RE: [microsound] [OT] hiphop article

["Christopher Sorg" <chris@xxxxxxxxx>]

This article and author isn't the first and only to think there is
something to the idea of MTV-style rap (note: not necessarily hip-hop,
"Of course, not all hip-hop is belligerent or profane") re-representing
racist imagery and ideas.  The painter, Michael Ray Charles
(http://cghs.dade.k12.fl.us/african-american/twentieth_century/mrcharles
.htm for some good info), gave an excellent lecture in Chicago, which
discussed his work and the many of the issues surrounding it.  Of
primary interest to him [my interpretation] was the continual
reconfiguration of the "minstrel" image, including present rap imagery
and presentation.  Mr. Charles had an amazing understanding of the
history of imagery used to represent Africans and African-Americans, and
his presentation made quite clear (at least to me) the relationship
between past, racist imagery and current images used in the media.
Unfortunately, I can't really bring across his understanding of the
images and context, but anyone can contact the video databank
(http://www.vdb.org/) and request a copy of his lecture.

My perception is that the problem with this article is its reactionary,
almost all-inclusive conception of rap as a negative, as well as really
keeping up with all the contemporary responses in rap/hip-hop itself.
There is, of course, the "purist" hip-hop response, where you have
artists from labels like Quannum, Invisibl Skratch Pickles, Rob Swift,
X-Ecutioners, Shadow, RJD2 and so many others that try to bring back the
competitive, skillful, and I would suggest, positive spirit that so many
once perceived in rap's early days.  Then there are the positive-tip
artists like The Roots, Black-Eyed Peas, Mos Def and Talib Kweli,
Common, pioneers like De La Soul and Jungle Brothers (to name a few)
that have issued direct responses to the troubling problems that Mr.
McWhorter has brought up, *in context* and offered solutions along side
their challenges.

Unfortunately, Mr. McWhorter seems to fail to recognize that these
alternatives exist and have been trying to address these issues from
within the medium for some time.  What he also fails to address is that
it is primarily white, suburban consumers that are driving the market
for gansta, bling-bling style rap.  But while he may be stereotyping rap
and not quite contemporary in his views, I think he still brings to bear
the important fact that volume rap sales represent quite insulting,
mysoginistic, violent viewpoints that are (if you take into account
Michael Ray Charles' studies) not particularly contemporary or
all-encompassing views and representations of African Americans, but are
at best narrow stereotypes and at worst harmful re-presentations of
racist, stereotypical imagery that has been a part of American culture
for at least the last hundred years.

My 2 cents, which is only worth, well...2 cents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Christopher Sorg
   Multimedia Artist/Instructor
 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  Columbia College Chicago
   http://www.csorg.org
     csorg@xxxxxxxxx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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