As we conclude Unit III we must reflect on the various topics discussed such as, "keepin it real," bids, parenting, mental health, madness, and other 'stuff.' I believe we have truly learned from each other. Your presentations were very informative. This was obvious as questions were asked, and answered by you. I believe the question which stood out to me the most was: Do rappers evolve as Hip-Hop artists? While I'm still contemplating this, I'd like you to identify which topic, either discussed during a lecture or presented by your peers resonated the most with you and why? Further, think of a question which you could then pose about this topic and share it with us here on the blog.
Due: Fri., 11/10/17 by the beginning of class.
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ReplyDeleteThe topic that resonated the most with me was Diary of a MadMan by Scarface. I chose this topic as my point of interest because I like to listen to trap music, and as a social work student, understanding peoples feelings, attitudes, and behaviors is apart of the job. Hearing rappers talk about the life they once lived, and how it made them better, encourages me in everyday life. The issues that Scarface and other prominent rappers face such as depression, thoughts of suicide, bipolar disorder, and others just to name a few are problems that need to be addressed not only in hip hop but in the black community as well. The number one cause of death amongst African Americans is stress, which correlates to all these other disorders that we seem to experience, yet don't seek help for. Scarface is genuine when he talks, and only speaks on what he actually lived and witnessed. Originality is what sparked my interest in this article, and it raises questions amongst us a society, as well as in the industry about how well we take care of ourselves, or do we at all. The question I would like to raise would be: Is there even a problem to be addressed since blacks, and rappers have normalized the issue, and how is this impacting rappers that live the same lifestyle of those who are suffering?
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/AjKbw1Cqpt0
attached is Joyner Lucas - I'm Sorry; a sentimental video that addresses mental illnesses in hip hop, brought to the fore front by this rapper. According to findings, suicide is now the third leading cause of death among blacks between the ages of 15 to 24.
Parham, Jason. “Joyner Lucas Debuts ‘I'm Sorry’ A Moving Song about Mental Illness .” The FADER, The FADER, 18 Feb. 2017, www.thefader.com/2016/08/12/joyner-lucas-im-sorry-video.
The topic that stood out to me the most was the mental health discussion that Lauryn Hill may be suffering. We discussed that we as the black community overlook the cry out for help and mental health disorders. Lauryn may had went through a moment of post partum depression due to her amount creative activity that arose during her time of pregnancy. The show unplugged was great example that showed Lauryn hills true emotions. During her performance of the song, it was all over the place. This was her moment of truth aand revealing her real self. We also can relate the mental health disorders to Tupac how he was viewed crazy. Tupac was a very intellectually person. he understood the way of life and the wrongdoing of people. The media took advantage of his appearance rather than his mental state. I believe it is very important for the black community to raise awareness about Mental health disorders and starting in the world of hip-hop wouldn't be a bad place to start due to the influences that artist have on other people.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28rNFm2ZtLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2bJt6l0yWk
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDuring the lectures and readings, the Scarface reading and interview stood out to me as well. In terms of mental illness in hip hop, I feel as if it is a very serious topic that is swept under the rug and avoided. Depression, suicide, and mental illness are issues that are sadly ignored within the black community just as TeKeiya previously stated. I found the Scarface reading to be not only informative about mental illness in hip hop , but I also feel as if I connected with his story on a personal level being that my older brother suffers with schizophrenia. Since the age of 13 he has been in and out of mental institutions and has had various attempts of suicides, and looking back on it I feel as though his illness was not taken serious by other members within my family. Sadly, when hip hop artists are dealing with mental illness or depression I feel as if they are not taken seriously because of who they are and the positions that they uphold within our society.
ReplyDeleteThis link discusses suicide within hip hop. Styles P discusses his daughter's suicide and how black family house holds do not really pay attention to serious family issues. Joe Budden also talks about hip hop and how he wishes that mental illness and depression would be addressed more.
(How Logic, Lil Uzi Vert, And XXXTENTACION Put Mental Health Center Stage In Hip-Hop | Genius News) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JTL5WgdDYk
Lastly, my question is why do you guys feel as if mental illness and depression is very secretive and swept under the rug within the black community compared to the white community?
The topic that resonated with me was the motherhood portion of this unit. I never took a second to think about how we view our mothers in this industry, there seen as crazy or sometimes having mental breakdowns. An example of this would be Keke Wyatt she's a mother of 6 and currently just birthed her seventh child. While going through all of this her husband filed for a divorce and she publicly went on Instagram and had a breakdown. People called her crazy for doing this and even went as far as to say she was doing it for attention. No one ever took a second to think that this woman was going through a pregnancy and her emotions and hormones were all over the place. She was already a mother of six and so now she has to go from being a two parent home to a one parent home. Mothers tend to go through post part depression and no one ever took a second to think about that with Lauryn Hill. She was pregnant and also dealing with the pressures of being prodigy that she didn't even know she was. My question to the class is this: How do we support our mothers in Hip Hop? How do we get rid of this stigma that women who are going through real life emotions are crazy?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpDgKPeIz1Y
-Clip of Keke wyatt talking about how her husband blames her emotions for being crazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sQjh261rU8
This is Lauryn Hill's song titled Zion and her lyrics talk about how people told her to get rid of her baby because she was knee deep into her career.
The topic that resonated with me the most was when we were discussing Luke Campbell and the Deans the founders of the Ruff Ryders. Being that the music industry is something I would like to pursue these lectures gave me a lot of insight on what you have to go through to survive in this business. I learned a lot from Luke's story because over the years he has been overlooked and he was the pioneer of not the Miami sound but southern music. He was never recognized for his accomplishments until recently at the 2017 Hip Hop Awards. Both of these labels Luke Records and Ruff Ryders stayed loyal to their artist, gave back to the community, opened the doors for other black owners and created a legacy for themselves. My question is: what new artist do you think has the potential to build a label and create a legacy like Luke, the Deans, Russell Simmons, Diddy and Jay-Z did?
ReplyDeleteBelow is the video of Luke Campbell explaining his freedom of speech case that was taken to the Supreme Court
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c3raW8p2GI
The Topic that resonated with me the most was mental health and suicide. I think these tie into each other. These resonated with me the most because I truly believe that Hip-Hop artist among others speak on or suffer from a mental health issue or wanting to commit suicide. However, These are topics that are often ignored especially from the black community. Artists such as Kid Cudi, and Joe Budden openly talked about dealing with depression. On october 4, 2016 Kid Cudi took to facebook that he was taking a break from music to go to a depression rehab. “Tired of being strong, please let me be weak for a minute / Kinda thought that my disease tried to kill your man first,” Budden raps in “Only Human,” one of his most emotional tracks. Lil Wayne recently also opened up about an unknown attempted suicide attempt. On a new song with Solange called “Mad,” off of her “A Seat at the Table” album, Weezy raps, “And when I attempted suicide, I didn’t die / I remember how mad I was on that day.”
ReplyDeleteOther rappers such as DMX have had their own battles with other disorders, such as bipolar disorder. During a 2011 interview with ABC 15 news, DMX revealed that his struggle with the disorder took away his ability to separate his stage life from his real life. “I used to be really clear on who was what and what character each personality had… But at this point I’m not even sure if there is a difference.” Lil wayne in the song mad with solange he says “And when I attempted suicide, I didn’t die / I remember how mad I was on that day.” Even Biggie coming out with suicidal thoughts made a big impression on me about how these artists are dealing with life.
So with all these hits why is it that mental illness and suicide are still the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about or help with. It is truly a burden that shouldn't be carried alone by anyone.
Biggie Suicidal Thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=GygEAcFFMVs
Tupac so many tears : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyjNLcdw4Q
Neikya Slade
The topic that I liked the most the one covered in the presentations on business in Hip Hop. I feel like its' an aspect of Hip Hop that's kind of underappreciated, because it's become so common to see rappers selling things. I believe rapper's entrepreneurial exploits show people and alternate route to success. Everyone doesn't have the musical ability to become a rapper or producer but, they can became business owners, fashion designers, and other careers that don't involve being in front of a microphone. MY questions about the subject is; Why do artist that start businesses only go for the "typical" ones instead of exploring different types of business? The typical ones would be,barbershops, record label, clothing line or a beverage of some sort. There are WAAYYY more avenues of businesses to explore, why continue to start ones that a million people already started?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-uZjEbiJ-U
Suwaley Katanta
The topic that stood out to me that has me thinking on a regular basis since it has came to my attention has been mental health. There are numerous Hip-Hop artist that have a mental issue that choose not to speak about their problem until recently. They may not say it as blatant as Scarface did in his book "A Diary Of a Mad Man," but you can tell they are dealing with their own problems in different ways such as Drug Abuse ,as most rappers are now with the use of Xanax. Which is prescribed for anxiety and panic attacks. Even through most artist today probably don't use the drug for those reasons it may be an opening for more insight into their lives and how they had came up to be who they are today. The question I have is why do you think hip hop artist including the up in coming artist use drugs that make them stay calm even before they become a house hold name?
ReplyDeleteI think that rappers do evolve as Hip-Hop artist. The class discussion that still resonates with me is the one about Scarface. My dad is a huge fan of the song "My Mind Playing Tricks on Me" by the Ghetto Boys so I have grown up listening to that song. Scarface seems like he evolved as a Hip-Hop artist based on his interview. As a child he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had many behavioral issues but in the interview he seemed to have more structure to himself. There were a few things like his behavior in interview that were strange like how he went from high to low as in he was very energetic then he would lay back and chill. But Now instead of getting in trouble he is more concerned about maintaining his health, writing books, and doing more interviews to let people know that he has evolved and is now doing better things. My dad had some anger issues and had to go through some therapy but now he owns his own company and is proving well for our family. So I think that Scarface reminds me of my dad; just because you start off struggling doesn't mean that you have to finish that way. But my question is why do we pretend like rappers are not human and have problems just like we do? Before they became famous they were regular people just like us.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVTxRveaDxo
The topic that stood out to me the most was the mental illness topic. Some of the artist we discussed in class that’s facing mental issues I would have never thought they have because they have a different way of showing it because the only way you can tell if you listening to their music and you sit there and listen and read between the lines you might think to yourself like ok something isn’t right about this lyric or you might do a face that’s makes you wonder. Then you have some artist that talk about mental illness in their rap for example Lil Wayne he mentions he had attempt to commit suicide. As Trevor Stewart mention artist have a different way to cope to mental illness by doing drugs I totally agree with him because Lil Wayne always have lean in his cup, you never see him without his cup. If you didn’t notice he always mention his cup in his lyrics. If you compare old Wayne to the new Wayne you would see a difference such as his voice, appearance etc. I’ve realize the artist that’s the most successful ones in the industry be the ones that faces mental illness because they have a huge fan base, they have people that’s supporting and looking up to them. Not only that the fans are the ones bring them money. It’s like their loyalty is to their fans instead of their health. The question I have is do you think the people the artist is sign with should put in the contract that it is mandatory that you must go to a counseling session once a month?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4t_Yco5Hw0
The topic that resonated to me the most throughout our lectures and peer presentations was 'The lost Prison Tapes' film by Tupac. This lecture was on the topic of did we think that Tupac was crazy. This really stood out to me because I didn't think he was crazy at all. I feel like if we define Tupac as crazy then we would have to consider other artist like Scarface crazy, also. Just like Scarface, Tupac was a man of his words and most definitely the streets. He was in jail during this film and he seemed like he was just use to the scenary that's why I feel like he was just as normal when asked all of these questions and telling about his life. Some of the class came to a conclusion that Tupac was schizophrenic because of his words and actions during the video, but in my opinion this is just a diagnosis, not necessarily a reason to consider anyone crazy. Tupac produced music that told about his life and the different types of trauma he went through. He didn't mind speaking on what he would do the next person. He was just as hardcore as we seen him, whether in his music or watching videos of him.It was just how his propaganda and the fact that he has an anxiety disorder. So, my question is, how would you define the term 'crazy' in Hip Hop? Would you consider any rapper that speaks about suicide and other informal things to be crazy? Would you consider the rappers and artist of the generation today to be leading down the 'crazy' pathway?
ReplyDeleteHere is one of Tupac's song : HailMary ... he presents in this song about how he is a killer if you push him to that level.
https://youtu.be/3V0vjmYhkBI
I think that the topic about mental illness in hip hip stood out to me the most. Ever since we first started talking about Scarface and even after we watched the Breakfast Club interview,I began to actually listen to lyrics to certain songs and not just the dope beats. Imagine how many artists are going through something mentally and cover it up with a dope beat so that people don't really pay attention to the lyrics. I listened to Tupacs 'Staring Through my Rear View' featuring Outlawz. In this song Pac explains that life is a game and the game of life is to be played to the fullest. So if you want to be a player and beat the game, you have to go on and forget the past and failures. Also what I think the song meant was Pac does not want to leave his past life and it is because of that he ends up getting killed. "They got me starin’ at the world through my rear view. Go on, baby, scream to God,he can’t hear you. I can feel your heart beatin’ fast ’cause it’s time to die". In a way I feel as though he is making a cry for help or even predicting his own death because he can't leave that lifestyle alone. My question is, Do you think before all of the fame and money that comes with being famous that artists were already going through a depressed or sad life?
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/uxRIuKVh5u4
The topic that really effected me the most besides the tupac and mental health in Hip Hop was the topic where we discussed lauryn Hill and how motherhood impacted her which could have ultimately caused her too leave. We talked about postpartum depression which as a man I have no idea what that is. At that point that was like a foreign language to me. However it did made me look at her exit out the music industry from a totally different perspective. Besides the article we had to read which made Lauryn look crazy and mentally "off". So at first I was like yeah she is crazy and was on his side then had to think. How the hell can this man talk about this women when he is a man and can't relate to women issues. During the MTV unplugged album she was getting ready to have her child this one out of wedlock . So this made so much scene because postpartum depression is a topic that is not talked about in Hip Hop. Only because its a women issue in a male dominated industry. which made me think is Lauryn the only one that went through postpartum but is afraid to speak on it or can't leave the industry because of contracts? This is something that needs to be talked about and brought to attention especially to us men. Need to understand Women and Hip Hop when they experience things that only women can relate to we need to be more open minded. Not dismissing feminine issues and calling them crazy. So as a male this topic really opened my eyes on not just with Lauryn but with women in general. Especially women who has to go through this in the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteThis short video I watched really gave me more insight on mothers talking about their experience with postpartum . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V64PqXKs02g
My only question will their ever be a time where women's issues in Hip Hop will be brought to light and be understood with an open mind or will women issues just be looked at as crazy?
Out of the topics all the topics mental health was most commonly spoke on and it actually surprised me the most. With starting with the assignments on TuPac and Scarface we got to see the bipolar disorder qualities that they shared and how they got labeled as crazy instead of people noticing they had true mental health issues. The person that shocked me the most was Lauryn Hill. Before reading the article, I personally thought she had just let the fame take over and make her go crazy but not once did I think she could be suffering from postpartum. I even went and did my own research and saw that during the Unplugged special, she was actually pregnant. Her hormones from her child could be the exact reason why she was acting the way she was. Overall, it makes you think when is mental health going to be put center stage in Hip Hop? I think that it is definitely starting now with our generation’s artists. Logic’s song “1-800-273-8255” speaks on suicide and how it is never the answer and try to explain that help is always available, hence the title being the number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I also found a video speaking on how other artists like Lil Uzi Vert and XXXTENTACION are also bringing awareness to mental health and how major artists having mentioning mental health issues for a long time but no one is truly noticing. So my question is what do you think needs to happen next for mental awarness to be taken serious in not only hip hop but in society overall as well?
ReplyDeletehttps://genius.com/Logic-1-800-273-8255-lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JTL5WgdDYk
The topic that stood out to me the most was about mental illness in hip hop. After watching the Scarface interview I started to realize how many artist go through things and cover it up just like regular people they just expressed their feelings through lyrics. We really don't pay attention to words in songs, I know I don't I pay more attention to the beat of a song. Not all artist express their mental illness or suicide thoughts through their music but you can infer a problem through their actions and addictions to drugs or alcohol. Like example in Kendrick Lamar song "U" he says "And if I told your secrets/ The world’ll know money can’t stop a suicidal weakness” - Kendrick Lamar. From this song I took that he was wrestling with self hate and his mind was his worst enemy. After listening to songs that show mental illness will have you thinking deep. My question is do you think artist should be required to go to therapy? And have you ever tried to use music to feel better, but ended up feeling worse because of the lyrics? I also was going to ask do you think the hip hop industry makes artist become depressed or become mental ill?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY5EUZgiMi8
The topic that resonates with me the most the whole mental issue in hip hop topic. Coming from someone that experienced some of those things it hit home for me. It took me by surprise that celebrities go through these things on a daily basis but they are too wrapped up in their music and their brand they do not go get the help they need. But I️ could also see why some of them have mental health issues. Let’s think about it. Trying to live a normal life while being famous is probably hard. They do not have privacy. They can’t get into the car from a hotel without cameras around. Watching the Breakfast Club interview with Scarface we were about to see the “real” him. We could see his roller coaster of emotional like his bi polar really shined through the interview. It’s crazy because I️ have a family member that raps and sings and he also suffered with depression. I️ asked him how did he deal with it and he said he went to his music and that the same type of treatment the artist of today use. My question is do you believe the treatment of music truly helps the artist get through their mental health issue?
ReplyDeleteThe song I️ have below is call “Real Me” by MJ Troy. It talks about his state of depression and how he had suicidal thoughts.
https://youtu.be/BClUqGuGBqo
The topic that had immediately caught my attention was the discussions we had regarding Lauryn Hill. In general, mental health and the treatment of it in the black community is always an interesting topic to discuss and study. For the most part in African American culture, mental health is ignored and swept under the rug. The same can be said for artists in hip hop, especially African American ones. It brings up the question, which we have previously discussed in class and that is; Are fans and people in the industry ignoring an artist’s cry for help? Lauryn Hill was the perfect example of this. She is known as a prodigy and due to that is treated as such. With fame comes pressure and with the addition of being a prodigy creates another level of pressure. Artist like this can feel forced to act in a certain manner and produce certain music, often these individuals can feel alone and can even suffer from a variety of mental illnesses, but no one does anything to help them, it can be written off as a phase or people are quick to call them crazy. Often times these moments of “craziness” are publicized and used to gain a profit, then you have fans who are laughing at this and not advocating for a person in need of help. You have to wonder, do the fans get enjoyment out of someone else’s pain? Or do they not believe that this person is really in need of help? Or is it that we just do not understand what they are trying to say to us? I read an article on the Pitchfork Magazines website, and the author wrote “Some just want rappers to shut up and make them dance, as if a rapper has no place to claim any sort of moral agency. But what if he or she has something to say? What if, in a time of such bloody horrible everything, their ideals are exactly what we need out in the open air? No, but that would humanize them, that would make them like the relatives we argue with at Sunday dinner.” (Vidal, 2015). Music is an outlet for artist, and the music and performances they produce is often times a direct reflection of how they are feeling and what they re going through. In Lauryn Hills 2001 performance on MTVs unplugged, she was criticized for her performance and was called crazy. When looking over the lyrics you can see she says, “Please help me forget about him, he takes all my energy, trapped in my memory, constantly, holding me, constantly holding me, I need to tell you all, all the pain he's caused”, this line is filled with so much emotion, yet when she gets emotional people think it is odd. Some believe that this song is all over the place, but I hear something different. I hear a woman that realizing that she loved a man and he brought her a temporary “peace of mind” but then realized that he was no good for her, that is why in the song she says, “You are my peace of mind, that old me is left behind”. She comes realize that this relationship will not be the end of her, ending the song in tears with “To get another chance, yeah, everyday's another chance, to get it right this time, everyday's another chance, Oh what a merciful, merciful, merciful God, Oh what a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful God”. Why is a woman who has just poured her heart into a song and is expressing herself crazy?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb7KjMTgK-Q
References
Vidal, J. (2015, February 04). Lupe Fiasco Is Not Crazy. Retrieved November 09, 2017, from https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/659-lupe-fiasco-is-not-crazy/
Mental Illness in Hip Hop was the topic that stood out to me the most from the presentations and from class discussions. I realized that a catchy beat may be a cry for help. These artist are using music as an outlet, but their music is being overlooked by the fans and their labels. Everyone wants them to continue to produce music because its catchy, but aren't acknowledging the suffering that these artists are experiencing. For example: Kanye west. Not saying that he has a mental illness, but his actions are a cry for help.He lashes out at the media, he refuses to speak and has been acting this way since his mother passed. Is this not a sign of trauma or pain that needs attention and treatment? Another example is Lil Wayne and his verse in the song "Mad" by Solange. In his verse he says "Are you mad 'cause the judge ain't give me more time
ReplyDeleteAnd when I attempted suicide, I didn't die
I remember how mad I was on that day
Man, you gotta let it go before it get up in the way" referring to a time he attempted suicide. He also says "Now tell 'em why you mad son
'Cause doing it all ain't enough
'Cause everyone all in my cup
'Cause such and such still owe me bucks
So I got the right to get buck
But I try not to let it build up
I'm too high, too better too much
So I let it go, let it go, let it go." In this verse he could be referring to Birdman owing him money from previous contracts and how the drugs he uses help him to not retaliate and be as upset. These are the cries for help in Hip Hop that we ignore. This song is about the many reasons that people may be mad but we overlook it because we think it's not that "serious". However, just because its not that serious to us doesn't make what these people are going through any less important.
If we take the time to listen to the lyrics will these artists feelings and signs of mental illness continue to be swept under the rug? What can we do to help? And when will it be okay to express yourself?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ4JeZnDjLA
The topic that resonated the most with me was the mental illnesses in hip hop and the drug use in hip hop. I never really payed attention to the mental illness aspect of hip hop, but I did notice that a lot of artists do rap about drug use. After the class discussion, I feel like the excessive mentioning of drug use in songs could be a cry for help. For example, the song that came to mind when we were discussing drug use was a song called "Percocet and Stripper Joint" by Future. In the song he says "Treasure bring misery/ Codeine in my delivery". What I took from that was that all of the work put into making hits, and hits make money (treasure), is making him miserable. So, he is using codeine to cope with the misery. I feel like artists go through a lot trying to make it to the top and stay at the top when it comes to hip hop, as well as other genres. Music is supposed to be an outlet, but the music industry seems to be taking a toll on artist rather then helping them. So, my question is what could be done for hip hop artist to help them avoid drug use as a coping mechanism?
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/UE10URP4d5I
After going over various topics in this unit what resonated with me the most is mental illness in Hip Hop. Mental illness is often overlooked, especially in the black community. Majority of the time the signs are right in our face but we seem to be in denial about it. We discovered Tupac was definitely having anxiety issues due to his past. DMX is still going through a lot and is still dealing with an ongoing drug problem. Lauryn Hill definitely went through some type of emotional distress, possibly postpartum depression. Breaking down the timeline of Lauryn Hill's career definitely posed the question could she have been going through depression? After this unit, I've paid closer attention to the lyrics of songs I listen to, as well as, the artists themselves. For example, a lot of lyrics in Future's songs are very dark and often about drugs numbing the pain. "Take all my problems and drink out the bottle and fuck on a model, yeah" comes from Codeine Crazy by Future. In another song of Future, "Kno the meaning," he discusses loosing a hard drive with all of his new music, having a baby, and going on tour and how he dealt with that. There's blogs and discussions on his lyrics now that more people are picking up on it. There are so many artists out there that are contemplating suicide or dealing with deep depression. A question that I ask myself is could we as fans support these artists enough to reverse their dark feelings? If so, how could we help?
ReplyDeleteReferences
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKJC8JqenXo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFTNCqwynRw
https://genius.com/discussions/197180-Most-depressing-future-lyrics
The lecture that stood out to me the most was when we focused on mental health. After reading diary of a mad man and the breakfast club interview with Scarface, I realized how much these artists really go through. Me like many fans, I never thought about celebrities as “normal” people or even imagining them going through serious situation like others would. The mental health section showed me that the media makes it seem like artists like Scarface, Tupac and Lauryn Hill are “Crazy” but in actuality they are bipolar, depressed or just misunderstood. As I said before many people don’t see celebrities as normal people and forget that they go through real life situations just like anyone else. So my questions to you are, what is the real definition of crazy? Can crazy mean being creative? Can celebrities be normal people? Below is Tupac’s song Trapped where he explains how he feels in society
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi2CTreHvZs
The topic that stood out most to me is mental illness and madness. This topic stood out to me because hip-hop is literally riddled with mental illness, yet it is rarely addressed as the tragedy that it is. Artists frequently refer to themselves as "crazy" or psychotic, and act out by way of their behavior, fashion and lifestyle. These behaviors are often ignored by fans and peers, but the media never turns a blind eye. I wonder then, why is it that "we" are not concerned about the people that create and influence the music that we love? Are artists great in spite of their madness, or are they great because of it? I ask myself would I drown into DMX's song "slippin" if I didn't believe that he had truly endured all of the traumatic events that he recalls in the lyrics? Do I enjoy his music so much because subconsciously I admire his strength? I believe that the "real talk" found in hip-hop music is so addictive because most people can relate. Listeners yearn for the kind of music that reminds us that an artist is only human because this is essentially proof that "we" are not alone in the struggle called life. When listeners hear a song about drug addiction, poverty and mental illness we think to ourselves, "wow if they can make it, so can i".
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/PdITK42BWoQ
ReplyDeleteThe concept that stood out to me most throughout this unit was hip hop artist being categorized as “crazy” or weak when expressing their mental health status through their music. We are quick to label an artist as crazy when they show their humanity. Any time an artist opens up about their mental state either the media or the fans are quick to label them as “crazy” or say “they’re just artist that’s how artist act” while not taking the time to look at what may have contributed to the shift in an artist mental state. The Lauryn Hill article particularly resonated with me most because the author, La Marr Bruce, highlighted the “crazy” characteristics of Lauryn Hill without fully addressing the reason behind the madness. Not once did the article mention how Lauryn hill’s family/ personal life may have contributed to her “insanity” nor her pregnancy. As fan or Lauryn hill I never thought she was crazy. I also did not know that she had children and was pregnant while on her rise to fame. She may have been battling with postpartum depression along with the stress of fame. The media conveniently left that part out as they were dragging Lauryn Hill through the mud. TuPac’s lost prison tapes also stood out to me because it did seem like Tupac was working though some mental health issues in the video, but I do not think he was “crazy”. I pose the question of why an artist experiencing mental health related issues are seen a weak, crazy, and in the end shunned? And what hip hop artist have come back to the same level of fame or greater after expressing to the media and the hip hop world their mental illness?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LDDTMN-YII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEaFHPvuE6Y&t=619s
Olivia wright
The topic that we discussed, in class that stood out to me the most, was homosexuality. In the hip hop industry homosexuality, especially for men, is not accepted. Male rappers, even suspected of homosexual actions are constantly taunted. For example, we talked about when 50 cent “exposed” Ja rule at one of his concerts, accusing him of being gay. These accusations almost permanently ruined Ja Rule’s career as a rap artist. My question concerning this issue is, why it so unacceptable to be a successful homosexual rapper? In the entire history of hip hop, there isn’t one successful homosexual rapper. Does sexuality dictate the quality of the rapper? Logically there’s no good reason justifying why the gay community is so excluded from hip hop. As we’ve also discussed in class hip hop is an evolving culture. Why is it that hip hop hasn’t evolved to accepting homosexuality? Will hip hop ever change enough to accept the gay community? A lot of people speculate that there are some successful gay rappers, but they’re on the “down low”. They believe that they use a heterosexual persona to cover up their true sexuality. This need for a cover up could be because its common knowledge that in hip hop, homosexual male rappers are not yet accepted.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90V7p0wh5nY
The topic that stood out to me most was the mental illness segment. I found intrest in both the lecture and the panel disscusion. I think that I took catch on this topic because it's so real today, yet oh so overlooked. This is especially in the black community. This makes it worst because Hip- Hop is a promientenly black industry. There is nothing worst then when your own people don't understand you. That's when things really get crazy. There are many artist who are literally sending out cries for help. They dig deep within themselves to let out their inner secrets. All they get in return is maybe "lower sells" and sometimes even higher. Artist like Lauryn Hill was called crazy as soon as she didnt confine with the "Hip-Hop Norm". Her cry out for help was quickly turned into "The Misunderstanding of Lauryn Hill" and soon put on a back burner. Kid Cuddi didn't get any true attention until he had to be checked into the rehab. It must be a shame to have support, but the only thing they're supporting is your health downfall. People don't notice the suicidal and all other sorts of illnesses in the music because when there is a slight awareness, it's always turned around. The questions that I would like to know the answer to is, how can a crazy person tell another crazy person they aren't crazy? and when will we truly start "listening' to music? The link below is about a diffrent side of mental illness in hip-hop.
ReplyDeletehttps://pitchfork.com/thepitch/therapy-is-gangsta-hip-hops-views-on-mental-health-are-evolving/
Azjah Moorman
ReplyDeleteI think we can all agree that mental health illness was the topic that stood out the most to us as a class this unit. Mental health illness is a serious issue that artists in Hip Hop try to cope with everyday. During a previous presentation from a fellow classmate I learned more about artists who have had suicidal thoughts. The artists mentioned were: Sean Kingston, Kid Cudi, Biggie, etc. In Sean Kingston's song "Beautiful Girl" I had no idea it was about him wanting to kill himself over a girl. That was one of my songs I used to listen to awhile back when it was a hit. Had my classmate not have mentioned that I would have not even known. It's crazy how people can listen to music without really listening or know what that artist is talking about. I can agree with a comment that was made about how some artists actually talk about their real life problems as a cry out for help in their songs. Artists find it easier to express themselves throughout their music. As fans we are encouraging it by continuing to listen to their music that's being put out. Suicide is an issue that should not be ignored but listening to their music like someone said in class the other day, we wouldn't think that they would actually be talking about killing themselves they could be talking about something else so we kind of brush it off. I need to start paying attention to lyrics more, it's crazy because you wouldn't think that your favorite artist would actually be struggling with mental illness.
This link below is from vibe and its about 10 artists who have openly talked about mental health. Some of these artist we mentioned in class.
https://www.vibe.com/2017/05/mental-health-rap-songs/
This link below is about the best hip hop rap songs about suicide that people may have missed:
https://www.ranker.com/list/best-rap-songs-about-suicide/ranker-hip-hop
A topic that resonated with me the most during this unit was mental health in Hip-Hop. Seeing these artists in the spotlight all the time you never really think about what their life as a regular person is like. They go through real problems that often get swept under the rug because of their social status. Often times they talk about it in their lyrics but we do not listen close enough to truly understand what they are saying. In a song XO Tourlif3 rapper Lil Uzi says "She said I’m insane yeah, I might blow my brains out. Xanny for the pain yeah, please Xanny make it go away.” Everyone loves the song but never really listens to what he says. Seems like he is calling out for help but is trying to numb the pain with drugs, which is a popular idea amongst these rappers. Below I attached a song by Jay-Z where at the end of the first verse he discusses how fame affects these artists worse than any drug can before the drug use starts.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng02QSUiL8M
Hip hop artist do evolve. For example, if you observe the evolution of DMX while he was involved with Ruff Ryders you will agree that an artist can develope depending on their influence. DMX did not want to rap on Swizz Beatz beat. However, because he lost a bet, he did so. As a result, it became the anthem of the brand. An artist can evolve above what others believe if they have people who are capable of portraying they're vission as well as giving them the opportunity to express it. Also, an artist must be challenged creatively. Ruff Ryders Entertainment continued to challenge the artistic ability of DMX which contributed to his evolution. Although artist can evolve, I also strongly believe that hiphop itself can evolve with the support of its artist, audience, and society. As we have discussed in class, artist face demons that has been a taboo topic in society, especially in the black community for decades. An artist who has a strong support system can overcome those demons, therefore, reaching a level of creativity that they were unable to recognize. Another example of the evolution of an artist is Kendrick Lamar. In his album "To Pimp A Butterfly" he works through his demons with the art of rap/hiphop. It displays the creative aspect of how artist fight through life with the use of hiphop. Below is a link of Kendrick Lamar explaining his evolution through the creation of "To Pimp A Butterfly"
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUEI_ep9iDs