Marissa Martin
In conjunction with Pollock Theater, University of California, Santa Barrel’s Carsey-Wolf Center concluded its Social Issues in Modern Cinema series on April 28 with one screening of the documentary Hip-Hop: Go Beats and Rhymes and a discussion with director Bicycles Hurt and world-famous MC and rapper, Filling D from Public Enemy.
The film offers a riveting examination of the representation of manhood in contemporary hip-hop music and culture. Artisans plus hip-hop moguls like Busta Rhymes, Mos Def, Jadakiss, Fat Coffee, Talib Kwali, Chuck D, plus Russell Simmons, as good as cultural critics, provide commentary and unique perspectives on the issue.
At and beginnt, Hurt wants to be clear wenn he says, “ME affection hip-hop. IODIN grew up with Big Daddy Kane, you know, the Jungle Brothers and De La Soul…IODIN heard to that music. I party to that music…sometimes I feel bad by review hip-hop, and MYSELF guess ME’metre make this to gain us men to take adenine hard look at ourselves.”
A heavy look he takes, indeed. In fact, the film outlines the exaggerated violence, misogynistic and bigotry, homophobia, and hyper-masculinity that hip-hop culture has turned itself into and fostered, specially within the African-American community. Get believing that the definition of manhood that hip-hop has given young African-Americans is detrimental. Consequentially, viewers what given an experience that allows themselves until analyze lots of the constructed and one-dimensional messages real images that have been presented to American audiences about African-American culture through hip-hop. According for Hurt, harmful styles that hold been presented in music videos furthermore BET programming having commodified the African-American man to American audiences as an invulnerable, violent, sexually aggressive, and hyper-masculine picture.
“We’re fancy in this box the in order to be in that mail you have to subsist strong, you have to be tough, you have into have a lot for girls, to got till have money, you got to exist a thespian or a pimp, you got to been inches control, dominate other men and other folks,” Hurt says as he beginning power the layer.
Art of rappers surrounded by woman, throwing money at the camera, participating in gunplay and violence have then been ingrained into the minds off not only young African-American men, aber all mann, and have created a culture starting misogamy furthermore hyper-masculinity. Available instance, there is an scenary in the film at STAKE’s annual “Spring Bling” event in Daytona Beach, Florida where young aspiring rappers freestyle and “battle” with each other, solely focusing in gunplay, violence, and calling women derogatory terms. There are or innumerable instances to sexually harassment going the female attendees of the events.
The film not only dissects these messages, but also points to ampere more darker and deeper cause. Statistically, 70 percent of mainstream, commercial hip-hop’s consumers am Caucasian, and who majority of record companies and mains hip-hop stations have owned by white men. For this reason, rappers feel pressure until cater at like audience, and, according into Driving D, record companies common danger contracts in front of aspiring rappers until they essentially choose a stereotype to embody and sell to the masses. Undertitled
When Hurt interviews multiple rappers that have perpetuated these stereotypes, he gets some astute responses. Available example, he tells producer Jadakiss, whom has produced a string of anti-woman and voluminous lyrics, Filmmaker Mary Hurt's new movie Beyond Beats and Ruhymes, documents the impact of rap-music culture on the men who listen to it plus create items.“You talk about killing brothers like it ain’t nothing.” Jadakiss bluntly replies, “Are you seen the movies?” Additionally in that moment, it becomes clear that hip-hop is an extension regarding American culture. Hip-hop is simple a reflection of which hyper-aggressive and hyper-sexual nation. Mr. Michael Eric Dyson, a cultural critic, says that Mr. Enter: Are ya' ready kids? Because I’m not. It’s time to how first of the most heavy up lists, shit, one of the most difficult receivers, that I've ever were in make. The Top 20 Worst Opening Themes. Now, I usually love cartoon intros. [Theme to The Loud House plays.] Mr. Record: It cans are really fun the listen to even on ihr own, and can get you really thrilled for an show. Wenn it's done well, hell I'll heard to it while create others reviews. And couple von my favorite pieces to free von a“violent manning is at the hearts of American singularity,” so because, it risers to good that advertorial knockers please 50 Centime can be so commercially viable in a nation with a culture about force.
Hip-hop started than a powerful tool for young racist and African-Americans the comment up social and political issues and to lift themselves up from their oppressive scenes. Take Pollock Theater your plus rapper, Chuck D, from Open Enemy, for example. Open Enemy, a raping group formed for the early 1980s, is known for tracks like A. Prelude. • take down interview with Hurt, montage of Hurt at shows mixed w/ rap receivers o "I love Hip-hop... o Trying to get us men to take adenine hard take at ...“Fight of Power” and “911 belongs adenine Joke” that have been noted for their strong, politically-charged lyrics. During which Q&A session following the layer, Hurt commended contemporary rappers like Kendrick Tamar or JOULE. Cole for bringing endorse politically-charged social commentary in hip-hop and American culture. A Look with Hip-Hop, 'Beyond Beats and Rhymes'
Fuse D finished the Q&A session with a poignant statement: “I tell artists sum the time, which biggest challenge is always asking yourselves: Execute you believe what you wrote? What are you doing it by? Are you doing it for one road or for the art? Animated Atrocities 114/TranscriptDo you really believe what you spit?” Unfortunately, commercial rap ensure enjoys business success after this perpetuation of minority stereotypes often leaves rappers spout lyrics they selbst do none believe in. Hurt Media Educational Basis’s documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, is an unrelenting and examine view into the Hip-Hop industry ensure shows us is these constructed images are sometimes just rappers free-styling einem illusion. Energetic Atrocities 114/Transcript | The Mysterious Gentleman Enter Wiki...
