Music 171 - Week 11

Front 1

Rap

Back 1

• Dictionary definitions:

1. to hit sharply and swiftly

2. to criticize or blame

• Originated in Bronx, NY

• Social influences:

-urban renewal

-integration

-immigration/transculturation

Front 2

Urban Renewal

Back 2

-problems with people getting in and out ofthe Bronx

-Robert Moses developed the Cross-Bronx expressway

-people start moving out because of this (especially whitepeople)

-once-stable communities become unstable

-landlords get freaked out, sell their properties

-slumlords buy these properties

-goes from working class --> underclass

Front 3

Integration

Back 3

• More opportunity for African Americans to move intomore stable areas

• Earlier, Harlem was bustling, great music wascoming out of the area

• After the 50s: leadership and money leave asAfrican Americans move into the Bronx

• 40s: unemployment rate for African Americans inUS was 7%

• 90s: rate increased to 20%

Front 4

Immigration/Transculturation

Back 4

• Many people coming out of the Caribbean up to NY

-Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad

-able to pick up radio stations from NY thanks to newtechnology

Front 5

Three Precursors to Rap Music

Back 5

1.The Dozens

-insult rituals

2. Personality DJS

-40s-60s

-smoothly talking over records

-starts in US, goes down to Caribbean, comes back up toUS

3. Toasting

-the Dozens meets Personality DJs

- “Yard Dances”: weird speakers, sound systems up streetpoles

-1 DJ at one end of area, another DJ at theother end

Front 6

Important People in Rap History

Back 6

i. Kool Herc (1973)

ii. Afrika Bambaataa (1974)

iii. Grandmaster Flash (1976)

iv. DJ Grand Wizard Theodore (1978)

Front 7

• Kool Her

Back 7

-1973: buys two copies of a recording

-sets them both onto turntables and introduces cutting and mixing

-still relatively conservative

Front 8

• African Bombartaa

Back 8

-1974

-has sound system battles with Kool Her

-takes music off of TV, or other forms of pop culture

-plays them at the same time

(Recording music off of tv, collage)

Front 9

• Grandmaster Flash

Back 9

-1967

-quick mixing

-"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (lots of quick mixing, samples Good Times by Chick)

Front 10

DJ Grand Wizard Theodore

Back 10

-1978

-introduces scratching

Front 11

Grand Wizard Theodore and Kevie Kev Rockwell, "Military Cut," 1983

Back 11

??? not in notes ???

Front 12

First Rap Recording:

Back 12

The Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight," 1979

i. Based on Chic, "Good Times," 1979

ii. Stylistic Analysis: Self-reflexive words, toasting, sexual lyrics, popular culture references

Front 13

Rappers Delight by the SugarHill Gang

Back 13

-Sylvia Robinsonhears it, believes it would sell

-sells over 2 million copies

-“Hip-hop” stated right off the bat in first line

-rapping over GoodTimes by Chick

-self-reflexing --> talking about themselves

-a lot of sexual content and bragging

-comparing themselves to Superman

-people are familiar with it --> they know Good Times

Front 14

Rap as Politicized Form & Reasons for politicization

Back 14

??? not in notes ???

Front 15

Public Enemy, "Nighttrain," 1991

Back 15

1) Public Enemy= Chuck D.: lead singer

2) Middle class

3) Sample: James Brown "Night Train," 1963:

-show closing song

-would mention African American communities in songs tocreate a community within the audience

4) Public Enemy, "Nighttrain (Stylistic and Lyrical Analysis):

-1991

-social perception that lumps all African Americanstogether; against this racism

-'Nighttrain' is detrimental --> everyone looks the same

-not empowering

-provokes self-criticism

Front 16

The 1980s

bold = not in notes ???

i. Aesthetics (?), Issues and New Technologies (?)

ii. MuchMusic (?) and MTV

a. CanCon and MAPL Regulations (?)

iii. MTV and Lack of Black Artists

a. The “Second British Invasion” (Duran Duran, Boy Georgeand the Culture Club, The Eurythmics)

Back 16

• end of 1970s: music industry begins to shift -disco & punk disappears

Issues:

• Blondie and MichaelJackson appear & ppl dunno how to call them, refer totheir genre as "New Music"

• Problems with music industry:

1. Marketing

2. Time shifting: VCR, blankcassette tapes, etc. allow people to record things from radio or TV

1981 MTV

-all music channel

-slightly racist: all about Rock ‘n’ Roll, lack of black artists

-Robert Pittman (founder of MTV) basically confirmsracism

-had 600 “promo videos” (music videos) to start with

-played Duran, Duran, Phil Collins, Boy George, The Eurythmics --> British

- “Second British Invasion”

-When Michael Jackson’s Thriller came out, they knew they’d have to start playing African American music

• 1980s: singles become more popular once again (idea of concept album is diminished)

Front 17

Michael Jackson - Bio

Back 17

• 1958: born in Indiana

• Starts off as child star at Motown

-part of band called the Jackson 5

-worked with artists like Barry Gordie, Diana Ross

Early music = disco:

• 1979: comes out with album Off the Wall which includes song entitled 'Rock With You'

• 'Rock WithYou' = disco because:

1. Instruments: strings, flugel horn, synthesizer 2. outfit: glitter

3. “Rock”

4. hi-hat as “click track”

• Producer Quincy Jones

Front 18

Three Types of Music Video Jackson Pioneered

Back 18

i. “Concept Video” (“Billie Jean”)

ii. “Movie Video” (“Thriller”)

iii. “American Film Musical” (“Beat It”)

Front 19

Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean

Back 19

• Concept video

• Directed by Steve Barron

• Concept: man with the Midas touch

• Cost $160,000 to make

• Pop

• In the video:

1. no instruments

2. singing?

3. performing and acting in the narrative

Front 20

Michael Jackson’s Thriller

Back 20

• Movie genre music video

• Inspired by film An American Werewolf in London

• Movie and music video were both directed by John Landis

• Voice-over partway through done by Vincent Price (did a lot of voicing in Horror movies, provides interests to adults to watch music video cause they know Price)

• The Making of Thriller available on VHS (becomes #3 selling video behind Jane Fonda’s Workout)

Front 21

Michael Jackson’s Beat It

Back 21

• 'American Film Musical' music video

• Directed by Bob Giraldi

• Based off of WestSide Story (2 gangs: Jets and Sharks about to fight, -Jackson comes in and breaks it up (through a dancechorus)

• What makes it pop music?

1. 8 measure sections

2. Lots of choruses early on + lots at end 3. No instruments in video

4. Dance

5. Drum machine & pop-synthesizer

6. Lip synching

Front 22

???

Back 22

Michael Jackson’s Beat It