UNDERGROUND ATLANTA

A Study on Atlanta's Underground Hip-Hop Scene

"Whats the Basis?"
“…we ain’t going nowhere but got suits and cases.” –Kanye West

Thank you very much for joining me in my discussion and ethnographical journey into the Atlanta Underground/Indie Hip-Hop Scene. In the 1960's and 1970's it was Motown. In the late 1980's and early 1990's it was New York City. And since then, Atlanta has been the hub for urban music around the country, as well as the world. Atlanta's diverse and plentiful music scene has stood the test of time, partially due to its talented underground scene.

Throughout this post I will use the words "independent" and "underground" interchangeably because they are closely related, however there are some differences in the terms. “Independent” refers to the record label that the artist is signed to. If the artist's record label does not have backing from another major label (i.e. Universal, Jive, Columbia, etc.), then it is an Independent or "indie" record label. "Underground" is more of a broad term which labels music that is not a part of the mainstream culture.

Atlanta has two very different underground hip-hop scenes. One of which highlights a more grimey, street thug, sound and culture, the other, more of a hipster scene marked by skateboarding, partying, and fashion. The ladder will be the focus of my study.

Methods of Research
“Read some litera - ture on the subject”- Andre 3000, Outkast

Over the course of my ethnographical process, I was able to incorporate various methods of research. With the progression of technology and social networking,Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook were great ways to keep up with what was going on in the scene. Most of the artists, managers, and producers are on at least one of these social networks which made them easy to contact and connect with. In addition to these social networks, I coupled my prior knowledge and hands on ethnographical work to round out my research. The remainder of the post will include a culmination of critiques and observations about the scene, interviews, sounds clips, references to academic writing, as well as links to other various media (i.e. websites, blog, YouTube videos, etc.)

Background and Origins
"Welcome to Atlanta…."- Jermaine Dupri

In order to understand how the Atlanta indie hip-hop scene got to where it is now, it is important to understand the history of the music industry in Atlanta. In the late 1980's and 1990's, LaFace Records, formed by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, was responsible for discovering some of the biggest artists/groups in Atlanta. In the early 1990's, LaFace Records were behind names like TLC, Usher, and Outkast (Grem, 57). Around this same time, Jermaine Dupri created his So So Def imprint which was responsible for discovering acts such as Kris Kross, Da Brat, Lil Bow Wow. With all of these names suddenly taking the music industry by storm, Atlanta was on the map.

As time went on and the dynamic music industry continued to change, Atlanta managed to stay relevant with the sudden craze of southern "crunk" and "snap" music of the early 2000s, spearheaded by Lil Jon.




Currently, in addition to long time heavyweight artists such as Usher and Outkast, Atlanta continues to regularly produce new talent such as Soulja Boy and Keri Hilson. Because of the hometown inspiration and musical energy in the city, Atlanta's hip hop indie scene is extremely plentiful, and more importantly, talented.

The Music
"Have you ever made love to a Weerdo?" –Dreamer, Hollyweerd

Is it rap? Is it r&b? Is it rock? Is it alternative? None of these descriptions would be sufficient in describing the music of the scene. The music is different from typical east-coast, west-coast and even southern hip hop, though many of the common elements of hip hop can still be found (i.e. heavy bass, sampling, etc.). One of the main reasons for the scene's unique sound is its wide array of artists. Of the biggest names of the scene, each has their own niche and unique sound. For example:

Proton: Very spacey sound with a lot of distorted drums and synths. Mostly mid-tempo songs. Lyrics are generally light, oftentimes telling stories about relationships, parties, etc.

Grip Plyaz: Party starter. Uses relatively minimalist beats, heavy in drums, snares, and claps. Extremely unique voice. Fun, catchy lyrics.



Hollyweerd: Second coming of Outkast. Heavy bass and synths with a few live instruments. Very innovative lyrically in terms of content and flow.



Quality of the music often varies based on the access of the artists. Many artists have access to some of Atlanta's top studios, producers and engineers, making their music sound much more professional than their peers. Additionally, because of Atlanta's abundant, some of the indie artists have the opportunity to do collaborations with major artists and producers.

The Artists
“Mums FP be the name…." – Mums FP

Interview with Mums FP from Adrian Williams on Vimeo.

Artists in the scene come from all different races, backgrounds and genres. The artists in the scene generally come from a different socio-economic class than those generally associated with hip hop. This difference gives the artists a different perspective on life, therefore, their stories and experiences, in which they share through music are oftentimes different than your typical hip-hop themes.

Unlike many underground artists around the country, Atlanta indie artists do not view going to a major label as “selling out”, or accommodation, but rather as “making it out”. As Mums FP, a local artist stated in our interview, even if it is solely for distribution purposes, having backing by a major label is certainly the goal. This process of getting recognized by a major label can often take very long; if it even happens at all, and is all about luck and timing (see Kid Cudi). Wale, a once indie rapper on the fledging DC hip-hop scene is a beacon of hope for underground artists all over the country. Oftentimes, when major acts come into town, underground artists have the opportunity to open the shows which is a great opportunity to gain exposure to a wider audience.

The Audience
“Now them hipsters gotta get along with them hood n*ggaz” -Drake

As one would imagine, because the scene has such a sundry blend of music, the audience to which this music appeals to is also quite diverse. The ages are generally between 18-30, and one would be hard pressed to find people outside of this age group in the mix. Similar to many other youth cultures of our time, many people who partake in the music have some type of affiliation or role within the scene (i.e. party promoter, photographer, graphic designer, blogger, etc.), reminiscent of the “zine scene” of the punk movement.

The Look
“You can catch me with my slim straight, ‘Vi’s on” –Mums FP



Clothes! Almost as important as the music itself, the Atlanta indie scene is marked by its fervor for fashion. The best way to describe the style of dress is “urban hipster”. As far as the guys, they can generally be seen clad in skinny jeans (usually Levi’s), a tee shirt from an independent company (i.e. The Hundreds, Billionaire Boys Club, Triumvir), and exclusive sneakers. For the ladies, the style is almost exactly the same, except instead of t-shirts; they generally were some type of button down shirt, oftentimes with plaid or striped patterns. The way outfits are pieced together is similar to the cut-up aesthetic because things that people generally wouldn’t wear together somehow find their way in the same ensemble (Hebdige, 107). For the urban hipsters, it seems to be a fashion sin to have your clothes match, however, even with a wide range of colors and prints, the look still seems to work somehow. Many people like to do different things to differentiate themselves such as incorporating designer accessories or funky haircuts. Since the growth in popularity of this scene, multiple clothing boutiques like Wish, Standard, and S8tique, have sprouted up all around the city and have been very successful catering to this very specific demographic.

Reaching the masses
“You can run and tell my city, I’m On” -Drake

Different communities have different ways in which they share their music and culture with each other. This scene is completely driven by live performance and the internet.

There are weekly shows that showcase the talent of the local artists. A more accurate way of describing these shows would be basically a party with a few live performances. To me it seems that the shows would be more appealing if they didn’t occur so frequently. It becomes a situation where you take the artists for granted when they are always available.

The internet is also a main source of distribution for the artists. With all of the aforementioned social networks and the worldwide epidemic known as blogging, the internet certainly does not lack avenues in which to share music; the Atlanta indie scene fully utilizes all of them. Oftentimes blogs are run by the artists or people affiliated with them which allows their music to easily reach their following. By doing this, the artists can expose themselves to many people which will increase their “buzz”. When talking with the manager of one of the local artists, she stated that “Labels are lazy these days. They don’t want to sign nobody who don’t got a buzz. These days they don’t look for talent. Just whoever got a hit record, and a solid buzz to go along with it.” This leads me into some questions I would be interested to tackle in further research:

Why don’t A&R’s of record company do their research and find the real talent?
When do the artists “give up” on their dreams in the music industry?
How has the growth of Atlanta’s mainstream music scene directly influenced Atlanta’s underground music scene?

In closure, I challenge you to turn off the radio and go explore your local music scenes. It will open your eyes to a world that you never know existed. A world you may hate, or, a world you may LOVE.

Word Count: 1685

Works Cited

Works Cited

Clay, Andreana. 2003. “Keepin’ It Real: Black Youth, Hip-Hop Culture, and Black Identity”. American Behavioral Scientist 46: 1346-1358.

Hebdige, Dick. 1979. Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Routledge.

Grem, Darren. 2006. “The South’s Got Something to Say: Atlanta’s Dirty South and the Southernization of Hip-Hop America”. Southern Cultures 12: 55-73.

Kitwanta, Bakari. 2003. The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture. New York: Basic Civitas Books.

Sullivan, Lisa. 2007. “Hip-hop Nation: The undeveloped social capital of black urban America”. National Civic Review 86: 235-243.

Photo Credits

Gripplyaz Hood

Jeff Fernandez

www.sneakerhunt.com

Come Up Kidz

Critical Review #8

wayne&wax "we use so many snares"

Being an aspiring music producer myself, this post immediately grabbed my attention. I myself used to use Fruity Loops when I first started producing about 7 years ago and I admit, I am one of those people who don't take it very seriously. Throughout this post, Wayne talks in depth about "the music itself" and what makes reggaeton, well, reggaeton. He talks a lot about the instrumentation used, some reggaeton producers, typical reggaeton rhythms, other genre's reggaeton is similar to, etc. Wayne's knowledge of this music is truly incredible and he seems extremely passionate about what he is talking about. Wayne states that reggaeton's "caribbean polyrhythm, in all its modern, digital splendor, that gives the new style such compelling coherence", and I certainly agree. The caribbean rhythms and percussion have always gotten people moving and the use of synths gives the music a more mainstream/commercial feel.

Discussion question: In Wayne's post "we use so many snares", he talks about all the kids at home who try to produce reggaeton music themselves. Do you think it hurts the credibility and integrity of a genre when people who aren't as talented try to emulate what the professionals are doing? To go along with that, does it create a situation where there are no fans anymore because everyone is trying to contribute to the music being made instead of being a spectator?

Critical Review #7

Duany, Jorge. 1984. "Popular Music in Puerto Rico: Towards an Anthropology of Salsa." Latin American Music Review 5(2):186-216

In his article, Duany dives into the origins of salsa music providing his readers with an impromptu history lesson. Duany dismisses the common misconceptions about salsa music and Puerto Rico's assumed homogeneous culture. For this reason, he states that one cannot "develop an overarching framework of musical values" for the music. Salsa was generated from a fusion of African and Hispanic sources. Duany notes that one of salsa's greatest characteristics is that their sound is transcultural, taking elements from all different kinds of Caribbean people. Like so many other genres of music that appreciate its roots, Duany feels as if salsa has gone away from its true purpose by becoming commercialized.

Discussion Question: This is the first genre that people have tried to "put in a box". Do you feel that there are other genres of music that have become generalized by the common person but have much more complicated sub-genres when a closer look is taken?

Fieldnotes II: 'Im Comin' Home Again!"

Over Spring Break I got to do some of my best ethnographical work yet. There is nothing more useful than actually being immersed in the scene. Unlike most ethnographers I am actually already somewhat in the scene because I have produced a couple of songs for some underground ATL artists. Because of this, I was able to gain access to some underground artists and hang out with them in the studio for a bit. A few things I noticed while I was at the studio:

-It was very hot! Even with the fan blowing I was somehow sweating in less than 10 minutes

- It was a very relaxed atmosphere. Not very tense. Maybe because there is no pressure from some big-wig exec, no deadlines, and very little expectations from a "fan base", just creative expression.

-In the studio were two artists, Mums Fp & Siya, two friends of theirs, a singer who was doing the chorus from one of the songs, the producer of the song they were recording, Matt of the Super 3, an underground production group also hailing from Atlanta, and me. (Interesting side note, I used to play basketball against Matt back in my high school days)

- Everyone was very cordial and welcoming, something that is not common in the music business

PS: I definitely should've taken some pictures but I didn't feel like that would have been appropriate. I did, however, record an interview which will be posted in my final project post.

Additionally while at home, I got to attend a concert that was headlined by an artist from D.C. by the name of Wale.

-The venue was called the "CW Loft". Similar to a club but it wasn’t. Had only a bar, a stage, and an open area (no seats by the way) for the audience to stand.

- The crowd there was just what I expected. Hipsters! Well, ATL hipsters, who are a bit different from the ones you may know. I plan on further explaining this species of hipster in my final post. If you asked the people if they were hipsters, they would all probably say no because people hate to be classified, in general.

-Since Wale still isn't a household name, most of the people who attended were either from the DC area and knew of Wale previously, or were just music-heads who were up on their underground music.

-Wale is a typical underground success story. Started off underground in DC, made music without any major backing, built up a regional fan base that began to expand, had a big underground song (Nike Boots), and with that buzz, got signed to a major label in 2008 (Interscope) and now has a single, "Chillin" featuring Lady Gaga as well as an album slated to release later this year.

-A few ATL indie acts opened for Wale, including Mums Fp and Siya. B.O.B, a former ATL indie artist, now major (Atlantic), had a pretty long set and was accompanied by the person who signed him, T.I.





Please click some of the hyperlinks to hear some good music that you may not be familiar with!

Critical Review #6

Back, Les. 1996. New Ethnicities and Urban Culture: Racisms and Multicultural in Young Lives. London: University College London Press.

In Back's article, he talks about a wide array of things dealing with the topic of music generated from the African diaspora. It was very interesting to see how Back is able to break down music in such an academic way, but also on a grassroots level where it is relatively easy to understand (if you can weed through the scholarly language). One part of the article that was a bit frustrating was the mention of "sound systems". Despite his pretty lengthy explanation, I am still a bit unclear of their exact function and why they are used. Other than that, I think that Back does an outstanding job discussion music in the black diaspora.


Discussion Question: Back states that for many functions (i.e. family gatherings, parties, church activities) , music plays a key role. Do you find this to be true outside of the black diaspora? If so, why?

Critical Review #5

Walser, Robert. 1993. Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.

In Robert Walser's essay, he takes a look at Heavy Metal Music by interviewing some fo the biggest names in Metal such as Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden. When talking about some of the bands that pioneered Metal, Walser mentions some of the same bands mentioned in the documentary that we watched in class (ie. Black Sabbath, Kiss, Metallica, etc.) Walser notes that one of, if not the important part of Metal music itself is the Power chord, found in almost if not every metal song. In the US, metal found its peak in the US making up 40% of all of the songs that were recorded. Interestingly enough, in his studies, Walser found that people who listen to Metal tend not to believe that metal is "pissed-off" music, which is one of the main arguments of its critics. I find it very interesting that on several occassions, Walser parallels Metal with Hip-Hop as they are both somewhat the "outcasts of music genres". Walser makes mention of Deena Weinstein in a not so positive light stating that "her book has all of the virtues and faults of most strictly sociological studies of popular culture." [23]

Discussion Question: In his essay, Walser made several parallels between Hip-Hop and Metal being sort of neglected in academic circles. Are there any similarities in the music itself (and lyrics), between "outcast" genres such as Metal, Hip Hop, Punk, etc. ?

Mums FP Interview Transcript

Mindzai Studios, Atlanta, GA
Thursday, March 26, 2009
5: 28pm

Adrian (A): What’s your name and where are you from?

Mums FP (MFP): My name is Mums FP. A lot of people call me Mums. Originally from Boston, MA….Live in Pittsburgh, PA for a while….but I call Atlanta home, really cuz, not only have I been here for a minute, but the city has really embraced me, taken me in as one of their own, and I love it here. That really has been one of the main reasons that my career has taken off, cuz Atlanta is so poppin’ right now.

A: How long have you been rapping, period, and also in the ATL indie scene?

MFP: Overall, it’s probably going on about, 8 years now, 7, 8 years. So, yeah, I have been doing it since about 9th grade, 9th grade in high school. Been on the scene here, not long, man, a year, a year and some change maybe, but I’m getting it in, trying to at least.

A: Has the scene changed since you have been a part of it, has it evolved at all?

MFP: Yeah, it’s definitely gotten some more shine, cuz Atlanta is already known for, you know what I’m saying, the mainstream, Soulja Boy’s, the Outkasts, the Ludacris’, the T.I.’s, all them…so Atlanta has already got the spotlight on them, so it was just a matter of time before the, eccentric, or the hipster, whatever kind of crowd you want to call it was brought to the forefront, so…It’s definitely made some strides in the past year, year and a half.

A: In your opinion, who are the hottest artists in the Atlanta Underground scene?

MFP: Besides myself? (Laughs) Hollyweerd, definitely, one of the big names that come to mind, a dude named Yelawolf, is pretty dope, a chick named Janelle Monae, not really underground, she is pretty well known, but, she got her start here in Atlanta, underground. A dude named Scar, is pretty dope. I’m trying to think…who else gets it in. I’m probably forgetting mad people…don’t show this to anybody (Laughs)

A: (laughs) Nobody is Rhode Island is going to know who you are talking about.

MFP: (Laughs) Ah. Supreeme, that’s another big group, down here. Yeah that’ll probably be it, as far as Atlanta underground.

A: Personally, would you rather stay underground or are you striving to get signed by a major label?

MFP: Yeah, I definitely want to get a major backing. Whether that’s just through distribution, or, being signed on as a full-on artist. That definitely is a goal of mine, but, I’m trying to do as musch as possible while I’m here. I feel like if I can get a big enough following here in Atlanta, you know what I’m saying, just constantly pack out shows…just have my name amongst the people of Atlanta to mess with, I feel like that would definitely happen here.

A: What kind of other things do you do? Do you go to school? Do you have a job?

MFP: I’m not currently enrolled this semester, I will be if things don’t happen the way I think they are this summer, then I may re-enroll in school next semester………..

“She Rockin’ That Sh*t Like…”: A Performance Ethnography Essay

The Set Up

Arriving 10 minutes before the scheduled show time, I am dumbfounded by the massive line that stretches all the way down Washington Street and continues to wrap around the corner to go half-way down the next block. Maybe I had too low of expectations of the accommodations that Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel had to offer, but I had no idea how it would be feasible for all these people to fit in this club-like venue. Refusing to go to the end of the line, especially since I had already purchased my ticket online, my girlfriend and I slipped into the line, close to the door. Luckily for us, the people who we cut in line were boisterous high school students who reeked of alcohol, so if they even noticed us, they didn’t seem to care one bit. As I enter the club, I feel like I have just walked into an old, run-down, possibly once luxurious, hotel. The usher scans my ticket and asks to see ID if I want to drink. I decide not to brandish my fake ID, therefore am denied the neon green wristlet that yells “I’m getting drunk tonight!” And with this, my evening begins.

The Scene


If I were trying to make a read on the type of concert I was attending based solely on the people I had seen, I would have had an extremely difficult time putting my finger on it. The crowd clearly had some elements of hip hop; some looked like r&b fans; some reggae fans; some hipsters. So if I had to guess, I would have wagered that I was attending a concert that featured The Pack, Daddy Yankee, and R. Kelly headlined by Jay-Z. For the most part, the crowd is relatively young, ranging from about 14 years old to 30 or so with the median age probably being somewhere around 22. Racially a melting pot, I saw people of all different ethnic backgrounds however it predominately seemed to consist of blacks, Latinos, and Cape Verdeans.

As I make my way from the foyer area to the actual club, the first thing I see is the crowded bar. Interestingly enough, every single person sitting at the bar is a female. I suppose this is the best way for them to acquire free drinks, and also the best chance for a guy to strike up any kind of conversation. Looking for a good place to see the stage, my date and I scurry over to a wall that separates the VIP from the general population. Seems to be a good spot; a wall to lean up against, elevated up the floor in front of the stage, and relatively off to the side. Directly behind me in the VIP, sit a few radio station employees and what seem to be the only upper middle class-looking white people in the whole joint.

Waiting patiently for the first performer, the house DJ plays a medley of popular club tunes to get the crowd moving. The DJ seems to be playing mashups that have popular hip hop and reggaeton songs with uptempo, house-like beats behind them. Though the concert has somewhat turned into a party with people dancing and grinding on each other, it is clear the people are ready to get this show on the road. 35 minutes after 9, the time that the concert was suppose to began, two radio personalities jump around the stage trying to excite the now restless crowd. “I know you guys been waitin’ patiently,” the female MC shouts in a heavy Providence accent, “JON HOPE!”

The Harmony

Performing his soulful rap tunes, Jon Hope tries to interact with the crowd, encouraging everyone to stay positive and give it their best with hip hop’s most cliché saying these days: “Now that Obama is in office….” Though Hope is one of the most popular local rappers, the crowd isn’t gathered to see him on this evening. After a 10 minute set, which saw little more than a few heads bob along with the beat, Hope’s set ends and the DJ picks up right where he left off.


About 40 minutes later (which seems to be the standard wait time between each performance), Serani, the next performer steps onto the stage to a loud and deafening welcome. Me, not familiar with Serani, pull out iPhone to find out exactly who the guy is. I turn to my girlfriend and say “Oh, this must be some local guy too” to which she nods. Turns out he is an extremely successful dancehall artist from Jamaica with one of the hottest club songs out right now. Sidebar: Somewhere in conversation a few days later, some friends ridicule me saying, “Dog, you don’t know who Serani is?! Wow.” Though I am unfamiliar to the tunes, Serani has got the whole crowd, including myself dancing in some way to the music. It was something I couldn’t control, similar to that of one’s bodily response when listening to Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour.” Closing out his set, Serani performs his smash hit “No Games”, which has a catchy melody, simple concept, and thumping beat, the formula to a mainstream success. But that’s another discussion.


“ETHER BOY!”, shouts a mysterious voice over the speakers. The crowd begins to yell and chants as Ron Browz makes his way to the stage. Wearing a leather jacket, fitted hat, sunglasses, pants sagging way below where I would even wear mine, and a gaudy diamond necklace, he fits the mold of rapper perfectly, although his music isn’t so stereotypically rap. His sound is almost like a mixture between T-Pain and (a very poor man’s) Run DMC with his usage of Autotune and his relatively simple drum heavy beats. When performing his 2008 club anthem “Pop Champagne”, a good percentage of the crowd belted out the song word for word with the other in the minority being able to deftly shout out the chorus, “OOOOOOOOOHHHHH, POP CHAMPAGNE!”


Closing the evening was the headliner, The-Dream, a singer/songwriter who is the genius behind songs like Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. As soon as his set begins, the mood in Lupo’s immediately shifts from the club to the bedroom. A medley of sex noises blare from the speakers as The-Dream slowly walks down the stairs and seems to eye every female in the crowd individually. Suddenly all of the couples seem to get a little bit closer, strangers begin to get closer to those who they had been trying to get the attention of, and those who are alone stand awkwardly. The-Dreams sensual R&B tunes, known for their slow, pulsing and potent rhythms and raunchy lyrics, are sung word for word by every girl in the building as if the lyrics were on a screen, karaoke style (A select few gentlemen, including myself are able to do this as well). The-Dream closes with his hit single and one of my personal favorite songs at the time, “Rockin’ that Sh*t”, which everyone in the building ends up dancing, singing, or making out to. A pleasant ending to what had been a standard/interesting/enjoyable evening.

Word Count: 1,199

ATL Indie Field Notes

Though the topic of the Atlanta Indie/Underground Hip-Hop Scene may seem like a strange and narrow topic to do a whole project on, luckily for me I have some strong ties and associations to the scene. Most of my effective ground work and true “hands-on” ethnological study will likely take place over spring break while I am actually at home, in Atlanta, and I am able to set up interviews with people and attend parties/shows. Until then I thought it may be useful to do something that is one of my favorites past times even beyond this project. I call it “MySpace surfing”. The basic premise behind this is starting off at one music artist/group/ producer/manager’s MySpace, browsing their respective MySpaces a bit until I see another person of interest and then continue the routine on the new page.
Initially, I had planned on doing my normal “surfing” routine and reporting on each individual page I go to but I think it would be more useful to just jot down some common characteristics seen on the MySpaces. On a bit of a sidebar, It is truly amazing what MySpace has done for music. It has allowed virtually anyone who makes music to make it easily accessible through the internet. Before MySpace Music pages, I am not even exactly sure how people who weren’t easily accessible to me or in my particular area or subculture. These characteristics are just a few things I have picked up on while looking at the hundreds of pages I have come across.
Here are a list of key themes & characteristics seen on ATL Indie MySpace Pages:
• Of course everyone has a profile picture with some sort of self promotion
• In addition to the generic MySpace music player that allows them to choose up to 6 songs to post, many have external players that allow them to add many more songs
• Embedded YouTube videos, some of which are just songs with pictures, others are live performances
• “Top Friends” lists are a great indicator of who the artist or group associates with
• “Top Friends” list is generally a culmination of other artists (sometimes major artists), producers, friends, managers, stores, magazines, etc.
• Many comments stating something like “thanks 4 the add” or “Love the Sound”
• Most pages are clearly done by someone who knows that they are doing and not just taken off of a “MySpace page designer” website.
Some random thoughts and questions I would like to answer at some point during this project:
• Since many artists are independent, and thus not signed to a record label, what is there main source of income? Additionally, are they students? Do they have day jobs?
• Is there a stigma attached that promotes separation from the mainstream or is it the artists’ goal to someday “make it big”
• Do the major artists from Atlanta help out the indie artists? If so, how?
• Is the scene unified as a whole or is there tension from artists to artists, clique to clique

Atlanta Indie/Underground Hip Hop Scene

For the topic of my ethnographic project, I will be exploring Atlanta's Indie Hip Hop music scene. Since the early 1990's Atlanta has been a major piece in the evolution of popular music we know and love today, producing the likes of Babyface, Jermaine Dupri, Usher, TLC, Outkast, Ludacris and T.I. to name a few. Despite all of these big name music industry people, Atlanta also has a vibrant Indie Hip Hop scene not so prevalent to the masses across the nation.



The term "hip hop" will be used very lightly in this project because Atlanta's indie scene is very dynamic musically crossing over many genre-barriers and is sometimes even classified by terms such as "Ghettotech", "Industrial" and "New Wave". During my ethnographic process I plan to conduct interviews with those affiliated with the sub-culture, as well as conduct my own studies of the music, fashion, culture related to the scene. I plan to include, a juxtaposition of videos, sounds clips, images, and links that will be important in understanding the lifestyle.


Links to some Atlanta Indie Artists:

http://www.myspace.com/proton2
http://www.myspace.com/cumgitslum
http://www.myspace.com/hollyweerd
http://www.myspace.com/mumsfp

Critical Review #4

Hodkinson, Paul. 2004. Music Scenes: Local, Translocal, and Virtual. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.

Hodkinson's chapter, "The Goth Scene", highlights the underground goth scene in Great Britain. Throughout his article, Hodkinson pays special attention to the translocal connection of goths located throughout Britain. Hodkinson also points out the more inclusive nature of goth culture, and there evaluations of cultural capitol. To be more specific, instead of being in 'competition' with goths from different areas across Britain, they are interested and eager to interact with non-local goths. Hodkinson also discusses media's role in the translocal goth scenes. Media is used a way to connect, organize, and bring together goths that are not necessarily close geographically. Oftentimes, this media, most often the internet, is used as a means to sustain contact with translocal goths, and also as a conduit to organize events, gathering, and meetings.

Discussion Question: Hodkinson's article about the goth scene makes it seem as if the goth community is very accepting of each other translocally, and also locally with little attention paid to one's cultural capitol. Why is it that some subcultures are more inclusive that others? Additionally, what are some of the things that may cause a person to be excluded from a sub-culture, in general?

Critical Review #3

Cohen, Sara. 1993. "Ethnography and Popular Music Studies." Popular Music 12(2): 123-138


In her article, Cohen takes almost an instructional approach in explaining ethnography and its importance, specifically in the study of music. Ethnography, as usually described in the field of anthropology, is a hands on approach to research that involves "intimate study and residence with a particular group of people." [124] Cohen goes on to describe some of the methods in which she has conducted ethnomusicology and gives a specific example, comparing and contrasting the musical journeys of two Jewish men from Liverpool. Cohen goes on to talk about some of the pros and cons of ethnography. For example, a shortcoming of the more hands-on approach is whether or not the small part studied is an accurate representative of the whole. Despite her ability to view both sides of the ethnography argument, it is clear that Cohen is pro-ethnography as she feels as if it can "increase self awareness and challenge preconceived notions or 'ungrounded assumptions." [135]

Discussion Question: In her article, Cohen discusses that often times, when researching our own culture, we have difficulties pointing out some of its most obvious characteristics which makes it difficult to relate our culture or practices with other cultures or practices. Why is it difficult for us to see some of the most obvious traits and characteristics of our culture?

Critical Review #2

Thornton, Sarah. "Club Cultures: Music, Media & Subcultural Capital", 1996.

In Thornton's essay she takes us on a journey through underground club culture while attempting to decipher the difference the "underground" and "mainstream". A point that was specifically interesting to me is how youth culture is often attractive to those beyond their youth because it procrastinates "social aging". She points out that the two things that most commonly separate inhabitants of particular clubs are sexuality and music preference. Thornton speaks on the the role of the bouncers in determining the social dichotomy of the club. Bouncers often use different techniques to filter out who they do, and do not want in the club and moderate the social make-up of the club. In conclusion, Thornton denies the whole ideology of the "mainstream" stating that "the mainstream is an inadequate concept for the sociology of culture." [114]

Discussion Question: How important is one's social class to their musical preferences and the subculture they tend to attach to? Are there any people who can vouch for either side of this discussion from personal experiences?

Critical Review #1

McClary, Susan. 1994. "Same As It Ever Was: Youth Culture and Music." In Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture,eds. Andrew Ross and Tricia Rose. New York: Routledge.pp. 29-40.

Throughout the bulk of McClary's, she discusses music's effect on not only one's mind, but also the body. Throughout history, many philosophers and figures of "authority" shunned music's role in igniting emotion, emasculating its listeners, and just being negative to society as whole. Much of the apprehension from musical expression came from the "authority's" fear of being rebelled against. McClary, however, disagrees with the negative connotations given to music, challenging those who study popular music to "also include the study of popular music" before making negative proclamations about it.

Discussion Question: Shown clearly by Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," there are some characteristics of certain music allows it to crossover racial, social, and age barriers. What, if anything specifically, is responsible for this crossover appeal?