Hip-Hop Media Assignment

Five hip-hop songs:

1. Talib Kweli - Get By http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77zxCAfVeD8
2. K'naan - Bang Bang http://www.myspace.com/knaanmusic
3. The Sugar Hill Gang -Rapper's Delight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MEL84yXh0&feature=PlayList&p=9D7A571FDE15B1F5&index=0&playnext=1
4. DNOAX - They See Revolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPP1spyK-_
5. Jin tha MC - Asian Freestyle 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sumQYehhSqY

Five hip-hop videos:

1. Run DMC - It's like that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoQb8vb4blA
- The entire video shows people break dancing. There isn't even a shot of Run DMC in the video.
2. DJ Kool - Let me clear my throat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqfCluBH3qY
- The focus is pretty much all about partying. It seems like the video is staged at a live show.
3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN9-K0aZXRg
- The focus was party, flashy '80's clothes and dancing to the music.
4. Fatback Band - Do the bus stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeeOPR8bxac
- Dancing was a main focus, also the musical instruments were more prevalent.
5. LL Cool J - I need love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECTv2J-S07g
- This video was more like a movie, with characters and a scene. Fashion seemed to a theme.

Two radio stations that broadcast hip-hop: 103.5 and 104.9

Hip-Hop advertising:





Influence of hip-hop in the media:

The first thing that popped into my head was the creation of UrbanDictionary.com. The fact that it exists displays how much hip-hop has become a part of the mainstream media. There is actually an online dictionary for you to look up these words because they are used so frequently. I picked a few words as examples that can be clearly defined for you on this Web site... shiznit, baller, cholo, the list goes on and on. Literally. The influence of hip hop on the media can be found anywhere. Shoot, I saw Lil' Wayne on CBS in an interview with Katie Couric.

My mother's choice of music as a youngin':

Rock N' Roll - The Rolling Stones
Classic Rock - The Beatles
Roots Rock - Eric Clapton

Reflection:

Obviously, fashion is definitly influenced by hip-hop artisits. From all of the videos that I watched for this assignment, fashion was key. From crazy, flashy '80's get up to LL Cool J's sweet sweat suit, they certainly set the trends in that particular niche of the population. However, I had never been exposed to old school hip-hop before and I'll go ahead and say that I think the way "hip-hop" is portrayed currently is not what the originators intended. I think it's fair to say that a lot of performers use deragatory language and promote unmoral practices; however I am still a listener so I'm not complaining. I'm just trying to make the point that hip hop has made these practices more mainstream in the media, thus making it more societally acceptable. I think some hip hop artists are comparable to, say Elvis back in the day, in the sense that they are able to promote a product for a company and have tremendous success. Maybe it's just me, but the first thing that pops into my head when I hear the word hip hop is "Regulators! Mount up! It was a clear black night, a clear white moon, Warren G was on the streets, trying to consume, Some skirts for the eve, so I can get some funk....." What a classic.