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African American Music Movements
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This paper discusses three African American music movements in the twentieth century and how ...... More...
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Paper Abstract:
This paper discusses three African American music movements in the twentieth century and how they reflect a form of protest and acticism related to the race struggle in U.S. society. The Rhythm and Blues, Motown experience, and Gangsta Rap are the three musical movements used in the analysis.
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African American Music Movements Introduction During slavery one of the few forms of expression for AfricanAmericans was singing whether spiritual songs or others In the twentiethcentury African American historical movements in music unfolded toencompass other forms of expression Despite the Civil Rights movement ofthe s and s the racial struggle continued throughout the twentiethcentury as African Americans continued to be underserved by socialinstitutions From Rhythm and Blues and the Motown Sound in the s andbeyond to Gangsta Rap in the s various
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Gangsta Rap is probably one of the most virulent and blunt forms ofpolitical expression ever rendered in music. Conclusion In conclusion, it is readily apparent that Rhythm and Blues, theMotown experience and Gangsta Rap movement all served to help provide avoice and expression of African American concerns related to the racestruggle. in "Letter FromBirmingham Jail" in which he expresses his frustration with local blackclergymen who seem to appease whites at the expense of black freedom.Simone's fierce delivery and the lyrics of Mississippi Goddam capture thissentiment, "Oh, this whole country's full of lies, / Y'all gonna die anddie like flies, / I don't trust you anymore, / When you keep saying', 'Goslow, go slow'... society. Gangsta Rap was powerfully driven by loud base rhythms and purposefullyreflected an in-your-face sound and lyrics. As Ward (296)explains, "The Movement's own reluctance to use Rhythm and Blues and itsartists in any systematic way partially accounted for their generally lowprofile in the civil rights activities of the early 196 s." During the 198 s, a backlash against social welfare and dramaticcuts in social welfare funding by the Reagan Administration witnessed anincreasing gap between rich and poor and a growing gulf between black andwhite that would culminate in the race riots in Los Angeles in the early199 s. Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class. Washington. By the 198 s, Gangsta Rap would emerge as a form of expression thatout-warriored the warrior nature of Simone's rhythm and blues in the 196 s. Berkeley, CA: Univ. The black Americans and revolutionaries of the Civil Rights movementand different musical movements influenced those in other nations to fightfor freedom and the end to oppression. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. As Ward (293)suggests, "few actually gave much consideration to whether, let aloneprecisely how, Rhythm and Blues might be used as, in Snellings' phrase, a'political weapon.'" Ultimately, however, the Civil Rights Movementleaders chose other forms of musical expression like freedom songs andgrassroots southern music to help promote the cause, being averse to usingRhythm and Blues to help promote the issues of Civil Rights. of California Press, 1998. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. and Motown's success stemmed from decades ofAfrican American economic self-help in Detroit, a movement that by the endof 1963 was "a centerpiece of black nationalist thought" (Smith 55). Constraints on African Americans prior to the196 s prevented powerful expression of political, ideological or otherforms of protest in mainstream forms of expression. With inner cities dilapidatedand overrun with violence, drugs and crime, Gangsta Rap rejected Americanvalues and, indeed, America itself that offered no place or opportunitiesfor African Americans. As Kelley (183) explains, "In ways that we do noteasily or willingly define, the gangster speaks for us, expressing thatpart of the American psyche which rejects the qualities and the demands ofmodern life, which rejects 'Americanism' itself." Feelings that beingsuccessful as a gangster or in crime was a better, if riskier, opportunitythan taking a minimum wage go nowhere job, many African Americans duringthe 198 s reflected this brand of psyche. Brian Ward (293) notes that "most civil rights workersappreciated the formidable power of black secular and sacred musics in theblack community," but other forms of music also served as a form ofexpression and political tool for African Americans in the twentiethcentury. Singers like Nina Simone characterizesthe "warrior" spirit of a people fighting for equality, justice and freedom(Ward 3 2). / I can't fuck with 'em overseas / My homeboy died overkee's [kilos of cocaine]" (Kelley 212). "Fear of a Black Nation: Local Rappers, Transnational Crossings, and State Power in Contemporary Cuba." Anthropological Quarterly, 76(4), Autumn 2 3, 575-6 8.Gayle, Addison, Jr. Similar to the Motown experience, today's black musicfocuses on love, romance, gender relations and other aspects of existencethat are not especially related to the race struggle. Where the Motown experience is concerned, not only did the economicsuccess and self-sufficiency of Motown related to decades of advocacy forblack economic development by individuals no less important to AfricanAmerican culture than Booker T. Disconnectedfrom Africa and America, Gangsta Rap expressed the frustration, anger andpower of African Americans rejecting contemporary political, economic andsocial conditions. Simone's songs were not just rhythm and blues numbers thatappealed to music lovers. press, 1999.Ward, Brian. The Black Aesthetic. Clearly,the Motown experience demonstrates the outcome of decades of politicalorganizations advocating for African American economic development, assurely as Gangsta Rap emerged in the wake of government policies thatdisenfranchised millions of African Americans. As equality amongthe races begins to become more of a reality than idealism, AfricanAmerican music is able to focus on the concerns of life all human beingsface instead of having to focus on political expressions to promote socialjustice.Works CitedCovin, David. This analysis will discuss the Rhythm and Blues, Motown, andGangsta Rap movements to show that African American music movements play arole of giving expression to what has been an historically marginalized andoppressed group in American society. Even so, the recent victoryor Barack Obama in securing the Democratic presidential nominationdemonstrates that there are few, if any, positions of power in Americansociety not accessible to African Americans. In the twentiethcentury, African American historical movements in music unfolded toencompass other forms of expression. Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness, and Race Relations. They were protest songs that made no bones aboutbeing such. New York: The Free Press, 1994.Labinjoh, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Today's African Americanmusic still includes rap but it has evolved into the Hip Hop movement thatblends mainstream and African American concerns more than Gangsta Rap orRhythm and Blues. 81599 African American Music Movements Introduction During slavery, one of the few forms of expression for AfricanAmericans was singing, whether spiritual songs or others. "The Role of Culture in Brazil's Unified Black Movement, Bahia in 1992." Journal of Black Studies, 27(1), September 1996, 39- 55.Fernandez, Sujatha. / Do things gradually and bring more tragedy" (Ward 3 1). Body Despite the Civil Rights movement of the 196 s, African Americanshave fought to promote greater equality among the races since that time.Despite the Civil Rights Act and progress for many African Americans since,African Americans still lag behind their white counterparts in terms ofeducational achievement, income, and advancement to the highest positionsof power in U.S. Washington, but it also helped forge a newera in race relations as numerous black artists became popular withmainstream music lovers. A conclusion will address thecontemporary race struggle and the role of music in it. As the lyrics from Ice Cube's "Endangered Species" go,"You want to free Africa, / I'll star at ya' / Cause we ain't got it toogood in America. From Smokie Robinson and the Miracles to DianaRoss and the Supremes, Motown music dominated the airwaves during the 196 sand, in fact, the Motown Sound characterizes this period in Americanhistory and culture as much as any other icon or movement of the time.Responsible for helping make many African Americans economicallyindependent and accepted by mainstream culture, Motown stemmed from BarryGordy Sr.'s struggles and beliefs in the principles for African Americanupward mobility offered by Booker T. As Smith (65) writes, "ToPop Gordy, the Booker T Washington Grocery Store was both a business and aliving testament to its namesake's philosophy that hard, and often menial,work were the stepping stones to financial success." Gayle (123) notes that "music makes an image." Ultimately, Rhythmand Blues music became a part of the Civil Rights movement and blackprotest and activism of the 196 s. Mississippi Goddam is one example of this, and it also alignswith the sentiments expressed by Martin Luther King Jr. Emotional power and presence inrap are profoundly linked to sonic force and one's receptivity to it." Inthis manner, Gangsta Rap powerfully expressed dissatisfaction with Americanvalues and urban life in postindustrial American society. Where the Rhythm and Blues movement was concerned, prior to the196 s African Americans were not empowered to reflect real political orother concerns in music. From Rhythm and Blues and the Motown Sound in the 196 s andbeyond to Gangsta Rap in the 198 s, various musical movements played a rolein expressing the African American voice and issues related to the racialstruggle. Rap's distinctive heavy-base, enveloping sound does not restoutside of its musical and social power. As Suzanne E. Labinjoh (119) maintains that the"immediate setting for [the black politics of] revolution and for theshaping of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's consciousness was the United States, andthe immediate revolutionaries were Black Americans." As American culturecannot be disassociated from the Rhythm and Blues, Motown and Gangsta Rapmovements and music, so culture is significant in an "assessment of thepolitical organizations of African peoples at large" (Covin 39). More empowered andpositive in expression, today's Hip Hop artists typically offer a positivemessage of hope and achievement that reflects the increasing numbers ofsuccessful African Americans in contemporary society. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1994.Smith, Suzanne E. Despite the Civil Rights movement ofthe 195 s and 196 s, the racial struggle continued throughout the twentiethcentury as African Americans continued to be underserved by socialinstitutions. In contemporary society, racism is not overtly condoned ortolerated though there is still a way to go before the uneven playing fieldbetween whites and African Americans is level. During the 195 s and 196 s, the Motownexperience was significant not only for its expression of African Americanconcerns through music but also because it represented the kind of self-rule and economic independence advocated by Malcolm X as being essential toAfrican American freedom and autonomy. Smith (55) writes,"Motown's prosperity as a black-owned business achieve many of the economicobjectives of black nationalism espoused by leaders such as Malcolm X."Even so, Berry Gordy Jr. Tricia Rose' (63) discussionof her exchange with an ethnomusicology professor shows this powerful forcein music offended many who did not recognize that the power and drive ofthe music was a purposeful method of expression, "His dismissive questionis a productive point of entry into understanding rap's sonic power andpresence. New York: Doubleday 7 Company, 1972.Kelley, Robin D.G. "Protest Music and Social Processes in Nigeria." Journal of Black Studies, 13(1), September 1982, 119-135.Rose, Tricia. Dancing in the Street: Motown and the Cultural Politics of Detroit.
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