Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race In the Urban Present
Encyclopedia
Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present is a nonfiction book by David Foster Wallace
and Mark Costello
. The book explores this music's history as it intersects with historical events, either locally and unique to Boston
, or in larger cultural or historical contexts.
by Schoolly D
. In rap, this a reference to the practice of "signifying" used in rap lyrics whereby words have meanings beyond their conventional interpretations, such as "cut" (turntable technique), "bite" (stealing someone else’s rhymes), "dope" (great), "dawg" (male friend) and such neologisms as "edutainment" (KRS-One
) or "raptivist" (Chuck D
of Public Enemy), and specifically a play on the traditional African image of the signifying monkey
. It is also a play on the notion of a signifier
in critical theory
, as elaborated by Ferdinand de Saussure
; this connection of the African-American usage and the critical theory usage had previously be made in The Signifying Monkey
(1988) by Henry Louis Gates Jr..
David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace was an American author of novels, essays, and short stories, and a professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California...
and Mark Costello
Mark Costello (author)
Mark Costello, a native of Decatur, Illinois, is the author of the story collections The Murphy Stories , which won the St. Lawrence Award for Short Fiction, and Middle Murphy...
. The book explores this music's history as it intersects with historical events, either locally and unique to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, or in larger cultural or historical contexts.
Title
The title is based on the track "Signifying Rapper" on the album Smoke Some KillSmoke Some Kill
The album received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. The Los Angeles Daily News gave the album a B. Rolling Stone reviewer Cary Carling panned the album, writing "With its images of gun-toting bluster, mushrooming genitals and rampant drug use – backed by thuddingly dull beats –...
by Schoolly D
Schoolly D
Jesse B. Weaver Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Career :...
. In rap, this a reference to the practice of "signifying" used in rap lyrics whereby words have meanings beyond their conventional interpretations, such as "cut" (turntable technique), "bite" (stealing someone else’s rhymes), "dope" (great), "dawg" (male friend) and such neologisms as "edutainment" (KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
) or "raptivist" (Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
of Public Enemy), and specifically a play on the traditional African image of the signifying monkey
Signifying monkey
The Signifying Monkey is a character of African-American folklore that derives from the trickster figure of Yoruba mythology, Esu Elegbara. This character was transported with Africans to the Americas under the names of Exu, Echu-Elegua, Papa Legba, and Papa Le Bas. Esu and his variants all serve...
. It is also a play on the notion of a signifier
Sign (semiotics)
A sign is understood as a discrete unit of meaning in semiotics. It is defined as "something that stands for something, to someone in some capacity" It includes words, images, gestures, scents, tastes, textures, sounds – essentially all of the ways in which information can be...
in critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
, as elaborated by Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in linguistics in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the fathers of 20th-century linguistics...
; this connection of the African-American usage and the critical theory usage had previously be made in The Signifying Monkey
The Signifying Monkey
The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism is a work of literary criticism and theory by American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. first published in 1988...
(1988) by Henry Louis Gates Jr..
External links
- Signifying Rappers at The Howling Fantods
- "Signifying Rappers" essay (1990) in The Missouri ReviewThe Missouri ReviewThe Missouri Review is a literary magazine. Founded in 1978 by the University of Missouri, it publishes fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction quarterly. With its open submission policy, The Missouri Review receives 12,000 manuscripts each year and is known for printing previously unpublished...