Areas such as Compton and Harlem, the two most prominent hometowns that are portrayed in cinema, influenced hip-hop’s development. Specifically in Compton, a more violent and intense hatred for authority figures is depicted in music, films, and documentaries that are centered around the “West Cost” hip-hop culture (Murray 263). These portrayals of hip-hop culture in film focus on different racial issues throughout the United States and usually, by the end, leave the audience with a anti-racism mindset.
As hip-hop began to grow in popularity, it began to show this growth in film. By the late 1980s, the references in film became more complex as hip-hop grew. (Lecture 2/26). An element that was mentioned in the Forman reading was graffiti and “tagging” in the public space that is often displayed in films based around hip-hop. (Forman 250). One of the most significant parts of the movie Do the Right Thing was the idea of breaking the norm and putting intra-racial conflicts in the forefront. When it is going through the different characters each saying slurs into the camera. Something that stood out to me in the Arnold article was the quotation that says, “The desire is not to really tell any kind of new story, but just to rely on the stereotypes that we already have” (Arnold 312). This made me think of the movie 8 Mile and the idea of having a main character in a hip-hop movie being white. It reminded me about the stereotypes that are associated with MCs or anyone involved in hip-hop. As fans and even some artists in the hip-hop culture, there needs to be a focus to break these stereotypes whether it’s the idea that an Asian rapper won’t have the skill that a black one would, whether it is that women don’t match up, or even homosexuals. These stereotypes are definitely apparent in films and music videos throughout the culture
ReplyDeleteThe importance of race in film is prevalent in the movie clips we watched in class on Monday and in the readings for this week. In class, we watched scenes from two movies: “Do the Right Thing” and “Boyz n the Hood.” These clips showed how race is an influential part of the different societies where the films take place in: New York and South Central Los Angeles. The racial slurs used in “Do the Right Thing” were to make people aware of racism and prejudice, not to disrespect groups of people. I thought this was an intense and brilliant way for Spike Lee to show his opinion on racism and its presence in society. In “Boyz n the Hood,” the discussion about the process of having African-Americans kill each other in their neighborhoods is another discussion that openly expresses the importance of race in the film. One of the interesting points made in the “Put Your Camera Where My Eyes Can See” reading was that “Hollywood hasn’t always been the most progressive when it comes to addressing gender, race, and class issues, but it has succeeded in creating a formulaic template that predictably exploits stereotypes of African American and urban-identified culture” (Chang, pg. 307). The difference between a film that uses this formulaic template, like “8 Mile,” and a film like “Do the Right Thing,” which uses a less mainstream approach to display its sentiments, is prominent. It’s interesting to compare and contrast these kinds of films because of the way they promote and display their views on race and racism in society.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Robin Kelley, “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look”. Race has been used as a social construct, in which it is used to mark and maintain the different hierarchies of power and privilege within society. These borders between racial groupings developed within Europe and North American during the 18th century, mainly based on phenotypes. Race can also be seen as a social construct in the way that is departs from the biological notions of race as “natural” and having the particular attributes, capacities, and inferiorities (3/26 Lecture). “Since its inception in the mid-to late 1970’s, hip-hop culture has always maintained fiercely defended local ties and an in-built element of competition waged through hip-hop’s cultural forms of rap, break dancing and graffiti,” (Forman 250). And as hip-hop’s popularity and elements grew, hip-hop slowly became seen much more within many different films. Emerging in the late 1980’s, films began referencing the influence of African American culture and hip-hops aesthetics, which can be seen in Wild Style, Breakin’, Beat Street, and Do the Right Thing, in which Spike Lee demonstrates the influence of hip-hop on the style of filmmaking, borrowing of DJ style of cutting and mixing. Moving into the 1990’s, films began showing the influence of cinematic style and content across racial, ethical, class, and gender lines, seen within Hustle and Flow, 8 Mile, Notorious and many other films, eventually producing many documentaries relating to hip-hop in the late 1990’s and 2000’s (3/26 Lecture).
ReplyDeleteThe song “Fight the Power” plays in the back of the film “Do the Right Thing” as the black men including Mookie destroy Italian-American Sal’s place in return for him destroying their radio that was playing “jungle music” when he refused to put black people in the “hall of fame” in his pizzeria. This filmmaker chose to depict the stereotypes of different races in America: black, Italian, Jewish, Asian, and more. It is important to note, race is different than ethnicity. The term race refers to groups of people who have biological traits that are socially significant and allows them to be treated a certain way. Ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage. Ethnic differences are learned. “Race should be understood as a social construct used to mark and maintain hierarchies of power and privilege in society” (Persley lecture 3/26). In hip-hop films, “many racial issues are addressed through implied issues of social oppression and conditions” (Persley lecture 3/26). For Rachel Raimist, “the desire [in film] is not to really tell any kind of new story, but just to rely on the stereotypes that we already have. The roles get definitely mapped with race and this ranking of skin tones”(Arnold p. 312). Hip-hop film has modified itself from documentation of hip-hop culture like in Wildstyle and Breakin’ in the 80s, to the now more complex genre of hip-hop that chronicles key figures and phenomena in the hip-hop movement (Persley lecture 3/26). Also, the difference between the racist-stereotype 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” and the 2005 film, “Hustle and Flow,” is that black and white are expressed more equally in the more recent years but still embody the elements of hip-hop and the urban struggle for particular groups.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop aesthetics have influenced American film from its cinematography to its personnel, its artistic dynamics, to its social commentary on black and urban space. With the expansion of hip-hop into mainstream culture, rap artists and hip-hop dynamics began to change American film. Murray Forman writes, “rap music presents a worthy case of race, youth, and space” (Forman and Neal 249). Director Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing was a racial conscious film with a DJ cut-and-mix style of filming and had many aspects of rap and hip-hop culture (Lecture NHP 3/26/12). Its commentary on racial conflict within urban communities was revolutionary to film and Do the Right Thing gave way to other films like John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood, which starred popular hip-hop icon Ice Cube. This film highlighted gang violence and culture in the L.A. “hood.” The hood can be viewed as centers of both inter and intra-racial conflicts, but has significance on race commentary, hip-hop genesis, and black/latino youth. “The hood provides a setting for particular group interactions which are influential to rap music's evolution” (Forman 254). As we understand race as a a social construct used to mark and maintain hierarchies of power and privilege in society, black directors like Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Hype Williams were able to use film as a tool to express themselves artistically; while simultaneously, using hip-hop aesthetics to help shed light on social and class disparities.
ReplyDelete“[Racism] is not about how you look it is about how people assign meaning to how you look.”
ReplyDeleteRobin D.G. Kelley – historian
Race should be understood a social construct used to mark and maintain hierarchies of power and privilege. Looking at this quote you think about how society has an image that is supposed to be, but the different looks we all have that make up this rainbow coalition of a universe. The fact of racism goes all the European vs. North American days having to do with racial bonds and separates. Robin D.G. Kelley is a great historian when it comes to talking about race and embodying different ethnicities. A key point could be making it ok to be able to choose what you are classified. Example of that is Obama can be identified himself as other, or white, or African American now days but according to Thomas Jefferson he is nothing but African American because his father.(Lecture 3/26) Having that mindset such as Thomas Jefferson and those who agree with him are not open minded. This breaks into how film and media are also racially subjected. Film was already mainstream with your typical love stories and action films and white American actors; not too many African American directors and writers were around to break ground. Until Spike Lee in the 1980s when Hip Hop was very heavy with many up and coming rappers that would soon make historic movements and songs. “Hip Hop emerged as a voice for black and Latino youth” (Forman and Neal 220). One collaboration with film and music is Public Enemy and “Do the Right Thing”. The message in both the song and movie is about knowing yourself and being active in what’s right and wrong in your community within social welfare. Hip Hop and Film has the collaboration that include the Aesthetics of hip hop such as graffiti, MCing, DJing, breaking, race, class, gender, sexual experiences, urban/ suburban space and lack of resources. This also could be considered the art of polyculturalism (not judging the have and have nots).(Lecture 3/26) With all this being said Spike Lee having a ground breaking movie along with many others to put out issues on display that others thought of but was scared to mention, paved the way for other writers and directors to make history as well. John Singleton; another great director created “Boyz In the Hood”; this movie displayed inner city youth at its finest with gang life, poverty, and everyday struggle at it’s finest. “The hood provides a setting for particular group interactions which are influential to rap music's evolution” (Forman 254). Now it seems easier for other directors white and black to make movies that document and tell the untold story of black life and arising issues that we as black people have been going through for years.
“One day we will once rule the earth as we did in our glory days.”- Minister Farrakhan
(quoted from “Do the Right Thing)
In 8 Mile during the last battle scene, Eminem say, “I am white trash,” I feel like that line in itself shows the progress hip-hop and film has made. I believe that quote embodies hip-hop view point that it doesn’t matter what race you are, all it cares about it how good you are at what you do (Lecture 3/26). Films that have to do with hip-hop (which today is mostly all of them) have come a long way, has hip-hop has grown and changed through the years so have the films. According to Rachel Raimist, “The hip-hop aesthetic encompasses anything from a no-budget, gritty, hip-hop concept-driven piece to a multimillion-dollar music video where everything is shiny and steady-cammed, but it features some artist or hip-hop-inspired fashion” (Chang 308). I personally feel that race as in black or white is really encompassed in movies; I feel it is more class. In most movies when they show someone that plays a role with hip-hop they always show them starting at the lower class (ghetto, trailer park, or hood) and then making it out or just there life in the underprivileged space. For an example in Do the Right Thing there are many different races within the community, however they are all struggling for recourses to survive in the deprived areas for New York. Murray Forman’s “Represent: Race, Space and Place in Rap Music” it really talks about how MCs used certain spaces and place to represent themselves. The films of the late 80s and early 90s where really filmed using this idea, they were focusing on these places and spaces from L.A in Boy in the Hood, to afore mentioned Do the Right Thing. Then from the 90s to the present the films started to really focus on how the story for the hip-hop artist making it (i.e. 8 Mile, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Stomp the Yard). Now a day the new thing in hip-hop film is Documentaries, MCs want to be able to leave their legacy for other to see and watch (Lecture 3/26). I wonder if hip-hop ever-changing what the new style of hip-hop movies will be?
ReplyDeleteOne of the major ways hip-hop’s aesthetic has helped shaped American film is through race. A perfect example of this is in class when we watched clips from 8 Mile and Do the Right Thing. As we watched a clip Do the Right Thing we see how race and hip hop have shaped American film. An example is the clip we watched in class when Mookie asks Pino who his favorite basketball player is etc. He answers the question by saying Magic Johnson. In this film Pino is a racist and all of his favorite stars are black people. This is a message sent through the movie dealing with racial stereotyping. On the other hand there are movies like 8 Mile which talks about how a white kid growing in Detroit makes it in the rap scene. “Yet at the same time, a revolutionary movement has been happening under the mainstream radar, spurred on by both the tickle-down effect of technology and a desire to tell culturally relevant hip-hop stories from a personal perspective.” (Chang, 307) I think this quote supports the movie 8 Mile. I know that 8 Mile isn’t under the mainstream radar but it certainly does tell a culturally relevant hip-hop story from a personal perspective. That personal perspective is Eminem. So I think that one of the major ways hip-hop’s aesthetic has helped shaped American film is through race.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Robin Kelley, “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look”. I really agree with this because take my own example is sometimes I wear like pretty Hip-Hop. But the Hip-Hop style for me is nothing serious but just appearance. Nobody can blame you except those who want look at other people in a different pair of sunglasses. Racism is kind of inevitable especially in a Hip-hop movie. Director Spike Lee shows his opinion about racism in his movie “Do the right thing”. I pretty much like the Jordan’s clip. There is one great movie that I have to mention is “Scarface”. This is a movie influenced a lot of Hip-Hop culture. A lot of songs in the movie were samples by different Hip-Hop artists including the very familiar opening theme. On one hand, this movie inspired a lot of Hip-Hop culture afterwards. On the other hand, Hip-Hop culture becomes more and more popular in the film production. This what I called spark between Hip-Hop culture and American movie
ReplyDeleteHustle and Flow and 8 mile are perfect examples of how hip-hop has crossed into film. Ice Cube is the first hip-hop artist that I watched a film from, but his films do not always reflect the hip-hop culture completely. Hustle and Flow takes you through the day and the life of a pimp and shows that it really is not as glamorous as some of today's artists make it out to be. There are no purple hats with feathers or giant diamond chains, but it does embrace these elements of hip-hop; it just puts them in a different perspective. Djay uses hip-hop to escape from the bleak reality of life and uses his opportunities to take advantage of his dream. In lecture we talked about how in African-American cinema the protagonist is usually on a mission and it is no different here. One part that sticks out to me is when he is trying to record a song but there is some white noise in the background that would ruin the quality of the song. He realizes the neighbors are playing loud music and he goes over there in attempt to quiet them down. The neighbors are not happy, but Djay gives them a bag of marijuana (his means of income) and they quiet down enough to record the song. He shows how in hip-hop, you might need to sacrifice things from your current life (which occurs fairly often throughout this movie) to succeed and fulfill your dream.
ReplyDeleteThe ideas and assumptions about race in the U.S over time have shaped the foundation of the “American identity.” Through the use of Hip- hop aesthetic and the different elements of Hip- hop, directors used American film to address racial issues through implied issues of social conditions. “Rap music is one of the main sources within popular culture of a sustained and in depth examination and analysis of the spatial partitioning of race and the diverse experiences of being young and black in America,” (Forman and Neal 249). The establishment of race in early American societies bases race not on biological characteristics but as a social construct to mark and maintain hierarchies of power and privilege in society (NHP Lecture 3/26/12). It was stated that blacks were inferior to whites and could not be given any of the same benefits whites were given. “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look,” (Robin D.G. Kelley). Early Hip- hop films were more based on documentation of the culture as Hip- hop began to emerge into society. Then they progressed to show Hip- hops influence on African American culture for example in Boyz in the Hood a 1991 film directed by John Singleton. Singleton attempted to portray his perspective of gang life and culture in Los Angeles at the time from a black male standpoint (NHP Lecture 3/26/12). Being one of the new age directors of Black cinema, Singleton laid the foundation for other directors to use film and Hip- hop to express their ideas using the four elements of hip- hop and race, class and gender. As Hip- hop film gained popularity Hip- hop culture began to influence much of cinematic style and content across racial and ethnic lines such as in Hustle and Flow a Craig Brewer film. Hustle and Flow expanded Hip- hop narratives from the east and west into the south. Brewer being a white director is able to explore black and white racial stereotypes on an even playing field (NHP Lecture 3/27/12). Before Hip- hop film made an impact on American society, issues of race weren’t fully addressed. As the films tell stories of a main character following some kind of quest, the directors use Hip- hop to emphasize race, urban or suburban spaces, lack of resources or simply intra- racial conflicts based on class in different communities (NHP Lecture 3/27/12).
ReplyDeleteHip-hop’s influence in films throughout time is abundant and ever progressing. This progression is demonstrated in the once utilized linear model to express hip-hop culture and the now abstract, circular stories being created and produced showing the complexities of it (lecture 3/26). But though there have been advancements in expanding hip-hop boundaries, deconstructing social construction is a battle still being fought.
ReplyDeleteMurray Forman, in “Represent: Race, Space and Place in Rap Music”, builds upon the idea that there is a constant need to establish space and place, as a hip-hop artist, in order to maintain a firm hold on one’s own identity in the midst of recurring social constructions—constructions often formed around race. In 8Mile Eminem’s character, B-rabbit, is engaging in his final battle against Papa Doc and states:
“You went to Cranbrook
That’s a private school
What's the matter dog?
You embarrassed?
This guy's a gangster?
His real names' Clarence
And Clarence lives at home with both parents
And Clarence's parents have a real good marriage”
This serves as an example of the importance of place and space both as a mechanism for establishing legitimacy but also for ousting stereotypes aimed at race within hip-hop film.
The beauty of film is the ability for an individual to press pause on the world he/she experiences and experience the struggle, strife, and triumphs of another. Hip-hop has this tool to engage society. Through film, it can begin to reconstruct false schemas, which aim to confine and conflate this ever-transcending culture, while still maintaining its identities and ties to the original culture.
As with most popular culture, hip-hop has influence film to the extent where rap artists are becoming a double threat, MC and actor. Hip-hop’s avenue into the movie industry is attributed mostly through black film. Even though hip-hop as we have discussed in lecture is a polycultural existence, origins come from African traditions. Hip-hop’s key aesthetic is sampling so when entering into moving imagery it is not surprising that it draws from many disparate parts (N.H.P lecture 3.26.12). Hip-hop’s early films such as Do the Right Thing and Boys in the Hood focus more on interracial relations, while more recent films that are influenced by the culture tell more of a story of hip-hop. MC Documentary’s like 8 mile and Notorious show more of the struggle of hip-hop as it is from a story telling of struggle, the griot tradition. Forman discusses the idea of the MC claiming urban space to as his hood and taking ownership of place to gain notoriety and support. “Since rap’s invention it has become somewhat of a convention for the rapper to be placed at the center of the world, as the subject around which events unfold and who translates topophilia (love of place) or topophobia (fear of place) into lyrics for wider dissemination” (Forman 260). I think hip-hop’s influence in film is more than we know. For example, many movies that are not hip-hop related in story line have songs of the genre that give the film a standing. Even commercials that have hip-hop songs make the brand more notable. An issue I see with hip-hop in film is that many movies are deemed as blackbusters solely because they have a hip-hop artist or similar struggles that are represented within hip-hop lyrics. Why does everything that is “black” have to be “ghetto”?
ReplyDeleteRacial experiences and polycultural exchanges contribute to a Hip-Hop aesthetic (Lecture, March 26). These components translate to film as Hip-Hop and race are depicted in popular American film. In Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, relationships among and between racial groups are explored. Racial tensions between different characters erupt when the fight breaks out in the pizzeria and the police arrive, killing Radio Raheem. Then the pizzeria is destroyed by the angry mob of people. The conflict started with the pizzeria’s Wall of Fame and the desire to see people of color on the wall, not only Italians. Because it is set in a black neighborhood and it caters to black customers, it is argued that the Wall should feature some black celebrities or heroes. The setting of the movie in the black neighborhood resembles the spatial relationship Murray Forman discusses in “Represent: Race, Space and Place in Rap Music.” He argues that a rapper or rap group’s home is part of their identity (Forman 254). They represent where they are from, and they highlight their stomping grounds as important parts of who they are as a person and an artist.
ReplyDeleteRobin Kelly said, “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look.” (Lecture 2/26). You can see this in the way that the film industry has changed from the 1980’s to present day. “Hip-hop emerged as a voice for Black and Latino youth” (Neal 220) In the early 1980’s hip-hop emerged in the film industry. Most films in the 80’s looked at hip-hop from a documentary point of view of its culture. When the 90’s rolled around we see hip-hops influence on cinematic style and content across racial, ethnic, class and gender lines. (Lecture 2/26) The late 90s and early 2000’s marks the era of hip-hop documentaries that chronicle key figures and phenomena in the movement. Arnold writes, “The desire is not to really tell any kind of new story, but to rely on the stereotypes that we already have”. (Arnold 312) The film industry is not trying to create a new image of blackness in hip-hop but allow it to build upon itself.
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop aesthetics have shaped American film in a multitude of ways and are more prevalent now more than ever. According to March 26’s lecture, “by the late 1980s references progressed and became more complex as Hip-Hop grew. The next generation of Hip-Hop films began to reference its influence on African American culture and the film aesthetic.” A perfect example of this can be seen in John Singleton’s 1991 film Boys in the Hood. This movie gave audiences a unique look inside of gang life and culture in the Las Angeles area. This was a monumental film for African Americans because it shifted away from what the previous decade seemed to be stuck on, which was documentaries about African Americans instead of storytelling. One obvious element of Hip-Hop that was evident in this film was Ice Cube making his big screen performance. At the time he was primarily known for his involvement in the highly controversial group N.W.A., and this is part of the reason the film was viewed with legitimacy (because of his known upbringing in Compton and South-Central Las Angeles). After this movie, the setting of a ghetto became common in several African American films. “The hood provides a setting for particular group interactions which are influential to rap music’s evolution” (Forman 254). As seen in Eminem’s 8 Mile, his character B Rabbit has a unique racial situation (being the white in a primarily African American community) so he uses hip hop as a platform to tell him stories. This can especially be seen in his final battle where he references growing up a trailer home, being jumped by his enemy’s gang, and a variety of other hardships.
ReplyDeleteIn the early 1980s, references to Hip-hop in American film were based on documentation of the culture, for example in movies like Wild Style and Breakin’. In the late 1980s, as Hip-hop grew, so did references to the genre. Then within the next generation of Hip-hop films coming out, films started to reference Hip-hop’s influence on African American culture and the film aesthetic, especially in movies like Do the Right Thing, which was directed by Spike Lee, and 8 Mile, which was directed by Curtis Hanson (Lecture 3/26). Do the Right Thing really shows Hip-hop’s influence on filmmaking and was innovative in the way it explores race relationships between interracial groups. In the movie, Hustle and Flow, director Craig Brewer did a fantastic job of presenting white and black stereotypes and class analyses of Hip-hop (Lecture 3/26). In my opinion, 8 Mile is one of the biggest breakthroughs for Hip-hop in film, because it was not only one of the first bio-pics for the genre, but it was also the first Hip-hop film to have a white artist as its lead role. I think Hip-hop in film has been an essential part in influencing how society views the genre and has helped outsiders get a more authentic view of how the genre began and how it has become what it is today. A director’s race has a huge impact on a film direction, and a great example of that is with Curtis Hanson, the director of 8 Mile, and how Hip-hop’s aesthetics affected his image for the film.
ReplyDeleteHip hop has progressed greatly thorough the years. Not only is hip hop being presented on the big screen but is also getting recognized for being a more than just “black music.” To many the face behind hip is “black” but when the audiences see the stories of how some of the well known rappers were found it helps you see the world through their eyes. For example, in 50 cents movie “Get Rich or Die Trying” the title alone represents the struggle and effort it takes to be successful in the hip hop business. According to Hodges, “The evolution of hip-hop involvement in film has gone from just the documentation of the hip-hop culture, portrayed in the 1980s, to a specific “hip-hop cinematic style” of movies that released in the late 1990s to early 2000s” (Hodges Persely). Artists who share their story over film really got me to think about the racial differences in the film industry. Movies like “8 mile” and “Hustle and Flow” took a lot of money to make (lecture 2/26/12). Documentaries show the struggle it takes to get discovered and usually the artist that make a successful amount of money in the business are the ones that get a large amount of money to make their movie. Race is always a controversial topic Robin Kelley once said, “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look" (Lecture 3/26). Hip hop has come a long way from big screen to making a meaning out of the videos.
ReplyDeleteHype Williams, Spike Lee, John Singleton, Curtis Hanson and many other movie directors have helped bring hip hop’s aesthetic to the forefront in American film. In the early 80’s, references in hip hop film “were based on documentation of culture like in Wild Style and Beat Street” (Lecture). As hip hop became more complex in the late 80’s, films “began to reference its influence on African-American culture like in Do The Right Thing and Boyz N Da Hood” (Lecture). From the 90’s until current day, hip hop has “influenced cinematic style and content across race and gender lines in movies like 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow” (Lecture). The DJ culture of cutting and mixing greatly influenced Spike Lee when he made Do The Right Thing. The element of MCing can be seen first hand in films like Hustle & Flow and 8 Mile. Murray Forman states in his article that “since its inception in the mid to late 1970’s, hip hop culture has always maintained fiercely defended local ties and an in built element of competition waged through hip hop’s cultural forms of rap, breakdancing and graffiti” (Forman 250). A filmmaker’s race can influence a film. John Singleton gave the daily life view of a black man in Compton during the time period the movie was made and Curtis Hanson gave a view of a white man struggling to make it in hip hop in Detroit.
ReplyDeleteIn some films you can see that it was influence by hip-hop. Many films that are influenced by hip-hop show racial issues that are addressed through implied issues of social oppression and conditions (lecture). Class disparities are often used to indicate race and ethnicity (lecture). The four elements can be seen in films that are influenced by hip-hop. Not only is film influenced by hip-hop, but film also influences hip-hop. It can be seen in the production quality of the music video. Many of the music videos in hip-hop are movie quality. In hip-hop, sometimes artists will have movie references in their music.
ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of Hip-Hop, it has become more and more integrated into everyday life. We see it and hear it making influences everywhere. Obviously we hear it on the radio and see it on the streets with graffiti, but more and more we are hearing it and seeing it in commercials and in movies. Hip-Hop is a very intriguing culture to many so translating the history of Hip-Hop to film is an easy way to show the lives of people who are very prominent in the culture. Hip-Hop was created as a way for opinions of social situations to be voiced so naturally Hip-Hop films have become another way to address those situations. Many racial issues are addressed through implied issues of social oppression and conditions (Lecture 3/26). These implied issues are integrated into the film with Hip-Hop Aesthetics like: the four elements of Hip-Hop, Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Experiences (Lecture 3/26). Hip-Hop films have evolved from documentaries that are less appealing to the viewer and rarely get much attention, to films like 8 Mile and Hustle and Flow, which deal with the four elements of Hip-Hop and are all around more fascinating to the viewer. Part of the reason that these films now are more appealing is because production companies have realized that people find Hip-Hop culture so fascinating and easily relatable to all races and cultures, that they are spending more money on the production of these films to make them more pleasing to watch. Although some of the recent Hip-Hop films that have come out are not entirely true stories, like 8 Mile, the films are still able to inform the viewer on many social issues.
ReplyDeleteDylan Woodard
ReplyDeleteEver since Hip Hop started to become mainstream, American film has integrated it into many of its plots and used it to produce many movies. Most movies that use hip hop culture all have characters, usually a minority, that come from a troubled childhood and are out to succeed in life to get out of their current living conditions. From class, Kelley said “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look” (Lecture 3/26). So from this quote, it correlates to the way movies always show characters to live in poor conditions and no major goal in their life to begin with. The setting of this sets up most of the story lines for hip hop films. The film Hustle and Flow is a great example of the life of up and coming artists who face diversity and struggles that come with trying to succeed in the hip hop industry. Many films like, 8 Mile, Get Rich or Die Trying, use a MC as the actor for hip hop films. This is done because the rappers are so good at telling stories and expressing their emotions, it directly correlates to acting out these thoughts and emotions.
Hip-hop has been portrayed through film since the early 1980s. References in the films were based on documentations of the culture, as we see in Beat Street and Wild Style (Lecture). In the late 1980s film references became more complex and began to reference its influence on African American culture, as we see in Boyz in the Hood. In the 1990s we see hip-hop start to influence cinematic style across racial, ethnic, class, and gender lines (Lecture). Racism was still a big part of society as hip-hop continued to grow. As Robin Kelley says, “Racism is not about how you look, its about how people assign meaning to how you look.” Race has always played a big role in films, with the use of main characters from different social, ethnic, and/or racial backgrounds. But as we learned in lecture, race should be used as a social construct used to mark and maintain privileges in society (Lecture). We see this in films such as 8 mile, which was one of the first films to feature a white hip-hop artist, and Hustle and Flow, which expands to not only the East and West, but the Southern culture as well. “The hood provides a setting for particular group interactions which are influential to rap music’s evolution” (Forman 254). This could describe what 8 mile is portraying, the main character being white, growing up in a mostly African American community. He lives and grows up around the rap style of things, and he wants to prove to people that just because he’s white doesn’t mean he can’t do what they do.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that references to hip hop are being documented in film today is the main way its aesthetic has changed American film. The late 1980s brought progression of hip hop as it became more complex. (3/26 Lecture) This marked a generation of hip hop films that began to reference its influence on African American culture, such as Juice, and Boyz in tha Hood. (Lecture) As the rise of hip hop in American film influences cinematic style, it crosses racial, ethnic, class, and gender lines. Class disparities are often used to indicate race and ethnicity. (Lecture) These are best represented by the movies 8 Mile, and Hustle and Flow, where you get the gist of the “hood” and how different ethnic groups play a part. 8 Mile has a white main character, which crosses into the “black” culture of hip hop. Hustle and Flow shows that poverty, and living a life of a pimp, prostitute, or hip hop record producer is not only a life for an African American. Both movies represent the typical stereotypes and claims of space, aka “hoods” as well. “…where these cultures cohere and converge or the spaces that are reimagined and, importantly, remapped”. (Forman, 249) As hip hop hit its rise, it started to drastically alter the hip hop map. (Forman 251) White producers started producing hip hop affiliated productions. This led to more money given to make the “black” productions. Hip hop artists used this progression to tell stories and/or construct opportunities to present their culture. For example, in Busta Rhymes music video, “Eyes can See”, it’s evident that the video had money and is solely presenting African culture all throughout the video with the dressing, the bonfire storytelling scene, and bright colors. The elements of race, class, urban space, and polycultural exchanges between groups all shaped the American film we know today, and they all branched from the hip hop aesthetic.
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ReplyDeleteHip-hop’s influence has spread beyond what one would normally define as hip-hop. Film aesthetics from Do the Right Thing are used in present day movies. The ‘cut and paste’ film methods that Spike Lee uses, like in the racist rant scene, is translated over from Hip-hop’s sampling. This also conforms to polyculturalism because it forces different points of view into a dialectical continuum. Divergent story lines are focused into one (lecture 3/26). Film is just one of many mediums that hip-hop has influenced.
ReplyDeleteThrough film and other aesthetic mediums the issue of race has emerged. Race has always been an issue since the foundation of the USA (understandingrace.org/history). History is portrayed through artistic mediums. Thus, we find issues of race in art, specifically in modern film. So movies, like Do the Right Thing appeal more towards broad social commentary, while others depict racial relations through a single character’s story. Hustle and Flow is an example of a movie that depicts the struggle of a black American who uses hip-hop aesthetics to help tell his story. Djay is an example of a man who struggles with his place, time, race, and vision in American society. As with original hip-hop, his music tells his story. Further, as the film shows, the music he makes helps bring many diverse backgrounds of people together from Shelby to prison guards.
Race relations, not only in a black/white binary, have traversed through hip-hop aesthetics. Jin’s Learn Chinese is a good reminder that there is a plethora of stories that interact within culture, specifically hip-hop culture.
The films 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow clearly use Hip-hop as a platform to tell the stories of diverse racial and ethnic groups. 8 Mile focuses on the story of a white kid named B-Rabbit trying to climb to the top of the rap game in a predominately black Detroit neighborhood and a predominately black genre of music. The film addresses the issues of race and stereotypes through the encounters B-Rabbit has with other characters both directly involved in and or around the world of underground MCing. "Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look" (Lecture 3/26). This notion is also clearly addressed in the film Hustle & Flow because of how the film uses hip-hop as a platform to demonstrate the different dimensions of racism through its character development. These films don’t attempt to eliminate or promote racism and stereotypes in any way but rather “The desire is not to really tell any kind of new story, but just to rely on the stereotypes that we already have” (Arnold 312). Hip hop has clearly shaped American film in that by the late 1980s, the references in film became more complex as hip-hop grew (Lecture 2/26). I see the particular elements of hip-hop translated very well in both of these films and can’t say that the race of the film maker impacts their vision at all because I feel that they are conscious of the fact that they are indeed white or black and creating a film on race thus contributing to the movies image as a whole. “Yet at the same time, a revolutionary movement has been happening under the mainstream radar, spurred on by both the tickle-down effect of technology and a desire to tell culturally relevant hip-hop stories from a personal perspective” (Chang, 307).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Robin D.G. Kelley, "Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look" (Lecture 3/26). You see a lot of this in films today. Films like “Malibu’s Most Wanted” shape hip hop into the film in a more racist way. All of the white people from Malibu dress like what the ideal gangsters and thugs would dress like and talk like them as well. Especially when it comes to hip-hop movies like dance movies or movies from the hood, hip-hop and its’ lifestyle is being portrayed through the language, style, and scenery. Films like “8 Mile, and Do The Right Thing” helps us open our eyes to the struggles the characters have faced. It helps us realize why it means so much to them to be successful in their work. In our reading by Neal Murray it was apparent the “place” is a big deal in the hip-hop world. In the Nortorious B.I.G. movie location becomes a bigger deal as the movie goes on. East coast vs. West coast and their conflict. Murray states, “rap music’s shift towards a self-produced discourse introducing the ‘hood as a new spatial concept…’” (267). This idea of “your hood” being portrayed in a movie, changes the style, tone, and attitude depending on which hood its coming from. The race and culture of a director can change how the movie is produced. The more knowledge and experience you have in a certain field, the more lifelike you can make it. For example, in the movie “Meet The Zohan” it is about an Israeli soldier and all of the Israeli stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop began to take off in the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s. As a result of this boom of music, cinema started to adapt some of hip-hops stories to the big screen. We even learned that the references in film became more complex as the art of hip-hop grew. (Lecture, 2/26). It was interesting to see particular elements of hip-hop potrayed in to film. In classic films such as “Boyz In Da Hood” or “Menace To Society” we see the struggle of African Americans growing up in the ghetto. They potray the tough lifestyles these kids live and how difficult it is to lead a straight and healthy life. It’s interesting to see the race and background of the filmmaker, as it certainly effects the outcome of the movie. Their vision is tainted based on their past experiences and I think it’s intesreting to see how they potray their views on hip-hop. In 8 Mile and Hustle and Flow, we see a lot of potray of hip-hop. We have a struggling MC in Hustle and Flow, who will do anything to make it big. Terrance Howard gives a great performance as this character who so passionately wants to make it big. We see different races mixed in to this, as his best friend/girl is a white girl who is always with him. 8 Mile is one of the most popular hip-hop films ever, starring Eminem AKA Marshall Mathers. As 8 Mile is about a white rapper trying to make it big in the underground battle scene, different ethnic groups stories are clearly told.
ReplyDeleteThe movie 8 Mile represents race extremely well for the hip hop industry. Starting at the bottom and working your way up is a recurring trend in hip hop history. Eminem is a prime example of someone working his way up to achieve his dreams and a better life for himself and family. Sometimes I think people get so caught up in the “image” they are supposed to fulfill or fit into and forget who they really are and where they came from. My favorite scene is when Rabbit battles Papa Doc, I think that scene is a perfect example of how someone tries to fit into an image that isn’t really his, and tries to talk like he has experience. Rabbit calls him out on where his roots really are from, and it wouldn’t matter what he had to say because he already has been to hell and back. I blame the entertainment agencies for creating images of what people should be rather than who they are. No one should have to change who they are to be successful; people will love you for who you are. Race has always been an ongoing debate and controversy topic amongst everyone. Hip Hop is a great place for anyone to be who they are and share their stories and it’s sad that many people judge the music before they know what is really being said.
ReplyDeleteIn class on 3/26 we learned of a quote by Robin D.G. Kelley stating, “(Racism) is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look”. I think this is extremely true, as there are no rules or laws regarding how people from specific races must look and present themselves. This is extremely prominent in how the film industry portrays race and hip-hop. Contributing to hip-hop aesthetic is race, class and gender (lecture, 3/26), and this is seen in films rooting as early as the 1980s. A film that greatly exemplifies these aesthetics is Beat Street, which was made in 1984. Race is shown as the inner city kids are a mix of all different cultures. Immediately noticeable are African Americans and Latinos. Class is shown through the partying in abandoned buildings, and through the rough atmosphere of the neighborhood they live in. Gender is also prominent in this film as women do not break or mc as hardcore and involved as the men do. The main focus of Beat Street is on hip-hop through the four elements djing, mcing, breaking and physical graffiti (lecture 3/26). As learned in lecture, movies made in the early 80’s “reference hip-hop in film based on documentation of the culture”, and this is what the movie does. It introduces us to the life of the characters trying to make it in hip-hop and gets us acclimated with the struggles they need to over come in the way. Beat Street is a great example of hip-hop and race portrayed in film.
ReplyDeleteThe rising popularity of Hip-hop has influenced American Film greatly, and it has maintained this influence through breaking racial barriers. The historian Robin D.G. Kelley stated that “Racism is not about how you look it is about how people assign meaning to how you look.” Racism and racial barriers have been a major part of Hip-hop related films. Do the Right Thing and Boyz n the Hood were some of the first films to directly comment on racial issues, and it is evident that both of these films were affected greatly by Hip-hop and the Hip-hop aesthetic. Even more current films like 8 mile and Notorious, which focus more on the world of Hip-hop itself, address issues with race and racial boundaries. However with the growing impact of Hip-hop film racial barriers continue to be broken, and issues become less apparent throughout all different walks of life.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the four elements of hip-hop that we have already learned about, race contributes greatly to the hip-hop aesthetic in film. The reason that race plays such a big role in hip-hop film is that a lot of hip-hop films are documentations of that culture (NHP Lecture 3/26/12).
ReplyDeleteThe race of the filmmaker does not necessarily change the quality of the film, but it seems as though that white filmmakers interested in making movies involving the hip-hop culture generally have more star-power than the African American filmmakers; therefore, the white filmmakers have more money to put into the film adding to the overall asethetic (NHP Lecture 3/26/12). These films include 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow. However, these hip-hop films created by white filmmakers are also some of the newer hip-hop films which also could be contributing to the aesthetic. Even though films like Do The Right Thing and Boyz in the Hood are older, I found the racial aesthetic to be very interesting and in-your-face in these films. The racial diminutives we saw being used in Do The Right Thing were so blunt for the purpose of making people feel a little bit uncomfortable but also to make them think. Also, the clip from Boyz in the Hood is impactful because it talks about a race sticking together rather than hurting each other.
Of course, race plays a big role in hip-hop music like it does in film. “Rap music is one of the main sources within popular culture of a sustained and in depth examination and analysis of the spatial partitioning of race and the diverse experiences of being young and black in America” (Forman & Neal, 249). The MC often tells an oral history of someone facing hardships by being of a certain race
Hip-hop and its aesthetic properties have now become common through all types of art and media (graffiti, TV, movies, music, dance). Hip-hop has shaped American film because many hip-hop films have similar story lines and now incorporate the “documentary-styled” plot. We see American film in Hip-hop transform since the early 1980s when references to hip-hop were based on documentation of the culture as seen in the movie “Wildstyle”. By the late 1980s, we see hip-hop references progress and become more complex as the culture grew (3/26). Hip-hop has shaped American film also because from the 1990s to present, we see hip-hops influence on cinematic style and content across racial, ethnic, class and gender lines (3/26). Most of the time, the movies are about a rag to riches story, centering around the everyday life of an aspiring rapper, actor, or dancer..etc. For example, the hit film 8-Mile is centered on a young white man who is trying to make it big in the game and be accepted. The race of the filmmaker does impact his/her vision because being a certain race, you will relate better to the race of the main character in the movie and will be able to better relate and incorporate a certain character’s struggles into a film. Different racial and ethnic groups use hip-hop to tell stories in movies because in movies, many racial issues are addressed through implied issues of social oppression and social conditions. Class disparities are often used to indicate race and ethnicity (3/26). There is a quote by Robin D.G. Kelley that states, “’Racism’ is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look”. The meaning behind this quote is clearly addressed in the movie 8-Mile. A white man named B-rabbit is judged and not taken seriously because of the color of his skin, when in reality; he ends up making it big and earned the respect of the people around him. The way hip-hop culture is portrayed in American film aims to magnify racial issues, but does not directly address them. It allows the audience to open their eyes to the real issues and also the issues of the character in the movie.
ReplyDeleteFilm has been a part of the hip-hop movement since its early days, (Breakin’, Wild Style, Beat Street), and as race and the discussion of it and the sign of blackness runs through hip-hop, so it runs through hip-hop inspired film (Lecture, 3/26). Although turning discussions of race into discussions of class is a hallmark of “White Liberal Bingo,” (http://blackfolk.livejournal.com/2290819.html ) in the context of hip-hop film, this idea has some merit. An example of the intersection of race and class in hip-hop film is in “8 Mile.” In” 8-Mile,” the character of Rabbit, played by Eminem, is a young white man who grew up impoverished in Detroit, and is trying make a life for himself as a hip-hop artist. In a climactic battle with a rival (black) performer he first gains the support of the crowd by repping his (and their) city, and how he has dealt with the urban blight there. This ties into the ideas of embodied spaces of “the ‘hood” and “the ghetto” as presented in “Represent: Race, Space and Place in Rap Music,” (Forman and Neal, 248-269): “Maintaining strong local allegiances is a standard practice in hip-hop” (268). After winning the crowd by repping Detroit, Rabbit proceeds to destroy his rival, Papa Doc, by undermining his authenticity, telling the crowd that he is upper-middle class and not a “gangsta” (“8 Mile” 2002). Here, authenticity, class and skill at performing trump the racial divides that lies between Rabbit and his largely black audience at the battle.
ReplyDeleteRace is a socially constructed category of identity based on skin color and ethnic background that is used to create social hierarchies that support and maintain a power and privilege structures in society (NHP Lecture 3.26.12).Many hip-hop artists speak on the issue of race by discussing society’s expectations or the “normative” view on identity rolls in the U.S. In the movie 8 Mile Eminem challenges these normative ideas by playing the role of a white male who is looking for a way into the hip-hop scene by pursing acceptance and respect through his talent rather than being dismissed due to his outward appearance. The movie does a great job of capturing some of the social boundaries we find in hip-hop such as the idea that hip-hop is only a “black” art/culture, but it also allows the audience to recognize that these boundaries are not impermeable. It does this in the final rap battle scene win Rabbit wins the battle by breaking down all of the critiques his opponent could’ve used to tear him down. Robin D.G. Kelley says, “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look.” This quote is important when looking at how race is portrayed in hip-hop. Many times certain characteristics get ascribed to a group of people because of what is being portrayed in the mainstream including film.
ReplyDeleteIn lecture on Monday we discussed hip hop and race within film. In class we watched clips from movies such as, “Boyz in the Hood” and “Do the Right Thing.” Both of these films were directed by African Americans; John Singleton for “Boyz in the Hood” and Spike Lee for “Do the Right Thing.” These films show the affects of the environments and societies of New York and Los Angeles. Both clips showed the affects of racism. I have seen Boyz in the Hood a number of times, but I’ve never seen “Do the Right Thing.” I thought Spike Lee did a fantastic job with capturing the views of different races in the scene. Everyone has stereotypes on every other race, not just black people. He did a great job expressing the way that these individuals feel about the other races. With the movies “Boyz in the Hood,” Singleton shows the lifestyle of living in the “hood” and how it is viewed as a place where violence and gang life is everyday life. “The hood provides a setting for particular group interactions which are influential to rap music’s evolution” (Forman 254). This is a strong quote because it does represent race and hip hop and its beginnings. It started in the hood of South Central and on the streets of New York City.
ReplyDeleteAs presented in lecture, race should be understood as a social construct used to mark and maintain hierarchies of power and privilege in society. The video in class illustrated the historical, painful impact race has had on different groups in the U.S. We’ve seen over and over again in class how many of the artistic elements of Hip-hop, breaking, MCing, and turntablism have been deemed as not pure art forms and marginalized from the mainstream just as the people who pioneered these art forms have been. Unfortunately, black film has been marginalized just as much as Hip-hop has been. I think Tyler Perry represents a breakthrough success that now has the power and capital to increase the amount of exposure black actors and films receive. However, since the number of black films is still relatively few, I think it’s easy for people to stereotype. Many of the black films that receive major funding tend to portray what Robin Kelley refers to as the “essential negro.” Movies like Hustle and Flow, Boyz N The Hood, and Belly seem to have the common themes of hustling, drugs, crime, dominance over women, etc. all characteristics ethnographers wanted so badly to deem normal of young black men. While, I love all the previously mentioned movies, it’s crucial to realize they only represent one side of black film. Just as Kelley made the argument not all the people living in the hood are engaging in “essential negro” activities, not every guy that lives in the hood of Memphis is pimping women for money and not every elderly black lady is as boisterous and violent as Madea.
ReplyDeleteD.cohen
ReplyDeleteThis topic about race in hip-hop has been a profound one to cover because it is constantly occurring everyday. People will get stereotyped about race or sex every time they try to do something in this category of film or music. A good quote to keep in mind is, “Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look” (Lecture notes, Mar. 27). This quote is saying that being white is one thing, but being a white rapper could have a completely different meaning. When you look at a white rapper, they become the minority and are looked down on. 8 mile does a great job showing this because it shows when he starts to do rap battles and no one would take him seriously. This was because before he could even open his mouth, people were judging him based on skin color and stereotypes. This movie gave you the feeling of seeing first hand, what women and different minorities will go through in the rap game to make it. I liked when the book states, “Today, a more pronounced level of spatial awareness is one of the key factors distinguishing rap and hip-hop culture from the many other cultural and subcultural youth formations currently vying for attention” (Forman and Neal). This point is showing that where you are located matters. I liked how each movie was filmed in a different location and you could start to see how each city operates differently when you look at the hip-hop scene.
Cameron Coggburn
ReplyDeleteHip Hop and Blackness are not only used in music, they are used in movies as well. This is also another growing movie genre. More people want to see how it is to live in the “ghetto” and see the things that happen on a day to day basis but don’t want to actually live it. Movies such as Boys in the Hood (lecture 3-26), portrays how it is to grow up in a hood in California and has become one of the most iconic “gangster” movies. It’s good that people come out with movies like this because it may shed some light on the people that “think” they are gangster but really have no idea what it’s like to live in poverty, crime, and everyday struggle. 8 Mile and Menace to Society (lecture 3-26) also deal with the “hip hop aesthetic” because they show differences in race, gender, and the ethnic classes. Many films that are influence by hip hop show racial issues that are addressed through implied issues of social oppression and conditions (lecture 3-26). It just makes sense to me, if hip hop is blowing up and is now very popular, why wouldn’t people want to make movies on and about those situations? It doesn’t matter (at least to me) what color your skin is, or how much blackness you have. Everyone has their own interests, some people get it, and some people don’t.
In director Spike Lee’s “ Do The Right Thing” Race, Hip –Hop collide through the medium of film. The film set in Brooklyn in the early 90’s takes on strong themes of racial conflict partnered with the constant sound track of “Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power”. In fact one of the main characters featured in the film was Radio Raheem who represented hip-hops embodiment constantly carrying his boom box playing “Fight The Power”. Radio Raheem later on the film is killed by police during a riot, Spike Lee uses Raheem’s death as commentary on the way young black men have been abused and sometimes murdered at the hands of police. The riot that ensues shows how destructive racial conflict can be for everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteJin’s Learn Chinese is a significant rap song because it was the first single from an Asian American Rapper on a major label but also he was one the first MC’s to parlay a record deal from being showcased on 106 and Park’s Freestyle Friday’s Rap battles. Even though many rappers have gained notoriety for their freestyle battle rap prowess, Eminem, Cassidy and more recently Meek Mill, they still had to prove themselves as actual artists and the label deals didn’t come right after they got off stages. That’s what makes Jin’s Learn Chinese significant that and his proud identity as a Chinese American rapper. The song begins with “ Yeah I’m Chinese and what. “The “original chinky-eyed emcee” Jin has always had to be honest and open about he was. With a previous history as a battle rapper he had to let people know that he already knew that they didn’t expect an Asian guy to be good rapper.
Films can either reveal the camera-holder’s perspective in a way that better explains their personal view or a way that generates stereotypes of reality from a single image. From a positive standpoint, film offers viewers a diverse picture of “street slang, car customizing, clothing styles, and wall murals” so they have a more holistic understanding of hip hop culture (Forman, 262). Yet the images that go into hip hop films are not selected because they are an average depiction of average African American life, but because they are exciting and exotic to mainstream culture, which results in reenforcement of racial stereotypes (Persley, Lecture 3/26). Film becomes a means of generalizing black culture similar to the way that rap became “the national youth music of black America” (Forman, 250). Public Enemy pushes minorities to fight against the racist stereotype that mainstream culture places on them in his claim “What we need is awareness, we can’t get careless” (Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”). Similarly, Jin angrily responds to the racial slurs and states that “Ya’ll gonna learn Chinese” in an attempt to broaden people’s understanding of cultural identity beyond simple racial constructions (Jin, “Learn Chinese”). Film can act as a vehicle of truth and display the reality of one’s community and daily life to outsiders. At the same time, film can create racial stereotypes by catering to mainstream expectations and expecting “one group’s experience to reflect the social injustice of all ethnic groups” or the experiences of one individual to speak for the opinions of an entire “race” (Persley, 3/26 Lecture).
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