Tag Archives: MUS 235

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

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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: Sounds of the Eighties – 1983

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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 Bianca and features . Thanks, Bianca!

Sounds of the Eighties: 1983

Although most of us students at the University of Richmond aren’t as familiar with music from the 80s as we are with modern top tracks, special collections of older hits allow us to become familiar with timeless tunes, cranking up our headphone volume to the sounds of guitar riffs and boisterous snare drums, just as our parents must have done with their cassette tapes.

Sounds of the Eighties: 1983 is a CD collection of just that: 18 different pop “hits” from the year 1983. It was manufactured for Time-Life Music by Warner Special Products, a Time Warner Company in 1994. It features hit songs from Quiet Riot, The Fixx, Stray Cats, Dexys Midnight Runners, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Thomas Dolby, David Bowie, Culture Club, Marvin Gaye, Michael Sembello, Naked Eyes, Madness, Toto, Stevie Nicks, Greg Kihn Band, The Kinks, Kajagoogoo, and Spandau Ballet. Billy Altman, a Pop music writer for People and The New York Times, former editor of Creem, and executive producer of the award-winning Heritage Series, detailed the inside cover with short, catchy blubs about each band and the music of 1983 in general. Although this blog post will not be focusing in detail on all of the songs, it is important to analyze how the songs work together as a collection, how Altman portrayed each band and the overall music culture of the 80s, and how this CD can help further future academic research.

Sounds of the Eighties: 1983

The cover photo of “Sounds of the Eighties: 1983,” courtesy of Michael Ochs Archives, Venice, CA and London Features International, Ltd.

While the CD features 18 different songs and bands from the year 1983, they are strikingly similar music-wise. The choice of tracks can be divided into two categories, with each song fitting into either category. The first category features upbeat tunes with a fast tempo, strong guitar or synth riff, loud straining vocals and thick musical texture, such as “Cum On Feel The Noise” or “Maniac.” Most of these songs are about a relationship with a woman, sung by a male singer. Upbeat, catchy, and dance-worthy, these hits all focus on a similar backing beat that remains constant. The other category contains slower, more soulful tunes, with a crooning singer, such as “Sexual Healing” and “Time (Clock of the Heart).” All of them focus on the object of a romantic desire, as the lyrics demonstrate a sense of longing and passion. Despite having the opportunity to portray a wide variety of music, the tracks are very homogeneous, as most feature a white male singer with similar styles of singing. Many follow the same form with an opening riff, short verses, catchy chorus repetition, and some sort of bridge or guitar solo. In essence, each song seems to be a slightly different version of the others, demonstrating a clear Pop sound of 1983’s music.

This homogeny directly contrasts what Altman writes about for his description of the 80s music scene. He highlights each band as distinctly unique, from Culture Club’s gender-bending persona, to the “nice guy’s band” of Greg Kihn, to Marvin Gaye’s “deep-cutting social commentary.” They joined the music industry in different ways and had diverse effects on the history of music in general. While Stevie Nicks had a long career with many top-chart hits, one hit wonders like Thomas Dolby are also featured. So why did artists from such diverse and different backgrounds end up creating hits so musically-similar, and what does this mean for academic study of 80s musical culture?

The answer is pretty simple: artists knew what the listeners wanted. The 80s ushered in an era of New Wave and synthetic instrumentation, forming a new Pop sound that teens could dance to. This homogeneity of sound and lyricism demonstrates that if one artist finds success with a musical concept, others will follow. Such is the case of the portrayal of a voyeuristic (or obsessive) gaze, for many hits over the decades feature an object of romantic obsession that the singer would like to “obtain.” This topic pertains to my specific research as a student studying the theme of voyeurism in popular music videos. I was drawn to Naked Eyes’ “Always Something There to Remind Me,” a track featured on this CD, as the epitome of a voyeuristic stalker: the main singer follows a famous woman, constantly vying for her attention and love, in a music video that was constantly featured on MTV.


Naked Eyes’ music video for “Always Something There to Remind Me,” released in 1982. Lead singer Pete Byrne is seen following a famous married woman to multiple public places and singing about her on the street.

However, through further research I found that the theme of voyeurism and unobtainable desire wasn’t unique to Naked Eyes but was prevalent in many songs from the 70s and 80s, from Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” to Blondie’s “One Way or Another,” thus spanning genders and genres from Rock to New Wave Alternative. Obsessiveness as a lyrical and visual theme has continued to modern popular music, as artists such as Maroon 5 sing about “praying” on unsuspecting romantic interests.


Maroon 5’s music video for “Animals,” released in 2014. Lead singer Adam Levine is seen standing in the rain, gazing at a woman through her window. He continuously stalks her throughout the video.

At this point you’re probably asking, what does this have to do with Sounds of the Eighties: 1983? The key to understanding the connection is to look beyond the obvious. This collection of music from 1983 isn’t just the top tracks of that year but reveals how artists are compelled to use the successful ideas and themes of other artists, even if that idea does not necessarily represent their ideal musical sound. For instance, each artist on the CD ended up using the strong riff pattern and backbeat that arose in the 80s, despite coming from different musical backgrounds. Naked Eyes, a New Wave preppy British band is united with American Pop-Sugar sounding Maroon 5 with a voyeuristic male gaze, even though everything else about the bands is different. Thus, the takeaway from this CD isn’t the details of its musical soundtrack, but rather what is says about human nature’s drive to replicate what has come before. While ingenuity still remains idyllically, it is often much easier to copy what’s been deemed “successful” as opposed to risking it all on a novel idea. This insight therefore informs my research by demonstrating how the voyeuristic gaze spread throughout the decades of music, not because these singers were actually stalking unsuspecting romantic interests, but rather because it was a theme that proved interesting to listeners. Fascinated with the creepiness of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” or Coldplay’s “Shiver,” fans unknowingly told artists that this theme works, even though in real life, no one really likes a stalker.

Every Breath You Take

An image from The Police’s creepy video for “Every Breath You Take,” featuring lead singer Sting in black and white, staring gloomily into the camera.

This takeaway of homogeny of sound and meaning in popular music can extend to many other scholarly inquiries. For instance, one can look at not only the homogeny of Pop music, but other genres as well, such as Classical, Rock, Rap, or Country. Why do artists from each genre try to replicate what has already been done, building off of one another to create something “new”? This inquiry can also extend to the fields of Anthropology and Sociology, as both fields engage in studying what people do creatively as related to one another. Therefore, if you are curious about some aspect of musical homogeny, the continuation of certain musical themes over time, or human nature’s desire to replicate, listen to and read the inside cover of Sounds of the Eighties:1983. Disguised by catchy Pop tunes and upbeat backing tracks, this CD actually highlights a group of diverse artists who came together to form the synthetic Pop sound of the 80s. This sound reveals an innate desire to recreate what has been deemed successful, whether it be musical style or lyrical themes such as a creepy voyeuristic gaze. For some reason, music fans across the decades have loved the idea of romantic stalking. Personally, I find it a bit unsettling.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: The Hidden Story Behind Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”

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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(s) for the item(s) in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by MUS 235 student Cory and features a look at the story behind Sinéad O’Connor’s 1990 version of the song “Nothing Compares 2 U”, which was written by Prince in 1985. Thanks, Cory!

The Hidden Story Benhind Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U , cover of CD single (1990)

Sinéad O’Connor opens her 1990 hymn to loneliness by counting the time since her lover left, “It’s been seven hours and fifteen days.” Almost 29 years later, O’Connor has finally stopped counting. In 2015, O’Connor decided to stop performing her classic song “Nothing Compares 2 U” in concert, writing on her Facebook page that the song no longer represented her. “After twenty-five years of singing it, nine months or so ago I finally ran out of anything I could use in order to bring some motion to it.” This lack of identification might be understandable, as the song was never O’Connor’s to begin with.

“Nothing Compares 2 U” was intended for The Family, a band formed by Prince in 1984, and was released on their self-titled 1985 album. The song was not released as a single, and the album bobbed around on the Billboard R&B Chart. While The Family was a favorite of Prince fans, “Nothing Compares 2 U” received little recognition. The song was offered to a young Irish singer, Sinéad O’Connor, fresh off releasing her first album. O’Connor embraced “Nothing Compares 2 U” in her own style, and it would end up introducing the artist to a massive global audience.

The song would take O’Connor from her home in Ireland to an iconic music video in the neighborhoods of Paris to throwing fists in Prince’s driveway at 5am. For many, “Nothing Compares 2 U” represents a relic of 1990s love and longing, but in 2014, O’Connor would claim that Prince physically attacked her over a disagreement during a visit to his Hollywood home. The story behind the song was vastly different than the one viewers came to associate with O’Connor’s bold yet peaceful imagery.


Official music video of O’Connor’s version of “Nothing Compares 2 U”

Nearly 29 years after its release, “Nothing Compares 2 U” is a song that does not quite belong to O’Connor. While the song served as Bel Canto 101 for the world, a cry to find oneself in the midst of heartbreak, O’Connor never completely found herself in the the music. O’Connor has continued to search for herself through the years, living into the controversies that surround her. Only weeks ago, O’Connor announced her conversion to Sunni Islam, adopting the name Shuhada’ Davitt, moving one step further along in a process of self-discovery.

The Parsons Music Library contains two parts of this story in its collection. In 1993, Prince released his own version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” on Hits/the B-Sides. While this album is easily accessible on Spotify, it’s worth a trip to the Library’s CD collection to take a glimpse at the album itself. Flip open the first few pages of the liner notes, and the throwing-fists-in-the-driveway story gains credulity.

Prince - Hits/ the B Sides

Excerpt from liner notes to Prince’s Hits/the B Sides

“When Sinead O’Connor took Nothing Compares 2 U to the top of the charts in 1988, Prince was damn near obliged to perform it himself… leaving no doubt whose song it was.” Fair enough. On Hits/The B-Sides, the song feels completely Prince. The song is performed live, it’s sensuous, and it has gentle echoes of Purple Rain. There’s a trumpet solo. Rosie Gaines contributes her vocals, telling a story in a way that one person just can’t do alone.

Prince’s take on “Nothing Compares 2 U” speaks to a level of artistry that only Prince could embody. Everything about the song is lush and performative. While the vocals yearn for the personal, there is a feeling that the song is still far beyond its listener. The song belongs near the center of a concert, capturing a feeling both grand and ethereal. It’s hard for me to imagine this version being excerpted on the radio or in coaxed into a short music video.

The song belonged to Prince, but it was a song that Sinéad O’Connor would succeed at first. There’s one more part of this story, one which Marcy Rose Chvasta finds related to Sinéad O’Connor’s body. Political Rock, available in the Parsons Music Library, offers a collection of critical essays on politically linked recording artists from Peter Gabriel to Pearl Jam. While O’Connor has been rooted in the political since the beginning of her artistry, Chvasta’s chapter looks to probe a little deeper. For a singer so deeply connected to the authenticity of Bel Canto, how should we handle an O’Connor who no longer feels authentic to the work and person she began with?

Political Rock Book

Political Rock Book cover (2013)

Chvasta writes that Sinéad O’Connor brought “Nothing Compares 2 U” to life because she found a way to give a body to the performance. O’Connor’s iconic music video absolutely arrested audiences across the world — and the reason why had everything do with flesh. In a music video running just over 5 minutes in length, O’Connor found a way to render Prince’s soaring song as something both intimate and worth screaming along to in the middle of the winter of 1990. O’Connor did so with her body — the music was personified through O’Connor’s attachment of loneliness to her physical frame.

As O’Connor has moved on from “seven hours and fifteen days,” Chvasta notes that O’Connor has sometimes defined her popularity in relative proximity to the song. It was “Nothing Compares 2 U” that was popular, not necessarily O’Connor. The song becomes a story of O’Connor’s body, in a certain place and time, a forcible societal imagination of O’Connor as a permanently androgynous 20-something wandering around Parc de Saint-Cloud. As O’Connor has aged, she has aged out of this song, “her” song, due to an unstable and unreliably political body.

The O’Connor of today can’t quite be pinned down, and that’s a good thing — it is not the place of a 1990 hit song to define a career. Chvasta notes that O’Connor’s body and artistry are dangerous because of what they are not: lacking in eroticism, narcissism, and self-indulgence, this duality could not be popularly sustained. As an unwieldy body, O’Connor moved in directions far from her youth, and far from a place “Nothing Compares 2 U” could ever relate to.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: Prince “Parade: Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon”

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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 Destiny and features Parade, the 1986 soundtrack album to Prince’s second film Under the Cherry Moon. Thanks, Destiny!

Prince

Parade: Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon

Prince - Parade album cover (1986)

Prince – Parade album cover (1986)

It’s 1984. Prince has just dominated the music industry with his iconic album, and equally iconic film of the same name Purple Rain. With a top-selling album and film under his belt, Prince has officially solidified himself within the music industry as a creative genius. After the immense success of the album, fans and critics anticipated and longed for his next album to match up sonically. However, Prince’s next album, Around the World in a Day, flopped in every regard – sales, expectations of fans, and ratings of critics. With the release of his next album, Parade, fans and critics still hoped for an album with the same sound as the iconic Purple Rain. Similarly to Around the World in a Day, the album did not have the same sound. While Parade, the source of my current analysis, did not flop in the same way that Around the World in a Day did, it was released to very mixed reviews.

Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1958, made his initial rise to fame primarily as a rock, pop, and disco artist. Though Prince was always an unpredictable, wild artist, it came as a complete surprise to fans and critics when he practically changed his whole sound to a much more psychedelic sound on Around the World in a Day. Similarly to the previous album, Parade maintained facets of the 1960s British boy rock-band inspired neo-psychedelia genre with distorted vocals, instruments and synthesizer sounds on songs such as “I Wonder U.” However, this album was also very much Prince’s introduction of the exploration of a genre known as “Baroque pop.” An infusion of rock and classical music, Baroque pop is a form of rock with a much more orchestral sound, as opposed to heavy guitar riffs. With this genre, the focus is on layered harmonies, as well as dramatic, intense strings and horns. There are also, for the most part, subtle elements of funk on the entire album. With prominent bass guitar, and noticeable drums and synthesizers, Prince and his backing band The Revolution certainly incorporate funk along with the experimentation of Baroque pop. Written as the soundtrack for a black and white romantic drama film, and Prince’s directorial debut, Under the Cherry Moon, Parade has a quite equal mix of slow tempo, somber songs (i.e. “Under the Cherry Moon” and “Do U Lie?”), as well as more upbeat, heavily-textured songs (i.e. “New Position” and “Girls & Boys”). To this day, fans and critics discuss the album Parade with mixed reviews. However, what practically everyone agrees on is that the standout song, and one of the biggest songs of Prince’s nearly four-decade long career, was the iconic “Kiss.”

Prince-Kiss


Arguably the most “funky”song on Parade, Prince’s “Kiss.”

Originating as a short, acoustic demo given to funk band Mazarati, “Kiss” almost did not make the cut for this Prince album. However, after the band reworked the song into a much funkier tune, Prince decided to take the song back for himself and include it on the album at the last minute. Because of this, it makes sense that, while listening to the album in its entirety, it may seem to the listener that this eventual lead single off of the album does not quite have the same sound as the rest of the songs that make up Parade. Though the rest of the album did have characteristics of funk, the seemingly “plucked” and distorted bassline and the prominent steady synthesizer-created percussion, along with Prince’s quite soulful and sensual vocals, give this song has a much more funk-inspired vibe. Known for being unconventional, Prince, throughout this song, shatters expectations of women to constantly be beautiful or “cool” to be attractive and appealing to him. Donned in slicked back hair, makeup, and heels, Prince shatters stereotypes and norms even more in the video as he sings the lyrics in a falsetto. Though the rest of the album did not receive Purple Rain-level critical acclaim, the single “Kiss” topped charts across the globe, holding the Number 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart for two weeks. The song won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and has sold over 1,000,000 copies since its release in 1986.

When thinking about this album Parade, and its iconic single “Kiss,” it is interesting to think about the tensions that arose between the two main reactions to the album. While some think of it as a minimalist masterpiece and an interesting follow up to Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day, others view it as a disappointment and throwaway album in Prince’s lengthy discography. One question that one may consider is, what do the overwhelming number of negative reactions to this album say about artists, specifically Black artists, and changing their sound? Why is the music industry so restrictive to artists and so reluctant to accept changes in their music? For scholars who may be studying and analyzing questions like these, comparing this album and its reactions to the music and reactions of Purple Rain could lead to very interesting analysis. Also, with the extremely prominent facets of Baroque pop present on this album, those interested in studying the genre and its then, new, success in Europe could also use this album as a site of analysis. More related to my research of the shattering of gender and sexuality norms and stereotypes for Black artists in music, one could compare the lyrics of the song “Kiss” to its representations in the music video. Analyzing Parade and “Kiss” will certainly help me in my research, as they both give me insight into Prince’s views on gender and sexuality at the time, with the aural representations of his high-pitched voice, etc. in the music, as well as visual representations in music videos such as “Kiss.”

Though Prince and The Revolution’s album Parade still receives mixed reviews, it certainly provides multiple sites for analysis. I’m sure it will assist me in my research of gender and sexuality norms for Black artists in music, as well as numerous other topics of research for other scholars.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: Rock’s Backpages, Michael Jackson and Bruce Swedien

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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 Patrick and features a retrospective article about Michael Jackson first published in 2009 that is available via one of the library’s online resources called Rock’s Backpages. Thanks, Patrick!

Rock’s Backpages: “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough: Bruce Swedien Remembers the Times with Michael Jackson” by Daryl Easlea

In this article, Daryl Easlea details Jackson’s career from the 70s to the 90s in the context of Jackson’s recent (this article was written in the summer of 2009) death. Elsea himself is a critically acclaimed author, radio broadcaster, and DJ. Easlea discusses Jackson’s commercial success and offers a behind the scenes look at the musicality of Jackson’s work, primarily by including excerpts from Bruce Swedien, an audio engineer that worked with Jackson. This is important because it shows the range of Michael Jackson’s discography. In addition, it highlights the public reception of Jackson’s works while looking back on his life. While at times, Swedien himself gets bogged down in the specifics of the recordings, e.g. what microphone was used, this information can be crucial to artists influenced by Jackson’s sound that look to produce the same quality of music as him (even if it is not exactly pertinent to my research).

The range of Michael Jackson’s discography, however, is essential to my research for this project. While being crowned the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson’s endeavors in various other genres made him an influential artist well outside the scope of just ‘pop’. Being the multi-faceted artist that he was, Jackson delved into genres such as rock, soul, R&B, funk, and disco. Easlea discusses how Swedien handled Jackson’s music with unprecedented care, which is portrayed in the crispness of the snare drum in tracks like “Billie Jean.”

This article is also important because it details the history of those who worked with Jackson and helped him cultivate his sound. Jackson had worked with the likes of Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien as early as 1977 on The Wiz, but not exclusively on Jackson’s work until his solo debut album Off The Wall in 1979.

Jackson, Swedien and Jones

L-R Michael Jackson, Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones

Both of these producers contributed to the genre-bending and futuristic pop sound of Off The Wall that made it a coming of age story for the Motown prodigy. Easlea makes few references to the actual music itself, but when he does, such as when he describes the ‘itching bass synth’ in “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”, they are chock full of description. Easlea’s mention of Off The Wall and its success is important to my project because this was the album that saw disco out the door in its waning years and also introduced dance-pop to the mainstream.

From here, Easlea goes into great detail about Jackson’s professionalism and what it was like working with him in the studio (at least from Swedien’s perspective). Having recorded with acts like Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Dinah Washington, the Chi-Lites, Tyrone Davis, Buddy Miles, and Eddie Harris, Swedien still puts Jackson at the top of this list, which says a lot about Jackson’s raw talent, but also their chemistry together. Swedien recounts studio sessions with Jackson, describing him as always punctual and prepared, having committed all the lyrics to memory so he would not have to read them whilst recording. As a result, legendary albums such as Thriller were recorded in only three months with all the lyrics having been written before Jackson even entered the studio. Easlea describes the recording for Thriller as a “magical time”, with stars such as Rod Temperton, Eddie Van Halen, and Paul McCartney featuring on the album and adding range and an experimental element to Jackson’s music.

Easlea makes important notes of peculiar instrumentation used in Jackson’s recording sessions. One example is in the beginning of “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”, where Michael Jackson and his siblings are playing soda bottles, by tapping sticks on the bottles. In the same manner, Jackson used a four by three piece of plywood with Masonite, known as the ‘bathroom stomp board’ on the Thriller’s opening track, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Jackson also had drum cases set up that he would use as musical instruments. The use of these makeshift instruments only added to the detail of Jackson’s music and if anything comment on the ingenuity of his artistry.

Easlea also frames the scene during the recording of Jackson’s seventh studio album, Bad, which was also the last time Jackson worked together with both Swedien and Jones. He describes it as a literal zoo, with Jackson bringing his chimp, Bubbles, and boa constrictor, Muscles, to the studio along with him. Future researchers may apply this information when trying to find out what kinds of in-studio influences artists may have around them, and how much these things (or animals) actually influence the music making process.

Jackson with pets Bubbles the chimpanzee and Muscles the boa constrictor

Jackson with pets Bubbles the chimpanzee and Muscles the boa constrictor

It is interesting to note the transition Jackson undergoes in the making of these projects. Similar to Off the Wall, there is an air of independence in the making of Dangerous, as it was self-produced. Nonetheless, there was an emphasis on quality, as everything in this album was exaggerated from the moment the high energy drums hit on the album’s opening track, “Jam”. This focus on quality followed him into the recording of HIStory, where Swedien states that “the musicality never wavered,” no matter how much and how quickly Jackson’s life was changing.

Easlea shifts the focus to Swedien, who was still in mourning over the death of Jackson at the time, but was also excited to be working on Jackson’s newer songs, which had no designated plan or destination. Swedien recounts Jackson’s favorite song, and the one that best summarizes his work, “Smile”, which was a rendition of a Charlie Chaplin song. This song was sung with a full orchestra, which Swedien states is a feat that very few pop singers are capable of. On looking back on his career and history with Jackson, Swedien declares Jackson as the best — as a vocalist and musician, due to his ability to use his voice to continually push musical boundaries all throughout his career. He describes his instrument as the studio, and Jones’ instrument as Jackson’s ideas, which are two sentiments that can be expounded upon if someone were to do research on the work of producers and sound engineers both in relation to, but also independent of whatever artist they may be affiliated with.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: Rap Music and Street Consciousness

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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”

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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 – MUS 235 Edition: Prince “Purple Rain”

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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 Conor and features commentary on Prince’s 1984 film soundtrack album, Purple Rain. Thanks, Conor!

Prince: Purple Rain

Prince: Purple Rain

Prince: Purple Rain – Album Cover art 1984

To understand the importance of Prince’s CD album, or CDs in general, during the 1980s one must take a step back and look at the differences between our modes of listening to music today as opposed to the 1980s. In the 2000s CDs began to be phased out of popularity due to the improved technology that came about to form Itunes. This decade has seen an even bigger change transitioning from the Itunes format of music listening to streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud. The concept of paying a monthly fee to gain access to a massive music library had not even come to fruition as a concept back in the 80s.

Created in 1982, CDs were the easiest method to listen to music to during that era. CDs were the most compact and easiest to transport at the time and as long as someone had a CD player or a car stereo then the stage was set. Getting a new CD in the 80s would be comparable to taking a kid to the candy store or getting a new video game in the modern era. I was never able to really experience the true atmosphere of a music store where shelves were lined with records and CDs as seen in movies like Wayne’s World but it appears to be very similar to going to the video store back in the 2000s to get the latest movie that had come out.

CONOR DAVEY - music store in the 1980s

Music store in the 1980s

Since CDs were commonplace at the time and hundreds were displayed next to each other on shelves, it was also important that the cover art of the CD case and the design of the CD were eye-catching and could convince someone to purchase the album. Designed by art director Laura LiPuma and photographed by Ed Thrasher and Stuart Douglas Watson, Purple Rain’s album art has since become iconic and has been especially useful in defining an identity for the city of Minneapolis (where Prince was born and raised). The picture of Prince sitting on his purple motorcycle clad in his quintessential purple suit with smoke billowing out behind him is only further emphasized by the words “Purple Rain: Prince and the Revolution” in thick purple letters. This is also symbolic in the sense that this was the first time Prince included his band, “the Revolution,” in the album art. The photo is lined on both sides by beautiful flowers which can be tied back into the perception of androgyny in his music and fashion. The inside flap of the case is made up entirely of these flowers and their petals. The album art breathes mysteriousness and insinuates that seeing this movie will give you the full “Prince experience” in regard to his musical and acting abilities. The effects of this album art can still be felt in popular culture today with the city of Minneapolis “adopting” purple as their color and even blanketing the city in purple during the halftime performance at the Super Bowl last year after Prince passed away in 2016. In addition to this the basketball team located in the city, the Minnesota Timberwolves, have also created Purple Rain-inspired jerseys for this upcoming season.

purple Minneapolis

The city of Minneapolis lit up in purple during the Super Bowl, Feb. 4, 2018

The album art of Purple Rain has also been differently portrayed by other artists using its major themes and elements. In 2016, hip-hop artist Future dropped an appropriately titled mixtape named Purple Reign, where the cover art to the album draws off of Prince’s style with the title of the mixtape in thick purple letters and a near dark background.

Future: Purple Reign

Future: Purple Reign mixtape art 2016

As far as relevance I wanted to research a topic for this assignment that was fascinating to me and the success of soundtrack albums in music especially piqued my interest after having watched the movie Purple Rain for class in early October. Overall, this CD album art was useful for the movie because it was an excellent marketing tool for Prince. As discussed previously, the compactness of CDs made it the most popular mode to listen to music with in the 1980s. With over 25 million copies sold worldwide, this can be translated as 25 million advertisements for a movie in marketing terms. The album art not only represented the contents (songs) inside the CD case but also signified the opportunity to see a good movie. The movie Purple Rain cost $7 million to make and achieved box office sales of $70.2 million while Prince took home the Academy Award for best original score. It was Prince’s entrance into the film industry and he went on to further direct, compose, and act in other classics such as Under the Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge.

The album art of Purple Rain also represents the precedent that Prince helped set that a soundtrack album can produce quality music. Until Purple Rain came out there was no real popularity in soundtrack albums besides other classic movies like Grease and Saturday Night Fever in the late 1970s. Since then there has been an explosion in popularity with soundtrack album especially within the last 20 years. Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem or The Real Slim Shady, put together a highly successful soundtrack album for his 2002 biopic 8 Mile. His song “Lose Yourself,” which is played in the ending scene as Eminem walks away down the street after winning the final battle, became a hit sensation and is often seen as one of his best pieces of work if not the best. Recently, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth from the movie Furious 7 (Fast and Furious movie franchise) set streaming records for most streams in a week and in a day in 2015.

In summation Purple Rain and its album art helped usher in the popularity of soundtrack albums, give an identity to the city of Minneapolis, and promote Prince’s now classic movie Purple Rain.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: Sounding Race In Rap Songs

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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 Rachel and features a chapter from the book Sounding Race In Rap Songs entitled “Let Me Ride: Gangsta Rap’s Drive Into The Popular Mainstream”. Thanks, Rachel!

Sounding Race In Rap Songs by Loren Kajikawa

Sounding Race In Rap Songs

“‘Let Me Ride’: Gangsta Rap’s Drive into the Popular Mainstream” is the third chapter in Loren Kajikawa’s book Sounding Race in Rap Songs. The chapter focuses on how lyrics, imagery, and sound worked in tandem in LA-based gangsta rap. Kajikawa compares Dr. Dre’s work with gangsta group N.W.A. with singles from his solo career to identify the changes in sound, production, and aesthetic choices that allude to different ideas about race and politics.

Kajikawa beings the chapter by quoting Robin D. G. Kelley’s thoughts on the badass attitude emulated by rappers, especially during the Los Angeles Uprising in 1992. He explains that the purpose of inflating their personalities for being violent trouble makers, rappers were able to stand up to the powers and challenges that were oppressing them. This confidence allowed rappers to comment on issues such as police brutality, racial profiling, poverty, and the criminalization of black youth. With this in mind, Kajikawa hones in specifically on the aesthetic changes in Dr. Dre’s music and videos to see the development of such critiques.

Kajikawa quotes Murray Forman to explain that “rappers often cultivate and aura of authenticity tied to their respective ‘hoods.” N.W.A. does this with Compton, California to reflect the experience of the black community in LA. Kajikawa states that the conditions of the neighborhood N.W.A. identifies with offers insight into the decisions the group made in the making of their music and videos. From factories closing and laying off employees in the 60s, to rapid population increases in the 70s, to deindustrialization, LA was incredibly vulnerable and enabled by the mobility of capital. With the rise of the automobile industry and the construction of the freeway system, the excitement of newly accessible opportunities hid the isolation and dilapidation of poorer LA neighborhoods, like Compton. As a result, gangsta rap drew inspiration form the crime, violence, underground drug trade, and overall chaos in their community. These issues lead to an aggressive response by the LAPD, who sought to control the violence and sale of drugs with tactics such as search-and-seizure round ups and intimidation. N.W.A.’s adoption of the gangsta persona in their music served as an outlet to use the system that was working against them to make money.

NWA: Straight Outta Compton

NWA: Straight Outta Compton – Album Art (1988)

After establishing the roots and influences of N.W.A. and gangsta rap in general, Kajikawa transitions to more of a musical analysis of Dr. Dre’s work with and without N.W.A. In the song “Straight Outta Compton,” Dr. Dre samples a backbeat from the Winstons’ and includes a syncopated snare and bass loop that sounds similar to the commonly sampled “Funky Drummer” by James Brown. Dre includes numerous repeating sounds, 16-count hi-hats, and various instruments like guitar and a horn drone. Though some of the sounds appear to be sampled, Dr. Dre preferred to have studio musicians recreate preexisting parts of songs to allow him more control over the tracks.

Overall, Dre’s production of the song results in a punchy and staccato sound with a noisy beat. The instrumentation, combined with the inclusion of nonmusical sounds like gunshots, sirens, and screeching tires. reflects the lyrics extremely well, as the group raps about the violence and injustices they have experienced in Compton. The music video adds another layer of intensity to the song, matching the beat with jump cuts and shocking imagery. The video depicts the daily struggles of the members of N.W.A. and the black community in Compton in general, highlighting the LAPD’s harsh tactics. Shortly after the release of N.W.A.’s second album in 1991, Dr. Dre split from the group to focus on his solo career, which lead to a change in his sound.

Dr. Dre’s solo album, The Chronic, was released in 1992. Kajikawa notes the harsh shift (and dismissal) of Dre’s past music with N.W.A. Dre openly critiques his former partners in a way to prove his authenticity over theirs. Kajikawa uses “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” and “Let Me Ride” to illustrate the changes in sound and production that Dr. Dre implemented. When considering the musical style and visuals of the accompanying videos, there is an obvious shift away from the violent struggles of life in Compton and a focus on the lifestyle and celebration of freedom and mobility. However, Kajikawa notes that the change in tone are found primarily in the music and imagery, as the lyrics still touch on a lot of the same themes. Ultimately, Dr. Dre’s solo album illustrates his success and momentum in society in a way that allowed listeners/viewers to identify with it.

Dr. Dre: The Chronic

Dr. Dre: The Chronic – Album Cover (1992)

Musically, Dr. Dre’s solo work took on the style of G-Funk, a term adopted from George Clinton’s P-Funk collective. This “freaky” sound drew inspiration from Leon Haywood’s “I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You,” which included a chiller groove and distorted guitar. Dr. Dre recreated (not sampled) the relaxed groove to loop in “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” By adding more percussion, the song lends itself to a danceable feel, which may have helped widen Dr. Dre’s audience. Additionally, Dre often used a Minimoog synthesizer (see photo). Since the use of synthesizers was huge in New Wave and pop music at the time, his music was likely able to transcend demographic lines. The delivery of the vocals in both “Let Me Ride” and “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” are also drastically different, departing from the shouting of lyrics heard in N.W.A.’s music to a more conversational and sensual type of rapping. By adapting gangsta rap into “gangsta cool,” Dr. Dre also opened the door to radio play for his music.

Visually, Dr. Dre presents himself to be in a much different position than he was when he released music with N.W.A. In “Let Me Ride,” he illustrates his success by cruising around LA in a convertible, as opposed to being on foot. Instead of tense jump cuts, the video features fades in and out, matching the relaxed nature of the beat. Though some critics claim that The Chronic depoliticized gangsta rap in some ways, Dre definitely knew how to produce music that audiences would want to listen to.

In both eras, it is clear that Dr. Dre signifies different musicians and relevant cultural topics in his music via sampling and his lyrics. I found this source extremely helpful in gaining a better understanding of the regional history of rap, as well as the influences that shaped the nature of the lyrics and style heard in much of the rap music during the 80s and 90s. My paper aims to compare the ways in which different rappers have used music and videos to comment on issues surrounding racism, and this chapter offered a musical analysis that will help me better analyze the musical elements of other rap songs. Additionally, learning more about how Dr. Dre recreated songs as opposed to sampling straight from the track furthered my knowledge regarding how new artists pull from older artists to create something with a deeper meaning. Sampling continues to be a huge part of rap music today, so knowing more about the process and intentionality of it all is significant in understanding why certain samples are included in songs. Ultimately, I believe this source could help students looking to establish a deeper understanding of the musical styles and aesthetic choices of gangsta rap, as well as help students learn more about the significance of these deliberate choices.

Arachnophonia – MUS 235 Edition: “We Are The World: The Story Behind The Song”

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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 Elena and features a documentary about the making of the 1985 song “We Are The World.” Thanks, Elena!

“We Are The World”: The Story Behind The Song

Michael Jackson. Lionel Richie. Quincy Jones. The trifecta of musical genius that came together in 1985 to write and produce the song “We Are the World,” a collaboration of Jackson, Richie, and 43 other popular artists at the time. This feat was accomplished within a short period of time, only six days of recording in total, much to the surprise of almost everyone in the music industry. Brought together for the sake of raising awareness to the famine in Africa and support the humanitarian efforts going on to aid those affected by the famine. The musicians brought together to perform this song spanned all different ages, and all different genres of music, ranging from the King of Pop himself, to Cindy Lauper, to Bruce Springsteen. All already with successful careers and star status, and all worked with each other to help create a song that would go on to win four Grammys (1986), two MTV Video Music Awards (1985), one People’s Choice award (1986) and one American Music Award (1986). A song- and music video- of this caliber drew the attention of millions, so it comes as no surprise that there was a behind the scenes DVD documentary showing what went on during the making of the song.

USA for Africa

Willie Nelson’s signed sheet music and poster with all of the other artists’ autographs

Directed by Tom Trbovich, with the help of producers Craig B. Golin and Howard G. Malley and distributed by Image Entertainment in Chatsworth, CA, “We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song” is a DVD documentary that shows what happened the night of January 28, 1985 on the last recording session of the song. Tom Trbovich was known at the time for his directing work on “The Bette Midler Show” and “Laverne and Shirley,” but the documentary happens to be his best known work. In a two disk, 54 minute long DVD set, Trbovich set out to help the audience understand the amount of effort and work put into the creation of the now iconic song. Narrated by Jane Fonda, the documentary takes the viewer step by step through the final day of recording, from the group all together recording the chorus, to the solos (i.e. Michael Jackson, Diana Ross), to Stevie Wonder bringing in two Ethiopian women to tell the artists what the song and the fundraising meant to them and for their country. Next, it jumps to a segment focusing on the introduction of Ray Charles (to add some soul to the song) and then to the individual interviews of some artists involved. The documentary ends with a message from Lionel Richie to the viewers, giving them the information on where the funds from the song will go to in terms of helping the humanitarian efforts in Africa, and then cuts to the music video.

We Are The World

Artists(from left to right) Paul Simon, Kim Carnes, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross arm-in-arm

In my music class (Music 235 I Want My MTV with Dr. Love), our final paper for class is to connect two music videos of the past and present and how the interwoven meanings in the two videos transcend the time between them (the political and/or social meaning within both songs and videos). The past video that I chose to use is the music video shown at the end of the documentary, ‘We Are the World’ by USA for Africa. This documentary is one of my main sources, because not only does it give me all the information on the music itself (instrumentals, production) but also explains the meaning behind the song, why it was written and the circumstances under which the song was written and shows all the artists that were a part of the effort to create the song and the purpose of the song.

The biggest portion(s) of the documentary that I am going to focus on is the segment with the two Ethiopian women and the ending segment of Lionel Richie reaching out and talking to the viewers about the need for the support for the humanitarian efforts going on in Africa at the time. The underlying message of the song and the music video that I want to focus on is the way the coming together of so many successful, house-hold names was for the purpose of raising awareness for a cause that was close to the heart of the writers (and performers). These two segments will be the most helpful as they show the impact the two women had on all the people and the gravity of the success behind the song and what the impact of the song could be on the people affected by the famine all over Africa. Lionel Richie’s short segment of the individual interviews is a plea for help, for people to help their fellow people, until their fellow people stop dying of hunger. He closes the documentary before the music video starts with,

“Anything you can do, if you have any feeling in your heart at all about human life and the celebration of life… give of yourselves…give what you can.”

We Are The World DVD cover

Besides being a source for all things musical (videos included) this can also be helpful for other topics, for example, global consumer culture, as music can connect people from across the globe, and from a statistical and monetary standpoint, the sales coming from the song can show how relevant the song was in different countries all around the world and how people bought the track once it came out, and how those sales can be tracked from when the song was released up until this very day. This might be labeled as a music documentary and might be housed in a music library, but the uses of the video spread far out from just the topics of music.

“We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song” is a music documentary. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a behind the scenes look at what happens when people come together to try to make a difference in the world. And no, this is not a pitiful attempt to get people to feel bad about what they may be doing to make a difference. This is showing people the proof of what happens when people of all different backgrounds, with talents of all kinds come together and create something they can only hope can make a difference to the people who need it.

Find the music video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9BNoNFKCBI