Behind the Lyrics: A Hip Hop Conversation
On the surface, it was just another crowd full of people listening to rap music on Friday morning. Take a closer look and it's a room full of scholars discussing what lies behind the lyrics.
Panelist Antoine Hardy of University of South Florida spliced rhythm with rhetoric as he explored the voices and meanings in the rap community. To address issues of race, Hardy quoted no other than rapper Kanye West.
"I got a light skinned friend like Michael Jackson. I got a black skinned friend like Michael Jackson," Hardy said as he rapped West's lyrics to prove his point.
From slam poetry to rap performance, panelists discussed the messages delivered across all mediums of hip hop. Just because the beats are catchy does not mean the messages do not have a serious impact.
"It's a way to critique something that needs to be changed or activate a voice that needs to be heard," Hardy said.
The voices seem to have been heard across multiple generations. From political figures to grandparents, panelist Murray Forman of Northeastern University describes the spread of the music.
"I think it does mean something when the President of our country moves his body to some 'phat' beats," Forman said.
When even the future leader of our country is in touch with hip hop, panelists hope the world is atune to the message behind the music as well.
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