What is the connection between white, Scotch-Irish descendants and inner-city African American youth? Rap and hip-hop music are perhaps the favorite genre of both very disparate demographics. Kind of nutty, I know, but bear with me as my foggy train of logic lurches forward.
As a substitute teacher in the public schools of West Virginia, I meet kids on a weekly basis from Kindergarten to High School (K-12) ages 5-18. Sometimes I have an opportunity to quiz kids about their musical tastes, other times I am offered spontaneous gems of brilliant musical prescriptions or suggestions. A relaxed 6th grader asked me if I liked rap music. Yes, I responded, and I could tell he was mildly surprised that I responded positively. “Crank That, by Soulja Boy”, he said. “You have got to listen to that”, he said.
Music devotee that I am, I had to check out “Crank That” (also known as "Crank Dat") immediately. This repetitive rap ditty has an insipid steel drum loop in the background, with finger snaps and a dirge-like, yet quite danceable, funk and hiphop beat. It is also a song about a dance, which is always a good thing as long as it is not the Macarena. The dance is called the Soldier Boy, by Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Chad Ramone Way, a young lad of just 17.
The big commonality between Appalachia and the ghetto is poverty. Rap music may be loved by rich, white kids as well, but the poor kids of Appalachia are true Boyz in the Hillz who understand innately the anger, braggadocio and wordplay that are the hallmark of rap music.
So thanks anonymous 6th-grader who turned me onto “Crank That” and Soulja Boy.
You can see a fabulous ballet version of the Soldier Boy dance here.
As a substitute teacher in the public schools of West Virginia, I meet kids on a weekly basis from Kindergarten to High School (K-12) ages 5-18. Sometimes I have an opportunity to quiz kids about their musical tastes, other times I am offered spontaneous gems of brilliant musical prescriptions or suggestions. A relaxed 6th grader asked me if I liked rap music. Yes, I responded, and I could tell he was mildly surprised that I responded positively. “Crank That, by Soulja Boy”, he said. “You have got to listen to that”, he said.
Music devotee that I am, I had to check out “Crank That” (also known as "Crank Dat") immediately. This repetitive rap ditty has an insipid steel drum loop in the background, with finger snaps and a dirge-like, yet quite danceable, funk and hiphop beat. It is also a song about a dance, which is always a good thing as long as it is not the Macarena. The dance is called the Soldier Boy, by Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Chad Ramone Way, a young lad of just 17.
The big commonality between Appalachia and the ghetto is poverty. Rap music may be loved by rich, white kids as well, but the poor kids of Appalachia are true Boyz in the Hillz who understand innately the anger, braggadocio and wordplay that are the hallmark of rap music.
So thanks anonymous 6th-grader who turned me onto “Crank That” and Soulja Boy.
You can see a fabulous ballet version of the Soldier Boy dance here.
