Common - Letter to the Free blog tasks

 Social and cultural contexts

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 is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?

The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

2) What were the Black Codes?

Symbolic black box, which Common explained in a conversation with filmmaker Nelson George after the premiere: “It represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can’t be defined in time or space.”

3) 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?

They think it is still a crucial aspect in America as there is still clear inequality within them. They are treated unfairly especially   with the police department killing innocent people like George Floyd.

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

"I wanted to look into, which was criminal justice, and so it evolved into what it is. At first it was an exploration of the prison-industrial complex, an exploration of police brutality—there were a lot of things that I had to investigate to find the spine of it."

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

In the late 80s and 90s.

6) 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?

Kendrick lamar has strong political views. He is a modern black artsist who is aware of alll the political differences black people face. So is Chance The Rapper

Media Factsheet #223: Common's Letter to the Free

Read Media Factsheet #223: Common's Letter to the Free (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this). Answer the following questions:

1) How is Letter to the Free described on the first page and what album is it from? 

Common’s ‘Letter to the Free’ is a political protest song

which uses rap and other musical genres such as gospel to

communicate how America’s slave history and the various

political laws governments have enacted, disproportionately

affect black African Americans and people of colour, especially

in terms of incarceration rates – going to prison. Common uses

his music as a way to communicate these ideas.

2) How does the factsheet link Common to the mythology of the American Dream?

Commons links the American dream as the lyrics of freedom, people want to live. It is the notion that anyone, regardless of who they are, can be successful.

3) How does the factsheet apply Todorov's narrative theory to the song? Does this three-act structure also work for the video?

The song relates to Todorovs theory as the song enforces the influence of freedom which is the New Equilibrium 

4) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the mise-en-scene, lighting and cinematography?

Letter to the Free was filmed in an empty prison in Queens, New      

York State. The action takes place in the cells, corridors and

gymnasium. The doors of the cells are left open throughout and

this creates a sense of irony as we know that if they had people

in them, they would be shut.

The cinematography works to communicate meaning that goes

beyond the ideas of incarceration. The opening POV shot tracks

us through steel gate and into the prison taking the viewer with

them. The hollowness and echoey nature of the prison appears

also to symbolise the ‘hold’ of a slave ship where hundreds of

slaves were packed tightly together.

5) The factsheet offers some interesting ideas regarding representation and the positioning of the artist and musicians in the video. Summarise the main points here.

There are no direct gazes at the audience which subverts the usual performance aspect of music videos.The first artist we see has his back to us drumming, oblivious to the audience behind him. This challenges the stereotype of the black artist as simply a performer and could be an example of how the video avoids, what Stuart Hall calls the ‘White Eye.’

6) How can Paul Gilroy's ideas on diasporic identity and double-consciousness be applied to the Letter to the Free music video?

Common could be used to argue against this idea. Black musicians have much more power in the industry now and black culture has influence on cultural output in many different countries.

Close-textual analysis of the music video

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 Video is in monochrome, creating a calm suspenseful mood. The camera work is smooth with slow movement moving either back or forth, this gives an effect towards the mood, making the audience listen to the lyrics carefully. 

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

It drives the audience to listen, creating a performance. 

3) Why is the video in black and white?

It represents the dull, intense tone in the music video, and really reinforces the lyrics of the song. 

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

The prison gives an idea to the audience and how the setting could reflect the lyrics. The dark lighting also reflects the lyrics. 

5) 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.

It represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can't be defined in time or space

6) 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 song explains the freedom black people wish to have. Black people were seen as slaves and deserve the right to equality.