Representations and Discourses of Black Motherhood in Hip Hop and R&B over Time

This study will examine how representations and discourses regarding Black motherhood have changed in the Hip Hop and R&B genres over time. Specifically, this scholarly work will contextualize the lyrics of 79 songs (57 Hip Hop songs; 18 R&B songs; 2 songs represented the Hip Hop and R&B genre; 2 songs represented artists who produce music in 5 or 6 genres) from 1961-2015 to identify the ways that Black male and Black female artists described motherhood. Through the use of Black Feminist Theory, and by placing the production of these songs within a sociohistorical context, we provide an in-depth qualitative examination of song lyrics related to Black motherhood. Results gave evidence that representations and discourse of motherhood have been largely shaped by patriarchy as well as cultural, political, and racial politics whose primary aim was to decrease the amount of public support for poor, single Black mothers. In spite of the pathological framing of Black mothers, most notably through the welfare queen and baby mama stereotypes, a substantial number of Hip Hop and R&B artists have provided a strong counter narrative to Black motherhood by highlighting their positive qualities, acknowledging their individual and collective struggle, and demanding that these women be respected

The Long Road to Uluru and Beyond

This paper explores the significance of the Uluru Statement from The Heart and its place in the post settlement Indigenous journey. It is also relevant to the nation’s journey towards reconciliation. The initial rejection of the Uluru Statement by the Government was a blow to indigenous Australians, and an examination of the reasons for opposing a constitutional enshrined Voice to Parliament is needed. It is argued that the Voice to Parliament is of value both symbolically and practically. Understanding the reasons why some sections of the Australian community find any constitutional recognition proposition difficult is a key to successfully achieving such recognition

High resolution spectroscopic measurements of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide

A modified 1.83 meter Jarrell-Ash spectrometer is reported. The instrument was double passed and achieved a resolution of 0.05 cm at 15 micrometers. An integrating voltmeter was used to optimize the available integration time. Data were obtained in the 15 micrometer and 4.3 micrometer band of CO2 and the 4.6 micrometer and 2.3 micrometer bands of CO. The data are summarized and examples of typical spectra are given. All the data are stored on IBM cards

Is Black Motherhood A Marker of Oppression or Empowerment? Hip-Hop and R&B Lessons about Mama

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 59 songs (40 Hip Hop songs; 17 R&B songs; 2 songs that represented the Hip Hop and R&B genre) from 1961-2013 to identify the ways that Black male and Black female artists described motherhood. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Black Feminist Theory provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black motherhood in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (1) Motherhood as Source of Emotional Comfort and Support; (2) Motherhood as Source of Strength and Self-Confidence; (3) Motherhood as Superior to Fatherhood; (4) Motherhood as Teacher and Disciplinarian; and (5) Motherhood Instills Unconditional Endless Love. Supporting qualitative lyrics are provided to support each of the aforementioned themes

On minimal Type IIB AdS6AdS_6 solutions with commuting 7-branes

We construct Type IIB supergravity solutions with geometry $AdS_6\times S^2$ warped over a disc with two boundary points where 5-branes emerge and punctures with 7-brane monodromy. They describe $(p,q)$ 5-brane junctions with two groups of like-charged external 5-branes that are unconstrained by the $s$-rule and an additional group of constrained 5-branes. The dual 5d SCFTs include various theories discussed previously in the literature. We match SCFT operators with scaling dimension of $\mathcal O(N)$ with their representation in supergravity to support the proposed dualities.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure

Typologies of Black Male Sensitivity in R&B and Hip Hop

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 79 R&B and Hip Hop songs from 1956-2013 to identify the ways that these Black male artists expressed sensitivity. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Phenomenology provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black male sensitivity in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (a) Private Sensitivity; (b) Partnered Sensitivity; (c) Perceptive Sensitivity; and (d) Public Sensitivity. Private Sensitivity occurred when the Black male is alone; feels lonely; disguises or hides his tears from his romantic partner or others; and expresses a determination to not cry and/or continue crying. Partnered Sensitivity occurred when the Black male encourages and/or connects with his romantic partner, other men, and/or members of the Black community through crying. Perceptive Sensitivity was demonstrated when Black men acknowledge the tears shed by others, and shed tears themselves while being conscious of society\u27s expectation that men suppress emotion and/or refrain from crying. Public Sensitivity was exemplified when the Black male cries publicly and verbally expresses that he does not care what others think of him. Qualitative examples are provided to support each of the aforementioned themes

BTZ Black Hole Entropy from a Chern-Simons Matrix Model

We examine a Chern-Simons matrix model which we propose as a toy model for studying the quantum nature of black holes in 2+1 gravity. Its dynamics is described by two $N\times N$ matrices, representing the two spatial coordinates. The model possesses an internal SU(N) gauge symmetry, as well as an external rotation symmetry. The latter corresponds to the rotational isometry of the BTZ solution, and does not decouple from SU(N) gauge transformations. The system contains an invariant which is quadratic in the spatial coordinates. We obtain its spectrum and degeneracy, and find that the degeneracy grows exponentially in the large $N$ limit. The usual BTZ black hole entropy formula is recovered upon identifying the quadratic invariant with the square of the black hole horizon radius. The quantum system behaves collectively as an integer (half-integer) spin particle for even (odd) $N$ under $2\pi$-rotations.Comment: 17 page

Introduction: Ain’t It Evil to Live Backwards? : A Hip Hop Perspective of Religion

Historically, Black religion has been the cornerstone of the African experience in America. Due to the peculiar institution” of slavery and the ways this institutional residue still affect the lives of slave descendants, Hip Hop provides a forum to simultaneously acknowledge similarities and highlight differences. What scholars of religion and Hip Hop studies have revealed are the ways in which the effectiveness and our very understanding of “religion” changes when we bring Hip Hop in to the mix

Is There a Heaven for a Gangsta? : Hip Hop, Spirituality, and Heaven

A content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 24 Hip Hop songs to identify how Black male Hip Hop artists discuss heaven. The songs were released between 1993 and 2015 and phenomenology was the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. I propose that Black Hip Hop artists create a heaven that reflects their own experiences, values, and traditions, envision a heaven where the weak and oppressed receive vindication from the indignities suffered on earth as well as a way to connect with dead loved ones. Essentially, Black Hip Hop artists’ expressions of heaven acknowledge racial experiences, demonstrates their belief in God and/or a Higher Power, as well as their need to communicate with God and/or a Higher Power. Furthermore, Black male Hip Hop artists’ expressions of heaven highlight their need to seek the direction of God and/or a Higher Power, motivates them to create positive change in their communities, and perceive heaven and/or the afterlife in ways that are based on their earthly relationships and experiences. This study was led by the following two questions: (1) How is heaven described by Black male artists in Hip Hop? (2) How do Black male Hip Hop artists conceptualizations of heaven shape their perceptions of earthly experiences? An analysis of the 24 Hip Hop lyrics revealed Black male Hip Hop artists described heaven in the following five ways: (a) Heaven as Superior to Earth; (b) Heaven as the Ultimate Reward; (c) Heaven as Reunification with Loved Ones; (d) Heaven as Segregated; (e) Heaven as Synonymous with Sensual Love. Qualitative examples are provided to support each of the aforementioned themes

Foreword

Foreword