African American Music - Essay Example

1 African American Music is the foundation of every twentieth century popular music style Genre Genesis It is important to understand the history of the genre, to be able to fully appreciate the role it has played throughout its more than thirty year existence, but as a consequence of the parameters of this presentation, we are constrained to give a succinct overview of the history and only some of its most pivotal contributors. In the 1970’s the musical genre was born among the low income, high crime neighborhoods in the South Bronx. It was a rebellion on the disco craze which was occurring in the middle-class nightclubs throughout the five boroughs, and across the country. The hip-hop craze was created by Puerto Rican and African American youth, who were talented street wise, and poor, but full of ingenuity. Hip-hop started as an articulation which refused to be dormant to urban poverty. They took the rhymes and melodies from the recordings of others and mixed them with their matter of fact, this is my reality type poetry, which sharply depicted life in the hood. These teenagers who resided in the housing projects of the Bronx enabled hip-hop to become an entity in the African American nightclubs in the Bronx and other boroughs, this homegrown popularization resulted in the migration of the sound to the West Coast, where it took on yet another form. Much concerning the history of hip hop, particularly as it pertains to the pioneers, is often disputed and challenged. In spite of this, one would be remiss not to mention: Kool DJ Herc, who was considered by many to be the godfather of hip-hop, DJ Hollywood was the first rhythmic disco rapper, and during the years from 1975-76, and 1977, 2 hip hop began its rise in popularity, as DJ Hollywood would draw crowds in excess of 2000 person’s at the most popular club (371) in New York. DJ June bug and of course the interminable Grand Master Flash earned his name with his speed on the turntables In any event to fully understand the history, only two things are absolutely necessary: rap is articulating in rhyme, to the rhythm of the beat, and that hip hop is language, which has created a culture, which is a way of life, in a society of persons who identify strongly with love, a deep appreciation of rap, B-Boy dancing, and graffiti. Dr.Dre According to Gill (1999), Dr. Dre has the profile of An American record producer, rapper, actor and record executive. He is a previous co-owner and rap artist at Death Row Records with Suge Knight. He later founded and is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of aftermath Entertainment.(MTV News).Dre became immersed in music as an artist when he was a member of the group, World Class Wreckin Cru, but he did not become famous until he joined the gangsta rap group, Niggas Would Attitude. It was with this group, when he teamed up with Eazy-E (who later died of complications associated with the AIDS virus), and with Ice Cube, the three of them popularized the coining of explicit rap lyrics which they used to describe violence on the street. (Holden 1994). In 1992 he made a solo debut when he produced, The Chronic, which was released under the label of the company which he co-owned with Suge Knight at Death Row Records. Influence Building 3 While Dr. Dre was busy putting together his personal material, he produced the debut album of Snoop Dogg. Doggystyle as the album was dubbed, turned out to be a landmark production, as it captured the distinction of being the first time a debut artist with their first album made an appearance on the Billboard 200 charts.Also According to Shuker (2001), in 1994 he took on the project to produce the movie soundtrack for Above The Rim, and in 1995, he completed the soundtrack for Natural Born Killaz. The soundtrack which he completed for Friday was entitled Keep Their Heads Ringin, it gained such an enormous popular appeal until it tipped the Hot Rap Singles100 charts at #1, and had a highly representative showing on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #10.(p.10). Death Row Records signed 2Pac, and promoted him as their major star, Dr. Dre severed his relationship with the label, citing irreconcilable business differences with Suge as his reason. Albeit the rights to Chronic were actually owned by Death Row Records, it was a highly heralded album and considered to be the production which re-defined West Coast hip hop. (Huey 2009), it further demonstrated gangsta rap’s commercial scope as a multi-platinum commodity, and positioned G-funk as the most sought after sound in hip hop for numerous years after it was released. It placed Dr. Dre in the comfortable position of producing major projects using his unique and popular style. It also worked as a charm for Death Row records as they entered the 1990’s, it positioned them as a dominant hip hop entity.(Erlewine,2000) Chronic entered the market and has been greeted by overwhelming fan support. Dr. Dre created a new style of rap in the presentation of Chronic, it possessed a different musical style, and a vast variance in its lyrical content(Huey 2009). Chronic reached the heights of a cultural phenomenon, the G-funk sound had officially arrived and it placed an indelible print on hip hop music throughout the 1990’s.From the album, Fuck wit Dr. Dre, and 4 nutin but a G s aThang, have been taken as soundtracks in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, a best selling video game.(Moss & Gotlieb 2001; Reid 2002).With all of the accolades and mass acceptance, the Chronic album which boasted sales of over three million copies, catapulted Dr. Dre into a category above his fellow artist, because in 1993 he was noted as one of the best selling performing artist, then Rolling Stone Magazine heralded him as being one among the highest paid entertainers in 2003 and 2004.Additional accolades included a Grammy for the single, Let Me Ride.(Allmusic 2009).Subsequent to forming his own company in 1996 he produced a compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath, and with the release of the album, 2001, he was awarded the Grammy producer award in 2000.(Erlewine 2000). Every sound track which is produced by Dr. Dre has the same beginning.Moreover, every one of his productions affords ample credit to his corroborators; Snoop Dogg intimates that Dr. Dre is capable of creating beats without the assistance of corroborators, and that Dre is responsible for his albums being a success.(Dogg 2006). It is pretty much common knowledge that Dr. Dre does not write most, if any of his raps, but he does assume control over all of his lyrics and the themes of his productions. His fairness barometer as far as giving credit to those who provide invaluable assistance to him being successful is amplified by Scott Storch, Elizondo, Mark Batson, and Dawaun Parker are duefully acknowledged as co-writers, and of late they are noted as co-producers on projects where Dre is credited as the producer. The fairness factor in the record industry, which has a rap for being cut throat,moreover, there has been no shortage of allegations concerning piracy and the absence of artistic acknowledgement than in the world of hip hop record production. The fact that Dr. Dre respects his people and 5 affords them with recognition for their contributions has endeared him to many of the young and aspiring artist. It is acknowledged that a rapper out of New York City, who goes by the moniker of Jay Z, did the ghost writing for the massive hit Still D.R.E., which was a hit from Dre’s, 2001 album.(Gill 1999) Genre – Pop Genesis According to Simpson & Weiner (1989), the Oxford English dictionary traces the terminology pop song, which made reference to music which has popular appeal,to have been first used in 1926. Twenty four years later,(Firth,2001) the term took on an extended meaning, and was used to describe a genre which was distinct, with its primary focus targeting an adolescent and young adult market who appreciated a melodious alternative to rock and roll.(pp.93-101). Subsequent to the advent of the Beatles and numerous other British music groups in 1967,Warner (2003),the term became prominent and more acceptable than its rival rock music, and it was transient,which afforded it a higher degree of commerilization and accessibility.(p.3). Michael Jackson It has been the professional opinion of a number of leading music experts,Firth (2001), Weiner (2003), and (Shuker, 2001), that there are at least five features which form the characteristics of the emerging genre known as pop music.It must be noted at this juncture that Michael Jackson invariably incorporated variants upon each of the f actors which the industry proclaimed musicologists considered to be essential in discerning its categorization.(1) a focus 6 on the individual song or singles,rather than on extended works or albums.(p.3). In the production of MJ’s milestone production, Thriller, it was the entire extended work which was appealing to his fans.This album transcended this characterization and created a segue for works which followed. (2) an aim of appealing to a general audience, rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology. (p.3).Obviously, MJ had an enormous audience, however it went much beyond a general audience; his fan base was the essence of the music or genre itself, it was transistional; as he aged and his fan base aged accordingly, not only did this fan base remain loyal, but another fan base replaced the age group who transistioned with the artist, this was an international occurrence, which essentially created a sub-culture.(3) an emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal artistic qualities;(p.3) This was the essence of MJ, his penchant for being a consumate professional made it imperative that he personify true artistic qualities.(4) an emphasis on recording, production, and technology, over live performance;(p.3) MJ fed off of his audiences, he had much to do with production, recording and technology, at the risk of playing into the cliché ridden assessment of his stage persona,he incorporated the best of what was James Brown and Jackie Wilson, and transformed himself into the greatest performer of all time. The microphone, and the stage lights, were his life lines. He was without a doubt, the greatest at what countless others have pursued. And (5) a tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments;(p.3) Obviously, MJ did not allow the rigidly defined parameters to interfere with his creativity, as a consequence he incorporated catchy hooks, and his lyrics were not always focused on simple themes, he was an innovator, it was his creativity which propelled him to the head of the class. Building Influence 7 When one endeavors to deal with the influence of an entertainer, producer, lyricist, promoter, and singer, and if I have not included a few components of his profile, it is only because he possessed such enormous scope, much of which is yet to be revealed. However, in describing his influence on others artists, we can start with his younger sibling, Janet, who is classified by many as being the queen of pop/R&B, due to her propensity for sampling her brother’s many works. Many in the music industry consider R. Kelly to be on the same plain with Michael Jackson in his songwriting capabilities, for whom Kelly has made some sizable contributions with at least two significantly noteworthy songs; You Are not Alone and One More Chance. The influence which MJ has had on a cadre of young artist, was the subject of an MTV news presentation where individuals such as Justin Timberlake intimated that MJ’s showman ship capabilities were not even touched in his many video renditions. In accordance with the point which was made in point #5 above, concerning pop features, Timberlake pointed out how MJ has influenced him in his music, again emphasizing the point made in feature #4, he said that when MJ had the ability to present a number on stage, which was not rivaled by anyone, that to create the things which he created with his music, is really untouchable.MJ further influenced the manner in which he dances, his dress and how he handles his career. He had a considerable amount of respect for Michael beyond music because he was a philanthropist as well as a musician, and as an individual who transcended culture.(MTV 2009) On the same program Usher revealed that, he felt he would not be where he is, if not for MJ. Although Chris Brown copied most of his style and act from Usher and Justin, it is 8 glearingly clear that it has its roots in the style of MJ. Brown is a freestyle dancer, and at 20, he possesses a lot of energy, and if he harnesses the capacity to improve his vocals, he is a sure to rival or eclipse his idol. Ne-Yo claims he learned his vocal skills by listening to, Off The Wall, and he intimated that when MJ produced a video, it was a fan and media event.(MTV 2009). MJ’s influence transcends genre, as he has impacted upon the music and style of David Cook of American Idol fame who says, I think the impact that Michael had on me as an artist is the same impact he’s really had on everyone as an artist, He blew pop music open and made it bigger than just music.(MTV 2009). Another point on how Michael’s influence transcended pop is exemplified in the tribute to MJ in a recording by The Game; the rapper said, as long as I’m breathing, his legacy’s going to live through my music. Of course, this points to his influence on rap music as well as R&B, as Diddy and Boyz II Men also combined to corroborate on The Game recording.(MTV 2009). Madonna took a page from the MJ manual, as she pretty much became the female musical equivalent of Michael as she consistently refined her style which empowered her with global appeal by taking her presentations to another level, an item which is signature MJ, as he repackaged himself several times during the course of his long career. Although Jay-Z is a rapper, his style and musical demeanor has garnered him many comparisons to the King of Pop. It is reflected in his cultural influence, not only in the US, but he has now gone global, and has acquired the persona as an international rock star. He is a self 9 admitted admirer of MJ and he makes this point clear as he appears on MJ’s, You Rock My World Remix in 2002. The list of individuals or entertainers whom MJ has influenced would not be complete without the mention of Kenya West, Brittney Spears, Ciara, Jennifer Lopez, and Maria Carey.Again these entertainers have taken a page from the MJ manual as they have also casted away the standard conformity to pop music feature #4 as it comes through very clear that MJ has influenced their dance moves—the syncopated choreography. Most of them have adopted his work ethic as well. They exhibited the propensity to put in the time to rehearse, and it is reflected in their shows, because like those of MJ, they are flawless. Works Cited Erlewine, S. T. Concrete Roots, Overview. Allmusic, Retrieved on line on September 28,2009, from http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll-  Holden, S. (1994). The Pop Life. The New York. Retrieved on line on September 26, 2009, from Dr. Dre-Grammy Awards. Allmusic Retrieved on line on September 26, 2009, from http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wpfqxqt5ldhe~T52 Huey, S.(2009).Review: The Chronic. Allmusic. Erlewine,S. T., Dr.Dre, Biography, Allmusic Moss, C., Gottlieb, M. (2001) Eve, Gwen Stefani, Bust Loose In Video, MTV News.Retrieved on line on September 20, 2007, from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441675/20010315/eve.jhtml. Reid, S. (2002). Truth Hurts. You Hear It First (MTV News). Retrieved on line on September 22, 2009, from http://www.mtv.com/news/yhif/truth_hurts/. Erlewine, S.T.,Doggystyle – Overview. Allmusic, Retrieved on line on September 28,2009, from http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hnftxqrgldse Dr. Dre, Charts & Awards. Allmusic.Retreived on line on September 28, 2009, from http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wpfqxqt5ldhe~T51 Snoop Dogg Interview (2006), Part 4 West Coast News Network. July 2006.Retrieved on line on September 28, 2009, from http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/snoopdogg06/part4/ Gill, John (1999). Dr. Dre Changes Album Title…Again MTV News. 10-13-99 ,Retrieved on line on September 25, 2009, from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1428265/19991013/dr_dre.jhtml J. Simpson,J., and Weiner E., (1989),Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), cf pop. Frith,S.(2001) "Pop Music" in S. Frith, W. Stray and J. Street, The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock (Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 93–108. Warner,T., (2003)Pop music: technology and creativity: Trevor Horn and the digital revolution (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003), p. 3. Shuker, R.(2001) Understanding popular music (London: Routledge, 2nd edn., 2001), pp. 8–10. CBS Special (2009), Michael Jackson Picking Up the Pieces, MTV News Gifted teenagers with plenty of imagination but little cash began to forge a new style from spare parts. Hip-hop, as it was then known, was a product of pure streetwise ingenuity; extracting rhythms and melodies from existing records and mixing them up with searing poetry chronicling life in the 'hood, hip-hop spilled out of the ghetto. In the e, 200arly 1970s a musical genre was born in the crime-ridden neighborhoods of the South Bronx. Gifted teenagers with plenty of imagination but little cash began to forge a new style from spare parts. Hip-hop, as it was then known, was a product of pure streetwise ingenuity; extracting rhythms and melodies from existing records and mixing them up with searing poetry be Read More

It was with this group, when he teamed up with Eazy-E (who later died of complications associated with the AIDS virus), and with Ice Cube, the three of them popularized the coining of explicit rap lyrics which they used to describe violence on the street. (Holden 1994). In 1992 he made a solo debut when he produced, The Chronic, which was released under the label of the company which he co-owned with Suge Knight at Death Row Records. Influence Building 3 While Dr. Dre was busy putting together his personal material, he produced the debut album of Snoop Dogg.

Doggystyle as the album was dubbed, turned out to be a landmark production, as it captured the distinction of being the first time a debut artist with their first album made an appearance on the Billboard 200 charts.Also According to Shuker (2001), in 1994 he took on the project to produce the movie soundtrack for Above The Rim, and in 1995, he completed the soundtrack for Natural Born Killaz. The soundtrack which he completed for Friday was entitled Keep Their Heads Ringin, it gained such an enormous popular appeal until it tipped the Hot Rap Singles100 charts at #1, and had a highly representative showing on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #10.(p.10).

Death Row Records signed 2Pac, and promoted him as their major star, Dr. Dre severed his relationship with the label, citing irreconcilable business differences with Suge as his reason. Albeit the rights to Chronic were actually owned by Death Row Records, it was a highly heralded album and considered to be the production which re-defined West Coast hip hop. (Huey 2009), it further demonstrated gangsta rap’s commercial scope as a multi-platinum commodity, and positioned G-funk as the most sought after sound in hip hop for numerous years after it was released.

It placed Dr. Dre in the comfortable position of producing major projects using his unique and popular style. It also worked as a charm for Death Row records as they entered the 1990’s, it positioned them as a dominant hip hop entity.(Erlewine,2000) Chronic entered the market and has been greeted by overwhelming fan support. Dr. Dre created a new style of rap in the presentation of Chronic, it possessed a different musical style, and a vast variance in its lyrical content(Huey 2009). Chronic reached the heights of a cultural phenomenon, the G-funk sound had officially arrived and it placed an indelible print on hip hop music throughout the 1990’s.

From the album, Fuck wit Dr. Dre, and 4 nutin but a G s aThang, have been taken as soundtracks in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, a best selling video game.(Moss & Gotlieb 2001; Reid 2002).With all of the accolades and mass acceptance, the Chronic album which boasted sales of over three million copies, catapulted Dr. Dre into a category above his fellow artist, because in 1993 he was noted as one of the best selling performing artist, then Rolling Stone Magazine heralded him as being one among the highest paid entertainers in 2003 and 2004.

Additional accolades included a Grammy for the single, Let Me Ride.(Allmusic 2009).Subsequent to forming his own company in 1996 he produced a compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath, and with the release of the album, 2001, he was awarded the Grammy producer award in 2000.(Erlewine 2000). Every sound track which is produced by Dr. Dre has the same beginning.Moreover, every one of his productions affords ample credit to his corroborators; Snoop Dogg intimates that Dr. Dre is capable of creating beats without the assistance of corroborators, and that Dre is responsible for his albums being a success.

(Dogg 2006). It is pretty much common knowledge that Dr. Dre does not write most, if any of his raps, but he does assume control over all of his lyrics and the themes of his productions. His fairness barometer as far as giving credit to those who provide invaluable assistance to him being successful is amplified by Scott Storch, Elizondo, Mark Batson, and Dawaun Parker are duefully acknowledged as co-writers, and of late they are noted as co-producers on projects where Dre is credited as the producer.

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