I was listening to Fuck Da Police (any of the songs on the album will work, but this one is especially wonderful) and couldn't help but laugh. That's pretty weird once you get to thinkin' about it. I mean, I don't think the NWA really wrote Fuck Da Police with the intention of humoring long-haired, hippy wannabe, middle-class white boys. Maybe it's the context. Maybe the idea of listening to something like the NWA for the same class where you read Lolita is an ironic juxtaposition that can't not be funny. Or maybe it's because I remember my older sister and brother listening to Gangsta rap in the early nineties and acting as if they had any idea what the hell the rappers were talking about.
Once you really get to listening though, it's not funny. There's not much humor in the very sad, and very real, situations that they are rapping about. Who doesn't remember Rodney King? This is serious shit, and we all know that. And yet we continue to chuckle innocently.
It's almost as if we don't really think that they are justified to say these things, and so it's laughable, and, in turn, censorable. I think this fits in nicely with the Wire (like a few other people have noted). We've been so conditioned into viewing criminals and the police as a black and white affair that we fail to realize that there are good and bad people involved on both sides.
I don't know anyone from Compton, but I bet if I did they wouldn't think Fuck Da Police was funny.
Monday, April 27, 2009
All together now
I thought I'd talk about how Bob Dylan and NWA both tie in so nicely with The Wire.
For one, Bob's song Like A Rolling Stone tells the story of this humbling experience, which watching the Wire was for me. It talks about this girl in who I'm presuming is upper-middle class "gone to the finest schools" but now she's "scrounging for her next meal" and making deals with the tramp she used to never associate with. It's important because although none of us would like to think we'd sell drugs or join a gang, how do you really know? If you were put in the situation the kids in the wire were, you might have to readjust your standards, not because you want to but because you need to. Season 2 of the wire shows this theme even better I think, where the mostly hard working people turn to crime to make ends meet. The people in the wire season 2 are willing to work hard and legally, but legitimate work is hard to come by. This is repeated again, this theme of hardworking people in Tombstone Blues: "mama's in the factory, she ain't got no shoes."
Another, both Dylan and NWA comment on the political corruption seen in The Wire. We've talked a lot in class about the excessive use of force by the police, and for me, this was probably the most difficult aspect of the show to watch. NWA presents this force from their point of view in Fuck Tha Police. While there is no denying the brutality on the part of the police force, I think NWA nicely show the arrogant attitude we see in the characters of The Wire, Bodie in particular comes to mind. Dylan, on the other hand, comments on the upper-level political corruption. The song Tombstone Blues opens with this line, "the city fathers are trying to endorse/the reincarnation of Paul Revere's horse." Well we all know Paul Revere was the guy from the American Revolution who warned the colonists that the British were coming. I think what Dylan is trying to say here is that the city leaders are trying to maybe warn the people (like Paul) but "the town has no need to be nervous" meaning that there is nothing to be worried about, their just trying to stir shit up. I also though this verse from that song was very pertinent:
Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, "Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in ?"
The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"
And dropping a bar bell he points to the sky
Saying, "The sun's not yellow it's chicken.
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, "Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in ?"
The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"
And dropping a bar bell he points to the sky
Saying, "The sun's not yellow it's chicken.
John the Baptist is a very good man, who under the direction of his hero, the Commander-In-Chief, has tortured a man, and now feels sick to his stomach about it. The Commander absent mindedly ("while chasing a fly") says something obviously untrue and nonsensical ("the sun's not yellow its chicken"). This line shows how good people (Wallace, the detectives) are made to do something by their higher-ups, people they used to admire but now realize have big character flaws. I thought it was kind of striking, the resemblance between the John the Baptist in this song and Wallace, who does get physically sick after he sees what has been done to Brandon (a thief). The commander orders the death of those who are weak; hmmm sound familiar Mr. Barksdale? The part about the sun and the chicken just shows how someone in a high position can say a load of crap and it will be accepted, just because of who they are.
So aggressive
One thing that has always bothered me about rap music is that rappers always have to put on a front. Even when rapping about legitimate, real life situations, the rapper always makes himself appear fearless and tough. Music should be a free flowing form of art. Like with all kinds of art, the artist should be uninhibited and real if he truly wants to express himself. N.W.A presents social and political issues in a realistic manner, but N.W.A fails to present its individuals as real people.
Even the toughest, hardest people in America’s slums get scared occasionally, but one would never know that if they had only listen to N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton. By not addressing human weakness, N.W.A’s pertinent message loses some of its appeal and believability for me. The tough guy persona gets old after a while. In their defense, N.W.A was one of the first groups to utilize this ridiculous, fearless, masculinity since they came out fairly early on the rap scene.
But maybe N.W.A and numerous other rap groups use this intensely aggressive front simply because it’s what they know. Citizens living in slums most likely will live their entire lives in the same area and continue the trend of poverty that they have been presented with. So when the resources one has are very limited, but the individual’s goals of success are the same as other’s who are not living in poverty, the realistic means for achieving success are going to be different than from someone who is from a higher socio economic status. In sociology, this is called the Strain Theory. Kids living in Compton are going to want money and material things and will go about typically nontraditional ways of attaining their wants. Kids know they can make money selling drugs. Kids know they can be safe if they join a gang. The point I’m trying to make is, kids know they can the respect and materials they desire by being tough. Even though the tough guy persona seems very fake and put on, the guys in N.W.A are actually from the streets, where acting tough is imperative. So is the macho, powerful attitude a front, or an inevitable product of society?
Even the toughest, hardest people in America’s slums get scared occasionally, but one would never know that if they had only listen to N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton. By not addressing human weakness, N.W.A’s pertinent message loses some of its appeal and believability for me. The tough guy persona gets old after a while. In their defense, N.W.A was one of the first groups to utilize this ridiculous, fearless, masculinity since they came out fairly early on the rap scene.
But maybe N.W.A and numerous other rap groups use this intensely aggressive front simply because it’s what they know. Citizens living in slums most likely will live their entire lives in the same area and continue the trend of poverty that they have been presented with. So when the resources one has are very limited, but the individual’s goals of success are the same as other’s who are not living in poverty, the realistic means for achieving success are going to be different than from someone who is from a higher socio economic status. In sociology, this is called the Strain Theory. Kids living in Compton are going to want money and material things and will go about typically nontraditional ways of attaining their wants. Kids know they can make money selling drugs. Kids know they can be safe if they join a gang. The point I’m trying to make is, kids know they can the respect and materials they desire by being tough. Even though the tough guy persona seems very fake and put on, the guys in N.W.A are actually from the streets, where acting tough is imperative. So is the macho, powerful attitude a front, or an inevitable product of society?
Attitude legit cause I'm tearin up shit
Sorry for the title, I just had to. I listened to Bob Dylan’s “Highway 69 Revisited” while looking at the lyrics, and all of his songs sounded and read very profound. But the fact was, I didn’t understand the majority of it. I looked up the “meaning” of each song, and came across this site that annotated certain parts of Dylan’s songs. Here’s a (long) example:
“You used to be so amused at Napoleon in rags and the language that he used.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1768-1821) was a French military commander who conquered much of Europe and made himself Emperor of France…As to why one should be amused by the language the French Emperor used, this is a reference to the fact that as a boy Napoleon was mocked because of his Corsican pronunciation, that being his first language. This is illustrated in the 1927 silent film written and directed by Abel Gance, Napoléon: in one scene his fellow schoolboys laugh at the way he says his name in his native Corsican way. It is said that Napoleon, who could not suffer ridicule or slights, declared at an early age that he would have his "revenge on the French people." Considering the great loss of lives during the Napoleonic Wars, and the loss of national prestige following them, this comment seems rather prescient, despite the fact that France considers Napoleon a hero.”
Without reading the annotations, there are so many references in Dylan’s songs that would be lost on me, partly due to the fact that I wasn’t alive during this time. I approached both albums with the question, “Is this literature?” And as far as Dylan’s goes, I would say yes. Though I doubt anyone can understand his lyrics 100%, there is no denying that all of his songs were written very carefully—they’re not just pretty rhymes. His songs have meaning, even if it isn’t obvious at first. During this course we learned that there is no such thing as reading, only rereading when it comes to literature—Dylan’s songs definitely require rereading to fully understand.
N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” on the other hand, I do not consider to be literature. (Though very catchy, no doubt) All the songs are straightforward and crude. I know we learned from The Wire that literature doesn’t have to have clever sentences and a high class vocabulary, but there was reason for The Wire’s using the word “fuck” in every other sentence—It appropriately conveyed the situation realistically. N.W.A’s songs are all about sex, drugs, violence, and their overall power and status. I don’t see how the curse words add anything, other than to add to their “G” status. There is no need for annotations. Even if someone didn’t understand what a term meant, it isn’t too hard to guess using context clues. Sometimes, they even give the definition to you. (“Just like burglary, the definition is 'jackin'And when illegally armed it's called 'packin'”) I don’t need to reread any of N.W.A’s songs to comprehend them. In fact, most of the songs seem to have common themes. All I got out of their songs was that they have sex with women a lot, do drugs, are capable of killing, and are not to be messed with, especially by racist police.
“You used to be so amused at Napoleon in rags and the language that he used.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1768-1821) was a French military commander who conquered much of Europe and made himself Emperor of France…As to why one should be amused by the language the French Emperor used, this is a reference to the fact that as a boy Napoleon was mocked because of his Corsican pronunciation, that being his first language. This is illustrated in the 1927 silent film written and directed by Abel Gance, Napoléon: in one scene his fellow schoolboys laugh at the way he says his name in his native Corsican way. It is said that Napoleon, who could not suffer ridicule or slights, declared at an early age that he would have his "revenge on the French people." Considering the great loss of lives during the Napoleonic Wars, and the loss of national prestige following them, this comment seems rather prescient, despite the fact that France considers Napoleon a hero.”
Without reading the annotations, there are so many references in Dylan’s songs that would be lost on me, partly due to the fact that I wasn’t alive during this time. I approached both albums with the question, “Is this literature?” And as far as Dylan’s goes, I would say yes. Though I doubt anyone can understand his lyrics 100%, there is no denying that all of his songs were written very carefully—they’re not just pretty rhymes. His songs have meaning, even if it isn’t obvious at first. During this course we learned that there is no such thing as reading, only rereading when it comes to literature—Dylan’s songs definitely require rereading to fully understand.
N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” on the other hand, I do not consider to be literature. (Though very catchy, no doubt) All the songs are straightforward and crude. I know we learned from The Wire that literature doesn’t have to have clever sentences and a high class vocabulary, but there was reason for The Wire’s using the word “fuck” in every other sentence—It appropriately conveyed the situation realistically. N.W.A’s songs are all about sex, drugs, violence, and their overall power and status. I don’t see how the curse words add anything, other than to add to their “G” status. There is no need for annotations. Even if someone didn’t understand what a term meant, it isn’t too hard to guess using context clues. Sometimes, they even give the definition to you. (“Just like burglary, the definition is 'jackin'And when illegally armed it's called 'packin'”) I don’t need to reread any of N.W.A’s songs to comprehend them. In fact, most of the songs seem to have common themes. All I got out of their songs was that they have sex with women a lot, do drugs, are capable of killing, and are not to be messed with, especially by racist police.
Straight Outta Banned Books
I think it's fairly important when listening to N.W.A. to remember that the album is a reaction to the area and time they grew up in. The 80's and 90's weren't exactly a good time to be young and black in Compton. Several of the members were former drug dealers and they all witnessed first hand the kind of brutality and apathy that the police in L.A. showed towards them. These experiences led them to rap about the things that they do.
N.W.A. also had some really really awesome songs like Express Yourself, which samples the soul and funk song of the same name from the 1960's. It's also anti-censorship, which they saw plenty of (and makes it relate nicely to Banned Books).
Mash-Up: N.W.A and Bob Dylan
I heard Bob Dylan had a bad set 2yrs ago at ACL.
Ice Cube is an actor.
Dr. Dre did some work with Eminem.
What's 'Brass Monkey' cause both N.W.A. and Beastie Boys reference it?
[edit: I'm going to assume it's the drink or the colloquial expression, and not the English folk band. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Monkey ]
Bob Dylan sang about F. Scott Fitzgerald. How American!
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N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
I listened to the first two songs and had to adjust to something that was AutoTuned. And then "Fuck tha Police" played; and I laughed. It's amazing how much rap has changed in 20 years. I've not heard a song that even comes close to touching the subject matter. Well, not on the radio. There is actually a very cool movement going on, more youngsters are going back to the origins of hip-hop/rap. While underground rap as always been in production, it's just now making a resurgence thanks to the internet and blogs.
So while I'm writing this post I'm looking at music videos. And since I don't watch TV anymore, I'm finding I am behind a good year or two. What I remember watching was scantily (if even) clothed women (for lack of a better term) shaking and rolling around. I looked up an NWA video [Express Yourself] and while their lyrics may speak about women in a less-than-appreciative way, the visual aspects are striking.
1) The video shows slaves working in the field, and a white man on a horse comes up and whips one of them. Then we time travel to a banner with the words "I have a Dream." Then we time travel again when the band breaks thru the banner and starts walking down the street - enter a white policeman on a horse.
2) I can't ever recall seeing a video like that on MTV or VH1.
I'm at a strictly preliminary level with this album. But I like it. It's something I could stand listening to in the car.
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Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
I have the entire Dylan collection on my iTunes. A friend gave it to me. Aside from a few songs, this is the only actual time I've listened to Dylan with purpose. And I have to say....I get antsy listening to him. To be able to listen thru a song, I have to be doing something else. I can't get past the .... grating.
I'm sure the lyrics and their meaning are great. I know a lot of great and intelligent people that love Dylan, so I assume he's profound on all sorts of levels. Not to mention how much of a cultural icon he is.
Dylan is going to be tedious for me to get thru. I like his genre of music...but he gives me a headache.
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N.W.A.- Straight Outta Compton: Express Yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFK3pkb9uKY
N.W.A and Bob Dylan
Like Kat, I also do not listen to a lot of rap, sometimes I will listen to the rap that is on a pop radio station, but eh, I can't really say much for the radio. Anyway, I actually knew a lot of the N.W.A songs and found that their lyrics were used in a number of other rap songs and I know that a lot of famous solo rappers came out of the group, such as Dr.Dre, Ice Cube, and Easy-E. But I wasn't listening very closely to their album because its not exactly my cup of tea, although I do like some of their songs, and I was kind of trying to fix my schedule because everything I wanted to take next semester is taken. I digress. Anyway, I too am looking forward to analyzing it more deeply to understand it better.
Bob Dylan on the other hand, is one of my favorite people. I already had Highway 61 Revisited on my itunes, and to my enjoyment, this is the second English class I have had where we get to study his songs. Although this is not my favorite Bobby album, I am excited to discuss him in class.
Bob Dylan on the other hand, is one of my favorite people. I already had Highway 61 Revisited on my itunes, and to my enjoyment, this is the second English class I have had where we get to study his songs. Although this is not my favorite Bobby album, I am excited to discuss him in class.
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