Journal 5:

Open entry. Use photos, videos, to further think about global hip hop artists. Move outside of Canada and the US. Write about artists and why you think they are important for us to know about. 

I explored UK underground hip hop a few years back, starting with JayKae, a young rapper from Birmingham. The first time I ever heard him was on a youtube video from JDZmedia which was published on June 20th of 2013, and I instantly got interested in researching other rappers outside of North America, because the overall sound of his music was different from what Im personally used to, the slang is different, and his accent was obviously different. (Youtube channel ft on) JDZmedia: Jaykae-SPITFIRE  JUNE 20, 2013

... one of his later videos (Youtube channel ft on) P110Music: Jaykae-Toothache  May 15, 2016

Now, Stomzy, Skepta, Giggs, Jme, and other UK based artists are more commonly heard on mainstream media stations in North America, and I feel like this only opened up this competitive industry to others culutures, merging not only the industries of global rap into North Ameican rap, but potentially may link our cultures, and acceptance once an for all as well.

So, recently I’ve noticed that there are a lot of upcoming artists originating specifically from China, Korea, the Phillapenes etc, and are making it into mainstream media outlets in North America. I find it really fascinating because these are places where Hip Hop isin’t the most common genre of music to practice, and in the Noisey interview (video #3) Keith Ape (discovered by Sean Miyashiro, founder of 88Rising media company), mentions how when people think of Korean music, immediately, you think of k-pop, and he wants to break out of that, and bring Korean rap here. He also mentions how North America has been very accepting and supportive of his music, like iLoveMakonnen. Which brings me to my next point, even in videos 3 & 4, all of the rappers reacting to both videos only say positive things, and even some mention how they would love to collaborate with these artists. In the first facebook video, the Higher Brothers (a Chinese rap group discovered by 88Rising too), Sean Miyashiro says, “You see a lot of people griping about, like, you know, the whitewaashing of Hollywood, and very little Asian representation in entertainment and stuff like that. And I think that our philosiphy is, the way to kind of break out of that is be really fucking good at what you do. Be undeniable. and do it yourself.” and then it hit me harder when  MaSiWei (马思唯), one of the 4 Higher Borther members answers a question about the hate on them being told that they ‘appropriate black culture’ negatively, “We learned its black culture. So, we studied from them. And now, its 2017. The world is more close. Black people watch Japanese cartoons. We listen [to] hip-hop. It’s same thing. Were more close” (5:18 Min). He explained something, I always couldn't explain because being a white female, I feel like some people are quick to take my words wrong, and sometimes simplistic explanations are the most effective, and I couldn’t have said it any better. In the second video, the best and funniest reaction is at 1:23 Min when Lil Yachty says, “And he’s going dumb, I dont know what he’s syaing, but it sounds like he’s going crazy”.  I laughed really hard because of the way he said it, and his face, but he made a good point ironically, we don’t need to know what they're saying to understand that they have talent, which is why North American music is interesting to people outside of that. Maybe more people will like rap music again, and stop worrying about the “youngins” that they don’t like.  It makes me happy, and its amazing that (in video 3) none of the rappers are butt hurt over “Rich Chiggas” name (he changed it to Rich Brian more recently), because they saw it as a harmless funny name, and they loved his music and looked beyond that. Rich Brian even mentions in a random interview how rap music taught him english, and who know maybe one day it will be more common to just learn other languages casually through music like these artists have. 

Video #1: (Facebook link I found this video on)  https://www.facebook.com/VICE/videos/839923912834227/

I cant embed the video from facebook, and cant locate this video on Vice or youtube

Video #2: 88rising youtube channel “Rappers React to Higher Brothers | Migos, Lil Yachty, Playboi Carti, KYLE, & more”

June 13, 2017 

Video #3: 88rising youtube channel “Rappers React to Rich Brian ft. Ghostface Killah, Desiigner, Tory Lanez & More”

July 12, 2016

Video #4: Interview by Noisey “The Great Korean Invasion of Keith Ape: Noisey Raps”

November 12, 2015

THE ADVENTURES OF KUNG FU KENNY

Journal 4:

Response to article by Bettina Love on Canvas. What did you learn? What is the black ratchet imagination lens to queering hip hop? How do you view the role of hip hop in education? 

Bettina Love, from a methodological perspective, examines multiple crossovers between black and queer identity constructions in the sphere of hip-hop. Love ultimately helps me understand that there are many complicated challenges and issues for black queer youth because of the “queering of hip-hop”.This idea of a “black ratchet lens” is described by Love as a humanizing agency/the black queer youth that’s, “...resisting, succumbing to, and finding pleasure in hip hop by undoing the heteropatriarchal, liberating,queer, homophobic, sexist, feminist, hyper-local, global, ratchet,and conservative space of hip hop” (540:Love). She explains the importance of this being studied, because hip-hop causes identity crisis, alienates communally, and causes many issues and struggles for this black queer youths. 

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I always felt positively about the role of hip-hop in education, but one thing Love mentions in her article that really resonated with is when she explains how queer black studies are still new, so we need to  “... document, and learn from how they create imaginative, pleasurable,and sometimes subversive identities from language,desires, dances, dress, and art forms [i.e., hip hop] to disrupt homophobia, racism, anti-Blackness, and other forms of oppression” (541:Love).  From this statement alone, its clear how hip hop can express some distasteful messages, but A LOT of the time is teaches people positive messages, that are difficult to express or understand, as mentioned by Love. Hip Hop is also important in education, because, like any other art form, it allows people to express, grow, learn, cope, and develop skills, and thats what education is meant to provide people with. Its just important that with something as globally popular as Hip Hop, that we understand how to create positive identities for our future youths, instead of making them feel more alienated, and lost. 

Video 3: We Checked Out the Detroit Company Making Jewelry With Graffiti Paint Chips  Daily Vice/S1 EP1005 Time: 4:56 min

Subject: Graffiti Jewelry Art in Detroit  

Company/Business Featured: Rebel Nell

Co-Founder: Amy Peterson

Production manager: Patricia Caldwell 

Creative Designer: Azzie Caldwell

Vice Videos: “We Check Out the Detroit Company Making Jewelry With Graffiti Paint Chips”, Vice Videos Canada/ Fido Connections , 2017, video.vice.com/en_ca/video/we-check-out-the-detroit-company-making-jewelry-with-graffiti-paint-chips/58d9911415dbaaba1475629d?ref=vice. Dineen, Hayley. 2018, User Profile, LinkedIn, Accessed: March 1, 2018. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleydineen/

This is another video from Vice Video Canada, sponsored by Fido Connections. This 2017 episode of Daily Vice features an interview with an inspiring Detroit jewellery company called “Rebel Nell”. This interview is conducted by Hayley Dineen, who’s background is mainly in the fashion industry, and is an established design director for Toronto’s merchandising company, Octobers Very Own (OVO), since 2016. She additionally won many design based competitions, and, has a BA in development economics and international development from McGill University.  This inspiring episode focuses on graffiti jewelry crafting company in Detroit, Rebel Nell. Hayley Dineen interviews the influential founder, and some of the compelling women that found opportunities from Rebel Nell. The company began in 2013, after Detroit was just getting out of bankruptcy, and gave many opportunities for their community. Amy Peterson, the co-founder, demonstrates the process of how the jewelry crafting, beginning with finding pieces of crumbled walls with graffiti remains. Amy emphasizes the importance of this company being a communal business. Relatively, Azzie Caldwell (creative designer), explains how the company  gave her an opportunity to live a better life after being incarcerated.  They taught her how to make a business plan, financial skills, provided empowerment courses, and other things that allowed her to have support, and more opportunities in life. This company is more than just a jewellery company, it educates, employs, empowers, provides opportunities and enhances the lives of the people in Detroit using their own history and art in their unique jewelry.

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Check out their beautiful jewelry online at: https://www.rebelnell.com/

Or visit them at one of their social media sites! 

Instagram: @Rebelnell( https://www.instagram.com/rebelnell/?hl=en)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebelnelldetroit/

Twitter: @Rebelnell (https://twitter.com/rebelnell?lang=en)

JOURNAL 3: Video 2  Video 2: “This Rapper Says There's No Lane for a Female Kendrick Lamar” Daily Vice/ S1 EP1400 Time: 3:54 

Subject: Female Empowerment in Hip Hop 

Artist featured: Naya Ali

Ep featured: Higher-Self

Song featured: Ra Ra

Producer: Kevin Dave 

Vice Videos , Vice Videos Canada/ Fido Connections , 2017, video.vice.com/en_ca/video/this-rapper-says-theres-no-lane-for-a-female-kendrick-lamar/59dd54fc3ef425612bd96f7

Corriveau, Isabelle. “Finding Her Voice at VICE.” UOttawa:Tabaret, Edited: Nov. 18, 2017. www.uottawa.ca/tabaret/en/content/finding-her-voice-vice.

This video was created by Vice Video Canada, sponsored by Fido Connections. In this 2017 episode, Brigitte Noël, interviews a female Montreal rapper and boxer, Naya Ali, looking at her voice and impacts in the rap game, as well as what she wants to accomplish as a female artist. As I mentioned in part 1 of journal 3, Brigitte Noël is an accomplished journalist, working for Vice media in Quebec (2015-present)

In this Daily Vice interview, Brigette Noël, speaks to Naya Ali, a MC from Montreal. In this interview, Naya talks about her first EP “Higher Self”, mentioning her first hit single called “Ra Ra” which characterizes her upcoming EP. The EP is presented as embodying powerful messages of racism, sexism, abuse, etc… because she wants to ‘fill this gap in rap’, by creating genuine connections AND something that sounds good. Naya expresses her feelings on females in this industry, explaining how there’s a “lane” for females in this industry, but you have two options, “…the super sexy lane, or you take the really- bars, hood, lane… There really isn't that Kendrick. Thats relevant, but at the same time, can make you think, can make you feel, make you understand parts about yourself. And I feel like that thats my lane, and its not there, so, I’m going to fuckin’ create it” (1:45:Ali).

Naya Ali EP: Higher-Self

Follow Naya’s Instagram: @nayabesha

Naya Ali (Prod. Kevin Dave)- Ra Ra

September 26, 2017

JOURNAL 3: Video 1 Write an annotated bibliography of 3 videos that discuss specific subjects within hip hop that interest you. Include the video links, with the artists name, song title and subject matter. Video 1: The High School With a Hip Hop Curriculum Daily Vice/S1 EP1212 Time: 3:02 min

Subject: High School Education and Hip Hop

Students featured: Samirah Ali, Tristan Mccool

Music teacher featured: Nathan Gage

Vice Videos: “The High School With a Hip Hop Curriculum.” Vice Videos Canada/ Fido Connection, 2017. https://video.vice.com/en_ca/video/the-high-school-with-a-hip-hop-curriculum/59518f397caf87237734fcbb

Corriveau, Isabelle. “Finding Her Voice at VICE.” UOttawa:Tabaret, Edited: Nov. 18, 2017. www.uottawa.ca/tabaret/en/content/finding-her-voice-vice.

This video was created in 2017, by Vice Video Canada, and sponsored by Fido Connections. In this episode of Daily Vice, Brigitte Noël, reports on a high school in Montreal. Brigitte Noël has acquired her bachelors degree in communications at OttawaU, and a masters in journalism at RyersonU. She has worked for The National, and CBC, before becoming a correspondent for Vice media in Quebec (2015-present).

In this episode of Daily Vice, Brigette Noël, visits James Lyng High School in Montreal, to look into the empowering, and successful urban arts program imployed a few years back. This curriculum explores various urban street art subjects, from music, to website programming. The school successfully promotes and encourages participation, and its identifiably seen throughout, including the beautiful murals presented in the video. The murals ranged from flower murals, quotes, cats, and even portraits of rap legends like Biggie Smalls.

00:28

00:30

00:32

After the general tour, Brigitte focuses in on a year end mixtape that the students wrote, recorded, and preformed themselves. She focuses on three members at this school including Samirah Ali, Tristan Mccool, as well as one of the music teachers, Nathan Gage. In the interview, they each explain the how the program has benefited them. Most importantly, it shows how this education system broadened their horizons, demonstrating their importance, reaching out to partners outside the school.

Follow this motto and you’ll, ‘Always Strive and Prosper’ (A$AP)

Journal 2: Continued...

ORIGINAL songs vs NEW (Showing how new music shares inspirations)

Original: Mobb Deep- Hell on Earth (Front Lines) 1996

Inspired/Sampled version:”Hell on Earth 2k11″- Waka Flocka Flame & French Montana ft. Prodigy 2011

More recent version of this... (he references the original, heavily sampled) Original:Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) ft. Kelis-Got your Money 1999 Intro:  “Oh baby I dedicate this to all the pretty girls All the pretty girls It's on All the pretty girls, in the world And the ugly girls too Cause to me your pretty anyways baby“

Inspired/Sampled Version: Vic Mensa-Say I didn’t

Intro: “Oh baby I dedicate this to all the pretty girls All the pretty girls It's on All the pretty girls, in the world And the ugly girls too Cause to me your pretty anyways baby“

Journal 2:

Open entry. Use photos, videos, etc., to discuss any subject of your choice. 

Have “Youngins” Ruined Rap, or has 

(left-right:Biggie Smalls, Ice-Cube (from N.W.A), Prodigy (from Mobb Deep)

People tend to be surprised when I say I listen to rap music, so right away to test my music taste, they ask me, “Who do you like?” And, honestly, I always answer the question the exact same way, “I like everything from A-Z (meaning classic hip hop to mumble rap), so I’ll tell you, and you ask me why.” 

People listen to music for different reasons, and music honestly is my life, I don’t make it myself, but I listen to music all of the time, and I rarely ever leave the house without headphones, even if im late. Cam’rons “Hey Ma”, ft Juelz Santana song from 2002, is nostalgic to me, and brings me to a happy place. “Sing about me/Dying of Thirst” from 2012 by Kendrick Lamar, has genuinely pulled me out of a dark  hole, when I thought I wouldn’t ever see light again. I like the song “Limitless” from this year, by Trippie Redd, because its catchy, and it makes me naturally happier, not because its a lyrical masterpiece or because he can annunciate and articulate words perfectly. (left-right: Isaiah Rashad, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar)

Basically, my point from this rant I just went on, is that just like anything else people always tell others no t to judge immediately, or completely disrespect because of your own opinion, I feel like everyone needs to relax on the whole “Mumble rap is ruining hip-hop culture”, and shit. When the Lil Jon autotune sound was a fad, I avoided that music, and appepted it and appreciated it like all music, because clearly it made other people happy since that sound was popular for a long time. 

(Left-right: Trippie Redd, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black)

Another comparison I am going to delve into, revolves around  the whole subject of famous art works, and their currency value to the world. 

So, at the top you’ll see beautiful classical pieces of art worth millions, so lets compare that to icons people fight over like MC Ren, Method Man, Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan, DMX etc... and then to me thats the equivalent to comparing how minimalist (what I personally believe) trash, that takes no effort, and yet is worth a disgusting amount. Similarly, we can compare this to how other people view this new era of “mumble rap”/”youngins”. People think their music takes no effort, their lyrics are trash, and overall just hate it, and yet they’re making disgusting amounts of money too.  I just feel like people need to accept that yes, this music is changing the present and future history of rap music, doesn’t mean that there still aren’t people who do make beautiful pieces of art like Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad, Mick Jenkins, Jazz Cartier, Tyler the Creator, etc... Like it or not, its happening, and personally I feel like its time people just accept that. 

Journal 1:

Respond to the following: What does hip-hop mean to you? How do you see hip-hop and deign coming together? Should hip-hop be linked to design?

Hip-hop has always infatuated me, but specifically, rap music lured me into this broader world that shaped who I am today. When I was younger, I didn’t understand the depth of hip-hop culture, or rap music, from the artists lives, the overall community and culture, and lyrical content. My eldest sister shaped my musical palette, introducing me to rap and R&B legends. I was instantly absorbed into the music even though I didn’t understand the broader world that includes other artistic realms like literary storytelling, graffiti art, or even breakdancing.  It was only once I grew older, that I began to explore these different areas further, and began to see the bigger picture.

As an art student, I think that hip-hop and design go hand in hand. When Hip Hop was just being introduced into the world in the 70′s, block parties are what created the vibe and social community defining what hip hop is today. It allowed people to share, spread, and practice their musical art form, as well as give hip-hop the credit it deserved. This was only possible by these promotional flyers these artists would create, design, and handout.

If you want to check out some more Old School hip hop flyers: https://www.pinterest.ca/appehs/old-school-hip-hop-party-flyers/

Graffiti art also explores and demonstrates a plethora of types of design, from typography, graphic or illustrative images, and even conceptualized and planned murals all demonstrate elements of art and design.  

Typographic Graffiti:  Fashion District Oxley St. Toronto, ON. source: http://dirtybandits.com/toronto-mural

Illustrative Graffiti:  Alexandra Park Mural  275 Bathurst St. Toronto, ON Source: https://www.pixoftoronto.com/2015_the-alexandra-park-mural/

Graffiti Commercial Mural: Old Carpet Store in Liberty Village  67 Mowat Ave. Toronto, ON. Source: http://www.twirltheglobe.com/canada/favourite-street-art-toronto/

Additionally, a lot of albums tell conceptual stories lyrically, that are assisted with the album title, songs, as well as the concept art that is designed for it. With examples from: Masta Aces concept album debuted in 2001, “A Long Hot Summer”, the album development throughout Nas’s career, basically every Kendrick album, infamously beginning with, “Section.80”, and even Tyler the Creators “Wolf” trilogy  involving,“Bastard”, followed by “Goblin”, and “Wolf”.

Nas Album Cover Art:

Tyler the Creator Trilogy Cover Art:

Bastard: 2009 

Goblin: 2011 (Two different covers for different editions of the album)

Wolf: 2013 (Three different cover art pieces)