My Life in Rap (So Far)
Toki Wright, Remington Harris, Phillip Fletcher
Hip-Hop Lyrics as Sacred Texts
Toki Wright
Commentary: All interfaith leaders know it and, indeed, it is at the heart of interfaith scriptural exploration. We do people an honor if we ask them to share their sacred texts with us. We hear something of their hearts; we become friends. Maya Angelou calls it "letting your voice in my ear." One task for interfaith theologians in our time is to recognize that sacred texts come in the form of popular music: including and perhaps especially hip-hop and rap music. Just as we might develop appreciative knowledge of the Torah, the Bible, the Qur'an, the Dao de Jing, and the Bhagavad Gita, so we might develop such knowledge of Tupac Shakur and J. Cole. This page is devoted to this end, with help from a student of mine, Remington Harris. Let Remington Harris be an interfaith friend, taking you into his world of hip hop religion. Listen to the songs that have meant something to him. Take them into your heart. For starters, you might try Tupak and J. Cole. (Jay McDaniel, June 2018)
My Life in Rap (So Far)
Remington Harris
My name is Remington Harris and I am a recent graduate from Hendrix College in Arkansas with a degree in English and an emphasis in Literary Studies. Presently, I am studying for the LSAT and enjoying my time off from school. This time next year I hope to be transitioning into law school. Rap music is important to me because of the hypnotic effect of rhyme, lyricism, and production. The most talented MC’s can transport you to their world and allow you to be a participant in the realm they’ve either molded or personally experienced.
-- Remington Harris, 2018 |
Ten Songs that Have Shaped My Life
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1. Dr. Maceo Woods - It's Been A Mighty Good Day
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T13wmjV8Gi4 Gospel music was exclusive in my childhood. I went to church nearly every Sunday, and when I heard this song as a teenager my love for gospel was rekindled. The lyrics are simple: "I may not have done everything that I wanted to do, but Lord its been a mighty good day." 2. Tupac - Dear Mama www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb1ZvUDvLDY I have always had a respect and great love for my mother. She sacrificed so much for me to have the opportunities I have now. And when Tupac says "It ain't a woman alive that can take my mama's place" it resonated deeply within me. 3. Starlito, Don Trip - Caesar and Brutus www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRHLb9gySzA While this song is very NSFW (not safe for work), the instrumental of the song feels like something out of Al Pacino gangster flick. Starlito and Don Trip trade verses about the disadvantages of love in a life of crime, and how Starlito's--who plays the role of a man who is helplessly in love with a conniving woman--gullibility prohibits them from making money. I love this song because I love storytelling in rap music. The ability to paint a picture through words and sound is slowly becoming a lost art in the rap realm presently. 4. T.I. - Still Ain't Forgave Myself www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4RInrmS6SU I have always been drawn to T.I.'s storytelling. I believe I first heard this song as an adolescent, around twelve or thirteen years of age. I felt T.I.'s words when he said "at 14, man I thought I knew everything," but I felt a sympathy and shock when he rapped about his experiences selling drugs at such a young age. T.I.--known as T.I.P. at the release of his debut album I'm Serious--truly captivated me during the chorus. Even though he has amassed his riches, he still expresses a sadness and legitimate remorse for the pain he caused to get there. 5. Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4 Anti-Gravity Lean. Simple as that. I was hypnotized by Michael Jackson's voice. After all, who isn't? But the instrumentation, the delivery, the edge in his voice was enough to make this my favorite song by him. Seeing his infamous lean cemented the song and overtook the "moonwalk" as my favorite Jackson dance move. 6. Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb_-rZB2Foc I played this song everyday during the second semester of my freshman year in college. As soon as my roommate left for class I would play this song as loud as I could. I had to convince myself that today would be great, even though I wasn't super in love with my surroundings. The Isley Brothers sample and Cube's opening lyrics is something I lived by, and this song helped me get through a very uncertain time in my academic career. 7. J. Cole - Be Free (David Letterman) www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VzpCmRtCL0 This song became more prevalent to me as more black men became victims of police brutality. J.Cole's cry for freedom is chilling, and his added verse on Letterman's stage exhibited a frightening reality for young black men across the nation. 8. Nelly - Ride Wit Me www.youtube.com/watch?v=r69pNMrm4Vw This song was a staple of my childhood. Nelly's country slang and sing-songy voice still makes me crave my younger days. 9. LION BABE, Moe Moks - Rockets www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOlrYz9cJMI This song is such a vibe. LION BABE's voice and Moe Moks complementary "WE LIT, WE LIT" makes the song much more groovier, like something out of an Austin Power's movie. This song always manages to make me feel better when I feel down. 10. Erykah Badu - Love of My Life www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNk3R23Twgw Erykah Badu telling the tale of how she fell in love with hip-hop is sort of hypnotic. Hip-Hop always has a way of influencing people differently, and hearing her story has always been a favorite of mine. |
Starlito: A Profile
by Remington Harris
"Subtle and unassuming, his work seems intended to draw as little attention to how truly creative and clever it really is, at once dense with artful wordplay, but emotionally naked and open"
-Complex Magazine
Rapper Jermaine Eric Shute, better known by his stage moniker "Starlito," is a rapper from Nashville, Tennessee. Previously signed by mega artists such as Birdman and Yo Gotti, Starlito is a well-rounded, lyrical MC whose discography has stood the test of time. His most famous projects include the recently released "Starlito's Way 4: Ghettout," and three "Stepbrothers" albums he released with frequent collaborator Don Trip. Starlito's music is an intimate peek into the soul of a troubled, conflicted man who constantly fights against himself. Unfettered by radio plays and the media limelight, his artistry focuses on the self, communal advancement, overcoming personal demons, and the dangers--not just the glorification--of living a fast life in the streets. In the words of Kevin Gates, Starlito makes "reality rap."
-Complex Magazine
Rapper Jermaine Eric Shute, better known by his stage moniker "Starlito," is a rapper from Nashville, Tennessee. Previously signed by mega artists such as Birdman and Yo Gotti, Starlito is a well-rounded, lyrical MC whose discography has stood the test of time. His most famous projects include the recently released "Starlito's Way 4: Ghettout," and three "Stepbrothers" albums he released with frequent collaborator Don Trip. Starlito's music is an intimate peek into the soul of a troubled, conflicted man who constantly fights against himself. Unfettered by radio plays and the media limelight, his artistry focuses on the self, communal advancement, overcoming personal demons, and the dangers--not just the glorification--of living a fast life in the streets. In the words of Kevin Gates, Starlito makes "reality rap."
Starlito makes cohesive, well-put together projects that are strikingly honest and brutal. He does what many artists fail to do in the rap genre, and that is confront mental illnesses. While he doesn't do this explicitly in a lot of his albums, his exploration of the topic is something that is sorely missing in the genre. His 2012 album "Mental Warfare" is a dive into personal as well as social ills where his raspy voice croons over a diverse range of production and instrumentation. He raps about drug use and the overwhelming feeling of love "Nortriptyline," attempting to find love amidst heartbreak (Hope for Love), as well as the more typical aspect of rap albums such as the hardcore anthem "Live From the Kitchen," and the pro-promethezine anthem "L.E.A.N." Mental Warfare never lets the listener bask in rap gluttony without giving a dose of reality. The tracklist and ordering of the album gives proper justification to the name "Mental Warfare." The album doesn't know what it wants to be. It either functions as an aggressive, violent, womanizing display of masculinity, or a brooding, schizophrenic lament about the stressors that life brings.
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As a way of paying homage to the trailblazers of Houston rap, Starlito entitled his 2015 album entitled "I'm Moving to Houston" features fellow rap-mate Don Trip, but the guest features are primarily from underground artists such as Propain and Killa Kyleon. "I'm Moving to Houston" establishes Starlito as a prominent figure in the underground rap scene. His breadth of guest features and celebrity co-signs has no doubt cemented his importance in the rap game. This project is far from Starlito at his best, but it shows his willingness to use his platform to broadcast and promote other talent. He does the same with his 2017 summer album "Hot Chicken" (which obviously is an ode to the popular dish Nashville Hot Chicken) which strictly features local talent within the city. Regardless, I'm Moving to Houston contains all the elements that make Starlito the introspective genius he is, but the moments feel microwaved and lacks the consistency of other albums.
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My Life in Rap (So Far)
Dr. Phillip Fletcher
From the perspective of Open Horizons (Process) Theology, there is no need to "agree" with the contents of popular music or, for that matter, the contents of more traditional sacred texts. Nor to disagree. The need is to see how they function in people's lives to help them become better selves than they might otherwise be, and of service to goal of beloved community. Dr. Phillip Fletcher makes this point in a lecture he gave at Hendrix College on his own "Life in Rap." His lecture complements the perspective of Remington Harris. Let Dr. Fletcher's lecture be a springboard for further deliberation. (Jay McDaniel)