GWSS 241
20 May, 2020
In "Final Chorus: Planet Rock," Young discusses Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem). I grew up having watched Annie, but Young reminded me that it was just one of many elements of my childhood that was "unequivocally white." Jay-Z transforming the classic soundtrack into an expression of Blackness in America is powerful and speaks to music serving as a creative outlet and expressive reality. Jay-Z speaks of his experiences from trying to become something into the present luxurious reality he lives, while discussing universals many Black Americans know.
J Cole's Middle Child speaks to many issues in the black community, one of which being mass incarceration. My favorite line is
"To many ni***s in cycle of jail
Spending they birthdays inside of a cell"
https://youtu.be/WILNIXZr2oc
Jay-Z's song is a prime example of what "How #BlackLivesMatter started a musical revolution" argues, despite the fact that Jay-Z's anthem came out much before. Music as a form of protest and bringing attention to the experiences of minorities carries an entirely different weight to other forms of activism and protest, as it has the ability to carry audiences from the oppressors to the oppressed. Brooks describes music as a part of the movement serving as "the black sonic dissent," and I could not agree more. Black artists have been tying their experiences into their creative spaces and outlets for generations, but the emergence of #BlackLivesMatter and media coverage of injustice and police brutality gives it all the more leverage to move past centuries of purposeful erasure.
I knew when reading this article that the following song would be my DJ selection. One of my favorite songs of all time, Jorja Smith tells the story of black experience and police interaction.
https://youtu.be/R8YwnQMQuJI
No comments:
Post a Comment