grad school, parenthood, identity crisis. welcome to the rabbit hole.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

music as catharsis

Right after I wrote this post I started listening to a lot of mainstream hip hop. My friend mark calls it "ignorant rap", as in "I'm sorry I listen to a lot of ignorant rap." But it is so good. The misogyny, the rampant drug use and relentless posturing. It is all so good.

I then started telling people that I've been listening to a lot of misogynist hip hop, and they say, "why?" as in, "You identify as a feminist, why do you listen to music that advocates for the objectification of women?" And I thought about it, and I think it's the catharsis.

I wrote a little bit about it, in different words here, when I mentioned that when I was pregnant I listened to T.I.'s Whatever you like just about non-stop. Because it was just this out of body experience--that in those moments I'm not pregnant rachael, I'm just in the song. And then now I'm not stressed out, insecure rachael, I'm Wiz Khalifa smoking joints and getting my dick sucked. (Oh pops you can stop reading now and also you don't have to listen to any of this music because I don't think you will like it.)


Or in the club, high on perp (wtf is perp?) with some shades on, tatted up, miniskirt, with my J's on.


And then sometimes there's just a song that just perfectly describes a feeling. Which is the definition of art, right? And the role of an artist? To express universal feelings in a new way for people to experience? Which Big Sean does incredibly well in the following song. (What a effin' brat though, right?) 


Or it's just a few lines, the hook, the beat. I'm just livin' life. And let my momma tell it n----, I ain't livin' right. 


I asked mark what they were saying in that last song the first time I heard it, and he says, "I ain't got no type," and the song keeps playing, and then he says, "Excuse me, 'I own't got no type.'" 

heh. ok. so that's what I've been listening to for the past week or so. I know there is a plethora of non-ignorant rap, but man. This just fills a niche in my life like nothing else. 

play on playaaaah. 








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