Common - Letter to the Free blog tasks
Social and cultural context
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
Common and John Legend wrote the song Glory as the soundtrack for Selma a film portraying the Montgomery marches
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
if a criminal (likely black) is arrested they will be made to work and , act as a slave, in the prison
3) What were the Black Codes?
black codes introduced at state level in the southern states provided for forced labour as punishment for petty crimes that in reality only applied for the newly emancipated black slaves.
4) 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?
the legacy is inmportant as many black people are still abused and brutally injured by the police and other groups
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
she wanted to focus on the historical legacy of the 13th amendment of the US constitution
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
the late 80's and 90's
7) 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?
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
Close-textual analysis and representation
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).
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
the movement could reflect the slow but effective change to the black community and how they are treated
3) Why is the video in black and white?
the the black and white could reflect the dark times for the black community, aswell as commons serious message in the song
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
"Slavery's still alive, check Amendment 13"
the black square to me reflects the emptiness the black people felt as they were trapped in these prisons as the square is completely empty and has a reflective sheen which possibly suggests them as how they would reflect on themselves and their lives.
7) 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 cell where the black square resides, the movement through the prison
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
the black square could represent the diasporic element in the music video as it does stand out and it never quite fits in with the rest of the scenes
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
hall:the costume and vibe of the mv could suggest the blur of race and the need to fit in with a social class
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
the police brutality going on in america
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
Common and John Legend wrote the song Glory as the soundtrack for Selma a film portraying the Montgomery marches
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
if a criminal (likely black) is arrested they will be made to work and , act as a slave, in the prison
3) What were the Black Codes?
black codes introduced at state level in the southern states provided for forced labour as punishment for petty crimes that in reality only applied for the newly emancipated black slaves.
4) 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?
the legacy is inmportant as many black people are still abused and brutally injured by the police and other groups
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
she wanted to focus on the historical legacy of the 13th amendment of the US constitution
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
the late 80's and 90's
7) 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?
- Big Daddy Kane
- Mo D
- N.W.A
- Kendrick Lamar
- Chance.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
- Black America Again- album
- rating of 88 out of 100 based on 13 reviews
- the main message from critics was that this was a protest song with a vital message
Close-textual analysis and representation
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).
- constant movement
- pans
- no close ups
- slow pace
- lots of long and medium shots
- black square
- straight cuts
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
the movement could reflect the slow but effective change to the black community and how they are treated
3) Why is the video in black and white?
the the black and white could reflect the dark times for the black community, aswell as commons serious message in the song
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
- Prision setting- 13th amendment
- costume: casual wear- reflect modern continuation of inequality
- props : traditional african instruments
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
- "Now whips and chains are subliminal"
- "black bodies being lost in the american dream"
the black square to me reflects the emptiness the black people felt as they were trapped in these prisons as the square is completely empty and has a reflective sheen which possibly suggests them as how they would reflect on themselves and their lives.
7) 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 cell where the black square resides, the movement through the prison
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
the black square could represent the diasporic element in the music video as it does stand out and it never quite fits in with the rest of the scenes
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
hall:the costume and vibe of the mv could suggest the blur of race and the need to fit in with a social class
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
the police brutality going on in america
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