The Place of Culture: Music and the City - Essay Example

The Place of Culture: Music and the Introduction Popular music remains a key feature of the world’s modern culture. Among the popularly known music cultures, song lyrics make specific references to geographical origin. In most instances the lyrical content describes important geographical features of a given locality or city. It is for this reason that this paper is going to explain popular music in regards to prominent attachment to geographical phenomenon both virtually and on ground and how such mediates production and consumption of prominent music (Connell and Gibson, 110). Therefore geography plays a vital role in understanding of the emergence and consumption of music including musical genres. In fact, there is a strong relationship between music, place and the lyrics in majority of the songs. It is important to note that all lyrics do not always attempt to convey a sense of distinctiveness or place but for many decades popular songs and culture have a distinctive attachment to current issues. This paper seeks to uncover the most important elements in popular culture and music lyrics while unearthing the meaning of images portrayed in songs in relation to place and identity. Music and the City In order to understand how popular music is specially attached to cultural geography, it is primarily important to define cultural geography. In this context, social geography is a sub-field of social geography which deals with the study artistic products or norms, their disparity and association across space and place (Knox and Marston, 125). Although it is possible to describe a city and its geographical location in a variety of ways, a song does it best through its lyrics. As stated earlier in this discussion, popular culture and in particular music have a special attachment to the locality from which these cultural products hail. This paper will first discuss how and why music as a culture has strong orientation to place and location. It will then analyze one of most popular hip hop music among the U.S youth fans across various cities. Finally this paper will discuss the impact of such type of music on the city and its dwellers more specifically, their feelings about the song. Most song lyrics and their band names are characterized by names of social places. Their sounds and beats often play a vital role in the choice of location. For instance, a vast number of songs describe California as the most interesting meeting place as compared to a place like Rhode Island not particularly because Rhode Island is bad but the song virtually portrays thus. Similarly, San Antonio is described in popular music as more splendid and thrilling than Detroit. This will more likely dictate the choice of place where staging of music will attract more attention and fans. Resonance and reverberation of words in a song are as vital as the character and choice of locations. This is an important aspect in determination of new musical geographies where popular music will often be staged. The themes of place in popular music are fabricated designs and maneuver tactics of empowering music to such a level as to move fans away from the usual lifestyles. From the above overview popular music has strong attachment to place and geography making it quite difficult to sway the urge and desire of fans who will always wish to identify with such places and geography. It worth noting that one most predominant theme in popular musical cultures is that of gritty image of a city. Owing to the fact that cities are always divided, a vast number of song lyrics define city’s space from an angry pursuit of rap in a negative perspective (Crang, 37). Cities world over are subject to global changes, events and constituents. Therefore, each city is subject to uniqueness and various changes. For this reason, cultural products such as music always attempt to portray in their lyrics the changing nature of the city culture, society and urban organization. The contemporary descriptions of cities as portrayed in popular cultures such as music are subject of references to the customary culture, societal order and decaying city landscapes (Knox and Marston, 127). A theme that is predominantly evident is that of multiple commonalities within its culture. Hip hop fans connect with one another through the social media and especially the internet from where they are able to share knowledge, current affairs and language patterns pertaining to hip hop music. To illustrate this, the following hip hop lyrics will be analyzed; We are the Fantastischen Vier And we’re here With plenty of beer And lots of women They haven’t shot through They’re here To watch our show (Nayak, 70) The composer of this piece of music describes in music his feelings as well as those they share with the fans concerning their geographical setting. The artist echoes personal experiences and those of his friends in the course of interaction within the city. In spite of their social status, it appears so that they are asking for their quick pleasure in form of libation and women companions. However, it is quite clear from their demands that they are limited by financial constraints and it is for that reason they want to have access to finances through any means possible. From the song lyrics, it is clear that beer drinking is a predominant social activity. It appears so that those in the company of men are women who are ready to mingle with men for some as long as men have money to spend on them. The composer of this piece identifies with the financially weak group of fans who may wish to socialize but are limited by finances. This song talks about social places, more specifically drinking sprees. In this case, the sprees are characterized by presence of people of different social strata (rich and poor). The poor appears to lament their financial state as they can’t afford to entertain women and themselves. To further illustrate the concept of local space music, this paper will analyze the following song lyric; I want cash, cause I’m on that mo’ money trip I want the 850 Beemer and all that other shit Word either way, I’m gonna get my own crib Doing crime or busting rhymes illegal or legit (Cohen, 39) It is clear from this song lyric that the artist gives a real reflection of his/her marginalized experience. In this case, members who share the hip hop culture have a sense of special attachment and have a feeling of being hip hop brethren much more attached than they are to family or close ties. It is evident from this lyric that the composer identifies with the poor dwellers of the city that have many wishes but have no ability to achieve. The composer states he wants money to facilitate a trip that requires cash. He also wishes to buy a car but there is no means of getting money. It appears from the song lyrics that the composer identifies with those people who can do anything in order to get cash regardless of social acceptance. Conclusion In conclusion, when people attach to and identify with others there is a possibility that a strong united voice will build up. The voice developed can be used politically to fight social injustices such as tribalism and racial discrimination. It is quite clear from the popular hip hop song lyrics that neighborhood became the focus of funk and hip hop cultures. A vast number of hip hop and funk names, songs, groups and albums are a symbolic reclamation the American New York city (Connell and Gibson 76). In other hip hop songs, there is a distinct reference of various aspects of ghetto life as well as its culture. Works cited: Cohen, Sara. Popular Music and the City: Alder shot: Ash gate, 2003. Print. Connell, J and Gibson C. “The place of lyrics: Sounds and scenes a place for music in Sound tracks: popular music, identity and place. Rutledge, London (2003): 71-116. Print. Crang, Mike. Cultural Geography: London: Rout ledge, 2004. Print. Knox and Marston: “Cultural Geographies”. University of Arizona, (2012): 144-83. Print. Nayak, Anoop. Race, Place and Globalization: Youth Cultures in a Changing World. New York, N.Y: Berg, 2003. Print. Read More