Rapper's Delight - a hip hop haven at Burning Man

[jmolaro]

Hip hop heads - we are looking for you! We think there is enough electronic music on the playa already. If you need a break, come by Rapper's Delight! We're running a classic hip hop theme bar this year, based on Afrika Bambaataa's 5 pillars of hip hop: djing, mcing, break dancing, graffiti art, and knowledge. We will have all the 80s-90s hip hop classics, along with space for breakdancing and busting rhymes, as well as a graffiti wall. We need all of you to come by and have a drink, and participate in celebrating hip hop as an art form and a social movement. We regret that we will be unable to bring out turn tables this year, but even if djing is your pillar, please come by and at least enjoy the music!

We also need a little help getting out there - PLEASE check out our kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mol ... urning-man

We will post our camp location on Kickstarter as soon as we know where we'll be!

Thanks!

[linguafranka]

WORD!! i will be THERE!!!!

[jmolaro]

Glad you are a fan! We are very excited! Do you rap or break dance (or know anyone that does)? We're trying to organize some rap and break dance battles, but we have to find people first So if you are interested, or know anyone who is, let me know and we can see if we can pick a night to arrange something.

And don't forget, if you can, to donate to our kickstarter. We really need some help getting out there. We got placement, should be in/around the 430 plaza, so looking forward to seeing you there! (and def tell all your friends, it will be rad)

http://tinyurl.com/rappersdelight2011

[TwoSwordSamurai]

I'll be there to rock a beat, representin' the Bay and Hip-Hop Pillar #3: B-boyin'. B-boys make some noise!

EDIT: Also representing Astrophysics and Pillar #5: Knowledge, for all you space cases out there.

[C.f.M.]

Awesome.

[burnthebooks]

Definitely needed out there. I'm on the other side at 9 and Portal (Mission Country Club), but will roll over with our crew of hip-hop aficionados. Some J Dilla would be amazing.

[daft]

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[catinthefunnyhat]

I tried Googling hip hop at burning man and didn't come up with much. This post was the #1 hit in Google. Anyways, as someone who does love hip hop, I was excited to see this post... and then kind of disappointed to find out it was from a year ago... and even more so to learn they didn't get make their kickstarter goal. Nothing obvious comes up in the list of 2012 theme camps on the BMOrg's website, either.

So, I'm wondering... is there hip hop on the playa? What about rap/freestyle? Breakdancing? I mean, the festival was founded by Dr. Dre, right? That's what I learned from the #2 hit...

[Elliot]

To me, Burning Man has been a haven away from the ugliness of desperately angry people inciting to murder and riot in "rap" lyrics blaring from passing automobiles.

[catinthefunnyhat]

Well, not all rap is about murder and gangsterism. Most of it's about sex and ego (and id). Some of it's actually about more interesting stuff -- personal stories, social issues, etc. And not all rap sounds like the stuff they play on the radio, either (although I'll admit to liking some of that, too). In some ways, I think rap is a bit like metal -- a vehicle for expressing/exploring the darker side of one's nature, not always meant to be taken entirely seriously. AND it's fun to dance to.

Of course, I would hope that burners who rap or who play rap music would choose stuff that reflects burner values. I see no reason why rap and burning man need to be incompatible.

[Elliot]

Thanks, Cat.

[Homiesinheaven]

To me, Burning Man has been a haven away from the ugliness of desperately angry people inciting to murder and riot in "rap" lyrics blaring from passing automobiles.

if that's the only narrow definition of rap you have, you need to stop being scared of angry black people and seek out the real shit my man.

[trilobyte]

Hopefully they just have not gotten around to posting their 2012 intentions on the boards (a lot of camps don't post anything on ePlaya until after placement is confirmed). That said, I personally wish fewer camps would make public funding a part of their plans.

[catinthefunnyhat]

((Elliot)). Thanks for listening. You know, you might appreciate some of the wordplay/punning/allusion that goes on in hip-hop lyrics.
Homies in Heaven: I hope we can shake our dusty booties to some good hip-hop together!
Trilo: Thanks. I'll keep my eyes open.

[Homiesinheaven]

i submit this for folks who think rap is only about violence:

http://soundcloud.com/luminaries/13-pea ... r-maesyn-1

catinthefunnyhat, let us know if you find anything!

[Elliot]

I have no sound in my puter, but I’m perfectly willing to take your word for it, which is certainly good news. This brings us to a pet idea of mine, which I call “police your own”.

When I ran a club for classic car enthusiasts, we sometimes “had a little chat” with youthful members who got carried away in their enthusiasm for big horsepower on public roads. We policed our own.

And I feel this concept applies to all aspects of life – that is, to all identifiable groups. If the criminal element is only a small part of a benign rap community, then it behooves that community to police their own.

All I knew until yesterday was that rap and crime were pretty much the same thing. How could a legitimate rap community have allowed that to happen?

(Incidentally, since somebody brought it up.... In my town, “ugly” rap blares from cars driven mostly by white people.)

[theCryptofishist]

(Incidentally, since somebody brought it up.... In my town, “ugly” rap blares from cars driven mostly by white people.)

Lake county? It would almost have to...

[Ugly Dougly]

I like funk music better. Anyone got that?

[theCryptofishist]

Try Emergency Polka Camp. They like doing mash-ups on Thursday.

[catinthefunnyhat]

I have no sound in my puter, but I’m perfectly willing to take your word for it, which is certainly good news. This brings us to a pet idea of mine, which I call “police your own”.

When I ran a club for classic car enthusiasts, we sometimes “had a little chat” with youthful members who got carried away in their enthusiasm for big horsepower on public roads. We policed our own.

And I feel this concept applies to all aspects of life – that is, to all identifiable groups. If the criminal element is only a small part of a benign rap community, then it behooves that community to police their own.

All I knew until yesterday was that rap and crime were pretty much the same thing. How could a legitimate rap community have allowed that to happen?

(Incidentally, since somebody brought it up.... In my town, “ugly” rap blares from cars driven mostly by white people.)

Hmmm..... I see where you're getting at, but I think you're starting with an incorrect assumption that there's an entity known as the "rap community," with borders and rules. Rap is a musical genre and, like any other form of expression, is used by a lot of people to express a lot of different things. Holding "a legitimate rap community" responsible for the existence of violent gangster rap is like holding the "legitimate television community" responsible for the existence of Keeping Up the the Kardashians or blaming the "legitimate heavy metal community" for the Black Metal fans who burn down churches in Norway.

I understand that there's some legitimacy to the connection between rap and criminality. Rap was born and raised in the ghetto, so to speak, as a way for young men who felt alienated and underserved by society a means to express their fear, frustration, sadness, and anger -- as well as their joys, loves, passions, and successes. As a young man's game, it's often coloured by ego and swagger. Rappers like to boast about their exploits -- athletic, sexual, commercial, musical, pugilistic, and criminal. Some use the medium to muse aloud on their fantasies of rebellion and revenge. And, in a sense, a lot of it is "pure vaudeville," just like Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden. Ta-Nehisi Coates, when he talks about rap (which isn't often these days), often talks about how so much of it is "pure id."

But there's a lot more to rap than the just rage, swagger, and running with gangs, just as there's a lot more to Rock 'n' Roll than sex, drugs, and trashing hotel rooms. I think there have been a lot of rappers who've attempted to be a positive influence on "the community" such as it is. There are plenty of others, meanwhile, who are quietly going about the business of creating rap music with thoughtful and deeply personal lyrics. If you get a chance, check out K'naan, Kid Cudi, and Lupe Fiasco -- just 3 examples off the top of my head. Or look up for a bunch more examples).

Even with someone like Jay-Z -- a commercially successful, mainstream rapper with roots in gangster culture -- if you read his lyrics, you'll see that beneath all the swagger (and there is a LOT of it; he often refers to himself as J-hova) and misogyny (I do cringe sometimes as I listen), there are genuine expressions of struggle, sadness, love, and regret. And given your passion for English, I really do think you'll enjoy the richness of wordplay and literary technique he employs.

Of course, just like country or polka or thrash, the musical style isn't to everyone's taste. But neither is dubstep

[junglesmacks]

Cat.. I love you.

[wh..sh]

Even with someone like Jay-Z -- a commercially successful, mainstream rapper with roots in gangster culture -- if you read his lyrics, you'll see that beneath all the swagger (and there is a LOT of it; he often refers to himself as J-hova) and misogyny (I do cringe sometimes as I listen), there are genuine expressions of struggle, sadness, love, and regret. And given your passion for English, I really do think you'll enjoy the richness of wordplay and literary technique he employs.

Well said Cat. I believe that artists like Jay-Z can be far more influencial on masses than POTUS.

I think this is an appropriate time to post an example. But I think Elliot still doesn't have speakers

[Elliot]

I know, I know, I know; I'm not retarded. I'm just an idealist, a utopian.

[Homiesinheaven]

very well said cat. Elliot, i didnt mean to imply racism. i have no doubt that you have had a shitty experience with ugly rap, we all have. thanks for being open minded. with that in mind here's the lyrics to other rap songs that arent typical.

-a love letter to a mother

-a song about the politics of water

-a song about skateboarding

-a beautiful love song

-a song for single mothers

countless other examples if you ever get sound on your computer.

[Elliot]

I no longer have any of the gritty delta blues albums I enjoyed in my youth, but I think I detect similarities.

[theCryptofishist]

I no longer have any of the gritty delta blues albums I enjoyed in my youth, but I think I detect similarities.

Hm. Got scratched up, did they?

[catinthefunnyhat]

Thanks wh..sh, HiH for those lovely examples. And JS for the love. And Elliot for listening with an open mind. And Fishy for bringing the humour.

[Elliot]

...shitty experience with ugly rap, we all have.

You cannot imagine how relieved I am to hear that I'm not the only one. Now, what can we do about it?

[Simon of the Playa]

Rap on the Playa?


please, niggers be trippin'...

[shykat]

We ran into a nice Jewish boy flowing some rap last year on the playa.