Over the past few weeks, we have had rich dialogue about old and current topics in HH. We've discussed mental health issues such as: depression, suicide and racial melancholia. We began with TuPac and are now unpacking the obsession with money and morality. Death or near-death experiences have dominated HH for years too. So, I ask you to share what real life sh*t from HH resonates with you the most and why? Be sure to include an image, audio, song lyrics or video (if applicable) to help emphasize your selection.
Due: Fri., 4/19/17 by the beginning of class.
I believe the "real life" aspect of Hip Hop that most resonates with me must be with is anything pertaining to the "struggle" and coming out of it. This personally relates to my life growing up in the disadvantaged part of Greensboro. A lot of songs out right now speak on this, but one artist I have become particularly fond of is J Cole. Out of his many brilliant songs, one that I particularly like is Love Yourz. I listen to the whole thing and feel as if he is talking about my life. The part of the song that I particularly like goes:
ReplyDelete"Heart beatin fast, let a nigga know that he alive
Fake niggas mad, snakes in the grass let a nigga know that he arrive
Don't be sleepin on you lover cause its beauty in the struggle nigga
Goes for all y'all
It's beauty in the struggle nigga
It's beauty in the struggle nigga, ugliness in the success
Hear my words or listen to my signal of distress
I grew up in the city and though sometimes we had less
Compared to some of my niggas down the block man we were blessed
And life can't be no fairytale, no once upon a time
But I be God damned if a nigga don't be tryin
On the road to riches listen this is what you'll find
The good news is nigga you came a long way
The bad news is nigga you went the wrong way
You think being broke is better
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing, no such thing
For what's money without happiness?
Or hard times without the people you love
Though I'm not sure what's bout to happen next
I asked for strength from the Lord up above
Cause I've been strong so far
But I can feel my grip loosening
Quick, do something before you lose it for good
Get it back and use it for good
And touch the people how you did like before
I'm tired of living with demons cause they always inviting more
Think being broke was better
Now I don't mean that phrase with no disrespect
To all my niggas out there living in debt
Cashing minimal checks
Turn on the TV see a nigga Rolex
And fantasize about a life with no stress
I mean this shit sincerely
And that's a nigga who was once in your shoes
Living with nothin to lose
I hope one day you hear me
Always gon be a bigger house somewhere, but nigga feel me
Long as the people in that mother***** love you dearly
Always gon be a whip that's better than the one you got
Always gon be some clothes that's fresher than the ones you rock
Always gon be a b**** that's badder out there on the tours
But you ain't never gon' be happy till you love yours"
These lyrics clearly depict a harder than average life but shows that there were still things to be blessed about. I remember growing up, having to eat beans and weenies, or plain noodles for dinner, but my parents would always make sure that we remembered our blessings. I truly believe that not having money and growing up poor helps to build character and a mentality that just is not seen sometimes in families who are better off. J Cole brilliantly points that out in this section. What is even better is that he is completely ingenious in showing the thoughts that run through someone's head while watching television. Not one person reading this blog can tell me that they have never fantasized about living a faster, richer, more glamorous lifestyle. By using personal anecdotes, he creates a scenario in which one can envision themselves making the same comparisons. J Cole also talks about the cons of being successful (lack of trustworthy people, battling personal demons, loss of self). I resonate with this because as I became older, went to college, got a job, I also began dealing with issues such as these.
I can resonate with the struggle because I came from the struggle. I can resonate with the cons of success because I have suffered from them (and I'm not even where I want to be yet!). J Cole and other artists who brilliantly and eloquently depict these issues will always find a fan in myself.
*Excluded some words from lyrics so that I could meet the character count*
DeleteDiamond Baker
ReplyDeleteIn both Scarface interview on The Breakfast Club and book, he said “he’s not afraid not die”. This is real life sh*t that does not only occur in HH but all over the black community. It is sad to know that many people in the African-American culture have limited options. Most people sell drugs and join a gang because that's all they know, these types of actions leads to only two options, prison or death. Due to the “streets” being all the community is exposed to, some are not afraid to die. Dying maybe considered better to most than living in the environment where they are struggling. With the lack of help can explain the reasoning for why crime rates and imprisonments are so high within the black community. The Justice System does not help but think locking the black community up is the answer. Comparing blacks to animals and keep hammering in a mindset the every black boy will be in prison just make things worst. This only makes me wonder why celebrities that can fix the community are not making changes? There are people like Scarface, J Cole, Jay-Z, and many more rappers that have come from the hood. There should be more programs implemented, after school programs build, a summer camp created that helps to create a positive change. If youth are taught at a young age can create change. But to me, it seems more like the people who can create change is more interested in buying a million dollar house than do all they can to change the community worldwide.
Not being afraid to die is similar to suicide to me. The government can create anti-bullying campaigns but can't create programs for those where struggling is the only option and the streets are the way to survive.
Listen to TuPac & Lil Bibby that explains the struggle of being faced with prison or death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0tHiDF--zQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPzAylHWz-k
The topic that resonates with me the most from unit 3 is the collective grief experienced from racial melancholia. I can resonate with this because as black people, this generation especially is not afraid to disturb the peace about racial injustices. One issue that that has always been a problem, but is now getting more media attention is police brutality. Today people of all races have began to take stand against police brutality. When celebrities and musicians speak out on issues like this I think it really takes affect on the communities whose people look up to them (like hip hop artists in the black community). Through this collective grief some artist choose to make tribute songs for the victims and to spread awareness to everyone, but particularly the black community. When Trayvon Martin was shot in 2013 Piles came out with a song called"Trayvon Martin." He says,
ReplyDeleteSometimes trying to live right, sometimes it seems so wrong,
Sometimes you tryin to get justice, sometimes it take so long.
But the ones they supposed to keep in, be the ones they let go home.
But the ones that hustle and survive, be the ones they hold with no bond.
My son supposed to burry me, but I ain't posed to burry my son.
You can call me nigga all you want, but you ain't pose to treat me like one,
Pose to be able to express my self, and be able to dress how I want.
Pose to be able to go where I please, and be able to leave when I'm done.
Should I think that you sell dope, just cause you drive a benz.
Should I think that zack in a gang, just cause he sag his pants.
Whats right is right, whats wrong is wrong,
Trayvon martin, you'll forever live on.
Other hip hop artist have spoken out as well, for example Common's "Semla," Lauryn Hill's "Black Rage," Kendrick Lamar's "Alright," and Beyonce's song "Freedom" ft Kendrick Lamar all address the racial profiling of police departments and our innocent black men falling victim yet again with no justice served. These songs are in memory of people like Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, and so many more. With the support of the community and the publicity of these artist,it spreads the message that we are tired of suffering these losses as a people, and that we will never stop fighting nor silencing these issues until justices is served. Below is the link to Plies' "Trayvon Martin" music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbCehL-B32w
Real life shit was a very interesting topic to unpack. It brought into perspective the realities that face the black community, that are often overlooked. The real life shit from Hip Hop that resonates with me the most is mental health as a whole. Most often mental health is overlooked in the Black community. Seeking help for mental health problems is also looked down upon in the community. Throughout our discussion we uncovered the pattern of mental health issues that face the Black community and how it is blatantly expressed throughout Hip Hop music.
ReplyDeleteOverlooking mental health is doing a great disservice to the Black community. Often times people don’t seek help because their behaviors have become normalized. Artist like Uncle Luke express thing like “I am not afraid to die”. Artist like Tupac can be heard saying the same along with phrases like “there’s no hope”. Kanye West states in his song Clique “deep depression when my mama passed, suicide what kinda talk is that”. These expressions are not rare in the Hip Hop community or the Black community as a whole. However, they are often neglected.
Seeking help for mental health problems is often looked down upon and even discouraged in some cases. Kanye West went through deep depression and currently is battling mental health issues on and off. When he goes into the hospital to get help often times people judge him or talk down on him. The Black community also holds this ideal that “we don’t need to sit in front of someone and tell them all our business” and “we can fix it ourselves” or “man up/ get over it”. These solutions are not always the most productive nor do they always yield the best results.
Hip Hop has served as a platform to express the hardships faced by the Black community since it originated. One of these hardships being mental health. As I stated earlier, artist often use phrases to imply suicidal thoughts. Artist also express signs of depression in their music. An example of this would be J Coles Love Youz, when he states that “being broke was better”. In DMX song Slippin he goes through his childhood and the things that affected his mental health. So there is an evident pattern of mental health problems in Hip Hop, yet mental health treatment is not promoted by the Black community.
I commend the Fox television show Empire for bringing mental health to the forefront of the Black experience. The show incorporates a lot of different realities that people in the Black community face along with music and Hip Hop. The character Andre Lyon is a main character that suffers from mental health issues which is not a new phenomenon within Hip Hop of the Black community.
This topic resonates with me the most because I can relate to it on a personal level. Mental illness has hit close to home recently within my family. It is very complicated to deal with because of the implications set on mental health by the Black community. If you seek help you are considered crazy but if you ignore it, you continuously get worst. Its really an uphill battle right now and we are taking it one day at a time.
Song media referenced in blog:
DMX Slippin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ww-TQUeA3E
J Cole Love Yourz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPCAvzIFY-s
Kanye West Clique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evy6iyCX8Ww
Death, near-death experiences, and suicidal thoughts have stood out to me the most among the topics we have discussed and labeled as “real life sh*t.” Among popular artists that I listen to, I have noticed that they talk a lot about their humble beginnings and their climb to fame. As we discussed, it appears that after they have reached a certain point in their music careers, they begin to go into a phase of talking about death in their songs or even coming up in the media about near-death experiences. For example, Young Dolph was in the media several months ago for surviving a drive-by done on his bulletproof vehicle from an alleged hit being put out on him by Yo Gotti. Instead of being shaken up or going into hiding out of fear afterwards, he releases an album, Bulletproof, in which his song titles are a sentence expressing how he felt about the situation. Attached is the tracklist, which gives a brief explanation of what happened, where, and a little shade reflected towards Gotti. In an interview (attached), Dolph was asked about the incident when he was shot at, and he replied by saying whatever was supposed to have been done, the people obviously could not do the job. With the bulletproof car, he felt invincible. This near-death experience has boosted him in his career and made him feel like he is untouchable.
ReplyDeleteAn example of someone expressing suicidal thoughts is Kanye. Kanye has appeared to be on a downward spiral ever since the passing of his mother in 2007. He often expresses violent or suicidal thoughts in his lyrics. The ones that stood out the most to me were in the outro of his song “Power.” He says:
Now this will be a beautiful death
I’m jumping out the window, I’m letting everything go
I’m letting everything go
Being at the peak of his career, with many people believing that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was his last good album, it would be the perfect time for him to end his life. Being that Kanye has acquired so much power throughout his career, he feels he has everything, which means he has nothing left to live for. As stated before, artists seem to reach a point in their career where they feel as if they have everything, then they realize it does not solve their problems and they do not want it anymore. J. Cole states in “Love Yourz:”
I'm tired of living with demons
Cause they always inviting more
Think being broke was better
Now I don't mean that phrase with no disrespect
To all my niggas out there living in debt
Cashing minimal checks
Turn on the TV see a nigga Rolex
And fantasize about a life with no stress
These words show that money isn’t everything to J. Cole. He does not want to ruin the dreams of others that want to have money and get out of the deprived situation they are in, but he wishes that if he could do things over, he would not go for the money. People always think money will solve problems, but once it is obtained, they see it really does nothing to make things go away. This usually causes them to sink into depression or some other mental disorder. Mental illness is a large issue especially among the black community, however it is not talked about nearly enough. There should be more conversation and discussion for ways to help those with mental illness. Many feel like there is no one to help them or there is no hope, but they need to know that there is. Artists, especially need help more than ever. More should follow in the footsteps of Kid Cudi, who admitted that he was going through depression and sought out help. It is not something that should be frowned upon, but more people should be willing to help those going through this.
https://genius.com/Young-dolph-bulletproof-tracklist-album-art-lyrics - Bulletproof tracklist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_U7-E8Gq5Y – Young Dolph Breakfast Club interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwNwUs2bd_c – Young Dolph Raq Rants interview
Part of the Real Life Shit Unit that resonated with me is how issues of mental illness so often go unacknowledged. Rapper Joe Budden once said in a tweet: “Depression is killing more than ever, yet still it remains the largest elephant in the room.” Dating back to the Notorious B.I.G’s “Suicidal Thoughts,” 2 Pac’s “Death Around the Corner,” and Scarface and the Geto Boy’s “My mind is Playing Tricks on Me” the lyrics of rap music have been rampant with signs of mental illness. However it has gone unacknowledged until recently when Kid Cudi came out to the public about his own struggle with mental illness in an in depth letter to his fans.
ReplyDeleteThis made me question what keeps other artists like Kanye West, Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, J-Cole, and B.I.G. Sean from addressing the issues that they discuss in their lyrics.
In Kendrick Lamar's "Sing About Me/Dying of thirst" he raps,
And I'm not sure why I'm infatuated with death
My imagination is surely an aggravation of threats
Maybe 'cause I'm a dreamer and sleep is the cousin of death
Really stuck in the schema of wonderin' when I'mma rest
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xtIr8k4eC7o
The video for his more recent "God Is Gangsta" provides an eerie visual of mental health issues and inward struggle with oneself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wZytWFm7x0&feature=youtu.be
Tyler the creator's 2011 video for his single "Yonkers" shows the artist hanging himself to the sounds of his own sometimes self loathing lyrics and reflections on those who failed to aide him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSbZidsgMfw
And in J Cole's "Love Yourz" he describes his frustration with fame,
I'm tired of living with demons cause they always inviting more
Think being broke was better
For artists who have come up from nothing it is often believed that fame and fortune will heal past wounds. Once the spotlight narrows in on their everyday lives and they realize these material things and success do not equate to happiness, mental issues come creeping in again. Shame and fear of subjecting oneself to vulnerability in the public eye stops many rappers from acknowledging this prominent issue. The idea that subjecting oneself to such vulnerability goes against the hyper-masculine persona some artists try to portray and this can deter artists from being explicit about mental health.
With the state of society today it is essential that we devote attention to the seriousness of mental illness and how it affects the African-American community. I think we often forget that although they are in the spotlight, these artists are still human. They are more susceptible to mental health issues because of the everyday pressures and narrowed spotlight placed on their lives. Because they are celebrities, they live each moment in the eyes of others. And it is time we stop neglecting their human needs.
Suicide and depression resonates with me the most from this unit. Thoughts of suicide and feelings of depression are not just common in hip hop artists,regular people think and feel the same way as well. Many people suffer from depression and then turn to suicide because they have no one there for them. It saddens me to know that people feel the need to result to suicide because they feel like they have no other options in life. I believe that when artists become mainstream they have thoughts of suicide due to the fact that being in the industry is so much pressure. It is hard for artists to do what they truly love if there is constant pressure on them. Suicide is a serious issue in America and there needs to be a change. Many artists have wrote songs about suicide because music is the only way they know how to express themselves. For example,on of those artists is Notorious B.I.G. Biggie wrote a song called Suicidal Thoughts and the lyrics are as follows:
ReplyDeleteWhen I die, fuck it I wanna go to hell
Cause I'm a piece of shit, it ain't hard to fuckin' tell
It don't make sense, goin' to heaven wit the goodie-goodies
Dressed in white, I like black Tims and black hoodies
God will probably have me on some real strict shit
No sleepin' all day, no gettin my dick licked
Hangin' with the goodie-goodies loungin' in paradise
Fuck that shit, I wanna tote guns and shoot dice
All my life I been considered as the worst
Lyin' to my mother, even stealin' out her purse
Crime after crime, from drugs to extortion
I know my mother wished she got a fuckin' abortion
She don't even love me like she did when I was younger
Suckin' on her chest just to stop my fuckin' hunger
I wonder if I died, would tears come to her eyes?
Forgive me for my disrespect, forgive me for my lies
My babies' mothers 8 months, her little sister's 2
Who's to blame for both of them (naw nigga, not you)
I swear to God I just want to slit my wrists and end this bullshit
Throw the Magnum to my head, threaten to pull shit
And squeeze, until the bed's, completely red
I'm glad I'm dead, a worthless fuckin' buddah head
The stress is buildin' up, I can't,
I can't believe suicide's on my fuckin' mind
I want to leave, I swear to God I feel like death is fuckin' callin' me
Naw you wouldn't understand (nigga, talk to me please)
You see its kinda like the crack did to Pookie, in New Jack
Except when I cross over, there ain't no comin' back
The song continues on but the beginning is what sticks out the most. The part where he says "when I die I wanna go to hell cause I'm a piece of sh*t it aint that hard to tell" is crazy to me. I was always taught to think highly of myself no matter what decisions I have made in my life. Also,never listen to what people have to say because the only person that knows the truth is me. It baffles me to know that people think about dying and where they are going in the after life. I believe that in order for the suicidal thoughts to subside and the feelings of depression to end, people need to start supporting one another and just check to see if everything is alright. It doesn't take much to see how someone is doing and the simplest interaction could prevent a suicide.
The last two songs are stories that some lowkey artists wrote. The songs talk about what goes on in their lives and why they feel the way that they feel. Music is a way of expression and when you listen to these two songs, you can kind of feel the emotions that they are feeling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ChkExqv2E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxdogev7mA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEoFB54Hm0U
The real life sh*t that resonates with me the most is the mental health of these hip hop artist and the so called corrective system that is supposed to fix the problems. One artist that helped me see this is Scarface. Mental health is a serious issue that is constantly overlooked by today’s society. It is overlooked to the point that either ignored, or isn’t noticed until an extreme action has been done to the person that needed mental help. If the signs of mental issues are spotted in someone, they are usually taken to a mental hospital, but the mental hospital is not an effective way to treat those issues. Brad Jordan, also known as Scarface wrote about his experiences as a child that confirm this statement in his book “Diary of a Madman”. In his book he talks about spending time in one of these hospitals how they treat the attendants there. Brad Jordan displayed signs of aggression and anger over the years, he had very little fear, and did not fear death. Not fearing death, there was nothing that he was afraid to do, but some may think of this mindset to be suicidal. Although the suicidal mindset may not have been noticed as a kid, the thing that was noticed was the anger. Brad explains that his mood would change quickly over something as simple as someone saying something to him the wrong way. Once this happened, he might physically assault them, but if this happened in the hospital, instead of talking to him about it and actively trying to help, they would take him to the quiet room which was basically solitary confinement. This had happened so often that eventually he realized that in order for him to get out, he just had to listen to the people and act like that he was changing on the outside to fake his way through the program. Through his experience, it is clear that the mental health correction system does not help because he continued to have this aggression and anger into his adulthood. In his song “Street Life” he talks about situations that could have had an effect on his aggression. When living a life full of anger and aggression, you may make decisions in your anger that you would not have done while you calm. Those decisions may have possibly hurt someone else in a way that they may want to harm you or even kill you. With Scarface being a drug dealer to his own people, he directly hurt people that are knew him. Knowing this, Scarface eventually developed paranoia which he clearly expresses and explains in his song “My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me”.
ReplyDelete“At night I can't sleep, I toss and turn
Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies being burned
Four walls just staring at a nigga
I'm paranoid, sleeping with my finger on the trigger”
The fourth line in this verse literally says that Scarface was paranoid. Also the fact that he says that he was sleeping with his finger on the trigger shows that he was paranoid to the point that he was willing to take someone’s life. Once someone takes someone else’s life, the life might be gone but the memory and guilt will remain in the person that took the life. “I Seen a Man Die” is a song that Scarface wrote that explains some of those thoughts. If you were to relate this back into mental health, this is something that could take a major toll on someone. This is because most people don’t know how to handle the guilt of taking someone’s life. This either results in them breaking down and finding a way out, trying to cope with the pain with something such as drugs or other things which could lead to something worse, or this could sadly lead to them taking their own life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaosQM7712M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5DIOAn_iUI&index=11&list=PL906A26BBCB5B7E55
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTk9n7-z55E
A few areas of real life sh*t resonated with me. We talked about the Geto Boys, a hip hop group from Houston who had a lot of problems not only collectively as a group, but individually. Scarface, one of the members, had a rough upbringing. At just nine years old, he had a history of violent behavior and he was admitted into a mental health institution after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Same with DMX, he was very abrasive but he group up with a mother who paid no attention to him as we saw in the video "Slippin". He was in and of group homes from the ages of 7 to 14. It is important that we learn the backgrounds of artists/entertainers so we are clearer on who they are as people. We look down on people that have a record of selling drugs, or involvement with the police and don't look at what obstacles they have faced growing up. Another aspect was the performativity of hip hop. We talked about
ReplyDeletethe difference between the performance and performativity. Nicki was discussed with this with her over the top performances/ videos and the alter egos she introduces in her music. I personally love the alter egos because it adds flavor to the songs and to the performances. Takia talked about hiding something being the reason some alter egos are used with Kanye, Eminem, etc, but Nicki is an actress so I think the fact that she can do the accents and have the alter egos is amazing. It just makes the whole experience of listening to her that much more interesting and fun. We talked about the obvious glamorization of the "having it all" lifestyles and the concept of "dead presidents". Dead presidents refers to money and having a lot of it. Every time I hear this, I think of Rick Ross' lyrics in DJ Khaled's song, "All I do is Win Remix". He said "I could never be a racist, wake up in the morning just to count white faces". Dr. Jackson pointed out the fact that all of the presidents on money were racists and did nothing to help the black community, well , except Lincoln. The fact that some people get into the music industry just to live the lifestyle thinking its going to solve their hurts and struggles on the inside is appalling. Who you are without money is the same person you're going to be with money. That's what in turn leads to suicidal thoughts and wanting out of the business all together.
In this unit, we discussed a lot of different issues that artists cover in their music. The one thing that resonates most with me is the battle with depression. In each section that we discussed, each artist had a battle with depression or mental illness. Depression is defined as a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. After reaching a level where money is not a problem, many artists are forced to deal with their mental health. Scarface battled with PTSD as a result of his time spent in and out of group homes. DMX, also spent time in group homes as a child, following his success has struggled for years with drug addiction. Many artists begin to make songs that mention suicidal thoughts or a lack of fear of death.
ReplyDeleteI have battled with depression for a few years and because of this, I try to listen to artists who have positive things to say. I try to stay away from artists like Future, who promote drug use to hide their feelings. Even though very catchy, I recognize that his music does not make me feel better. Instead, I listen to artists like J. Cole, Chance the Rapper, and Big Sean. I enjoy the storytelling and how much of themselves that they put into the music. All three are artists who have their own opinions and their music does not conform to what is “popular” in hip hop.
Voices in My Head/ Stick to the Plan is a dual track from Big Sean’s newest album I Decided, talks about his depression and suicidal thoughts on one side and the other talks about overcoming that same depression and following through with the plan.
“Voices in my head attacking what I'm thinking
Bullet to the head might be the way to free it
If I leave my body I can free the spirits
Swear to God my death of fear just keep on shrinking”
I love this song and immediately after I heard it, it meant a lot to me. Although, suicide has never been an option, the idea of not being around was a thought that I had during my first years battling depression. I never allowed myself to reach a point where I would take any action, but I remember those thoughts and it was a really rough time. The second part of the song reminds me to stick to my goals no matter what happens.
“Stick to the plan, stick to the plan
Stick to the plan, bitch quit playing
Stick to the plan, to the plan stick to the plan, bitch quit playing
Stick to the plan, stay focused
Pay attention who you getting close with
Distance yourself from negative energy
Voices in my head, they say it's meant for me”
These are my favorite songs on the album, because of how genuine the emotion is. I can relate to being sad… really sad. But the change in the beat and the positive emotion that he gives off when he talks about sticking to your dreams is just enough to get me moving in the morning.