As Akala points out there are over 100 songs in Shakespeare's plays and iambic pentameter - a poetic meter with five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables per line - is used as much in hip-hop songs as it was in the sonnets. @Reasoned Alibis and thats how quran is memorized around the world and preserved. I'm laughing because everyone here is teenagers trying to do their English homework edited: LMFAO I DIDNT THINK THIS MANY PEOPLE WOULD SEE THIS AHAHA guys i got a 100% on this assignment so can you haha, yo brody send the assignment for mans bless. Iago is the great character in that play. Then he says how iambic pentameter is so similar to a heartbeat and how it is 'intrinsic to life' and how it helps people get across feeling and what u want with that rhythm. AKALA: And then you listen to Rappers Delight, its the same flow. 6 why might akala say that we should teach shakespeare. You know, he went to a grammar school. Akala is interviewed by Barbara Bogaev. In the UK, Shakespeare has become a symbol, in many ways, of the British class system, and theres a perception that you have to be like basically as smart as Albert Einstein to enjoy Shakespeare. He is more Shakespeare than Shakespeare himself. AKALA: I think theres two points in there. They both can allude latent meanings in witty ways. AKALA: Because actually the sounds that rhyme to a Brazilian Portuguese accent are not exactly what we perceive musically to be rhymes in English and it was a really interesting thing that I kinda found and heard. But some thought I was just a little bit too bright for someone like me. And are unapologetically I think in 400 years people will look back on a Toni Morrison or a Gabriel Garcia-Marquez or a lot of the great novel Dostoyevsky, do you know, Bertolt Brecht, theres so many people we could look to who I think given an adequate length of time will go into that canon. BARBARA: Well, and thats the irony, too. Some of my uncles were gangsters. Wait quietly for instructions. AKALA: Its well, (a) its the rhythm of the human heart. Answer: He claims that they share rhythm. This is heavily raised class. Thats kind of fascinating. If youre going to use big words in order to sound superior, best understand them first. Oh, that well, there you go. 0. He is glad that British universities have increased the diversity of their students in recent years but still feels we have some way to go to match American universities. Akala: Why we need more black, working class period drama And the point is, the guy wrote performance poetry and great stories that were about sex and violence and love and tragedy. So, with that in mind, it makes sense that he's taught in school. AKALA: Yeah, we did a production of Richard II which were revamping and will go on tour soon. Why might Akala say that we should teach Shakespeare? This is amazing and very eye opening. So, youre going hip-hop again? You listen to a song like Preacher and the Bear., [CLIP of the Golden Gate Quartet singing The Preacher and the Bear.], Lord, look here, you know you delivered ol Daniel from the lions den.And you delivered three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace, and then. AKALA: No, absolute pleasure. The majority of my teachers were really, really good. Similarly with Shakespeare, if you watch the Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet or, you know, Laurence Fishburne as Othello, I mean if you cant enjoy that, I would suggest that theres something wrong with you, maybe? One example of that is in conflict mediation. Songs. [CLIP of the Hip-Hop Shakespeare Companys Draw For Your Sword]. And that isnt an accident. Well what happens when you hear rappers rap in French or in Brazilian Portuguese or inI went to ZimbabweShona. The creativity involved. What is the rhythm of IAMBIC PENTAMETER? What might Akala say that we should teach Shakespeare?] Two-years later and you are still saving lives in English classes. The integration of thoughts across the two seemingly separate worlds of Shakespeare and Hip Hop. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . AKALA: Yeah, well, I mean they think they know it. But its the consistency, I think. Your making things up. BARBARA: Well, what I find interesting about peoples misperceptions, I mean this gets back to this relationship between hip-hop and Shakespeare that you talk about, is that Shakespeare really was the original mash-up artist as well. BARBARA: Okay. @SelinaP95 I could not agree more. You know, they watch MTV and they see MTVs version of hip-hop culture, which is ironic given that, you know, Viacom is this massive big corporation. There was a study that found the most preserved form of the Elizabethan English accent was in the most isolated areas of Appalachia due to being cut off from the evolution of society for so long. Its Nas. One of them knew it word for word! Hip hop has 5 elements MCing, DJing Breakdancing, Graffiti art and knowledge. I mean this is. Skespeare wrote in the 1600s. Akala is one serious dude, man knows his stuff and reps "urban music" hard. No, thank you very much. He also says he begins to question what the point of education today is and what we truly get out of it. Ive known so many working-class kids who pretend to be less smart than they are.. So, in a lot of so our last production as a company was of Richard II which was, we did essentially a concept, rock opera, if you like, think, you know. AKALA: Right, Tybalt, hes a great character, much better character than Romeo and or Juliet, right? So, when I came to Shakespeare, I was starting from a radically different point to anyone in my class because Id grown up with equally with the tradition of theater and with the Jamaican sound system. I love your art, i've learnt more from akala lyrics and youtube vids than i ever did in history or english class, Hip-Hop & Shakespeare? Some of the stuff that doesnt rhyme. I need this video, so i can show this to other people who say hip hop is shit. Wise is the man that knows hes a fool.Tempt not a desperate man with a jewel.Why take from Peter to go pay Paul?Some rise by sin and by virtue fall. Wheres this mountain of evidence? swift's a modest proposal what seem to be the only options for the children of beggars when they grow up (3)? He doesn't rap about women, money and weed whatsoever like most of the rappers rap about today, he talks about racial difference, discrimination and humanity. You know, for us in the UK and perhaps to an extent here in America, I dont want people to feel culturally intimidated by something that theyre told is beyond them. I didn't feel like sitting in the canteen on my lunch break, I felt like making better use of my time. They are quite bland. Most of his audience was unabl to even read or write.Hip Hop means "Intelligent Movement".The 5 elements of Hip Hop are: DJ, MC, break dance, graffiti art, and knowledge.The appeal of the Wu Tang Clan was that it united people that listened to all different kinds of music.The "custodian of knowledge" means enlightened, having ideas and doing activities that unite people. You wont always be able to pick up the rhyme. No matter what you say it will never work. You know, Othello is okay. Yeah, so if youve got a four bar beat but youve got ten clicks of the high hat across those four bars, thats sort of the way I would visually insert what your voice is doing and what the syllables are doing rhythmically within the kind of pattern of the drum structure. Truly Amazing!! AKALA: Right. O'Brien said that Shakespeare has been adapted to different times in history since nearly the moment he wrote the plays, and calls the trend to bring hip-hop and Shakespeare together a great one. BARBARA: Okay, that I didnt know. But I do think its interesting that a lot of people who dont know hip-hop have this negative opinion of it without even knowing it. If his name doesn't sound familiar, it's because he usually goes by his stage name, Akala. From the Folger Shakespeare Library, this is Shakespeare Unlimited. So even if they dont make it as a basketball player or footballer or whatever, they come out of it with a degree.. I want this guy as my history/English/RE teacher, he as an absolute breath of fresh air and you have to love his music! I have a or so-called. Because you talk, also in that presentation, about how rhyme differs from place to place, from language to language which Ive never thought about it that way. A lot of black kids go to university on sports scholarships and they have to get the grades otherwise they dont get to play. signature forgery detection using image processing; montgomery county texas sample ballot 2022; . (As in, a school subject unit). But it meant that unlike most kids, you know, culturally we were very rich and so it was a weird juxtaposition where I was probably exposed to more a greater cultural offering than most rich kids in England. His points about Wu Tang are really interesting. BARBARA: And as with everything that came before it, its just this blank slate. "Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses can't define" Hip Hop Shakespeare 7. Big up Akala and the intelligent movement! And I was like so people would hear a rhyme differently in different languages. Maybe its food for the spirit. Most people know the iambic pentameter, but if you look at something at like The Tempest, its not in pentameter at all. Find teaching resources and opportunities. He then goes on to show how these oral traditions influenced a lot of music styles from jazz, funk, blues to hip hop. So, I think, like I said, theres a lot of proeven Received Pronunciation. For the Folger Shakespeare Library, Im Folger Director Michael Witmore. He is like the quantum physics of literature. Ill do a couple more and then well talk about what the point of the exercise is, I suppose. Draw for your sword orSee to it your knees meet and greet the ground,Bow! Words by Sirius Gibson Can they identify which lines of verse are from hip-hop songs and which are taken from the works of Englands most famous poet and playwright? I found it fascinating, enlightening and extremely educational. AKALA: So, yeah, lets play the first beat. Many of Shakespeares works can be changed to fit the style of hip hop. You dont have to like Shakespeare and you dont have to like hip-hop, either. But lets talk a little bit first. So, if someone, you know, if youre an artist who wants to write a verse that you can go into a cipher with and be confident that whatever beat that the DJ puts on you can flow with it, the pentameter is a great rhythm to do that. The audience, such misers! When asked if teachers can use hip-hop to connect students to Shakespeare, she said, "Students can use . That ones actually from Much Ado About Nothing. I teach Shakespeare and I absolutely agree. HipHop ain't dead Akala's got it at Ted and has risen Shakespeare from the dead. Your ears literally dont have the vocabulary to understand it. Fortunately, most of us who watched this video got a completely different impression. So, when you turn on the BBC, youll find that people speak like this. In the 1400s, the main kingdom he speaks about in that book is the Empire of Mali. You know, it can appeal to you. I've only known about you for about a month, but for you, I have a lot respect. Both can be representing entertainment and both can be representing life as it is. I get an immediate connection. Theres only five percent that are old words. Maybe the people who don't like it actually understand it in a way you don't comprehend. They raise questions of morality, politics, war, wealth, and death. BARBARA: Also, Im still gonna go no Shakespeare. Ticket savings, great seats, and exclusive benefits, Our award-winning performances of Shakespeare, adaptations, and new works, Our early music ensemble Folger Consort and more, Our longstanding O.B. And its not always peoples fault. I'm a teacher, and my students and I love this performance. SonicHits. This statement has been disproven many times by academics. As Akala points out there are over 100 songs in Shakespeares plays and iambic pentameter a poetic meter with five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables per line is used as much in hip-hop songs as it was in the sonnets. Well considering this is a Ted talk i can't imagine any of this talk was 'on the fly'. Hip -hop or Shakespeare? is a challenge that Akala puts to lecture audiences including eminent Shakespeare scholars. Hamlet is not his story. Shakespeare was he wasnt the kind of guy who would know Shakespeare if , AKALA: In modern perception. In what ways do you think that Hip-Hop and Shakespeare can be similar?, Ella Wesley wish I had your teacher I have to connect with the deeper meaning of his conclusion on there ideas, Ella Wesley same like i dont even know what hes saying. Hip Hop Shakespeare 4. Wed really appreciate your help. So, when we understand in Mali, for example, you have a character called the griot praising, you know, often on the payroll of the kingyou know, wrote long poems, the most famous of which is the Malian epic of Sundiatagenealogist, a historian, a musician that would actually go to school for 21 years: seven years for speech, seven years for musicianship, seven years for singing. . Since 2009, under the auspices of his Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, Akala has been going to community centers, prisons, and schools in immigrant and underserved communities using the tools of hip-hop to spread an understanding of the relevance of Shakespeares poetry. We should teach Shakespeare because it could teach our future generation ways into how these texts, visuals, and themes, can connect to our life experiences or tragedies. He needs to represent in high schools. Observe digital content for Oxford Brookes alumni, supporters and friends, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), University news The magazine for Oxford Brookes alumni, supporters and friends, Wellness and mental health Black perspectives, Overcoming tragedy and finding an enlightened path, From Brookes to the Arctic Circle an artists journey, Oxford Brookes research: responding to Covid-19 and shaping the future, The importance of diversity and inclusion in marketing, The future of motor racing is here at Brookes, Local alumni chapters what they do and how you can join in. What does hip-hop mean? He wasn't. Shakespeare was a master in creating characters rich in personality and traits. Akala was brought up to take his education seriously. I heard every single word. Complete the questions from yesterday then turn them in. What is hip-hop but a state of mind? Ancient. 6 why might akala say that we should teach shakespeare. The main thing that they share is rhythm. AKALA: Right. But also its not seen as cool to be clever it is in Jamaica, its not here. And you mentioned a few of them. Maybe its hatred I spew.. For many who were intimidated or just plain bored by Shakespeare at school, its a revelation. So, I dont have a problem with some of the negativity in hip-hop. Wow. It's because of the musicality of the rhymes and the flow, it eases the memorisation, and this is partly why hip-hop is so great. BARBARA: Was it performance first for you? Top stuff Akala! Even. Aliyah "The most benevolent king communicates through your dreams" Hip Hop Shakespeare 6. AKALA: How difficult that is to do to make sense, to rhyme, to be semi-autobiographical and to put ten syllables in every single line. so happy to find akala. I dont think it has the same ring. , Imagine him, Rakim, RZA and KRS in the same room, akala is real class, very good at explaining anything, One of the several greatest philosiphers of the 21st century alongside lowkey logic(peoples army) and immortal technique and brother ali. Whos watching this because your teacher assigned it to you????????? Also, on a mildly irrelevant note, his accent is my inspiration for speaking eloquently whilst retaining the ineffable London ghetto drawl. [Verse 1:] Nigga listen. There are three quarters of a million books surviving in the University of Timbuktu, which was the main university in that kingdom, though there were three universities. I'm new to Akala. I really liked him before but my enjoyment of him has been taken to a whole new level due to this. The fact that he dealt with the flaws of humanity. Listed below what? He was interviewed by Barbara Bogaev. But also to show that theres still a rhythm in it. That was great! Bless the Good Man. We had help from Joe Philip at Covered PR, from Mariama Abudulai and from Ryan Pate at the Dub Room Studio in Los Angeles. But mainly its to challenge peoples perceptions. Why might Akala say that we should teach Shakespeare? - Brainly So they set up Saturday schools.. Learn more about William Shakespeare here: He claims that they share rhythm. How he remembers all these lyrics off the fly, i'll never know. And actually its a different challenge now and iambic pentameter is very easy to find the rhythm of because its consistent, whereas the stuff in The Tempest is much more difficult. 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So if you write a verse on a regular tempo sort of hip-hop beat, 70 to 90 BPM, its very difficult to write the verse in such a way that it transfers onto what we in the UK call grime, which is 140 beats per minute. What does Akala say is the main thing that hip hop and Shakespeare share? This is fantastic. No one feels intimidated by Bob Marley, though. At age 9 I was put in a special needs group for kids who didnt speak English without my parents knowing.. That English accent doesnt exist in England anymore. This man makes me think about artistic styles of the ages. AKALA: Yeah, its political, a hundred percent. This guy is smart asf! What kind of name means "messenger"? BARBARA: Yeah, certainly not in class terms, yeah. Joshua Sackey - TED TALK NOTES-Shakespeare.pdf - Course Hero Posted July 25, 2017. So, you have some, you know, highly sophisticated centralized structures of government in early medieval West Africa. Theyre a bit nave and its, for me, its this ability to convey what it is to be human, the human frailties but these timeless characters, more than even the plays themselves, these theyve become real people, if you like. I show this video to my high school students every year prior to teaching Shakespeare. But they never vanished,Made it through the middle passage,Never gave up the habit,Passing on the stories and traditions so that we could have it.I saw as clear as day a griot trapped beneath the deck,Buried in [expletive] and vomit up to his neck,Lying shackled next to his younger sister, already dead,Her own corpse dont even smell no more, cause he has lost the sense.Still we sung the song of the warrior, giving heartTo all the others trapped, rebellion ready to start.That is art:Thats poems that bleed, songs mold historyThe greatest gift ever given, a true mystery.Even when the drum was outlawed on the plantation,She kept beating it and singing in secret and maintainin.I could see the start of the Haitians in revolution,And what did they start it with? (Not relevant to radio "rap"). Previous: Creating TNTs Will| Next: Shakespeares Kitchen. You know, Ovid, Pluto, the Bible. Why Shakespeare is still relevant over 400 years since his death. So, basically, this dude does a quick quiz and takes some phrases from both shakespeare and hip hop and shows how they are similar. Im saying what RZA rapped about was or Lauryn Hill or any of these great artists, to me, they are my Shakespeares, they are my philosophers, theyre the people who got me into history. Massive respect! They don't give up much. Akala compared how hip hop lyrics are just like Shakespeare's work by saying lines from each and making people guess whether it was hip hop or Shakespeare. Salute. In awe at the knowledge of this lad. Folger Shakespeare Library. So, sitting people down and forcing them to read Shakespeare Performance poetry has to be performance first. MICHAEL: Akala works for the most part in the UK but recently he was in Los Angeles and stepped into the studio to talk with us about his work. Its invocations and music. And even he got a couple wrong. BARBARA: This is The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, your company? I feel that Akala was more interactive with the audience and much more informative. But in their own way, language, epenthesis & slang they portray what's happening or tell stories and whatever it may be. BARBARA: And kind of the ultimate re-interpreter. [CLIP from Akalas track, Comedy Tragedy History]. I never expected this. This man is awesome. And so if we take, say, jazz and we bring it all the way up to hip-hop, we talk about Congo Square. Hip-Hop & Shakespeare?: Akala at TEDxAldeburgh - Amara I am mind blowing with this tedtalk rap!! But that didnt mean he was always a good boy. 6 why might akala say that we should teach shakespeare They saw it as strong not weak. This video is truly awesome! Angel On point all the time! BARBARA: It was such a pleasure to talk to you. BARBARA: It has a very different completely different atmosphere. There was kind of a sense of we dont have to, you know, reverence Saint Shakespeare, hes the greatest thing since sliced bread, and he can only belong to the people at the top of the society. Its really interesting. They need more exposure. I mean it certainly could be Shakespeare. BARBARA: What do you want the takeaway to be for your audience? If rapping was so easy, wed all be Nas, right, or wed all be KRS-One or wed all be Lauryn Hill. please tell me how assigning this as english work is gonna help us in the real world lol, this shows how hip hop can relate to shakspere and how similar it is, @Akala you are so underrated! If he had been some classical actor and did a sonnet, they would have been on their feet. I dont think we can divorce Shakespeares global success from British imperialism and if India colonized the world, would we be reading the Mahabharata and the Rmyaa and these wonderful texts of Indian spirituality in the way that we read Shakespeare, as universal human text? BARBARA: So, youre talking about the work that you do with The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company. If Biggie Smalls told a story like that, people would say, why is he glorifying violence? This was so good. His plays delve into the issues of love, loss, treachery, honor, tenderness, anger, despair, jealousy, contempt, fear, courage, and wonder. If youve been enjoying Shakespeare Unlimited, I hope youll consider reviewing the podcast on whatever platform you get this podcast from. BARBARA: Well, I mean were talking about the oral tradition. You know, youre being poetic but at the same time youve put these very serious constraints on you but what the iambic pentameter, I think, gives you, it makes it a lot easier to memorize and as weve now discovered, you know, we can see that over modern music is a pretty good way for a person to learn how to flow. The most delightful TED session! Since 2009, under the auspices of his Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, Akala has been going to community centers, prisons, and schools in immigrant and underserved communities, using the tools of hip-hop to spread an understanding of the relevance of Shakespeares poetry. BARBARA: Thats right. You think of full stuff. A philosopher for the people. AKALA: But also I mean the Elizabethan theater itself was not, you know, the Globe was on the south side next to the bear baiting and the prostitution. BARBARA: I still dont recognize that line from Shakespeare. BARBARA: Well Id love to hear your Dostoyevsky rap, but Im gonna content myself with your Shakespeare ones. Thank you for sharing. After this he talks about the medieval empires of Western African and how they had people who were the custodians of the history and cultural and spiritual traditions and were often musicians.

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