To Kool For School

Having just finished finals, academics are on the brain. How many hip-hop artists have a college degree? Do they really need one? Is the music industry always going to be based off of people finding you and promoting you, and when this happens does your education matter? All of these rappers in this video went to college. In having a college degree has this shaped their success in the music business in any way?

Before universities and big institutions had very pronounced musical programs, going to school with a talent that could get you places was a dumb idea. In a way it is like pro athletes, when they get picked up by a team they quit on school and go with the pro athlete life. For rappers it is the same. These people have chosen this lifestyle and I am asking if there is a difference between those that get an education and those that don’t when you have an expendable talent like some of these rappers. 

DIY Commodification

My emphasis within the Johnston Center is hip hop culture and the other day, my 2-D Design professor asked us to make a t-shirt with spray paint and stencils. We had to make eight signs using a repeated symbol, so I chose the Men's bathroom figure and made a "How 2 B A Rapper" t-shirt with eight depictions of the sign engaged in stereotypical rapper behavior.

At first, I was psyched about it because I thought it was funny. After showing some people, they asked if I could make them one and I was pleased that they like the shirt. My mind went entrepreneurial for a second and I thought about selling these t-shirts to help finance a summer study abroad. Suddenly, my mind teemed with insights about marketing hip hop that'd I'd learned in REST 235. What kind of message am I sending by outputting something like this? There are no women, there are no redeeming rapper qualities displayed. What would my rapper friends from Watts think if they saw me or some student from our school walking around wearing this t-shirt? It doesn't seem right to make money off of stereotyping rappers. Even though rappers make money off of stereotyping rappers, I've got to take the high road here, right?

What do you all think of this? Is this just a one-time thing to be laughed at and appreciated? Is this the 2 Chainz of t-shirts? Would selling these shirts have a negative effect on society regarding the way rappers are portrayed? I'm interested in hearing what you think. During my moments of uncertainty is when I believe I do my best writing. I wrote this rap song as a response to the t-shirt. Feel free to check it out: www.hannabratton.wordpress.com

GZA and Hip Hop's Use in Science Education

The title essentially explains it all. I already completed all of my blog posts and have a bunch of finals to work on, but check out this video. It's fascinating. After the video check out the Science Genius program that just began in NYC. Hip Hop is continually reaching out and occupying more and more space not only in academia but in general. Wu-Tang Forever.