Sight and Sound: The Science of Hip Hop’s Art Appreciation
Photo by Kassandre Pedro
By Ollie Bell
The Birth of a Movement
The year was 1976. A 45-year-old David Driskell was the African American professor of art at the University of Maryland. At the time, most were unaware of the space that the production of black art occupied in American culture. America was less than a decade removed from the civil rights movement. Society dismissed black art and its creators like many other African American contributions. An artist himself, Driskell set out to dispel the myth that black art was inferior. He was inspired to respond to this lack of appreciation. As a result, he curated and organized the Two Centuries exhibit.
Professor Driskell resented the term black art. This time he acknowledged the need to use the term to describe his exhibit. To him it was necessary to separate their work. For the most part, black artists had not had an audience with mainstream culture. Had it not been for this particular show, many would still go unnoticed.
The Two Centuries collection was a major historical display of the work of black artists. It chronicled the work of African Americans from the colonial period to the 1970s. It was the first exhibition of its kind by a black curator. The complete focus was on the history and contributions of black artists. The exhibit was first displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. After stops in Chicago and the Dallas Museum of Art, the final stop was Brooklyn. Two Centuries was the most attended exhibition ever originated in the United States. A 21-year-old Kerry James Marshall was among those inspired by what they saw.
This wasn’t the only artistic revolution gripping the streets of New York. In all five boroughs, park jams birthed in the late 60s were turning into a full-blown culture. The break beats and party chants of the inner city were live. They were set to demand attention like the brush strokes and sculpting of those before them.
The exact borough and time of hip hop’s origin is often debated. What’s not debatable is its spirit. Whether you view rap as art or not, you cannot deny the kindred nature of these artistic spirits. This is particularly true with the visual art of African Americans. It demands that you see us and hear us. You will see me. You will acknowledge me. You will hear me. It’s the artistic commanding of attention
Black Artistry Worldwide
“Focus like Gordon Parks when it’s sorta dark”
-Common
Over the years, hip hop culture and art have gone hand in hand. Today both are more present as the voice of the unheard than ever before. Rap has become a multibillion dollar giant in the music industry. According to Billboard, the R&B/Hip Hop genre made up 33% of all on demand music streams in 2020. Urban art adds its beauty to the vibrant city landscape. Every city in America boasts murals, memorials, and decorated alleys. Artists like Kara Walker use bold statements to draw the attention of tens of thousands. (Google her massive sugar Sphinx). Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald painted awe inspiring portraits of President Barak and First Lady Michelle Obama. Black artistry has come a long way. The art world has benefitted from the attention of the mainstream hip hop culture.
There is a common bond. Regardless of where we’re from or how we choose to express it, there is a common thread that ties black creatives. The plight of being black in America. As James Baldwin stated, we’re a people without a country.
Black Artistry Worldwide
“My style looks like Kerry James Marshall painted it.”
-Westside Gunn
Today, the art tastes of the culture are well documented. A handsome piece of Jay Z’s billion dollar empire is in art. Swizz Beatz’ astonishing Dean Collection boasts over four hundred pieces. Most of them are the work of black artists. Andre 3000 has al- ways been into art, often using his skills to draw up the bold outfits he would wear on stage. Now that mu- sic has taken a much smaller role in his life, he spends more time drawing and painting. ASAP Ferg is the son of an artist and an artist himself. In fact, he is an art student who attended the High School for Art and Design in Manhattan.
The man most responsible for the emergence of visual art appreciation in hip hop may be Fab Five Freddy. In 1979 he and fellow graffiti crew member Lee were exhibited in a groundbreaking show at Galleria La Medusa in Rome, Italy. By 1981 he was cocurating his own graffiti exhibit in Manhattan. The legendary host of Yo! MTV Raps was a close friend to the late Jean Michel Basquiat and is still a renowned artist himself.
It surprises some when hip hop’s knowledge of art goes beyond subways and tagging walls. Lost many times in the blurred lines between fame and expression is the fact that beneath it all there is a goal. At art’s core is a message. The best rappers have an uncanny ability to paint pictures with words. In the same sense, we admire the best visual artists for their ability to paint words with pictures. To dismiss hip hop’s appreciation for art as a shallow grasp at high society is inaccurate. There is always something fascinating about genius. Let’s look at a few things that make art intriguing to the rap world.
The Expression
Artists like Amy Sherald shine a spotlight on a world of “blackness”, a world often ignored by society. Her signature is painting portraits of black people in everyday settings. Black artists and hip hop share a passion for expressing the plight of the people. Both are about finding your voice and using it to express to the world society as you see it. Miles Davis once said “Sometimes it takes a long time to learn how to play like yourself.” This is true not only in the arts but in life. We spend countless hours learning who we are. Once we’ve developed that voice, it becomes important to be heard. Artists and musicians both understand that on a deeper level.
There is a method by which we all choose to express ourselves. From the moment that we take our first breath we’re looking for an audience. The desire to be seen and heard never leaves.
The Rebellion
James Baldwin once stated, “Artists are here to disturb the peace.” All great art is revolutionary in some way. It comes from a mind that isn’t afraid to see things differently. True expression is a fearless rejection of the status quo. This is true for the Black Arts Movement of the 60’s and 70’s, as well as Public Enemy telling us to Fight the Power in 1989. The artistic community is a necessary force in the fight against racism and injustice.
The Stories of the Artists
Often, the story of the artists themselves is what draws the attention of the culture. They can relate to the rise of street artists like SAMO, later known by his name Basquiat. At a young age they can go from obscurity to fame. Plus, as children of an underground culture, they aren’t raised by mainstream America. Their experience is an experience reared in the struggles of inner city life. Too often the similarities even show in tragic and untimely death.
The Value
And of course, what is a rapper without a flex. There’s no ignoring the fact that rappers measure success by the ability to get to “the bag”. Art is a sign of a certain quality of life. Art appreciation in rap today is also an investment. Art is an appreciating asset. Fame is no longer enough for young rap artists. More than ever, hip hop as a whole has a focus on generational wealth. Flash is no longer the only symbol of status.
The Art of Life
Black art is still lacking the attention it deserves. Still, Professor Driskell lived to see the knowledge of African American art come a long way. Over the same span of time, hip hop and it’s art has become a normal if not driving force in society.
Each of us is an artist in their own right, decorating the world with our expression through life. The ability to hear and see many different viewpoints and still be able to express your unique self is art. That is the art of living.
Black people have mastered the art of living and shining through adversity. Black creatives put a spotlight on our stories through sight and sound. Through them our images are too beautiful to go unseen, and our voices are too loud to be ignored.
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Black Art Magazine is a print and digital magazine dedicated to promoting talented Black artists and presenting a curated source of inspiration for aspiring creatives.