In this speech I wish to discuss the Sceneography of the critically acclaimed Hip-Hop artist, Kendrick Lamar's live performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards. For the general populous Hip-Hop live performance and high tire theatrical production are worlds apart but when Kendrick Lamar and associated production teams preformed at the American Music Award event, the internet and the world alike were taken by storm. The performance Brings urban hip-hop music which is considered to be the most low brow genre in popular music together with phenomenal sound, lighting, chorography. The level of articulation for the musicians, dancers and technical team works so cohesively and is absolutely a sight to be seen. Of course this territory has been also touched …show more content…
It begins with a free form Jazz piece with sparse instrumentation, mainly supported by a saxophone. Along side the light musical accompaniment is very prominent sound effect which helps the view connect the first act of this piece the jail house. As the very dark lighting scene is lit there are a few jail house round lights which are a soft orange which I believe tie into the theme of fire and passion which I'll dive into more as we walk through the performance. The sound of prison ankle chains is played as the lights focus on the five people walking towards the microphone, the first of which being of course Kendrick Lamar. One thing I found incredibly interesting as a sound person was the fact that a wireless microphone was placed on a microphone stand which is obviously quite redundant. I quickly realised this could very well be for artist purposes as Kendrick wraps his cuffed has over the mic stand which could be symbolic of the enslavement of the music industry to the artist. A discussion he has openly had with the community before. Kendrick hesitantly begins to rap the song “Blacker The Berry” It is important to note the musical accompaniment is not the original music that supports this work but a complete rework to build tension and anticipation for what is about to happen. The band begins to link up and there a strong stabs by the guitars, …show more content…
Traditional African Music begins to play and Kendrick is joined by not only his jail mates but also twenty African dancers with traditional costumes. Some are playing hand drums and video of people playing hand drums are enlarged on a projection screen behind them. The back drop is completely red with heavy black shadows bounced onto it. I believe this represents the tribal and earth theme of this scene. The centre piece of this state is an extremely large fire place prop with large logs and what appears to be real flames. This in itself is a production masterpiece the safety and legal precautions alone to do something like this would surely be astronomical and truly is a sight to be seen in the Staples Centre. The Dancers have choreographed a piece for the track “Alright” the Hip-Hop hit accompanied with tribal dancing is quite obviously as statement about the deep connections to modern music culture to the ancient human history in Africa which is something that is insanely distanced in the Hip-Hop and music culture
Forman, narrated how hip hop culture maintained local tie and in built element of competition waged through hip hop’s cultural forms of rap, break dancing
Have you heard the phrase “Momma said knock you out”? If so, you've probably heard your parent sing this song. Signing with Def Jams in the 1980’s, LL Cool J showed the world a unique style of Hip-hop and Rap. A kid just 18 years old when his first song came out, LL showed the world he would he would be different. LL Cool J created an influential long-term career with his starting a new hard-hitting romantic style of rapping, influences with popular clothing lines, and paved the way leading rappers to transform into actors and continue to have a successful career.
... acoustic jam that had the crowd swaying to its lifting rhythms and happy-go-lucky lyrics. He then promised to play a little bit of “East Coast and West Coast hip-hop,” a promise he fulfilled near the end of his set by covering a song from both A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar.
In Fires in the Mirror, people from different communities in Crown Heights are interviewed on various subjects after the riot that erupted in 1991 between Jewish and Black groups, and in these interviews it is obvious that specific communities develop unique styles of language in order to unite all the members of their particular group. In several of the interviews a poetic form of language, rap, is used between members of the African American community to express feelings and emotions. Monique Matthews (Big Mo), an African American student interviewed in Fires says that she is trying to send out positive messages to the members of her community, and comments that the people who are sending out damaging messages “don’t understand the fundamentals of rap” (Smith 38). For example, in response to a supposed rap song by Big Daddy Kane called “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy,” Big Mo writes, “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy, But Whorin’ Ain’t Proper. Respect and Cherish the Original Mother” (Smith 37). With her rap, Big Mo is hoping to cause the men and women in her community to respect themselves and each other. Sonny Carson, another African American interviewed in Fires says that he is able to communicate with the young people in his community because he understands their rap culture. He says, “I understand their language…I speak their language. They don’t even engage in long dialogue anymore, just short words” (Smith 104). Carson’s ability to participate with the young people through rap allows him to have a better perspective on the tensions in Crown Heights. ...
In Adam Bradley’s “Rap poetry 101” he shows us how rap is more than just songs being sung, it is poetry; it is something that has an empowering ability to make the familiar unfamiliar.In this chapter Bradley creates a new viewpoint too rap. Bradley shows us how rap and poetry has become a very similar piece of art that should be further appreciated. In the chapter poetry 101 Bradley describes how rap is a form of public art, and how rappers have become our greatest public poets. The importance of rap as poetry is shown throughout Bradley's book as well as the evidence behind the reasons rap is poetry.
Perry, Imani. 2004. Prophets of the hood: politics and poetics in hip hop. Durham: Duke University Press.
Light, Alan. "About a Salary or Reality? – Rap’s Recurrent Conflict." Rpt. in That’s the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Ed. Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal. New York, NY: Routledge, 2004. 137-146. Print.
Hip-Hop is produced on the role of coercion and power. The diversity of the culture supposes to create meaning not chaos. Social order is maintained by domination, and the power of the song lyrics. The black youth is more likely to be victimized by crime than any other group. Hip-Hop influence the music that we listen to that a new artist can directly affect how we dress, talk, dance and etc. For example, “prison inspired hip-hop styles like sagging black pants and oversized t-shirts” (Baxter & Marina 2008, 110). Sending a culture shock across the country, some may believe it could be a good thing and others may believe it could be a detriment to our youth and
One purist in hip hop stands out for me as someone who can embody the tenants asserted in Anthony Thomas’ essay, “The Spirit and Philosophy of Hip Hop.”
Accommodating for lost time can be a struggle, however education is the perfect key to allow a human a better diagram for survival in this world. Mortal Man is full of the reality that is blinded to society, because they have been confused by the experience of the struggle. Comparing two poems written within the song titled Mortal Man by the rap artist/ poet, Kendrick Lamar, provides an opportunity to engage in the Burkean Parlor; discussing the experience of the struggle and the proper way to survive through it. There is credibility of the struggle without mistakes of not knowing how to deal with the initial interaction; mistakes do not always lead to success; it is just an excuse to repeat history. Kendrick Lamar’s work provides evidence
In today’s modern world, we are constantly watching what other cultures are doing. We inspire each other in the way we dress, the music we listen to, and the way we act. It is well known that hip hop is a culture in which people are constantly trying to replicate. This is evident from examining the globalization of hip hop. Hip Hop has become very popular among other countries aside from the United States. Today, people all over the world are using hip hop in their own creative way. Since hip hop has become a global experience, it is important to understand the ways in which people view it within society. To further examine the globalization of hip hop, part one of this paper explores how three authors describe global hip hop. The second part
Since the beginning of hip hop culture, its music, its style of art, and style of dance has had a major effect on the world and it has increased. ...
Prophets of the Hood is the most detailed and a brilliantly original study to date of hip hop as complicated and innovative literary story form. It is written with a refreshing harmonious combination savvy significance rigor as well as brave and creative narrative verve. Imani Perry’s research is an interesting analysis of late twentieth century in American great culture. Prophet of the hood is an excellent and unique book. It draws up a clear division between the negatives and positives involved in hip hop. She takes the discussions of rap to a deeper and greater levels with an insightful analysis of the poetic and political features of the art form. Being a fan and a scholar, Perry is aware the art, tradition of hip hop through an analysis of the song lyrics.
Some weaknesses of James McBride’s “Hip Hop Planet” include its cynical tone and his attitude towards the musical side of Hip Hop. McBride opens the essay with a reflection on what his ultimate nightmare is. He showcases the Hip Hop community in a negative light with phrases like, “music that doesn’t seem to be music—rules the world” (McBride, pg. 1). This starts the essay off negatively because it misleads the reader by letting them think he is not a supporter of the Hip Hop movement. As you read the entire essay you realize this is not the case. The article itself isn’t very inviting because tone of the entire essay is very cold and cynical. He also doesn’t agree with the typical Hip Hop sound saying things like, “It sounded like a broken record” (McBride, pg. 1). The sound of Hip Hop music is what helps define it and is a crucial aspect of
Hip-hop music and the culture embodied within it has become a global and hybrid phenomena. The latter has been both adopted and arrogated by many different cultures, ethnicities, races, and nationalities all over the globe. Globalization plays a notable role in the significant growth presence of hip-hop in major cities around Africa in the past two to three decades, by gaining access to information through the Internet and television (Charry 2012, p. 170). Specifically speaking, Nigeria has become the hub of the television and entertainment industry in Africa gaining a large following, influence, and adoption of hip-hop music but specifically the rap genre. Nigeria is among the very few nations that have successfully incorporated hip-hop culture amidst the youth but also creating their own form of authentic Nigerian hip-hop called Naija hip-hop (Oikelome 2013, p. 85). More so, this form of hip-hop has created an outlet for the youth to listen to something new with a global edge...