american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
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CONTESTATORY URBAN AGENCY 179<br />
rhythm, melody, and bass l<strong>in</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> song, not its lyrical content.<br />
The quick-witted chorus fur<strong>the</strong>r elucidates <strong>the</strong> problem for MCs with<br />
carefully written lyrics. It claims that people “a<strong>in</strong>’t listen<strong>in</strong>g / <strong>the</strong>y’re<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about <strong>the</strong>ir Timberlands / <strong>the</strong>y say <strong>the</strong> shit we talk<br />
about a<strong>in</strong>’t <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g / we got a better chance of blow<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>in</strong><br />
Switzerland.” Accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> chorus, active listen<strong>in</strong>g has been symbolically<br />
replaced by an icon of consumer culture (Timberland boots).<br />
Additionally, <strong>the</strong>y self-deprecat<strong>in</strong>gly claim that <strong>the</strong>y have a much<br />
greater chance of becom<strong>in</strong>g popular <strong>in</strong> Switzerland, where English is<br />
not even <strong>the</strong> primary language, than <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> United States. 9 The song<br />
po<strong>in</strong>ts to some potentially disturb<strong>in</strong>g questions about <strong>the</strong> state of hiphop<br />
(and American) culture, and it also suggests that live shows help<br />
to elim<strong>in</strong>ate what Little Bro<strong>the</strong>r views as a big problem <strong>in</strong> contemporary<br />
hip-hop—disengaged, passive listen<strong>in</strong>g. Passive listen<strong>in</strong>g, even if<br />
one cannot understand all of <strong>the</strong> lyrics, is exceed<strong>in</strong>gly difficult <strong>in</strong> a<br />
small club hip-hop show due to <strong>the</strong> emphasis given to active participation<br />
that is always a product of pay<strong>in</strong>g close attention to <strong>the</strong><br />
performers’ engagements with <strong>the</strong> audience and respond<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong>m<br />
quickly and energetically.<br />
If we consider not participat<strong>in</strong>g an untenable option at a small club<br />
hip-hop show are <strong>the</strong>re elements of coercion present? In o<strong>the</strong>r words,<br />
do artists pressure, coerce, and force <strong>the</strong>ir audiences to participate as<br />
<strong>the</strong>y wish? Some basic assumptions need to be addressed to answer<br />
this question. First, artists seem<strong>in</strong>gly must speculate about <strong>the</strong>ir audience’s<br />
viewpo<strong>in</strong>ts. Unlike records, live performances call forth immediate<br />
feedback and judgment. As Arendt might have said, <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />
performances <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se public spaces require courage. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, because<br />
live hip-hop at small clubs is wholly dependent upon its audience’s<br />
active participation and consent, performers must work to ensure that<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir audience is engaged. However, audience members have presumably<br />
entered <strong>the</strong> space of <strong>the</strong>ir own volition with relatively full knowledge<br />
of what <strong>the</strong>y must br<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> show. They are also free to leave<br />
if <strong>the</strong>y do not want to participate <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> collective experience.<br />
The most difficult aspect of <strong>the</strong> previous question concerns potential<br />
“groupth<strong>in</strong>k” problems. Slug of Atmosphere ev<strong>in</strong>ced a keen<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g of this issue at <strong>the</strong> November 2003 Cat’s Cradle show.<br />
After an <strong>in</strong>terlude between songs <strong>in</strong> which his DJ played <strong>the</strong> Rage<br />
Aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> Mach<strong>in</strong>e lyrics “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me,”<br />
he sheepishly mentioned to <strong>the</strong> crowd <strong>the</strong> irony of such lyrics <strong>in</strong> light<br />
of his calls-and-response that <strong>the</strong> audience follows without hesitation<br />
or deviation. It seems prudent to attribute Slug’s commentary more<br />
to egotism than to a submissive, mechanistic audience. Or, as Hansen