We've discussed quite a bit for this Unit about gendered identity traits as well as heteronormative characteristics. Our juxtaposition of these within the realm of Hip-Hop (HH) could've continued for weeks. Unfortunately, time was against that. However, a comment came up that has intrigued me for awhile. It is: HH influences so many things around it like, fashion, hair, jewelry, etc. But I think it's important to also recognize how street culture/i.e. prison narratives have affected some aspects of "queerness" in HH. For example: Dyson explained to us that saggy pants mimic prison culture, and he explains why - easy access. I use the terminology street culture/prison narratives interchangeably because research indicates many who are incarcerated are from a poor working class background. So, how has street culture/i.e. prison narratives have affected some aspects of "queerness" in HH?
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Summer I/Unit II - Queerness in HH
We've discussed quite a bit for this Unit about gendered identity traits as well as heteronormative characteristics. Our juxtaposition of these within the realm of Hip-Hop (HH) could've continued for weeks. Unfortunately, time was against that. However, a comment came up that has intrigued me for awhile. It is: HH influences so many things around it like, fashion, hair, jewelry, etc. But I think it's important to also recognize how street culture/i.e. prison narratives have affected some aspects of "queerness" in HH. For example: Dyson explained to us that saggy pants mimic prison culture, and he explains why - easy access. I use the terminology street culture/prison narratives interchangeably because research indicates many who are incarcerated are from a poor working class background. So, how has street culture/i.e. prison narratives have affected some aspects of "queerness" in HH?
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Street culture has affected some aspects of queerness in Hip Hop because the LGBT community has a strong influence on black or African American communities. The fashions that homosexual peoples wear is sometimes appealing and artists can often put their twist on these outfits and make them into non hetero-normative outfits working both ways (i.e. females wearing male styles/males wearing feminine styles). Growing up in the "hood" everyone wants to stand out but also fit in with the crowd and that is the same for HH, artists take these ideals and use them although they tend to be out of the ordinary. Artists like Young Thug wearing female clothing "because women's clothes are slimmer than men's" says something about non conformity within gender roles, he prefers tight clothing when society says tight clothing is for women. The femininity or masculinity of these artists based on their gender and the wanting to stand out is what makes queerness prevalent in HH today.
ReplyDeleteStreet culture and prison narratives have affected has affected some aspects of queerness in HIp Hop. The affect is not only on the lyrics and an artist attitude, but also on their fashion choices. You have rappers like TuPac and Ice Cube that raps about their life in the hood. What it was like hang out and learning from the streets. You also have artist like Andre 3000 and Snoop dog that are heterosexual but sometimes wear the fashions of a homosexual. The Hetero-normative ways of these artist and the outfits they choose shows their queerness. The artist that wear the tight jeans are displaying queerness, but when they add color to the tight jeans are displaying something more. We you think of an hip hop artist you would think baggy jeans or sweat suits. Now when you think of an rapper you think of skinny jeans and skirts. Today being a hip hop artists is more than just singing or rapping, it's about expressing your self in all aspects and if dressing feminine does that you your are what hip hop is all about.
ReplyDeleteStreet culture has affected Hip-Hop because a lot of these artist come from the streets, and hoods. Hip-Hop tells a story, and these artist use their lifestyles, what they have seen, and what they have been through to tell their story through their music. Tupac tells a story in Dear Momma. He explains why he is thankful for her, and even revealed information about her. Prison culture influenced Hip-Hop because instead of artist understanding where this "sagging' style came from they decided to capitalize on it, and create a trend. You have people like Lil john, Franchize boys, and 50 cent who promoted this style in their videos, and appearances. As queer as the act is I believe they saw it as a popular trend, and a market. They would receive support from prisoners that would get out sooner or later, and 50 cent created a clothing line, and I used to see kids in school walk around mimicking his style. Artist made baggy clothes look cool, and they gave off an image that made them look "thuggish."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/search?q=franchize+boyz&biw=1261&bih=606&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwia3euC66_NAhUMHB4KHUXADv0Q_AUIBygC#imgrc=_CJPlQwXXtjgeM%3A
https://www.google.com/search?q=franchize+boyz&biw=1261&bih=606&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwia3euC66_NAhUMHB4KHUXADv0Q_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=50+cent+sagging&imgrc=DeRmCUG00hH5SM%3A
Street culture and prison culture has effected HH by many ways how the men act and dress. As we all know saggin clothes come from prison culture meaning that the men are available. Since many artists have been to jail they take these cultures and mix them together. In other words prison culture and street are mostly the same due to the high levels of black men going in and out of prison. This culture has changed the mines of many men making them believe that the way they dress or act is seemingly what a man should do or act.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/90V7p0wh5nY
Tamara Tyson
ReplyDeleteStreet culture has affected some aspects of queerness in hip hop mostly dealing with the Fashion point of view. Some artist such as snoop dog who use to wear long-permed hair, fur coats, a lot of 'bling' (a lot more feminine than their choice of music) his music was about girls, sex, drugs, money, etc. Most rappers back then and now rapped about drugs sex and money. Their music is a different perspective then their physical appearance.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BdaPDftAdMc
Street culture has affected some aspects of queerness in hip-hop because of the imagine it represents. I feel that back in the day more people followed the street imagine look now some people are changing the fashion imagine. The queer look comes from the tight fitting clothes versus the sagging pants. The music is a lot different now too.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/search?q=sagging+pants&espv=2&biw=1066&bih=702&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiY-JeQpbDNAhUIb1IKHRqoBhwQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=4GlbH5TiyOPmdM%3A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoXpqNcCHR0
When HH first came about in the 70's, you only saw or heard of this culture residing in the streets. Underprivileged boroughs brought to the world some of the most famous and influential artist. So, these artist were raised with street culture and family members in and out of the prison system. Some even went themselves. They picked up on the baggy pants from the prison system because that's what made someone look "hard". The queerness influence in HH is seen by artist like Snoop, Cee-lo and others. The long hair of Snoop and the women clothing of Cee-lo started an epidemic among rappers today. While being homosexual for a man in the HH culture is not acceptable mostly, wearing tight clothing is becoming a norm. Today, almost all artist wear skinny jeans and tight muscle shirts and it's accepted. Women on the other hand started out wearing the baggy outfits like the men did. To be in a male dominated culture, they needed to fit in. Show some masculinity so they would be accepted. Missy Elliott is someone who stands out. Her music video "Get UR Freak On" is an example. In one part she is wearing a denim outfit that although had rhinestones on it was very baggy. Also, when she is in the car, her and the other girls have baggy t-shirts and bandannas showing a masculine side. The youtube link is below.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/FPoKiGQzbSQ
Street culture and prison culture has affected hip hop fashion a lot. The clean hip hop look has been eroded by prison culture. Saggin pants in prison has now been incorporated with hiphop, with less understanding of why men in prison pants are sagging. Some men tend to want to look like women or are just queer. Some whose masculinity are in question do were some womens fashion.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi%3Acs&tbnid=IEhc7zuun7rZsM%3A&docid=-LnIFSFepIO0cM&bih=760&biw=1600&ved=0ahUKEwiEqOS5tbDNAhVB2R4KHSDFApUQiBwICQ&dpr=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PopQX2Cfiw
ReplyDeletehttp://homonormativity2020.blogspot.com/2013/01/missy-elliot-queer-queen-of-hip-hop.html
DeleteAttributes that are generally associated with queer identities are heavily employed in Hip Hop and it's artist. We also see many Hip Hop condemning homosexuality and often times defending themselves, preemptively from any speculation regarding their sexuality. Queer encompasses more than just sexual identities, it also has a lot to do with gender identity. For example, Nicki Minaj employs a lot of non-normative hetero behavior in her lyrics and visual content, while still engaging in homophobic behavior. She makes it very clear that she is not, however if the someones wife is pretty enough she will engage this woman sexually. This also is an example of Nicki Minaj emasculating a man my confronting both of their sexualities. It is much easier for a woman to have sexually ambiguous lyrics than it is for her male counterpart. Men generally employ this queer behavior in their style of dress, and in their defensive and often times derogatory rhetoric towards woman and gay men. Young Thug wears skirts and uses terms such as "bae" to describe his friends, two behaviors that often more closely associated with women and female behavior.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV127X7b4Rw
Music in my opinion will always be viewed the same way, as entertainment. For a long time, there has been different icons surrounding music whether it was with sports or other musicians being looked at as trendsetters. A couple of people come to mind when I think of "trendsetters", Allen Iverson, Michael Jackson, Lil Bow wow, Michael Vick, etc.. For as long as I can remember, music has been one of those type things to me where as I feel the most important thing is to stay relevant, no matter what. With that being said, people tend to witch their dressing decisions, so that they can get caught by the eye of the media to feed off of that attention. Most male emcees that has gravitated toward the tight clothes style of fashion, a lot of time they have full families, I see it all as a way to tap into the media.. Pretty smart if you ask me! Staying relevant is the most important thing in the music industry in order to maintain a successful career. Fashion is the key to it all.. In fact, fashion may even be bigger than lyrics nowadays, which is what I think one of the ideas of music videos is all about, other than trying to paint a picture from the lyrics that's in the music, it's all to set a trend to the young world. Michael Jackson in the 80's set a unique trend by rocking the bright red jack and a glove on one hand, later that year Eddie Murphy did a stand up comedy in 1983 wearing something similar, that's the idea of trendsetting. Being that I see music as entertainment in art form, I will always take for what it is, and not let someones fashion decisions speak towards their sexual orientation, because often times that's not the case at all, it's just to be known and remembered for something despite the positive or negativity it brings to their name. At the end of the day, it's all about what they get out of the deal. Nowadays music has become 15% lyrics and 85% the image you portray to be. Although music is't taken as serious as it once was, there are still a feel artists left who embraces the art form of story telling, so music will forever be viewed the same way to me.
ReplyDelete