There's a Tupac musical coming to Broadway.
How do people feel about this? A few things immediately come to my mind: Is this another sign of Hip Hop's growing acceptance into mainstream culture? And if so, should Hip Hop heads rejoice? Or, is this another example of cultural elites appropriating Hip Hop and turning it into a safe way to consume Black youth culture?
I think Tupac was an amazing artist. I grew up listening to him and still own the double-CD "All Eyez on Me." There's a part of me that smiles whenever I travel and hear young people singing along to "California Love" in places like Seoul, South Korea or Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
I also use lots of Tupac in my teaching. I really like his music because I think he complicates how we think about Black masculinity. In some songs he talked about being a gangsta. In other songs, he waxed poetic about his mother and his fallen friends. And then, there was a party side to him, where he'd spout lyrics that angered feminists and Black political leaders like C. Delores Tucker. Part of what made him so appealing was that he defied easy and conventional stereotypes of what an MC could do or be. He was so multi-faceted and he left an indelible mark on Hip Hop and pop culture.
So, on one hand, I'm thrilled to hear about the Tupac musical. It's a sign that Tupac's music will now be available to folks who might not have been into Hip Hop when he was alive, or it's a way that aging Hip Hop heads can still access his music (some people who were "down" in the past might now feel more at home watching a musical than bobbing their heads at a Hip Hop show).
Also, in the big scheme of things, this could be another hallmark in Hip Hop's continued evolution. Perhaps a Tupac musical means that Hip Hop is gaining more traction and legitimacy in the eyes of cultural elites. This could be a signal that arts foundations and other gatekeepers who may have once scoffed at Hip Hop as a legitimate "art form" are now ready to embrace it whole-heartedly. This is all good.
But, the idea of a Tupac musical also rubs me the wrong way. I can't really explain why. I guess it's sort of how I feel whenever I hear Sublime or some other contemporary band covering Bob Marley or old school Ska artists. I imagine it's the same way the die hard Beatles or Pink Floyd fans feel when some other band covers their favorite jams.
There's also a part of me that cringes when I imagine professionally trained dancers and singers doing quirky renditions of "My Ambitionz as a Ridah" or "Shorty Wanna be a Thug." I guess I sort of felt the same way when MTV made America's Best Dance Crew. I was thrilled to see old dancing friends on the show and loved that Americans were suddenly really interested in Bboyin/Bgirlin, Poppin, Lockin, and other styles of Hip Hop dance, but the presentation of it all just felt...well, really CHEESY. The soul of these art forms seemed missing when Mario Lopez aka "Slater" became the face of Hip Hop dance in America.
So, in the end, I'm torn about this. I'd love to hear how Hip Hop heads and everyone else feels about this? Are you planning to check it out?
How do people feel about this? A few things immediately come to my mind: Is this another sign of Hip Hop's growing acceptance into mainstream culture? And if so, should Hip Hop heads rejoice? Or, is this another example of cultural elites appropriating Hip Hop and turning it into a safe way to consume Black youth culture?
 |
| What Does a Tupac musical signal about Hip Hop's evolution? |
I also use lots of Tupac in my teaching. I really like his music because I think he complicates how we think about Black masculinity. In some songs he talked about being a gangsta. In other songs, he waxed poetic about his mother and his fallen friends. And then, there was a party side to him, where he'd spout lyrics that angered feminists and Black political leaders like C. Delores Tucker. Part of what made him so appealing was that he defied easy and conventional stereotypes of what an MC could do or be. He was so multi-faceted and he left an indelible mark on Hip Hop and pop culture.
So, on one hand, I'm thrilled to hear about the Tupac musical. It's a sign that Tupac's music will now be available to folks who might not have been into Hip Hop when he was alive, or it's a way that aging Hip Hop heads can still access his music (some people who were "down" in the past might now feel more at home watching a musical than bobbing their heads at a Hip Hop show).
Also, in the big scheme of things, this could be another hallmark in Hip Hop's continued evolution. Perhaps a Tupac musical means that Hip Hop is gaining more traction and legitimacy in the eyes of cultural elites. This could be a signal that arts foundations and other gatekeepers who may have once scoffed at Hip Hop as a legitimate "art form" are now ready to embrace it whole-heartedly. This is all good.
But, the idea of a Tupac musical also rubs me the wrong way. I can't really explain why. I guess it's sort of how I feel whenever I hear Sublime or some other contemporary band covering Bob Marley or old school Ska artists. I imagine it's the same way the die hard Beatles or Pink Floyd fans feel when some other band covers their favorite jams.
There's also a part of me that cringes when I imagine professionally trained dancers and singers doing quirky renditions of "My Ambitionz as a Ridah" or "Shorty Wanna be a Thug." I guess I sort of felt the same way when MTV made America's Best Dance Crew. I was thrilled to see old dancing friends on the show and loved that Americans were suddenly really interested in Bboyin/Bgirlin, Poppin, Lockin, and other styles of Hip Hop dance, but the presentation of it all just felt...well, really CHEESY. The soul of these art forms seemed missing when Mario Lopez aka "Slater" became the face of Hip Hop dance in America.
So, in the end, I'm torn about this. I'd love to hear how Hip Hop heads and everyone else feels about this? Are you planning to check it out?
Comments
Post a Comment