From: westr@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Robert _FinnAgain_ West)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: CP Music
Keywords: Music Rap
Date: 29 Jul 92 03:23:19 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Purdue University

In article <l7asm9INNrgs@mizar.usc.edu> mmay@mizar.usc.edu (Marlin May) writes:
>In article <1992Jul28.035526.24111@nntp.uoregon.edu> ggiles@cie.uoregon.edu (Gregg Giles) writes:
>>In article <1992May4.180043.10601@news.cso.uiuc.edu> bdl50755@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Corwin) writes:
>>>I am interested in why nobody in this newsgroup has even considered rap music
>>>to be CyberPunk.  In the sprawl now this is what is played.  You don't here 
>>>any heavy metal or pink floyd et al in the gehto.  Anyway, I am just 
>>>interested in what all of you out there have to say.
>
>One reason rap might not be considered as c.p. by some members of this 
>newsgroup might be (IMHO) the demographics of the group itself. It might 
>be a reasonable assumption that most of the participants of this group do not 
>look like most producers or the assumed target audience of rap.
>
>Those making these assumptions do, however, conveniently ingore that creators 
>of rap are: human beings, existing in a sprawling urban environment, creating 
>music by cutting and pasteing (sp?) previously created music (usually 
>digitally), creating video's by cutting and pasting images and ideas from 
>thier own environment, who have a strong cultural bias against believing 
>standard authority figures, etc., etc.

	IMHO, rap is perhaps one of the more valid forms that could be
classified under the sometimes mercurial "CP" heading. Perhaps not in
the strictest "Neuromancian" sense, but in the greek sense: cyber =
pilot. Rap artists have steered the consciousness of an oppressed and
subjugated urban populace. It is expressive of the technological
escape young urban people have attached themselves to in order to
illustrate the alienation and culture clash they experience. These are
the bards of the sprawl. These are the ice-breakers that subvert
traditional authority.
	Granted, in our sometimes narrow definition of cp, we expect
bio-mechanical devices, but it might be argued that the link between
the DJ and his tables is one such device. Jacking into the beat, if
you will. Much of street language is composed of a highly specific
argot combined with standard English and Spanish. The concatenation of
cultures is highly representative of the postmodern (he writes with a
small breath of fear) condition and of its brainchild, cp.
	Note: the above is not intended to be an endallbeall
statement. Just some Tuesday evening thoughts...

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:Robert West             :    away along the riverrun	: a schizophrenic out:
:English Department      :     past Eve and Adams       : for a walk is a    :
:Purdue University       :        or kill me!           :better model than a :
:westr@mace.cc.purdue.edu:------------------------------:     neurotic on an :
:AOL: FinnAgain          :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    analyst's couch :
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Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk