Afam. 2 Rap v Rnb - The Black Narrative.clarke

8/18/2019 Afam. 2 Rap v Rnb - The Black Narrative.clarke

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C L A R K E | 1

NANDI A. CLARKE

AIMEE COX

BLACK POPULAR CULTURE

OCTOBER 28.2014

MODERN R AP: THE BLACK NARRATIVE

Music cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach if it were

left to itself. –– Henry Ward Beecher

There has been one ons!an! !hro"#ho"! $ea$es o% rh&!h'( )ro#ress(on* (+(,(ans an$

!he(r a!!ah'en! !o !he )er%or'(n# ar!s- 'a(n,& (n re%erene !o '"s(. M"s(* as an ar! %or' has

!ransen$e$ #enera!(ons an$ has s!(,, 'ana#e$ !o 'a(n!a(n a ,o%!& ),ae (n 'an& hear!s. The

reason(n# %or !h(s (s 'os! ,(e,& $"e !o !he 'ean(n# beh(n$ !he '"s(. The reason !ha! !he '"s(

(s s!(,, re,e+an! (n !h(s $a& an$ a#e (s $"e !o !he %a! !ha! !here /(,, a,/a&s be a $es(re* ra!her nee$

!o %(n$ an o"!,e! (n /h(h !o e)ress ones e'o!(ons or ,(%e. Mean(n# /(!h(n '"s(3 (s $ra/(n#

%ro' !he ,(s!eners )erson eno&'en! o% sa($ )(ee* eno&'en! rea!e$ %ro' !he(r )ersona,

e)er(enes* an$ !he a,!o#e!her %ee,(n# !ha! (s bro"#h! on b& !he o'b(na!(on o% !he 'e,o$& an$

,&r(a, on!en!. Eno&'en! o% !he '"s( 'a& a,so s!e' %ro' ones no/,e$#e o% (!s h(s!or(a,

on!e! 5(% !here (s one6. Thro"#ho"! !he &ears* '"s( an$ )er%or'ane ar! )er!a(n(n# !o

'"s((ans an$ !he ar! o% ),a&(n# an (ns!r"'en!3 has been an ar! %or'* a))re(a!e$ an$ e'),o&e$

b& 'os! raes* !ho"#h one s)e(%( #enre has beo'e ra!her )re+a,en!- ra) 5s!ereo!&)(a,,& !he

'"s( o% !he ne#ro6. A,, $er(+(n# %ro' !ra$(!(ona, b,"es '"s( 5or(#(na,,& s)a/ne$ b& !he /or

son#s o% !he s,a+es6* (! (s a )e",(ar e)er('en! !o s(%! !hro"#h !he ,&r(s o% !o$a&s 'o$ern '"s(

an$ $e()her /h(h one o% !he a%ore'en!(one$ #enres has !he 'os! s(#n(%(an! 'ean(n#s /(!h(n

(!s ,&r(a, on!en!. As an an!hro)o,o#(s! o% sor!s* ")on ana,&7(n# ,&r(s* (! sha,, be $e!er'(ne$

/h(h #enre 'os! a"ra!e,& en+e,o)es !he b,a narra!(+e be!!er. Tho"#h !he /a& (n /h(h !he

'essa#e has been ar!(",a!e$ !hro"#ho"! !he &ears has han#e$ s(#n(%(an!,&* one one (s ab,e #e!


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C L A R K E | 2

)as! !he eess(+e "se o% e),e!(+es* ra) s!(,, re)resen!s !he 'os! a"ra!e +ers(ons o% n"'ero"s

b,a narra!(+es.

Tho"#h on,& re%err(n# !o !/o a! !he 'o'en!* !he 'aor(!& o% a,, '"s(a, #enres ha+e been

(n%,"ene b& !he or(#(na, b,"es '"s(* o(ne$ b& !he %(rs! A%r(an s,a+es !ha! /ere bro"#h! !o

A'er(a* !ho"#h !he& be#an as /orson#s. A !ra$(!(ona, one)! /h(h has ,en! a han$ (n bo!h

'o$ern Ra) an$ R9B (s !he nee$ !o )or!ra& an ('a#e or a narra!(+e. :('(,ar,&* !he one)! o% !he

rh&!h'( bea!s be(n# !he base,(ne %or s)eeh a,so ha+e !he(r roo!s (n b,"es* !ho"#h no '"s(a, ar!

o% !o$a&s a#e o",$ )oss(b,& 'a!h !he )re(s(on /(!h /h(h A%r(ans ra%!e$ !he(r or(#(na,s

;/or son#s40s. Bo!h #enres

or(#(na,,& share$ !he sa'e ,&r(a, one)!* as bo!h 5or(#(na!e$ %ro' o,ors se!ors6- !he '"s(

'"s! ha+e 'ean(n#. I! (s (')or!an! !o "n$ers!an$ !ha! !he rea!(ons o% !hese #enres )re$a!e !he

'ere rea!(on o% '"s( %or (!s so,e )"r)ose o% "!(,(!&. A'(r( Baraa 5)re+(o"s,& Lero( ?ones6

%"r!her e),a(ns !h(s !heor& !hro"#h o')ar(son o% !he A%r(an '"s( +ers"s !ha! o% !he @es! (n

h(s no+e,* Blue People* he s!a!es !ha! (! A%r(an '"s(3 /as ;$(%%eren! %ro' @es!ern '"s( (n

!ha! /as a )"re,& %"n!(ona, '"s(.< 5286 The sa'e 'a& be sa($ %or Ra)* as (! ser+e$ as an o"!,e!

(n /h(h b,as o",$ %ree,& e)ress !he(r sorro/s an$ s!r"##,es (n an ar!(",a!e /a& (n /h(h !he

#enera, )"b,( o",$ onne! !o an$ s!(,, )ro+($e a s"b,('(na, res)onse !o so(e!&.


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C L A R K E | 3

Ra)* as (! or(#(na,,& /as* (s s!(,, 'a(n,& !he '"s( o% !he ne#ro. Thro"#ho"! n"'ero"s

#enero"s* !he essene has 'a(n!a(ne$ (! sha)e* !ho"#h ar!(",a!e$ (n $(%%eren! 'anners. Ra)*

ra!her son# (n #enera,* sho",$ be ,(ene$ !o a shor! s!or&- (! sho",$ ha+e a ),o!* b"! 'a(n,& a

)"r)ose !he son# sho",$ !e,, a s!or& o% so'e (')or!ane. There (s a )ere)!(on o% ne/ ra)

on!a(n(n# no e!h(a, 'ean(n# $"e !o 'an& )oser ,a('(n# !o rea!e so'e!h(n# o% !he ar! %or'*

!h(s (s (norre!. There are 'an& ra))ers /ho ha+e ne+er %or#o!!en !he(r h(s!or& an$ s!(,,

ons!an!,& see !o e)ose so(e!a, %,a/s /(!h(n !he(r ,&r(s. Co''on* /ho )er%or'e$ a son# (n

honor o% Tre&+on Mar!(n a! !h(s &ears )as! BET A/ar$s* (s an ea'),e o% sa($ ar!(s!. In h(s son#

M(s"n$ers!oo$* he )ro+($es a ra(a, narra!(+e o% !he s!r"##,e o% ,(%e (n !he hoo$s* eho(n# !h(s

one)! o% !hose /(!h(n !h(s ",!"re be(n# '(s"n$ers!oo$-

”Misunderstood, don't,We do this for the people that wal! that path"

#on't let me $e misunderstood, don't

%ryna get to their dream, yeah"

He stood on the corner with the rest of them%hough he !new that this corner wasn't the $est

of him

Hard streets and a life that crested him

#irt police domestic $eefs that's festerin

The '(sone)!(on !ha! !hese so(a, (ne="a,(!(es ('),(a!e$ here are ,os! on ne/ #enera!(on (s

a,so ano!her %a!or s"))or!(n# %"n!(ona,(!& o% ra)* !ho"#h 'o$ern ra) re="(res !he ab(,(!& !o rea$

be!/een !he ,(nes. E+en !hro"#h h(s eess(+e "se o% !he /or$ nigga* Bobb& :h'"r$a 5a 'o$ern

ra) ar!(s!6 !o"hes on !he (ss"es o% #"n +(o,ene an$ P()e,(ne :&s!e' /(!h(n b,a

ne(#hborhoo$s* on!(n"o"s,& 'en!(one$ %or er!a(n 'e'ber o% h(s re/ !o be %ree$.

&i!e tal! to (hyste when shot niggas

&i!e you seen 'em twirl then he drop, nigga

)nd we !eep them nine millis on my $loc!,

nigga*

+ree ree-y though, let all of my dogs out

*%hat's what got my daddy loc!ed up in the

dog pound

*un up on that nigga get to s/uee-ing, hoe

01ery$ody catching $ullet holes*

Th(s re'a(n(n# r",e o% ra) $oesn! see' !o ha+e !rans%erre$ /(!h R9B o+er !he #enera!(ons.


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C L A R K E | 4

Rh&!h' n B,"es has !rans(!(one$ %ro' a ser(o"s na!"re o% )or!ra&(n# ones s!r"##,es (n!o

!ha! o% a sens"a, na!"re. The 'aor(!& o% !o$a&s RnB )er!a(ns !o !he $e%,o/er(n# o% a %e'a,e

s('),& e),((! re%erenes !o arna, no/,e$#e an$ a$",!er&. One o% 'ore reen! ea'),es o% !h(s

(n$ o% '"s( (s e+($en! (n ?ere'(hs #on2t %ell 0m-

Th(s s('(,ar,& '(rrors R. Ke,,&s )re+(o"s %as(na!(on /(!h !he %e'a,e bo$& (n h(s son# gnition*

b,a!an!,& ha+(n# no o!her )"r)ose %or (!s rea!(on !han !o $e!a(, se"a, $(sre!(ons-


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I! (s "n,ear as !o /here !he $(s)ar(!& be!/een !he or(#(na, one)!s r",(n# !he ar! o% rea!(n# a

)(ee o% R9B. The ans/er !o !h(s ="es!(on (n a,, hones!& (s no! as re,e+an! as !he !('e,(ne (n

/h(h one o",$ on,& ho)e !he obsen(!& seen (n !o$a&s '"s( $(sa))ear.

The $e!er(ora!(on o% !he )re(s(on o% bo!h #enres ,&r(a, on!en! s)eas ,ess o% !he '"s(a,

ar!(s! !he'se,+es an$ 'ore o% so(e!& as a /ho,e. I! (s (')or!an! !o "n$ers!an$ !ha! !he no/a$a&s*

)er%or'(n# ar!(s!s 5s!a!e$ (n !h(s sense !o e')has(7e !he %a! !ha! !he !(!,e (n (!s essene has no/

beo'e an o")a!(on6 '"s! a!er !o a s)e(%( $e'o#ra)h( (n or$er %or !he(r /or !o be

re,e+an!. In !h(s sense* so(e!a, %,a/s are !o b,a'e %or !he )ar!(a, $e!er(ora!(on* !ho"#h (! (s a,so

!he reason !ha! ra) s!(,, 'a(n!a(ne$ (! (')ar!(a,(!& /hen re#ar$(n# rae. Tho"#h !he !o)( o% se

see's !o a))ea, !o a ne/er 'ore se"a,,& a/are #enera!(on* !he (ss"es a!!r(b"!e$ !o rae ne+er

rea,,& %ae* as (! )er)e!"a!e$ $a(,& /(!h(n !he ne/s* ons!an!,& $e!a(,(n# !he ho'(($e o% &o"n#

b,a 'en an$ /o'en.

Afam. 2 Rap v Rnb - The Black Narrative.clarke

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Transcript of Afam. 2 Rap v Rnb - The Black Narrative.clarke