Black and Brown in Hip Black and Brown in Hip Hop:Hop:

Tenuous-SolidarityTenuous-Solidarity

Robert TinajeroRobert TinajeroUT-El PasoUT-El Paso

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Black love, Brown Pride/Black love, Brown Pride/We might fight against each other/We might fight against each other/

But I promise you this/But I promise you this/We’ll burn this [city] down—just get us We’ll burn this [city] down—just get us

pissedpissed-Tupac Shakur--Tupac Shakur-

Black and Brown in Hip HopBlack and Brown in Hip Hop

Intro. – Tension & SolidarityIntro. – Tension & Solidarity SolidaritySolidarity Tension (Historical; in Hip Hop)Tension (Historical; in Hip Hop) ConclusionConclusion

Black and Brown in AmericaBlack and Brown in America

African Americans and Latinos African Americans and Latinos are the two largest minority are the two largest minority groups in the United States—groups in the United States—each comprising approximately each comprising approximately 13% of the total population13% of the total population

Black and Brown in AmericaBlack and Brown in America

I propose that Latino Americans and I propose that Latino Americans and African Americans, as highlighted in African Americans, as highlighted in specific rap lyrics, videos, and film, are in specific rap lyrics, videos, and film, are in a constant state of tension a constant state of tension andand solidarity. solidarity. They interact in a physical, linguistic and They interact in a physical, linguistic and rhetorical borderland (Anzaldua) and co-rhetorical borderland (Anzaldua) and co-exist in what LuMing Mao might refer to as exist in what LuMing Mao might refer to as a state of “a state of “together-in-differencetogether-in-difference”…”…

Tension Tension and and SolidaritySolidarity

As some of the lyrical and visual As some of the lyrical and visual rhetoric creates and highlights rhetoric creates and highlights tension it also creates and highlights tension it also creates and highlights understanding, empathy, and understanding, empathy, and solidarity.solidarity.

……thus, the notion of thus, the notion of tenuous-tenuous-solidaritysolidarity

Solidarity: Illustrating and Solidarity: Illustrating and Perpetuating Perpetuating

an Ethos of Strugglean Ethos of Struggle A reigning metaphor in rap music is A reigning metaphor in rap music is

that of the Soldier, which represents that of the Soldier, which represents purposeful struggle.purposeful struggle.

Dead PrezDead Prez

Cypress hill; TupacCypress hill; Tupac

no limit soldiers;no limit soldiers;

Public Enemy; south parkPublic Enemy; south park

mexicanmexican

Tension: An Extension of Tension: An Extension of Historical ConflictHistorical Conflict

The tension between these two The tension between these two populations certainly did not begin populations certainly did not begin with the emergence of rap music and with the emergence of rap music and Hip Hop culture, Hip Hop culture,

though rap music and Hip Hop though rap music and Hip Hop culture certainly play their part in culture certainly play their part in illustrating and perpetuating these illustrating and perpetuating these tensions. tensions.

50 Cent’s 50 Cent’s Just A Lil’ BitJust A Lil’ Bit

Ice Cube’s Ice Cube’s Next FridayNext Friday

ConclusionConclusion

as these two communities work as these two communities work against one another, they also form against one another, they also form part of a complexly unified force that part of a complexly unified force that constantly interacts and pushes up constantly interacts and pushes up against dominating hegemonic forcesagainst dominating hegemonic forces

What does the future hold?What does the future hold?

together…together…

In differenceIn difference

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