Analysis 5

Hip-hop is the embodiment of a nation. It has managed to create peace and harmony within cultures when no one else could. Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream “speech was incredibly profound but it never had the impact or the ear of a nation like hip-hop music.Ask anyone 50 and under if they have any animosity towards other ethnicities and the most likely tell you that they do not. Let’s face it, when our favorite song comes on in the club we all rush the dance floor. During this period of pure excitement absolutely no one on the dance floor notices the color of the people around them. At this point in time we are all just “one nation under a groove” says the godfather of soul George Clinton. Many rap artists have sampled Clinton’s music for years. What other genre of music can be attributed to the unification of different ethnic groups? Country, Rock, and R&B are primarily race based music. Viewed in the context of Black music in America over the past century, there's nothing surprising about hip-hop "crossing over." Blues and jazz crossed over in the 1920s, when whites rushed to Harlem to hear the music. In the 1930s, jazz became — for whites — "swing." ('Hip-Hop Is the Most Important Youth Culture on the Planet', 2000)

        The theory was that hip-hop music could not transcend boundaries. How wrong was that observation? Not only has hip-hop music transcended boundaries; whites actually purchase more hip-hop music than African Americans. I admit - I haven't had a chance to read Bakari Kitwana's new book yet, but I did talk with Joe Schloss about it and one of the chapters he found compelling was where Bakari disputes the oft-repeated "fact" that "70% of hip-hop consumers are white."(WHO BUYS HIP-HOP?, 2005) How does something like this happen if Whites and blacks are not unified? We wear the same clothes, we frequent the same places, and the best has yet to come. Gone are the days of seperation ropes at concerts. The 50’s and 60’s are over and for good reason. Music from any genre has no limitations. You can’t label hip-hop as a black or white thing anymore; It’s a people thing.

The White Savior and his Junior Partner

                Is the Lone Ranger the great white American hope? Sure he is, but to put him in the same context as God or depictions from the bible is absolutely insane. Admittedly, the creators of the action hero did their research when creating the Long Ranger and Tonto. At the time of the duos creation, America wasn't too far removed from taking this country from the Indians by force. How better to personify white power than to have a white hero run around with an Indian telling him what to do? How racist can one show be?  What the show makers did was capitalize on white empowerment. This country killed so many Indians that they should be on the endangered species list.  The breakdown of why certain scenes were shot in a particular manor sound like something straight out of a psychology book. Lone Ranger was never dirty, he never needed to shave, his horse silver was always clean and virtually every scene took place in the gravel and dirt of the west.  How amazing is it that the Long Ranger never got dirty? “Hello, people of the world; if you are not white then you are dirty.” Where is hate mail when you need it?

                With all of the problems that we are having with guns and gun laws; it is amazing to know that a show like the Lone Ranger has lasted as long as it has. The show reminds us of where we come from and where we are going. The gun wielding, gun toting, media described “Jesus on a horse “is nothing of the sort.  He is a figment of our imagination, an aberration in the dessert, second cousin to the devil himself at best.  What makes white so right? What if he were an African American with a black horse? What if Tonto was a white man? Would the duo be as successful as they have been in the past?  Surely they would not be as successful if these characters were of a different ethnic background. White America would have denounced the film and more than likely the show would have never made it out of the pilot stage as far as television is concerned. Do we not live in America; A country of diversity? Where are our heroes?

                The Lone Ranger portrays false images of God and how the west was really won sends false images of how the west was really won.  In Fact, cowboys of that time period did not chase bad guys in the pursuit of justice; their primary job was to tend to the farm and animals. Daring bank heist and brawls with county hoodlums in the by horseback are surprisingly uncommon.  Though movies and television would like us to believe otherwise, it was very rare when gunfights occurred with the two gunfighters squarely facing each other from a distance in a dusty street. (OLD WEST LEGENDS)Why glamorize the war with the Indians or a war with anyone for that matter. The Lone Ranger subliminally teaches the world that white is somehow invincible. Hollywood has A way of holding down people of color in ways that the average human being could not fathom. Where are our roll models? Unless you grew up in the south; most people of color do not see color. Most grow up thinking that if you are a friend then that’s what you are. I doesn't matter what nationality that you are. As a youth my best friend's name was Joe and he was a white guy. We both shared the love of heroes and the thought of being heroes. We never realized that all heroes were intentionally made White; we just fell in love with what they stood for. They fought against the tyranny and injustices in the world. What could be better than being a hero and fighting for justice?

                Does the Lone Ranger really fight for justice or is he an in justice? Surely Tonto is not a role model. What Tonto represents is a man of color that is unable to stand his own two feet. He needs a white man to show him how being a hero is done. Are we not worthy of being the lead hero? What really defines one as a hero? Is being white a qualification that one needs to have for consideration? Why couldn't the show have cast Tonto as the lead? Clearly he is the hero. It must take a lot of courage to help someone oppress your people as well other people of color. Admittedly, some of the Lone ranger s foes were of white decent but that still does not take away from the psychological effect that it had on people of color. At a time when oppression was in full swing; the movie as well as the comic book and book gave rise to white dominance. How much different might urban America be with heroes of the Lone Ranger’s magnitude. We may have had a black president  50 years ago. It might be socially acceptable to have a team of superheros that are all people of color and whites would accept them. The word ”Keemosabe” actually means faithful friend, but the word “ Tonto “ means fool in Spanish. Sadly, the show was recently ressurected via the big screen. The full length movie is do to be in the theaters with an all new cast. I wonder how many people of Spanish decent will protest this film? Clearly Hollywood is at the oppression thing again. The question is, how many of us will care? After all, we are the junior partner of the white savior. Life couldn't be so grand.

Rituals and Stereotypes

Hip-hop is the most popular music around these days. Since the music’s first incision it was considered to be a fad. No one, not even those who were deeply rooted in its elements even thought that it would survive.  The theory was that hip-hop music was a passing fad. How could music that had virtually no melody survive in the dog eat dog world of R&B music? This couldn't be possible could it? Tell that to Run-Dmc, the first hip-hop group to ever go gold or platinum. With smash hits like” Rock Box “and “It’s Like That” this dynamic duo set the music industry ablaze. In theory hip-hop music could never surpass the record sales of mega star rock groups such as Aerosmith, Van Halen, and Death Leopard. Not only did Run-Dmc surpass those groups, Aerosmith re-recorded   an earlier single of theirs called “Walk this Way “with the dynamic duo Run-Dmc and the collaboration sold over 10 million units nationally. The rock giants chose to be assimilated than shun the emerging music. The Roots news was disappointing, but not surprising. Top-notch rappers have a history of puzzling collaborations with cheesy rock 'n' rollers. (Mathis-Lilley, 2008)

                Trying to put the value of hip-hop culture in the proper perspective is like trying to convince the world that the pope is Jewish. No one would ever believe it. The pope is not Jewish and hip-hop will never go anywhere. How could it? It is the building blocks for everything that fun. Hip-hop sets trends; it personifies the greatness in all who chooses to do it as a hobby or a profession. The common consensus among hip-hop moguls is that the music lasted because it was all we had. Most of us come from the slums and ghettos. A big radio and a couple of hip-hop tapes like the Fat Boys and Eric B & Rakim and all of a sudden it was a party. I know guys who went to worked just long enough to buy turn tables and a microphone and then they quit. The theory was if they had this equipment they could throw parties every weekend and charge money at the door and oh how the money rolled in. The Dj actually birthed the rapper because during the time a break beat was playing (the music in between records) select guys or girls would take the microphone and say a verse or two. The rap records actually started as a rapper rapping over a break beat and quickly evolved from there. The rhyming created by rappers is considered by many to be one of the most sophisticated styles of poetry. (History of Rap Music, 2013)

" Brain " from the popular 90's cartoon " Pinky and the Brain" is a personal idol of mines. No matter how many times he failed at trying to take over the world; he always kept trying and that attitude  in part personifies who I am. Animal from the Muppet's is a wild spirited puppet who plays the drums. I like him because he approaches music with reckless abandon and so do I. Lastly, there is Bruce Lee who humbly beats any competition in his way. He definite personifies the third and last part of my personality.

Pinky personifies the struggle to reach the pinnacle of success. He wants to be the top dog on the block and maybe if he didn't have a fool for a partner he could accomplish that feat. Let go of the fools in your life. My father always said that you can't be a millionaire hanging around people who aren't millionaires and that assertion was correct. If you want to take over the world, you can't hang around fools who tittle their thumbs and play video games. Animal attacks the drums and music like we all should attack life. Sure he might look crazy playing the drums and we might all look crazy playing this game of life, but the key to it all is that you have to keep playing.

Bruce Lee represents the end of the struggle to be the best you can be. Once you know your the best, there is no need to walk around bragging about how your the best. Actions speak louder than words. At this point you have mastered it all and all the preparation is over. It is time to show the world what you have. Being the best doesn't mean you have to put it up in lights so that everyone can see it. If your the best, everyone will know it. Know what it takes to be the best and go get what you have coming to you.

I chose Hip-Hop as my blog because it fuels what everyone buys, says and wears. In my spare time I create Hip-Hop music in my home and I watch how it has influenced cultures apart from the Urban community. Why it is not unheard of to see 70 year-old white grandmothers on YouTube shaking their money makers to the sounds of Bey-once or Little Wayne. Little Wayne started a clothing line called Truk-Fit  aimed towards suburban america and the skateboarding generation and can't keep it in the stores. Jay-Z is another popular rapper who along with wife Bey-once have their hands in everything from NBA franchises to restaurants and the rest of the world is taking notes and trying to immolate the Blueprint.