Today in class we watched Byron Hurt's film, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Students then composed thesis sentences based on themes pulled from the film: violence, misogyny, masculinity, homophobia, media, and power.
1. Homework is to read the essay handed out from Michael Eric Dyson's book, "Know What I Mean: Track 4, Cover Your Eyes As I Describe a Scene So Violent" pp. 91-122. Extra copies will be in the hallway outside the Writing Center (near L-235).
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.
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12 comments:
Jose Vasquez
9/09/09
English 1b
In the film Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes Byron Hurt talks about how many male rappers act as a violent individuals and how they abuse women in their music videos. Hurt interviewed many rappers and many of them had a really hard time answering his question about the way they acted in front of cameras and how they portrayed women in their music videos. Hurt feels that is not right for male rappers to talk about women as objects, he feels that in music videos women are seen as sluts, prostitutes, just good for men to get pleasured.
I agree with Byron Hurt, I feel that women should not be treated as objects, or sluts and prostitutes. Young people tend to look up to their favorite artist and if they see them in their music videos grabbing girls butts they are going to do the same because they can do it too. I also agree with Hurt on the idea of male rappers portraying themselves as criminals, thugs. I feel that is really silly to see a grown man acting like a teenager. I know that they do it because they are performers and that how they make money, but they should think about the stupid things that they show on their videos. Some rappers show themselves beating other people up, being the ladies man, and having nice cars. It’s okay to be bless with the opportunity of making so much money but they should show that they are mature persons and sing about positive things not about killing people, and being a player.
Great comment Jose. You give good, concrete examples to support your thesis.
Erica Williams
English 1B
September 9,2009
Assignment: Response to Byron Hurt’s “Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes”
In Byron Hurt’s film “ Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes”, he discusses the overwhelming amount of misogyny, homophobia, and violence in hip hop music. Byron talks with several well known and not so well known hip hop artists in the film, to get their take on the latter topics in the content of hip hop lyrics. He speaks with artists like Chuck D of Public Enemy and rapper Jadakiss. Both artists had two different takes on the role and influences that hip hop music plays in society. Chuck D felt that there haven’t been “men” representing hip hop, while Jadakiss felt that the music is simply for entertainment. Although both views may be true, the question in my mind is… What is hip hop really doing to society?
After viewing the film, I found myself with mixed feelings about the content of hip hop music. Although I do believe that much of the lyrics we listen to are inappropriate, I also feel that there should be some level of accountability on both sides of the hip hop spectrum, meaning the artists and the listener. Accountability for the listener starts with being able to listen to the music for what it is and only that, to teach our children right from wrong, censoring what they listen to, and the ability to be an individual and not be influenced by what they hear on the radio. According to Jadakiss, hip hop music is for entertainment, but how is degrading women and talking about killing someone entertaining? There is nothing entertaining about that. Music was supposed to be a form of art that somewhere along the line became our inspiration for things like our sexual experiences, career choices(drug dealer, rapper, etc), relationships, our sexuality and even a role model. Art is supposed to be something we can enjoy, but hip hop music in my opinion has become more of an emotional outlet for artists to let out all of their frustrations, than the art of creativity. But unfortunately it has come at the expense of the demise of our society. Simply put, I believe that hip hop music is hiding behind something deeper than the lyrics, thus the reason for the making of this film to try and explain the reason behind the lyrics that are being written. Hip hop music evokes the right of freedom of speech, but we must find a way to not allow the music to consume us and become the story of our own lives.
Work Cited:
Byron Hurt: Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes, Byron Hurt, PBS. DVD
In the film Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes - Byron Hurt, demonstrated how male rappers were putting down women, how they used violence and abused women. They also used them as sexual images. Hurt asked them all the same question on why they acted like how they did in front of the camera. Most of the rappers had difficulty answering that question. Hurt didn’t like how the rappers were acting in their music videos and such.
I agree with Byron Hurt because I do not think that women should be treated as badly as they were in the video. The male rappers were using women for pleasure. It even shows how some rappers swiping credit cards down a female’s backside. If people look up to rappers as role models then it would be bad because they all demonstrate bad influences on the younger generation out there. If people young watch their videos on television, online or anywhere else their actions will be transferred to the newer generation of children and younger people because that’s the kind of role model they grew up with. They all want to be “gangster” which is not the way to live because it disrespects many things, women, their respect, and their own pride. They should not have sang about being a thug, fighting people, nor about drugs. In my opinion they should have sang about the positive things about love, education, and ways to make money, not the way how to hurt themselves by looking up to the wrong person with bad images.
The film was evidence in and of itself that commercial rap is misogynitic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood. Aside from the statistics, the lyrics that the guys were "spittin'" for the camera in the batttles, the videotaping of the girls in bikinis and the way that guys presented themselves was evidence enough. On top of that though, were the statistics that the number one killer of young african-american males was themselves and that 49% of gun shot victims were african-american. Such statistics speak volumes to the culture in which they find themselves and that culture filtered to them by record companies, supported by gun salesmen, property managers and the prison system alike.
From one who looks at himself in the mirror through the lens of hip-hop inflated hypermasculinity only to close my eyes for small segments of time, its difficult for me to totally reject the definition of manhood it presents. I can't help but to intentionally, if not subliminally, aim to be like 50 Cent, if not a match, at least another version. Its difficult for me to down him for being this exceptionally strong, dangerous, sexual, wealthy and boastful as a male. I can imagine myself calling men men when they aren't like him with regard to physical strength, gun power, economic authority and sexual prowess, nonetheless he, and others like himself, are still in a league of their own.
Hurt makes it very clear that the people behind the production of this music, from the writers to the stations that air these videos, are not taking responsibility for what they are doing. There is a lack of integrity and respect for the hip hop community that is unanimously elected as "just fine." There is almost this "don't ask/don't tell" policy that is going around the community of people that make and promote hip hop music that mirrors those who sell cigarettes or guns to third world countries in exchange for diamonds. Its scary because that is evidence that there is something criminal about the music industry to which we look for the production of the best talent and fitting stars.
Amy Quiton
Hurt’s Response
I think Byron Hurt looks upon the hatred that exists in hip-hop and is appalled that the formula that currently exists for this genre is a misogynistic, violent, art form. These artists he captures have hatred towards women and most evident but more subconsciously hatred toward themselves. I believe exactly what Byron believes, there is just too much hostility that we are subjecting to women and way too much emphasis on gun play and violence. I can see how it is a vicious cycle in this industry because of the environment that you are surrounded in while you are recording, shooting a music video, or just hanging out with the guys. This environment says that it’s ok to have women parading around you in virtually no clothing, that it’s ok to have the majority of your lyrics be about killing, murdering, and being a menace to society. These things are condoned for a plethora of reasons. First, it’s what the hip-hop game has evolved to, violent, sellable, music. Second, you could be considered weak or less of a man if you show your emotions or rhyme about something that has a valid non-violent purpose. Third, it gives the artist a feeling of power when they are surrounded by the largest entourage, or the most scandalously clad women. Overall it is going to be hard to break this cycle unless both man and women are willing to recognize that current hip-hop lyrics and attitudes are just further suppressing the movements of the past which has given them a voice in the first place. I really believe along with Byron that if you continue to talk about this epidemic then eventually people will listen.
In the film Hip Hop Beyond Beat and Rhymes Bryon takes on the issues of violence, homophobia, power, misogyny and media in the Hip Hop world. Bryon talked with many artists from Fat Joe to Jadakiss about this certain issues and how they felt. Bryon went to Miami to get the fans who came to see their favorite artist perform for BET’s spring bling. While at spring bling he got the fans to speak about the issues of what artist rap about in the songs. Many fans brought up the idea of respect and power to why they are rapping about guns and violence in their lyrics. Many said that is it a sign of masculinity in the music industry so they are not perceived to be a “punk.” In my opinion I agree because the artist in the industry are trying to make a statement that they are not to be messed with and rapping about shooting people, guns, death of people and having animosity or beef with another huge rapper gives them power. While at spring bling Bryon manage to catch men disrespecting woman. He got a male on camera taping a woman’s booty from underneath her skirt without her knowledge. Man were garbing women’s booty and when they got mad they just laughed and kept on doing it even though woman did not agree with their actions. They kept treating woman like they were “bitches” as the men would say to Bryon. Bryon asked the woman how they felt about being called “bitches” when they aren’t really a “bitch” and the woman did not agree with that statement because they are a “bitch.” I do not agree with woman being called a “bitch” because she is wearing a binkies top and short or if they are showing any part of their body on a hot day because woman should be able to show their body if they choose so without being called a “bitch.” Woman have the right to wear whatever they want because it is their body they are exposing and that does not give the men an okay go around touching on them and calling them out their names. Bryon asked artist about the gay men in the music industry and many did not agree. Jadakiss did not want to talk about any gay men being in the music industry because to him is not acceptable in his eyes and many of the artist agreed but I feel like it has nothing to do with what sex you prefer it matters about how much you are sailing and whether the fans like you enough to keep you number on charts. Being gay will not get you to the top and if you aren’t gay has nothing to do with you being on top, being on top is by the music you put out.
Hurt brings up a lot of very large issues in the hip hop community. Hip hop, over time, has developed a reputation of containing violence, hypermasculinity, and labeling women as sex symbols.
In his film, he goes around asking hip hop artists very hard and harsh questions and I enjoyed watching the controversial artists struggle with their answers.
In Byron's writing, he spelled out a lot of reasons as to why hip hop has come to be the way it is. A lot of his reasoning for the guns, violence and putting down of women is due to men having the obsession of being masculine.
Hurt's evidence about hypermasculinity and violence is that a lot of males in hip hop communities use violence basically to gain status and territory.
Hurt's evidence about why males treat women so badly is because of a theory, "bro's before hoes." Not only is there a "bro's before hoes" theory, but males are also condescending to women because they are influenced by the things they see in the media. Women are projected as sex symbols, and these men want what they see in the television and magazine.
His writings give thorough examples of what the issues are, and what the evidence is not only in the film, but in writing as well.
Munkhjin Munkhbaatar
English 1B
Professor Sabir
In the film "Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhyme" Byron Hurt talks about rappers how they behave and what do they do. From the beginning of the movie, movie shows how violent and misogynistic hip hop is. In the movie they talk about that many famous rappers have been shot and some of them are alive and some not. Also in the film they show women as a tool or an object and when they got interviewed most of them could not answer Hurt's questions about why they acted this way in front of the camera. In the video women were treated as sluts or prostitutes. I agree with Hurt because women should not be treated that way. Men should respect women because we all born and raised by women. They think that they are better than women and they have more power than women. Without women life would not exist. They should think about men and women equality. Most of hip hop songs lyrics are about killing and beating up someone or how they are being rich and a player. Most of the rappers have been in jail or prison for a drug possession or a gun possession.
Amanda Rodriguez
English 1B
September 11, 2009
In Bryon Hurts film, Hip Hop: Beyond Rhymes and Beat, he interviews hip-hop artist and individuals who do sales and promotions for the hip hop music. In the film Mr. Hurts examines the ideas of violence, masculinity misogyny, and homophobia that are constantly circulating with the lyrics of hip-hop. But Mr. Hurt takes his interviews beyond the artist and asks why haven’t these ideas decreased within the lyrics.
Mr. Hurt interviews rap artist such as Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes. He ask them why the consistently have to re for back to violence when they don’t like someone or having sex with some many women. Jadakiss tells Mr. Hurt that most artist rap about the things that sell. And things that sell are violence, masculinity and homophobia. As the documentary continues he runs into this convention where many music labels come to New York to find fresh new artist. Mr. Hurt interviews inspiring young rapper and ask them why do they not rap about more positive lyrics.
Itzel Diaz
English 1B
The Film, Hip-hop beyond Beats and Rhymes by Byr4on Hurt suggest Hip-hop music promotes violence through out music videos and lyrics; they promote the use of violence as the effect of “self-confidence”. Most of Hip-hop artist talk about the life in the ghetto and how they can survive in it. Even though most of the lyrics express everyday situations, artists limit themselves to talk about the aggressive and violent survival game that id play on the street. Hip-hop artist do not bother to talk about progress and how young people can get out of the ghetto neighborhoods and be someone in life other than what they are expected to be. Hip-hop is trapped in a box that does not aloud it to go beyond the stereotypical images that society has given it, when artist limit their creativity to what is in the box; they end up promoting all the stereotypes that are in it and they make them look like that is the only thing that would ever be there.
Melissa Carpenter
English 1B
In the film titled "Hip-Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes", a man named Byron Hurt speaks about how many male rappers put on a violent image and degrade women in their music videos. Hurt interviewed many male rappers and as he did so they all had a struggle with answering his questions and giving him a valid answer as to why they treat women as they do in the videos. Hurt feels that it is wrong for the rappers to talk and degrade the women as they do in the videos, and they shouldn't be treated as objects. I feel personally that the young generation today look at music videos and that's where they get some of their ideas of the world from. If male rappers treat women as objects that are meant to be used and seem like whores than that's going to have an influence on young boys. They're going to grow up thinking that it is okay to treat women this way and that is wrong. In order to change men's perspective and treatment of women it is up to them to find what is the right thing to do in their hearts. I really wish rappers didn't focus on such negativity in their songs and tried to at least talk about something positive, such as artists like Lupe Fiasco or Common.
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