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Product Placement in Hip-Hop

Lesson 11: Expression or Marketing?

Objectives:

  • To show how corporations, companies, and individuals/artists within Hip-Hop manipulate Hip-Hop and youth culture for financial gain. To bring attention to the power of suggestion and influence (media, words, celebrities, etc.)

Materials:

Procedure

Discussion & Definitions

The roots of Hip-Hop:

  1. How Hip-Hop came from an underclass community (Hip-Hop came from the "ghetto/hood")
  2. Look at class dynamics
  3. What is “(Social) class”? (lower, middle, upper)

Definition

  1. [social] Class: 1. a social stratum sharing basic economic, political, or cultural characteristics, and having the same social position: Artisans form a distinct class in some societies.
  2. the system of dividing society; caste.
  3. social rank, esp. high rank.
- dictionary.reference.com

Video and Discussion


Video 1: MTV Made (promotion)

Play video (4:32 min).

Question:

  1. Is it less authentic when you don’t come from the lower/under class, which birthed Hip-Hop?

Capitalism’s relationship with Hip-Hop


Ask the group:

  1. What is the relationship between art and money (capitalism)?

Definition

Capitalism: Capitalism is an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are privately owned. Through capitalism, the land, labor, and capital are owned, operated, and traded for the purpose of generating profits. Based on concept of an economy ruled by supply and demand.

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Video 2: The Merchants of Cool, Part-2/5 (video)

Play video (4:32 min).

Video 3: Nelly – "Air Force Ones" (music video)

Handout: Nelly – "Air Force Ones" (lyrics)

Play video (4:32 min).

Discussion:

  1. How many times does this song make reference to different Corporations or companies?
  2. Does creating art for money de-value it or make it less "authentic"?
  3. What is "selling out"?
  4. What/who is a "sell-out"? How/Why?

Explore the idea of "Does art reflect life or life reflect art?"

Does Hip-Hop music reflect life and reality, or do people imitate what is portrayed in Hip-Hop music?

Video 4: 2Pac - "Changes" (music video)

Handout: 2Pac – "Changes" (lyrics)

Play clip from video (4:29 min).

Video 5: Lil Wayne - "In The Hood" (Official Video) (music video)

Play video (4:32 min).

Discussion:

  1. What is the difference between these two videos? Are they portraying art or capitalizing off of poverty/ghetto life?
  2. Are they both expressions of art?
  3. Is Lil Wayne trying to be "authentic" by glorifying being in the Hood?

Goal: To show participants the power of words and how by speaking or rapping words in to existence. (E.g Tupac Shakur)

Video 6: Tupac - "In The Event of My Demise" (music video)

Handout: Tupac - "In The Event of My Demise" (lyrics)

Play clip from video (4:45 min).

FINAL WORDS TO LEAVE THE PARTICIPANTS WITH:

"Words are powerful, art is powerful. Choose carefully the words you use and the art you live by"


Final Assignment

Lesson 12: Term 2 Review & Working on the Final Assignment

Objectives:

  • To talk about the next two classes and the final assignment and give time for the participants to work on the assignment in class.

Materials:

  • Projector
  • Lap-top
  • Internet access
  • Blank paper and misc supplies for participants
Explain to the students the objectives of the final assignment for term 2 and give participants time to work on the assignment in class. They will present their work next class.
  • The goal of the assignment is to creatively produce something that reflects any one of the topics that we have covered throughout the duration of Term 2.
  • Ask students in what way they would like to be creative. Give them a choice to determine their own final assignment/project. (examples: poetry, collage, painting/drawing, dancing, photography, rap, song, theatre, etc.)

Review the topics covered in Part 2:

  1. Hip-Hop International
  2. How Hip-Hop is linked to long existing Power Structures
  3. The Education System and Racism
  4. THEME 3: The Role of Gangs and Hip-Hop
  5. Gangs and Revolution
  6. Gangs in the Media
  7. The Role of Gangs in Hip-Hop History
  8. Socio-Economic Dynamics of the Home of Hip-Hop: the Hood/"Ghetto"
  9. Women & Hip-Hop
  10. Love & Relationships
  11. Objectification vs. Empowerment
  12. The Art of Hip-Hop: Is Hip-Hop Art?
  13. Product Placement in Hip-Hop
  14. Expression or Marketing?

Lesson 13: Presenting Term 2 Final Assignment

Objectives:

  • To give participants time to present their assignments to the class.

Materials:

  • Projector
  • Lap-top
  • Internet access

Procedure

Instruct participants to present their assignments to the class. Once finished briefly review what will be covered during Part 2.

END OF PART 2

 



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