homophobiamisogynyinhiphop-blog

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Cowles performance

Well, I also choreograph Hip Hop for the theater and just finished the biggest show ever. I dealt with some stereotypes especially misogyny with demonstrating what traditional HH is all about. I was asked to come back next season so if you live in MN, see you jan 18-19!

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Any emcees, graf artists, b-girls/b-boys or DJs want to weigh in on their opinions of Homophobia and Misogyny in Hip Hop? Mainstream or Pop?  

Hmm?

#b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #academic #homophobia #hip hop #cultural theory #emcee #footwork #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock #graffiti #artists #DJ #MC

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“Ethiopian proverb: When spider webs unite- they can tie up a lion!”

- Joe Brooks, VP Policy Link & An old Black man… Been there. Done that. What’s new?

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“DJ Davey D., William Jelani Cobb and Anyabwile Love use their history classes to tackle one of the most explosive issues in hip-hop culture.”

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Hip-hop has taken the lead on other social justice issues, from apartheid in South Africa to the police killing of Oscar Grant. We know hip-hop came out of oppression. So Professor Fischer and I posed the question, “How did we move from being oppressed to being people who want to oppress because of perceived differences? Is it that folks have taken on corporate-inspired values of intolerance? We went on to point out how we accept people who beat women, killers, and artists who talk about dealing. We have porn stars in videos and real live pimps all up in the hip-hop space. But when it comes to this gay thing, we have a problem. When we have two people [of the same gender] say they love each other, all of a sudden it’s about righteousness. And it’s not the thugged out dudes; the [conscious] folks are the main ones saying, “It’s unnatural. It’s not culturally sound,” as if a Muslim rapper [sharing a stage] with one who drinks and sells weed is righteous.

Davey D on homophobia in Hip-Hop 

more, here.

(via beatsrhimesandlife)

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         The power structures that control the majority of media outlets in the United States have no vested interest in people resisting the status quo of unrelenting consumption. It is when consumers pause to consider the content of the product, where it was made and who made it, that cause the dominate power structures in this country to become unsettled. Guns N Roses are not held up as being responsible for the entire white rock culture or vilified publicly. 2 Live Crew, N.W.A. and Ice T gave critics of the Hip Hop culture what they had wanted for years: unapologetic rap groups that could provide an easy target to discredit the musical form. The aforementioned is a disturbing example of thinly veiled racist practices within the American music industry. Possessing the historical knowledge of such instances gives perspective to balance judgments made about the content and the creators. Context is one of the major reasons that a research project on misogyny and homophobia from the viewpoint of an informed participant is a necessity.

#b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #cultural theory #Cop Killer #emcee #footwork #Guns N Roses #homophobia #Hip Hop #Ice-T #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #One in a Million #sexism #toprock

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          The condemnation of the entire Hip Hop culture because of a few words is ridiculous and unbalanced when considering the treatment of rock music during the late 1980s. A glaring disparity between the ways that the two forms of music were being considered is the rap group, 2 Live Crew, that was being sexually explicit and slapped with obscenity lawsuits, the first of their kind. At the same time, white rock group, Guns N Roses released One in a Million, which contained racial and homophobic slurs that sold millions of copies. Guns N Roses faced criticism from different groups but no lawsuits were filed. Rapper Ice T, leader of the heavy metal band, Body Count, was dropped from his label, received death threats and constantly monitored by law enforcement for his infamous 1992 composition, Cop Killer.  

#academic #b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #cultural theory #emcee #footwork #Guns N Roses #homophobia #Hip Hop #One in a Million #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock

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Cop Killer provides an example of racism in the music industry because the song is undeniably a rock song but it is labeled “rapcore” in order to distance the artist from his white rock counterparts. In several interviews, Ice T makes the argument that his songs are artistic statements and that he is telling different stories from different viewpoints through rap. The rapper/singer states that Arnold Schwarzenegger kills dozens of police officers in the blockbuster film, The Terminator, but is regarded as an actor and not held accountable for his character’s actions. The disparity between the two situations can be easily observed, but why does it happen?

#Ice-T #Hip Hop #academic #b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #cultural theory #emcee #Cop Killer #footwork #homophobia #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock

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          On the opposite spectrum, an artist like Jay-Z has a considerable amount of credibility in the underground or traditional Hip Hop community but produces pop music for the mainstream. His origin from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn and his climb from humble beginnings to President of Def Jam and co-owner of the New York Nets franchise are widely regarded as essential Hip Hop history. His 2008 composition, I Just Wanna Love You, was number one in Billboard magazine for five weeks and the album that the song came from was certified double platinum. The song received heavy rotation on all the pop music radio stations around the United States even though it contains many sexist words (See Appendix). Jay-Z represents the successful pop artist that has managed to retain the integrity and respect of traditional Hip Hop culture. One example of the rapper’s attachment to tradition is his ability to create a lucrative composition without writing anything down or even memorizing the song in one recording session with no extra takes. A quick and clever improvisational ability, or “freestyling”, is a main tenet of Hip Hop authenticity in all artistic expressions associated with the culture. In fact, an aptitude for freestyling greatly aids in cementing an individual’s place in the traditional Hip Hop community. Criticisms of Hustler should more accurately be focused on the “Tin Pan Alley” pop formula that originates from the 1920s and specifies the structure of a pop song (i.e. structure, baby talk, etc.).

Who picks this stuff? 

#academic #b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #cultural theory #emcee #footwork #homophobia #Hip Hop #jay-z #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock

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My experience with Nelly

          I have personally experienced Nelly’s attitude when I was a featured dancer on a set for a MTV Spring Break sequence. Nelly observed the b-boys warming up for our set and made the flippant comment, “ The Olympics aren’t in town, man.” The remark was followed by the derisive laughter of his entourage as they passed by our warm-up space. The rapper was insinuating that the traditional form of Hip Hop dance was trivial or ridiculous, but perhaps exposed his own insecurities because this encounter was around the same time that KRS-ONE lyrically demolished Nelly. The “rapper” moved quickly away from the designated warm-up area after making the insulting remark and remained surrounded by his entourage, whereas KRS will situate himself in the middle of his fans and community by sitting and speaking with them.

#academic #b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #cultural theory #emcee #footwork #homophobia #Hip Hop #J-SUN #krs-one #minnesota #misogyny #Nelly #sexism #toprock

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Why isn't this on the radio?

#academic #b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #cultural theory #emcee #awol one #stand up #mykah 9 #aesop rock #footwork #Hip Hop #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock

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One of many songs that will never be played on the radio. Why do mainstream radio stations play sexist music like Nelly or Flo-Rida? Because this is the pop music, not Hip Hop. Hip Hop is done for expression, not money. I still do things for free for my community and I always will. The people that pick the music on the radio don't care about you or me. Take a guess at who they are?

#eyedea #one twenty #Hip Hop #J-SUN #b-boy #breakdance #bboy #b-girl #academic #emcee #footwork #homophobia #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock

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Here's why Nelly is not Hip Hop

          One of the forms of credibility associated with traditional Hip Hop culture is the aspect of originality of style. All artistic forms have a foundation of rules and have specific qualities in order for the work of art to be identified within a certain genre. When a Hip Hop musical artist composes a song, an original approach to the subject is an immediate concern. The pop music being played in 2003 was all very similar with the same sexist comments in the same pitch in a similar rhythm. No new lyrical complexity was brought to the table of mainstream pop music. The argument that all Hip Hop music is misogynistic based on a video by a pop artist playing a role set out for him by American power structures such as Nelly is entirely unfounded.

            In fact, such an evaluation is uninformed because the reality of American society is non-binary and neither are any forms of American music. Rock and jazz music are divided into subcategories so that listeners can locate the style of form that is appropriate for each person. Hip Hop music is no different with styles such as knowledge rap, nerdcore, socially conscious/activist, etc. and listeners can find anti-misogynistic messages and pro-gay rappers, or even gay rappers for that matter. However, it must be remembered that the teenage pioneers were attempting to negotiate violence in their surroundings with art that was, and still is, rebellious, raw and unapologetic.

            The social issues within Hip Hop culture cannot easily be dismissed as a binary like black or white, yes or no, or even positive or negative. It is a combination of several factors based in race, gender and class, but more significantly it is the power structures and force relations such as media outlets that have a major influence on the information that is made public. It is an indisputable fact that the decision to release such information is made in boardrooms by white men. It should be noted that in 2001, Nelly publicly and seemingly gleefully disrespected the socially conscious activist and legendary battle emcee KRS-ONE (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone) on the Black Entertainment Television program, 106th and Park, and on a musical composition with fellow rapper Freeway entitled, Rock the Mic. In traditional style, KRS responded with entire album, Prophets Vs. Profits that exposed the inexperienced southern rapper’s naïve mentality for challenging a veteran artist that has released at least one album a year since 1987. 

#academic #bboy #b-boy #b-girl #breakdance #cultural theory #emcee #footwork #homophobia #Hip Hop #J-SUN #krs-one #minnesota #misogyny #Nelly #tip drill #toprock

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One of the illest songs and groups...I'm only pointing out that one word a verse does not make a song homophobic or misogynistic. This is at rocksteady anniversary!

#bboy #b-boy #b-girl #breakdance #academic #cultural theory #emcee #footwork #Hip Hop #homophobia #J-SUN #minnesota #misogyny #sexism #toprock #artifacts

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There are many classic Hip Hop compositions that contain problematic words but it does not mean that the song is homophobic or misogynistic. The comment may be a slur but the content of the song is about something else completely. I sometimes bleep out the curse words in music that I use for choreography but does this take away anything from the uncensored, original version?

#bboy #b-boy #b-girl #breakdance #academic #artifacts #Hip Hop #minnesota #J-SUN #homophobia #misogyny

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I posted the first two videos and comments to demonstrate the importance of a practitioner's POV and a traditional philosophy of Hip Hop: Show and Prove. Now let's discuss homophobia and misogyny in Hip Hop music and dance, beginning with one of the most infamous examples...

     To complicate the situation, Nelly has founded a nonprofit organization for kids, 4Sho4Kids, and when his sister was diagnosed with leukemia, he started “Jes Us 4 Jackie” to find bone marrow and stem cell donors for her. Does this philanthropy extricate Nelly from the sexism that he acts out in the video?

            I would emphasis act because we do not observe the rapper in his everyday interactions with women and cannot assume he pursues a sexist lifestyle. Ice T can make a song about exterminating cops and has never taken part in any murder or he would be in prison! In fact, most of the rappers that claim to have sold narcotics, murdered someone or sexually violated a woman would be incarcerated. Some artists do have criminal records but I feel that the evidence of racial profiling is overwhelming and to condemn a person for an alleged crime in a system of institutionalized racism is extremely shortsighted. Another major point of contention is that the music that Nelly produces is not really an accurate representation of traditional Hip Hop music, but is rather a reproduction of an interpretation of Hip Hop-influenced pop music. 

#homophobia #misogyny #sexism #Hip Hop #b-boy #b-girl #breakdance #Minnesota #Nelly #Tip Drill #academic #cultural theory