Week 7: Perry and "Prophet"eering

This week's readings was probably the most challenging readings that we have done because they were really theoretical and relied a lot on postmodernism and postcolonial criticism.

In generally, I really like Perry's work. I felt like she answered a lot of questions that I had been asking, such as reoccurring rap lyrics, such as her explanation of the heritage of the Mos Def line that he riffed from Rakim (54). I also liked her distinction between social science analysis of the function of hip hop lyrics and the artistic ritual of hip hop. I think the quote she used from bell hooks is such an important theme that I have picked up from the analysis of hip hop, especially after this week's readings (39). It is crucial to analyze the artistic value and cultural impacts of hip hop, not just try to understand the sociological circumstances of the music because that eliminates the agency and wit of hip hoppers, which is ultimately dehumanizing.

I was a little uncomfortable with Perry's analysis of the role of consumerism and hypercapitalist ideology in hip hop lyrics. On one level, I think she makes a fair point. Artists like Lil' Kim are able to use money as a way to subvert traditional race and gender roles by transgressing expectations. This can be said for any number of African American rappers who use "bling bling" as a way to demonstrate their ability to maneuver, manipulate, and ultimately control their own economic destiny within a white supremacist society. And to be fair, Perry clarifies that this notion of transgression does not inherently imply liberation, and the transgressive nature of their action is lost in the racism and sexism of broader society.

However, this was not entirely convincing. First of all, I felt like she gave the hyperconsumerism that defines much of hip hop today a pass because it was a metaphorical transgression. But I think that it also is intended as a marketing tool to sell products and ideas of wealth to youth. Therefore, though it may have merit, it is not entirely excusable. Focus on material gain leaves people feeling their self-worth is connected to their bank account and their individual needs, not a collective discourse on the future of culture or identity. Second, I wonder if the idea or existence of a community conversation that centers around rap, art, and blackness in America is lost or belittled if rap is flooded with consumerism, commercialization, and commodification. Is it still a legitimate conversation about society if the artists is being sponsored by Pepsi Cola and Sprint? I liked the ideas Perry (and Schur) had about the transformative power and aesthetic of hip hop to shift and reinvent meaning, but I wonder how much of that is lost in a consumerist-content hip hop...

Anyway, I look forward to discussing lots of profound ideas tomorrow!