Hip Hop’s Musical Horizon of Hope in Dark Times

Authors

  • Mirko M. Hall Languages, Cultures, and Literatures Converse University Spartanburg, SC / USA Member of IASPM–US since 12/2020

Keywords:

Black Prophetic Fire, Hip Hop, Hope

Abstract

Prompted by the shocking death of George Floyd (who once freestyled with Houston’s legendary Screwed Up Click), this short reflection explores how hip hop’s revolutionary soundscapes and consciousness might serve as a utopian beacon in our dark times. It argues that this artistic movement not only creates new musical and political spaces for cultural creativity, critique, and resistance, but also continues to serve—through its Black prophetic fire—as a transformative horizon of hope that promotes both unrelenting compassion and resistance.

Author Biography

Mirko M. Hall, Languages, Cultures, and Literatures Converse University Spartanburg, SC / USA Member of IASPM–US since 12/2020

Mirko M. Hall is Professor of German Studies and Chair of Languages, Cultures, and Literatures at Converse University. Trained as an intellectual historian at the University of Minnesota, he is the author of _Musical Revolutions in German Culture: Musicking against the Grain, 1800–1980_ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) and co-editor of _Beyond No Future: Cultures of German Punk_ (Bloomsbury, 2016).

References

Bibliography

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Ware, L. 2017. A 5-Step Guide to Surviving a Trump Presidency. The Root, 21 January. https://www.theroot.com/a-5-step-guide-to-surviving-a-trump-presidency-1791438831. Accessed 15 June 2021.

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Discography

Blondie, 1981. “Rapture”, Chrysalis Records, USA.

Brown, James. 1968. “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”, King Records, USA.

N.W.A. 1988. Straight Outta Compton, Priority Records, USA.

Videography

Downtown 81. 2000. Dir. Edo Bertoglio, New Beat Films.

IASPM Journal Vol. 11, No.1 (2021)

Downloads

Published

15-10-2021

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2021): Special Issue: Crises at Work: Potentials for Change?

Section

Statements

License

Authors retain copyright, while licensing their work under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.