UCSD MUS 17: Final Study Guide

What led to music censorship?

- As hip-hop gained popularity and artists used controversial language and subjects, pushback from the broader community and law became more common.

What led to the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and what did they do?

- lyrical content in heavy metal and rap songs

- the PMRC convened congressional hearings and pushed for a voluntary ratings system for popular music

Why was 2 Live Crew arrested?

- violated Florida's obscenity statute after performing an explicit song in an adults-only club in Hollywood

What was Henry Louis Gates' testimony regarding 2 Live Crew's arrest?

- Gates argues that the group deliberately used African musical traditions such as toasts and dozens, which are exaggerations and bawdy in nature

What was Kimberle Crenshaw's take on 2 Live Crew's arrest?

- the arrest was racist because white artists were not met with the same consequences

- the judge was not culturally sensitive of the group's use of African musical traditions

- the lyrics are still harmful

What are the two types of copyright?

- the composition of the song

- the recording of a performance of a song

What are publishing royalties?

- publishing rights are controlled by publishing companies

- they collect payments through collection agencies like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC

- when a song is used the publisher should be paid

What are the 2 types of publishing royalties?

Performance

- applies to public performance of a song, playback of the song in a public space or on a streaming service, and use in the media

Mechanical

- based on the recordings/reproduction of a song (e.g., each time a song is sold, downloading, and streamed)

Sampling and Clearances of a Song

- If you use a sample of a record, you have to clear and pay for the use of the recording

- if the sampled material is a significant factor in the new work, you have to clear and pay publishing

(Copyright Cases) 2 Live Crew: "Pretty Woman

- sued for using Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" but won the case because it was a parody

(Copyright Cases) Biz Markie vs. Gilbert O' Sullivan: "Alone Again Naturally"

- Biz Markie attempted the parody defense but failed

(Copyright Cases) Jimmy Castor vs. Beastie Boys

- Castor sued the Beastie Boys for shouting the title of his track "Yo Leroy" in their song "Hold it Now, Hit It"

- settled out of court

(Copyright Cases) Turtles vs. De La Soul

- suit about the use of the instrumentals

- settled out of court in favor of the Turtles

(Copyright Cases) Tuff City vs. Def Jam

- Tuff City was an independent label that brought up old break records and reissued them, and then tried to sue for infringement

- failed

(Copyright Cases) Bridgeport Music vs. Dimension Films

- established that you must pay for use of the recording if you sample it

- you must pay for performance royalties if you replay a song

What happened due to copyright lawsuits?

- fewer productions of sample-heavy songs

Ice Cube: "Amerikkka's Most Wanted"

- title track from Ice Cube's first solo album after leaving NWA

- music is more political and reflects much on the Nation of Islam

What defined the production style of hip-hop in New York in the early 90s?

- DJ Premier and Pete Rock's stripped-down beats

- they drew on jazz records and DJed

What was the result of the rise of the gangsta aesthetic on the West Coast?

- shift away from politically driven songs

Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth: "They Reminisce Over You"

- tribute to their friend Troy who had died

- strong jazzy undertones

- showcased a narrative

Nas: "N.Y. State of Mind"

- produced by DJ Premier

- revealed his observations of the world around him

Wu Tang Clan: "Can It Be All So Simple"

- coalition of rappers from Staten Island and Brooklyn

- each member had a distinct character

- drew on martial arts films, gangster films, and 5 Percenter Cosmology

- produced by RZA

Old Dirty Bastard: "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"

- comedic member of Wu Tang Clan

- inspired by Rudy Ray Moore

GZA: "Liquid Swords"

- clear example of martial arts influence

- begins with a dialog sample from "Shogun Assassin"

Hip-Hop in the West Coast

- LA and SF developed strong hip-hop scenes

- music was lyrically complex and jazzy

Freestyle Fellowship: "Inner City Boundaries"

- rappers based in LA

- jazzy and poetic (spoken word)

- produced by Daddy O from Stetsasonic

Souls of Mischief: "93 'Til Infinity"

- Part of the Hieroglyphics crew

- jazzy

Pharcyde: "Runnin'"

- rappers based in LA

- drew on bohemian, West Coast sounds

Notorious B.I.G.: "Juicy"

- first single and autobiography

Lil Kim: "Queen Bitch"

- member of Junior M.A.F.I.A.

- embraced her sexuality

Mobb Deep: "Shook Ones Pt. 2"

- from Queensbridge

- similar territory to the Wu Tang Clan

Lauryn Hill: "Doo Wop/That Thing"

- member of the Fugees, a pop-rap group

- she is a talented singer and MC

Hip-Hop in the South

- connected to older African American pop-music traditions

- regionally distinct

Main Hip-Hop Areas in the South

- Atlanta

- Houston

- Memphis

- New Orleans

Describe the hip-hop scene in New Orleans.

- enslaved maintained their music culture

- incorporates parades, second lines, and early jazz

- draws on African and Caribbean traditions

Bounce

- sub-style of hip-hop specific to New Orleans

- features call and response vocal changes and novel dance moves

- EX: DJ Jubilee, Katy Red, Big Freedia

Juvenile: "Ha"

- clear emphasis on New Orleans regional slang

Describe the hip-hop scene in Houston.

- Southern city that did not have a focus on traditional Southern styles

Geto Boys: "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"

- Houston group

- one of the first gangsta tracks to deal with the personal and human cost of the criminal activity

DJ Screw: "Swang Down"

- influential Houston artist

- pioneered a style of slowing down records and then cutting them up

- sound associated with getting high on codeine cough syrup

UGK: "Diamonds & Wood"

- duo from Port Arthur, Texas

- one of the few Southern acts to have a national following

Paul Wall: "Sittin' Sidewayz"

- Houston Rapper

Describe the hip-hop scene in Atlanta.

- 1990s African American migration from the South to North; Atlanta was a popular destination

- thriving music business center

- local rappers could tap into a national market more easily than other Southern cities

Organized Noise

- production team from Atlanta

- crafted a sound that blurred hip-hop beat-making with soul-inspired hooks and instrumentation

Outkast: "Elevators"

- duo from Atlanta who had contrasting personalities

- worked with Organized Noise

Goodie Mob: "Cell Therapy"

- worked with organized Noise

- complex and politically-charged rapping

Outkast: "SpottieOttieDopalicious"

- draws on spoken word

Trick Daddy: "Shut Up" Ft. Trina, Deuce Poppito, Co

- Miami rapper

- uses marching band sounds and phrases

David Banner: "Cadillac on 22s"

- protests the materialism of the present

- features an acoustic guitar

Mase: "Feel So Good"

- pop-rap single

- rapping over already hugely popular songs

Blends

- mixing acapella over one song over the instrumental of another

New Modes of Production (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

- increase of sampling lawsuits made original beatmakers in demand

- Timbaland, The Neptunes, Missy Elliott

Clipse: "Grindin"

- from Virginia Beach

- incorporates beats from the Neptunes

- raps about drug trade

Eminem: "Stan"

- began as a battle rapper

- story of an obsessive fan

Wave of "Orientalist" Samples of Indian and Middle Eastern Music in Hip-Hop

- copyright lawsuits in these cases were complicated due to the samples being international pieces

Missy Elliott: "Get Ur Freak On"

- production by Timbaland

- built around an Indian record

Panjabi MC: "Beware the Boyz" ft. Jay Z

- demonstrated the popularity of the Bollywood sound within hip-hop

Terror Squad: "Lead Back"

- song about not dancing

- draws on Middle Eastern music

2004

- the year that all the number one songs were hip-hop or hip-hop related

Young Jeezy: "Go crazy

- one of the first "retro" crack dealing songs

- interesting for how he speaks to the criminal/corporate divide

Mixtapes

- promotional tool for DJs

- useful career-building tool for many artists

- the relationship between the music business and mixtape scene had been complicated

- many are illegal but the industry turns a blind eye because its a promotional tool

Why had rap declined since the early 2000s?

- rise of EDM

- there has been a shift in how the charts are computed

Damian Marley: "Welcome to Jamrock"

- Dancehall became influenced by hip-hop in the early 2000s

- leans toward reggae

- slice of life of the streets of Kingston, one of the most violent places in the world

Dred Prez: "Hip-Hop"

- incorporated activism

- critiques hip-hop as a cultural form and broader society

Blog Era

- mainstream recording business collapse due to changes in radio/charts and technological advances

- rise of Myspace, Tumblr, YouTube, and Soundcloud

Drake: "Best I Ever Had"

- Canadian

- had a successful acting career as a teenager

- R&B

Nikki Minaj: "I Get Crazy"

- from NY, born in Trinidad

- various accents

- draws on contemporary Caribbean idioms and language

Kid Kudi: "Day 'N' Nite"

- rapper, designer, producer

- posted on Myspace and gained popularity

- closer to club music

Azealia Banks: "212"

- NY club record

- from Harlem

- had acted, sung, and rapped

Cool Kids: "Black Mags"

- from Chicago

- became popular online but also connected to indie and dance music labels

Dance Music

- 1990s to 2000s: mainstream hip-hop had faded as a form of dance music

- dance moves and music snippets move across cultural contexts quickly through the internet

E-40: "Tell Me When to Go"

- example of Bay Area's "hyphy" style

- notable for his slang and odd rhythmic sensibility

Mac Miller: "S.D.S."

- from Pittsburgh

- had a popular breakthrough as a teenager

- moved to LA and became a key figure in connecting musicians

gifted instrumentalist and producer

A$AP Rocky: "Peso"

- Harlem rapper who built his sound and style largely on Southern styles (Houston and Memphis)

- made his impact via the internet, mixtapes, fashion magazines, etc.

Kendrick Lamar: "A.D.H.D."

- speaks on the anxieties and stresses of being young

Isaiah Rashad "Heavenly Father" ft. SZA

- deals with childhood and teenage depression and suicide

- more melodic side of Houston or Memphis rap

Tyler the Creator: "Yonkers"

- instigator of Odd Future who built their following through their Tumblr page

- deliberately offensive

- the beat was supposed to be a parody of backwards looking NY rap

Frank Ocean: "Super Rich Kids" ft. Earl Sweatshirt

- involved in Odd Future

- references multiple other songs

Law Enforcement

- ties between hip-hop artists and gang culture have become more public

- law enforcement use the internet and social media to police gang activity

Vince Staples: "Senorita"

- rapper from Long Beach

- raps about the effects of street themes

Future: "March Madness"

- emphasis on use of autotune

- the unintelligibility of the lyrics create and imply intoxication and emotional rawness of the lyrics

Rich Gang: "Lifestyle"

- lyrics are difficult to understand but contain a variety of detailed melodic variation and complex ad libs