POSTING #13

One of the most significant experiences as I fieldworker I have had since doing this project would have to be when I attended the hip hop show at village green records.  It was a very cold friday night.  The show was held outside right in front of the record store.  The setup was as follows, a few speakers connected to a Mac computer and turntable.  Although it was cold and windy there was still a nice turn out.  From time to time people walking around in the The Village would stumble over to the show and hang around to listen to what was going on.  There were about 10 acts in the show and the owner of the record store set up the show in a format where artists were free to do whatever they wanted during their time.  Plus the owner really gave no one a set amount of time that they had to be on stage or had to get off it.  This gave the artists freedom to do what they wanted and I believe added to the overall feel of the show.  All of the hip-hop artists in the show did their set with energy and passion.  It was really a great thing to watch for anyone interested in hip-hop.  All of these performers represented what hip-hop is about.

POSTING #12

When I think of the word rhetoric I automatically think of English and the way a person speaks.  I didn't know, but judging from the blog question I guess it is more than just the way you speak.  The only place I ever really hear the word is in English class when teachers are teaching about proper use of grammar and annunciation.  I really don't associate any type of connotation with the word, but now that I think about it I guess it would have to have a negative connotation to it, because every time I hear it it is dealing with correcting the way a person speaks.  I do believe there is rhetoric that coincides with my culture.  Members of the hip-hop community speak a language that can be perceived by outsiders as a whole new language in itself.  Due to this fact it would probably be a good idea for me to incorporate a section in my mini-ethnography that deals solely on the rhetoric of the culture.

POSTING #11

For the most part I believe that my writing process has stayed the same.  At the beginning of my research for papers I tend to always procrastinate when it comes to the gathering of information and drafts.  After I finally get that under control my writing process begins.  I have never been a fan of "rough drafts" and revisions.  My writing process is more circular, like we discussed in class.  I usually gather all of my information and then just sit down and write.  When I am typing the paper I usually revise and edit as I go along.  Sometimes this process takes a while, doing it this way but I like to handle the process this way because I believe it allows me to be a more creative writer.  I just write whatever is in my head at the time and worry about it later.  This usually consists of my first draft.  Then once I turn the draft in I make final revisions once it is handed back to me.  The only assignments that I would say conflicted with my writing process would be the blogs, because of my procrastination.  But now doing the blogs is helping me along in my writing process.  All of the assignments assigned with this paper were pretty easy to me.  I actually write because I like to and sometimes do it in my spare time 

POSTING #10

I plan on using a similar structure for my mini-ethnography that I used for the research proposal.  I like how the headings in the proposal organized thoughts and gave the reader an idea about what they were going to read before they began.  I plan on changing a few titles in the headings to make the topics seem more interesting to the reader.  I plan on beginning by reading over my research proposal for ideas.  I might start by profiling one of my more interesting informants.  I know I will talk a lot about my position in the culture and interest in it.  I am going to try to write my paper in a way that makes it easier for outsiders to follow while keeping them interested.  I believe that my headings/paper will be organized into themes, giving the reader the ability to easily recognize them.  I will also call attention to some main focal points of the culture; things as to why I feel the culture is headed the direction I think it is.  I believe that this structure, for me is the best approach to take when writing my ethnography.  By organizing my paper this way I believe the whole process will come easier to me and will also allow for a more fluent and relevant paper.

POSTING #9

Taking a step back from research I can now analyze a few things.  I believe that one of the hardest parts for me during this research process was staying on schedule.  I tend to procrastinate a lot and this kind of hurt me in the early stages of research.  I tend to wait to the last minute to do research/drafts.  Even though sometimes this tends to help me, due to the fact that I feel pressure to complete the assignment on time, I still think sometimes it hurts more than helps.  Another problem I had during my research was organization.  Organization is key when gathering information from numerous sources.  Once I got organized with my sources and scheduling the work started to go a little more smoother for me.  One of the easiest things for me in my research process was writing on the topic that I am writing on.  I have been a fan of hip-hop music since an early age.  I have always enjoyed listening to various artists in the culture.  The fact that I am a Dj makes research come a little easier too.  Once I attained all my sources the first drafts seemed to come as second nature to me because I am discussing a topic I have spent my whole life being involved in.  I haven't really keep up with blogs due to my unorganized, but doing them now is helping me to reevaluate my performance on this project.  I do think some of the blogs will help me in writing my mini-ethnography, because stuff that I said in some blogs can easily be put in my paper and be relevant.

POSTING #8

I believe one of the main themes evident in my research is expression.  This is what I believe Hip-hop is all about.  When it comes down to it the music, trends, and ways members of the hip-hop community dress, its all about expression.  It is constantly seen in the attitudes of members in the culture.  In talking with some members of my community they seem to agree that the theme runs evident in the culture.  I believe my place in the hip-hop culture is that of something like an ambassador.  I believe that all Djs have this responsibility to the culture; to make sure it is seen and represented the way we in the culture perceive it.  I believe that Dj's have the responsibility to make sure all types of hip-hop music are heard.  It is their job to stay emersed in the culture and to stay up to date with all types of music.  I believe this position is similar to the way I felt before this project.  Although, this project has caused me to reexamine my positions on things dealing with hip hop culture.  There are some things that I didn't take the time to think about regarding my culture that I know do; like the effects the music industry has on rappers and other members of the culture.

POSTING #7

Through my research I can give back to the hip hop community by exposing what I think members of the culture want outsiders to see when looking in from the other side.  Members of the hip hop culture want outsiders to see hip hop for what they think it is; a diverse culture that allows members to express there selves in ways which they cannot do in other venues.  Members also want outsiders to see that culture tends to grow in terms of diversity and range.  Some hip-hop artists’ music is universal and can be heard in many other countries besides the U.S.  That is how big this culture is.  Hip-hop is so much more than the image the media portrays of it.    I will also be giving back by giving acknowledgement/tribute to the people who have made hip-hop what it is.  These people include artists like the late Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.  These two rappers are often used as the poster children for hip hop, but I believe there are many things about these people and other artists that many outsiders know nothing about.

POSTING #6

 

Fresh, Remmie. "Rapper Kid Cudi Says He's Quitting Music." All HipHop. 3 Mar. 2009. 3 Mar. 2009 . "Muthaf***as talking s**t here and there, spreading rumors, making jokes, trying to judge me, and for what? Does my music poke fun at others? Do I talk s**t about people n my music?, he said, with obvious passion.,I already went to high school once, and got expelled, because it wasn't for me. I'ma drop out this s**t before n****s try and crucify me."

I am going to use this source to show how hip-hop has changed over the years.  Hip-hop has strayed from its roots and is no longer just about music and expression.  Money is now a major factor in hip-hop music and some problems in the industry can be attributed to this.  Money has helped to form certain attitudes in the industry that haven't always been there.

 

Muhammad, Latifah. "Soulja Boy Claims Nas Killed Hip Hop." The Boombox. 31 Dec. 2008. 10 Mar. 2009 . "If Nas would've never said hip-hop died then they would've never had that terminology." The Atlanta rapper went on to say that Nas "messed up everybody's money" by publicly claiming the death of the genre. "He killed his own career when he said that." 

I am going to use this source to highlight a controversy that has been going on in hip-hop for a while.  Ever since Nas brought this quote to life there has been on going arguements among fans and the industry of if this statement is true.  New rapper, Soulja Boy then put out a video on Youtube stating that Nas is the true killer of hip-hop for saying this.  Soulja Boy's comments then sparked controversy of their own, branching off into other arguements.

POSTING #5

There are only a few more things I need to do before I can finish my mini-ethnography.  First off, I must finish interviewing two of my informants.  Once I do this I believe that I will have enough sources and information to finish writing my ethnography.  I have spent a good amount of time at my fieldsites and have done a considerable amount of research on my culture.  After I complete these few things it will be time for me to construct a rough draft of my mini-ethnography and I will be on my way.

Cut up's

All of the sudden, I hear, “Oh, Shit!” This was uncommon during business hours, because there are “NO PROFANITY” signs everywhere in the shop./The environment was one that was loud and intense. Nothing I have ever seen is similar to that of what was happening in the gym./By the end of the first game, we had a girl in a neck brace, a girl with a broken foot, and me, the girl with arm splint. /I kept my distance, being unsure of whom the group of people was. As I paid closer attention to some of them, I recognized a couple of them from “Current Club Members” page from the group’s website.

POSTING #4

I can make a few general conclusions about my subculture as of now.  One being the fact that money has been a big influence or reason hip hop is changing.  Everyone is all about a dollar now a days and because of that, I believe hip hop music suffers.  This is seen in the quality of lyrics and overall way things are done.  Hip-hop is a business owned by business men.  They obviously want to make as much money as they can so I believe this is evident in what we listen to and the actions of the people in the industry.  Hip hop is no longer about just music.  Those days are long gone.  A lot of rappers now a day have the same goal as the powerful business men so they do what they have to do to sell music even if that means stepping on toes in the process and starting "beef" with other rappers.  I believe that the things I observe from my subculture everyday is the same everywhere.  Hip-hop is hip-hop.  Some places of the world may listen to different kinds of hip-hop as opposed to other parts but at the end of the day the discussions and elements are the same.  This is evident in mixtape fourms like datpiff.com where users all over the world can log on and download mixtapes and have discussions about them on message boards.

Posting #3

I have done a good amount of research thus far on my project.  I have already interivewed and surveyed a couple of informants.  One of the informants interviewed is the manager of Village Green Records.  The interview was set up like any other interview and was done in his record store.  He provided lots of helpful information that will help a great deal for my project.  Some of the questions I asked him were "How often do you listen to hip-hop music?" and "Do you use hip-hop music as a way to relax?".  I also asked more probing questions like "What direction do you see hip-hop going in?" and "Do you like this direction?".  I have already been to two of my cultural sights.  First I went to a hip-hop show.  I observed participants in the hip-hop show with high energy and enthusiasm, despite that fact it was held outside during the cold weather.  The hip hop show also had a nice turn out.  For my second cultural site I attended a hip-hop dance party with a Dj.  This also had a nice turn out and I was able to observe members of the culture dancing to some of their favorite hip hop music.  I have attempted some academic research by obtaining articles off the internet to use as sources.  I do believe though, that academic research is different from non academic, because non academic requires no books; you could just use your own and other peoples' knowledge along with observations.

POSTING #2

My subcuture is hip-hop.  For one of my fieldsites, I  attended/was a part of a local hip-hop show.  The show was located here in Muncie, outside of Village Green Records.  It was a pretty cold night, but 10 local acts showed up to perform a variety of songs nonetheless.  Also despite the weather, a standing crowd of about 30 was in attendance so it was a pretty nice turn out.  Plus, since the show was outside, the music from the show could be heard all around The Village so people would walk past and stop by to listen from time to time.  There was basically a mic and audio system set up outside the store along wit a turntable.  All the performers came with great energy and passion.  I was also able to meet a Dj and other artists that I felt really represented what hip hop music is really about.  I am an insider to this culture, but I was still able to learn a few new things by being part of the show.  Dj Definition talked with me about the hip-hop industry and just music in general.  He also gave me tips to improve with my scratching and other Dj techniques. 

POSTING #1

Last semester for my english 103 class I wrote a paper critiquing a movie that we watched in class, Dr. Strangelove.  The movie was an old classic comedy focuses around the atom bomb controversy that happened during WWII times.  The object of the assignment was to write a paper critiquing the movie based on content, relevance, plot, theme, characters, and overall "watchability". 

While watching the movie I took notes, highlighting certain parts and themes that I would like to focus on.  I also wrote down quotes and specific scenes that I knew I would use as evidence to support my details.  For my rough draft I just typed the paper like it was my final draft.  Even though this was not my final draft I brought it to class and used peer reviews and the teacher's input to revise my paper.  I did end up waiting until the night it was due to finish the final draft, but I didn't have that many revisions to do and the pressure of the paper being due the next day helped me to come up with a good final product on which I received a good grade.

Writing Process Quote

"There's nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."

This is usually my approach to writing.