| As a graduate student in Afro-American studies program at UW Madison, I am constantly tracking gender, race and class issues and critically thinking about representations in the media. My main focus for the last three years and a lot of the research that is currently going on in the department is centered on hip-hop. So what if one got to interview her favorite rap artist and question him on issues of sexism and the influence of prison culture in the music? What would it add to her studies. Well, I got to do just that: interview rapper Common after his performance at the all -UW free concert held on April 26 at the UW Field House. Backstage in a locker room, which was transformed into a mock green room, Common sat on the edge of a bench wiping sweat from his forehead after a high energy performance. He looked tired but was committed to answering our questions. I open the interview by introducing myself as an Afro-American studies graduate student who studies hip-hop music. This did not seem to surprise him. But I did get a response when I tell him that he was the subject of my senior honor's thesis in my undergraduate career. He looked up at me wide-eyed and honest and said, "For real? Thank you; I appreciate that." Now I''ve got his attention. There wasn't much time so I got right to the point and asked, 'does hip hop hate women?' Anyone who has ever seen a rap video understands that question. I told Common that I grew up on hip hop music but now that I am a grad student and have been engaging feminist theory while looking at the music, I am skeptical about whether or not a feminist can love hip hop, especially when it clearly does not love us. "Hip Hop loves women but doesn't know how to respect them. But the thought of a woman is there in the music," said Common. He went on to say that he believed hip hop needed to learn that respect. In response, I asked him about his own respect for women, and he said, "I think I have learned to respect women." I agreed, pointing out that as a scholar of his music, I too had seen his growth. After all, he is one of the few hip hop MC's who makes love songs. "Yeah, my boys get on me like 'oh not another love song,'" said Common. I quickly responded, telling him it is not about the men. These songs aren't for them. Then he went back to the men's critique and agreed, "Yeah, the sisters need that love." Our short conversation expanded into the effects of prison culture on hip hop music. "Hip hop is prevalent in prisons. It is the music of the street. And people affect the music by having loved ones in prison," said Common. "Hip Hop culture is such a round culture that is reflective of the people. I don't know how big of an effect it has on hip hop but it does have an effect. I know the music gets to the prison. Actually, I want to do a prison tour. I feel it is my duty to give back." After the tough questions, we ended on a lighter note: "What is in your CD player this week?" I asked. "I've been listening to music from my new album, Fine and Forever, to be honest, because I am creating," said Common. He also listed a few other favorites that get serious airtime: "Straight jazz, DAngelo's Voodoo, Tribe Called Quest and I've been playing a lot of J Dilla since his passing." Theory is good but words from the artist's mouth are gold. The research we do will continue regardless but it is to the artist benefit to add his voice and perspective. Perhaps this conversation was the beginning of dialogue between hip hop artists and its scholars. |
| Campus-Community Connection/Keme Hawkins & Pamela Pfeffer |
| A brief interview with Common by Keme Hawkins |
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| I don't pretend to be an expert on this issue but I do know something about body image and one's quest for perfection. There has been a lot of attention lately on the images we see in videos that many argue objectify women. We live in a society that encourages women to look and act a certain way and many of us fall victim to this. How does one manage to have a healthy body image when the majority of all ads and television programs show women who appear perfect? How do we instill in our daughters that it is more important to be intelligent, kind and caring, when we have to compete with this culture of bodily perfection? How can we as well-informed intelligent women not succumb to the pressures and need to look perfect? How often have you found yourself saying, my ... is too big or my ... is not big enough or ... if only my ...? Despite knowing better, I too have said these exact things. I, too, worry about how I will look in my bathing suit come June or how loose or tight last year's shorts are and if I can still buy off the rack without having to try clothes on. Women of all ages, young and old, are concerned with their body image and some will go to all lengths to get what is considered the perfect body. I had the privilege of having this conversation with a group of girls aged 13-15 where they discussed the latest "strategies" for staying thin. How surprised was I to find that some girls will go to great lengths to be thin. Our young girls are jeopardizing their health by participating in risky get-thin-quick remedies. I asked them why being thin was so important but even asking the question I already knew the answer. I already knew that just like many adult women we are preoccupied with our weight and how others see us. I already knew that no matter how pretty or smart a person is, she can still have low self-esteem if she isn't sent healthy messages about who she is. Young men are also burdened with having the perfect body. Some will use artificial enhancements to increase their muscles or spend hours at the gym lifting weights. I would argue though that the pressure is far greater on women than men to have a perfect body. The reality is, there is no such thing as the perfect body and that many of the images we see of models in magazines have been air brushed to remove all the imperfections. I wonder how differently we might see ourselves if the ads we view left all the imperfections on the models for the world to see. Would we have a more realistic idea of what our bodies should look like? As I think about why I decline another helping of ... or when I'm exercising and I push myself to do another ... I tell myself it's for my overall health but I already know that it's buying off the rack and still being able to fit last year's shorts that motivate me. |
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| Body image by Pamela Pfeffer |
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