2/16

Rap,Culture,&God
02/16/12


Rakim " when I b on tha mic"
In hip hop circles think of him as best lyricist

Boasting as a tradition of hip hop
Battles


Durham.. Hiphop minor
Francophile project
Big presentation next fall..

Playful use of Language
------->
-Signifying:

A. Language of trickery, satire, and irony...

Irony: the apparent, literal meaning is different than the actual, deeper meaning... Like "he's signifying" as in saying something that isn't obvious.

Satire: humorous criticism

B. boasts, insults, berating another person, bragging characteristics
---toasts: narrative poem, often as a boast
---dozens: the game of insults often about one's mama

Signifying monkey book:
Monkey,elephant,and a lion
Lion, considered king of jungle
Elephant, majestic
Monkey, the weaker powerless position... He uses language to trick, deceive, and challenge his condition of powerlessness

Slave masters being in position of lion elephant with power...
Monkey using language to combat inequity

Signifying: "Their verse were their own and abounding in hidden satires intended for unkind masters"


H. Rap Brown:
Secular street poet... He is the Closest analogy to hip hop


Langston Hughes:
Great African American poet
Playing on the tradition of your mama jokes


Mohammad Ali:
Analogy of hip hop poetry likened to boxing... Possible explaination why man predominant hip hop... It's a violent poetry

Get used to me so what me name fool
Chuck d riffing on the human condition