AFRAM Blog Post #2

Gianni Landby

           Humans are social creatures, we strive to connect with one another, share interests, and feel a part of something larger than individuals. I believe that Oh, the Unbelievable Shit You Get Writing About Music as a Woman by Tray Moore and Still Fighting the Power by Theresa Riley with Jeff Chang is a perfect example of two groups of people who are searching for belonging.

            Before reading this article, I had not acknowledged or realized the negative energy and strait up hate that many women receive when expressing their opinion towards rock music. Interestingly, crude comments are mainly blasted towards women who acknowledge themselves “as an insider and being greeted with a shit-fuck-ton of vitriol” (Moore) by men, vs women who admit they do not have the proper knowledge and weirdly enough get positive feedback from these same guys. This plays into the excludability factor, as Moore is not only passionate about rock music, but she also has superior knowledge on music than most men, although she is repeatedly discriminated due to her gender, as she recalls times “dudes [were] standing in a circle busting out the rock talk refused to include me” (Moore).

            In a similar retrospect, I believe that Hip Hop spanned from people in the Bronx wanting to feel a sense of belonging and empowerment for getting your voice heard. Chang expresses his thoughts on the origins of hip-hop music, stating “a good amount of it speaks to the kinds of pressures that young people have been facing because of globalization” (Riley - Chang). Given the tough times for minority populations around the 80’s, hip hop gave them an alternative expression to gang violence that they could call their own – “if you were a fan of rap music, you could listen to artists from different cities and find out what was happening” (Riley – Chang).

           

Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn8-4tjPxD8

N.W.A – Strait Outta Compton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMZi25Pq3T8

I chose these two songs because I feel that they both accurately embody the readings that we had for this week. First, Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks accurately resembles some of the feelings that Moore was experiencing, with discrimination and frustration. The song to me, resembles rebellious nature and the feeling of not caring what others think, something that Moore had to learn with the increased number of hate she was receiving. Second, I chose Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A, arguably one of their most popular songs due to the message that is stated in the lyrics. The groups are not only speaking for themselves, but for all minorities that are experiencing troubles with regards to the judicial system. Similar to how Chang was explaining that hip hop can travel from city to city, N.W.A was raising awareness and showing young minorities from all over the United States that they are not alone.