Adam Krims presents an interesting case study on Cree rap music in his text Rap Music and the Poetics of Identity, which I found interesting to read in relation to our discussion of hybridity (though Krims attests his own ambivalence to the concept).Krims is primarily interested in the relation and tension between rap as global music and rap as local music. As the geographical origin of rap music is typically traced to New York, artists functioning outside of this locale have to grapple with the authenticity issue: "the presence of New York often becomes a matter of the effects of its absence: for artists who arose outside the New York/ Los Angeles axis ... have long imprinted their own authenticity as local, geographically based, and specifically in oppositional relation to New York. ... what a non-New York MC or group lacks in linkage to hip-hop's origins, it receives in the projection of local authenticity."
The Cree case study I find especially interesting. The Cree are a First Nations people in Canada, that is they are Native American. (This preferred appellation is rife with ideological issues related to 'purity' and thus 'hybridity', but perhaps we'll leave that for another day.) Here the Cree are not only having to negotiate being native and being Canadian, but they must also negotiate their appropriation African-American cultural forms.
Speaking to the Global/Local phenomenon of hip hop....interesting things happen when hip hop leaves the US. Different cultures show resistance through the music differently. In Japan, there are some artists who are in the genres of Jazz, Hip Hop, Soul etc that wear black face. They do it in order to contradict and disrupt the conservative and whitened culture of Japan while praising the 'coolness' of black culture. The only thing is, they often revert to full minstrelsy constume (i.e. red lips etc) hence really setting a blaze the local black Japanese population. Other Japanese performers have authenticity issues as it relates to these type of performers and are afraid that these performers will come to represent them. Here is a picture of one such group: http://www.gosperats.com/
ReplyDeleteRace and racism like hip hop as you mention in your blog is both a local and global phenomenon. At what point, if any, should this type of 'spreading' and 'appropriation' be regulated. In another word, at what point does it become a human rights issue. At what point does our speculation become Ameri-centric policing?
From class though I was really intrigued by the Selena example only because I have heard a lot of Latinos (mainly mexican people I know) who complain about their authenticity being linked to their language. What is interesting to me about it is what we talked about in class. When does the timer stop and start to where it becomes the sweet spot of authenticity because Spanish is not the native language but the language of colonizers. Why aren't native languages more so the marks of authenticity? Is it just a numbers game? Which ever group has the most amongst them mark the authenticity of the moment? I don't know. For African Americans we tend to fight about our 'twoness.' Dubois referenced this issue. I would venture to say we are more than just 'two. We are African, We are American, We are Both, We are neither. It is problematic for identity and usually has to do with how much you assimilate yourself. Africans do not see us as them most of the time....and historically we were an afterthought in this country. Because we are generations in to this country we have our blend of americanness mixed in with our alienation and cultural creativity of our Africanness that makes us both. But we are neither African nor american purely. We are displaced Africans. We are overlooked Americans. We are the cultural architects of the african american identity. We are not a homogenous group of anything.
"We are the cultural architects" I absolutely fell in love with this, I want to put that on a wall. I completely agree with you I was actually talking to a friend of mine yesterday about an argument she had with a young man from Nigeria and his claim that she wasn't African when she identifies herself as one. This led me back to what we were discussing in class, who says what is authentic and who gives that person the right to have the say.
ReplyDeleteIn my Latinos in Cities class we are talking about Puerto Ricans and their struggle with authenticity after they come out to the states. I, as a Puerto Rican, born on the island but raise in the states can honestly say that it is extremely difficult to keep up with pleasing both sides. I feel like I an amalgamation of the Puerto Rican culture and the American culture, and I love that I feel comfortable with what I am, it only becomes a problem when it is put under this authenticity scope and I am shred to pieces by family and people who don't even know me. I speak/read/write fluent Spanish, I have even managed to somehow maintain my accent and it still isn't enough for me to be authentic. While in class I kept thinking how authenticity is measured and how as a hybrid you can't really be authentic to anything.
the Selena was a great example and it is very true it's difficult being a hybrid you're never enough of anything and that can get quite annoying I say you are authentic to what you are, which is your personal combination "MY NEYSHALEE CULTURE" and I guess as long as I am satisfied it will have to be enough because no one will ever be satisfied.
This post is really amazing in that it relates directly to the example that I posed in our group on Tuesday regarding moments of hybridity and how Gospel music is a mesh of African slave musical sentiments and their American experiences. Amazingly, even after thinking further regarding the topic, I easily saw and understood the origin of the African portion (as this was comprised of who the people were), but the American portion never attached itself to a direct source of authenticity and what that was composed of.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the above with the case of the cree people, as mentioned in the Kraidy articles, the purpose of the mestizaje label was for the sake of inclusion and power creation, yet the cree people in dealing with hybridity have inherited a struggle and a difficulty with external self-identification.
These are issues that we must explore in that the goal of hybridity and multiculturalism (if everyone agrees that they're somewhat parallel) is to bring people together, yet it still creates the invisible and sometimes visible sense of otherness.
When I read the article, I can agree on some levels about hip hop and how the authenicity works. But on some levels I can not. BUt these are just all my peronal feelings. As for the two comments above I agree with the comments about Selena and the culture authenticity and culture citezenship.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the blog posting, i believe that when it comes to hip-hop we only know what we think we know or the current pioneers tell us. At times up and comming artist or current artist allow popular cultural to validate if they are authentic or not. But as I learned in a previous class that was focused around hip-hop, is that hip hop acually originated n Jamica! It was all about who had the biggest speakers attached to their cars and could blast their music the loudest. This daily tradition help form what we call hip-hop. As times changed so did hip-hop and it made it ws over to the US. I reference to some of the things you mention in your article I would question what is your defintion of hip hop? And do you see a difference between hip-hop and rap. Because there is a huge difference. Now I may be coming off as one of those individuals from NY that feels that others are not authentic enough to claim they are hip-hop. But just like any othe culture there are certain things I feel you have to identify with in order for someone to feel you are acceptable. Now in my personal opinion, just because you rap does not mean you are or know hip-hip. I would simply identify you as a rapper. I do believe there is a certain mind frame, approach and consciousness you have to have to be hip-hop. When you discuss the "rappers" in Japan. I would too be offended. I don't think one should have to dress up in black face to conform to a certain type of genre of music. I don't feel looks make your music any better. Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles were blind but they produced great music! Is a hip-hop artists rappers, yes! Because rap is a big area of commodification in the music industry. Are rappers, hip-hop artists, not all the time. Hip-Hop is conscious and Rap is just music. Without hip-hop there would be no rap. But hip hop does not sale rap does. Do all hip-hop artist conform to rap, no not all. Do rappers ever conform to hip hip, yes some do but hardly ever. There is a thin line between hip-hop and rap but many can see the difference. So when it comes to other indulging into the culture. Or ones who are a part of the culture saying others are not authentic. I can see where it takes place and how it comes about, and sadly enough i am one of the people who make you prove your hip-hop rights. It is kind of like the Selena clip we seen in class. Its hard to prove to Mexico they are Mexican and its hard to prove to America that they are american. Its just to damn hard to try to please both worlds.
As in regards to the first to comments. I two battle with not knowing where I fit into society as an African American. The African won't accept me because I don't know my roots besides that I am African. And it is not my fault that my ancestors were brought over against their free will. But here in America it is hard prove that I belong here in America and deserve just as equal rights. I mean this country may have been bulit with a pen by the Europeans but it was bulit on the backs on my ancestors and with the sweat also, along with other minorties enslaved over time. So where does an African American fit? Who can I closely identify with?
Well I was in a previous class last semester and we found out that Hip-Hop originated from the Latino culture but they wasn't acknowlegede by it. People felt like Hip-Hop was actually started by African Americans. It was criticized that Latinos knew nothibg about Hip-Hop.
ReplyDeleteAfro-Germans started Hip-Hop in Germany because they weren't treated equally. So they engage into the Hip-Hop culture to get their voice heard. They wanted people to know that their culture is both Black and German. They didn't want to feel inferior because of the Black culture. I believe cultural citizenship can be difficult. Who is acceptable in a multicultural background?
There are a lot of interesting comments here. I personally feel that hip/hop definitely has a culture tied to it. And the only culture I really know of is what hip/hop is and what hip/hop means in the United States. But can hip/hop mean different things to different people from different countries? Thus making a different maybe even a hybrid culture of hip/hop?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is through these blog comments we see that one person said that hip/hop came from Jamaica and the other said it came from Latin America which is really interesting because I'm wondering, who is right? Where did hip/hop REALLY originate?
I met a middle eastern rapper a year back, who was born in the United States who lives in Tokyo Japan and who happens to be a well known artist out there. I definitely feel that he is great at what he does...But why is it that he had to go to Tokyo to get a record deal and to get any sort of recognition for his talent? Is it cause in America just because he is middle eastern and trying to be a rapper that he wouldnt be accepted or wouldnt be seen as an authentic rapper because of his race and experiences but more so seen as a wannabe?
I think that Hip Hop began as a mostly regional thing, but with its commercial success has become something different. This is not to say that it has completely lost its meaning, but that it has begun to speak to, and be produced by a much wider audience. In "Diasporic Noise: History, Hip-Hop, and the Post-Colonial Politics of Sound", George Lipsitz writes "Hip Hop and other forms of diasporic African music participate in constructing these local identities, but they bring them to a global consciousness" (33). I think that this is evident through Cree hip-hop. In it, they are attempting to define who they are, what they have grown up in, and why they matter. They want to be visible to the rest of the nation, or maybe even the world. But they are also dealing with universal themes that people who are different from them and grew up somewhere else can relate to. People growing up in parts of Canada may have similar experiences to those growing up in the urban slums of New York City or Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteIn Regards to answering what does Hip Hop mean to different cultures…I can try to explain what Hip hop means to BLACK PEOPLE. Hip Hop” tells the stories of black people because it expresses what it is like to be black person growing up and living a black life.”Hip Hop” gave black people a sense of identity and social agency in contemporary America. These identities were shaped and shown through fashions, language, street names and crews. Hip Hop is not just a genre it is a culture. I say this because without it people of the Diaspora would not be able to connect with each other. Hip Hop is a Universal language for black people because it is seen as a form of blackness.
ReplyDeleteThe Cree rap music case brings touches on a lot of the issues we've been discussing in class - and this of course includes authenticity! The Cree must struggle with three different identities and the intersections between them. It seems an important question is whether or not the Cree can claim each of these identities "authentically."
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this post though, I actually thought of Stuart Hall's explanation of how people can subvert mainstream media representations. This is an interesting case of how the Cree, an historically underrepresented and oppressed group, have appropriated a popular global music phenomenon to create a space to assert their identity. It's true that rap and hip-hop are not originally or "authentically" part of Cree culture, but surely they have appropriated rap that resonate well with black struggles and oppression in the United States. This is not to say that Cree rap is the same as rap originating the U.S. - but I don't it is meant to be.
I think Samantha makes a really relevant point when she draws back on the Stuart Hall reading. When we discuss authenticity and appropriation, there's always controversy regarding whether this is acceptable or whether we're witnessing another terrible effect of globalization...however I think that taking cues and appropriating the methods of the hip hop/rap movement in expressing their underrepresentation by another underrepresented group is not necessarily a negative phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing the blog posting and the comments, I found it interesting that how Hip Hop can have different meanings in different cultures. From my observation, Hip Hop is a relatively new art form that emerged in China. Not until recently, there has been a real Chinese Hip Hop scene and style showing up. Since the languages used for Chinese Hip Hop are mainly Mandarin and Cantonese (both languages are tonal), the moods and attitudes being expressed may be different from the ones expressed by Hip Hop in the United States.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, Hip Hop was considered as something bad and unregulated in China when I was in junior high. However, the reason of it has nothing to do with stereotypes or anti-black attitudes. It’s just simply because most Chinese young people who are into Hip Hop culture were not paying much attention to their grades. As time passed by, now hip Hop is more or less an iconic symbol of the free spirits.
A lot of Chinese artists are trying to create their own Hip Hop style, and some of them have added the elements of traditional Chinese music to the Hip Hop music. For example, some of them have tried to combine Chinese ancient operas with the Hip Hop music, which invokes a new music style – the Chinese Hip Hop. On one hand, Chinese Hip Hop style is helping itself win more local markets. On the other hand, Chinese Hip Hop style is differentiating itself from the general Hip Hop, and making itself become outstanding among all the Hip Hop variants.