american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang

178 AMERICAN POLITICAL POETRY
more of the senses to the stimulation of one.” The primary senses
directly stimulated during a small club hip-hop show are hearing,
sight, and touch, which is not to mention the sense of taste often stimulated
by alcohol or the sense of smell created by alcohol, sweat, and
smoke. Without one of these elements, the others would have a less
palpable effect. For instance, if the sense of touch—largely a product
of venue size—were sacrificed, the intimate connection with other
audience members so crucial to Arendt’s theory would be greatly
compromised. One cannot merely “watch” the artists on stage without
being assaulted by the sonic power of microphones, recorded bass
lines and snare drums, and other people’s bodies. But perhaps the
most interesting synaesthetic-like experience is the way that the audience
experiences the political through intense sensory stimulation. It
is rare for citizens to have an intimate political experience via their
senses, especially an interactive experience that joins them to
other people.
A further dynamic illuminated by the form/content distinction in
live hip-hop is the role of lyrics in live hip-hop performances. Though
lyrical content is to some extent immaterial to the political work of
live hip-hop, it is important to hip-hop aesthetics as a whole.
Understanding many hip-hop lyrics requires intensive listening and
well-trained ears. This task is especially difficult at live shows, where
the acoustics and sound levels may not be conducive to understanding
all of the performer’s lyrics. For example, if the bass levels are tuned
too low (where lower means more bass) and the microphones’ volumes
are not loud enough, it may be difficult to understand an MC’s
lyrics. So, though it is easy to understand calls-and-response, it may be
difficult to understand the lyrics themselves. But as Potter writes,
“Hip-hop audiences do not, at any rate, merely listen—passive reception
is no longer possible” (108; original emphasis). Passive reception
is difficult in a live show at a small club as MCs demand that their
audiences stay responsive. As such, the live show functionally eliminates
the problem outlined in Little Brother’s “The Listening”
(The Listening 2002). The song suggests that passive reception is
not only possible but may be the norm for many fans who listen to
hip-hop in their home or car.
In “The Listening,” Little Brother’s two MCs, Phonte and Big
Pooh, rap about the current state of hip-hop music, reminiscing about
their childhood obsessions with memorizing rap lyrics while lamenting
that currently, “don’t nobody care what you’re saying.” During
one verse, they dramatize an encounter with a fan who says that
“all she listens to is beats,” meaning that she cares only about the