Mary Kate Fitzpatrick
Freedoms
of expression can come in many forms, but for me, the most engaging and thought
provoking design comes through music. I love when music tells a story, or considers
something real. Songs like “Hurricane” By Bob Dylan and “American Pie” By Don
Mclean are so much more than a good hook and catchy lyrics. They are songs that
speak to us about social issues in a way the news media simply cannot. Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and
Young, and Buffalo Springfield have perfected this art of song writing.
Known most notably
for the song “For What It’s Worth”, in 2013 Stills received an award at the
American Music Association Honors and Awards show in recognition of the power
of free speech set to music. While “For What It’s Worth” is seen widely as a
protest song, it speaks about the confrontation between young people and police
on the Sunset Strip. The song “Ohio” performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and
Young (written by Neil Young) was another installment of a politically driven
song aimed at the government for the brutal killings of four students at Kent
State University. On the heels of the Vietnam War, the freedoms granted in the
First Amendment allow these songs of social issues and injustices to be written
and distributed to the masses, creating a critical critique of America at that
time.
Music
in 2014 is not much different. There are more genres now, and many more outlets
to receive new music through, but to me, the songs worth listening to are still
ones with a message. The genres rap and hip-hop are now seen as a controversial
sect of music, and often criticized and censored. Certain lyrics might be brash
and insensitive, but these artists often come from a place where life is brash
and insensitive. Just as Stephen Stills wrote about wartime oppression, rappers
now are discussing inequalities of race and the tensions that come with it. In
2007, on the tail of Don Imus and his racial slur “nappy headed ho’s” rap and
hip-hop also became targets in the scandal. Oprah Winfrey spoke out, urging the
genre to re –think its use of the words “ho” and “bitch”. As a woman searching
for equality among my peers, I may not agree with the use of these words, but I
can appreciate the music as a form of art.
The argument over
rap and hip-hop always reverts back to controversy in the lyrics, whether it is
over misogynistic views, or the discussion of drugs and violence. But the
question shouldn’t be whether or not to censor these artists; the question
should be whether or not one supports their music as consumers. Major radio
stations already bleep out any words deemed offensive for broadcast, and it is
ultimately the consumer’s decision to ignore or support an artist or song.
However different the lyrics found in rap and
hip-hop may be when compared to lyrics written by Stephen Stills does not make
a difference. It is still music, and if it is especially good music it has a
message. Rap music is completely American and uprooted by social injustices.
Creating music is another way to critique the government and the society we
live in, a fruitful action necessary for the advancement of our freedoms and civil
liberties.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/stephen-stills-honored-for-free-speech-through-music
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/arts/music/25hiph.html?pagewanted=all
http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2014/03/the-conflicn-between-rap-lyrics-as-criminal-evidence-and-the-first-amendment/
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