Friday, April 20, 2007
Danny Hoch's Jails, Hospitals and Hip-hop and The Hip-hop Theater Manifesto
After reviewing Hoch's play and his Hip-hop Theater manifesto, we discussed the ways that Hoch relies upon many African American historical and cultural contribitions to define what Hip-hop Theater is. Many of you argued that much of Hoch's work resonates as self-important and elite. Hoch's goal is actually to serve the Hip-hop community by making theater accessible and grounded in the experiences of the Hip-hop generation. Why do you think his Hoch's texts may betray his intent? Hoch argues Hip-hop is a polycultural art form. If this is true, how does Hip-hop and a theater produced by it sustain itself artistically if its practioners, producers and consumers are all of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and national backgrounds? What is the relationship between race and culture that creates a measuring stick for Hip-hop authenticity, and if so what does it look like?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Black culture is the primary source of hip-hop. Just because that this is true does not mean that others have not and cannot contribute to the artform. Hoch just takes a really self-righteous stance and that is a turn off. Different cultures add different things to hip-hop and that is what makes it universal, but no matter who contributes to it, hip-hop will always be associated with black culture.
I think that Hoch refers to many African american historical contributions to define hip hop so that it would let us (african americans) know that he is "down". Cuz I mean, think about it, if we disown him than his Hip Hop Theater would not be. I do agree with sam, I think that hip hop will always and should always be connected to the black culture. So if Hoch comes out with something that is suppose to be connected to the hip hop culture he needs to first be accepted by it. All he needs is one person- like Eminem and Dr. Dre.
So to answer the question I find that his text does betray his intent since he gear his argument to reach the african american community but yet turn around and say that Hip Hop is polycultural.
I hate Danny Hoch. I've had a bad impression of him ever since I saw him speak at USC. Don't get me wrong, dude is a good actor, but he takes himself so seriously that he comes off as a clown. As a white person who has been really into hip-hop for a long time, I feel you have to have a level of humility if you want to operate within this art form. Hoch seems to be trying to bypass that by declaring race a non-issue. And he has the gall to act like the gatekeeper for what is and isn't "hip hop." I guess I just wish he would let his work speak for itself. That would be the best way to get the acceptance from the Black community he seems to so desperately crave. If he let his skills do the talking, he wouldn't have to justify his place in the "hip hop generation," because, to a great extent, "real recognize real." But I think everyone, Black and White, can do without Hoch's manifesto's and diatribes about the nature of hip-hop theatre, which are really just incredibly masterburtory and self-serving.
Chuuuch.
Matt, your response was on point. But I would have to say that I am on the fence about Hoch, I don't know what to feel. In performance, I find him amazing but on the page I can't help but think, if this is the guy that gets to write the articles in the publications that circulate mostly in elite communities than it bothers me that this jewish guy is defining hip hop theatre with african american artistic theory but saying its polycultural because it creates a sort of uneasy feeling for me. It seems like he's playing one part, to be "down" but he betrays this persona by taking a stance of, "I'm the white guy who is down, now that you know it let me tell you about this great art form that everyone has created." it's like saying the present-day Egyptians are the cultivators of the ancient kmt civilization.
i feel that Hoch is a victim of the system. Much like the Boal training one can recieve, Hoch's style is very idealistic and seeks to subvert traditional theatre dialectics in creating an audience that has access to the work in different ways. in principle, this is great, but in the real world, this isnt how it works. i feel like hoch is having his cake and eating it too, he talks about making hip hop theatre which is a refelction of the generation adn making it available to people, but at the same time, Im sure he has no problems with the residuals he gets from books and his HBO special. I do beleive that hiphop is being coopted and commercialized. I feel that a lot of people who are involved with hiphop dont want this to happen, and i see Hoch as one of these individuals. But when he does his one man shows on Broadway and have theatre festivals at the Kennedy Center, he isnt exactly appealing to the masses.
culture and race, in the case of hip hop, are not tied together. sam communicated this fact very well. the measurement of this can be taken by examining who in fact is contirbuting to the artform now and, whther it is intentional or not, its designated spokesman in hoch.
Post a Comment