Gang Control

      “He closed his eyes. He lifted the cocked un to his head. Maybe it’ll get stuck. He thought, what if it’s all gonna end right here. Sweat dripped from his chin. He pulled the trigger.” The individual participating in this sick initiation ritual is only thirteen years old. He was only a boy. This is merely one instance of gang dominance. This story, however,  speaks multitudes on the complete power and control that gangs possessed. If boys of thirteen are willing to put a gun to their head to join it leaves little hope for society to escape this control. Gangs manipulated the human need for acceptance and family and turned it against itself. It perverts that need to instead serve themselves. It gives context to hip-hop being so much more than just music or dancing. True hip-hop evolved from this gang lifestyle. As the chapter continues it goes on to describe how gangs died out but left behind a similar life style. It makes one question what hip-hop would have been like without such devastating gang control. 

Shocking History of the Bronx

In loop one of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop by Jeff Chang I was intrigued by the history of the Bronx. At first I was shocked to read about the slums that Robert Moses created in the Bronx, and that with his Cross-Bronx Express he would be displacing 60,000 residents. However, when the idea of “planned shrinkage” came into the picture, I was even more blown away. The book explained it as “…health, fire, police, sanitation, and transit services would be removed from the inner-cities until all people that remained had to leave….” This belief that a certain group of people or city is not valid enough and needs to be moved is absurd. Another quote that shocked me was from Professor George Sternlieb, of Rutgers University, when he said, “The world can operate very well without the South Bronx. There’s very little in it that anyone cares for, that can’t be replicated elsewhere.” This goes back to the idea that “I am better than you, so I can do with you as I please,” which is similar to the Black Like You reading when the differences between the Europeans and Africans caused a history of abuse and disrespect. On the other hand, knowing this history of the Bronx brings light to the fact that this genre of music and art was able to spring up from such hatred, and allows the listener or onlooker to have more compassion for the piece.

 

 

My song of choice is : Every Night by Imagine Dragon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBv17TEl1X4

Jamaica's Role in Hip Hop

There are many new things I learned about hip hop after reading some of Can't Stop Won't Stop. What really astounded me was learning how Kingston, Jamaica played a part in the development of hip hop. I was not aware of this fact. Jamaica was enduring violence and political corruption. The disagreements and fights between two different political groups, the conservative Jamaica Labour Party and the leftist People's National Party put the new independent country in chaos. Gangs associated with the political parties caused people to live in fear. As a result of Jamaica's state, people in the communities created music to cope with their surroundings. Their lyrics talked about love and peace, war, having a good time, etc. In the words of PNP candidate, Michael Manley, reggae was described as "the people's language." Then there was the creation of dub reggae, which was described as the "B-side" to reggae. It is the other side of violence in Jamaica and opposite the side of socialists and Rasta prophets. Jamaica's music crossed over to places such as London and New York. It was not extremely popular, but it made an influence. DJ Cool Herc came from Kingston, Jamaica and brought his knowledge of the sound systems used in Jamaica to help jumpstart the music of hip hop.

After reading, I do see hip hop a little differently. I think it is more than what some people automatically  judge it by: violence or anger. Hip hop emerged as a musical/artistic expression of youth that endured a very harsh environment. They lived in communities full of crime and poverty, and they were communities that the cities neglected. This is especially the case in hip hop's birth community, the South Bronx in New York City. When people live in poor conditions, they use art to express how they feel. The youth of South Bronx used the resources that they had to create hip hop.

A favorite song: May This Be Love-Jimi Hendrix  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N5NESVtmr8

Symposium Reaction

After listening to the first session at the African American symposium, I was interested in learning more about the history of African American studies. The speaker talked about how he was one of the founders of African American studies at Fordham. He went around promoting interest in African American studies to many college students. The speaker also acknowledged that Father George McMahon had a high priority in helping African American students at Fordham, and Father Joseph Fitzpatrick was the “godfather” of Latino students. The speaker mentioned that after successfully teaching African American studies through various departments, a nun told him that he was a “credit to his race.” As the speaker said at the conference, she showed how there are people that are not very exposed to African Americans and then give African Americans high acclaim if they seem to have defied the stereotype.

 The questions and answers at the end of the session, however, really had me intrigued. A Fordham student asked the conference speakers why they thought the black and Latino population at Fordham Lincoln Center decreased over the years. One of the speakers said that it is because of a new preference for out-of-staters that the populations have decreased. Also, if one looks into the demographic trend of Manhattan, black and Latino populations have decreased. This affects Fordham because in the Lincoln Center campus’s early years, many of the students that attended FCLC were local rather than global or out-of-state. One of the speakers alleged, “Fordham betrayed its stated purpose.” It is the Jesuits’ mission to preferentially serve the poor, but it began to change as Fordham became an institution of liberal arts for the masses. I found this all very interesting. It is unfortunate that these changes aid in the decrease of the black population at Fordham. I think it is important that all elite schools lower their tuition and diversify the student body by admitting more students from different classes and parts of their local cities. As schools, such as Fordham, begin to focus more on out-state-suburbanites or global students, they are also unfortunately losing focus on the diverse selection of students that are local in their area. 

Rize Response

Rize Response

While watching the documentary, Rize, I learned that in LA the young children have to make a difficult choice: being a gangbanger or a “clown.” I did not know that kids had to choose between a life of violence or a life of creative dance. I knew of gangs in bigger cities, but I did not know that there are a large number of dance crews. However, I do know about krumping and  have always been fascinated with it because it takes so much emotion, thought, and  freedom in every move. Therefore, I think it’s incredible that Tommy the Clown created this outlet for the youth, so they do not have to become gangbangers.

When the elderly woman says that going to a school or institution to “perfect” an art is a Western convention that is extremely true. In American society people are judged by where they went to school and then what their talent is, not solely on their natural talent. Also, if there is a possibility that someone has a natural talent they still need to go to school to learn “better” ways to perform said talent. I really like when she says, “…there is no distinction between the artist and the community” because their community is the art and everyone is an artist adding to it. This sense of art as the community brings the people together as a family. One woman in the video said that she was a gangbanger and she felt like the gang was her family, but when she really needed them they were not there for her. Unlike her son, who was a clown dancer, who has the clown family because they are always there and are looking out for each other. This is not to say that there is not competition amongst the dance crews just that is more peaceful.

After watching the majority of the film, I find it inspiring. Tommy the Clown is a man that loved to dance and make people laugh, and he made a place for others to follow in his footsteps and to advance on what he has started.  One guy in the video said, “…we are makin’ smiles where there are no smiles…” and I enjoyed that statement because he is almost saying that they are creating a light in a negative situation.

-Justice Longshore

Rize Response

Art has always been a medium for true, unadulterated, emotional expression. Sadly, art has also taken on an unfairly pretentious audience and group of critics that will only accept art if it is formally presented. Galleries, museums, theaters, have become the accepted means of displaying art. The film Rize, however, works to show that expressive art can exist anywhere and take any form. Dancers take the streets of Los Angeles and move their bodies in ways that many of todays audience and critics would object to calling it crass, vulgar, and sexualized. What it is really called is true art.

The movie focuses on two forms of urban dance: clowning and krumping. Both feature moves that are fast, bold, even angry. This aggressive nature of the dance is what makes art. In a culture so overrun with gang dominance, it seems impossible to let out emotions in any way other than violence. The people in the film, however, manage to take their aggression and anger and channel it into an art form. Their art is not censored, or distilled, or compromised in anyway for any audience. 

People in the film refer to the dance as their, “Ghetto ballet,” because to them it is as prestigious and true, if not more so, as something put on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Culture is informed by community, and this Los Angeles community is informed by art. A life of artistic expression is truly the culture of the dancer in the movie.

~ Connor D.

Rize

Rize is an outstanding documentary. The film was engaging and thought-provoking. I never heard of “clowning” until I watched this movie. Tommy the Clown’s influence on young people, teenagers and children, is remarkable. When kids and teens join him, he plays a father figure by advising them to stay in school and stay away from gang colors.  His own story is quite inspirational. Tommy used to be a drug dealer. After going to jail, he realized he could not stand it and would not want to return. Thus, Tommy became Tommy the Clown. He is an entertaining hip hop dancer, so he used his moves and energetic charisma at birthday parties to entertain. As a result, he stuck with his job and gathered other young people to join him. In Los Angeles, California circa 2002, Tommy and over fifty other groups were “clowning” and dancing.

           

 Different dance styles emerged in the streets of LA as groups of people left Tommy’s dance crew. One group that I really liked watching was the group of krumpers. In the documentary, some explain that krumping appears aggressive, but it is a positive way to take out their anger from the problems they experience. They described themselves as oppressed people who channel anger through art. One described it as “ghetto ballet,” but there is no need for schooling. The emotions they have and the ability to do krumping was implanted in them by birth. As an elder described about Harlem’s art, traditional West African culture is “made from community, reflects community, and does something in the community.” The dance groups in Los Angeles set an example of traditional West African culture. The dancers (artists) perform on the streets, in homes, in parks, etc., and they reflect the community. These dancers are expressing their emotions, whether sad or joyous, through their dancing. They make a difference in their community; the dancers make sure they do well in school, entertain others, form friendships, and support each other. Dancing keeps the young people from getting involved in gangs.

            

I would recommend Rize to anyone who has not seen the film. It is an interesting film and has insightful, emotional stories from people who use performing arts to express their feelings of oppression or to also bring joy. The dancing was really entertaining to watch as well.