Adam Dunbar discussed how rap music, prejudice, and race all join to put a cover on racism and just call it criticisms of rap. He then explains how the perceptions derived from music affect policy reform and he suggests that we look deeper into that so that we better understand the implications. Martin Connor recommended that we look past just the lyrics and actually observe the various ways rappers use their voices (which instantly brought Kid Cudi’s hums to mind). Music and its popularity goes beyond lyrics. “The Birth of American Music” shows how much of American music has come from Black music. And, in episode 1 of Dissect, we get an explanation of the series that explains Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” Here, we learn more about how Kanye began and the hardships he faced at the beginning of his career. Episode 2 explores “Through the Wire,” basically the song that brought him fame. In addition, the episode discussed some of his unique traits that helped boost him to stardom.
I actually have very mixed feeling surrounded Kanye West. Not too long ago, he was my absolute favorite artist. I even went to his Pablo Tour. However, at that concert, he left after playing 3 songs, complaining about the crowd and Sacramento. It was my first concert ever. I was heartbroken. And after other comments he has made, I don’t listen to his music and he has been completely erased from my phone. I have also noticed a difference from his earlier stuff to now, which is natural for an artist of course, and I am not a fan of the newer stuff. He is an incredibly interesting artist and this surprisingly isn’t the first time I talk about him in a class. I learned about him in my psychology class when we discussed narcissism because he is truly a prime example of that behavior.
How has music impacted your education? Has it ever been in the classroom in your experience?
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