Harlem Renaissance Rap

Allie Leach

25 April 2005

HS 354

To the tune of: “Crazy in Love” with Beyonce featuring Jay-Z

Lyric change by: me

Paper Presentation Rap

Intro: Yes! So crazy right now.  Most incredibly, it’s your girl, Allie.  It’s your boy, Wally T….Ready… H-A-R-L-EM-RE-N-A-I-SS-A-N-CE (repeat)

History 354, part II, of my Rap Repertoire.

Verse 1: I’m talking bout the Harlem Renaissance, yo.

A period that’s less progressive than you know.

Cause you see, I have sources that’ll really show,

Why the women were set back, and seen so low.

Such a funny thing for me to try to explain,

How I can look at this Renaissance and complain.

(pause) Cause you know I want to understand,

Why African-American women had it so bad.

 

Refrain 1: Here are some of the sources I found,

Some sources, that’ll set you right into the ground,

The articles have helped me so far,

Especially from MELUS and AAR.

The compilations from the Harlem Renaissance

Are sweet, historical context in them can’t be beat.

Mongrel Manhattan complicates,

And Bulletproof Diva is really up-to-date.

H-A-R-L-EM-RE-N-A-I-SS-A-N-CE (repeat)

Verse 2: The other argument in my paper is just so:

(The white public) didn’t let the Blacks grow.

Instead you see the writers they were so patronized,

Their literary vision was in white eyes.

Their work was accepted too fast, not criticized.

White critics judged black works with lower standards than the whites’.

But I still don’t understand,

Why the whites, they thought, they had the upper hand?

Refrain 2: Here are some more sources that I’ve found,

Sources, that’ll set you right into the ground.

The Kirby Case talks of “passing” as well.

Being one 1/8 black can put you in hell.

Mixed-Race Literature really helped me too.

This collection of essays brought up ideas that were new.

Passing and the Rise of the African American Novel killed two birds with one stone.

Oh, and Harlem Renaissance Remembered by Arna Bontemps had historical info I loaned.

Verse 3: Let’s get to the point, the pap’s main flow:

Light-skinned vs. Dark-skinned hoes, (uh-oh)

They not hoes, they are women, that just rhymed,

But they were treated likes hoes at that particular time.

1918 up until 1926:

The approximate time of the Black Harlem Renaissance.

I’m gonna argue that Whites and Blacks alike

Discriminated against their fellow man with one big collective PSYCH!

Black hierarchies, white hierarchies, all stood, to bring the strong women down.

“‘The Blacker the Berry’ the sweeter the juice” is ironic

With the book’s black hierarchal conflict.

Yes sir, they’re different colors, it’s true,

But is it just the range of color that’s making this conflict ensue?

The other factors that add to the problem are this:

The gender and sexuality of the women makes these conflicts persist.

And self-delusion with “passers” is also a prob

With theatrics and masks the ladies’ own dignity is truly robbed.

Bridge: Got me askin’: This is so crazy, but maybe,

The Harlem Renaissance was not so perfect, so happy?

I’ve been lying to myself, and now I wanna know:

- Why were the women treated so bad?

- Why were same races making sistas so mad?

- What distinct the many levels of black?

- Why were black women and writers put under attack?

Refrain 1: Here are some of the sources I found,

Some sources, that’ll set you right into the ground,

The articles have helped me so far,

Especially from MELUS and AAR.

The compilations from the Harlem Renaissance

Are sweet, historical context in them can’t be beat.

Mongrel Manhattan complicates,

And Bulletproof Diva is really up-to-date.

Refrain 2: Here are some more sources that I’ve found,

Sources, that’ll set you right into the ground.

The Kirby Case talks of “passing” as well.

Being one 1/8 black can put you in hell.

Mixed-Race Literature really helped me too.

This collection of essays brought up ideas that were new.

This is all have so far;

I hope you learned something from this rap song you can sing in your car.

Beat-Boxing with Jesus

Here's a look back in the day: I wrote and performed this for a presentation in Dana Roeser's Visiting Writer's class.  Hard to believe that now--four years later--Rick's attending Columbia where Victor LaValle teaches!  Enjoy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Allie Leach

12 April 2005

EN 393

Beat boxing with Jesus

(To the tune of “Where’s The Party At,” by Jagged Edge featuring Nelly)

Lyric change by: me

(short dance intro)

Come on, V-I-C-T-OR-L-A-V-A-DOUBLE-L-L-AND-E, 

He’s the last in the Visiting Writers Series, (repeat).

I’ll jump right to the question, it’s number six: 

“Do you think of LaValle as an ‘African-American’ 

Or ‘urban’ author, let me know, can he be pigeonholed into such a narrow category?

I say yes and no, and a little bit of both,

Because like you suggest, much of what he writes is universal.

And what he weaves, through each piece, are pieces of the city and his black heritage.

Hey, what’s the page number?

Gotta steal your thunder; what’s the page number?

You be, you be makin’ up a big blunder.

You know you cannot forget to citate.

What’s the page number?

It’s on page eight.

How do I locate?

It’s halfway down.

Oh, I see it now.

If page eight is where you’re at,

Then let me know it, babe!

(Repeat V-I-C-T…etc, part).

Half way down, on page eight, you hear black dialect

In clipped phrases I will give ya in just a bit:

Like “When you ever known”

“Shit is just hot”

“Niggas are out”

Stuff that sounds like that.

Then on page nine of that “raw daddy,”

There’s “just listen to the brothers and you’ll believe.”

Some city, and some black lingo,

But that’s just for flavor, don’t you know, Gringo?

Hey, what’s the next point?

If you keep talkin’ like this, they’ll think you’ve smoked a joint.

Or bottles and bottles of the Coignac.

You know you can’t forget the book’s universal.

How’s that so?

He talks of love.

What else he’s say?

He talks of war.
Well show me more.

Come on, and we’ll head over to da page.

Now let me show ya where the page’s at for ya.

The one about love is right around page forty,

The title’s “getting ugly.”

The speaker and Deidre

Hit it off okay,

But then she makes him say,

All he wants is bootay!

He is ugly, but when, the lights go out

He changes his pout

He thinks he looks so good, when he’s put under the hood,

And she likes him too with his ugly face,

And he likes her back, food in her mouth shows her grace.

The story gives hope, it shows we’re human.

We can be loved with flaws,
That’s what I’m presumin’,

We’re quick to judgments,

That we later resent,

All we need’s to present

Our true-selves and represent.

Be like hey—this is who I is.

I don’t care what your friends’ say when they laugh at my biz.

And in the end they share

An interest it’s no lie:

They both like to stare at the people walking by.

Hey, I got some more to say,

But I do not want this song to go on all the day.

Let me just sum this up and reiterate,

The stories touch on many themes that you can relate,

To everday,

Themes of: love, war, sex, mental illness.

I also sucked my thumb til I was ten.

O O O O

Uh Oh O O O O

Uh Oh O O O O

But I don’t line up bottles of pee like H-squared and Sammy.

O O O O

Uh Oh O O O O

Uh Oh O O O O

It’s your turn to join in, now let me see:

Come on, left side just raise your hands up

Throw em up

Right side just raise your hands up

Throw em up

When the question come back around

Everybody do it again.

Do my East Side like this author do ya, hell yeah.

Do my South Side like this author do ya, hell yeah.

And them haterz can argue yo

If they back it up yo

But I wanna know,

If Lavalle is where it’s at

Let me hear you say:

Come on, V-I-C-T-OR-L-A-V-A-DOUBLE-L-L-AND-E

He’s the last in the Visiting Writers Series.

Come on, V-I-C-T-O-R-L-A-V-A-DOUBLE-L-L-AND E

He’s the best of the Visiting Writers Series.

(short dance conclusion)

Adoption Ceremony Song

So, here's part two to this year's Song Repertoire. This particular one, is for the Adoption Ceremony for my 3rd grade Dreamers at Valdez. It's the big kick-off to their ten-year commitment to the Colorado "I Have a Dream" Foundation. There will be family, friends, board members, staff, and some other big-wigs, I guess.

So anyway, here's the song I've been practicing with them for forevvvvverrrr. It'll be great.

Oh, I should probably also mention that the lyrics are to the tune of "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from Disney's "The Lion King."

First Verse:

We're gonna be a mighty class,
With energy and flair.

Porque somos los sonadores,
Con suenos, con poder.

We're gonna be in this program,
From now until ten years.

Nos unimos tanto que,
No nos querremos ir.

We'll help each other as a team,
Thanks to Colorado "I Have a Dream."

Second Verse:

We go on lots of field trips,
To places near and far.

Como paseos al museos,
Tambien a patinar.

We do lots of activities,
From science to yoga.

Trabajaremos para ganar,
Birretes y togas.

We learn together as a team,
Thanks to Records and Rainaldi.

Bridge:

We're gonna have to study.
Tenemos que estudiar.

We're gonna have to work hard.
Tenemos que trabajar (fuerte!)

A good mix of work and play,
Keeps us happy every day!

(Dance interlude)

We're gonna have to study.
Tenemos que estudiar.

We're gonna have to work hard.
Tenemos que trabajar (fuerte!)

A good mix of work and play.
Keeps us happy every day.

Third Verse:

We want to thank our Moms and Dads,
For whom we do adore.

Ellos nos dan ayuda, apoyo, y amor.

We want to thank our teachers,
Ms. Ornelas, Ms. Solis.

Nos ensenan tan mucho y
Siempre soy feliz.

They work together as a team.
Thanks to you all we have a dream.

You together as a team.
Thanks to you all we have a dream.

Thanks to you all we have a dream.

Cute, huh? I think so.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Song

Today I wrote a song for some of our third graders to sing at the MLK Day Lunch. I'm pretty proud of it, and it didn't take too long to write. Now all that has to happen, is that the kids like it too--and memorize it and don't f-up for the real thing. Here's the song:

MLK Day Song

(To the tune of: “Black or White” by Michael Jackson)

Martin Luther, Martin Luther King (Junior!)

Martin Luther, Martin Luther King

Martin Luther, Martin Luther King (Junior!)

Martin Luther, Martin Luther King

He was in January 1929.

His Mom and Dad both though that he was divine.

His Dad was a minister;

His Mama was a school teacher (Teacher!)

He liked to read books, sing, ride his bicycle, and play football!(Football!)

He went to Morehouse College at 15.

Became a minister and a Dr. King.

He believed in equality and civil-rights for everyone! (One!)

People liked him so much the Nobel Peace Prize he has won! (Won!)

So tell me you agree with me,

That MLK Jr. was the best! (Best!)

We hoped you learned a lot

Because afterwards there will be a test. (Test!)

Martin Luther, Martin Luther King (Junior!)

Martin Luther, Martin Luther King……..