Entry Question
What topics from the sources we have discussed during the second half of the semester would you like to see included in the final? Propose a preliminary question.
Sample Presentation: “Roof” by Wiki
What are the central ideas of this song and music video? What are the lyrics and visuals trying to communicate about New York?
Wiki, a rapper of Puerto Rican descent, analyzes in this song his economic struggles and the stress of survival in the city (through COVID and as an artist). The roof of his building becomes a site of (moral) reflection, spiritual connections, protection, writing, and creativity. It is also a place for socializing with his crew when all the shows were canceled due to the pandemic.
.What are the verses, lyrics, and/or performance styles trying to communicate about Latinx identities, experiences, ideas, feelings, projections, etc.?
The song and the video could be considered a love song to New York from its birds-eye-view shots of Chinatown and the Lower East Side (a historical Latinx neighborhood) to his description of NYC as a place that informs his writing and feeds his lifestyle at all levels (skating; spitting at parties; hustling; smoking and hanging out). It is an honest, at times painful or exhilarating but always a complex account of city and Boric-Latinx life.
.Analyze one specific section of the lyrics and/or music video that best communicates what you identified in the questions above.
.Do I wanna travel or remain with the same view from this roof that stays the same but always changes?
I see a million faces beneath me racing
I’m just chasing the bag with my pen to the pad
Got the Benjamins off unemployment, hope it’ll last
Do I really want shows to come back? I don’t know
That’s the only time I feel real, the times when I rap
.When the breeze hits (Uh) and the weather’s gorgeous (Okay)
You know where I’ll be, atop my fortress (Yup)
You ain’t gotta see it, you can hear the portrait (You can hear it)
Can’t stop, peering over, watching the ants walk from my rooftop, feeling enormous
And then the wind hits, filling me with endorphins
Uh
And now I know what’s really important
In these excerpts, Wiki talks about how the city could feel both like an oppressive and artificial environment but also an energetic place. His economic needs and the eternal rat race overwhelm him as he wants to dedicate his time to music-making. However, on his rooftop (a sacred space), he is also able to reflect on how the city makes him feel enormous and connected.
.Can you establish any analogy/relationship between what the rapper says and what other writers we have discussed in this class have presented?
The rooftop is a conceptual and real space that allows Wiki to present a realistic view of his life and neighborhood. The rooftop is a safe space that requires care and attention. It reminded me of the importance of libraries for Dan-el Padilla Peralta. Even when in economic distress the spaces represent sites of calm reflection, dialogue, and creativity.
Group Activity
José Olivarez is a Mexican American (spoken) poet, editor, educator, and podcast host from Chicago.
.What are the verses, lyrics, and/or performance styles trying to communicate about Latinx identities, experiences, ideas, feelings, projections, etc.?
In his poem “Mexican Heaven,” he humorously critiques Mexican machismo and patriarchy, labor conditions for Mexican Americans, white supremacy, and gentrification. In it, he also celebrates Mexican joy and extended family unit, and traditional religious views.
Discussion
.Analyze one specific section of the spoken-word poem that best communicates the central ideas discuss above.
Yesika Salgado is a Los Angeles-based Salvadoran poet who writes about her family, her culture, her city, and her brown body. She has shared her work in venues and campuses throughout the country. She is the co-founder of the Latina feminist collective Chingona Fire and an internationally recognized body positivity activist. Yesika is the author of Corazón and Tesoro.
Discussion
.What are the central ideas of this spoken word performance? What are the lyrics and gestures trying to communicate about her identity?
.Can you establish any analogy/relationship between what the poet-performer says and what other writers we have discussed in this class have presented?