Song #1: I Might Vote 4 Donald Trump

Artist: JPEGMAFIA

Year: 2016

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/2bbBX3dLcLwDjxiXF7Pxbj?si=00cbfe04436f44a1

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7htstbQR868&feature=youtu.be

 

Song #2: Murder To Excellence

Artists: Kanye West and Jay-Z

Year: 2011

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/1smcSwXObpmxcjCulmjMgy?si=cf7652ffad5b45dd

 

Song #1

“I Might Vote 4 Donald Trump” is intriguing for various reasons, largely because of its aggressive style and communicative techniques that protest Donald Trump’s presidency. JPEGMAFIA and the featured artist, Freaky, use a sarcastic and ironic approach to articulate the racists nature of the election and how it revealed dangerous/evil truths about the United States.

This track will challenge me for multiple reasons. It will challenge me to unpack historical references, cultural references, double entendres and samples while also communicating the meaning/importance of the experimental production.

That’s where a lot of my research will come. The history behind how experimental sounds came to be is rich. It will lead me to explore past genres/artists that pioneered the modern, abrasive Hip-Hop aesthetic. This influence is particularly evident in how JPEG’s production and lyrics are presented. It would be particularly interesting to consider how this style adds to the protest genre.

JPEGMAFIA is not only one of my favorite artists, but I believe that his musical work is some of the most artfully impactful sounds, communicating the need to take action against injustices across the country. His sonic form and lyrical content are some of the most complex and interesting aspects I’ve come across in any form of audio production. I would love to further investigate his impact of social justice and protest through a musical lens.

Song #2

 “Murder To Excellence” is intriguing because of the two perspectives it explores. It explores racial injustice from an observational lens, with Kanye West and Jay-Z remarking on systemic issues that cause large-scale problems across various communities. They also dive into their own perspectives, discussing Black excellence and how the system doesn’t allow Black people to flourish in the same way that white people are allowed to. The song’s overarching theme of identity gets at the idea that no matter one’s financial situation or level of success, if you’re Black, “It’s all Black, I love us,” says Jay-Z.

This track will challenge me to explore the context of how the music is presented. There are many historical and cultural references that need unpacking. The choice of sample is an aspect that will challenge me to think and investigate meanings throughout the song. This is of course where a lot of research will come into play.

I’m interested to dive into the song’s musical form and lyrical content, showing how the two complement each other. There’s meaning across the whole track, down to the simple fat that these two artists decided to make an album together.

Kanye West is one of my favorite artists and has produced some of the most compelling and ambitious songs in my lifetime. Jay-Z is one of the best lyricists and storytellers in Hip-Hop, ever. For those reasons, along with the song’s content, I’m personally interested to explore the piece’s overarching importance/meaning.

Concerns 

I don’t have any large concerns in regard to completing this project. I have experience editing audio and am  really excited to get started and learn more about protest and social justice songs.