What's the Joint?

The Grey Album is a mashup of Jay-Z’s The Black Album and the Beatles’s The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album. After its release in 2004, this album sparked a lot of controversy regarding legality and creativity. Jay-Z released his album a cappella, with the intensions of fans to use their own creativity and interpret the beats on their own. The album is not a complete mashup of these two albums, but rather sampling The Beatles melodies and lyrics, and layering them underneath Jay-Z’s raps. In my opinion, DangerMouse created something completely unprecedented with this album. However, this does not mean the two albums fit or work together seamlessly. Yes, it was a creative experiment and can be considered art in a way. But the two completely different artists should not be combined as heavily as they were. 

Many pop, hip hop, and rap artists have created alter egos that occasionally perform on stage or in songs rather than the artists themselves. These personalities may make an appearance in a song, conflicting with the actual artist, in music videos, or during concerts. This alter egos exist as a completely different entity, although still containing some part of the artists within them. They can act as an escape from reality, or who they are as a person. They can provide an escape from criticism or their past, and as a creative outlet in a way they cannot as their regular person. Although these alter egos and personalities may seem strange and all over the place, they offer self expression which is very important to artists in general.

Minaj is said to have the best verse in the song. This is quite an impressive thing to say as the song also feature Rick Ross and Jay-Z, two very popular male rappers. The fact that Nicki Minaj is a female rapper who has such an extreme fan base and following, with so much influence in the industry is unprecedented. It is also interesting in the music video, during Minaj’s verse, two of her alter egos appear. One is apparently kidnapped and tied to a chair, while the other sings about killing her. The two converse with each other, and both mention “Nicki” and relay it back to their original “creator.”

J Dilla sampled several artists in songs through Donuts. Some are extremely prominent while others take a little bit more focus to point out. Samples include 100cc’s Johnny Don’t Do It, Eddie Kendrick’s People Hold On, and The Sylvers’ Only One Can Win. Even more samples exist on different tracks. Although J Dilla did not use many of his own original ideas, I think this can still be considered music. He is using these samples in different and unique ways than originally done and intended, making new art. It is his interpretation of these phrases and lyrics, just as many artists have interpreted famous paintings in their own way.  

Kanye West has been a hip hop and rap icon for many years. His success can be attributed to his ability to create meaningful, yet different lyrics for every song on each album. Each of his albums has its own personality, theme, and sound. Additionally, it is impressive that West has created new sounds and themes for each of his seven albums. This keeps listeners wanting more and expecting new music each time he releases music. It keeps his entire artistry fresh and trendy. Rolling Stone magazine said, “This is a messy album that feels like it was made that way on purpose, after the laser-sharp intensity of Yeezus.” They also analyzed West’s lyrical content and noticed a pattern of him identifying himself in different social roles: a son, father, husband, and an apparent “phony.” This album is a true look into the life of Kanye West from many different points of view. It is no surprise that this album has raced to the top of the charts, as it appeals to so many listeners. 

This rap group’s unique sound and lyrical content made them stand out amongst the crowd. In general, their songs are not as harsh to listen to and are not as angry. The gangster culture that was so popular with other rappers is not in the forefront with ATCQ, which may make them more appealing to some. 

In the recent rap industry, Kanye West often includes religious themes in his music. “I Gotta Testify” is West’s second studio released album and lyrics consistently make reference to his religious foundations and beliefs. This makes West and his music more relatable, and could be inspirational to people for reawakening their beliefs in some sort of religion. However, for some rap artists it is very ironic that they include religious references in their lyrics. After many songs discussing the drugs, alcohol, and endless parties that seem to come along with fame, it may make the artist less credible and look hypocritical when including a positive religious reference. 

There are many different types of censorship that radio or TV stations use. Bleeping a word out is typically used with speeches or interviews. Blanking involves cutting the audio for part or all of a word. Re-sampling and re-singing are extremely popular on the radio, as artists and radio stations both want the music to be cohesive rather than having blank spaces. Although arguments were used in the past, foul language does not “encourage” violent behavior...it is just unpleasant to hear. However, lyrics encouraging domestic violence and abuse, as well as encouraging alcohol and drug use should be censored, because it trivializes the severity of these situations and habits. 

The irony that Ice-T is a regular cast member of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit after releasing “Cop Killer” is endless. Maybe it was a public relations and image stance? He went from releasing an incredibly offensive song about killing law enforcement to playing a character who works in law enforcement. This is completely unethical on Ice-T’s and the TV station’s part. It is also disrespectful to law enforcement everywhere. This makes people have the impression that they can say whatever they want about law enforcement, and practically get rewarded for it. The issue with law enforcement and racial discrimination is ongoing, however radical and distasteful lyrical content is not condonable. 

I can imagine some original rap artists were very upset about this, as their hard work and self expression was cut short. They truly expressed what they felt, put their feelings and emotions out there, and were not taken seriously. The rappers that tried to push and pull societal norm by raising awareness for social change, were shot down by industry professionals. This situation in itself is a prime example of the necessary social change. 

It is interesting to consider how rap music has changed over time. Rap lyrics are accompanied by beats, however they are electronic rather than percussion or guitar. In my opinion, RUN-DMC and Beastie Boys are more similar to the rock gods of the late-1960s. This is because the current society guitar is primarily associated with rock, alternative, indie, and folk music rather than rap. When I listen to RUN-DMC music, I do not consider it “rap” music, even though technically it is in music history. The theme of Fresh Prince can be thought of in the same way, even though it differs slightly. 

The fact that Meek Mill directly mentions several aspects of Drake’s signature styles, shows that he is not intimidated (although he should be) by Drake’s influence and popularity. This coincides with the structure of gangs: a younger member questions the authority of an older, more established member. This strategy is used to get other members of the gang (or in this case, Drake’s fans) to lose respect for the leader. Furthermore, this allows the new member (rapper) to gain popularity and respect. Unfortunately for Meek Mill, Drake absolutely destroyed any chance of this potential respect with “Back to Back.”

“I’ll Take Your Radio” by Steady B critiqued LL Cool J’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio.” Steady B name drops LL Cool J within the first 30 seconds, furthering the tension behind this song. He apologizes to Cool J that his music is not up to date and tells him to step aside to make room for the new up and coming MC (he says, “But I’m the only MC that can rock the crowd”). After this, many other artists dissed LL Cool J’s work for years to come. 

Their harsh tone and in your face atmosphere created a sense of a rock and roll performance. However, their added rap lines made for an interesting mix of genres. In today’s society, the Beastie Boys’ image could be looked down upon, as hyper-masculinity ran deep within their music and performances. Female strippers in cages sometimes made an appearance during their concerts, which in current standards would be considered major subjectificaiton.   

Donovan’s stage name was Afrika Bambaattaa, which soon became a house hold name in the Bronx area. He combined hip hop beats with pop and techno music to create new sounds. Bambaattaa lost popularity in the late 1980s, but was still considered one of rap’s founders. By looking at the sub-genre of hip hop that Afrika Bambaattaa created, along with others, we can see just how diverse and extensive hip hop was (and still is). 

Based on the video, you can see that once an artists gets more advanced just how difficult this can be. The turntables must consider the speed and length of his motion, as well as concentrate on mixing it with the right audio effect piece on the sound board. With each hand moving at different speeds and ranges of motion, the artists must have extreme focus to make the music constantly please the audience. Although many people do not consider this the actual making of music, in my opinion the artists must put so much effort, dedication, and concentration into this technique they deserve to be recognized as such. 

Furthermore, this essentially offered free advertising for Blondie and Fab Five Freddy, as each of them commended the other artist’s work in their creations. Through more of this exposure the hip hop movement became more and more familiar and popular in the everyday household. However, you can definitely tell by listening to Blondie’s rapping that she is uncomfortable with the musical technique. Rhythms and beats are changed to fit in with the rest of the lines, preventing a smooth flow and creating an awkward feel. This can be seen in today’s music as many pop and country artists have taken on rapping in their music...which should be left at the door.