I really enjoyed having Tanner come in and guest lecture during our class. We discussed how music has become extremely political. It has transformed from a performing art to a political, controversial debate. Tanner repeatedly reminded us how all music is political. There has been controversy regarding lyrics, cover songs, discrimination, etc and will continue to be an ongoing issue. He also mentions how music heavily influenced the public from a political perspective.
One of his points was in regards to JayZ and if he is still referred to as “black.” He no longer raps about being a “black” person as much as other artists, such as Kendrick Lamar. Rap has been used to tell stories, especially of the African American style. Now that JayZ has made it to the top, his lyrics have become somewhat impersonal, and do not tell real stories or information. Is that because he has now made a significant amount of money? Many believe that money is the pure goal of creating music pieces.
Although I do believe that music can be extremely political, I still believe it to be a form of art that people are passionate about and look to for inspiration and support if they are in a time of sorrow, celebration or even confusion. It helps people relax and enjoy themselves. I understand that lyrics can be controversial, and I do agree that sometimes they are taken to another level where music is not the objective, but overall I think that music remains a form of art.
Tyler Christian Floryan says
I really enjoyed your article, I completely forgot about our discussion on Jay Z. You also brought up some great points on how black music is defined nowadays as only producing these forms of music in an attempt to make quick money. True, that music may be an art and what not, but music can constantly always be perceived as a gateway into the metaphors of politics. In the end, it’s all on the listener and how they take the message being broadcast and if it is political, art, or a release from daily life, music has many open interpretations.