Social and cultural context
1) What other projects has Common been involved in?
He has been involved in the Tribeca film festival.
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
This was bought in to change the basic and most important laws in the united states and abolished slavery after the civil war.
3) What were the Black Codes?
Thee were laws bought in to restrict freedom on the African Americans and make sure they were available for cheap labour after slavery was abolished during the civil war.
4) Why do people suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment?
This is because after slavery was abolished African men were still incarcerated or on probation or parole and were enslaved in 1850 and the united states hold a quarter of the incarcerated people even today.
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
She says that her interest was visceral before intellectual and grew up with having a fear from police rather than feel safety and believe that her work makes her resist to Trumps administration through her art.
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
The significant time perioud was the 80's and 90's
7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?
He mentions Big daddy Kane who used to be pro Black and Kendrick Lamar even though he doesn't speak about black consciousness there is still self awareness about him as he believes that spirituality is powerful in hip hop.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start
Close-textual analysis and representation
Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:
1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
There are long shots used to establish the setting and zooming in and out of the camera to show how there is journey of being in a prison cell and the space and freedom shown within these shots could juxtapose the fact that they are still in a prison and there is some constraint that they are feeling. The long shots also obscure the identity of the artist reinforcing a lack of identity as a result.
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
The camera is constantly moving highlights the passing of time and this could further indicate how even when so much time has passed nothing has really changed as after slavery there is still this aspect of incarceration.
3) Why is the video in black and white?
This is because it alludes to the Black community as it is presenting audiences with the cruel legacy of slavery and suggests that they were the ones who were impacted the most.
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
The performance of common is used to promote himself and the song as there is a specific message about black people that is conveyed and the setting is significant as it relates to how black people used to be constrained and controlled by the whites and the prison cell helps to signify this as a result.
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
When common says that we are referred to as criminals than the word Niger it could represent the fact that racism still goes on in America but unconditionally and music is used as a freedom of speech. His lyrics also demonstrate the idea that black people do not want to be heard from as a result.
6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif?
This could be representing the notion of there being a shadow over American culture which ould be questioning the freedom that people actually have there especially the black community. This is because it could also represent slavery and 13 amendments as it could imply a contrast with the institution like a monument that has been engraved.
7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
This video references racism because common is talking about the injustice that is faced by the Blacks and contradicts the US for showing itself as being free but certain community are still not able to feel themselves in America. This means that there is lack in identity and culture for certain ethnic minorities he states, ''we ain't seen as human beings with feelings'' reinforcing this idea of feeling as the other as Gilroy suggests.
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
This could link with letter to the free because Gilroy states that black Britons do not feel as if they totally belong to Britain and are regarded s English when they return to their home country as video emphsises the racial issues that were raised like slavery and incarceration.
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Stuart Hall's race representations theory can be applied to this video as a particular view of black people is taken into account with this video. This letter to the free could also be interpreted by giving a native representation as ''primitive, cheating, savage and barbarian'' as it presents us with stereotypes associated with Black people that are constructed purposefully by common to give audiences a deeper insight of what slavery was like as he also claims that check ''slavery is still alive check amendment 13'' which emphasises that even though it has ended there is still other things like racism.
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
Mass incarceration.
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