I Am Hip Hop

I would like to start out by saying that hip-hop is a culture, a lifestyle, a way of life and all that jazz. Defining hip hop according to Merriam Webster is probably the hardest thing you could ask me to do, so I won't. Hopefully this post will be a good enough definition.

I have been exposed to a lot of hip hop in my time. When I was a kid my mom used to make mixtapes with a number of songs that she had on 12 inch vinyl. Those were the days. When my mother was growing up she was really into The Commodores, The Emotions, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The Gap Band and Tina Marie. In addition to R&B, she also listened to gospel and rock music. Her eclectic musical style taught me to appreciate the art of music; for that I am grateful.

Here are some new artists that I have found over the last few weeks and I enjoy:

Outasight - you can download his mixtape From There To Here free at zshare. I did and I love it.

Big Sean is a lil dude that's working with Kanye and G.O.O.D. Music. I didn't like him at first but he's growing on me.

Mike Posner & The Brain Trust. I really just found this dude when I was looking up info on Big Sean because they did a song together. His single is pretty nice.

I'm cheating a little with this one but I thought I would take this chance to pub for an artist I was put on to a few months ago named Drake. This guy is real. He was flying under the radar for a while but with his recent tour stops with Lil Wayne people are starting to get hip. Any newcomer that can get on a track with my favorite rappers (UGK) is cool with me. Oh, he raps and sings too. Download his mixtape So Far Gone at Datpiff.

Bobby Ray, otherwise known as B.o.B. is one of my favorite new artists right now. I saw him and his band perform live at SxSW in Austin during Spring Break. Before they went on stage, I looked at the performance list like "who the heck is B.o.B.?" Turns out, I had heard them before and even had a song on my computer by him and just didn't know his name. I think this guy, Drake and Kid Cudi are the future of hip-hop.

Here are some new music videos I didn't have a chance to watch until now:

Amazing: Kanye West feat. Young Jeezy. The treatment for this video includes breathtaking images of nature.

Zion: I Geek to the Beat. Love this video - the treatment is this guy going through different areas of a house and seeing random images. Very nice.

The Cool Kids: Pennies. This video features the two rappers walking around a neighborhood rapping in random places like a laundromat. The pennies falling from the sky is the dopest thing I've seen in a while.

Magnificent: Rick Ross feat. John Legend. This video is about living the good life. Expensive cars, thoroughbred horses, mansions, champagne and beautiful women.

Day 'n' Nite: Kid Cudi. Shows Kid Cudi walking around having various hallucinations of cartoon images.

• The NBA is using Kanye West and Young Jeezy's Amazing for their playoff theme song. All of the commercials for the playoffs use this song with highlights from playoff basketball.
• Chevrolet used rapper T.I. as a spokesperson until he was found guilty on weapons charges. That was a really good ad campaign and it's unfortunate that he lost it. Check out his commercial with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at YouTube.

The elements of hip-hop don't just stop at rapping. It also includes, break dancing, dj'ing, beat boxing, and graffiti. This is where it started and is where it should always be in some way. Here is a video clip of hip hop legend KRS One speaking about hip hop with a new schooler:

• Hip Hop influences are in numerous forms of media today. Hip Hop has come a long way from the Breakin' days. Just this morning, Lil Wayne was on The View and I was floored.
• I'm addicted to online shopping, and one of my favorite sites is Karmaloop - a huge online sample sale dedicated to selling street clothing from various designers.

The representation of Hip Hop reminds me of the representation of black athletes in the media. You only hear good things about the really famous breakout stars, but when something negative occurs they are crucified no matter how famous they are. It's quite unfortunate that the media focuses on the negative influences of the music so much. The newer artists (Souljah Boy, Gucci Mane) that are really big right now on the radio are not even artists that I listen to as a true music lover. To me, their raps and videos are an embarrassment to the culture. But that's what the young people like, so it sells. Artists like Queen Latifah made songs and lead movements attempting to dispel the misrepresentation of ethnic women in the community and media but at that time it failed. Conscious rappers write songs about how we have to change the way people see hip hop. People buy the records but ignore the message. The bottom line is: hip hop is controversial and controversy sells. As long as we are attracted to what's real, people will continue to ignore the negativity in reality.

Local News

The seven consecutive days that I had to spend watching the news was torture and I'm glad that it's over. The local news in Oklahoma City is quite boring, so when there is a crime story, a big fuss is made over it. I didn't have the wonderful opportunity of seeing a news story that they interviewed people in the community over and that's the only fun part for me. I can at least get a laugh.

The crime stories that have been broadcast over the last seven days included bank robbery, high speed chases, shaken baby syndrome and murder. YES MURDER! But that one didn't happen here. I used this assignment as an opportunity to watch news channels that I don't normally tune in to, and their recent broadcasts only reinforced my bad attitude toward their bias.

I personally feel that Channel 4 news (whatever their letters are) is the most boring and conservative news in the state of Oklahoma. I stopped watching them years ago mostly because of the boring weather man, but also because the station's delivery seemed very close-minded. This station consistently sends their one black reporter to cover stories in black neighborhoods. The channel 4 website is dry too.

Channel 9 news is better, but not so much. Since they are directly linked with the Oklahoman, our conservative newspaper, their delivery has it's typical wholesome values bias as well. Their newsroom has become more diverse over the years. The station recently took on two minority reporters and they now have a total of four - that I never see. They still send their black reporters to cover stories related to black people - mostly crime.

The only news station that can hold my attention for an entire broadcast is KOCO 5 news. They seem to be the least close-minded on topics that are controversial in nature. The few shows that I watched this week were reported well and I did not noticed any stereotypes in the reporting. This may be due to their largely diverse news team and executive staff. The crime stories that were covered seemed fairly accurate and provided all the information that I looked for as a community member trying to hear the news.

This experience was turned out to be what I expected. There were not too many surprises that I got as a person who doesn't watch much local news. I still have my cynical attitude toward it though.

This is Why I don't Watch the News

I would like to believe that what is happening determines the news and that the media officials set the agenda. But if this was true then we would hear more about issues that are important to us and really affect our community right? In a perfect world. I was doing my online news scan today and I noticed that for several hours there was a live stream of a funeral for a police officer in Oakland. Now I didn't do much research into what happened to him, and I honestly didn't because I don't really care. I didn't go to CNN for the obituaries. I wanted news. Sue me. When I heard about the kid that was killed by police on the BART in Oakland a few months ago and I wanted information on that I sure didn't get it from Cable News Network.

We need a media that specifically represents the interests of people of color because the majority of the time we are ignored in the media. Until we do something wrong. Then it's front-page news. If minority interests, news and accomplishments are broadcast regularly, the majority won't automatically peg us as criminals. The University of Oklahoma alone has a number of people who never saw a minority face until they set foot on this campus. If all these young kids know about Blacks and Hispanics is that they rob and steal, it's because of the media outlets that they have been exposed to. Minority interests are not necessarily everybody's interests, but it's interesting...

When media initially reported the war, it was presented to us as a way to fight back against terrorist attacks. The administration distributed it, the media played the retailer and most of America (the consumer) bought it. I say most of America because, as Santita Jackson said, "African Americans overwhelmingly felt this was a horrible idea." I never understood how people (especially journalists) could undeniably accept the fact that our country was going to go to war without being completely informed. Well, I didn't understand until I watched "Buying the War." I personally pride myself on being an informed consumer, as well as voter, but that's a different blog topic.

As far as recent social protests, the media has covered Jenna Six and the Proposition Eight issues. One of which I learned about from a blog, the other I learned about on Good Morning America. I'll give you two guesses on how that went down in my living room. I can't complain too much about the lack of media coverage on these issues though. I guess when millions of people started making a fuss they showed up with cameras right? In these two social movements the mainstream news media weren't really needed to bring a voice to the cause. We currently have the power to create a buzz about an issue across the world with this little tool we have called the Internet. The media was beneficial during the Civil Rights Movement though. If there were not cameras around to broadcast to the world the type of social injustices blacks suffered during that time, it would have taken twice as long to win that fight.

Unfortunately, the only minority news coverage that we can count on is that of our bi-racial president. Who, by the way, is not going to be the end of all racial disparities in the United States. Check out this news story about the Urban League and the Big O that I found interesting:

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_7731/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=4sniAmx4

....and to be even further educated:

http://www.nul.org/thestateofblackamerica.html

Just in case you didn't already know.

Racial and Gendered Stereotypes Pt. 1

Wednesday 2-18-09, 10:30 pm
Nypost.com
New York Post Page Six Cartoon
Racial Stereotype
NY Post cartoonist Sean Delonas portrays President Obama as a monkey with a caption he put in one of his cartoons.

Thursday 2-19-09, 10:15 pm
Bravo
Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion Episode
Gender Stereotype
One of the housewives’ says “hold on to your daddies, Gretchen’s coming.” She is the cast member that is considered the gold-digger.

Monday 2-23-09, 11:00 pm
ABC.com
Sitcom: Desperate Housewives
Gender Stereotype
Susan, single mother, plays the jealous ex-wife/baby mama role.

Wednesday 2-25-09, 10:00 pm
Warren Theatre, Moore
Film: Friday the 13th
Racial Stereotype
Single black cast member playing the “angry black male” role.

Wednesday 2-25-09 10:31 pm
Facebook
Note: 100 Things Black Women Hate About Black Men
Racial Stereotype
The title explains it all, even I was offended reading this.

Thursday 2-26-09, 1:45 pm
Nypost.com/entertainment
New York Post article: Plan B
Gender Stereotype
Article features a picture of a woman daydreaming in her office. Captioned picture is of an old white man with a lot of cash in his hand. The lead states that Courtney Beard’s plan B is to get a “boob” job if she loses her current real estate job. This “boob job” is actually one in a nursing home for old rich men.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02262009/entertainment/plan_b_156923.htm

Thursday 2-26-09 10:10 pm
News 9
Commercial for morning news
Gender Stereotype
Anchor states in headlines for morning news that some roller derby “babes” will be in town.

Thursday 2-26-09, 10:40 pm
Fox
TMZ
Gender stereotype
Reporter spotted Sophia Loren leaving a restaurant and says “Sophia Loren is still rocking the cleavage at 74.”

Friday 2-27-09 4:10 pm
AT&T Store
Racial Stereotype
One of my co-workers thought it was funny to assume to her clients that I was not a fan of country music when they asked about Hank Williams Jr. ringtones.

Friday 2-27-09 7:00 PM
AT&T STORE
Racial Stereotype
Another one of my co-workers made a reference to not liking Kanye West because he was obsessed with being “the oppressed black man” or something like that. This comment was made as we were looking at pictures online from fashion week.

Racist?

This is a cartoon that was published in today's New York Post. It's supposed to make light of the monkey that was recently shot by police. If a media outlet of this caliber is publishing something of this nature they need to reevaluate some things. Shaking my damn head, they know they are wrong. Thoughts?

Big XII Race-Based Admissions

Baylor - Does not have a race-based admissions policy

Iowa State - Does not have a race-based admissions policy

Oklahoma State - Does not have a race-based admissions policy

OU - The University of Oklahoma does not practice race-based admissions. The lady at the admissions office sounded offended when I asked her and she replied "no we never have based it on that."

KU - Does not have a race-based admissions policy

Mizzou - Does not have a race-based admissions policy

My Thoughts on Privilege

I think that privilege is a very old concept that is dying - maybe not quite dying but it is disguised in various ways. A few decades ago the idea of privilege was more evident. It was talked about more amongst friends and more prominent in the work place, communities and in the media. Many of us don't think about privilege anymore because we don't have as many experiences as our parents or grandparents did to reference. I personally don't think I would know as much about privilege if I wasn't taught by my grandmother; who was a civil rights activist. This is mainly because our generation didn't have to worry about things like segregation every single day. Privilege is not a topic that is brought up in school or at the dinner table anymore. But that doesn't mean that it does not still exist. Watching the Tim Wise video and hearing the examples that he gave made me realize how privilege is disguised today.

I am currently having an issue with figuring out why I don't see privilege personally. I can't figure out how it became disguised to me. Some say that not seeing privilege is a form of privilege. I agree with this largely, except for when it comes to me. I feel that I have worked hard for everything that I have accomplished in my life. I have always held a great job, I have received a number of scholarships, I have been given awards and rewards and held numerous leadership positions. I don't think that this is a privilege - it is the result of hard work and dedication. Now that I have typed this out and gone over it in my head I am realizing that I probably had to work twice as hard as the individuals that have accomplished the same things that I have.

The media examples that I have seen display privilege are white males holding all of the late night network talk-show host positions. I do think that society still believes in the one-drop rule. Mostly because if you have one drop of African blood in you, it shows, and you are immediately put in a box.

I agree that it is our responsibility to stay informed about things and build knowledge everyday. I feel that it is important for us to pass on this knowledge to our children and everyone else we come in contact with. This is the only way we are going to change stereotypes and other common misconceptions about the world.