ASSIGNMENT 4 Critiquing Hip-hop (1page WORDS?300?

For this week’s graded component you will be asked to choose a music video, or track that explores crime as work. Among this week’s learning materials were a number of video’s that explore the theme of crime as work, and which in general speak to an otherwise unaddressed class of society.

Assignment Guidelines

Please take the following steps to complete your contribution to this week’s discussion board:

1. Choose a music video or track that you will be able to share with the class, and which takes up the theme of crime as work, or that explores the life and history of a class or group whose story is not often told in the words of those people.
2. In the thread titled DB 6: Critiquing Hip-hop (5%) post a link to the video or track you have selected. In order to make the link accessible from within the DB thread, you will need to create a hyperlink. Create a hyperlink using the html editor toolbar to be found above the text window you will post your video and critique.
3. You should then offer a mini-critique of the video. Your critique should consist of two parts. Part one should point out where in the music or video of your choosing you see themes of crime as work, poverty, the concerns of the working class, and the impact of racism being discussed. Part two should explore whether or not crime, violence, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, or any other negative message is presented in the music or video.

Note: in your mini-critique be sure to refer to this week’s reading, and documentary video. Where necessary, be sure to cite your sources.

Tips for the Successful completion of this Assignment

• Successful postings should be 300-600 words in length. What is important here is making sure that you have explored your topic in sufficient detail. You are free to go over the limit in the case of more involved responses. Strive to create organized readable material.
• Remember that some videos may offer good points and bad points. Take a look at Frank Ocean’s Pyramids. The song’s lyrical content does attempt to humanize sex work by offering an account of the conflict the lover of a sex worker experiences in watching his lover prepare for work. The video depicts scenes from a strip club; do these scenes themselves manifest a critique, or do they do little more than maintain sex workers as screens for masculine sexual fantasy?
• Be creative and try to make your response as original as possible.
• READ other postings before making your commentary; make reference to other students’ postings where you can, and respond to them to show your consideration for their contributions.
• Be sure to provide original content. Student work that repeats something stated in another posting will receive lower grades.