Common - Letter to the Free blog tasks
Social and cultural context
Read this Billboard interview where Common talks about Letter to the Free, political hip hop and contemporary American society. Use the article and the notes we have made in lessons (also available above) to answer the following questions on the social, cultural and genre contexts forLetter to the Free.
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
John Wick, Selma, Suicide squad
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
The 13th amendment abolishes slavery with the exception of using it as a punishment for criminals. It wasn't long before white people began to exploit the loophole and target black people for minor crimes/ falsely persecute them in order to restore their supremacy.
3) What were the Black Codes?
The Black Codes were laws passed by Southern states in 1865 and 1866 in the United States after the American Civil War with the intent and the effect of restricting African Americans' freedom, and of compelling them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt. Black Codes were part of a larger pattern of Southern whites, who were trying to suppress the new freedom of emancipated African-American slaves, the freedmen. Black codes were essentially replacements for slave codes in those states.
4) Why do people suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment?
Because black people were so violently oppressed, the effect and legacy of those who suffered and those who fought back rightly lives on to remind people what they overcame. As a nation it is important to remember why slavery had to be abolished and why people are better off free. Slavery was abolished in order for all people to live freely and fairly- if the legacy of people who suffered doesn't stay relevant, America will soon slip into the same habits gradually.
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
The Reagan era, when hip-hop was about 'the movement of black empowerment, black love, consciousness, just being aware'
7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?
Artists like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, and Lauryn Hill have through the years consistently kept their content about spreading a message to the public that musicians often forget.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
Black America Again: 'received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 88, based on 13 reviews.'
"Black America Again isn't an album meant for casual listening, but rather a socio-politically charged album meant to be absorbed so that everyone can truly recognize the "Bigger Picture Called Freedom"."
Close-textual analysis and representation
Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:
1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
The video is in black and white/monotone colours which almost is a direct pun for the issue he speaks on-the contrast between the races and how plainly obvious they are. the movement is slow to perhaps reflect the movement of time and how nothing really changes. For example, to show change there would have been fast paced movement and lots of different action. the shots themselves show the artists emotions and they act out genuine expressions of despair.
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
3) Why is the video in black and white?
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
The lighting is bright and could reflect how clearly the issues he speaks on are shown in real life even though they are ignored.
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
The key lyrics like 'Shot me with your ray-gun And now you want to trump me' which suggests that the social issues derive from the government and have done for decades on end.
6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.
The floating black square could be there to reflect the stigma that is in society and exists in every situation for black people. it might also represent how there is a catch or grey area that apply to black people in terms of the government and the laws.
7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
The end of the video we see a feild with a house which could have been there to represent the feilds the black people had to work in and serve in the slave owners houe, this is quitea direct image as it stays on screen for about a minute. it coul;d also represent the freedom they do not and did not have in their own homes and country.
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
Each artist is in a separate room which almost says that nonoe of the identifiywith each other or n a particular space in society.
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Dyson's theory can be applied here as the rap music is beingused to express emotion and truth about the government and the real life communities.
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
The election of trump is referenced because of his questionable tweets and propositions. The US gun laws also rely on trump and other political parties for example- Common refers to his power and how he does nothing for the minority groups.
Read this Billboard interview where Common talks about Letter to the Free, political hip hop and contemporary American society. Use the article and the notes we have made in lessons (also available above) to answer the following questions on the social, cultural and genre contexts forLetter to the Free.
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
John Wick, Selma, Suicide squad
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
The 13th amendment abolishes slavery with the exception of using it as a punishment for criminals. It wasn't long before white people began to exploit the loophole and target black people for minor crimes/ falsely persecute them in order to restore their supremacy.
3) What were the Black Codes?
The Black Codes were laws passed by Southern states in 1865 and 1866 in the United States after the American Civil War with the intent and the effect of restricting African Americans' freedom, and of compelling them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt. Black Codes were part of a larger pattern of Southern whites, who were trying to suppress the new freedom of emancipated African-American slaves, the freedmen. Black codes were essentially replacements for slave codes in those states.
4) Why do people suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment?
Because black people were so violently oppressed, the effect and legacy of those who suffered and those who fought back rightly lives on to remind people what they overcame. As a nation it is important to remember why slavery had to be abolished and why people are better off free. Slavery was abolished in order for all people to live freely and fairly- if the legacy of people who suffered doesn't stay relevant, America will soon slip into the same habits gradually.
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
The Reagan era, when hip-hop was about 'the movement of black empowerment, black love, consciousness, just being aware'
7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?
Artists like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, and Lauryn Hill have through the years consistently kept their content about spreading a message to the public that musicians often forget.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
Black America Again: 'received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 88, based on 13 reviews.'
"Black America Again isn't an album meant for casual listening, but rather a socio-politically charged album meant to be absorbed so that everyone can truly recognize the "Bigger Picture Called Freedom"."
Close-textual analysis and representation
Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:
1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
The video is in black and white/monotone colours which almost is a direct pun for the issue he speaks on-the contrast between the races and how plainly obvious they are. the movement is slow to perhaps reflect the movement of time and how nothing really changes. For example, to show change there would have been fast paced movement and lots of different action. the shots themselves show the artists emotions and they act out genuine expressions of despair.
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
3) Why is the video in black and white?
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
The lighting is bright and could reflect how clearly the issues he speaks on are shown in real life even though they are ignored.
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
The key lyrics like 'Shot me with your ray-gun And now you want to trump me' which suggests that the social issues derive from the government and have done for decades on end.
6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.
The floating black square could be there to reflect the stigma that is in society and exists in every situation for black people. it might also represent how there is a catch or grey area that apply to black people in terms of the government and the laws.
7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
The end of the video we see a feild with a house which could have been there to represent the feilds the black people had to work in and serve in the slave owners houe, this is quitea direct image as it stays on screen for about a minute. it coul;d also represent the freedom they do not and did not have in their own homes and country.
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
Each artist is in a separate room which almost says that nonoe of the identifiywith each other or n a particular space in society.
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Dyson's theory can be applied here as the rap music is beingused to express emotion and truth about the government and the real life communities.
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
The election of trump is referenced because of his questionable tweets and propositions. The US gun laws also rely on trump and other political parties for example- Common refers to his power and how he does nothing for the minority groups.
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