Robert Fryar
Prof. Santos
1stYearSem
March 29 2019
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple is an influential singer/songwriter that became popular after her first album “Tidal” in 1996. Her style follows a recurring theme of a mistrust in men because of her negative experiences with them. However, Fiona has had a very hard life. When she was 12 years old she was raped and thus developed an eating disorders and has suffered from many panic attacks frequently. Where some artists would use this as inspiration for her songs she describes it as “old,dull pain”. She is a woman who carries a lot of pain with her and uses this as an advantage in making quality music that fuels her. In 1994 Fiona Apple gave her demo which contained the songs "Never Is a Promise", "Not One of Those Times", and "He Takes a Taxi" to her friend who was the babysitter for music publicist Kathryn Schenker. It however would not be until 1996 that she would release her first album. Her second album is “When the Pawn…” was released in 1999. The songs found on this album is known to be the music she was playing while having her infamous 2000 Meltdown where she stormed off the stage seeming incredibly upset over the disorganization of the event. Fiona Apple is a pivotal woman in the music industry who has had her hard times but overcomes by producing high quality music.

Women in Hip Hop

During Tuesday’s class this week we watched a video about women in hip hop in which several African American female hip hop artists got to say their piece on the topic. I found the video to be really interesting since I knew hardly anything about hip hop from previous decades. The video explains that when females first began taking part in the genre the women were fierce and empowering. It was all about the music for them. They would perform anywhere, anytime in the clothes they had on. They themselves and people who enjoyed their music weren’t focused on their appearance and it was instead all about their talent. Many of their songs expressed their struggles and the adversity they faced in their life that they were able to overcome. The music during this time was much more authentic and real. Artist weren’t worried about the character they should build for themselves and making music people want to hear like artists today. I like that these women expressed what they were thinking and feeling rather than worrying about pleasing their labels or their fans. I think that music is much more meaningful when artists are able to do this.

The mid 1900s, particularly from 1995-1996, was the Golden Age for women. The number of female artists in the industry had bloomed to up to forty. Although many had made it big, a lot did so through collaboration with other male artists. The female artists who spoke in the video explained that is what they had to do and was just the way it was. For me, this was a little hard to hear. I think women and their talents should be recognized and respected on their own. They should not need the help or assistance of men to take their careers to the next level. As hip hop became more modern, female artists also felt pressure to make themselves seem sexier and portray themselves that way through their songs and appearance. This became the formula for all female rappers. The way they dressed, danced, and most importantly their music became about marketing and there was no individualism. Today artists have to wear lots of makeup, dress bizarre, and rap about meaningless things. It seems like being yourself isn’t good enough anymore which I think is horrible and sends a bad message.

Women in hip hop music

This week in class we discussed the importance of women in hip hop and the struggles with fame that they faced. Personally I didn't know a lot of about women in hip hop because I don't usually listen to that particular music nor know the history of artists whether its male or female. I found out that it wasn't easy for women to become famous and popular as it was easy for males. Normally the females would have to partner with male artists which basically shows that they were legit artists. I thought this was quite ironic that for women to become big artist they still needed the help of men. The reason they were doing what they were doing was to prove that they could make it big like the male artists. In present day there are many female hip hop artists so that is living proof that women from the past who tried to make their mark on the world actually inspired more women to make it big in the genre of hip hop. One artist that we talked about that I was familiar with was Beyonce. She started out like every other women trying make it big and she was an icon in that time and it shows because even to this day she is popular. I admire how women of the past tried to set up women in the present to be just as good as men and make it just as easy for women as it is for men to succeed in hip hop music.

Women In Hip-Hop

Good afternoon, blog. We spent class-time on Tuesday watching a documentary about women’s influence in the music industry and how women had to be as aggressive as men were to be recognized for their talent. Interviewers sat down with a group of women, some of them being Queen Latifah and Foxy Brown, to talk to them about what their experiences in the industry were like during their come ups. There were various women being interviewed who wrote their rhymes at the ages of ten, fourteen and twelve. The thing about hip-hop was that it was designed to inspire. It was taken to the streets. A hip-hop group of four was one of the first to shock the system, one of its members under the name Lady B. A few other groups whom were also a sensation at the time were “Funky Four Plus One More” which was made up of four men and one woman and “UTFO”, a group out of Brooklyn, New York.  

Women in the music industry became a natural occurrence over time. At the end of the day, it did not matter how fashionable your clothes were or if your hair was done. It was about talent and the ability to battle other MC’s in the business. A woman by the name of Roxanne was a star in this regard, she was willing to battle any MC she came across or that approached her. As similarly mentioned before, women had to rap like men to have a chance of becoming a somebody. An aspiring artist by the name of MC Lite was an amazing lyricist and had the style/flow she needed to make something of herself. Queen Latifah on the other hand, made an entrance to the scene like no other had. She cared more about pride and honor. Photographs of her wearing a head wrap that resembled the crown of a queen’s can be seen online. Latifah was a woman who made her presence known and solidified a spot for herself in music. There were hundreds of young musicians who had tried and given up, but not her. 

The era of the Golden Age fell between the late eighties and early nineties. The nineties became a time for women to shine and their presence in music exploded. Artists such as Mecca, Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill and Lil’ Kim blew up during this period. It was established that women did not need men to prove their talent, but you were in the game if you walked with a man to a record label. The thought process changed from women wanting to own the business and not wanting men to be a part of their fame to women appreciating having a man over their shoulder. As many of us know, hip-hop is known to be masculine but women were unique in all aspects of their presence. Foxy Brown’s perspective on interactions with men in the industry was that “You can ride with me but I’m getting paid the same.” There was also plenty of sexual rap introduced later on. Lauryn Hill stood out tremendously and represented everything great about hip-hop, sexual tendencies being one of them. She was also considered a gem and a spiritual icon. Lauryn’s career took a turn though when the upcoming release of her album, “Miss Education Part 2”, was not released under her original label, Sony. Because of a difference in production, fans started to slowly pay less attention to her music. Along with this, Hill got married and had kids which became a lot to juggle with her music career. The absence of Lauryn’s presence on the scene became difficult for everyone as musical activity fell silent. Trying to find another Lauryn Hill was like trying to find another Jay Z, impossible.  

Although much more documentation was captured in the film, I will end here by saying that women revolutionized music in a way that was unthinkable.  

Female Artist

Hello blog, its Friday again and we post again. This is a kind of weird week because we talked about woman in music. I feel like now a day’s woman is in music a lot more and they are all pop stars, girl groups, or something along those lines. Just sitting here writing this I can only think of two female rappers and that is Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. 

            Plus, the first thing comes to mind when I hear those two rappers I think of their butts, boobs, and mostly their sex appeal. That shouldn’t be the first thing that I think of when I think of two strong woman rappers, the fact that you think of what they look like and now what they are saying as rappers. I like Nicki Minaj because I think of her when I think of middle school and how she was just what we loved in middle school and how fun we all had singing along with her. 

            I don’t like full-on hard-core rap music but when I Cardi B two songs she did with Bruno Mars and the one song she did with Maroon 5.  She is a talented person when it comes to rap but I see as a want to be Nicki Minaj. 

            Nicki is just someone who I remember all the words to her songs on the Pink Friday album and I am listening to it now and they are so empowering about how girls are much better then we think they are. Plus, also the songs are actually kind of dirty and it's funny that my parents let me listen to these songs also. 

            These artists that are female have a lot to prove that they are amazing, and they shouldn’t need to prove themselves to be better than man. Plus they shouldn’t have to be sexy to be able to sell albums they should and are able to do that on their talent.  

Female Rappers

This week in class we discussed women in hip-hop and watched a video called women on the mic. During the video I learned a lot about women in hip-hop and realized we don’t have many female rappers anymore. It takes someone special to be a female rapper because a lot of people used to think that it was only men who could be rappers. Once women started rapping they weren’t taken seriously. No one would hear them out until they challenged someone and were heard and noticed because they had skill. Women felt that they needed to hold their own and had to do double what men did and be able to rhyme well enough to be taken seriously. It was said that the golden age for women’s hip-hop was in the late 90’s. Salt and Pepper, Queen Latifah, and Roxane were said to be the start of women in hip-hop. Once they became popular there seemed to be a push in the industry for female rappers. Once more women started to come out and be known, they felt like they had to start dressing sexy and singing sexy in order to sell their music. Sex sells so women figured if they wanted to make it in the industry then they would have to put themselves out more. Like by wearing less clothes, showing more skin, and rapping a certain way. Missy Elliot was the one to stand up and change that, she didn’t want to stoop to their level, she wanted to be her own person and prove that she didn’t need to change her ways in order to succeed. She had raw talent and was never scared to be herself, she didn’t care what other people thought of her. She had the talent so she didn’t need to dress sluty or sing sexually in order to sell records and get attention on herself. Lil’ Kim and Foxy made a breakthrough in hip-hop as well. They proved that they didn’t need a man behind them and that they could be their own self and still be able to sell their music. The issue however was that females became too expensive to keep up with and produce. They had a specific image to uphold and that image was becoming to expensive. The ideal image that was being portrayed was that women had to dress a certain way and look a certain way in order to perform. Meaning hours and money spent on hair and makeup and outfit changed, whereas men could just go out in jeans and a t-shirt and be fine. Women had to appeal a specific way that took extra time, men didn’t, so slowly less women were being signed Due to the fact that women needed so much upkeep, female rappers started to decline. At one point, the grammys even dropped the women rapper category because there wasn’t enough female rappers to nominated in order for their to be a winner. Now there is only two big female rappers, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. In the video we watched, they were saying that there is so many underground female rappers that need to become known. The future of female rappers depends on them coming up and becoming heard. Someone in the video said that the underground rappers are going to emerging soon and once they do it’ll be like a flood gate opening up. Once they start coming up and becoming recognized, the others will follow. It only takes one brave, strong, talented rapper to come up and change female rap in order for the rest to follow, just like what happened in the late 80’s-90’s. Female rappers have come a long way but they still have a long way to come. The world of music is constantly changing, and I think it’s time for some female rappers to come up and make a change again.

Female Injustice in Hip-Hop

This week in class we discussed women in Hip-Hop Music. It was interesting to learn about the types of injustices that female rappers faced from record labels. This was a topic that was new to me and intrigued me. It was a horrible thing that certain female rappers were almost forced to use specific standards to boost there popularity. Certain female rappers were nearly forced to wear clothing and sing about things that they didn't want to.  

Toward the end of the 1990’s more female artists felt empowered to move away from those standards, and felt empowered to sing and project there music the way they wanted to. More female rappers became independent and free to do as they pleased. Unfortunately some wrongful practices are still around today, and are trying to be stopped. Music should always be glorified by the artists who write it, and not by the standards of what a company wants.

  

Women in Hip-Hop

Ever since rap and hip-hop gained traction in the early 1990’s, there has been one unfortunate trend which has plagued the industry. As we discussed in class on Tuesday, women’s representation in this genre of music is honestly appalling. Though I do find myself listening to predominantly rap in my day-to-day life, the objectification of women doesn’t go unnoticed. The primary source of this issue lies in the male lyricists who continue to allow this negativity to occur.

            Men, in this particular industry, seem to have a specific role they have to fulfill in order to prosper. Those who choose to respect women and refer to them as equals are typically unable to win over audiences. Where as artists who join the trend of disregarding women’s feelings already have a metaphorical foot in the door when it comes to acceptance among the industry. Names, such as “bitch” and “hoe” are used to explain what girls are to these rappers; objects. These men, however, are not the only perpetrators in this matter.

            Women, such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, are just as guilty as their male counterparts. Their blatant sexualization of their own bodies presents the same picture painted by the men; objectification. Yes, they are absolutely entitled to do what they may with their bodies, but within reason. Thousands of their fans are impressionable, young girls which may formulate the conclusion that their place in life is somewhere other than respecting and loving themselves. This is exactly what bothers me most, young females growing up in an environment which objectifies them and demeans their self-worth. Though this culture or mindset doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon, I can only hope that by the time I have kids, if I have a daughter, she will grow up in a place where she is respected as a human being; at least in the music she listens to.

Robert Fryar
Prof. Santos
1stYearSem
March 24 2019
Pussy Riot
The topic of this week was punk music and pussy riot is exemplary of what punk means. Punk, as we learned can be somewhat subjective as it can be either a very left or right wing movement although more often a genre of liberalism. However pussy riot is known as a progressive band that is highly political. The Russian band often discusses themes in their songs that tie in their hatred for Vladimir Putin, feminism, general inequality, LGBTQ rights etc. Pussy Riot has only ever had female members since their inception in August 2011. This furthur ties in with the feminist themes of Pussy Riot.
The moment the band rose to prominence when they held a performance in an orthodox church in 2012 for the church’s allegiance to Vladimir Putin. Three of the group members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, were arrested and charged with hooliganism and on a later date Yekaterina Samutsevich was apprehended as well as a result of the protest in the church. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were imprisoned for two years while Samutsevich was released on probation. Pussy Riot pulled this stunt as they see Vladimir Putin as a vicious dictator who used the orthodox religion as a resource in order to get elected. The protest itself shows an incredible amount of dedication to their cause as they are risking their lives as the Russian public see them as an enemy. Pussy Riot is an interesting punk rock band that has seen a lot of praise and a lot of criticism but they are the epitome of punk.

Rebeling rock

Hello, again blog. Happy Friday and hope the week was good for you all. This week gave me a new look upon a genre of music that I have never listened to that much, but my dad listens to it all the time. Rock ‘n Roll has never really experienced it and how I kind of like it. 

            That was shocking to me because before this week it has always been the style of music that my dad listens to and also annoyed me with. But after this, I started to understand why people liked it so much. It’s a different genre and not all the songs are angry just to be angry. That is all I thought rock music was.

            When we were learning about it and how it started, I wasn’t surprised about it. That all the Rock n Roll started through teenage rebellion. In the fifties, it started with just teens trying to be rebellious, but their idea of rebellion was buying music that was not up to their parent’s standards of music. And thinking of what they did versus what kids are doing nowadays to rebel is quite jarring.

            Also, the other thing we learned about is glam metal and that interested me more. I enjoy makeup and all different styles of fashion so that just looks great. I like how they all also kind of fought for woman right but not smack you in the face feminist. I really like how Nirvana handle it. Wearing the dress on the magazine cover. And I agree dresses are very comfortable and the same with rompers they are great.

            In conclusion, this week was a good week of class, I learned a lot and my opinion changed about these styles of music. These styles I thought of just my parent's style of music that I just don’t want to listen to, but now I’m going to listen to them more.  

rock

  In class on thursday we listened to all different types of rock singers. Marilyn Manson, Joan Jett, and Nirvana. Out of all three I think my favorite was Nirvana. All though the song had a very angry tone I liked it. I thought Marilyn Mansons song was very weird. Joan Jetts song was catchy and more upbeat.
  Nirvanas song "Smells Like Teen Spirit", had an angry tone overall. Kurt Kobain calls himself stupid. I find it really weird for someone to call themself stupid, I think that someone who refers to themself as stupid is probably insecure. Joan Jett repeats that she doesn't care, and I assume this means that she doesn't care what other people think. This is a good message to spread to people to show people to not care what others think and to be yourself. Marilyn Mansons song was weird but at the beginning of the song he called out catholic people, I thought that was very bold of him. Overall Rock has a very angry theme, but I also think we listened to a lot of artist who sing angry rock songs or those songs in particular were angry. I usually like rock but those songs were not some of my favorites.

Punk

During class this week we talked about punk music. I personally don't listen to this type of music nor do I know alot about it but I did learn about certain artists such as Kurt Cobain and also reasons people dress like females during their performances. Artists would dress like women to encourage that idea that all genders were welcomed. They feel as though that would attract more fans. Another reason they did it was to be different than other artists. I find it very brave to do what they were doing. It’s definitely not easy to dress like a women and perform but they did what was necessary to better their career.

    A man named Kurt Cobain was a punk artist and he grew up in a tough situation. His parents got a divorce and from that point he was never the same. He also mentioned in one of his interviews that he didn't know if he was attracted to men or women and when he felt close to one of his guy friends his mother told him he couldn't see him anymore. His mother was homophobic and this was tough for Kurt as now he felt forced to be with women. Unfortunately in 1994 he killed himself but not after leaving his mark on the punk culture.

The Band Poison

Hello blog. During class this week, we learned about a feminine rock band called Poison which was popular in the late 80’s to 90’s. When we watched a music video for one of their well-known songs named “Talk Dirty To Me”, my initial reaction was that they have very unique stage presence and make themselves stand out. In the video, they wore blonde and black wigs, tight clothing and were very energetic. The band is also known for wearing makeup and sporting the “drag” look. The group’s main vocalist Bret Michaels stated in an interview something along the lines of the idea that he was not ashamed of the fact that he looked feminine because there was nothing wrong with looking like a woman. I saw that as him standing up for women because of their poor treatment and belittlement back in the day. Michaels passed away not long after the interview aired-he was going through a rough time and also struggled with the use of drugs. In another video that talked about his life, the lead singer mentioned how his childhood was great and compared him and his parents to what the perfect family would be like. But after they divorced, Bret said his life quickly went downhill and that rock music was the only thing that helped him through the shitty time. I would think a band that carried themselves like Poison did would not have been accepted very well by society at that time, but I believe they were the voice for gay/trans people who did not feel accepted by other people. Poison paved the way for other artists/bands who wanted to have an act similar to theirs but were too afraid to be one of the firsts. It is not surprising that they are still listened to today on many music platforms.  

Joan Jett & Nirvana

During Thursday’s class we listened to a number of punk artists. Out of the songs that we listened to I was only familiar with two of them, “Bad Reputation” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Even though I had listened to them a number of times before, I had never looked deeply at the lyrics or overall messages of the songs. In the song “Bad Reputation”, Joan Jett repeats the lyrics “I don’t give a damn ‘bout my reputation” consistently. Jett explains that she does not care what others think of her. She is only interested in what makes her happy and doing what she wants to do. Jett states that she isn’t afraid to do things that aren’t normal and isn’t afraid of the judgement and criticism she may get over it. The song addresses sexism and is about girl power. She explains that this is a new generation and era in which women have much more freedom and power than they once did. They shouldn’t be controlled in any way and are independent. Jett’s song, created in 1981, conveys her desire to break free of the stereotypes and expectations of women that were outdated. Women are no longer tied down to taking care of a household and can have a different lives for themselves.

The song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was sang by the band Nirvana is an angry way. Even while closely listening to the lyrics in class and then afterwards, it’s difficult to find the true meaning of the song through the words. After doing some research, I found that the song was about revolution. It spoke negatively about people who conform to the norms of society and do not think for themselves. I also found that the song was originally created as a joke. When analyzing this song, I was a little frustrated since the meaning was hard to identify for me and I'm sure for many other listeners. Considering that many people most likely did not know the true meaning of the song and the fact that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became so popular and is still a song played today shows that people listen to music based on its popularity and beat. People don’t look for something of meaning or lyrics that speak to them.

Grunge Rock

   Grunge Rock originated in the 90's, with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and The Foo Fighters. Nirvana was truly the original grunge rock band making it mainstream in Seattle. Through their demeanor, style, and lyrics, they reached a large majority of the teens and young adults who could relate to the darkness behind their music. A lot of their music represented the issues of the days youth. Many felt that they could relate to Kurt Cobains lyrics. Bands in the 90's tried to recreate the feel of Nirvana by growing out their hair, men wearing dark eye makeup, and baggy jeans. A sort of gothic look to them became appealing to the Grunge Rock followers. A lot of bands stemmed off of their style, especially after the overdose of Kurt Cobain.
   Grunge Rock didn't last very long, once the 2000's hot that's when alternative rock came into play and it brought a whole new sound. Bands still play and create music from the grunge rock era but with a different sound, but same purpose. One of the most political grunge rock bands is Pearl Jam. Grunge rock is personally one of my favorites because its what my parents grew up listening to so it is what I have grown up listening to. 

Musical Themes

Talking about different forms of rock music in class this week was entertaining. It was interesting to find out what people perceive certain genres and artists to be like. As we talked about Punk rock in class, it showed a similarity in today's music. Today's music has a tendency to be rebellious and anti-establishment depending on the genre.

Talking about punk rock shows that nothing has really changed in the world; including the way that people, governments, and other establishments think. The believe that the themes of Punk rock have carried over into other genres of music and have changed the overall tone of music. Today's music at times can be taken as rebellious, and as a way to fight back against something an artist or group of people disagrees with.    

  

Kurt Cobain, Born to Die Young

Kurt Cobain was born to Donald and Wendy Cobain on February 20^th, 1967. Cobain always had a passion for music, according to his Aunt Mari, once stating in an interview “He was singing from the time he was two. He would sing Beatles songs like ‘Hey Jude’. He had a lot of charisma from a very young age.” The singer’s life, however, took a turn for the worst in 1975 when his parents decided to file for a divorce. This event traumatized Cobain, who was seven at the time. He has since stated in interviews that his entire demeanor changed from that point on. “I remember feeling ashamed, for some reason.” Cobain stated, “I was ashamed of my parents. I couldn’t face some of my friends at school anymore, because I desperately wanted to have the classic, you know, typical family. Mother, father. I wanted that security, so I resented my parents for quite a few years because of that.” However, the Washington-based songwriter was able to find some solace in the blossoming punk scene in his area, and the rest is history.

            Cobain formed his hit-band “Nirvana” in 1987 with the help of a friend of his, Krist Novoselic. Cobain acting as not only a lead singer and songwriter, but also a lead guitarist, his band quickly made a name for itself in the area. However, he was propelled into the public spotlight in 1991 with the release of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” a song which marked the symbolic transition from the rock of the 1980’s into what it became in the 1990’s. This new form of alternative rock became a mainstay on the airwaves. Nonetheless, no matter how much fame he obtained, his demons lurked just behind the scenes.

            Kurt Cobain ended his life on April 5, 1994 with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to his head. It seemed as if he could no longer deal with not only the stresses of his past life, but also those associated with new-found fame. I suppose the old saying is true, money can’t buy you happiness. Unfortunately, Kurt Cobain proved that he understood this lesson in the form of his untimely suicide.

Works Cited:

·       “Kurt Donald Cobain Biography.” Kurt Cobain, 14 Oct. 2012, kurtcobain.com/biography/kurt-donald-cobain-february-20-1967-april-5-1994/.

Nicki Minaj And The Music Industry- Emma DaCosta

The article that I chose to read for my analysis was “Nicki Minaj and the Changing Politics of Hip-Hop: Real Blackness, Real Bodies, Real Feminism?” by Margaret Hunter and Alhelí Cuenca. This article discusses Nicki Minaj a very famous female African American rapper and how she rose to fame. Nicki is known for her unreal looking body and her feminist attitude that is displayed in her music. Although this may be what the media portrays Nicki Minaj to be like there is much controversy about her and what she as an artist signifies. Many women emcees crossed all of these boundaries. An author mentioned in the article argues that Nicki is also applies to culture. “Clearly Minaj is not a sex worker in the traditional sense of the term. However, she produces sexual images of her own black body for consumption by a larger base of customers.” This is very interesting since the image of artists seemed to have grow substantially in the past few years. The African American community may have taken offense to the extraordinary appearance that Nicki was illustrating in her videos and her persona. It is now part of a “culture” that women are allowed to show off their bodies as a way of art however many artists do sexualize themselves and go over the top for attention. In my opinion it was a shock to the culture seeing Nicki Minaj be so bold since it was never seen before. It could have been tough to comprehend at the time however now in this generation it is much more common to “seek attention” especially with social media. Overall Nicki Minaj was a very bold artist who began a trend however she was looked at differently because she was an African American women who was quite controversial at the time when people viewed her actions. After reading this article it opened my eyes to how far the music industry has gone and how in today’s generation Hip Hop and Rap in particular went from being a culture of male African Americans and now it is shared with many races and genders. I think this is amazing especially since we were talking about how music can be influenced by culture and I think it is great that women and other cultures can be powerful to make such a large impact on the music world.

Emma DaCosta

Gunk Music

This week in class we started to talk about gunk before talking about women’s lives and music. I personally had never heard the word gunk before today. I had no idea there was such a thing as gunk, although I knew of or had heard some of the songs played in class today. After listening to the songs today and watching the videos along with them, I understood their music and approach to music, along with the purpose of it more. Throughout this class I’ve realized in order to fully get the message of the song, or the emotion of it, you really have to watch the music video or a performance of them signing it. It makes the message clearer and show their true expressions and emotions. One song in particular we listened to I had heard multiple times but never really got that it was sending a message and not just a statement. The song “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett is an example of a song I’ve heard multiple times and know the lyrics too, mainly because they are repetitive. However after watching the video, I understood the message more and realized it was to people who viewed them, not just a statement to everyone else. Jett was saying that she doesn’t care what they have to say or how they view her, she is not changing her ways or going to act more ladylike. During the video she got kicked out of a place twice because she wasn’t acting or dressing like a lady should in their eyes. It got me thinking, what if we still had that problem today? What if someone who doesn’t dress up to standard were to get kicked out of a place? Can you imagine the publicity, the protests, how many people would be outraged about it? A lot has changed over the years thankfully so we don’t have to deal with that kind of thing as much. It hasn’t gone away it is just focused on something else now. Although a lot of people had mixed feelings about gunk, they still made their mark, they were still heard and still performed and did what they intended to. They didn’t stop until they were heard which is important because they didn’t give up. Artists speak through their music, they use it to define themselves and express themselves. When someone disagrees with them or tries to tear them down, they come back stronger. That is the beauty of artist, they don’t quit, they don’t give up, and they make sure you know what their doing and how they are feeling.

Robert Fryar
Prof. Santos
1stYearSem
March 8 2018
Nina Simone’s Mental Illness
Nina Simone is a symbol of strength and power among all people who are commonly the target of prejudice. However, her mental state was not as sturdy as her confident exterior. She was known for her extreme behavior all throughout her career. Simone was someone who could be looked up to however she was someone who had to fight with her own demons just as much as she fought inequality.
As it was previously stated Simone was well known for her temper and outbursts. One of the more dramatic instances was when she attempted the murder of an executive of her music company for supposedly stealing her royalties in 1985. Shortly after this event she was diagnosed with Bipolar Syndrome which explains her rather explosive attitude. This however was not the last time Simone pointed a gun at a person as she once had a shoe salesman return a pair of sandals at gunpoint. Another example of a violent episode was when she shot a neighborhood boy with and air soft rifle for disrupting her “concentration”. Finally, She ripped a pay phone out of the wall because she was refused immediate payment. Simone was a person who often had violent episodes due to her mental illness. The problems she could not solve with her voice she solved with force.

A Young Nina Simone

Hello blog. In class earlier this week, we finished watching the Nina Simone documentary. It gave insight on Nina’s musical career and how she was very influential to the industry in her younger years. We had left off at the part where Nina talked about her goal for the audience during live performances which was for them to be “in pieces” over the music. She wanted the audience to be able to connect to the lyrics and be moved by them personally. Nina exposed the current issues of the time through her music such as societal problems. She speaks out about the idea of promoting who she was: if she was proud of her culture and where she was from. Being under a spotlight made her feel like she had a responsibility to inspire and be inspired by her work. Something that was unfortunate for her when onstage was that Nina felt punished for being herself although in her natural habitat. “I have to live with Nina” were her words on fighting for her race and not being totally respected even though she was appreciated by many for her talent. According to a man she worked with, Nina could become very violent before hitting the stage. It was all within her being and wouldn’t be realized at the time. In one instance when Simone was on tour with Bill Cosby, she put spray paint in her hair and proceeded to have a nervous breakdown. It was almost as if she had gone mad. When Dr. King is shot and killed, Nina does a tribute performance in his honor. “We can’t forgo any more losses” was something Simone said under general terms but her saying “Now that the king of love is dead” shows the impact this man had on her life and how serious it was. Once her career started to swindle down and people wanted to hear a different style of music/other subjects to be talked about, Nina moved out of the country as the conditions she had continued to get worse. The legacy of Nina Simone will surely be remembered and not forgotten.  

Black culture and Hip-Hop

This week we talked about the hip-hop and rap culture. I had watched a documentary, and during this documentary I found out that many people were offended by white people and how they mocked the black culture. Many people were interviewed and asked to give their opinion on the subject and many of them said the same thing. They felt as though they were being made fun of and it was wrong for them to do what they were doing. I agree and when I learned more about “blackface” which was a show where a man wore black makeup and portrayed himself as a black man and making jokes and singing racist songs. This baffled me and I couldn't believe that people would laugh and egg this on.

"Fuck the Police"

Prior to Thursday’s class, I had never looked deeply at the lyrics to the song “Fuck the Police” by N.W.A. The song is a mock court case of N.W.A. against the police department. Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Eazy-E all “testify”. It speaks out about the corruption of the police and how it has cost the safety and lives of African Americans. The song allows each artist apart of it to say their piece, sharing their own thoughts and what they have gone through. Overall, the rappers express how often African Americans are arrested and going to jail even though they are innocent and have done nothing wrong. They also explain how police hide behind their badge and their gun. I agree with these points that are brought up. I think that many people, not only police officers, have biases and are prejudice against groups of people whether they are aware of it or not. Because of this white police officers can be quick to assume the worse of African Americans. I also think that police officers feel that they are superior to other civilians when they are on the job. Some think that because of their career they can treat people however they choose and have the power to make life-altering decisions. For these reasons, I think the Black Lives Movement is so important because it draws attention to injustices that exist and the unfair treatment of the black people. While I do not think that all police are bad or racist and do not think that police deserve to die, I think the All Live Matter Movement should not exist. Black people face much more struggles solely based on the color of their skin which white people have never had to face. By saying “all lives matter” it takes away from the Black Lives Matter Movement and its attempt to have African Americans be treated the same as whites. My favorite part of the song “Fuck the Police” was the ending. It turns the tables and puts a white police officer in the shoes of blacks. The officer is found guilty only because of the color of his skin. N.W.A. included this verse to show white officers how it would if they were treated how blacks are every day. This verse alludes to the point that people should show others the respect that they would want in return.

The Culture of Hip-Hop and Rap - Emma DaCosta

This week in class we discussed hip hop and rap. I really enjoyed this topic since rap is one of my favorite genres of music. For homework I chose to watch the film “Blacking up Hip Hop’s remix of race and identity. While watching this film I realized a few things that I have never thought of before. The film speaks out about the culture of Hip Hop and Rap which many people do not realize the background of. Today Hip Hop and Rap artists are from all different backgrounds and races however it was not always that way.

The film speaks out about how the culture of the two genres was begun by african americans which causes much controversy in how african people viewed white rappers. The film captures examples of how white people at the time were accused of “acting black” We talked about Iggy Azalea and 21 Savage and how lying about where you are from or acting like someone or something that you aren’t can have people view you as inauthentic. In the film Vanilla Ice was also mentioned and it was illustrated that he was “ruining culture” Since Vanilla Ice was a white male many people were bashing on him and his music. In my opinion I think that it is important to remember the culture of everything however it makes it so much better when you share culture with others. The culture of Rap and Hip-Hop may have started from the black population however it should be shared and appreciated by all cultures and races.

We also discussed how Rap songs now are degrading towards women which I agree on, however I do not think you have to relate to the lyrics and message of the song in order to like it. Like Professor Santos said you can be a wealthier person and like a song about someone who struggled with poverty. While analyzing Rap and Hip-Hop as genres and looking more into the culture I learned a lot and it made me think more about the music I listen to and what makes me enjoy the genre and the music as a whole.

Emma DaCosta

Nina Simone and Hip-Hop

This week in class we watched more of the Nina Simone documentary and then discussed Hip-Hop and rap. In the second half of the Nina Simone documentary, it went on to explain some of her songs in more detail. “Mississippi Goddamn” for example was related to a shooting that took place recently. Everyone was thinking it but Simone was one who came out and said it and people listened to her because of it. A few of her songs that followed were also protest songs, Simone had very strong feelings about things that were happening and wasn’t afraid to express them. Her performances became very emotional because she had a lot to say and wasn’t holding back anymore. Although Simone was becoming well known for her music, her personal life was starting to fall apart. When she finally had enough, she left her abusive husband and went to a few different places overseas. Simone faced many obstacles in her life but was never scared to express her feelings publicly or through her music.

Hip-Hop music has a few different sounds, some artists use their talent to express themselves or talk about their pasts or what they grew up around. Other artist use their music to talk about women, money, sex, drugs, and other things they now do or enjoy since becoming famous. This week in class we listened to NWA’s “F*** the Police” which sent a very strong message across. We discussed in class how if the song came out today, would the reaction be the same? I think that songs similar to “F*** the Police” have come out but with the message less obvious than NWA’s. Rappers still express their emotions through their lyrics today but its not as blunt as NWA’s “F*** the Police.” Many rappers express themselves through their lyrics and talk about problems in the world today. People tend to listen to Hip-Hop when they are in groups or at parties because it is upbeat and if you aren’t focusing on the lyrics and only listen to the beat, it can put you in a good mood.

Hip Hop

Hello blog people. Welcome to Friday again, this week we focused on Nina Simon again and also hip hop. We also had to watch one of two different documentaries about hip hop started. 

            The one I watched was called The Last Poet: made in Amerikkka. The documentary was interesting to watch since it was all in spoken word poetry. This made it stand out in a way that I didn’t expect from the film. During it to it showed really how this group of men started rap because from there words and also their language it was clear if you added a beat to that and put a rhythm to the words, they could be rap songs. 

            I don’t personally enjoy hip hop or rap music, I prefer pop and a little rock ‘n roll. But I enjoy poems, I just like writing them they are my favorite part English over the years of grade school. So then when I watched the last poet movie and I learned poems that turned into rap music it made me more interested in rap. Not enough to change everything I listen to but maybe when I have my Spotify on shuffle, I won’t skip a song because it’s a rap song. 

            The hard-core rap still threw me off since I hate listening to the n-word. And rap uses it so much, and I know that is a generalization of all rapper, but I don’t like listening to it. Also, I don’t like songs degrade a woman because we don’t deserve it. Things like this I don’t like so I just choose not to listen to it if I can decide not to listen to it. I won't force people around me not to listen to it either but if I have a choice I won’t.

            It was cool learning the history around all this music but I still have my own opinions about this style of music.   

Hip-Hop

My favorite topic of this week was learning about the culture of Hip-Hop music. It was interesting to learn about how different people interpret the themes of Hip-Hop music differently. Especially in the documentary Blacking Up; were the director talked about how the black community and the white community viewed Hip-Hop. It was interesting to find out that some took offense to the other color listening to Hip-Hop but others approved.

Music should be open for all to listen. Much like books, music has many different meanings to interpret and everyone should have the right to freely learn. Although certain genres of music come from different cultures, everyone has the right to listen to what they want, and should never be judged. Music is in the ear of the beholder of what they want to hear.

Women's Representation in Rap and Hip-Hop

Ever since rap and hip-hop gained traction in the early 1990’s, there has been one unfortunate trend which has plagued the industry. As we discussed in class on Tuesday, women’s representation in this genre of music is honestly appalling. Though I do find myself listening to predominantly rap in my day-to-day life, the objectification of women doesn’t go unnoticed. The primary source of this issue lies in the male lyricists who continue to allow this negativity to occur.

            Men, in this particular industry, seem to have a specific role they have to fulfill in order to prosper. Those who choose to respect women and refer to them as equals are typically unable to win over audiences. Where as artists who join the trend of disregarding women’s feelings already have a metaphorical foot in the door when it comes to acceptance among the industry. Names, such as “bitch” and “hoe” are used to explain what girls are to these rappers; objects. These men, however, are not the only perpetrators in this matter.

            Women, such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, are just as guilty as their male counterparts. Their blatant sexualization of their own bodies presents the same picture painted by the men; objectification. Yes, they are absolutely entitled to do what they may with their bodies, but within reason. Thousands of their fans are impressionable, young girls which may formulate the conclusion that their place in life is somewhere other than respecting and loving themselves. This is exactly what bothers me most, young females growing up in an environment which objectifies them and demeans their self-worth. Though this culture or mindset doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon, I can only hope that by the time I have kids, if I have a daughter, she will grow up in a place where she is respected as a human being; at least in the music she listens to.

topics within rap music

For my blog post this week, I wanted to talk about how I felt about the variety of topics that are discussed in rap music today. The topics that are being talked about in rap music today typically have a negative connotation. These topics are sex, money, drugs, parties, etc. These types of topics cause me to have some sort of frustration. I get frustrated by these topics because it is repetitive almost every artist now talks about these topics on regular basis within their music. I do not care what these artists talk about in their music but sometimes it gets old and honestly sometimes boring. It also annoys me that women are viewed as objects in rap music and the videos for these songs.  Other artists do branch out to talk about issues within the country and society. For example, Childish Gambino released a song called “This Is America”. This song talked about the issue revolving around cop brutality, gun violence, etc. Gambino was using his platform to spread the message about these gruesome issues and the song still had a catchy beat and was extremely successful in the media. It does not surprise me that people still talk about these topics, because these topics were pretty popular to talk about when rap first began. But I feel like the topics that were talked about back then in rap is changing in today’s rap. More artists are starting to branch out and talk about more serious issues in society.

Nina Simone

    Nina Simone is the person we are speaking about currently in the course. Simone was one of the most dedicated and compassionate artists during her time. Nina Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist, and an activist. She spoke out when everyone else was too scared to. Nina heavily talked about how black people were being mistreated but then would be used for service. She expressed her thoughts and concerns through her music and she wanted her music to impact the community and society. She was not concerned with how people thought about her and what they had to say about what she was doing. Nina believed that her purpose as an artist was to spread messages with greater meaning and reflect on the past and the harsh times. Many people looked up to Nina Simone for her courageous acts but some not so much. Her husband lying within the “not so much” category. Andrew, her husband, wanted her to be someone she was not.  He wanted her to be popular and be able to go on television shows, to be the next big thing. Nina Simone did not want that, she did not want to pretend to be someone she was not. Simone wanted to make a stand against racism and she wanted to stand up for civil rights.
    I think what Nina Simone did for the black community was very compelling and brave. She was consistent with her beliefs on the topic and was dedicated to making a change, which was to improve life for the black community. For an assignment, we had to dig deeper into one of four songs given to us. I chose “Backlash Blues”. The song is powerful and aggressive. She was very straightforward in her lyrics, saying that whites could mistreat the black community but still want them for their service. She spoke about the backlash reaction of whites during the civil right movement. I thought the song was compassionate and vigorous in a way. I enjoyed listening to her music and kind of understanding what was going on then in a different perspective.

Robert Fryar
Professor Santos
FYS
4 March 2019


Nina Simone

Nina Simone was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century and a huge icon in the American music industry. Nina symbolized empowerment, liberty, and passion for music through all of her work. A common nickname for Nina is the “High Priestess of Soul” because her lyrics and music were almost hypnotic to those who listened to it. Many of Nina’s musical artworks were unfortunately not recognized until the end of her life in April of 2003 when CD’s started rising in popularity. The artist of forty original albums was not only a major role in the music industry, but she had an interesting life growing up.
Nina Simone was actually born as a woman named Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tyron, North Carolina. By the age of three years old, Nina was able to understand and play music by ear, commencing her widely known music career. Nina’s parents raised her in a church setting where she was able to play the piano, but during her church days she did not know her vocal abilities just yet. Nina was able to graduate high school as valedictorian and went on to apply to the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. Sadly, Nina was denied admission to the school and ended up having to work to make a living rather than attending school. One simple audition to sing at a local bar triggered the start of Nina’s lifelong success. Word spread of Nina’s talent and people from all over went to watch her perform. At twenty four, Nina was recognized by the American music industry and was able to fully start her career. As Nina’s popularity grew, so did many people’s love for Jazz music. Many say Nina is one of the most notable figures in the Jazz genre to date.