Arachnophonia: Kanye West “Graduation”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Deisy (class of 2024) and features Kanye West’s 2007 studio album Graduation. Thanks, Deisy!

Kanye West

Graduation

Kanye West - Graduation album cover (2007)

Kanye West has been one of the most talented and controversial men in the current music industry. Apart from the many social and political statements he has made throughout the years, West is one of the best producers and lyricists in music.

From his debut album The College Dropout to my favorite album Graduation, West has found ways to express himself and others through his music. You can find a number of West’s albums in our collection at Parsons Music Library including Graduation. This 2007 album has many memorable songs such as “Stronger,” “I Wonder,” “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” and my favorite, “Flashing Lights.”

Additionally, those interested in finding out more about this artist and where he has come from, there is an amazing documentary on Netflix called jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy. It’s a very interesting documentary that shows the process of his first album and how he came up in the musical scene.

Arachnophonia: OutKast “Aquemini”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Deisy (class of 2024) and features OutKast’s 1998 album Aquemini. Thanks, Deisy!

OutKast

Aquemini

OutKast - Aquemini

The dynamic duo that swept the Hip hop scene in the late 1990s/early 2000s, OutKast consisted of André 3000 and Big Boi. With only six studio albums and 32 singles, OutKast made a big name for themselves in hip hop, and disbanded in 2007. They have very memorable songs that many have heard in movies and radio such as “Hey Ya!” And “Ms. Jackson.”

Many of their albums live in the Parson Music Library at UR. My favorite of the bunch must be Aquemini, released in 1998. Their music is the type to transition into our current media in the best way possible. This album can be a refreshing break from the current hip hop and musical scene. Songs to check out form the album include: “Chonkyfire,” “Mamacita,” and “Da Art of Storytelling.” Aquemini is definitely worth checking out from Parsons Music Library.

Arachnophonia : Kanye West “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Colin (class of 2021) and features Kanye West’s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Thanks, Colin!

Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) is my favorite Kanye album. Many fans, reviewers and artists in the industry also agree with me that the albumis both technically amazing and culturally significant, with many music publications reporting back in December that MBDTF is their top album of the entire 2010s, such as Rolling Stone and Billboard. Why I believe this album is worthy of this praise is two-fold: first, the album continues the musical genius and masterful production that were present in The College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation; and second, this album marked Kanye’s public apology for his previous wrong-doings and public controversy, while apologizing in the most ‘Kanye’ way possible; self-reflection upon fame and ego.

I would be remiss in writing about MBDTF if I did not first acknowledge the character and artist behind the production of the album. Kanye has had his fair share of headlines throughout the past ten years or so, between his support of Donald Trump and the idea that Democrats have “brainwashed” black Americans, to his laptop being “stolen” by his cousin who leaked private videos of him, to his famous Twitter tirades in which he has attacked figures such as Wiz Khalifa and the company Nike, to his ongoing bouts with Taylor Swift. The list is long and could have been expanded upon further. Kanye is rarely in the news for positivity, but I argue that his albums should be judged separately from the creator. It is actually the last headline, his history with Taylor Swift, which started the production of MBDTF. In 2009 at MTV’s Video Music Awards, Kanye infamously took to the stage to interrupt Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video, proclaiming that Beyoncé should have won the honor. This prompted nationwide outrage against Kanye, which prompted an apology tour soon afterwards. He then took off to Hawaii that same year in the form of a retreat, in which he began working on MBDTF in Honolulu’s Avex Recording Studio.

Kanye West Performing at SWU Music Arts Festival 2011 by Renan Facciolo – Kanye West – SWU Music & Arts, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18137550

MBDTF is a journey. First, many elements of his previous albums can be identified on tracks throughout this album, indicating a feeling that the work in its entirety could be considered Kanye’s magnum opus. It borrows on the soul and experimental hip-hop aspects found in The College Dropout and Late Registration, mixed with the unrestricted emotional and innovative gleam evident in Graduation and 808s & Heartbreak. Second, the album explores themes such as wealth, prominence, decadence, excess, escapism, self-aggrandizement and self-doubt. An interesting understanding I found in my research is from Andrew Martin of Prefix Magazine, in which he notes in his review that this work “derives its intrigue from the shortcomings of its creator” and “it’s a meditation on fame.” Topics from previous, and even future Kanye albums, explore social issues that plague the world, such as abuse of drugs or the ongoing mistreatment of people of color. However, the “apology album” that MBDTF was expected to be allowed Kanye to reflect on the personal characteristics of his life, and to recognize that he is not perfect.

Focusing on specific tracks, the album opens with the aptly titled “Dark Fantasy.” Nicki Minaj introduces the first track through spoken-word, which then transitions into Kanye rapping about his images of grandeur as a child, and how the population perceives the fame, he has experienced incorrectly. Continuing through the album, “All of the Lights” is my personal favorite track. Between the masterful uses of synthesized sound bites to the lyrical story of a convicted man due to physical assault charges, the song is amazing in my eyes and by the public, receiving many accolades such as Best Rap Song at the 54th Grammy Awards. Another noteworthy track is “Runaway,” which appropriately premiered as a live performance at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, a year after Kanye’s public condemnation for his action against Swift, which prompted the creation of this album. Many reviewers laud “Runaway” as Kanye’s best song, placing emphasis on the ego of himself in a statement of lyrical apology for his public figure, but referring to the flaw of human nature of self-absorption that caused his problems. Some other album highlights include “Monster,” “Devil in a New Dress,” and “Lost in the World.”

Music is a strange dichotomy in which it is explicitly linked with the creators of itself and its performers, while also taking on its own personality completely separate from association with a person. I believe that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy should be viewed through a similar lens. Personally, I have friends who refuse to listen to Kanye West’s music simply because of the nature of himself as a person and the way he has publicized himself throughout the world. However, I believe it to be a great tragedy to close oneself off to the music that he creates as a separate entity of himself, only to experience the idea of the music and what it is trying to portray to us as an audience. No recommendation could ring more true than his album, which should be experienced and loved by all listeners.

Arachnophonia: Rap On Trial

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker William (class of 2021) and features a new book by UR faculty member Erik Nielson and Andrea L. Dennis of the University of Georgia School of Law entitled Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America. Thanks, William!

(Please note that this piece was concurrently published in UR’s student newspaper The Collegian as well!)

Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America
by Erik Nielson and Andrea L. Dennis

Rap On Trial

Five Deeply Concerning Takeaways from UR professor Erik Nielson’s new book Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics and Guilt in America

In their new book, Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics and Guilt in America, University of Richmond professor Erik Nielson and Chair of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law, Andrea Dennis, rebuke prosecutors’ use of rap lyrics as evidence of a defendant’s guilt in U.S. criminal trials.

In doing so, they document how the U.S. criminal justice system’s policing of hip hop and rap music has evolved, and elucidate the dire consequences and First-Amendment concerns of using rap lyrics to convict and incarcerate young men of color.

Here are five deeply concerning takeaways:

1. Rap lyrics are almost always permitted as evidence to prosecute serious crimes like murder, robbery and drug trafficking

Throughout their research, Nielson and Dennis have identified more than 500 cases across the U.S. in which rap lyrics were used as evidence in a criminal trial. In some cases, the prosecution introduced a defendant’s lyrics as substantiating evidence of the defendant’s guilt in some crime. Other times, the lyrics were the crime.

According to the New Jersey ACLU, rap lyrics were permitted as evidence in 80 percent of cases that considered their admissibility. But Nielson and Dennis say the number, according to their research, is significantly higher.

2. Police and prosecutors target young, black and Latino amateur rappers

In roughly 95 percent of cases involving rap lyrics, the defendant is a young, black or Latino man with a local fan base, if any fan base at all. Because of their social status, amateur rappers, in the eyes of police and prosecutors, are not real artists.

3. Rap lyrics are used to convince jurors of the defendant’s “true character”

By Dennis and Nielson’s analysis, police and prosecutors nationwide interpret and present to jurors rap music as autobiographical. A training manual written by a California prosecutor says that, through music lyrics, prosecutors “can invade and exploit the defendant’s true personality.” The manual tells prosecutors not to be fooled by the defendant’s nice court attire.

“The real defendant is a criminal wearing a do-rag and throwing a gang sign,” according to the manual.

In the hands of prosecutors, rap lyrics are taken out of context and construed as accurate depictions of the defendant’s real life, despite the art form’s well-known tradition of hyperbole. Because of this, defendant’s will often plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence, knowing their lyrics, presented by prosecutors, might significantly bias the jurors.

To introduce lyrics as evidence, prosecutors often argue that the lyrics they wish to introduce are evidence of the defendant’s motive, knowledge or ability to commit the crime in question. If a defendant is being accused of murder, for instance, prosecutors will cherry-pick from the defendant’s rap lyrics the lyrics most evocative of murder, and argue before the jury that the rap lyrics at least prove the defendant is capable of murder.

Prosecutors have used rap lyrics to argue for harsher sentences. Dennis and Nielson have identified thirty cases in which prosecutors used a defendant’s lyrics to argue that the defendant’s “true character,” as exposed in his lyrics, was so beyond any hope of rehabilitation that he should be sentenced to death.

In at least one case, prosecutors used a defendant’s lyrical abilities to argue that he was mentally stable and intelligent enough to be executed.

4. Rap lyrics and videos are used to warrant “gang enhancements”

If prosecutors can show that the crime the defendant is standing trial for was committed on behalf of or in association with a gang, prosecutors can request a “gang enhancement,” which can double a defendant’s sentence. In some states, gang enhancements allow for juveniles to be charged as adults.

Prosecutors regularly use rap lyrics to seek gang enhancements. If a defendant references gang themes in his lyrics, or even just mentions certain neighborhoods, prosecutors will use those rap lyrics to connect the defendant’s crime to gang activity.

Increasingly common is the use of rap music videos to justify gang enhancements. Dennis and Nielson have identified cases in which prosecutors used rap music videos to justify a gang enhancement for defendants who were seen in the background of a music video.

5. “Gang experts” routinely use rap music and videos to surveil entire communities

Nielson and Dennis make clear that, although “Rap On Trial” is focused on the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials, police and so-called “gang experts” nationwide use hip hop, rap music and videos to surveil communities, to identify suspects and to justify arrests, all before rap enters the courtroom.

Michael Render, also known as “Killer Mike” from the Atlanta, Georgia, hip hop duo “Run The Jewels,” is a close friend of Nielson’s and wrote the foreword to Rap On Trial.

“Right now, aspiring rap artists need to know they are being targeted by the authorities,” Render wrote, “and they need to balance their right to free speech–and their desire to push the envelope of free speech–with the reality that police are watching.”

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: A Tribe Called Quest “The Low End Theory”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

This special edition of Arachnophonia features contributions from students in Dr. Joanna Love‘s MUS 235 class: “I Want My MTV: Music Video and the Transformation of the Music Industry.”

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by MUS 235 student Ryan and features the 1991 album The Low End Theory by hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Thanks, Ryan!

A Tribe Called Quest

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory

The cover of The Low End Theory (1991), the second album from A Tribe Called Quest

In this post, I will be analyzing The Low End Theory (Album, CD) by A Tribe Called Quest as an academic source. The Low End Theory was the second album released by ATCQ, through Jive Records and Zomba Recording company on September 24th, 1991, and is frequently listed as one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time by critics. Considering that Hip Hop was still relatively young at the time, the album was fairly commercially successful. It peaked at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard charts and was certified gold within four months and platinum three years later. Much more important than its commercial success and its critical acclaim however, was its influence on the future direction of Hip Hop. Because of ATCQ’s heavy use of jazz sampling and their playful and funny yet socially conscious lyricism, The Low End Theory is an essential source for researchers examining the relationship between Jazz and Hip Hop and the rise of the popular subgenre of Conscious Rap today, including the music of Kendrick Lamar and J Cole.

A Tribe Called Quest was a self-proclaimed “Hip Hop Band” consisting of members Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

A Tribe Called Quest

An image from the inside of the booklet in The Low End Theory CD featuring the group members. Q-Tip is on the left, Ali Shaheed Muhammad is on the right, and Phife Dawg is front and center

The fourth member, Jarobi White, left the group after their first album, so he was not included on this album, but returned to contribute to the groups final album, We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, after Phife Dawg passed away in 2016. On The Low End Theory, Ali Shaheed Muhammad was a DJ/producer, Phife Dawg was an MC, and Q-Tip was both a producer and MC. Their sophomore album, which consists of 14 tracks and is 48 minutes in length, gets its name from both the bass, or low-end, focused instrumentals and is also a clever reference to their lowered status as black men in America. Alongside the album, ATCQ also released a music video for the track “Scenario” and another combined video, which I will be analyzing in my final research paper for this class, for “Jazz (We’ve Got)” and “Buggin’ Out.”

As the title of track 11, which is part 1 of the previous video, suggests, the music on The Low End Theory is heavily inspired by Jazz and wears that influence on its sleeve. In the first verse of “Excursions”, the opening song of the album, Q-Tip references this influence by comparing Hip Hop to Bebop Jazz in the lines, “You could find the Abstract listenin’ to hip-hop/My pops used to say, it reminded him of Bebop/I said, Well, Daddy, don’t you know that things go in cycles?/Way that Bobby Brown is just amping like Michael”. The most obvious musical influence is in the samples found within the instrumentals. Though not all of the samples on the album are credited, some of the more prominent ones were cleared and are listed at the end of the CD booklet and most originate from jazz or funk records. “Vibes and Stuff” uses a sample from jazz guitarist Grant Green and “Check the Rhime” uses a horn sample from Average White Band’s song “Love Your Life”. Though it isn’t credited on the album, a bit of digging on whosampled.com shows that the song “Jazz (We’ve Got)” uses a sample from the piece “Green Dolphin Street” by Jazz/Blues Pianist Jimmy McGriff. ATCQ even goes beyond sampling and recruits famous Jazz Double Bassist, Ron Carter, to play the bass line on the Q-Tip solo track, “Verses from the Abstract”.

Though The Low End Theory was far from the first Hip Hop album to make use of jazz sampling, ATCQ was able to fuse jazz and funk instrumentation with hard hitting but laid back drum loops in a unique way that resonated with their audience. ATCQ’s previous album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, also used many jazz samples but did not receive the same kind of acclaim. At that point, the group was still perfecting their sound. The lyricism was similar, but the instrumentals were not quite as sparse and focused on the low-end, an attribute of The Low End Theory and its successor, Midnight Marauders, that made them stand out.

The instrumental style of The Low End Theory was not just critically acclaimed, but turned out to be a major influence on the future of Hip Hop production. Even today, its influence can clearly be heard in the music of some of the most popular artists in modern Hip Hop. The closing songs on both J Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly employ soft jazz instrumentation over prominent bass lines and hard-hitting but laid-back drums and sound like they could have easily fit into A Tribe Called Quest album. The two artists even collaborated on an homage to ATCQ called “Forbidden Fruit” in 2013, in which the two used the same sample that ATCQ used for “Electric Relaxation”. The vocal style of ATCQ has also proven to be very influential. To use another J. Cole example, his song “Wet Dreamz” has many similarities to the Phife Dawg focused song, “Butter”, from The Low End Theory. Both songs deal with various girl problems the two have gone through. They are clearly fairly serious and relatable topics, however both rappers tell the stories using clever and sometimes funny rhymes. Instead of focusing on catchy lyrics like groups like Run D.M.C, or the more serious tones of contemporaries like N.W.A or Public Enemy, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg found a conscious yet light and palatable rap style that many later rappers wanted to emulate.

The Low End Theory is essential to my research for this course since I am using the video “Jazz (We’ve Got) Buggin’ Out” in order to examine the relationship between Jazz and Hip Hop. That video, and by extension The Low End Theory, is not the only place to start when searching for the critical point connecting the genres, but it is certainly one of the most significant. In the time since The Low End Theory was released, Jazz and Hip Hop have become increasingly intertwined, to the point that they have become indistinguishable from one another at times. Albums like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and Madlib’s Shades of Blue, as well as many of The Roots’ projects explore the explore the shared musical and cultural lineage of the genres and all of those artists would cite A Tribe Called Quest and The Low End Theory as one of their influences.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: Rap Music and Street Consciousness

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

This special edition of Arachnophonia features contributions from students in Dr. Joanna Love‘s MUS 235 class: “I Want My MTV: Music Video and the Transformation of the Music Industry.”

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by MUS 235 student Alice and Rap Music and Street Consciousness, a musicological history of rap music. Thanks, Alice!

Rap Music and Street Consciousness by Cheryl L. Keyes

Rap Music and Street Consciousness

In Rap Music and Street Consciousness, Cheryl L. Keyes tracks the development of rap music in the United States from the early 1970s to 2000. Employing the perspectives of ethnomusicology, folklore, and cultural studies, Keyes brings in views from a variety of critics. The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 explores the sociocultural history and aesthetics of rap music. Part 2 provides critical perspectives of rap and explores the representation of rap in popular culture.

Keyes details the start of hip-hop and rap as a youth movement that evolved in the Bronx, New York, in the early 1970s. She defines rap music as a “musical form the makes use of rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular, which is recited or loosely chanted over a musical soundtrack” (1). In its beginnings, the movement was comprised of disc jockeys, emcees, break-dancers, graffiti writers, and style of urban street culture. In her research, Keyes focuses on disc jockeys and emcees. Hip-hop began with the mixing of pre-recorded hits on two turntables and as it became more competitive, artists started to hire MCs to do vocals over the tracks. The rhythmic aspects of hip-hop caught people’s attention and brought this new style into mainstream media. “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) by Sugarhill Gang became a commercial hit and catalyzed rap’s entry into the popular music industry. By the late 1980s, rap had become a billion dollar enterprise.

With commercial success came harsh criticism and controversy. Many critics often saw rap and violence as synonymous. The media and the right-wing politics of the 1980s amplified the perceived negativity surrounding rap and hip-hop. Ronald Reagan’s rhetoric and ideas spurred division between black and white communities and these sentiments were reflected in the media’s portrayal of African American and Latino youth communities as fraught with violence, crime, and drugs. Rap emerged to combat the negative narrative being placed unfairly upon these communities. Attacks on rap continued, as gangsta rap particularly came under censorship. Critics disputed the artistry of rap; some questioning the sampling of musical tracks rather than the creation of newly inspired works. In Keyes’ work, she situates rap and hip-hop within the context of urban street culture. She defines ‘streets’ as “a subculture of the urban milieu that operates by its own rules, economics, lifestyle, language, and aesthetics” (6). ( A deep understanding of street culture is needed, she states, to mold the discussion of rap and hip-hop.)

Chapter 8, “Visualizing Beats and Rhymes,” will prove most valuable for my individual research. Keyes briefly starts out the chapter discussing how music videos are used as marketing and advertising tools for artists. They serve as a platform for artists to re-envision their music. The first part of the chapter, which I will draw some useful information from, provides a model for analyzing how black youth culture is encoded in rap videos. The second part of the chapter details the video-making process from an interview with director and producer J. Kevin Swain.

In Chapter 8, Keyes introduces the idea of iconic memory, which she defines as “the referencing of place, historical events, and music familiar to hip-hop viewers” (211) and says is unique to rap. Key aspects of iconic memory include visualization of “illustration, amplification, and disjuncture” (212). She focuses some of her discussion on gangsta rap music videos in particular, which is useful since I will be analyzing N.W.A, whose music classifies as gangsta rap. Keyes notes how gangsta rap music videos tried to capture the reality of life in the hood, focusing heavily on the relationship between black youth and the police. Although some critics say N.W.A glorifies violence — which is the reason MTV actually refused to air the “Straight Outta Compton” music video initially — rappers argue that it simply depicts the harassment young black men experience in their everyday reality. She quotes Ice Cube, a member of N.W.A. saying “‘We deal with reality; violence is reality’” (216). “Fuck tha Police” and “100 Miles And Runnin’” were also direct references to police harassment and the repression in young black communities. An important point is how the ‘streets’ influence rap music videos. In the introduction, Keyes notes how video director Hype Williams said that urban street culture informs his directing. “‘The ‘streets’ reflect in all that I do; the camera [lens] is an extension of that’ (1995)” (5). This idea, along with her idea of iconic memory will help shape my discussion when analyzing “100 Miles And Runnin’” and other N.W.A. music videos.

Hype Williams

Hype Williams, a prominent rap music video director

Although Chapter 8 aids in my specific analysis of N.W.A.’s music videos, other chapters in the book can provide me, and other researchers, with more contextual context and historical discussion. For example, in Chapter 4, “Expanding Frontiers: Rap Music, 1990-2000,” Keyes discusses censorship of gangsta rap and the wave of concern over First Amendment rights. Also, in Chapter 6, “Issues, Conflicts, and Conspiracies: The Hip-Hop Nation at the Crossroad,” Keyes’ discussion of how materialism plays a role in shaping hip-hop culture will be valuable in my analysis.


N.W.A.’s “100 Miles And Runnin'” music video

As Keyes describes herself, the “nature of this work” is “multifaceted” (13). She was a university student when she began her research and explored aspects of rap and hip-hop by bringing in the voices of critics and artists alike. While other works could perhaps provide a more detailed look at specific topics, Keyes offers a comprehensive base for further research into the musical, visual, cultural, and social aspects of rap and hip-hop. Further, the book contains a “Glossary of Common Rap Music Terms” toward the end. This tool can be helpful to anyone studying the genre.

Cheryl Keyes

Author of “Rap Music and Street Consciousness,” Cheryl Keyes

Keyes herself is a black, female researcher who is an outsider in the music industry. In the introduction to this book, she notes how her position as an outsider — and an insider because of her race and gender at times — helped frame her research and fieldwork. By disclosing the positive and negative ways her information gathering was affected by how she was perceived by those in the music industry, Keyes gives an honest account and recognizes her work’s strengths and limits.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: Eminem “The Eminem Show”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

This special edition of Arachnophonia features contributions from students in Dr. Joanna Love‘s MUS 235 class: “I Want My MTV: Music Video and the Transformation of the Music Industry.”

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by MUS 235 student Justin and features rap MC Eminem’s fourth studio album, The Eminem Show. Thanks, Justin!

Eminem

The Eminem Show

Eminem - The Eminem Show

Eminem – The Eminem Show album cover (2002)

When I hear the name Eminem, the first thing that comes to mind is a white rapper and that most likely is the same for most people as well. What most people don’t know is who he really is and where he came from until you listen to his music. The Eminem Show was the fourth studio album released by the Detroit MC and was released on May 26, 2002. His second album go Diamond in the United States would reach the number one spot in 19 different countries and was the best-selling album of 2002. The album would be nominated for a Grammy in 2003 and won the award for best Rap Album. Much has changed since then, but Eminem has always stayed true to one thing in his music which is telling a story.

One of the most commercially successful songs from the album was “Without Me” where Eminem addressed many critics of his alter ego Slim Shady. After his success with The Marshall Mathers LP this song can be considered a sequel to the song “The Real Slim Shady.” In simpler terms, Eminem’s message in the song is that he is back to save the world which is a reference to his role in the music industry and his effects on the culture of hip hop. Within the song lyrically, Eminem pokes fun at the likes of Dick Cheney, Chris Kirkpatrick, and even Prince. He also attacks his own mother in one of his lines for the lawsuit she filed for the slander of her name in one of his earlier songs. The song uses samples from songs such as “Rap Name” by Obie Trice, “E” by Drunken Monkey, and “Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren.

Yet even though the album was a success, and critics saw this as a more mature Eminem who, according to Sal Cinquemani, “peels back some of the bullshit façade and reveals a little bit more of the real Marshall Mathers” his use of intense profanity in his lyrics had many parents concerned about his influence on so many young children who were listening to his music. To deal with this, Eminem released a clean version of the album where most of the profanity is edited out with a few exceptions on certain songs, but Eminem has stood strongly on his stance of using profanity. In an interview with 60 minutes in 2011, Eminem told Anderson Cooper that profanity was something he grew up with and that he didn’t invent saying offensive things. He actually felt that he was being singled out because of the color of his skin and when asked about why he doesn’t feel guilty about young children using profanity as a result of his music, he stated “I feel like it’s your job to parent them. If you’re the parent, be a parent.” Eminem has two daughters of his own and told Cooper that he does not use profanity at all in the house.

This album is helpful for my project because I am currently looking into hip hop and the influence it had on the world during the era of MTV and currently as it develops to a global stage. As one of the first successful white rappers who established legitimacy as a hip-hop MC, Eminem opened the gates in a way for other people from different cultures to enter the world of hip hop that was predominantly African American to begin with. Previous rappers like Vanilla Ice and the Beastie Boys were viewed more as white males excelling in a “black man’s” game. This was due to their sound which still had to appease to the mainstream “white” audience. Since Eminem worked closely with Dr. Dre, you would think that there would be a hint of the West Coast sound, but interestingly enough Eminem doesn’t fall under either “coast” of hip-hop. This is because Eminem focused heavily on his lyrics and the stories that he told within them.

Since Eminem grew up in Detroit in a predominantly black area, he grew up around the culture of hip hop. He attended many underground rap battles to gain legitimacy, but struggled to do so because of the color of his skin. This stayed with Eminem throughout his career until Dr. Dre gave him a chance when everyone was telling him not to. A reference to that can be found in the song “I Need a Doctor” featuring Dr. Dre.

It was you, who believed in me
When everyone was telling you don’t sign me
Everyone at the fucking label, lets tell the truth
You risked your career for me
I know it as well as you
Nobody wanted to fuck with the white boy
Dre, I’m crying in this booth.

An interesting aspect that is related to the topic of breaking culture barriers in hip hop is the movement going on in Asia and the hip-hop scene that is developing there. While some view it as being “culture vultures,” this can be viewed similarly to Eminem’s case. While Eminem became successful because of his intense, but relatable lyrics, Asian artists such as Rich Brian, Joji, Higher Brothers and Keith Ape have found success by incorporating Asian language in their lyrics. But with success does come some mishaps. One of the first songs that Rich Brian released called “Dat Stick” contains the n-word which created a lot of backlash and this has happened many times during the era of hip-hop. Artists like Post Malone have also had trouble with using the racially charged word in their songs.

Higher Brothers

The Higher Brothers are a Chinese hip hop group

This ties into Eminem’s career because even though his use of profanity was very generous in his songs, he never crossed that line by using language from a culture that he did not come from. If artists are able to incorporate their own special twist on genres of music from other cultures, then they will have a chance of succeeding because they can appeal to their own desired audiences while also still appealing the rest of the masses. For example, with the Higher Brothers, most of their songs use Chinese with bits of English here and there, but because the beat of the song is still hip-hip, there is still that comfort that the song is still under the umbrella of hip-hop.

Arachnophonia: Macklemore “The Heist”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library‘s collection. All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by Music Library student library worker Claire (class of 2020), and features hip hop artist Macklemore’s debut album The Heist. Thanks, Claire!

Macklemore
The Heist (2012)

Macklemore - The Heist

Few other hip-hop albums besides The Heist touch on such a variety of political and social issues. While most people will remember songs such as the catchy and silly “Thrift Shop,” I argue that most other songs on the album have had a much greater impact on Macklemore’s listeners and the country as a whole.

Macklemore - Thrift Shop

I can remember sitting at my dining room table in middle school, listening to this album while doing homework. At the time, I don’t think I was aware of many of the controversial and powerful statements Macklemore was making.

Macklemore - "Same Love"

In “Same Love,” Macklemore sends a clear message that he believes in equal rights for all, and specifically, gay rights. In the song, Macklemore raps: “Whatever god you believe in, we come from the same one/ Strip away the fear, underneath it’s all the same love/ about time that we raised up.” In this line, Macklemore not only expresses personal support for gay marriage, but also calls upon his fans to join him in supporting gay rights.

Macklemore - "Wings"

In “Wings,” Macklemore addresses his concerns regarding capitalism and the sacrifices which Americans will make for name brands. When explaining his obsession with Nike and Adidas shoes throughout his youth, he explains how one of his friend’s brothers was shot while he was being robbed of his name brand apparel. Macklemore raps: “Yo, I stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo/Nike Air Flight, book bag was so dope/ And then my friend Carlos’ brother got murdered for his fours/ Whoa.” Macklemore explains a culture of obsessing over trends and conforming to social pressures in order to fit in, even from an early age. In the song, he grapples between wanting to conform to this culture in order to be “cool,” but also criticizes how he allowed these name brands to define his identity for so long.

Macklemore

Finally, Macklemore addresses the issue of addiction most clearly in his song “Starting Over.” Macklemore recounts his experiences with alcoholism in particular, and his fluctuations between sobriety and use. However, the message of this song is not one of shame or blame, but instead paints a picture of hope; hope that recovery is possible and that sobriety is attainable. Since the release of The Heist, Macklemore has launched multiple national campaigns (even producing a documentary on addiction which features President Obama) which attempt to destigmatize addiction and stop the cycle of addiction in American society.

Macklemore - Heist tour 2012

Macklemore performing in Toronto during The Heist Tour on 28 November, 2012. By Drew of The Come Up Show (Flickr) – http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecomeupshow/8228257996, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24401827

You would be hard-pressed to find a hip-hop artist that addressed such a wide variety of relatable issues in one album. While listening to it from start to finish, The Heist encourages us reflect about tough and controversial issues while also giving listeners an opportunity to smile and enjoy themselves in some of his fast-paced, feel-good songs.

Arachnophonia: Black Noise

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library‘s collection. All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by Joanna Love, PhD, Assistant Professor of Music in the UR Music Department. Thanks, Joanna!

Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America by Tricia Rose

Black Noise

Tricia Rose’s Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America is a foundational piece of scholarship on hip hop culture. Written in the mid-1990s, it explores the complex economic, social, and cultural origins of hip hop. It also discusses the social and cultural implications of its many facets and prominent features, including rapping, DJing, B Boying/breaking, signifying, scratching, and sampling. Anyone interested in learning more about this genre should definitely read this book.

New CDs added in February!

New CDs for February 2017

Classical

Francis Poulenc – Gloria for soprano solo, chorus and orchestra

Poulenc -- Gloria

Charles Rosen – The Complete Columbia and Epic Album Collection

Charles Rosen Collection

Pop/Rock/R&B

The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
The Avett Brothers – True Sadness

Avett Brothers - True Sadness

De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody
Prince – HITnRUN Phase One

De La Soul - Anonymous Nobody

Prince – HITnRUN Phase Two
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

Jill Scott – Woman
A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here Thank You 4 Your Service
Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface

Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface

Musical Theatre

Jay Kuo – Allegiance: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Allegiance - Cast Recording