Intersections of Hip Hop: My Racial/Ethnic Identity, My Gender, and Place

People talk about hip hop like its one, definable thing that can be clearly articulated in a single sentence, and that this is undeniable truth. Those people are wrong. To put it simply hip hop is like an apple - there isn’t just one kind of apple and some fruit that we label as apple’s don’t even look like what is grown in the West and also referred to as “apple”. Thus, depending on where you find it, who is practicing it, and many other factors hip hop can take on many different forms and traits. But, like the apple again, hip hop no matter where or how you find it has a few things in common universally. One of these universal traits is the African aesthetic, hip hop’s relationship to Blackness - and it was this that was at once my greatest attraction to and also my greatest rejection of the culture.

I was born and spent a great number of my developmental years in the small city of Sierra Vista, nestled close to the border of Mexico in a predominately Conservative, White, Republican Arizona, USA. Until I was six years old, I had no idea what “being Black” meant or that it meant anything other than I was phenotypically different from the other kids I played with. But after moving back to Arizona for the second time and beginning elementary school, I was told that as a Black girl I wasn’t supposed to be able to speak anything other than English (I spoke German and mashed the two languages together at the time), I wasn’t supposed to blush or wear sunscreen (because only White people can get skin cancer or burn, duh), and that as a Black girl had “bad” hair, was more likely to act out or become violent, was more likely to have trouble with math and science, and was inherently inferior overall. Let me point out here that I did have a childhood in spite of all these negative messages - I consistently proved the stereotypes to be false, I had friends and we all had fun together (many of them weren’t as much colorblind as much as it simply made no difference to them), I was loved and well looked after. But none of that ever took away the pain of being told that I had to special to be worth anything simply because I was Black. And so I started to resent being called that and rejected anything associated to the title - including hip hop and dance. Racial politics increasingly became an important topic in our area and little things like what music you listened to and what sports you played (or at least feigned interest in) mattered. The color of your skin mattered. Your blood quantum mattered - I had one girl tell me in 2008 that because a great-great-great-great grandmother MIGHT have been a freed slave, she was entitled to her opinion that no one should care whether Obama was Black or not and that we were all the same. It was outrageous. And I was encouraged more and more to stay out of the sun for long stretches of time so that I wouldn’t get dark, straighten my hair, and do whatever I could to play up my European and Native American heritage. As I got older everyone started saying things like I was “exotic” and I noticed that it opened up many more doors for me. I couldn’t let that go.  So I listened to Rock and Pop and Top 40 exclusively, securing my place as “one of us”. Because the kids who listened to hip hop and rap were “tar babies” who no one trusted in the stores and obviously weren’t going anywhere in life. The snide remarks made by others were warnings made to keep the “good” POCs in line - act White and everything will be alright!

Until our older brothers and sisters got into hip hop and made it cool. Then being “Black”  - or playing out the stereotypes perpetuated - was  cool. So, by default, I was cool. But I had to prove my “Blackness” to keep my status. Ironically, it was my White auntie Tammy who taught me how to perform my Blackness while also performing enough “Whiteness” to remain a “good girl” who teachers and parents would like their kids to be around. On the dance floor I had to be bootylicious babe who could freak and trick like no other, but as soon as the DJ quit I could flirt and bat my eyelashes but make it clear that no one was going home with me and I wouldn’t be going home with any other. Not only was I struggling to perform an acceptable racial and ethnic identity, but suddenly there was only one proper way to be a lady too - another seemingly universal trait of hip hop, delineating what is masculine and feminine for us all. Our poor unfortunate souls. It wasn’t until high school when the absurdity of this finally struck me, and not until my third year of college (this year) that I finally came to terms with it and all facets of myself. Yes, I was (and still am) of mixed heritage and people will always have their own opinions about that - but I am also Black and proud of the immense legacy that comes with it. Do I still struggle with that sometimes - for sure, but I refuse to let those movements of doubt or insecurity last. My people - all of my people - came to far for too long for my benefit for me to drop the ball and send the next generation back to square one. And am I a lady - yes, I am. But that in no way means that I am dainty or partial to pink all the time, that in no way makes me fragile or irrational , nor does it mean I’m allergic to sports, nature, or dirt. And if I were any of these things its because those are my personal quirks and should never be written off as a natural effect of my status as a female. 

And I came to all of this through hip hop. It is true that there are a lot of commercial messages propagated through rap and other genres mislabeled as hip hop, and that these messages are in direct opposition to what I’ve just written here. But at it’s heart hip hop has always been a spiritual message of good, the voice for the countless voiceless being oppressed and misunderstood. Even now, old school heads and wannabes talk trash about artists like Jay-Z and how he’s defeating the purpose - but I argue that his mere presence is a beacon of light and a necessity because without a figure like Jay-Z who would the young, impoverished, hopeless boys who are where Jay-Z used to be look up to? What model or standard would they have to say - this is possible? Today, I can critically consume and reflect on my media choices and more because I was first introduced to the larger culture by songs like Chingy’s “Right Thurr”. Even what were scholarly would like to frown upon and deem “unworthy” has its place, because without its introduction I would have never come to find myself or understand where I could fit in.  I still listen to that kind of rap, and then I reflect on it and talk about why it sounds good but it still problematic for individuals and society and what we can do to make it better - because that’s my place in hip hop.  In closing, the final trait of hip hop that has been noted as universal - the tendency for lost, frustrated, and fed up souls to find it and then themselves through its transformation. If we go back to defining hip hop we can say this: It is a) recognized as a commercially viable genre of music, b) a successful independent and often underground form of art, c) a choice in clothing that varies from location to location c) a learning tool and form of education, d) a form of protest and political activism e) a spiritual journey, and f (for finally)) a state of mind and a lifestyle.    

Yours truly,

Veney vidi vici

The Social Struggles in the Rise of Hawaiʻi Hip Hop

PRIME, a local Hip-hop artist who found his passion in writing, says hip hop’s four elements “came as a package deal for us here on the island.” (Prime interview)  Hip hop culture came onto the scene in the late 70’s and early 80’s and started from there.  It came at a time when tourism was booming and the local people’s voices were being drowned out by investors from over seas.  It is similar to the struggle that was happening in the Bronx where hip hop was born.  The inequality gap was rising and oppression forced people into a corner. Because of tourism, foreign investments, and rising inequality, Hawaiʻi hip hop culture came at the perfect time for youth to voice their frustrations and struggles.

            Hawaiʻi has always been a paradise.  It has been assimilated into the ignorant minds of the world as a place where hula girls sway with the breeze in the palm trees and mai tais rest in hand as a surfer gracefully glides across the crystal clear water.  That was back before the christening of the jet plane.  Before planes could reach the islands from the shores of California in six hours, people would travel to Hawaiʻi by boat.  Traveling by boat is a major time investment and time is not what a blue-collar man has.  A trip to Hawaiʻi meant a month or two-month long vacation.  It was an exotic place that only the rich could afford to go to.  That was until the jet plane came along.  Within a quarter of a day, people could arrive in Hawaiʻi and lap up its beauty. 

            Tourism boomed and Hawaiʻi made a complete transition from a primary economy (agriculture/natural resources) to a tertiary economy (services).  Money came into the islands fast.  The only problem was, the money was going to the wrong places.  The locals found that their lifestyle of living off of the land and caring for it couldn’t make them a living as land prices skyrocketed.  Many people were forced to enter the tourism industry and bastardize the island culture just to make a living.  The inequality gap began to grow and the local people found a feeling of helplessness in their home.

            However, hope was not lost.  The Hawaiian Sovereignty movement of the 1960’s and 70’s gave rise to a great sense of pride and it was fairly successful.  The only problem was that the social institutions that were present were already cemented in.  Programs like the Hawaiian Homes Commission was poorly designed and received negligible funding so to compensate for this, the HHC rented out lands to non-Hawaiians just so that they could survive. The people found that voicing their opinions to the government had no effect.  Politricks won again.  Money was what moved Hawaiʻi now. The people with no money could do nothing except watch, as the islands became a tourist heaven. 

            A great example of this is the foreign investors that came and bought up land and assets.  Japan invested in hotels and land development that crowded out the poor people from the housing market.  Land prices were increasing at dramatic rates and people were looking for an escape.  How could they deal with this increasing inequality?

            Hip hop came to the islands during this time of inequality.  The youth found power in this active culture and felt like they finally had a creative outlet to express themselves.  They heard Grandmaster Flash’s lyrics, “its like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under,” and understood these conscious lyrics.  They understood it because they were coming from the same place – the place of oppression.  They didn’t want to support the prostitution of their home culture in the tourism industry and nobody would listen to their civil pleas for justice and equality.  All that was left was hip hop, which came in the form of a savior for youth and locals across the islands.  They used it as a way to voice the struggles they were going through and it was empowering. Hawaiʻi hip hop was created in a similar context to that of New York, but it had its own style full of compassion and the spirit of aloha.

A. Tao

Love and Appreciate pt. II [MURS]

What you need is some love and appreciation
Gotta treat her like a queen before she walks away.
Before it's too late, you gotta, sing it, you better treat her like a lady

The song I chose to write about is by rapper Murs called, “Love and Appreciate pt. II.” In these lyrics, he flips the script on modern rap which usually features misogynistic or demeaning lyrics on women, by creating an uplifting song of praise for women; which I found refreshing. 

The first verse gives a story about a man who had a broken heart, and decided to write about it. He claims, “you’re not a pimp, you’re just pissed off. Meet the right woman and you get soft.” and continues on in later verses, “B word this H bomb that, and in the midst of this I’m wondering where your moms at//Cuz if she ain’t one, then tell me where the hate from//You just calm down, then maybe you can date one” These lyrics may seem harsh, but I do agree. There is not much consciousness in rap in the mainstream and rappers easily drop the word “B” or “H” without giving thought to their mothers, sisters, or girlfriends. Their excuse is that if you aren’t one of the “b----s” they’re talking about, then you won’t get offended.

In Murs’ lyrics on this song, I believe his message is that there are more songs in rap that put down women (or when uplifting them, only focus on their ass-ets.) than those songs that appreciate women. His creation of one of these songs goes against what is popular for most rappers, who may consider his song “soft.” 

This soft/hard notion in rap is limiting and if calling women “b--s” and “hoes” is a way to get respect or be more of a “man”, then we are in need of a new generation of gentlemen. I give my respect to Murs for his rapping because of his ability to flow words together and create imagery, as well as being vulnerable in songs such as “The Pain.” His great storytelling ability are what get me, not his claim to fame or being hard. He finds a wide variety of subjects in life to talk about besides getting money, cars, and girls. If rappers feel they have to talk about “b--s” to get more airplay, then they should look to rappers like Murs for inspiration.

Localization and the Creative Process of Hip-hop

            There is no doubt that Hip-hop culture is seen around the world.  Organically started in New York, the culture quickly spread as a means of self-expression and self-empowerment.  As the culture spreads, it meshes and mixes with the cultures already in place, whether it is on the exotic shores of the Marshallese or in your French neighbor’s backyard.  With each new culture it influences, Hip-hop continues to evolve and redefine what it is.  In other words, Hip-hop is accelerating – constantly changing speeds, switching it up, and spitting out a fresh new image.  Introducing Hip-hop into a culture and making it adapt is a process.  I believe this process is the essence of creativity and it only has three steps: inspiration, imitation, and innovation.  Looking at the Australian aboriginal hip-hop scene as an example of this creative process, we will see how hip-hop localizes and adapts.

            Inspiration is a term we can all relate too.  It happens when we see an amazing dance move or hear a great song, and it puts us in our place.  By humbling us, we realize our own shortcomings and also realize that it is possible for us to do it too.  Little G, an Australian aboriginal emcee, says she is inspired by her unique culture and heritage.  Initially, she says, “[she] was kinda ashamed of it,” but then “after learning about…the history of it all [she] was like, ‘Shit. What am I ashamed for? Shouldn’t I be more proud of who I am?’” (Stavrias 47)  ‘I wanna do that!’ ‘That’s so cool.’  These are the phrases that spark the journey and picking up Hip-hop culture is easy.  Because Hip-hop began in less fortunate urban neighborhoods, it is accessible to anyone.  You don’t need money to start dancing or writing rhymes.  The availability is key to Hip-hop’s rampant spread because if you need money to be Hip-hop, then it immediately ostracizes the people with fewer finances.  Every rap artist, b-boy, and emcee started for a reason and that reason is his or her inspiration.

            Imitation is the second step.  It can be seen as the learning part of the process.  “Hip hop’s emergence in Australia was one of replication.  Australian hip hoppers of the early 1980’s reproduced the music, dancing, art and clothing coming out of the Bronx.” (Stavrias 45)  Once the inspiration happens, you go out and try it yourself.  The young dancers on the street, having just watched Beat Street, test there bodies out to see if they can do the flash dances they just saw.  As the number of moves they learn increases through imitation, they begin to develop their own personal style, making the moves flow from one freeze to the next spin.  This is essential to the essence of Hip-hop – development of a style.  The imitation process will never end if creativity continues because as the dancer from the street watches more movies and dance videos and meets other dancers, his or her style will constantly change and develop.  So, it is hard to distinguish the boundary between the second step, imitation, and the final step, innovation.

            Innovation is the final product in the creative process.  It’s the creation of the personal style.  The great thing about Hip-hop is that everyone can easily have a unique style.  “The hip hop expression ‘keep it real’ refers to the importance in hip hop of representin’ as a criterion of authenticity, where representing one’s locality by being part of the culture is paramount.” (Stavrias 46)  Little G embraces her heritage and uses Hip-hop as a means to express her aboriginal culture saying, “with the hip hop music I sort of wanna teach the younger Indigenous kids, if they have that sort of thing about not wanting to learn, not wanting to be proud of who they are, through my music I want to say, ‘We do have a beauty. Be proud of it. Hold onto it.’” (Stavrias 48)  Keep it real, keep it authentic. 

            Hip-hop is a creative vehicle of expression that basically says you are who you are, accept it and rock it because there isn’t any other person who can rock it as hard as you.  Inspiration, imitation, and innovation are the essence of the creative process and you can see it in every creative hip hopper out there.  With every culture hip hop touches, it recreates itself because in order to keep it real, the hip hopper needs to localize his inspiration.  Imitation is needed to learn and pursue the inspiration, but if the hip hopper just imitates, they aren’t keeping it real.  No DJ can be Grand Master Flash, even if they tried.  Thus, innovation is necessary to keep it real.  Innovation involves taking the culture you were brought up in, taking what makes you who you are, and taking hip hop culture, then mixing all of that into a creative package that is uniquely yours and local.

A.T. Blog #3