But outside of that, I just made it so it's also good music. It can be your interpretation of what you want it to be, however you want to enjoy it.He was referring to how some of the songs on The Cool are about a character from his first album, Food & Liquor. Anyway, I've long felt that way about art in general and it's a sentiment expressed probably a few times on this blog: for me, either in creating something or observing something, interpretation plays a huge role. It's something the artist cannot take into account, aside from having his or her own interpretation, and it is something that is informed by our life experiences (and possibly inexperiences) as individuals.
- Lupe Fiasco on his upcoming album The Cool
I'm not trying to toot my own horn by pointing out this quote. Honestly I found it really interesting to hear it coming from someone who actually does create art for a living, as opposed to just a silly thought I had one day. Obviously artists put out something particular for the world to see, something they want everyone to see. But at the end of the day we each take what we want, need, or just do from the things we observe.
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Speaking of which, a friend sent me this article from the New York Times website today [it's actually an article from the AP, another article on the topic can be found here]. [Let me note that I could easily lose myself in that website, I always fund something worth reading after I feel like there can't be anything else worth reading]. As I told my friend, it's a situation I'm rather torn on.
For those not interested in reading the article(s), the backdrop for this personal discussion I'm having with my mind is about the Congressional hearing that took place today (technically yesterday now) regarding the use of degrading language in hip-hop music. It's been much more of a topic of discussion since the Don Imus scandal.
I don't know if I'm capable of giving my thoughts justice in writing here but I find myself confused on where to stand on the issue. Yes, somethings are really offensive, unnecessary, and to be honest somewhat deleterious. At the same time, being of an oftentimes liberal mind and thinking about the First Amendment and law school, I'm a firm believer in free speech rights and strongly disagree with censorship. This is especially true in the artistic realm [although one possible argument is that for many it's not being an artist, it's a way "to make money money money make money money money"]. Stifling the creative process, even when said process runs along [or even passes] the line of decency is something I cannot agree with even if in some cases it makes sense.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying I want to hear degrading lyrics or want to support someone like Don Imus. Far from it. I definitely possess my personal beliefs on many different topics and they are often known to those around me. But just because I disagree with something or don't enjoy it doesn't mean I need to stamp it out. Also, is it possible there is some artistic or cultural merit to at least some of all this language that some want to do away with? [In addition, another article I read on the hearings today included a point made by Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Doug Morris when he noted that no one is pushing to do away with "'The Bitch Is Back' by Elton John even thought it contains one of the words some want to ban.
A ban on a few words is just silly. Words exist for a reason. They are a cultural creation and to a certain extent they possess whatever power you allow them too. Obviously certain words are very charged and just never need to be said, especially in certain contexts or used in certain ways or used at all. But to attempt to ban words makes no sense when some other word will just be used in their place.
Further, there was a time when even jazz music was considered unholy and wrong and inappropriate it. As for rap music, there definitely is some crap out there but an attempt to censor it or to ban certain words or anything along those lines will likely result in a reduction in creativity. The danger is that in doing away with the worst you will do away with things that are of merit, that truly are art, that possess a relevance, importance, lesson, story, or message that needs to be heard.
In the end, you can always choose to not listen to it. For me it kinda boils down to my thoughts on violence in video games and TV. It seems obvious exposure to such things can have an effect on children and people in general. But I feel that we need to take roles in the lives of children and ensure they can tell the difference between reality and fantasy. To be honest, when I was younger my dad wasn't a huge fan of be getting into rap music. But I knew it was just music, it was just words and not more than that. Having parents or other figures around to ensure children understand the difference between the creative world and how life really functions and how life should function when it is falling short of the ideal is more important than just trying to hide some words.
There needs to be some level of individual accountability in society and we should also hold ourselves more accountable for those around us whom we exert some influence over. We can all learn from each other and educate each other. Learning from one another, hearing diverse points of view, opening up to the world can provide a better understanding for the context which things originate from. With this understanding, maybe rap isn't the evil some make it out to be. Of course there are things that just don't need to be there, but isn't that true for every other art form? Extremes exist at both ends of the spectrum.
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I also found this article on the New York Times website today. It's about how exclusive colleges are, in terms of socioeconomic status in particular. The author, an op-ed contributor, basically argues for class-based affirmative action when it comes to college admissions.
It's an interesting theory, as affirmative action based on race is as well. I'm not going to go into thoughts on affirmative action in any great depth [I'm simply too tired to do so and I'd rather have that discussion with anyone interested in person, allowing for more of a open back-and-forth of opinions and ideas]. But I will say this: I always feel the root of the problem is at a much lower level than college admissions. The real problem is the education system in this country, starting well before college. I'm yet to meet someone who really disagrees with this point and it makes me wonder why there isn't more of a focus on lower education. Obviously it would require an enormous effort for the necessary overhaul to occur, but isn't that all the more reason to focus efforts there, as opposed to other areas?
To conclude, I remember learning in a psych class in college that we only remember 5%-10% of anything we're taught in college. That's sad.
