Little Black Sambo

When a major social or political movement is occurring, popular figures that get involved or talk about those subjects serve as an influence for the public. An example of an entertainer that had influence would be Paul Robeson. Although Jay-Z and Robeson are known for their artistry and business reputations, the glaring difference between the two is political influence. When prominent leaders were needed, Robeson was involved with political activism during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. The issues brought forward by those leaders were broader and more easily seen. In his music, Jay-Z talks about the obstacles he faced while growing up in the streets of New York. Poverty-redden ghettoes are present today, but there is not much being

Considering the fact that Joyner Lucas is a black man, he has earned his own credibility to talk about racism because he is black. He can tell the struggles of black people because he has lived it. I think that since he is a black man, he could potentially receive less criticism from black people who hear this because he is telling the struggles of the average black person in America. Joyner Lucas’ use of logos in his song is the most complicated. In his lyrics you hear him talk about real things that are happening in the world that seem racist because of who is saying it. He sings all the lyrics but they are split in the video by a white man and a black man. I think that his performance of the opinions of a generalized black and white men of America are logically written. The opinions of these characters are true among people in the United States. There are people in this country who think like the two people in the video. When Joyner sings “With all disrespect, I don't really like you white motherfuckers, that's just where I'm at. Screaming "All Lives Matter" Is a protest to my protest, what kind of shit is that? from the perspective of the black man, it makes sense. That is a logical response to have when a white man disrespects you for 3 minutes

Next, a dystopian looking older model car, possibly a Camaro or Mustang, appears doing donuts with a flag waving in the wind that is made of bandanas meant to symbolize the American flag. The scene then switches to Bada$$ chained up with other minorities in a triangle formation. This scene resembles the treatment of slaves back in the day, in which they had to be chained to each other during shipments or auctions. These minorities are dressed in modern day clothes,which signifies modern-day slaves in America. A few more moments into the video and Bada$$ begins rapping the lyrics to a group of children wearing all white clothes which differs from the adults

Both labels of White are beneficial to create equality between blacks, whites, and other races. The tension in the music is because of his direct approach to equality and freedom in which he is considered to be the voice of blacks in the form of a protester. He sings to the current issues that are happening around him and argues directly to the issue. He brings awareness to the people by singing “Freedom Road.” In the lyrics he says, “United we stand, divided we fall, Let’s make this land safe for one and all. I’ve got a message, and you know it’s right, Black and white together unite and fight.” He sings his music as if he is talking to the audience. He states his cause and hopes that people will pay attention to him. In the lyrics above, you may just listen and understand the message of working together to make America and its cities a better community. With his straightforward lyrics, he can start movements and changes faster for his people. Art does not have to be abstract and confusing, even the simplest work can be seen as a

In the introduction of the video to “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar, he uses footage of “the hood” or a rough neighborhood in California to expose the harsh conditions of income based housing in rough black

The creators of this video use a voice over paired with light background music in order to prove to the audience the disparity in wealth amongst Americans. Usually when a socioeconomic topic as this one, is discussed, there is a high use of political jargon accompanied with it. However, this is not the case. The voice-over presents the information that I believe is simple enough for the average high- school student to understand. Of course, there are some political/economic phrases used due to the nature of the video, but it is wither explained by the voice-over or the array of visual aids. The light background music is subtle and does not disturb the projection of the video. The music does its job. When a topic like this is involved it can be presented in a boring manner. The music paired with visual aids allow for the information to be presented in a melodic pattern that allows for the audience to stay interested in what is being discussed,

All, of the dancers in this music video are African-American, and it is very clear. None of their hair is straightened, they are all in Black Panther-esque outfits, and they are “unapologetically black.” The concept of this video is head-on addressing systemic racism. An obvious example is the dancers but there are also many more. For one, the opening scene, as referenced earlier, includes Beyoncé herself standing on a police car flooded in water while a clip saying “What happened in the New Orleans?” plays in the background. This artist is using her platform to bring attention to the hurricane in New Orleans and how there was little to nothing done by police there. She is calling out the system in this video.

Jay-Z is known for being one for not only being one of the best rappers in hip-hop but also having a successful career in and outside of hip-hop. Recently he has been protesting some of the newer hip-hop. His songs “D.O.A” (Death Of Auto-Tune) & “Run This Town” he takes a rebel approach to all of the recent fads in hip-hop. Even though, the fads were embraced by pop culture, Jay-Z saw them as stale and unprogressive. In “D.O.A.” he talks about hip-hop becoming ringtone rap and has lost its edge. “This is anti autotune/ death of the ringtone/ this ain’t for I-Tunes/ This ain’t for sing-a-longs/…This is practically assault with a deadly weapon/ I made this just for flexin’/ Basically I want people to feel threatened. (Blueprint 3) ” Jay-Z

In the intro of the music video, there are drill sergeants commanding orders to his troops with. Also, in the beginning of the song drums over power which provides the foundation for a war effect. The beginning of the music video creates an imagery of modern day slavery. It draws attention to the aggressive interrogation methods police forces use against African Americans to confess to crimes they didn’t do. Kanye West wants to make it clear of the evils done to African Americans, “getting chocked by detectives, yeah, yeah, now check the method. They be askin’ us questions, harass and arrest us.”

Since racism is a sensitive topic, Jay-Z taps into the emotion of anger. Since the images were from a time period of racism, seeing these images could have an affect on people who lived through the Jim Crow era. The Jim Crow era separated the blacks and white through restaurants, schools, and other public places. During this time entertainment shows made fun of the physical appearance of African Americans. Jay-Z basically reminded the people of how the medias perspective on African American once were. African Americans went through a lot of obstacles in America. From slavery to being segregated from white people because of the color of their skin is not a time to be proud of. These images embarrassed and made fun of African Americans so of

Unlike many other mainstream artists, Kendrick Lamar attaches great importance to the lyrics of his songs. Lamar’s song “DNA”, released last April, became a real breakthrough in the world of hip-hop music. In this song, Lamar reflects on various social issues faced by the modern African-American community of the USA. The song’s lyrics, as well as the music video, portrays the most common stereotypes and biases labeled to the African-American community. The central aim of the song is to sarcastically demonstrate the image of African-Americans as they are viewed by biased media. By the use of symbolical sarcasm and double meanings, Lamar underlines the acuteness of the race inequality that remains existing in the modern America.

Kendrick lamar’s award winning music video for his 2017 single Element shows the many experiences he faced growing up as a black man. The various symbols broadcasted throughout this music video show specific conflicts and struggle that he has dealt with throughout his life and also allowed black man that have been in his position something to relate to. He teamed up with director/photographer Jonas Lindstroem to help him convey his message but in a unique and creative way. The slow moving scenes show a softer depiction of his encounters. They give a sense of understanding which allows the viewer to be able to comprehend and absorb his message. As a whole, it was a collection of the pain, beauty, peace and violence that exists within his “element”.

The film starts with a black screen before Eminem’s white face appears. Jimmy lives on the opposite side of 8 Mile Road, which separates him from the urban blacks, and makes him a privileged suburban white. His mission in this movie to cross that literal and psychological border (8 Mile Road) and become accepted as a rapper despite his skin color. It is argued that Rabbit’s character is a tourist who ventures into black culture, and on the way, masters their art and dominates their industry (Jennings 2008). Therefore, Eminem, and the director Curtis Hutton, white people writing about an African-American dominated industry, have now commodified the culture (Jennings 2008). This translates to Eminem’s career and his success in the industry. But Eminem’s success is ultimately due to his ability to encompass the characteristics of black culture while maintaining his position as a white male: “affiliations with black masculinity provide cultural acceptance and authenticity, which fuel his entry into hip-hop culture. White masculinity provides mobility, ambivalence from white audiences, and commercial success” (Dawkins 465). Therefore by “walking” the spaces between black and white masculinity and never committing to one, he masters the industry. Somehow he uses both racial characterizations as privileges (Dawkins 464-465).

The term ‘hip-hop’ refers to a complex culture compromising of four elements: deejaying, rapping, rhyming, graffiti painting, and b-boying. These elements incorporate hip-hop dance, style, and attitude. “Hip-hop originated in the primarily African American economically depressed South Bronx section of New York City in the late 1970s” (Tate, pg.1). Hip-hop is a culture of fashion, language, music, movement, visual art and expression. The genre of hip-hop comes with a very significant history and evolution with its own heroes, legends, triumphs and downfalls. “Real” hip-hop is often stressed in the 21st century due to what is being passed off as hip hop, and it is often made clear that just because one takes a hip hop class, or listens to hip-hop music, does not mean they conform to the true immersion of hip-hop culture. Therefore, “real” hip-hop encapsulates the true essence of hip-hop culture, untarnished by impurities such as rapacious record labels, and vapid, materialistic subject matter. Due to the background of how and where hip-hop first emerged, the African American culture often feel responsible to protect what is for them, and to protect the culture of hip-hop entirely. Boyd states that even though hip-hop as a culture was created as a social movement, the “commercializaiton” of hip-hop demonstrated in film and media construes it to another form of urbanization and popularity”(Boyd, 79). However, in the two movies being examined in this essay (Save the Last Dance

Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem, is recognized for his work as a rap artist who is able to connect with his audience through humor and rhythmically dicey lyrics. Eminem’s “My Name Is” music video is able signify whiteness and rearticulate race with the use intertextual editing techniques that parody common representations of whiteness. Eminem is using his “My Name Is” video as an approach to solidify his style of rapping and thus create new political and cultural authenticities that entice questions of race representation in the 1990’s and beyond. (Kajikawa).