Hip Hop And Body Power Analysis

How close do you have to be to an experience to understand it? The black experience differs immensely from any other racial experience, not solely because of the huge amount of adversity the black community was forced to face over a long period of time, but also because of the surplus of positivity that came from this adversity. Through struggle, the black community created its own distinct forms of visual art, music, dance, poetry, and style. It created a culture that countered the white community. While the traditional white community put value in being clean-cut, stiff, and minimal, the black community was more vocal, more motley, and livelier. In Thomas F. DeFrantz’s “The Black Beat Made Visible: Hip Hop and Body Power”, he discusses how these differences begin to effect the performance of black art, and specifically black dances. DeFrantz discusses how these differences in culture commanded attention from the white community both positively from “white hipsters or weekend trippers” (DeFrantz 1) and
He states that “black expressive culture performance practice accounts for more than fifty per cent of American popular music” (DeFrantz 5), even though African Americans only make up about twelve per cent of the American population. Breakdancing, krumping, and black social dances find themselves highlighted in countless blockbuster movies, as well as being common in clubs, school dances, and parties. Along with all of this artistic exposure comes the stereotypes of the black community. One stereotype that is very specific to the black community is the idea of the black church. Black churches are known to be long, lively, and interactive. Having to sit hours in the heat or someone catching the Holy Ghost are typical stories from out of a black church. This is an experience that is looked on fondly in the black community. But can someone who has never been to a black church