Social and cultural context
Read this Billboard interview where Common talks about Letter to the Free, political hip hop and contemporary American society. Use the article and the notes we have made in lessons (also available above) to answer the following questions on the social, cultural and genre contexts for Letter to the Free.
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
He has been involved in the making of an album Black America Again. He has also worked closely with John Legend to produce the soundtrack for Selma
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
Theoretically written to outlaw slavery, the 13th Amendment had the effect of paving the way for local and State law reforms that created loopholes that effectively enabled the continued enslavement of Black Americans through mass imprisonment.
3) What were the Black Codes?
This was a law or a rule in the Southern states that was enforced. It stated that incarcerated black people would be subjected to forced labour for petty crimes.
4) Why do people suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment?
It was mainly emancipated slaves that were subjected to the enforcement of the 13th Amendment.
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
to highlight the historic legacy of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution.
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
1980s-90s
7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?
"Big Daddy Kane, Mo D, N.W.A had stuff that was saying something too. I don't feel like we have that as a whole in hip-hop, I don't think hip-hop is the place we go to to listen for that voice of a revolution or to say 'this is how we're changing things.' But there are artists that do it, like Kendrick Lamar. I also think that Chance [the Rapper], though he may not speak in black consciousness, he has a consciousness about him, self-awareness and a spirituality." - they are all black rappers who use their music as a platform for political change.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
It was from the album 'Black America Again' and the critics found it quite moving.
"Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune said, "One of the year's most potent protest albums. ... The album sags midway through with a handful of lightweight love songs, but finishes with some of its most emotionally resounding tracks: the "Glory"-like plea for redemption "Rain" with Legend, the celebration of family that is "Little Chicago Boy", and the staggering "Letter to the Free"."
Close-textual analysis and representation
Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:
1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
Movement at the beginning could symbolise what the people who went to jail saw, with the cells slowly moving. This isn't a fast paced music video, as movement is crucial to a music video, it says that this a serious video which has a message that;s close to Common's heart.
The mid-log shots make it seem like we are far away from them, suggesting there is a 'gap' to close or that the journey to rectiy black discrimination is long but doable.
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
Like the discrimination, the movement does't stop, It gives the music video a dynamic feel even through it's a slow moving video.
3) Why is the video in black and white?
It's to signify how much Amendment 13 influenced Common and how they are going for a 1960s aesthetic. Also because colour doesn't matter in this video - this being one of the the main crux that Common is trying to highlight.
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
prison setting -the place where many emancipated slaves were taken, reminder of the legacy slavery has left on Black Americans
costumes - indistinguishable, not the main focus of the video
props - music instruments, highlights the influence on Black Americans the past has
lighting - very low key lighting
actor placement - few people are present and are often alone - shows the isolation of the black community.
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
"Black bodies being lost in the American dream" - 2:18
Jim Crow - 1:40
"the caged bird sings for freedom"
This is contrasted by
"shot me with your ray-gun"
"Prison is a business, America is the company"
This highlights how Common speaks out for all discriminated black americans when he criticises America's ability to serve equality,
6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.
I think it means that the square could be the place where ethnic minorities, namely black people have had to stay in. The square inhibits anyone from do anything special, which could be a symbol for western oppression as well as the isolation people feel when talking about their heritage.
7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
Jim Crow - 1:40
People not allowed to wear their traditional clothing -- western clothing?
Endless shots of the empty prison cells suggest that the legacy of slavery is never forgotten OR it could mean that this issue has no end.
At the back of the wall in one of the scene, close to 3:10, it says "no excessive noise" - further oppression of black people in American society.
End shot could refer to plantations the slaves worked at?
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
The lack of understanding where you belong is shown here by Common criticising America's treatment of black people and yet they don;t really find a place where they belong to which is why they strive for political reform.
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Hall's theory of the way of categorising the ways Black Americans are portrayed in the media can be applied here as Common is taking upon the role of 'The Slave Figure': “the faithful fieldhand… attached and devoted to ‘his’ master.” (Hall 1995)
We can also apply Rose's Black Noise theory where she says rap gives audiences an insight into the lives of young, black, urban Americans and also gave them a voice. She has argued that rap has been destroyed by capitalism but Letter to the Free juxtaposes that.
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
Jim Crow law
Police brutality
Trump's racist rallies
Mass incarceration
American Dream - 1920s
Amendment 13
Black Lives Matter
Monday 11 May 2020
Monday 4 May 2020
Music Video theory - Childish Gambino blog task
Childish Gambino, the musical stage name of writer and performer Donald Glover, released an incredible critique of American culture and Donald Trump with This Is America in 2018.
The music video is a satirical comment on American culture, racism and gun violence. Racking up 10m views in the first 24 hours, it now stands at over half a billion views and has been dubbed ‘genius’ and ‘a masterpiece’.
Create a blogpost called 'Music video: theory', watch the video again then answer the questions below:
1) How does the This Is America video meet the key conventions of a music video? Look back at last week's introduction to music video if you're not sure.
It includes movement with the dancers in the background. It has a performance aspect with the dancers. It tackles a lot of issues such as the black people v police problems. He highlights the growing damage of gun-control.
2) What comment is the video making on American culture, racism and gun violence?
That gun violence is relentless and taking countless lives. American culture has become something of a melting pot of different cultures. Police brutality is an ever-growing issue that is damaging society, particularly black ones.
3) Write an analysis of the video applying the theories we have learned: Gilroy, Hall, Rose and Dyson. Write a short paragraph for each theory.
Gilroy - The black-american community has made and accepted their own sort of way of making music. Issues that are pertinent to the American society, particularly the black community, are present in the video. The feelings of safety might not be with the black diaspora. They feel alienated from society as they are labelled as 'american' and then are almost forced to live a false identity.
Hall - Glover is represented as all three of the black characterisations in America. He kills, therefore a Native, he adds comedic elements, the Clown and is also the slave - raps about the oppression of black communities.
Rose: the younger black diasporic communities feel that they can relate and express themselves through rap. It also raises the question if black communities are valued if they can be voiced through music. It speaks out to people but it doesn't really fix any issues. This is shown by the fact that there are only black people in the video.
Dyson - political agendas like Trump's relaxation on gun control are criticised in the video. Dyson states: hip hop music is important because it sheds light on contemporary politics, history and race". We see how Glover critiques the treatment of black people in the modern America and that there is a clear tension between the black community and the law enforcement.
Now read this Guardian feature on This Is America - including the comments below.
4) What are the three interpretations suggested in the article?
He's playing Jim Crow, he's duping us with dance, he's taking on the police
5) What alternative interpretations of the video are offered in the comments 'below the line'? Choose two and explain what the comments are suggesting.
His gunning down of the gospel choir singing the lyric suggests that he’s tired of the pressure to accumulate wealth, to be performatively black, and stay spiritually uplifted in an age of gun violence - we see here how Dyson's theory is being supported and that current political affairs are being expressed.
The video’s choreographer, Sherrie Silver, retweeted a comment, perhaps in agreement, from someone who argued: “Childish Gambino’s dance moves distracted all of us from the craziness that was happening in the background of the video & that’s exactly the point he’s trying to make.” - one of the key aspects of a music video could be trying to lighten the load on Glover's heavy and 'hard to digest' message that the black community is disrespected and he's tired of it.
Media Magazine - This Is America: Music, Politics and Protest
Read This Is America: Music, Politics and Protest in MM65 (p14). You can find this in our Media Magazine archive. Answer the following questions:
1) The article offers an excellent textual analysis of the opening of the video. What are some of the suggested meanings and references the writer discusses? Can you link this analysis to any of the theorists we have studied?
African choir chant - Gilroy, diasporic alienation
"As he turns and starts to dance towards us, his movements become more exaggerated: his body rolls, he grimaces, pops one eye wide open, andstops behind the seated man, who is now hooded and without his guitar. The topless dancer pulls a gun from thin air, aims for the head, and shoots. As the dead body falls, a rumbling hip-hop rhythm kicks in and Glover turns to the camera,casually saying: ‘This is America’." - Hall's representation in the media; BAME indenities are presented as the other to make them valued, in reality this just highlights how bad the inequality is in America.
We can also apply the Dyson theory as we see how America is represented as a damaging and brutish nation as opposed to a wealthy land of opportunities.
2) What does the writer suggest are the main political themes in the video - and why is the message unclear?
the video references the 19th-century ‘Jim Crow’ character that popularized negative ideas about African Americans) seem to contradict the empowering black music. This irony pervades the entire video, as Glover goes on to dance with schoolchildren while crowds riot around him and grin before gunning down a church choir.
3) What meanings and suggestions does the writer highlight in Beyonce's video for Formation?
Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ made headlines for its ‘unapologetic blackness’, leading to Saturday Night Live’s sketch ‘The Day Beyoncé Turned Black’, which parodied the confused reactions the song provoked in white people.
4) What is notable about Glover's comedy drama TV show Atlanta?
It's a show that's created for black people by black people.
5) What examples does the writer provide of hip hop as a political genre? What theorist can we link this to?
‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’
‘Fuck tha Police’
Enemy’s ‘Fight the Power’
‘Hell You Talmbout’
We can link this to Dyson as he says "hip hop sheds light on contemporary politics, history and race"
The music video is a satirical comment on American culture, racism and gun violence. Racking up 10m views in the first 24 hours, it now stands at over half a billion views and has been dubbed ‘genius’ and ‘a masterpiece’.
Create a blogpost called 'Music video: theory', watch the video again then answer the questions below:
1) How does the This Is America video meet the key conventions of a music video? Look back at last week's introduction to music video if you're not sure.
It includes movement with the dancers in the background. It has a performance aspect with the dancers. It tackles a lot of issues such as the black people v police problems. He highlights the growing damage of gun-control.
2) What comment is the video making on American culture, racism and gun violence?
That gun violence is relentless and taking countless lives. American culture has become something of a melting pot of different cultures. Police brutality is an ever-growing issue that is damaging society, particularly black ones.
3) Write an analysis of the video applying the theories we have learned: Gilroy, Hall, Rose and Dyson. Write a short paragraph for each theory.
Gilroy - The black-american community has made and accepted their own sort of way of making music. Issues that are pertinent to the American society, particularly the black community, are present in the video. The feelings of safety might not be with the black diaspora. They feel alienated from society as they are labelled as 'american' and then are almost forced to live a false identity.
Hall - Glover is represented as all three of the black characterisations in America. He kills, therefore a Native, he adds comedic elements, the Clown and is also the slave - raps about the oppression of black communities.
Rose: the younger black diasporic communities feel that they can relate and express themselves through rap. It also raises the question if black communities are valued if they can be voiced through music. It speaks out to people but it doesn't really fix any issues. This is shown by the fact that there are only black people in the video.
Dyson - political agendas like Trump's relaxation on gun control are criticised in the video. Dyson states: hip hop music is important because it sheds light on contemporary politics, history and race". We see how Glover critiques the treatment of black people in the modern America and that there is a clear tension between the black community and the law enforcement.
Now read this Guardian feature on This Is America - including the comments below.
4) What are the three interpretations suggested in the article?
He's playing Jim Crow, he's duping us with dance, he's taking on the police
5) What alternative interpretations of the video are offered in the comments 'below the line'? Choose two and explain what the comments are suggesting.
His gunning down of the gospel choir singing the lyric suggests that he’s tired of the pressure to accumulate wealth, to be performatively black, and stay spiritually uplifted in an age of gun violence - we see here how Dyson's theory is being supported and that current political affairs are being expressed.
The video’s choreographer, Sherrie Silver, retweeted a comment, perhaps in agreement, from someone who argued: “Childish Gambino’s dance moves distracted all of us from the craziness that was happening in the background of the video & that’s exactly the point he’s trying to make.” - one of the key aspects of a music video could be trying to lighten the load on Glover's heavy and 'hard to digest' message that the black community is disrespected and he's tired of it.
Media Magazine - This Is America: Music, Politics and Protest
Read This Is America: Music, Politics and Protest in MM65 (p14). You can find this in our Media Magazine archive. Answer the following questions:
1) The article offers an excellent textual analysis of the opening of the video. What are some of the suggested meanings and references the writer discusses? Can you link this analysis to any of the theorists we have studied?
African choir chant - Gilroy, diasporic alienation
"As he turns and starts to dance towards us, his movements become more exaggerated: his body rolls, he grimaces, pops one eye wide open, andstops behind the seated man, who is now hooded and without his guitar. The topless dancer pulls a gun from thin air, aims for the head, and shoots. As the dead body falls, a rumbling hip-hop rhythm kicks in and Glover turns to the camera,casually saying: ‘This is America’." - Hall's representation in the media; BAME indenities are presented as the other to make them valued, in reality this just highlights how bad the inequality is in America.
We can also apply the Dyson theory as we see how America is represented as a damaging and brutish nation as opposed to a wealthy land of opportunities.
2) What does the writer suggest are the main political themes in the video - and why is the message unclear?
the video references the 19th-century ‘Jim Crow’ character that popularized negative ideas about African Americans) seem to contradict the empowering black music. This irony pervades the entire video, as Glover goes on to dance with schoolchildren while crowds riot around him and grin before gunning down a church choir.
3) What meanings and suggestions does the writer highlight in Beyonce's video for Formation?
Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ made headlines for its ‘unapologetic blackness’, leading to Saturday Night Live’s sketch ‘The Day Beyoncé Turned Black’, which parodied the confused reactions the song provoked in white people.
4) What is notable about Glover's comedy drama TV show Atlanta?
It's a show that's created for black people by black people.
5) What examples does the writer provide of hip hop as a political genre? What theorist can we link this to?
‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’
‘Fuck tha Police’
Enemy’s ‘Fight the Power’
‘Hell You Talmbout’
We can link this to Dyson as he says "hip hop sheds light on contemporary politics, history and race"
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