Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
“Telling a story about Hip-Hop built around any aspect of Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn”
Johnathan Tucker
ANT/BLS 3085
4th year (Real Estate)
“Telling a story about Hip-Hop built around any aspect of Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn”
Before last year I did not consider music from the south to be hip-hop. I consider the music to be noise on beats. There were a few exceptions like T.I. & Ludacris because I thought they had lyrical skills. I hated Crunk music with a passion. Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn in Chapter 2 - The Score (page 74) states “Atlanta also became the epicenter for the distinctive, though lyrically simple approach known as crunk. Defined as the Dirty South conjugation of word crank, the crunk movement was spearheaded primarily by Lil’ Jon and an array of mainly Atlanta-based artists like Yin Yang twins and Bone Crusher. Crunk’s appeal lay in its reliance upon methodical, bone-rattling, bottomed-out rhythms and elemental shouted chants. At a point when other regional artists were attempting to crate increasingly intricate R&B hooks to fasten their lyrics to, crunkists moved in the opposite direction, slowing the music down and literally yelling catch phrases.” Jelani Cobb’s describes the music perfectly. Well last summer I took a vacation out to Atlanta. I am a club head and like to party so I had to check out the club seen in the south. Let me tell you, the south gets it popping. The country folks know how to party. In New York in most spot people stand around in look and this is limited dancing depending where you go, it’s hit or miss. But for the most part I see people standing around at Hip-hop parties in NYC. But in Atlanta every place I went from the time I got there to the time I left the dance floor was full with everybody dancing. The first knight there I go to this stop in downtown Atlanta, I for get the name, but they played this song like three times that night. I felt left out. The entire spot was dancing in unity the dance looked fun and I actually like the song. The song was by an artist name Cupid called “Cupid shuffle” on the album Time for a Change. I had to learn this dance and by the time I left I did. When I came back home and try to put my friends on, they were not having it. But I had a new out look on music that came from the south because I see it’s about dancing to them and not the lyrical content. I think you have to be in it to appreciate or apart of the atmosphere. I don’t love the music but I don’t hate it.
"BLOGGING ON COBB 2 & 3"
ANT/BLS 3085
4th year (Real Estate)
"BLOGGING ON COBB 2 & 3"
There has been a dramatic change in what Hip-Hop started out as and what it is today. I think that Hip-Hop is heading in the wrong direction and drifting away for its roots. It has become too commercial and has no creativity. There is only a hand fool of artist that try to break from the mold and do something that is not popular like a Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, or even Kanye West. They are not afraid to try something different. Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn is a great book for Hip-Hop because it is a great read for people that love the music and for people that don’t know much about it. A passage that moved me from Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn was in Chapter 2 - The Score (page 73) where he talks about what Hip-Hop as become after thirty years. It states “Hip hop, in its third decade, unquestionable became a global phenomenon. The unparalleled influence of industry corporations on what was produced, heard, and understood as “hip hop” predictably produced a backlash-one which sought clear demarcation of “underground” versus “commercial” music. Looking at the divide within the music in this era it would be hard to believe that there was once a time when pop acts like Union Square or the Latin Quarter. On one level, the fetishization of the “underground” was like swearing allegiance to an imaginary homeland. The 50 cent who once declared himself king of the self-produced, street-corner sold mixtape was the same 50 cent who titled his debut Get Rich or Die Trying’, which sold multiple millions of units.” The commercialization of Hip-hop has taken the life out of Hip-hop and mad it something else, maybe pop music but call it what you want, but its not Hip-hop. It used to be about everyone having a voice and expressing there point of view but now it seems like this is only one point of view focusing on the same topics. Jelani Cobb’s makes reference to 50 Cents career and how proclaimed him-self the king of the self-produced because he sold mixtapes on the corner but I was a big 50 Cent fan before the fame and I am disappoint. After he made it he found that going commercial he can make a lot of money a decided to step away from the real and follow the formula instead of being creative. His early mixtapes are way better then his albums. The only album I really loved was Get Rich or Die Trying after that every track he put out was the same. I don’t need a magic ball to know what type of music 50 cents is going to put out. But its not just 50 cent it’s almost every artist. Everyone is not a gagster, drug dealer, or pimp. I think the fans need to hear some real life topics cause what on mainstream is not everyone’s realty. I am a true Hip-Hop fan and still love the music but I need to see some growth in topics and styles.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
ASSIGNMENT No 7 for Tue Oct 21
Johnathan Tucker
ANT/BLS 3085
4th year (Real Estate)
· Sort the data by 2 different variables and tell what you discover in that comparison. For instance, what do you notice about comparing and contrasting the view counts vs. the comments; or the channel views / subscribers and the channel/user; or the date added and the category? Let your readers know which columns you chose to compare and contrast and why?
· Can you figure out the system I used to enter the data on the tags? You may have to visit a few of the videos to compare the entries in the database to the actual tags. This will assist you in thinking about context rather than content.
· The History of YouTube : YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees. In January 2008 alone, nearly 79 million users had made over 3 billion video views and over 13 hours of video are uploaded every minute.
Given that YouTube only began in Feb 2005, what can you say about the earliest hiphop videos currently on our database? What does it say about the kind of hip-hop on YouTube in the early years and what categories of hip-hop were present?
· Copy these questions into your blog and respond underneath each one so your reader knows what's up.
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I am going to use view counts vs. comments in comparing and contrasting the 2 different variables while analyzing the database. While sorting under the view counts tab with in the database, its shows that “Hip Hop Dance Competition” had the most view with 15,735,941. In comparison sorting under comment I found that it did no have the most comments. It has 150 comments and the most comments recorded in the database are 20,127 which is the “Daft bodies harder Faster Stronger” video. Looking back at the view counts “Daft bodies harder Faster Stronger” has 6,151,388. I think that more people took the time out to write comments on “Daft bodies harder Faster Stronger” because of how different and creative the video was. I don’t think that the “Daft bodies harder Faster Stronger” video is direct toward the Hip Hop audience. The “Daft bodies harder Faster Stronger” is direct to anyone. “Hip Hop Dance Competition” video is directed to the Hip Hop community or people that love dance. When you are in the Hip Hop community and understand all aspects you just sit back and enjoy. When I look at the video I did not feel a need to comment. I would think it’s a waste of time to write down “that was Hot.” What more can you say. Maybe the other 15 million plus views felt the same way.
I don’t know what system the professor use to create the tags.
The top three early videos that I can view in the database are: “Samurai Champloo – Protect Ya Neck,” “Nas – If I ruled the World” & “Hip Hop Dance Competition.” I think all three of these video represent the essence real Hip-hop. The “Nas – If I ruled the World” was Nas first commercial track that projected him from one of the hottest underground lyrist to a worldwide superstar. This Video is the most popular out of the top three. It has 2,750,744 views and 4,825 comments. I think that its was post so early in the history of youtube for the simple fact that it’s a hot track that crossed over to the mainstream.
