The Corner by Common Song Analysis: Is It Afrocentric or Not - Coursework Example

The Corner by Common" Song Analysis: is it Afrocentric or not? Afrocentric rap that can be termed as conscious rap or a social rap, political, Black rap, militant or even revolution rap was most widely embraced and consumed by masses in the golden age of hip-hop in late 80's to 90's. Although, Afrocentric rap, that can be described as lyrical form which celebrates accomplishments of Black community in the past and present also voicing concerns and complaints, and even social observation which gets floated by African American community is the part of the hip-hop songs genre (Asante, 1998). Some of the popular songs include which became a big hit in 1982's was “The Message" which was a single from Sugar Hill, Grandmaster flash and furious five that featured melle mel and Duke Bootee. This is also an example if the big hit in 2011 album track "Clap" which was sung by Brooklyn emcee Saigon off which was released in Feb 15th. Afrocentric rap would remain in the song genre for the days to come. Although, it can never be so popular but it is common to see rap videos that enrages political, pro Black imagery as well as messages (Richardson, 2003). Afrocentric rap has been a distant form of hip-hop which occurred from the late 80's to early 90’s which were essentially with the broader, lyrically and musically. This was diverse, golden age; this was hip-hop that depended on ran from '87 or '88 and nearing '92 or '93. This was lyrically used for traditional Muslim greeting which was as-salaam alaikum, peace to you that was commonplace in the music. In the U.S before 9/11 that did not many eyebrows. In the pro Black lyrics, the political charged samples which were EG Malcolm X, The Last Poets, Martin Luther King, Jr., and even James Brown that was a commonplace. The colours of the Pan African flag which was red, green and black, this was synonymous to the Afrocentric rap. The album cover art, clothing, song lyrics, song/album was also weaved in the colours. While promoting De La Soul, promotion made by the leather African medallions has become a promotion item. They also styled Queen Latifah's was promoted around Afrocentric imagery (Asante, 2007). Other artists who also gave some essence to the Afrocentric rap in the peak time also included Public Enemy, X-Clan, BDP/KRS-One, Sister Souljah, Paris and Jungle Brothers. Although, Afrocentric/conscious rap was also came up with various real life. NWA, Schoolly D, Ice T, Ice Cube, The Geto Boys, Toddy Tee, as well as Cypress Hill were the artists who were either hardcore or gangsta and also embodied elements of the Afrocentric rap. While being written off being a player or a pimp styled rapper dropped by the D word that also delivered powerful Afrocentric anthem in the single song "The Ghetto." This track was emotional, heartfelt, soulful, sad, rap tale that talked about the struggles. As well as, 2Pac, who were granted fame in the Afrocentric movement, which was also a trend that passed, has been a complex artist who offered most gangsta and sexist songs and messages which talked about Afrocentric perspectives (Asante, 2003). Rap artist Common is considered to be one of those artists with conscious who is being able to successfully keep the culture of underground hip hop alive but also ingrained various mainstream issues such faced by the African community worldwide. The hip hop culture has been evolving constantly in the last few years with the art not just remaining as glitzy dance routine but is being used to pass along various meaningful messages as well (Bernard-Carreño, 2009). For instance, the Corner by Common is a typical example of how the artist infuses his ideas about African culture into the song. The song is definitely poetic and even thought provoking. Africans especially in the US are being seen synonym to muggers and are seen as the inhabitants of the darker corners of the streets. The corner is symbolic of being mugged, robbed and even murdered by the Afro-Americans and produce dread and a stereo-typical image of the African community living in the ghettos. In this song, Common provides the contrasting image of such corners, which in the present day is being viewed as a dreadful place full of crime, debauchery and fatalities (Carroll, 2008). While in the past, these same corners were the symbol of peace, freedom and expression of ideas. It was where the community met, talked, discussed, smoked, fought and did such other daily chores. In those days the corners were the soul of the people, integrated in their daily lives in such a manner that Common in fact equated them with famed wonders of the world such as Rock of Gibraltar, Stonehenge and Taj Mahal, which also depicts that the street corner had been a major backbone for encouraging and establishing African culture in a distant land. Common is truly a part of conscious rap, which focuses on providing positive, politically and socially aware and non-misogynistic viewpoints which most of the mainstream songs do not address. With the album ‘Be’ and the song ‘Corner’, Common has not only been able to bring out the essence of the African society but was able to present it through a commercial vehicle as well. The artist along with presenting Afro-centric rhymes also put forth soulful beats, jazzy music by collaborating with Kanye West. The Corner especially focuses on this Afro-centric theme, wherein the artist provides the imagery of the urban street life. The song also features ‘The Last Poets’, who have recited spoken word poetry. Further, Kanye West also rapped in the song in the chorus ‘I wish I could give you this feeling’. The song steams the imagination of the listeners who could see themselves among the cops, hustlers, poor, crooks, preachers and the working class populace on a city street corner and going through the motion of everyday activities, including praying, going to work, crime, drug dealings, police raids etc. The song not only has a raw appeal through it’s on the face lyrics, but also provides hardcore hip-hop beats which satisfies the old-school critics and the music lovers alike (Hilliard, 1998). Common also does not shy away from providing the true modern street imagery even when he knows that it might reinforce the negative imagery of the African community in the US. He does that to present the true ghetto life in today’s world, a grim reality that he does not hide. Further, through such imageries, it helped in making a base for what was to follow that is to present a contrasting image of the same street corners in the yesteryears when these corners were being used as a place from where revolution began for freedom and peace. These emotions were aptly described in the spoken words poetry of ‘The Last Poets’: The corner was our magic, our music, our politics Fires raised as tribal dancers and War cries that broke out on different corners Power to the people, black power, black is beautiful The song truly can be termed as an Afrocentric rap, which is not so much in prevalence these days, as most rap artists have moved towards popular rap using funkier languages and even hurling abuses to make it to the mainstream music industry. Therefore, songs such as ‘The Corner’ often gets overtaken and overshadowed by popular rap, gangsta rap and hip-hop music, which most of the time does not even have a message to translate to the society, as opposed to Afrocentric rap songs such as Corner (Karenga, 1993). The common thread between gangsta rap and Afrocentric rap can be termed as trends in the rap industry and thus influenced equally by money. In terms of so-called conscious Afrocentric rappers was seen fronting or jumping into the band wagon for making quick money; in comparison to the present genre of musicians and singers, the studio gangsta rappers had gang sign or some swagger which made them look hard. There was many superficial faux and the conscious members who donned black, red and green colours and were seen insincerely quoting or sampling Malcolm and Martin in all the paper chase or money hunt. The trends only helped in the near death of the genre (Lundy, 2003). Afrocentric rap could be seen as a predominant force in the mainstream hip-hop that faded out and died because of two main reasons. Firstly as the marketplace for music dominated by the major labels' which was A&R's who decided not to be so effective through money influence, which were also played through radio and got totally vanished. These labels stopped signing the artists who were Afrocentric. These artists also learned the task quickly in case they were being made militant Black or even Afrocentric hip-hop, had to be funded by themselves. In the meanwhile, Bay Area rapper who was Paris has been one of the exceptions with the rule. An artist who has been stuck to the guns from day one and could never wavered in telling like this. Some of the anti Bush rhetoric has been the inspiration from Tommy Boy label which was distributed by Warner, this was albeit handsome severance for helping the fund of new-found freedom. One of the other being was not profound, some of the reasons for the death for the Afrocentric hip-hop being a force in the genre have been because of the complaining and protesting as it was presented but it was not able to present any tangible solutions (Ritzer, 2008). The opening lines of the song focuses on how the corners evoke various memories, which include simple things such as walking by the corner to reach the store or passing by people standing on the corners smoking. Then the artist presents another picture of the corner, wherein the soul of the corner is being seen opening and closing for people who do not have a place to go. However, these streets filled with destitute are no longer safe as they have become crime inflicted with the cars being broken and stolen. Common also focuses on the negligence of the general society, when he emphasises that the 'world is cold' meaning that the government and people are apathetic to the condition of the African community living in the ghettos (Karenga, 1993). The chorus by Kanye West further enhances the theme of the song, wherein the clear picture of today's street corners are presented as scenes for 'robbing, killing, dying' and that all for making a living. Again the apathetic living conditions of the African community are depicted through these lines, wherein the African youth are taken to crime only to make a living as they do not have alternative means to make money (Carroll, 2008). Common in the second verse again portrays the reality of the street corners and in a bare manner without attempting to hide it under the guise of soft words. He clearly states that the corner, especially at night become the epitome of crime, with thieves, crooks, sex workers, drug dealers making every dark corner an unsafe place to be. The darkness of the corner, in terms of the physical sense as well as devoid of responsibility and ethics is being presented aptly in the line 'Look to the sky hoping it will bleed light'. The grimness of the corner is presented again in the third verse, where the reality of the situation is shown. The artists state that it is not as if the African community is not trying to make an honest earning, they do so but even after a back-breaking day at work they are not able to get a comfortable living. What is interesting to note is the spoken word poetries of 'The Last Poet' being included in the song. The first poem projected the nostalgic time where the corner symbolised pride for the African community to fight for their rights. The second poem glorified the African culture, its magic, music and tribal dances, while focussing on the revolutions for independence. The third poem is a firm assumption by the African community that the corner indeed is their monument that would be remembered forever just as other famous monuments and would provide their "testimonial to freedom, to peace and to love". The Corner therefore can be viewed as one of those Afrocentric rap songs which can become the corner stone for the powerful hip-hop movement that focuses on examining and reviewing the African culture in today’s urban landscape. References: Asante, M. K. (1998). The Afrocentric idea. Philadelphia, US: Temple University Press. Asante, M. K. (2003). Afrocentricity: the Theory of social Change. Chicago: African American Images. Asante, M. K. (2007). An Afrocentric Manifesto: Toward an African Renaissance. Cambridge, UK and Malden, MA: Polity Press. Bernard-Carreño, R. (2009). The Critical Pedagogy of Black Studies. Journal of Pan African Studies, 2 (10), 12-29. Carroll, K. K. (2008). Africana Studies and Research Methodology: Revisiting the Centrality of the Afrikan Worldview. Journal of Pan African Studies 2 (2), 4-27. Hilliard, A. (1998). SBA: The Reawakening of the African Mind. Gainesville: Makare Publishing Co. Karenga, M. (1993). Introduction to Black Studies. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press. Lundy, G. (2003). The Myths of Oppositional Culture. Journal of Black Studies 33 (4), 450-467. Richardson, E. B. (2003). Understanding African American rhetoric: classical origins to contemporary innovations. New York, NY: Routledge. Ritzer, G. (2008). Sociological Theory. New York:McGraw-Hill. Read More

Although, Afrocentric/conscious rap was also came up with various real life. NWA, Schoolly D, Ice T, Ice Cube, The Geto Boys, Toddy Tee, as well as Cypress Hill were the artists who were either hardcore or gangsta and also embodied elements of the Afrocentric rap. While being written off being a player or a pimp styled rapper dropped by the D word that also delivered powerful Afrocentric anthem in the single song "The Ghetto." This track was emotional, heartfelt, soulful, sad, rap tale that talked about the struggles.

As well as, 2Pac, who were granted fame in the Afrocentric movement, which was also a trend that passed, has been a complex artist who offered most gangsta and sexist songs and messages which talked about Afrocentric perspectives (Asante, 2003). Rap artist Common is considered to be one of those artists with conscious who is being able to successfully keep the culture of underground hip hop alive but also ingrained various mainstream issues such faced by the African community worldwide. The hip hop culture has been evolving constantly in the last few years with the art not just remaining as glitzy dance routine but is being used to pass along various meaningful messages as well (Bernard-Carreño, 2009).

For instance, the Corner by Common is a typical example of how the artist infuses his ideas about African culture into the song. The song is definitely poetic and even thought provoking. Africans especially in the US are being seen synonym to muggers and are seen as the inhabitants of the darker corners of the streets. The corner is symbolic of being mugged, robbed and even murdered by the Afro-Americans and produce dread and a stereo-typical image of the African community living in the ghettos.

In this song, Common provides the contrasting image of such corners, which in the present day is being viewed as a dreadful place full of crime, debauchery and fatalities (Carroll, 2008). While in the past, these same corners were the symbol of peace, freedom and expression of ideas. It was where the community met, talked, discussed, smoked, fought and did such other daily chores. In those days the corners were the soul of the people, integrated in their daily lives in such a manner that Common in fact equated them with famed wonders of the world such as Rock of Gibraltar, Stonehenge and Taj Mahal, which also depicts that the street corner had been a major backbone for encouraging and establishing African culture in a distant land.

Common is truly a part of conscious rap, which focuses on providing positive, politically and socially aware and non-misogynistic viewpoints which most of the mainstream songs do not address. With the album ‘Be’ and the song ‘Corner’, Common has not only been able to bring out the essence of the African society but was able to present it through a commercial vehicle as well. The artist along with presenting Afro-centric rhymes also put forth soulful beats, jazzy music by collaborating with Kanye West.

The Corner especially focuses on this Afro-centric theme, wherein the artist provides the imagery of the urban street life. The song also features ‘The Last Poets’, who have recited spoken word poetry. Further, Kanye West also rapped in the song in the chorus ‘I wish I could give you this feeling’. The song steams the imagination of the listeners who could see themselves among the cops, hustlers, poor, crooks, preachers and the working class populace on a city street corner and going through the motion of everyday activities, including praying, going to work, crime, drug dealings, police raids etc.

The song not only has a raw appeal through it’s on the face lyrics, but also provides hardcore hip-hop beats which satisfies the old-school critics and the music lovers alike (Hilliard, 1998). Common also does not shy away from providing the true modern street imagery even when he knows that it might reinforce the negative imagery of the African community in the US. He does that to present the true ghetto life in today’s world, a grim reality that he does not hide.

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