The official class blog for English 102 section C02 at the University of South Carolina. Check back for links to student written album reviews, genre criticisms, cultural analyses, and more.
Friday, October 16, 2015
R.R. 10/16
Dead Prez tells us, "it's bigger than hip-hop." What exactly is the it that is bigger than hip-hop? Provide a detailed and specific description of what it entails, and tell me if/how it is "bigger" than hip-hop.
The "it" in this song is definitely black culture, and more specifically poor black culture. He's trying to say that his song is more than just a song, it's a cry for help, a way to bring attention to their needs. He's also using this song to make sure people don't focus on him and his career but rather the people/community he's grown up with and how he wants change for them for the better. This song is ultimately just a form of peaceful protest and standing up for one's cause.
I don't think that he is referring to culture when he says 'it.' I think 'it' in this case is their music and their life style. He seems to think that hip hop falls in a broader category of culture as opposed to calling hip hop the culture. 'It' is their music, their lives, their hobbies, etc. I'm not sure if I think 'it' is bigger than hip hop because he isn't really specific as to what culture it would fall into if it wasn't considered hip hop.
Dead Prez repeats the phrase "It's bigger than hip-hop." Building up to this he is rapping about all these things that is going on around in his life good or bad. I think when he is saying "it" he is referring to the lifestyle that he describes throughout the song. Saying that it is bigger than hip-hop is saying how he isn't just saying these things to form a song. It isn't made up things just to make this song have a certain sound or feel. This is how his life really is. Hip-hop is just helping him express how he feels about the lifestyle that he lives.
I think Dead Prez is saying that the culture that makes up hip-hop is bigger than hip-hop itself. This culture is essentially the culture of black Americans, including their history and the social and political issues they're experiencing in real time. Hip-hop songs are basically created out of the dust of these issues, inspiring rappers to write lyrics about them. In this way, hip-hop culture really is bigger than hip-hop itself because it represents the culture of an entire population of people.
"It" is referring to the movement that wants better rights for blacks. It entails how the areas the government is trying to help but nothing is working. It includes the fact that schools with predominant African Americans in metropolitan cities have "equal" schools with the suburban schools while they aren't equal at all. The "it" includes how blacks and white are "equal". But this song is saying that even today there are still prejudices and that African Americans are still at a disadvantage. It's bigger than hip-hop because it unifies everyone in the country and especially their race. They are calling for action to make a huge movement that would actually put whites and blacks at equal playing fields instead of having whites be more privileged in society.
"It" in this song refers to Dead Prez's motivation for making music. Their motivation comes not only from their love for music, but also their want to spread awareness about how the system isn't working for poor black people. This is a common theme in a lot of rap. "It" can be different for different artists. Some may be motivated by money or fame, but Dead Prez is very upfront in expressing that they make music to make a difference. This is hinted at in their lyrics but made very obvious in their music video.
I think the "it" he is referring to is the abuse of power in today's government and the problems it causes especially for the lower class and the POC. There are a lot of references to poverty throughout the song and the need to rise up and change not only their financial status, but the status of the systems in place and the representation they get in the government. There is a lot of talk of rebellion and lots of protest being shown in the video trying to spread awareness of the broken system and motivate people to change it.
The world is bigger than hip hop, and Dead Prez is saying that our values need to be greater than a genre of music. Our values must expand to the real issues in our world, because there are things occurring that matter more than music. The "it" is essentially the real world, and it's bigger than hip hop because making music has little value when there are people down the street homeless and starving. He's also saying that hip hop can be used as a platform to portray these issues and help try to change the world, instead of rapping about useless things that have little value to the people who are dealing with real issues.
It's racial social injustice, it's the white man's money and the black man's poverty. It's welfare, it's war. A quote that stuck out to me in the video was "No peace without justice", so it's also an uprising. It's bigger than raps and rhymes, it's bigger than a lifestyle filled with girls with huge butts and money and chains. It's the lifestyle in the streets, it's the culture hip hop came from. It's the anger at the world that serves them no good, and the self defense against the inequality that still prevails. It's encompassing, and bigger than any chart topping Drake song could ever be.
The it that Dead Prez is speaking of is the ideals of African Americans that have been pushed down and forgotten by the rest of society. The genre of hip-hop speaks about the oppression and pushing down of a race and people, but it is bigger than hip-hop. There are people that being killed, starved, left alone with nothing else because of the way culture is. It has to be addressed and changed and that is all Dead Prez is trying to say. It is a multitude of things: equality, acceptance, individuality, and even more. It is life. Not just a life that is miserable and living off of welfare, fighting for only basic rights, but a sustaining life, equal to others and safe altogether.
The "it" that Dead Prez is referring to is most likely the african american community, and how they are objectified and assimilated with just hip-hop. In the music video, he refers to the power of money and how it supersedes everything else, while also using a white man to hold the money, suggesting past oppression and how those previous premonitions continue to hold the black culture and experience back. This song is a call and plea for society to change and accept this community and culture for what it really is.
"It" is everything that surrounds the people that are involved in hip hop. It's their culture. It's the struggles they go through to make a life for themselves. It's bigger than hip hop, meaning the music has a purpose. The music represents the people and their hard times. Dead Prez mentions welfare, overwhelming police presence, and war a lot throughout this song. Hip hop isn't just something they do for fun, hip hop is a way to communicate the struggles of these people to the rest of the nation. It is also a way to unite those who are going through the same thing, in order to stand up against it. It's a song that calls for a type of revolution against cultural norms and standards.
Dead Prez is saying that the problem of racial inequality and racial injustice is bigger than hip hop. It's like saying "this problem is bigger than you and me." When he's saying it's bigger than hip hop, he's talking about hip hop as a society. As a group of people. As people that need to band together to fight the social injustice. Social injustice and racial inequality definitely are bigger than hip hop, because they deal with the nation as a whole. The world as a whole. And it is something that needs to end. However, banding together and fighting against it, like Dead Prez suggests, is not what I see to be the best solution. Don't fight fire with fire.
The "it" in "it's bigger than hip-hop" is referring to the overall revolution that is occurring in the African-American community. It is not just about the music being produced, it is about all of the social issues that they have to face including poverty and police brutality. Dead Prez is attempting to convey a message that blacks need to recognize the injustices they face and to rise against them. This video utilizes quotes under pictures of blacks to show what they have to deal with, and how they can change this.
I think the "it" is living life to the fullest, or maybe even equality. Throughout the video, people had signs that said things like, "we need change." I think hip hop is a way to express the need for equality and everyone being able to live a full life. Clearly, the artist felt that there is a big brother figure that is controlling people, and that the people need to rebel and change their situation. So yes, I do think the "it" is bigger than hip hop because equality can change people's lives more than hip hop itself.
The "it" that Dead Prez talks about is the connections in music culture. Dead Prez talks about how all genres of music have the same underlying meaning, and that hip hop is not the only genre with a message. They want to convey the message that selling records and getting rich and famous isn't their goal, and that this is the same message that plenty of other artists in other genres spread as well.
Dead Prez is addressing the unfair treatment of African Americans in lower socioeconomic classes by the government system. He mentions welfare problems and police injustice. He is saying hip-hop isnt just about making music, it is bigger than that, it is about proving a point and spreading awareness about the injustices.
I think the "it" that Dead Prez is describing is this sense of rebellion that hip-hop music creates. The images with the phrases "known the enemy" and "no surrender" help reinforce this rebellious theme and encourage people to stand against their oppressors. I think this idea of revolution that hip-hop music creates is bigger than the hip-hop genre itself because it can make the idea of rebellion appealing to people and influence their opinions on the government or other governing bodies.
"It" is equality and having your voice heard. Hip-hop provides an outlet for expression that would be otherwise oppressed. Dead Prez says that Hip-hop is just a stepping stone for African-americans to claim the freedom and equality they deserve. "It" is about leveling the playing field for all regardless of race or values.
The "it" in this song is definitely black culture, and more specifically poor black culture. He's trying to say that his song is more than just a song, it's a cry for help, a way to bring attention to their needs. He's also using this song to make sure people don't focus on him and his career but rather the people/community he's grown up with and how he wants change for them for the better. This song is ultimately just a form of peaceful protest and standing up for one's cause.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that he is referring to culture when he says 'it.' I think 'it' in this case is their music and their life style. He seems to think that hip hop falls in a broader category of culture as opposed to calling hip hop the culture. 'It' is their music, their lives, their hobbies, etc. I'm not sure if I think 'it' is bigger than hip hop because he isn't really specific as to what culture it would fall into if it wasn't considered hip hop.
ReplyDeleteDead Prez repeats the phrase "It's bigger than hip-hop." Building up to this he is rapping about all these things that is going on around in his life good or bad. I think when he is saying "it" he is referring to the lifestyle that he describes throughout the song. Saying that it is bigger than hip-hop is saying how he isn't just saying these things to form a song. It isn't made up things just to make this song have a certain sound or feel. This is how his life really is. Hip-hop is just helping him express how he feels about the lifestyle that he lives.
ReplyDeleteI think Dead Prez is saying that the culture that makes up hip-hop is bigger than hip-hop itself. This culture is essentially the culture of black Americans, including their history and the social and political issues they're experiencing in real time. Hip-hop songs are basically created out of the dust of these issues, inspiring rappers to write lyrics about them. In this way, hip-hop culture really is bigger than hip-hop itself because it represents the culture of an entire population of people.
ReplyDelete"It" is referring to the movement that wants better rights for blacks. It entails how the areas the government is trying to help but nothing is working. It includes the fact that schools with predominant African Americans in metropolitan cities have "equal" schools with the suburban schools while they aren't equal at all. The "it" includes how blacks and white are "equal". But this song is saying that even today there are still prejudices and that African Americans are still at a disadvantage. It's bigger than hip-hop because it unifies everyone in the country and especially their race. They are calling for action to make a huge movement that would actually put whites and blacks at equal playing fields instead of having whites be more privileged in society.
ReplyDelete"It" in this song refers to Dead Prez's motivation for making music. Their motivation comes not only from their love for music, but also their want to spread awareness about how the system isn't working for poor black people. This is a common theme in a lot of rap. "It" can be different for different artists. Some may be motivated by money or fame, but Dead Prez is very upfront in expressing that they make music to make a difference. This is hinted at in their lyrics but made very obvious in their music video.
ReplyDeleteI think the "it" he is referring to is the abuse of power in today's government and the problems it causes especially for the lower class and the POC. There are a lot of references to poverty throughout the song and the need to rise up and change not only their financial status, but the status of the systems in place and the representation they get in the government. There is a lot of talk of rebellion and lots of protest being shown in the video trying to spread awareness of the broken system and motivate people to change it.
ReplyDeleteThe world is bigger than hip hop, and Dead Prez is saying that our values need to be greater than a genre of music. Our values must expand to the real issues in our world, because there are things occurring that matter more than music. The "it" is essentially the real world, and it's bigger than hip hop because making music has little value when there are people down the street homeless and starving. He's also saying that hip hop can be used as a platform to portray these issues and help try to change the world, instead of rapping about useless things that have little value to the people who are dealing with real issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's racial social injustice, it's the white man's money and the black man's poverty. It's welfare, it's war. A quote that stuck out to me in the video was "No peace without justice", so it's also an uprising. It's bigger than raps and rhymes, it's bigger than a lifestyle filled with girls with huge butts and money and chains. It's the lifestyle in the streets, it's the culture hip hop came from. It's the anger at the world that serves them no good, and the self defense against the inequality that still prevails. It's encompassing, and bigger than any chart topping Drake song could ever be.
ReplyDeleteThe it that Dead Prez is speaking of is the ideals of African Americans that have been pushed down and forgotten by the rest of society. The genre of hip-hop speaks about the oppression and pushing down of a race and people, but it is bigger than hip-hop. There are people that being killed, starved, left alone with nothing else because of the way culture is. It has to be addressed and changed and that is all Dead Prez is trying to say. It is a multitude of things: equality, acceptance, individuality, and even more. It is life. Not just a life that is miserable and living off of welfare, fighting for only basic rights, but a sustaining life, equal to others and safe altogether.
ReplyDeleteThe "it" that Dead Prez is referring to is most likely the african american community, and how they are objectified and assimilated with just hip-hop. In the music video, he refers to the power of money and how it supersedes everything else, while also using a white man to hold the money, suggesting past oppression and how those previous premonitions continue to hold the black culture and experience back. This song is a call and plea for society to change and accept this community and culture for what it really is.
ReplyDelete"It" is everything that surrounds the people that are involved in hip hop. It's their culture. It's the struggles they go through to make a life for themselves. It's bigger than hip hop, meaning the music has a purpose. The music represents the people and their hard times. Dead Prez mentions welfare, overwhelming police presence, and war a lot throughout this song. Hip hop isn't just something they do for fun, hip hop is a way to communicate the struggles of these people to the rest of the nation. It is also a way to unite those who are going through the same thing, in order to stand up against it. It's a song that calls for a type of revolution against cultural norms and standards.
ReplyDeleteDead Prez is saying that the problem of racial inequality and racial injustice is bigger than hip hop. It's like saying "this problem is bigger than you and me." When he's saying it's bigger than hip hop, he's talking about hip hop as a society. As a group of people. As people that need to band together to fight the social injustice. Social injustice and racial inequality definitely are bigger than hip hop, because they deal with the nation as a whole. The world as a whole. And it is something that needs to end. However, banding together and fighting against it, like Dead Prez suggests, is not what I see to be the best solution. Don't fight fire with fire.
ReplyDeleteThe "it" in "it's bigger than hip-hop" is referring to the overall revolution that is occurring in the African-American community. It is not just about the music being produced, it is about all of the social issues that they have to face including poverty and police brutality. Dead Prez is attempting to convey a message that blacks need to recognize the injustices they face and to rise against them. This video utilizes quotes under pictures of blacks to show what they have to deal with, and how they can change this.
ReplyDeleteI think the "it" is living life to the fullest, or maybe even equality. Throughout the video, people had signs that said things like, "we need change." I think hip hop is a way to express the need for equality and everyone being able to live a full life. Clearly, the artist felt that there is a big brother figure that is controlling people, and that the people need to rebel and change their situation. So yes, I do think the "it" is bigger than hip hop because equality can change people's lives more than hip hop itself.
ReplyDeleteThe "it" that Dead Prez talks about is the connections in music culture. Dead Prez talks about how all genres of music have the same underlying meaning, and that hip hop is not the only genre with a message. They want to convey the message that selling records and getting rich and famous isn't their goal, and that this is the same message that plenty of other artists in other genres spread as well.
ReplyDeleteDead Prez is addressing the unfair treatment of African Americans in lower socioeconomic classes by the government system. He mentions welfare problems and police injustice. He is saying hip-hop isnt just about making music, it is bigger than that, it is about proving a point and spreading awareness about the injustices.
ReplyDeleteI think the "it" that Dead Prez is describing is this sense of rebellion that hip-hop music creates. The images with the phrases "known the enemy" and "no surrender" help reinforce this rebellious theme and encourage people to stand against their oppressors. I think this idea of revolution that hip-hop music creates is bigger than the hip-hop genre itself because it can make the idea of rebellion appealing to people and influence their opinions on the government or other governing bodies.
ReplyDelete"It" is equality and having your voice heard. Hip-hop provides an outlet for expression that would be otherwise oppressed. Dead Prez says that Hip-hop is just a stepping stone for
ReplyDeleteAfrican-americans to claim the freedom and equality they deserve. "It" is about leveling the playing field for all regardless of race or values.