MUSC 320g Lecture 5: Hip Hop Notes
Hip Hop Notes
• Black protest music should sting and burn, be hard to digest for some,
leave an aftertaste for others, make us feel more rather than less – whether
it’s hate or love – make us recognise our conflicted passions, and the
contradictions of our strange, post-civil rights and post-black power
movement lives. Lives that shouldn’t have to be defended as mattering.
Black pop radicalism should shake our culture to its core. Thank goodness
for all of us that right now Bey, Kendrick, D’Angelo and company have
enough in their bag to pass around.
• Kendrick Lamar, Grammy, prison uniform, Beyoncé, super bowl, all black
female, gender quality into her protest, D’Angelo, album directly linked
to blm , blacklivesmatter, black protest music. Black tortures in the 21
century. Critiques prises as well
• END OF INNOCENCE: THE FALL OF THE OLD SCHOOL - LEADING TO
LOOPS 3: THE MESSAGE
o 1. Death of Michael Stewart for graffiti writing
o 2. Failed “Post-Graffiti” show and decline of b-boying
o 3. Run DMC, Def Jam, and the rise of hardcore rap
▪ First single, and first rap video to air on MTV
▪ The video features a nonsensical monologue at the
beginning by Professor Irwin Corey, supposedly giving a
history of Rap Music. The rest of the video consists of the
group performing at Danceteria, a famous New York punk
club.
▪ Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor
Flav, Professor Griff, Khari Wynn, DJ Lord, Sammy Sam, and the S1W
group. Formed in Long Island, New York, in 1986, they are known for their
politically charged music and criticism of the American media, with an active
interest in the frustrations and concerns of the African Americancommunity.
▪ Def Jam Recordings is an American record label focused predominantly
on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group (UMG).
