Blog Post #3

Hello lads,

I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy :) 

I still remember the first time I saw the music video for "Formation" by Beyonce. I was in awe with the political lyrics and the empowerment it gave to black people. After this came "This is America" and "Bonfire" by Childish Gambino, two songs that continued my passion for a new genre of music focused on political action and activism through music, specifically focused on the experiences of black people. As the article "How #BlackLivesMatter started a musical revolution" discussed, "The new wave of black pop protest music captures and grapples with racial catastrophe in the 21st century: the prison-industrial complex, globalised wealth inequality and the violent expenditure of women and children." These social issues have long been ignored and perpetuated and need to be addressed. Sometimes the easiest way to do this is by approaching the problem creatively, such as through the arts or media. As the piece "Final Chorus: Planet Rock" talked about, black people in America often are not given a voice or the space to share their experiences or their 'story'. "For African Americans, life is not an open book but a talking one. Not in the sense of being 'books on tape,' nor even the African slave's powerful idea of the "talking book," but rather, a mixtape: something homemade yet public; fragile and formidable; personal yet meant to be heard (or at least unignorable); loud as hell yet clandestine, whether passed around like love notes or sold from the trunk of a car." These songs are a part of a larger genre serving as tools of storytelling and protest, addressing social issues that often are silenced by the powerful in our society. 

DJ Selections

"Crooked Smile" by J. Cole 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzzMOMkjm8A

"Fuck Donald Trump" by YG and Nipsey Hussle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkZ5e94QnWk&feature=emb_title


Both of these songs shed light on systemic issues, such as the war on drugs and governmental activism. "Crooked Smile" grabs the audience with an emotional story of a drug dealing dad and a daughter that gets killed by the DEA, ending the music video with a call to the public to think twice about drug regulation and violence. "Fuck Donald Trump" is all about inspiring the public to engage politically and use their voice to vote, especially in a time when the rights of marginalized communities are always in question. These are both examples of songs that focus on political action and attempt to empower the audience to address specific social problems and stand up for human rights.