Analysis Of The Song 'Black Blanc, Beur'

1. ‘Beur’ is a colloquial term to describe people born in Europe whose family members, such as parents or grandparents, were born in North Africa and immigrated over. This term is used throughout the course of AFAS 373, specifically in Dr. Durand’s publication of “Black, Blanc, Beur.” This expression that composes the title of this book refers to the multi-ethnic culture of France, especially within the 1990s. This multi-ethnicity was a main component for the growth of this hip-hop culture within this European country; since rap is known to be, in one aspect, associated with the mixing of culture, then “it is no surprise that rap took France by storm.” Beurs represented and generated the mixed culture that came to be known as French hip-hop.

2. Banlieues, found commonly in the region of Paris, have come to been known as “slums dominated by immigrants” in areas of suburbs. Dominated by concrete housing projects, concentrations of poverty, and social isolation. Movies such as “La Haine”, demonstrate the quality of life within these banlieues, as well as the importance of hip-hop that often the dwellers hold. And as Dr. Durand mentioned in his second lecture, these groups of hip-hop followers within the banlieues were not crime-oriented. Their goal was appropriation and defense of their spaces, reclaiming ‘anonymous urban spaces’ in order to promote self-esteem and solidarity.
3. Bernard Zekri, a magazine reporter, left New York in the 1980’s after rap had emerged to return to France. Jean Georgakarakos, often called Jean Karakos, founded a French and American record label, Celluloid Records, in New York. Him and his company produced a series of unique releases, especially in the late 1980s, and expanded to recording incredibly popular artists that we have discussed in class (i.e. Fab Freddy 5). This recording studio and television series allowed the expansion of hip-hop across both America and France to quicken.
4. “All the diets were tested on her/All the attempts were complete failures/But she perseveres and to please her man/Dominique has decided to follow the norm.” These lyrics are translated from the French song “Victime De La Mode”, written by Mc Solaar. Sad lyrics encompass a meaning of attempting to discover self-identity. This is relevant to our class, once again, due to the French nature that is entangled within a hip-hop artist and song. MC Solaar is one of France’s most popular and influential hip-hop artists. He is known for complex lyrics, such as in “victim de la Mode,” which relies on inquiry and word play.
5. Kafig, also referred to as Compagnie Kafig, is an innervating hip-hop dance company that performs at international hip-hop festivals and locally for the French people. In 1996, they premiered their first production “Kafig” at Les Rencontres de la Villette. By 1998, Compagnie Kafig introduced its second work, R3/4cital, which blended traditional dance and hip-hop visual elements. The show toured France and has recognition in other countries as well, including China, Russia, Germany, and The United States. Since its foundation in the 1990s, the company has performed over 240 performances, making it both popular and vital to know for this class. It has created French works and has made a commitment to reaching out to the youth of the banlieues.
6. “The mother country cries rivers of blood/The red is in her eyes, the people are unhappy.” Bisso Na Bisso takes these lyrics from the song “Tata Nzambe”. Bisso Na Bisso is a music collective of rappers and singers with origins from the Congo. Their ancestry and original locations is important, because it nicely portrays the importance that African American culture had on the influence of hip-hop and its expansion into other countries. Their music created a fusion of hip-hop with African rhythm sounds and featured other prominent African musicians. The song Tata Nzambe specifically is one of the group’s most popular contributions to the musical world and offers an honest retribution of the evils of the world in which they live.
7.

“But my France she lives, at least she laughs/And refuses to obey to this France that wants us to move/My France, it’s not theirs, that votes extreme.” The artist Diam’s sings these lyrics on the song “Ma France a moi”. The importance resonates in two specific ways: firstly, in the song lyrics themselves and the message they portray; secondly, in the meaning of who Diam’s is as an artist. The lyrics in this song generated several bouts of criticism from opposing members of her community; she also demonstrates social ills in other places of the world, while exhausting the idea that France does not contain these similar ills. For instance in further lyrics she says, “My France doesn’t live in lies/With heart and rage, in light, not in shadow.”
8. Siya Po’ossi X, an influential group in France that reinforce the influences of behavioral models present in the city and use language and variety in their song which express the solidarities and influences of France. The part of their name ‘Po’ossi’ draws both on the English word “posse” and the Fang phrase “siya possi”, meaning “land to be knocked down.” In other words, it is explaining the lands or people to be killed, or a polemical reference to the fate of Africa over the centuries. (p.

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Part II—

ESSAYS

1.

Google the phrase “the best hip-hop movies” and the search engine will return a plethora of various films with multiple artists and actors and similar background stories. Hip-hop and film have been linked for over 30 years. Before hip-hop was a popular culture, a collection of movies helped to spread the latest elements to larger audiences. To define a “rap movie,” one must consider the role that rap plays in such a film. For some, the mere presence of a ‘rapper’ constitutes a ‘hip-hop’ movie, while others consider rap to be an overall major theme of territorial appropriation and a search of identity. Common elements of drugs, crime, and vulgarity paired with sexual dominance and an attitude of hating the police can be found across several of these works, while even more encompass activities such as graffiti and b-boying to express their appreciation for the culture. A ‘hip-hop film’ cannot be defined simply; it is instead any compilation of work into moving picture format that expresses how those within the culture are currently living, producing, and expressing themselves. A movie such as ‘8 Mile’ is more generally known for expressing this first ‘common element’, displaying the struggles of poverty seen in both America and France, as well as the brutality and hate that exist often between opposing hip-hop fans. Conversely, ‘Wild Style’, recognized as the genre’s best film, displays an initial look at the four main components: MCing, DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing.

Aside from these elements, it also composed of some of the most important forefathers of the genre, including Grandmaster Flash and the Cold Crush Brothers. Furthermore, this ultimate hip-hop film is set in a true location of the culture—the South Bronx. This began the film with a perspective from where the origins of hip-hop derived from. “La Haine” equally demonstrates qualities present in American films already deemed to be great hip-hop demonstrations. This movie, translated to “The Hate”, shows reels of brutal riots between police and civilians. The location is the banlieues of France, similar to an international South Bronx, and a universal fear of police brutality and incarceration of people within this culture is shown. Other elements such as break-dancing and DJing are intermittently mixed into the plot, fortifying the fact that “La Haine” is a true hip-hop film. Similarly, “Comme un Aimant” is distinctly a hip-hop film as well. This can be proven in several points. Firstly, the title is also a song by IAM, a French hip-hop band from Marseille. And Marseille, as mentioned in Dr. Durand’s second lesson, is “the perfect example of the popularity of rap music and hip-hop culture.” This film perfectly aligns with the traits and qualities expressed in many other famous movies of hip-hop aura, making it, indeed, a hip-hop film as well.