Stare in the Darkness : The Limits of Hip-hop and Black Politics

Rap’s critique of police brutality in the 1980s. The Hip Hop Political Convention. The rise (and fall) of Kwame Kilpatrick, the “hip-hop mayor” of Detroit. Barack Obama echoing the body language of Jay-Z on the campaign trail. A growing number of black activists and artists claim that rap and hip-hop are the basis of an influential new urban social movement. Simultaneously, black citizens evince concern with the effect that rap and hip-hop culture exerts on African American communities. According to a recent Pew survey conducted on the opinions of Black Americans, 71 percent of blacks think that rap is a bad influence. To what extent are African American hopes and fears about hip-hop’s potential political power justified? In Stare in the Darkness , Lester K. Spence answers this question using a blend of neoliberal analysis, survey data, experiments, and case studies. Spence finds that rap does in fact influence black political attitudes. However, rap also reproduces rather than critiques neoliberal ideology. Furthermore, black activists seeking to create an innovative model of hip-hop politics are hamstrung by their reliance on outmoded forms of organizing. By considering the possibilities inherent in the most prolific and prominent activities of hip-hop politics, Stare in the Darkness reveals, in a clear and practical manner, the political consequences of rap culture for black publics. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Contents 8 Introduction: Follow Me into a Solo 10 1. In This Journey, You’re the Journalist: Rap Lyrics, Neoliberalism, and the Black Parallel Public 28 2. A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous: Consuming Rap and Political Attitudes 64 3. Follow the Leader: Hip-hop Activism and the Circulation of Black Politics 104 4. Put Here to Be Much More Than That: The Rise and Fall of Kwame Kilpatrick 140 Conclusion: Obama and the Future of Hip-hop Politics 166 Acknowledgments 186 Appendix A: Political Platforms for the Hip-hop Social Action Network and the Black Panther Party 190 Appendix B: National Hip-hop Convention Agenda, 2004 194 Appendix C: Top Hip-hop Albums for the Week of December 1, 2006 200 Appendix D: Ownership of Top Market Urban–Urban Adult Contemporary Radio Stations 202 Notes 204 Bibliography 220 Discography 242 Index 244 A 244 B 244 C 245 D 246 E 247 F 247 G 247 H 248 I 248 J 248 K 248 L 249 M 249 N 250 O 251 P 251 Q 252 R 252 S 252 T 253 U 253 V 253 W 253 Y 254 Spence (political Science, Johns Hopkins U.) Asks How Hip-hop And Black Politics Interface With And Shape Each Other. He Examines Hip-hop's Power And Its Limitations In Helping Effect Positive Political Changes For The Black Community. He Argues That Rap And Hip-hop's Politics Both Mirror And Reproduce The Neoliberal Narrative And The Most Dominant Aspects Of Black Politics. He Looks At The History Of Black Politics, Analyzes Rap Lyrics For Thematic Content, Examines The Consumption Of Rap And How It Relates To, And Affects Attitudes Of Black Youth, And Looks At How Hip-hop Interfaces Directly With Current Political Issues. Introduction: Follow Me Into A Solo -- In This Journey, You're The Journalist: Rap Lyrics, Neoliberalism, And The Black Parallel Public -- A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous: Consuming Rap And Political Attitudes -- Follow The Leader: Hip-hop Activism And The Circulation Of Black Politics -- Put Here To Be Much More Than That: The Rise And Fall Of Kwame Kilpatrick -- Conclusion: Obama And The Future Of Hip-hop Politics. Lester K. Spence. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.