What a great experience...Intro to Hip-Hop Studies!

I wanted to say that taking Intro to Hip-Hop studies was a great experience. Hip-hop is not all about rapping which is what I thought before I took this course. Graffiti, emceeing, d-jing, break dancing and knowledge all falls under the umbrella of Hip-Hop. I got to learn about the history of graffiti and b-boying. I also had the opportunity to meet a French rapper who Professor Dru bought to introduce to our class. It's amazing how people can relate to hip-hop from all around the world and through different languages. It was an interesting course because we broke down lyrics in class which is something I have never done. I also learned alot from Professor Dru as much as I did from my classmates. Thanks for an unforgettable experience!!

Graffiti as an element of hip-hop

Graffiti is one of the four main elements of hip hop culture along with emceeing, djing and break dancing. The relationship between graffiti and hip hop culture arises both from early graffiti artists practicing other aspects of hip-hop, and it's being practiced in areas where other elements of hip-hop were evolving as art forms. In America around the late 1960's, graffiti was used as a form of expression by political activists, and also by gangs such as the Savage Skulls, La Familia, and Savage Nomads to mark territory. Towards the end of the 1960's, the signatures-tags of Philadelphia graffiti writers Cornbread, Cool Earl and Topcat 126 started to appear. Cornbread is often cited as one of the earliest writer of modern graffiti. Around 1970-71, the centre of graffiti innovation moved to New York City where writers following in the wake of Taki 183 and Tracy 168 would add their street number to their nickname, "bomb" a train with their work. Bubble lettering held sway initially among writers from the Bronx, though the elaborate writing tracy 168 dubbed "wildstyle" would come to define the art.

Lebanese Hip-Hop

Lebanese hip hop has had a huge impact on Lebanese youth and they were the first to be effected by hip hip culture. Also considered Lebanese hip hip is the output of palestinians living in refugee camps in Lebanon and they add to the Lebanese hip-hop culture. "AKS'SER", an Arabic hip-hop group from Lebanon, was formed by two Beirut based rappers whose music is a discourse about a society marked by civil war. The act is currently signed with EMI, Rayess Bek, one of the AKS'SER members, has gone on with a solo career, releasing a widley acclaimed album. Another solo Lebanese rap artist by the name of 'Ramez" signed to an independent producer reaches the highest rap sales at Virgin Megastores in 2007 and became the first Lebanese rapper to hit the top charts on NRJ with the Lebanese rap song "Leich Heik Balade" (Why is my country this way). Later on he aired in 2008 on "Lebanon's number one" radio one with "Is it too much asking" a controversial song and video calling for Peace widely viewed on Youtube throughout the world. In 2009 Ramez creates his own company RAMEZ Productions (RAP) and continues to promote Lebanon in a positive way for after 10 years of international work on radio. He said "I have a voice through rap and it's different for my people but through rap I stand by what I say". This made me think about how b-boys talk about expressing their selves through dance. Ramez is expressing his self through rap!

Arabic Hip-Hop

Arabic hip-hop is hip-hop music and culture originating in the Arabic speaking world. It is performed in Arabic and different dialects of Arabic. Also considered part of Arabic hip-hop are emcees of Arabic orgin in the Arab diaspora including Europe, North America and Australia. These emcees are at times well-renowed beyond Arab audiences and are often successful international hip hop acts. Arab hip hop is played on radio stations and shown on TV programs, but live performances only began in the 1990's. Many hip hop groups are still underground because their political views could lead to government censure. Therefore, the internet has been a major outlet for most groups. In the past, it was rare to hear Arabic hip-hop and rap in Egypt. The pioneering Egyptian rap crew was "MTM" formed in 1999 the first rap group to actually rap in Arabic. Egyptian rap has more recently become more heavily promoted in Egypt and the Middle East. Egyptian underground rap is now growing rapidly, due to the feeling of injustice that mainly affects youths in the country.

History of Hip-Hop dance in Japan

In Japanese Hip-Hop, dancing has been the center of the main culture, other than rapping, graffiti and Djing. This is because dancing has a visual impact so everyone can understand, when it comes to dance there is not a language barrier.
Before Hip-Hop was introduced to Japan there was soul dancing, the heart of a revolution of ongoing dance. Soul dancing was introduced to Japan through such shows as "Soul Trian" in the 1970's. I would say this soul dancing played a role as foundation that enabled Japanese people to learn and accept black or street dance culture. Hip-hop dance culture in Japan started after the movie "Flashdance" appeared to the public in summer of 1983 through some people had already known about it and started doing it before. Although the movie was not about breaking (or b-boying), few kids doing electric boogie and breaking on the street caught many Japanese people's attention. After Flashdance, many other movies followed such as "Wild Style", "Beat Street",and "Breakin 2". Rock Steady Crew came to Japan in 1983 and Boogal Shrimp A.K.A Turbo from the movie "Breakin" came to Japan and planted the seeds of hip-hop dancing in Japan.

I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco

H-Kayne made history in 2005 by becoming the first Morccan rap group to be signed to a major label, Platinum Records (an affiliate of Universal Music Group). The group's founding memebers hail from the city of Meknes and began performing together over ten years ago. In 2000, they were joined by DJ Khalid (a semifinalist at the 2000 DMC world DJ competition) and released their hugely popular debut album, #4 Son de bled Art, which they distributed themselves and followed up with performances all over Morocco. In 2006, they released their much anticipated second album, " HK 1426" and toured throughout Europe and the Middle East. They are currently working on their third album and touring France and the Netherlands.
Our story begins with a group of Moroccan Hip-Hop artists who share a single dream: to rock a professional concert for a hometown crowd. Unfortunately, resistance is strong in their society and resorces scare. With the help of the American Embassy for funding and begin the journey that will lead to the "i lovev Hip-Hop in Morrocco festival." This film reflects the thoughts and dreams of the future of the Arab world: it's youth. These are not the images portrayed by the media; these are the real people of Moroccan Hip-Hop!

Graffiti "Graphic Scenes, Spray Fiends and Millionaires

Reading the Vibe article on Graffiti gave me a different outlook on the bombers/writers! In 1976 Philadelphia was known the earthquake in wait that would grow to rattle the world three times over graffiti. There methods and madness is what makes them different from any other bombers. These bombers had a marketing plan which was to stretch the tallest, tag the highest, most interesting and most dangerous. To hit the most economic spots and the places with maximum eye gain. But one thing that I learned that there is a difference between a writer and one who tags. One who "tags' confines in scribble to notebooks, sketch pads, playground slides, public rest rooms and back stair cases. One who "writes" is a dreamer, a fire starter, a president, a king, an athlete, his universe is forever and his canvas is infinite, his actions become history. He lives by his homemade, supermarket ink-juiced pen. He dies for his word, for he knows that written expression will always have the final say so. This revolution has different meanings to differnt writers, but for the most part rebellion and self-determination are at the core of this art. I think that's deep and looking at it from a writers point of view means alot because it's a form of expression. The writers are trying to tell the world or that neighborhood something and that can be anything. So to express yourself through graffiti is interesting to me because I never looked at it that way. As I been in this Hip-Hop studies class Professor Dru has opened my eyes to alot of new things within the Hip-Hop culture!

Baby Phat

Growing up a Middle Eastern child in Washington, DC in a predominatley African American culture, I adopted alot of norms that were not from my culture. For one, the style of dressing that I admired was not the traditional dressing from Jordan. As I became a teenager and attended Cardozo High School my style evolved into what I have come to learn as a part of the hip-hop culture.
My most admired clothing was "Baby Phat" which was initially started by Russell Simmons Phat Farm as an extention clothing line by his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons. My style of dressing became a culture shock to my family, for they viewed the type of wear as being African American inspired. However it was, but it was what I come to know as my SWAG. When I first started this class I was totally blind to the hip-hop culture and I thought I had no affiliation. But little to know the clothing that I wore, was inspired from the hip-hop culture. Hip-hop has become so globalized that aspects of the culture has been embraced by many cultures.

I ran across this online which I thought was interesting since we have been talking about graffiti in class. New apartments on Georgia Ave and New Hampshire gets tagged with Graffiti....

Graffiti has to be seen as a form of expression, (including the stuff pictured here) it's quite uninteresting to see on a new apartment building. This distinguishes it from outright vandalism and other forms of property crime. This is not to excuse or protect that graffiti should be put anywhere but the distinction should infrom efforts to prevent or redirect of the impulse. Why do teenagers choose such an antisocial means of bringing these thoughts into the open? Why don't they just rant and rave on message boards and blogs?

How do you listen to music?

HOW DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC FLY SKY?

Well for me I think the most music I listen to is children's songs all day while teaching my pre-schoolers. But of course when listening to music lyrics is what stands out the most for me and how that song flows. Being introduced to my Hip-Hop studies class I'm trying to learn and open my mind to something new that of course I've heard of but really know nothing about. For exmaple when we talked about the lyrical analysis in class by Common's "I Used to Lover H.E.R" I had no idea what he was talking about. But when we discussed it in class of course it made a little more sense to me.

Planet Boy Film and Panel Discussion at the Historical Society of Washington, DC

I must say I enjoyed the film "Planet Boy" that gave me a better understanding of B-Boying "Breakdancing"! I was surprised to see a panel of Japanese B-Boys and what they had to say about their experiences and their love for dancing. "B-Boying is all about expressing yourself" B- Boy Peter Chang expressed to the audience. I can definetly understand where he is coming from becuase you got to love it to be able to get out there and perform! Wow I must say from pop locking to spinning. Those boys can dance on that film! Those B-boys were from the USA, Italy, Japan, Korea, France, China and even Isreal "I was shocked to see that"! One thing that was discussed during the panel was B-Boys dance to Hip-Hop music. WHAT IS HIP-HOP MUSIC?

A little bit about my blog

Hey my name is Sana Kifafi and I am a senior at The University of the District of Columbia. I am taking a Hip-Hop Studies class and looking forward to a great experience!