From J
If you would like me to give you five words, comment below - then elaborate in your own LJ
hip-hop, authenticity, integration, the okey doke, community
So let me start by saying this was much harder than I originally thought it would be. Partially because I feel like I've said all that I have to say about these topics.
HipHop HipHop seems to be flooded with people trying to be involved while clearly not being invested in it. This goes for rappers, journalists, authors and corny dudes in khakis who are excited to loudly recite the words to H to the Izzo in some sorry attempt to display their "cred." It greatly saddens me that all of the means which were originally in place to keep things authentic (I'm getting ahead of myself here) are either no longer as potent or seem out right null and void. I wonder what it will take for it to get back to what it was originally. And that's not to say I think every song should be "conscious." I hate that polarity where my expression of distaste of how things are gets equated with me thinking everything should be "high-minded." What it originally was was about partying, beefs (that stayed tactful and ON WAX), social consciousness, creativity and community (getting ahead of myself again). Now it seems to be about... shit. And I hate how I feel like I've become a crotchety old grandma about it, but I do have that "back in my day things were better" feeling about it.
Two others things I want to add. I'm sad to see talented rappers belittle themselves for money. Jay-Z readily admitted to "dumbing down to his audience to double his dollars." Though really I'd rather he just retire for real. Luda is another one that comes to mind. He is wasting his talent (unless he's put out something recently that I missed.). Also, I'm sad to see how LPs are becoming... out of style? Even DJs use them less and less. Sad times.
Oh! and one last thing! (lol) It's almost funny how when Ket does graffiti it's a felony yet when Shepard Fairey does it it's contemporary art.
Authenticity and HipHop go hand-in-hand. Or at least they once did. I miss the way HipHop regulated itself with songs like "Fakin the Funk" and "Crossover." I hate how it can be so easy for people to take one superficial aspects of a culture and be perceived as part of it and/or feel as if those superficial parts make them legitimately connected.
In general, it makes me sad and frustrated that people rarely follow their own paths and often do what their parents expect or go with the crowd or otherwise aren't listening to themselves.
Integration I think the biggest mistake made during the Civil Rights Era was to see "separate, but equal" was flawed and to focus on separate and not equal. I think it continued in the path of pushing the focus towards gaining access to whiteness and white arenas instead of focusing on Blackness and either building what we didn't have or making what we already had better. I do appreciate the gains we've achieved from the CRE, but I think we still have our priorities fucked up which has us headed in the wrong direction. The fact that we're still getting excited about stuff like a Black African woman getting a contract with Ralph Lauren (or whoever the hell it was) shows that we are missing the point.
The Okey Doke So I think J should do this one as he feels more passionate about it than I do and really I have nothing to say about this as a large topic (but would have more to say in any given specific instance). Falling for the okey doke is equated to drinking the kool-aid which is equated to getting got. I have nothing to say about that. He was thinking about falling for "style over substance" which is something we've talked about and both see happen a lot online (and off). Basically when folks go for the argument because it was told in a certain way even if the argument is flawed and stupid. Actually now that I think about it, politicians do this more than anyone online does it. Using those keywords and general sentiments to mask that you aren't saying anything. But yeah, I have nothing much to add to that still. People fall for the okey doke and it's sad/funny/annoying. I can wrap it up with a line from Tommy Boy:
"Truth is, I make car parts for the American working man because I'm a hell of a salesman and he doesn't know any better." ~Zalinsky
Community: My thoughts about community are that people should be in each other's business more ( which is something I stole from either Roli or Mike).People getting involved not because it's juicy, but because they are concerned about the lives of others. I think social loafing is occurring even more as time goes on (I should look up info on that to see if it's true). Diffusion of responsibility left and right and we all feel like "someone else" will do it. This is part of the reason why I love anarchy. I think one of the reasons people are so disengaged from the political process and key things affecting their lives is because politics feels like something that "they" (politicians) will handle. As long as the gears can turn without our input, we are more than willing to step back from the process and let others handle it. If we had no other choice than to handle them (with no government to give us the illusions of working for our best interests), people would be more involved and processes would truly be driven "by the people." That was kind of a tangent. Point is folks are disconnected from each other and other things that matter to them whether "far off" in City Hall or right next door. And the Western style individualism just never gelled with me.
Also, I wish communities did more self-policing. I once heard about small groups that formed as an alternative to law enforcement. So let's say a woman wanted to leave her abuser, but didn't feel it was safe and didn't want to involve the cops. She could call this group and they would help her leave.
Just some thoughts...
hip-hop, authenticity, integration, the okey doke, community
So let me start by saying this was much harder than I originally thought it would be. Partially because I feel like I've said all that I have to say about these topics.
HipHop HipHop seems to be flooded with people trying to be involved while clearly not being invested in it. This goes for rappers, journalists, authors and corny dudes in khakis who are excited to loudly recite the words to H to the Izzo in some sorry attempt to display their "cred." It greatly saddens me that all of the means which were originally in place to keep things authentic (I'm getting ahead of myself here) are either no longer as potent or seem out right null and void. I wonder what it will take for it to get back to what it was originally. And that's not to say I think every song should be "conscious." I hate that polarity where my expression of distaste of how things are gets equated with me thinking everything should be "high-minded." What it originally was was about partying, beefs (that stayed tactful and ON WAX), social consciousness, creativity and community (getting ahead of myself again). Now it seems to be about... shit. And I hate how I feel like I've become a crotchety old grandma about it, but I do have that "back in my day things were better" feeling about it.
Two others things I want to add. I'm sad to see talented rappers belittle themselves for money. Jay-Z readily admitted to "dumbing down to his audience to double his dollars." Though really I'd rather he just retire for real. Luda is another one that comes to mind. He is wasting his talent (unless he's put out something recently that I missed.). Also, I'm sad to see how LPs are becoming... out of style? Even DJs use them less and less. Sad times.
Oh! and one last thing! (lol) It's almost funny how when Ket does graffiti it's a felony yet when Shepard Fairey does it it's contemporary art.
Authenticity and HipHop go hand-in-hand. Or at least they once did. I miss the way HipHop regulated itself with songs like "Fakin the Funk" and "Crossover." I hate how it can be so easy for people to take one superficial aspects of a culture and be perceived as part of it and/or feel as if those superficial parts make them legitimately connected.
In general, it makes me sad and frustrated that people rarely follow their own paths and often do what their parents expect or go with the crowd or otherwise aren't listening to themselves.
Integration I think the biggest mistake made during the Civil Rights Era was to see "separate, but equal" was flawed and to focus on separate and not equal. I think it continued in the path of pushing the focus towards gaining access to whiteness and white arenas instead of focusing on Blackness and either building what we didn't have or making what we already had better. I do appreciate the gains we've achieved from the CRE, but I think we still have our priorities fucked up which has us headed in the wrong direction. The fact that we're still getting excited about stuff like a Black African woman getting a contract with Ralph Lauren (or whoever the hell it was) shows that we are missing the point.
The Okey Doke So I think J should do this one as he feels more passionate about it than I do and really I have nothing to say about this as a large topic (but would have more to say in any given specific instance). Falling for the okey doke is equated to drinking the kool-aid which is equated to getting got. I have nothing to say about that. He was thinking about falling for "style over substance" which is something we've talked about and both see happen a lot online (and off). Basically when folks go for the argument because it was told in a certain way even if the argument is flawed and stupid. Actually now that I think about it, politicians do this more than anyone online does it. Using those keywords and general sentiments to mask that you aren't saying anything. But yeah, I have nothing much to add to that still. People fall for the okey doke and it's sad/funny/annoying. I can wrap it up with a line from Tommy Boy:
"Truth is, I make car parts for the American working man because I'm a hell of a salesman and he doesn't know any better." ~Zalinsky
Community: My thoughts about community are that people should be in each other's business more ( which is something I stole from either Roli or Mike).People getting involved not because it's juicy, but because they are concerned about the lives of others. I think social loafing is occurring even more as time goes on (I should look up info on that to see if it's true). Diffusion of responsibility left and right and we all feel like "someone else" will do it. This is part of the reason why I love anarchy. I think one of the reasons people are so disengaged from the political process and key things affecting their lives is because politics feels like something that "they" (politicians) will handle. As long as the gears can turn without our input, we are more than willing to step back from the process and let others handle it. If we had no other choice than to handle them (with no government to give us the illusions of working for our best interests), people would be more involved and processes would truly be driven "by the people." That was kind of a tangent. Point is folks are disconnected from each other and other things that matter to them whether "far off" in City Hall or right next door. And the Western style individualism just never gelled with me.
Also, I wish communities did more self-policing. I once heard about small groups that formed as an alternative to law enforcement. So let's say a woman wanted to leave her abuser, but didn't feel it was safe and didn't want to involve the cops. She could call this group and they would help her leave.
Just some thoughts...