Common - Letter to the Free blog task

- Letter to the Free blog

Work through the following tasks to create a comprehensive case study for Common's Letter to the Free.

Social and cultural context

Read this Billboard interview where Common talks about Letter to the Free, political hip hop and contemporary American society. Use the article and the notes we have made in lessons (also available above) to answer the following questions on the social, cultural and genre contexts for Letter to the Free.

1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?

Common has been involved with the glory soundtrack for the movie Slema and legend.

2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?

The 13th amendment of the American constitution was to abolish slavery or any involuntary servitude in the US. 

3) What were the Black Codes?

The black codes were "local and State law reforms that created loopholes that effectively enabled the continued enslavement of Black Americans through mass imprisonment. The so-called Black Codes, introduced at state level in the southern states, provided for forced labour as punishment for petty crimes that in reality only applied to the newly emancipated black slaves".

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?

The legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect of american history/culture because it was the understanding of what black people and other ethnic minorities had endured during the slavery trade.

5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?

DuVernay was inspired to make the documentary 13th because it looks into the 13th amendment and how it has shaped itself I ti society and culture today.

6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?

The significant time period of political hip-hop would be the late 80s and 90s which focused on black empowerment.

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?

They would be Mo D, N.W.A, and big daddy Kane. Artist that I'm aware of with a strong political element in their work would be Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Fiendbassy, J.Cole and A tribe called Quest.

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.

The album would be 'Black America again' which features on Letter to the free.

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).

The camera movements at the start and throughout the music video is slow and taken to each detail from the musicians in a prison cell which could symbolise the aching if freedom from these four walls.

2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?

The significance of the constantly moving camera suggest the how time moves quickly and everything is moving at a fast pace. This means that there is no stopping just change is occurring Everyday and we must adjust to it.

3) Why is the video in black and white?

The music video is in black & white because it shows the societal attitudes back then was subjected only to black and white and the use if bleak colours show there was always grey areas in many political discussions.

4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?

The mise-en-scene shown in the music video creates synergy between the lyrics and the cinematography such the prison setting suggests that the people on the inside are not free (common) but have a melancholy effect to it. The lighting is placed on the darkest areas for the artist to play.

5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?

The key lyrics which suggest the political message of the song would be "Sweet land of liberty, incarcerated country" this refers to the mass incarceration of black and brown people in America which links to modern day cleansing and slavery. Another lyric which suggests a political message would be "not whips and chains but subliminal" this refers to the impact of slavery and the history taught isn't enough for people to understand the generational depth it has caused on young black people even in today's society.

6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.

The significance of the 'floating black square motif' would be that black empowerment and black heritage cannot be defined by time. My own interpretations would agree with Common's explanation too.

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.

The video references racism, slavery and oppression of the black culture through "Prison is a business, America's the company
Investing in injustice, fear and long suffering". This suggests to the the mass incarceration system is just a way for America to make money.

8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?

Gilroy's theory of black diasporic identity can be applied to letter to the free as black culture isn't set in one place and not belonging in western society.

9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.

The other theories of race and ethnicity that can applied to letter to the free would be Rose and Dyson.

10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?

The current events in America that would link and reference to this song would the Black lives matter movement and the oppression that many minorities especially with the hate crime spike.