|
Rock and Roll Humanities 7 » Post 1990's
 |
Post 1990's
|
|
Grunge Music: Grunge music is generally characterized by "dirty" guitar, strong riffs, and heavy drumming. The "dirty" sound resulted both from the common use of heavy guitar distortion and feedback, and from a stylistic change in the standard method of playing punk rock. Grunge fuses elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal into a single sound, although sometimes it is performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Grunge bands were noted for their punk mentality and attitudes, and the music shares with punk its raw sound, fast tempos, and often vocal delivery. However, grunge also involves slower tempos, dissonant harmonies, and more complex instrumentation reminiscent of heavy metal. The lyrics concern similar themes such as social alienation, apathy, entrapment and a desire for freedom. They are typically angst-filled. Seattle area bands (Click on links for web pages) Outside the Seattle area Rap/ Hip-Hop Hip hop music, also known as rap music, is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. It consists of two main components: rapping (MCing) and Scratching (production and scratching). Along with breaking(notably breakdancing) and urban inspired art, or notably burning these compose the four elements of hip hop, a cultural movement that was initiated by inner-city youth, mostly Blacks and Latinos in New York City, in the early 1970s. In the 1990s, a form of hip hop called gangsta rap (West Coast) became a major part of American music, causing significant controversy over lyrics which were perceived as promoting violence, promiscuity, and drug use. West Coast Rappers were often interviewed becasue they held a different status as the voice of the people holding political validity. (Ice T, Ice Cube in his rapping days, Public Enemy) East Coast rappers often discuss at length the cars they drive and the drinks they consume and glorify the excess, decadence and luxury. P Diddy, Ma$e Breakers, Rappers, Scratchers, & Burners
(dancers, singers, deejays, and graffiti artists)
While violent crimes went down in US neighborhoods they skyrocketed in the inner city "hoods"
along with homelessness and AIDS.
By mid 1990's American kids, mostly Black were dying from gunshot wounds faster than GI's did during
the Vietnam War.
Rappers-journalists of youth culture in the inner cities.
Together with Break Dancing and spraypaint graffiti became Hip Hop in the Black/Hispanic
group youth subculture.
Grandmaster Flash- two turntables, mixin' and scratchin' with chants of ghetto life.
L.L. Cool J.- first rapper to appear on MTV's Unplugged
Run DMC- popularized rap to white audience by collaborating with Aerosmith on Walk This Way.
Queen Latifah and MC Lyte- emerged as leading voices of women rappers.
Beastie Boys and House of Pain- white rappers who have mastered the style.
Gangsta Rap-uses a harder edged, an unadorned beat and rampant profanity to tell stories of gang bangers, hookers, and hustlers
who deal in drugs and weapons and run ins with the police.
Run into a lot of controversy regarding:
- glorification of violence
- " " drug abuse
- degradation of women
Global Impact: Rap comes from "the Dozens Game": The dozens is an oral tradition in which two people go toe-to-toe in a contest of often bad-natured, often ribald "trash-talk". They take turns insulting; "burning", "capping", "crapping", "heating", "ranking", "sparking", "sunning", "janking", "snapping", "ribbin", "checking", "riding", "cooking", "jonein'", "cutting one up", "projectoring" or even "pwning/owning" on one another, their adversary's mother, or other family member until one of them has no comeback. In addition to any of the terms listed above, playing the dozens can also be referred to as a "cut-low fight," or simply an "insult fight." "Yo mamma" (also "your mom") is a common, widely recognized retort in slang. It is a cryptic and sometimes comical allusion to the dozens. A more extended version is the "your mom joke", the most common way of playing the dozens, using a mix of exaggeration or even pop culture references to talk about the opponent's mother (fathers and sisters are also popular targets, as well as the person they are insulting): -
- Yo momma so old, her social security number is one.
- Yo momma so stupid, she sat on the TV and watched the couch!
- Yo momma so fat, whenever she takes a step she shakes the Earth out of orbit!
-
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang; it was the first hip hop hit single. -
YouTube - Sugar Hill Gang- Rappers Delight -
Vice President Dan Quayle (1st George Bush Administration) decried Gangsta Rap music as being responsible for the LA riots. He especially asked for a boycott of Ice T's "Cop Killer" since it was considered instructions on how to kill cops (actually no more than Eric Clapton's "I shot the Sherriff" was instructing how to shoot sherriffs). -
This led to a drop in support of the youth vote for George H.W. Bush and a new youth leader became part of the forefront............ -
Bill Clinton. -
He became most familiar in musical moments with his 1992 campaign theme, Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow).' There is a glimpse of the candidate in dark glasses playing the saxophone on Arsenio Hall's late-night show, a witty appearance now regarded as one of the defining moments of that Presidential campaign. He also conducted a presidential debate on VH1's ROCK THE VOTE which his opponent George H.W. Bush failed to show up to. -
VH1 Rock the Vote Campaign -
| 1992
Rock the Vote produces PSAs (public service announcements) with artists including R.E.M., En Vogue, Aerosmith, Queen Latifah Eddie Vedder and others. The PSAs air on networks such as MTV, VH-1, BET and Fox. Rock the Vote also partners with the National Association of Secretaries of State to produce additional PSAs for local television broadcast. Fox Television broadcasts a one-hour, Peabody Award-winning Rock the Vote television special hosted by Queen Latifah and featuring Michael Douglas, Madonna, Robin Williams, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock and others. Rock the Vote and its partner organizations register 350,000 young people and help lead over two million new young voters to the polls. On Election Day, these young people reverse a 20-year cycle of declining participation with a 20 percent increase in youth turnout compared to the previous Presidential election. | | | |
NEED HELP DOWNLOADING:
 |
doc file: You need the Microsoft Word program, a free Microsoft Word viewer, or a program that can import Word files in order to view this file. To learn more about the free Microsoft Word Viewer, visit the Microsoft Word website. |
 |
Windows wmv format for video |
Ms. Hernandez
St. Francis-St. Stephen School
17 Elmwood Ave.
Geneva, NY 14456
315-789-1828
|
