Hip Hop Movement [Standford]
Hip hop movement (Original Article Link)
January 25, 2008
By Chelsea Ma
Hip hop today seems smothered by fast cars, scantily clad women and too much money. It screams chauvinism and materialism — even Wikipedia claims that it’s the father of the term “bling-bling.†But true lovers of the music know that this view is skewed, even entirely misrepresentative. Real hip hop has social and artistic roots, and a group of students on campus is trying to dig these up.
Jeff Mendelman ‘09 began transforming his thoughts into music after volunteering in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
“When I went down there, there was no movement,†he said, “and I felt that what I could do coming back here was to put what I learned in a format that people could really approach.â€
That format was hip hop, and out of it came tracks such as “Broken,†“On Reflection†and, Mendelman’s most well-known, “Dear Mr. Bush.†The melody is reminiscent of rap, the lyrics a reflection of the duality of hope and hopelessness, questioning what was done and what could have been done in New Orleans.
“‘Broken’ defined the mindset of a lot of people after the hurricane,†Mendelman said. “[The song] is trying to flip that mentality and say that, yeah, this is a horrible evil, but when you fight the evil, that’s righteousness. The songs shed light on what people can do to help out and create change — that’s the most important part.â€
By making his albums available for purchase, Mendelman wants to tell others that hip hop can — and once did — have its place in current events and attitudes. It hasn’t always belonged only in the surreal world of the rich or the macho but in communities and individuals. He wants students to experience this more personal side of the genre, which is why he launched the Stanford chapter of Hip Hop Congress — a worldwide organization — this quarter.
“My goal is to create a Stanford group that unifies the hip hop artist community, as well as educates the rest of the Stanford community on the essence of hip hop and how it can transform a dormant or unaware society,†he said.
The organization aims to return hip hop to its original form as an outlet for social activism combined with music, dance and graphic arts.
“I wanted to work towards promoting hip hop as a cultural expression instead of a commercialized trend,†said Josh Constine ‘07, a graduate student in sociology. “The Hip Hop Congress has helped me join forces with fellow music entrepreneurs like Jeff and allowed me to engage in stimulating discussions about both hip hop as a legitimate art form and as a vehicle for the glamorization of harmful stereotypes and behaviors.â€
The group hopes to join the Stanford Concert Network (SCN) and Student Organizing Committee for the Arts (SOCA) in giving socially conscious hip hop artists a chance to perform. It also plans on teaming up with student artists and other campus organizations, such as the Troposomatic Breakdance Crew and DV8, to display the various aspects of hip hop.
“Our dream would be an event with a conscious M.C. delivering a positive message through deft wordplay as a DJ displays instrumental virtuosity in front of live graffiti interpretation of the music, while break dancers defy gravity and turn attitude into motion amongst the crowd,†Constine said. “We believe the synchronization of such varied talents could provide an enveloping experience only found in hip hop.â€
How neat is that? Hip Hop Congress is a resource for those who want it; whatever students bring will be fostered and cultivated.
“I want hip hop to be a visible part of Stanford,†Mendelman said. “This is really just to unify people and get people to network with each other to create the best hip hop we can create on this campus.â€
Members meet every other week, ciphering — rapping over an instrumental beat — freestyling or delving into stylistic writing with a social or personal subject. It’s politically oriented, but at its core, it’s all about art.
Join hiphopcongress@lists.stanford.edu to get connected. You don’t even need to audition.
Weekly Updates | berkhhc January 28, 2008 | 
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