NWA & Compton's Evolving Image

By: Catherine Keithley

Los Angeles is viewed throughout the world as the entertainment capital of the world. Hollywood, celebrities, materialistic, ostentatious... are all word that come to mind when thinking about West LA, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, etc. however, what does the rest of the world think of when Compton comes to mind? Guns, violence, gangs, drugs, you name it, they'll probably think Compton and East LA have it. Point being, there are too many stereotypes that surround LA based on the media's reputation of Los Angeles.


N.W.A- "Niggas with an Attitude"

In the early 1990's rapper, Ice Cube, left the University of Arizona to go back to his home town, Compton, California. He left his chemical engineering classes to pursue his other career interests...one of them being rapping. Ice Cube meshed with the now formally known rap group as, "NWA." NWA is abbreviated for "Niggas with Attitude." Soon after the group recorded its first big hit, "Straight Outta Compton." Straight Outta Compton was about being a gangster and living a life of crime on the streets of East Los Angeles. What is interesting about Compton before the gangster rap movement was that in the early 1940's Compton was voted one of the safest "white" towns in all of America. From the bad reputation gangster rap promoted within the media in the early 1990's Compton soon became what it was spoken about in the media, a ghetto.


NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" Video

NWA's album, "Straight Outta Compton," was the first gangster rap record to sell over 3 million copies. It went double platinum on March 27, 1992. Also, the record's consumers were surprisingly 80% Caucasian beyond the boundaries of black suburbs. This record made a new sub culture of hip hop which acknowledged white teenagers to imitate gangster rap. Statistics show that NWA's album made them known as the most dangerous rap group in history because of its notorious song, "Fuck the Police." In the music video NWA is shown running from the cops and rapping about living the hard life on the streets of Compton. Truth of the matter was that Ice Cube did not grow up on the streets, he was intelligent and was enrolled full time as a college student. Compton's image, however, began to decrease in attractiveness but raised profits in marketing "CPT" hats and other clothing apparel to represent a "thug" image. Undoubtedly, NWA changed the face of hip hop in the early 1990's.

Jay-Z: From Gangster Rap to Flossin' Rap

By: Catherine Keithley

From all aspects of music there is no doubt that Hip Hop has moved into being the mainstream genre. Pop music is ever changing in a sense that we have seen disco evolve into the ever so popular hip hop funk. Aside from disco and hip hop funk there is something particular about hip hop. Hip hop has morphed from gangster rap to mainstream rap. The difference between the two.... Jay Z.



This past weekend while I voulenteered at USC's Swim with Mike charity event, all of my friends were heading to Indio, California in search for the ultimate Southern California annual music festival, "Coachella." Coachella typically is a three day all day music event that features artists from mainstream rap to electronic house music. I was told that Jay Z performed on Saturday with a not so surprise guest, Beyonce. As pop's ultimate couple, the two performed songs from past albums to unreleased albums.

Jay Z is the undertaker of gangster rap and mainstream rap. In 2001 on The Blueprint, we hear him rapping about in "Jigga That Nigga," rapping,

"Went solo on that ass but it's still the same
Brooklyn be the place where I serve them thangs
B. my niggaz was strugglin, to the 'burbs they came
And then we got to hustlin, murderin thangs
I dipped in my stash, splurged on a chain..."


Jay Z- "Jigga That Nigga/ H.I.ZZ.O"

However in 2007 on Jay Z's album, "Kingdom Come," we hear Jay Z changing his lyrics from rapping about being a gangster from Brooklyn to "flossin" as a successful mainstream rapper. Take a look at his lyrics from "30 Something,"

"I know everything you wan do
I did all that by the age of 21
by 22 I had that brand new Ack Coupe
I guess you can say that my legend just begun
I'm, young enough to know the right car to buy yet grown enough not to put rims on it
I got that six-duce with curtains so you can't see me and I didn't even have to put tints on it..."


Jay Z- "30 Something"

Jay Z is the coneoussour of rap because he made the transition between gangster rap and mainstream "flossin" rap today. With a current net worth of $500 million dollars, there is no doubt that Jay Z has opened new doors for the future of hip hop.

Lady Gaga: A Visionary or Next Best Thing?

By: Catherine Keithley

A Hollywood buzz lately has been Lady Gaga's obscene and rather potent fashion trends. Like Madonna, for Gaga's moment in the spotlight she has made a name for herself all around the world. From her utmost famous bubble dress to her nude leotards and blazer attire she is turning heads in every corner of Tinseltown. Most recently in the Gaga world, the bi-sexual Lady Gaga was seen at the National Equity March, calling President Obama out on a podium in Washington D.C. in regards to Gay and Lesbian civil rights. As the artist screamed out to the president, "ARE YOU LISTENING?" She firmly proposed her opinions and thoughts for the quiet gays of America. Her speech was then concluded by a talented performance of John Lennon's "Imagine."



Question is that is Lady Gaga a visionary or simply the next big thing? In accordance to the Billboard Hot 100, Gaga has had more album and concert sales than any other artist in the mainstream music world.

In my opinion, Gaga is a visionary. Her respect for high couture fashion in the artsy-fartsy world of France and New York City is impressive yet her music is just as contemplating. Her risky videos and impromptu clothing choices make her marketable and recognizable in every household. The test of time will be Ms. Gaga's largest challenge but as a fan I'm sure we will all be wanting more of her and her music as the years to come.

Check out her latest video here..."Telephone" by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce

Music Subcultures & The "Teenybopper"

By: Catherine L. Keithley

For most of us, we all remember the celebrity that swept us off our feet at the shy age of thirteen. Today, young stars such as The Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, etc. are all mostly Disney bred stars that have impacted our young preteens. Well its not the first time in pop culture that this has happened and certainly not the last.


Celebrities that uphold the Teenybopper's Subculture

The term, "teenyboppers," was first created by marketing professionals in the entertainment industry who were looking to consumers in the preteen years of age. Dating back to the 1960's, The Beatles were the heavily idolized music group that first defined teenyboppers as a subculture of popular music. The attributes of the teenybopper include a female preteen. These female preteens range in age from nine to about fifteen and appear to be abnormally committed to their celebrity hearthrobs. Teenybopper apparel usually varies from a photograph of their hearthrob printed onto cheaply made t-shirts to mascara running down faces from the tears of joy from becoming starstruck. Here are a few examples to fill everyone in if you're still not envisioning what I'm describing...


A Typical Depiction of Teenyboppers

Overall, one may agree that the subculture of the teenybopper exists, however, there is an interesting observation between marketers and their portrayal of certain celebrities that appeal to different age groups. For the most part, I think that marketers market celebrities to target audiences that are most like themselves. It is adhearant that consumers are attracted to things that remind them of themselves or might depict who they think they are. Music stereotyping functions the same across all depictions of celebrities in entertainment, this is because consumers will always be attracted to vivid, salient, and attractive objects.

Jesse Ponce and the Conjunto Genre

By: Catherine Keithley

To most Californians, we know the "Conjunto" as the small group band that plays Spanish music while we gobble down our fresh Mexican food with fresh avecados and our margaritas shaken on the rocks. Well I regret to inform you Californians that the Conjunto music didn't actually originate in California, it all actually began in Texas. Conjunto is a traditional, non-commercial style of Latino music, with roots of Tejano ("Tex-Mex") music.


Example of Today's Conjunto Music- ROJELIO HINAJOSA 2010

The word Conjunto literally meaning "group" in Spanish and from Latin "coniunctus," was no longer to be just a group. It was forever known as a small musical group. As Conjunto music appears mostly today in Texas and California, conjunto is also well known in the Caribbean and Cuban musical groups, such as the "Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba" and everywhere else in the Spanish speaking world. The four instruments used in Conjunto music are the button accordion, the bajo sexto, an electric bass, and a drum kit.

To understand more about the Conjunto music and its events leading up to a well respected genre check out PBS' "Playing From the Heart: The Story of Jesse Ponce."

PBS' "Playing From the Heart: The Story of Jesse Ponce"- http://wbgu.org/community/documentary/PlayingFromHeart/JessePonce_index.html

Jesse Ponce is a well respected man in the Conjunto genre for becoming the first man to assemble the small group musicians that play Conjunto music. He uses his music to express and reinvent his Latino identity. Ponce's passion for his music touches many
and his perfectionism enables his audience to feel what he is feeling. Without a doubt, Jesse Ponce is the most admired man in his genre for his impeccable timing, drive, and passion for the Conjunto music and his fans.

The Corrido Ballad: A Romantic, Poetic, Music Genre

By: Catherine L. Keithley

This week we are talking about Mexican "coriddo" ballads. When I first came across the idea of corrido music I began to think about Selena and her hit music in the early 90's. Selena could sing her heart out but her music was more of a love ballad rather than a corrido ballad. The most famous ballad known as a corrido was "La Cucaracha," "an old song that was rephrased to celebrate the exploits of Pancho Villa's army and poke fun at his nemesis Venustiano Carranza" (Flores 198). The main ideas of the Mexican ballads were to express poetry-like lyrics accompanied with dancing like the waltz or polka inspired tracks. Originally the lyrics were written in the form of old legends (stories) and ballads about a famed criminal or hero in the rural frontier areas of Mexico. Some corridos may also be love stories, like the more common Selena songs that our generation today remember growing up to. The most popular singers of corrido ballads are; Los Tigres del Norte, Explosion Nortena, Los Morros Del Norte, El Potro De Sinaloa, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, El Tigrillo Palma, Los Cadetes de Linares, Edgardo Gamez, El Efectivo, and Grupo Exterminador. As the corrido music may follow the same tempo as a general waltz or polka, the music itself is very simple and light. Generally corrido music is sung by the singer or a group of singers and are accompanied with the guitar. Below is an example of a corrido ballad by Los Tigres del Norte entitled, "La Granja."



As for lyrics, here is another written example of a older and more original corrido called, "Valentina." The lyrics speak about a love story amongst a couple and their endless lust for one another.




Richard Flores. "The Corrido and the Emergence of Texas-Mexican Social Identity" (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 105, Spring 1992)

The Cha-Cha-Chá Music: A Sexual Revolution in Cuba

By: Catherine L. Keithley

This week we are changing gears... I'm writing about Cuba and the cha-cha-chá music that has made Cuba famous for its sexy, vivid music, and racy dancing. When most people think about Cuba they might think about Ricky Ricardo from the hit sitcom, "I Love Lucy," that would come on Nick at Night every evening. Another stereotype of Cuba are movies Hollywood has produced to depict Cuba in such way that we think of Cuba today, such as, "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights."

Enjoy an excerpt from "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights"

Cuba's cha-cha-chá first developed from the Cuban dance music entitled, "danzón." the debut of the cha-cha-chá first broke out on the scene in Havana, Cuba at the Silver Star Dance Club in the early 1950's. The rhythm is slightly faster than danzón and is usually composed of two rapid beats followed by a longer (two eighth notes followed by a quarter note. In the book, "Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music," author Eric Weisbard states, "In the United States we would not even recognize American music if we did not inherit music from Cuba and Jazz music from Africa traveling to New Orleans" (Weisbard 6). Many times people recognize Desi Arnaz as his character Ricky Ricardo in "I Love Lucy" to recall what Cuban music really is. Sure cha-cha-chá music uses lots of bongos and fast paced beats but surprisingly enough there is actually many flute sounds incorporated in cha-cha-chá music. Besides the flute, other instruments used to create cha-cha-chá music include; strings, piano, bass and percussion.


Desi Arnaz as "Ricky Ricardo" in "I Love Lucy" portraying Cuban Stereotyping

Weisbard, Eric. Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music. 1st ed. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2007. 6-10. Print.