AFRAM Blog Post #2

njuw2020

AFRAM 337

Blog Post #2

In "The Write to Rock," Brooks commented on the historical misrepresentation of female artists, referring to "Rock She Wrote: Women Write about Rock, Pop, and Rap," and stating, "Because of this volume alone we can trace a visible "history of the women who've been sustaining a tradition of writing about rock since the 60s" that has been "largely hidden" in American culture." The question of how to address issues such as misrepresentation and inequality naturally arises. I think the most powerful method of addressing these issues is through music itself. In an interview with Jeff Chang commented on the power of music to address social issues, "I'm really interested too in what's happening globally, say with an artist like M.I.A. — who's achieved some sort of notoriety, if not the sales that accompany that notoriety. She's consciously trying to bridge the voice and stories of these forgotten young people…" Music can be a vehicle for addressing inequality in music and addressing social issues globally.

M.I.A is one artist who uses her music to attempt to inspire change. For example, in her song "Bad Girls," she sings about how it is wrong that women cannot drive in Saudi Arabia. By incorporating issues from different corners of the world into songs with catchy lyrics, she brings people's attention to various issues and can inspire activism in her listeners. Another musical group that has many of their songs rooted in activism is Linkin Park. "Hands Held High" is one example of how the band protests war and specifically criticizes the involvement of the US in the Iraq war. Musical Groups such as M.I.A and Linkin Park show how music can be a platform for inspiring social change. 

Bad Girls, M.I.A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uYs0gJD-LE

Hands Held High, Linkin Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG4P3ayBzVY