Word: hip-hop
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...spent a great deal of the lecture making references to and hypothesizing about the tragic events of Sept. 11. He said that it would be “irresponsible” had the events been ignored and evaded completely. Other questions invoked his opinions on how to prevent hip-hop from becoming an irrelevant art form, or from letting it degenerate so as to cease being an art form altogether. Another gentleman posed a similar question on the age-old issue of the commercialization of hip-hop. The answers to these questions were not simple, but West essentially said that...
Although West made many pertinent observations on hip-hop culture and its changing American context, one wonders if his message will reach a younger generation of hip-hop fans. Will they be able to appreciate hip-hop for its intrinsic beauty as a historical snapshot? Will they ever feel a link to those whom West refers to as the “3 M’s: Brother Martin [Luther King, Jr.], Brother Medgar [Evers], Brother Malcolm [X]?” Despite his assertion that the lecture could not end on an “optimistic note...
...clarified the goal of the lecture. West then identified himself as a figure and not an artist, stating, “Hip-hop is a rich moment in a long tradition [of] struggle.” West emphasized hip-hop’s historical and intellectual context, instead of a pop-cultural one. Many tend to inaccurately see hip-hop and its followers as markedly unintellectual. However, as West argued, hip-hop articulates the pressures of living an unstable, uncertain life. West connected the genre to “tragicomic” aspects of the musical movements which preceded...
...Frontline,” one of the tracks on Sketches, West exclaims, “Don’t sell your soul for a mess of pottage!” Is West entreating the new wave of hip-hop artists to refrain from the commercialism and degradation of an introspective art form? Is he asking them to familiarize themselves with the works of great jazz, R&B, and blues artists as well as the foundation of Negro spirituals and apply that rich history to their music? Although he did not fully treat these issues, West ended his lecture with...
...Lante,” Ozo come rolling out with infectious energy. The track is almost surprisingly straight up, given the mix ’n match ethic of the rest of the album: There are no guests, and no breaks into turntable spins or hip-hop mode—just the euphoric, impossibly upbeat vibe that is possibly Ozo’s biggest gift to mankind...