Today we looked at Hip Hop Pioneers. The list was expansive and extensive and covered the older hip hop generation like Afika Bambaataa and DJ Kool Herc, and their little brothers: Russell Simmons and groups like the Fugees, sisters and daughters like MC Lyte, Lauren Hill, Queen Latifah.
Think about the artist's presence in the world and what role their craft has been used to shape public policy and change society for the disenfranchised and the oppressed. Perhaps the artist's role was more economically viable, in that their entrepreneurial skills developed jobs and set a new standard for their peers and those that follow their lead.
I mentioned the film, starring Jimmy Stewart, "It's a Wonderful Life." In the film a man feels that his life is meaningless and has had no impact on society. An angel shows him how deprived the world would be without his presence.
Look at your artist and in an introductory paragraph talk about the community or world that grew them into the personality they are. Was their a problem the wanted to articulate with their art? Was their a constituency they wanted to give voice to? Was their a problem they wanted to address or offer a solution or answer to?
A lot of the early hip hop music gave the ghetto a visual presence in popular culture. Music and rhymes and spoken traditions are old. All societies have such. It is the more primal of all the arts--poetry, rap or talk: storytelling.
We spoke about procrastination. Think about the urgency of the situation that gave rise to hip hop culture, all the major elements. It was an outlet, it was a way youth expressed their disgust and anger or rage towards the "powers that be." Until these artists started making noise, writing their names on trains, taking over corners with their cyphers--convening meetings with other writers and artists to collaborate and make bigger and more powerful statements, no one really cared or noticed.
It was a quiet movement that grew and grew and grew until now, it is a world culture and a world-wide movement that has its problems and its successes like all other movements and cultures. But look at the roots, these pioneers, and what it took for them to address and redress the social ills in the society with art.
I want you to use 1 direct citation, 1 block quote and 1 paraphrase from Can't Stop, Won't Stop. See Hacker pp. 401-437. 438 is the MLA table of contents. The essay is due Thursday, October 2.
Homework is to read the Loop 2. We want to finish the book in the next couple of weeks. We have a library orientation next Tuesday at 9 a.m. Meet at the library desks. We will begin our research on Hip Hop as a global movement.
Oh, classes are cancelled 10/1 and 10/2. I am at a conference. See you Friday at the play. Study hour at 12-1:30 is still happening in L-235.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Field Trips
Friday at Laney College there is a panel discussion on Entrepreneurship in the Performing Arts: "the Music Industry" at Laney College Theatre, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. If you go and write about it, you can have extra credit. This could take the place of one of the field trips. Remember, do not let money keep you from attending a play or the film.
If you were not here and want to attend the play on Friday evening, or Sunday afternoon, or the play next week, there are descriptions outside my office on the ledge by the window and under the bin. If the door is locked, ask Ms. Sachell (Open Lab) to unlock it for you to get the handout. You can just show up and you can be a part of the party. Email me your preferences and how many people are in your group. The theatre tickets are about $10 for both events. You can volunteer at the MacB and get in free. Call the theatre for the details. For Ebony and Johnny, I don't know if there are any volunteet opportunities, so let me know if you are short on cash.
If you were not here and want to attend the play on Friday evening, or Sunday afternoon, or the play next week, there are descriptions outside my office on the ledge by the window and under the bin. If the door is locked, ask Ms. Sachell (Open Lab) to unlock it for you to get the handout. You can just show up and you can be a part of the party. Email me your preferences and how many people are in your group. The theatre tickets are about $10 for both events. You can volunteer at the MacB and get in free. Call the theatre for the details. For Ebony and Johnny, I don't know if there are any volunteet opportunities, so let me know if you are short on cash.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Grand Master Flash's "The Message," featuring Meli Mel
Today in class we listened to and watched the video recording of The Message. Afterwards, we looked at themes in the song and sketched an outline for a potential essay incorporating citations from Can't Stop, Won't Stop, and also lines from the song, into the outline as references.
The thesis sentences were really good! Please share here and list the names of the students in your group. Thanks!
I suggest students refresh their memories on Can't Stop. Keep a log for each section and/or chapter. You will turn in these logs when we finish the book.
The thesis sentences were really good! Please share here and list the names of the students in your group. Thanks!
I suggest students refresh their memories on Can't Stop. Keep a log for each section and/or chapter. You will turn in these logs when we finish the book.
Cyber-post: Hip Hop Essay due by Monday, Sept. 29
The polished essay was due, Tuesday, Sept. 24 (see 9/16). It should be 750 words or three pages minimally. Incorporate citations: 1 paraphrase, 1 direct citation and 1 block quote. Please include a works cited page and a bibliography. If you are unclear about what this means check in Hacker under Research. Sources should include: the film, a song, and Track 4. "Cover Your Eyes As I Describe a Scene so Violent; Violence, Machismo, Sexism, and Homophobia."
Post your response to the Initial Planning Sheet; the outline, and a narrative of the feedback you received on the first draft of the essay. Remember, a peer review is just feedback. You do not have to change anything.
If I give you feedback you have to address it :-) You can always email me for feedback before posting. Make sure you press the "preview" option before posting. Check to make sure the formatting is correct, that is, the paragraphs are clearly marked.
Post your response to the Initial Planning Sheet; the outline, and a narrative of the feedback you received on the first draft of the essay. Remember, a peer review is just feedback. You do not have to change anything.
If I give you feedback you have to address it :-) You can always email me for feedback before posting. Make sure you press the "preview" option before posting. Check to make sure the formatting is correct, that is, the paragraphs are clearly marked.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Interviews...cyber-post
Yes, I know it's late, so if you don't see it until tomorrow post your summary then :-)
We interviewed each other today and then students introduced their peers to the class.
Homework is to bring in a draft of your papers. Everything is a draft, some you turn in because it's due, but for all intents and purposes, a writer can always see the work in a new light. The final draft can be posted with planning sheet, and outline by Friday at 12 noon. You can turn it in on Thursday, Sept. 25, but you will not be penalized if you turn it in the next day.
Please let me know if you are planning to attend the Beat Box event at La Pena on Thursday, Sept. 25. You can respond at the post or call me.
We interviewed each other today and then students introduced their peers to the class.
Homework is to bring in a draft of your papers. Everything is a draft, some you turn in because it's due, but for all intents and purposes, a writer can always see the work in a new light. The final draft can be posted with planning sheet, and outline by Friday at 12 noon. You can turn it in on Thursday, Sept. 25, but you will not be penalized if you turn it in the next day.
Please let me know if you are planning to attend the Beat Box event at La Pena on Thursday, Sept. 25. You can respond at the post or call me.
Field Trips
I moved the field trip post to the comment section. It was too long. If you attend anything and write about it: a short 1 page review. You can have extra credit.
Field Trips
Speak The music
Butterscotch, Icebox, Maximillion & more!
Thursday September 25, 2008
$8 gen. (All Ages!) - 8 PM (I think this is wrong. I will check.)
La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705 USA
510-849-2568 info(at)lapena.org
From the website
Beat Boxing like you never knew existed. This show will move you and blow you away with its ever changing variety of artists. Performers include Butterscotch, Soulati and Infinite from Felonious, Syzygy, Eachbox, Monkstilo, Constant Change, Cornbread, D.C., Icebox, Tim Barsky, The Genie, Maximillion & more.
Ever since the creation of the Vowel Movement in 2003, beatboxing has exploded in the Bay Area. For the past 5 years, San Francisco and Berkeley have been home to beatboxing, and the demand to see more keeps rising.
Speak the Music is a new organization in the Bay Area that was created by Ian Canright and Mike Tinoco. The organization is dedictated to supporting the art of beatboxing by providing an outlet for up-and-coming and professional beatboxers alike to be heard; our goal is to reach out to the community and bring in new faces.
Many beatboxers at Speak the Music use the stage as a means to tap into new creativity; some incorporate different elements into their performances, such as digital effects, live looping, musical instruments, collaborations, and more. Our monthly showcases not only feature beatboxers, but musicians, poets, and emcees as well.
Our mission is to support local beatboxing and speak the music from within! But our bigger vision is to do youth outreach and spread the word about our positive means of expression.
If you would like to get involved with our organization, please feel free to contact us at SpeakTheMusic@gmail.com.
Field Trips
Speak The music
Butterscotch, Icebox, Maximillion & more!
Thursday September 25, 2008
$8 gen. (All Ages!) - 8 PM (I think this is wrong. I will check.)
La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705 USA
510-849-2568 info(at)lapena.org
From the website
Beat Boxing like you never knew existed. This show will move you and blow you away with its ever changing variety of artists. Performers include Butterscotch, Soulati and Infinite from Felonious, Syzygy, Eachbox, Monkstilo, Constant Change, Cornbread, D.C., Icebox, Tim Barsky, The Genie, Maximillion & more.
Ever since the creation of the Vowel Movement in 2003, beatboxing has exploded in the Bay Area. For the past 5 years, San Francisco and Berkeley have been home to beatboxing, and the demand to see more keeps rising.
Speak the Music is a new organization in the Bay Area that was created by Ian Canright and Mike Tinoco. The organization is dedictated to supporting the art of beatboxing by providing an outlet for up-and-coming and professional beatboxers alike to be heard; our goal is to reach out to the community and bring in new faces.
Many beatboxers at Speak the Music use the stage as a means to tap into new creativity; some incorporate different elements into their performances, such as digital effects, live looping, musical instruments, collaborations, and more. Our monthly showcases not only feature beatboxers, but musicians, poets, and emcees as well.
Our mission is to support local beatboxing and speak the music from within! But our bigger vision is to do youth outreach and spread the word about our positive means of expression.
If you would like to get involved with our organization, please feel free to contact us at SpeakTheMusic@gmail.com.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Message
We read the introduction to The Message, by Felicia Pride. Students wrote collaboratively after a brief discussion about the key ideas Pride raises about the topic hip hop culture and more specifically its music.
We divided the essay sections into an introductory paragraph, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Students were to include one paraphrase, a direct quote and one block quote in the essay. We then shared.
Post those paragraphs here. If you missed the class then you can write the entire essay. I told students to incorporate Jeff Chang, Michael Eric Dyson and Byron Hurt in the introductory discussion.
I was a little hard on the folks that wrote the introduction...it started out fine, but they didn't finish. The other groups did well, especially the group who did the conclusion, although the body paragraphs were well written and strong.
This was a first attempt and we will continue writing these types of essays. We didn't get to the Hurt drafts and planning sheets and outlines. Please post those below at the link above. Students give each other feed back. Writers tell us what you want us to read for and what kind of assistance you are looking for.
Now that you have Pride, you can use this writing as another source for your essay due next week. Remember, bring in a paper copy on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
What else? Call me, we are going to try to get group tickets for Common. Students get a discount, so if you already have tickets, I hope you inquired.
We listened to Grandmaster Flash's The Message on You Tube. We'll listen to it again Tuesday. I'll post the link here later. I have to run now.
We divided the essay sections into an introductory paragraph, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Students were to include one paraphrase, a direct quote and one block quote in the essay. We then shared.
Post those paragraphs here. If you missed the class then you can write the entire essay. I told students to incorporate Jeff Chang, Michael Eric Dyson and Byron Hurt in the introductory discussion.
I was a little hard on the folks that wrote the introduction...it started out fine, but they didn't finish. The other groups did well, especially the group who did the conclusion, although the body paragraphs were well written and strong.
This was a first attempt and we will continue writing these types of essays. We didn't get to the Hurt drafts and planning sheets and outlines. Please post those below at the link above. Students give each other feed back. Writers tell us what you want us to read for and what kind of assistance you are looking for.
Now that you have Pride, you can use this writing as another source for your essay due next week. Remember, bring in a paper copy on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
What else? Call me, we are going to try to get group tickets for Common. Students get a discount, so if you already have tickets, I hope you inquired.
We listened to Grandmaster Flash's The Message on You Tube. We'll listen to it again Tuesday. I'll post the link here later. I have to run now.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Can't Stop, Won't Stop Readings...
Keep reading Chang. This is the foundation text. Keep a reading log. We'll have our Lit Circle break-outs whenever we can, but, this text is a reference that make you an expert on the topic. It gives you a scholarly reference point, as does Dyson's Know What I Mean, and you can certainly reference Chang in all your essays assignments. We are finished with Loop 1 and I suggest you start Loop 2. We'll talk about Chang's Loop 2 Thursday, Sept. 19. If you have music he references, bring it to class to share. Be prepared to tell us where it fits into the timeline.
Byron Hurt's Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes Freewrite Essay post and response
The assignment for the Byron Hurt film: Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes should be posted here. Hit comment and paste your 250 word essay.
Assignment: Identify Hurt's argument(s). In 250 words minimum, discuss the evidence Hurt presents in the film and whether or not you agree with his premise that commercial rap is misogynistic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood.
I want you to visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/hiphop/ for background information on the film and director. In your essay reference the interview in Know What I Mean between Byron Hurt and Michael Eric Dyson. You can also cite a song which supports Hurt's claim(s) or refutes it. You can include the URL in your essay as the reference.
Bring your drafty paper to class on Thursday, Sept. 19, for a peer review. Please include a planning sheet and an outline. We will meet in class. Yes, please type the draft. It looks more polished.
This is a draft, so it doesn't have to be perfect. We will respond to other students' essays. I noticed that students are not posting assignments, such as the essay response to the Politics of Graffiti, or the chapter responses. They do count. If we start a film and for whatever reason don't complete it, all of my resources are in the public domain, which means you can check them out of the library or rent them from a video store (Style Wars).
The polished essay is due, Tuesday, Sept. 24. It should be 750 words minimally, and incorporate citations: paraphrase, direct citation and 1 block quote. Please include a works cited page and a bibliography. Sources should include: the film, a song, and Track 4. "Cover Your Eyes As I Describe a Scene so Violent; Violence, Machismo, Sexism, and Homophobia."
I will put a link for a post. I want the critique to be on-line. I want students to read two other essays and respond to the rubric values I will list there. So far, no one from this class has visited me at my office hour, or emailed me any questions. I presume that when all is quiet there are no questions. If you have questions, you need to ask them so you can have clarity.
I assign so much writing because I want you to develop a body of work so I can get a sense of you, the writer. All the essays and writing assignments are not weighed the same. The midterm is weighed more than the freewrite or shorter essay. But it all counts and it all matters and it all helps.
Writing is writing and I believe the more you read and write the easier it gets and the better you get at it. At this point, students should understand the research process and know MLA formatting. This class differs from other writing classes in that it uses literature, in this case, film, poetry, art, music, and performance art.
I am interested in everything and open to various voices in the discourse, even when I don't agree. Become engaged in the process. Read and write daily.
The Common concert is this weekend and no one has stepped forward to organize the trip.
Faraj is the only student who responded to another's discourse on the topic. Everyone has to respond to someone's response. Get to it.
Assignment: Identify Hurt's argument(s). In 250 words minimum, discuss the evidence Hurt presents in the film and whether or not you agree with his premise that commercial rap is misogynistic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood.
I want you to visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/hiphop/ for background information on the film and director. In your essay reference the interview in Know What I Mean between Byron Hurt and Michael Eric Dyson. You can also cite a song which supports Hurt's claim(s) or refutes it. You can include the URL in your essay as the reference.
Bring your drafty paper to class on Thursday, Sept. 19, for a peer review. Please include a planning sheet and an outline. We will meet in class. Yes, please type the draft. It looks more polished.
This is a draft, so it doesn't have to be perfect. We will respond to other students' essays. I noticed that students are not posting assignments, such as the essay response to the Politics of Graffiti, or the chapter responses. They do count. If we start a film and for whatever reason don't complete it, all of my resources are in the public domain, which means you can check them out of the library or rent them from a video store (Style Wars).
The polished essay is due, Tuesday, Sept. 24. It should be 750 words minimally, and incorporate citations: paraphrase, direct citation and 1 block quote. Please include a works cited page and a bibliography. Sources should include: the film, a song, and Track 4. "Cover Your Eyes As I Describe a Scene so Violent; Violence, Machismo, Sexism, and Homophobia."
I will put a link for a post. I want the critique to be on-line. I want students to read two other essays and respond to the rubric values I will list there. So far, no one from this class has visited me at my office hour, or emailed me any questions. I presume that when all is quiet there are no questions. If you have questions, you need to ask them so you can have clarity.
I assign so much writing because I want you to develop a body of work so I can get a sense of you, the writer. All the essays and writing assignments are not weighed the same. The midterm is weighed more than the freewrite or shorter essay. But it all counts and it all matters and it all helps.
Writing is writing and I believe the more you read and write the easier it gets and the better you get at it. At this point, students should understand the research process and know MLA formatting. This class differs from other writing classes in that it uses literature, in this case, film, poetry, art, music, and performance art.
I am interested in everything and open to various voices in the discourse, even when I don't agree. Become engaged in the process. Read and write daily.
The Common concert is this weekend and no one has stepped forward to organize the trip.
Faraj is the only student who responded to another's discourse on the topic. Everyone has to respond to someone's response. Get to it.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9/11 film...."11 directors, 11 stories, 1 film. "
Choose 1-3 stories to reflect on in an essay. Look at the plot, cinematography, scenes, characters, style, story...films are typically narrative, but at least one is experimental or avant garde. Incorporate one direct quote or paraphrase, a block quote (you can use a published review or interview with one of the directors). The essay response should be minimally 250 words or one typed page--if you write collaboratively, then the essay should be two pages (500 words). Include as a second page a works cited page. (Bring your grammar/style books to class next week. We will practice this using the Dyson article and for homework, Chang.)
Think about the use of irony in the films involving children, like the one set in Afghanistan and Burkina Faso. Think about rituals and grief and how we make it through traumatic circumstances.
Look at the perspectives: hearing and silent in the film by the French director set in New York. How does he use these differing perspectives and the couple's interaction to tell the story. How does the personal become political?
From (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328802/)
Eleven directors from 11 countries each contribute an 11-minute short reflecting on the events of 11 September 2001. A village teacher in Iran tries to explain to her young students what's happened. City kids in Burkina Faso think they've spotted Osama bin Laden. A deaf Frenchwoman in Manhattan writes a Dear John letter to a man who has left that morning for work at the World Trade Center. A Chilean remembers Allende. Events recall other deaths. A mother endures more than her son's death. And so on. The tone varies, as do the locales. Most stories are about others coming to terms with the events of the day, but at least one confronts the viewer with tragedy and death. Written by jhailey@hotmail.com
We watched films by these directors from these countries:
Maryam Karimi ... (segment Iran)
Emmanuelle Laborit ... (segment France)
Jérôme Horry ... (segment France)
Nour El-Sherif ... (segment Egypt)
Ahmed Haroun ... (segment Egypt)
Dzana Pinjo ... (segment Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Aleksandar Seksan ... (segment Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Tatjana Sojic ... (segment Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Lionel Zizréel Guire ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
René Aimé Bassinga ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Lionel Gaël Folikoue ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Rodrigue André Idani ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Alex Martial Traoré ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Think about the use of irony in the films involving children, like the one set in Afghanistan and Burkina Faso. Think about rituals and grief and how we make it through traumatic circumstances.
Look at the perspectives: hearing and silent in the film by the French director set in New York. How does he use these differing perspectives and the couple's interaction to tell the story. How does the personal become political?
From (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328802/)
Eleven directors from 11 countries each contribute an 11-minute short reflecting on the events of 11 September 2001. A village teacher in Iran tries to explain to her young students what's happened. City kids in Burkina Faso think they've spotted Osama bin Laden. A deaf Frenchwoman in Manhattan writes a Dear John letter to a man who has left that morning for work at the World Trade Center. A Chilean remembers Allende. Events recall other deaths. A mother endures more than her son's death. And so on. The tone varies, as do the locales. Most stories are about others coming to terms with the events of the day, but at least one confronts the viewer with tragedy and death. Written by jhailey@hotmail.com
We watched films by these directors from these countries:
Maryam Karimi ... (segment Iran)
Emmanuelle Laborit ... (segment France)
Jérôme Horry ... (segment France)
Nour El-Sherif ... (segment Egypt)
Ahmed Haroun ... (segment Egypt)
Dzana Pinjo ... (segment Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Aleksandar Seksan ... (segment Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Tatjana Sojic ... (segment Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Lionel Zizréel Guire ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
René Aimé Bassinga ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Lionel Gaël Folikoue ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Rodrigue André Idani ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Alex Martial Traoré ... (segment Burkina-Faso)
Freewrite: Imagining Peace
In a freewrite students responded to the following: Imagine peace: what does it look like? Taste like? How does it smell? What is it's sound? Is the concept possible?
Post your responses to the questions here. Respond to another post. We then swamped responses and responded to each others freewrites. Do the same here.
After much deliberation where I went off on a few tangential tracks, we decided to watch a film about Sept. 11: nine international directors, each film 11 minutes long.
Students also received a handout: chapter 4 from Dyson. He is interviewed by Byron Hurt. We will watch the film: Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes Tuesday, Sept. 16. We'll meet in L-202E. Read the chapter in advance. We'll write the essay in class we haven't written yet in response to "Not Enough." This will be our freewrite.
Keep reading Chang. Buy Total Chaos. I'd like to reference it also as we explore different elements of hip hop culture.
I'll give you a list of essay assignments for the semester and lecture topics--a draft-- next week also.
Post your responses to the questions here. Respond to another post. We then swamped responses and responded to each others freewrites. Do the same here.
After much deliberation where I went off on a few tangential tracks, we decided to watch a film about Sept. 11: nine international directors, each film 11 minutes long.
Students also received a handout: chapter 4 from Dyson. He is interviewed by Byron Hurt. We will watch the film: Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes Tuesday, Sept. 16. We'll meet in L-202E. Read the chapter in advance. We'll write the essay in class we haven't written yet in response to "Not Enough." This will be our freewrite.
Keep reading Chang. Buy Total Chaos. I'd like to reference it also as we explore different elements of hip hop culture.
I'll give you a list of essay assignments for the semester and lecture topics--a draft-- next week also.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Homework for Thursday, Sept. 11
Bring in music or other hip hop responses to the War on Terror and the catastrophe Sept. 11, 2005. It doesn't have to be specific,; it can represent art which comforted you in this time of national and global sorrow. Be prepared to share.
Hurricane Katrina response okay too, but 9/11 is more apropos. Also, finish the reading in Can't Stop,the first section. See the assignment posted below.
Students are also encouraged to bring in music that reflects the periods Chang references in the text. If you email me the link to the lyrics,I can print copies for students.
Hurricane Katrina response okay too, but 9/11 is more apropos. Also, finish the reading in Can't Stop,the first section. See the assignment posted below.
Students are also encouraged to bring in music that reflects the periods Chang references in the text. If you email me the link to the lyrics,I can print copies for students.
Hip Hop Archives
Please respond to today's presentations. You can talk about one of your classmates; plus post the narrative, as a separate document.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Politics of Graffitti
We started the class with a freewrite on Nas' "We're Not Alone," from his latest CD. I posed the question of the ethical dilemma of poison by increments. How does the writer, Nas, justify inclusion of the derogatory term N-- in on this release which has so much political and cultural incite and information that can uplift and inspire. Is it as Farad says, capitalism entering the game--you have to use include poison in order to get played?
Anyway, we read a scholarly essay, "The Politics of Graffiti." Homework is to analyze the premise Craig Castleman makes. Do you agree?
Skim the references cited in Can't Stop when you search the index for Graffiti culture. There are a lot of citations; you don't have to read them all.
Read the first section of Can't Stop, chapters 1-4 (Loop 1). Read the preface and introduction also. Annotate and be prepared to write and respond on Tuesday on-line. We will also make our presentations for the Hip Hop archives on Tuesday, Sept. 9. We will meet in L-202E, this is the lab next to the Open Lab.
Style Wars is the name of the film we watched part of. It is a classic on writing and its place in hip hop culture. As you read about the climate that existed when hip hop culture moved from the underground culture into mainstream society, where do your sympathies lie? Why was it so important for kids to write their names on trains and watch the trains move their names into areas of town they could not visit or had no hopes of acceptance?
Look at the terminology: battle, war...conflict, fight. Why is this the nomenclature?
Anyway, we read a scholarly essay, "The Politics of Graffiti." Homework is to analyze the premise Craig Castleman makes. Do you agree?
Skim the references cited in Can't Stop when you search the index for Graffiti culture. There are a lot of citations; you don't have to read them all.
Read the first section of Can't Stop, chapters 1-4 (Loop 1). Read the preface and introduction also. Annotate and be prepared to write and respond on Tuesday on-line. We will also make our presentations for the Hip Hop archives on Tuesday, Sept. 9. We will meet in L-202E, this is the lab next to the Open Lab.
Style Wars is the name of the film we watched part of. It is a classic on writing and its place in hip hop culture. As you read about the climate that existed when hip hop culture moved from the underground culture into mainstream society, where do your sympathies lie? Why was it so important for kids to write their names on trains and watch the trains move their names into areas of town they could not visit or had no hopes of acceptance?
Look at the terminology: battle, war...conflict, fight. Why is this the nomenclature?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Great sites for Hip Hop
Bibliography: Hip Hop Studies
A guide to resources for undergraduate students
Prepared by Brendan S. Smart
LIS 603 Humanities Sources and Services, Spring 2005
http://library.nyu.edu:8000/research/perform/hiphop.html
Wikipedia entry on "Graffiti"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti#External_links
An introductory articles with many links to other Graffiti websites.
More resources
http://www.daveyd.com/
http://www.rapdict.org/Main_Page
http://www.africanhiphop.com/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16853159
http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/
I found these sources at the Librarians' Internet Index (hip hop)http://search.lii.org/index.jsp?sm=ts12%3B0description7%3Bhip+hopx10%3B
A guide to resources for undergraduate students
Prepared by Brendan S. Smart
LIS 603 Humanities Sources and Services, Spring 2005
http://library.nyu.edu:8000/research/perform/hiphop.html
Wikipedia entry on "Graffiti"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti#External_links
An introductory articles with many links to other Graffiti websites.
More resources
http://www.daveyd.com/
http://www.rapdict.org/Main_Page
http://www.africanhiphop.com/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16853159
http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/
I found these sources at the Librarians' Internet Index (hip hop)http://search.lii.org/index.jsp?sm=ts12%3B0description7%3Bhip+hopx10%3B
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
AeroSoul Assignment
This morning went met in class then carpooled to Joyce Gordon Gallery on 14th Street @ Webster, just below Broadway. I wanted students to meet one of the artists in the current exhibit, AeroSoul, closing tomorrow, Sept. 4. Joyce opened her gallery early and Refa One, jumped on his bike and met us at the gallery at 9:30 AM.
Students looked at the art and then Refa gave a talk and answered students questions about the art: composition and process. Students were instructed to take notes from the talk and on the art they wanted to talk about in an essay. Certainly politically motivated, yet personal, the work functions on several levels, some even utilitarian.
One could see that Refa One is a teacher and has a lot to say, although he told students that their goal as an artist collective, he and the other two artists: Toons One and Chris Herod, was to stimulate thought and make one see he world in a way one hadn't noticed before--his comments were both cryptic or mysterious and challenging, sort of reminded me of Michael Moore films--all the surprising proof is right under our unsuspecting noses. Most Americans love their blinders.
I instructed students to read the section on Can't Stop, Won't Stop, on street calligraphy or what Refa One called writing, not graffiti. The first draft is a freewrite. The question I'd like you to consider is: where does this art form fit philosophically in hip hop culture? How is it hip hop?
When I checked the index there were quite a few references to graffiti culture: 73-75, 91, 102, 104, 109, 111, 118-125, 134-135, 334 see also hip hop culture. I will have an essay for you tomorrow "The Politics of Graffiti" by Craig Castleman. (When I was walking in the area Friday, I walked down Webster and noticed a lot of tagging on some property close to 14th Street. I am reflecting on this in light of Refa One's scathing comments on the practice.)
I've seen a few good films about the culture also. Most were docs and one was a feature. I will see if I can track down any of the titles :-)
There is no wrong way to respond to the assignment. The freewrite is to be minimally 250-500 words. The final draft will be due in a week, next Friday, posted. As I said, we'll talk about street writing and the scholarship around this art form in class.
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