Hip-Hop and Politics

The two essays you read leading up to this were largely about the perception of art by those who don’t (necessarily) have an investment of the art they (the perceivers) are perceiving (often wrongly, or at least misguidedly). Hip-hop and politics are two of the most often discussed spaces without the necessary knowledge of either in order to be some kind of credible “expert” on either (or both at the same time). But, it is a fact (I assume, I think I know this 100%) that the people discussing these things don’t have an intimate investment in either to call themselves an expert, or even a student of (said things). So with that in mind…I want you to write a paper on the perception of hip-hop. And on the perception of politics. And I won’t you to write, in the first paragraph (this is THE first paragraph)…the first 20 words that come to your head when you hear the word hip-hop. Don’t think, just type. Twenty words. Twenty full words. Okay, that will be the first paragraph. The second paragraph, do the same thing with your perception of politics. Twenty words, don’t think, just type. DO NOT THINK. Twenty words, boom, done with the second paragraph. Your third paragraph (and third part of your paper) will go deeper into hip-hop. I want you to think about this sentence: “The profanity in hip-hop, the perceived misogyny in hip-hop, is nothing but punctuation.” Think about that sentence (I didn’t write it). And write AT LEAST a two page (double-spaced paper) that has, as its context, that sentence. You can take that sentence to mean anything you want. I want you to really, really think about it in terms of language, in terms of what you think hip-hop might mean, but especially what hip-hop is perceived to be by those who don’t listen to it (I’m sure you know MANY who don’t). That sentence is your prompt. The fourth part of your paper will deal with politics in a similar way. The sentence around this part will focus is: “Politics is: theater with blood consequence.” (I wrote that). Really think about that. Think about every word as a WORD, and then suss that out and make it a paper around which you talk about your own ideas and the ideas about the perception of politics. This part will be two pages, double-spaced, as well. And again, you can write whatever you want that has something to do with that sentence–just make whatever you write connect to that sentence somehow. So what you’ll have here is two paragraphs first, each with twenty words. Then, a two page paper (double-spaced) about hip-hop. Then, a two page paper (double-spaced) about politics. I hope that makes sense!