Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Rap on rap


Recently, there was an NCFIC panel discussion on Christian (or Reformed) rap music which ignited a firestorm. One blogger has transcribed their comments:


I'll be using his transcript as a point of reference. Before commenting on the specifics, I'll mention a few preliminaries.

i) Let's me say at the outset that I thought the panelists' statements were intellectually atrocious. I won't be defending their statements.. 

Many Christians have taken offense at what was said. I'd just like to remind the offended parties that when you're offended, you're giving someone power over you. You're allowing them to control you to some degree. Letting them to push your buttons. Make you angry. 

Disapproval is better than taking offense. You can disapprove of something without ceding self-control to a second-party. 

ii) Some critics have accused the panelists of racism. Of stereotyping rappers. I'd just point out that, even assuming that that their attitude reflects racial stereotyping, it didn't originate with them. Unfortunately, there's an influential segment of the black community that indulges in self-stereotyping. It's a damaging stereotype, but it isn't primarily a case of outsiders projecting that onto young black men. Rather, there's a subset of the black community that's projecting and magnifying that image. To quote a prominent black linguist:

Anyone who grew up in urban America during the eighties won’t soon forget the young men strolling down streets, blaring this sonic weapon from their boom boxes, with defiant glares daring anyone to ask them to turn it down.
Hip-hop exploded into popular consciousness at the same time as the music video, and rappers were soon all over MTV, reinforcing in images the ugly world portrayed in rap lyrics. Video after video features rap stars flashing jewelry, driving souped-up cars, sporting weapons, angrily gesticulating at the camera, and cavorting with interchangeable, mindlessly gyrating, scantily clad women.
But we’re sorely lacking in imagination if in 2003—long after the civil rights revolution proved a success, at a time of vaulting opportunity for African Americans, when blacks find themselves at the top reaches of society and politics—we think that it signals progress when black kids rattle off violent, sexist, nihilistic, lyrics, like Russians reciting Pushkin...How helpful is rap’s sexism in a community plagued by rampant illegitimacy and an excruciatingly low marriage rate?
The idea that rap is an authentic cry against oppression is all the sillier when you recall that black Americans had lots more to be frustrated about in the past but never produced or enjoyed music as nihilistic as 50 Cent or N.W.A. On the contrary, black popular music was almost always affirmative and hopeful. Nor do we discover music of such violence in places of great misery like Ethiopia or the Congo—unless it’s imported American hip-hop.
By the eighties, the ghetto had become a ruleless war zone, where black people were their own worst enemies. It would be silly, of course, to blame hip-hop for this sad downward spiral, but by glamorizing life in the “war zone,” it has made it harder for many of the kids stuck there to extricate themselves. Seeing a privileged star like Sean Combs behave like a street thug tells those kids that there’s nothing more authentic than ghetto pathology, even when you’ve got wealth beyond imagining.
The attitude and style expressed in the hip-hop “identity” keeps blacks down. Almost all hip-hop, gangsta or not, is delivered with a cocky, confrontational cadence that is fast becoming—as attested to by the rowdies at KFC—a common speech style among young black males. Similarly, the arm-slinging, hand-hurling gestures of rap performers have made their way into many young blacks’ casual gesticulations, becoming integral to their self-expression. The problem with such speech and mannerisms is that they make potential employers wary of young black men and can impede a young black’s ability to interact comfortably with co-workers and customers. The black community has gone through too much to sacrifice upward mobility to the passing kick of an adversarial hip-hop “identity.”
On a deeper level, there is something truly unsettling and tragic about the fact that blacks have become the main agents in disseminating debilitating—dare I say racist—images of themselves. Rap guru Russell Simmons claims that “the coolest stuff about American culture—be it language, dress, or attitude—comes from the underclass. Always has and always will.” Yet back in the bad old days, blacks often complained—with some justification—that the media too often depicted blacks simply as uncivilized. Today, even as television and films depict blacks at all levels of success, hip-hop sends the message that blacks are . . . uncivilized. I find it striking that the cry-racism crowd doesn’t condemn it.
For those who insist that even the invisible structures of society reinforce racism, the burden of proof should rest with them to explain just why hip-hop’s bloody and sexist lyrics and videos and the criminal behavior of many rappers wouldn’t have a powerfully negative effect upon whites’ conception of black people.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_3_how_hip_hop.html

Just to clarify–in case clarification is necessary–I'm not suggesting that Christian rappers or Reformed rappers are analogous to gangsta rappers. I'm just making the point that this harmful stereotype is indigenous. It's not something middle-aged white guys invented. 

iii) Let's spend a little more time on that image. Needless to say, street gangs aren't a black distinctive. Various ethnicities have street gangs. I once saw a movie (The Warriors) which showcased, in surreal terms, a multiethnic rainbow of New York city street gangs. 

To some degree this may be intensified by boys raised by single mothers. But I wouldn't be surprised if the militancy of gangsta rap isn't heightened by the "war on drugs," where the inner city is the battlefield, and police in paramilitary regalia spearhead the crackdown. That might well provoke a counterinsurgent attitude.  

I'd also note that this goes back to an older debate in the civil rights community. On the one hand you had the nonviolent philosophy of Martin Luther King. On the other hand, you  had the more confrontational approach of Malcolm X or the Black Panthers. King's tactical and strategic philosophy proved to be more realistic, although there are times and places where that would be ineffectual. 

iv) I don't know much about rap music. I don't listen to rap music. Life is short, and I make snap decisions about where to invest my time.

From what I've heard of it, I don't care for rap music. That's an aesthetic judgment. So I practice studied avoidance.

From what I've heard of it, I don't think of rap music as music. I don't mean that as a put down. But to judge by what I've heard, the musical element seems to be secondary or incidental. 

From what I can tell, rap music is basically lyric poetry. To be real music, as I define music, it would have to have a melody, and preferably harmony. 

From what I've heard, rap music is basically spoken verse, with a bit of musical accompaniment. I don't know if the accompaniment is for the benefit of the rapper, like a metronome, to help him maintain the structured flow. Or if it's for the benefit of the audience. Or both. 

If, in fact, rap music is a subgenre of lyric poetry, then it has the potential to be a high art form, like Shakespeare or Homer. I'd evaluate it mainly on rhetorical rather than musical grounds. 

But my classification could be mistaken. That's my initial impression. 

v) Now for some of the panelists:

Dan HornI would be very against reformed rap. Let me tell you why. Words aren't enough. God cares about how we deliver the message. And there's two aspects of the delivery. The purpose of songs is to instruct. It's also to praise God, it's also to worship. But its to instruct and to admonish. We’re given the words because we’re a word-based religion, the emphasis needs to be on the words. 
This is incoherent. He begins by saying "words are not enough," but proceeds to say we're a word-based religion, the emphasis needs to be on the words. So his criticism is self-contradictory.
And I would argue with the rap [sic], with the heavy beat, with those things that the physical distraction is so much that the focus is no longer on the words.
Of course, Baroque music, like Handel and Vivaldi, is very rhythmical. 
And music should be about helping us to remember concepts that we need to remember. And help us to carry forward. Music is a wonderful tool as a memory aid. 
I disagree with his philosophy of vocal music. I think the function of vocal music is to translate a verbal medium into a nonverbal medium, where sound is a metaphor for ideas and feelings. 
And rap is about drawing attention to the rapper, drawing attention to how his skill is different than anybody else’s skill. 
I don't see anything wrong with people using their God-given talents. What about a talented preacher? 
Scott Aniol When it comes the art form of hip-hop, very few will disagree with the cultural milieu out of which it grew. What it was intended to express by those who created the art form.  
Actually, I think it's easy to detach the form (lyric poetry) from the content. 
Geoff BotkinYes, amen to that. “Do not be conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And what concerns me about this this so-called “art form” - it's a picture of weakness and surrender on the part of people who think they're serving God. And they're not. They’re serving their own flesh. They’re caving into the world. They are disobedient cowards. They're not really willing to engage in the fight that needs to be engaged. Scott, thank you for saying that. If we are reformers we are going to change and fully redeem and replace the world. We're not going to make ourselves friends of the world and enemies of God. And so this is what concerns me about anytime Christians, in a cowardly way, follow the world instead of changing it and confronting it. And confronting the antithesis. And we need be doing this in every every possible art from - including film, including other kinds of music. And so, Scott, just to summarize: Reformed rap is the cowardly following of the world instead of confronting and changing it.
That's a screed instead of an argument. He gives us no reason to share his assessment. 
Joe Morecraft But I think what we are all saying is that some forms of music cannot be separated from the culture out of which they come. 
That's worth considering. But as it stands, it's just a general assertion. He hasn't proven it. And even if it were true, he'd have to show how that applies to the specific case of Christian rap.  
That’s an important thing to bear in mind. When we have young men or women the church let's say the young men start wearing an earring. I say, “What's the purpose of the earring? The pierced ear?” And they'll say, “Well I just like it.” or “I think it's nice,” or “it’s the fashion,” and I say, “Do you know why it is the fashion? Do you know who you're identifying with when you wear this earring? You're not identifying yourself with the godly men in the church but with an entirely different culture out there. And same thing with certain forms of music. 
I admit that as a middled-aged man, I find the sight of young men with earrings slightly jarring. But I know that's just my dated cultural conditioning. When I came of age compared to their decade, their generation. I bracket my reaction. I don't judge anyone on that basis. 
There's a genuine problem when teenage boys cultivate an effeminate appearance. But earrings are part of the pirate iconography–at least in Hollywood films. So even from a cultural standpoint, that, by itself, doesn't send a gender-bender signal. 
Likewise, I've noticed lately that some young men are wearing their hair longer. I notice that because that's how boys my age wore their hair back in the 70s. We've come full circle. 
And I think also that we must not use music in the worship of God where the words get lost in the music. And all people hear is the music. 
As I've said before, I think that reflects a defective understanding of vocal music (see above).
And I think the music by which we sing must fit the majesty of the words, and the dignity of the words.
The Psalter ranges from highbrow to lowbrow. 
You remember what it says the Old Testament? The purpose of music is to raise sounds of joy. That is to help us in our joyful praise of God.
Surely he can't be serious. Is the Psalter always joyful? The Psalter ranges from elation to despair, vengeance, abandonment.  Serenity and violence. 
Or is it basically the tune that we’re after?
Since the rap music I've heard is pretty tuneless, I find that criticism ironic. But I'm judging by a very small sample. 

13 comments:

  1. "If, in fact, rap music is a subgenre of lyric poetry, then it has the potential to be a high art form, like Homer. I'd evaluate it mainly on rhetorical rather than musical grounds."

    Exactly. Hence, events like "Def Poetry Jam" have seemingly naturally arisen out of the genre. And white poets like Taylor Mali (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mksQ-8IG1WQ) have used the venue effectively.

    Thus if we can accurately characterize the genre, then we can begin to make the proper aesthetic judgments about the content. But if we mislabel the genre, then misinterpretations galore will happen. E.g., don't interpret Proverbs like Revelation; don't interpret lyric poetry like classical music.

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  2. Steve: you should have been there, asked a devastating question to the panel, and just before returning to your seat, extended your arm and dropped the mic.

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  3. But I think what we are all saying is that some forms of music cannot be separated from the culture out of which they come.

    FWIW, according to Frank Burch Brown in Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste:

    "We should be careful not to imply that music simply replicates in an audible medium the preexisting social and inner realities of our world. Rap music and the hip-hop culture of which it is an integral part are not just an expression of contemporary African American urban life as it already exists...they constitute a new dimension of that life."

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  4. BTW, there are other prominent hip hop cultures or perhaps subcultures. Such as Asian-American (e.g. Korean, Vietnamese, Indian). Or East Asian (e.g. J-pop, K-pop, and C-pop).

    Also, not all of it is always associated with glorifying promiscuous sex and violence, the thug life, the buying or selling of drugs, crude language, the objectification of women, etc. For example, some rap battling, beatboxing, mixing, and breakdancing at least in the context of Asian-American hip hop for better or for worse reflects more middle-class suburban culture than it does say the difficulties of living in the inner city among the lower socioeconomic strata.

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  5. I'm sure rap is great, but I can't understand much of it. I was able to find this rap battle translation though (http://youtu.be/R6H0i1RAdHk) and I guess I can see its appeal among the youths.

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  6. "I'm just making the point that this harmful stereotype is indigenous. It's not something middle-aged white guys invented."

    So after observing the metal rock counterculture of the 1970's & 80's can I come to the conclusion the Christian rock groups like Thousand Foot Crutch, Skillet and Red are not viable vehicles for the Gospel? The article presented was written to report the use of rap and the oversensationalization of it's use in urban culture and its relationship with pop culture/media entertainment. In my opinion, Hip-hop, which is a subculture, was birthed from urban culture, not rap. The two are separate. Second, What about The beastie boys , 3rd Bass, House of pain, Everlast? All hip-hop rap groups which are Caucasian. So are they indigenous? Once again, I humbly request that you do your research about urban culture, hip-hop culture, media entertainment and its relationship with rap before you start putting an article on the Internet like that. Also, just food for thought: in our American society, there are millions of violent movies, millions of movies that shows sexual content, so does that mean we shouldn't put out Christian movies like Left Behind or The Omega Code etc.? Come on people..

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  7. Everything I learned about rap came from this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tvy_Pbe5NA

    One day, I imagine Patrick Chan and myself doing a cover of that song.

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    1. Hilarious! :-) I mean both the video as well as our forthcoming epic rap battle cover! ;-)

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  8. "If, in fact, rap music is a subgenre of lyric poetry, then it has the potential to be a high art form, like Shakespeare or Homer. I'd evaluate it mainly on rhetorical rather than musical grounds."

    Hey I have a great idea. Why don't we put rap up to the standards of what we deem as the most? And what part is that? This is the gospel of Jesus Christ ? If the Bible is the infallible word of God, then this is the standard. It should not be Shakespeare or Homer's's standard, it should be the Gospel of Jesus Christ, right? IMO, this means that Christian rap is a viable form, if used biblically, effectively and properly.
    What I don't understand in modern protestant Christianity, is that's there can be only one standard, and that seems to be a Eurocentric standard. Why is this required or needed?

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    1. Bro. D.E. White said:

      What I don't understand in modern protestant Christianity, is that's there can be only one standard, and that seems to be a Eurocentric standard. Why is this required or needed?

      1. "Modern" Protestant Christianity could include liberal and conservative Christians, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists of all stripes, and so forth. Not sure which one(s) you're targetting here.

      2. If we live in the U.S., a land which has a predominant history of immigrants from Europe, then it's not exactly a surprise that certain aspects of Christianity have taken on at least some forms of European society or culture.

      3. Depending on what you mean, there may be nothing wrong with having "a Eurocentric standard."

      4. Nevertheless, I think Reformed Christian churches have always been open to all sorts of other races and ethnicities (e.g. the Reformed have a history of being Judeophilic, there are Reformed African, Asian, Hispanic churches rising as well).

      5. It should go without saying our final rule of faith is the Bible.

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    2. Bro. D.E. White:

      
"In my opinion, Hip-hop, which is a subculture, was birthed from urban culture, not rap. The two are separate."

      i) That may be your opinion, but according to other sources, "One common understanding is that hip-hop is a culture and rapping is one of four elements contained therein."

      http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/the-difference-between-rap-hip-hop-798#axzz2mca4O8k1

      ii) Anyway, your complaint is irrelevant. In the context of the debate over Christian rap, supporters (as well as opponents) are using rap and hip-hop synonymously.

      "So after observing the metal rock counterculture of the 1970's & 80's can I come to the conclusion the Christian rock groups like Thousand Foot Crutch, Skillet and Red are not viable vehicles for the Gospel...Also, just food for thought: in our American society, there are millions of violent movies, millions of movies that shows sexual content, so does that mean we shouldn't put out Christian movies like Left Behind or The Omega Code etc.? Come on people.."

      Your objection is fundamentally confused. You act as if I took the position that rap can't be a viable vehicle for the Gospel. If you paid closer attention to what I actually wrote, you'd see that I took the opposite position. You need to read more carefully rather than lashing out at misperceived slights.
      
"Second, What about The beastie boys , 3rd Bass, House of pain, Everlast? All hip-hop rap groups which are Caucasian. So are they indigenous?"

      i) To my knowledge, they are not indigenous inasmuch as rap/hip-hop didn't originate in Caucasian culture.

      ii) BTW, I notice that you classify them as "hip-hop rap" groups, even though you also said hip-hop and rap are separate.

      "Once again, I humbly request that you do your research about urban culture, hip-hop culture, media entertainment and its relationship with rap before you start putting an article on the Internet like that."
      Since there are noted black commentators (e.g. Stanley Crouch, John McWhorter) who attack gangsta rap, which they associate with black pop culture, my research confirms the fact that this is not a case of out-group stereotyping, but in-group stereotyping. For instance:

      http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_3_how_hip_hop.html

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2008/12/19/the-hip-hop-inauguration.html

      "Hey I have a great idea. Why don't we put rap up to the standards of what we deem as the most? And what part is that? This is the gospel of Jesus Christ ? If the Bible is the infallible word of God, then this is the standard. It should not be Shakespeare or Homer's's standard, it should be the Gospel of Jesus Christ, right?"

      Your confusing content with literary genre.

      "IMO, this means that Christian rap is a viable form, if used biblically, effectively and properly."

      Once again, you're attacking a position I didn't take.

      "What I don't understand in modern protestant Christianity, is that's there can be only one standard, and that seems to be a Eurocentric standard. Why is this required or needed?"

      Because the context of the debate was over American, English-speaking Reformed rappers. Hence, the frame of reference is "Eurocentric."

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  9. Joel Beeke, a participant in the panel, has issued an apology for his part in the discussion (from Challies.com:

    Recently I was asked to participate in a panel discussion at a Reformed Worship conference. In that discussion the panelists were asked to address the subject of Christian rap music (which I took to mean rap music primarily in the context of a local church worship service). To my regret, I spoke unadvisedly on an area of music that I know little about. It would have been far wiser for me to say nothing than to speak unwisely. Please forgive me. I also wish to publicly disassociate myself from comments that judged the musicians’ character and motives.

    —Joel Beeke


    http://www.challies.com/articles/joel-beeke-christian-rap-and-public-apologies

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