Change through hip-hop

Beatrice Schuchardt and Marie Cravageot on the first hip-hop congress at the University of Wuppertal

From 6 to 7 June, the Romance Studies Department is organising the first Hip-Hop Congress at the University of Wuppertal. What is it about?

Beatrice Schuchardt: The focus is on a topic that moves contemporary societies: it's about change; climate change, change through new technologies, changing urban architectures, changes through global migration movements and changing gender images. We are interested in the question of how these transformation processes are narrated, set to music and fuelled by a genre of music that is enjoying great global popularity: French-language hip-hop. This is the second largest market for hip-hop worldwide after the USA.

Where do the participants come from?

Marie Cravageot: The programme of our international and interdisciplinary congress was designed in three parts: Lectures, a panel discussion and a concert. For the lectures, we have the privilege of welcoming academics from several countries. They come from Canada, the Ivory Coast, Switzerland, France, Austria and also from several German cities. The programme will be diverse so that it is also accessible to non-hip-hop specialists. The panel discussion with francophone hip-hop artists and academics following the presentations will be interactive: it will offer pupils from the region, students and the interested public the opportunity to exchange views on the potentials and limits of francophone hip-hop as an indicator and driver of change.

As the organiser, you say that hip-hop signals social change. By what means?

Schuchardt: This happens on several levels: Thematically, lyrically, musically and through a changing scene of hip-hop artists* that has diversified on a gender level, for example, just as it has in contemporary societies. Hip-hop has always been culturally diverse, so one topic that is constantly being renegotiated in all four elements of hip-hop culture (rap, DJing, graffiti, breakdancing) is culture on the move, for example through migration or new living spaces that need to be developed due to environmental damage. Hip-hop triggers change by reframing familiar themes and placing them in unfamiliar contexts. A track from France, which will also be the subject of the conference, "Arkboot" by Cadillac, for example, uses well-known metaphors that were used in the European press in relation to the so-called "refugee crisis": There, the people coming to Europe by boat in particular were described as a "tidal wave", while Europe, in contrast, was described as a "full boat" threatening to capsize. "Arkboot" (2019) puts this into a different and new perspective by turning Europe into a saving ark ("Ark"). However, there is talk of a welcome subversion, of a hard drive that has to be rebooted after a Trojan. It is said that this reboot affects both sides: those that are coming and those that are already there. Here, the Trojan does not appear as something harmful, but brings about a positive change.

How long has this style actually been around?

Cravageot: French rap has its roots in the hip-hop culture of the South Bronx in New York in the early 1970s. Inspired by this, breakdancing and graffiti developed in France in the working-class neighbourhoods of big cities like Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Rap was naturally integrated into this emerging urban culture. In the early 1980s, Dee Nasty and DJ Kool Herc brought this new form of musical expression to France. They organised the first hip-hop parties and brought the basics of DJing and scratching with them. The first commercial success of rap came in 1984 with the emblematic group IAM, which scored a major hit with "Planète Mars". In 1990, NTM, made up of Joey Starr and Kool Shen, catapulted French rap into the national spotlight. The 1990s were the golden age of French rap. This period was characterised by an unprecedented artistic flowering and creativity. Iconic groups and artists such as Suprême NTM, MC Solaar, IAM, Assassin, Fonky Family, Lunatic and Ministère A.M.E.R. emerged and captivated an ever-growing audience. Beyond music, French rap is proving to be a means of social engagement and the denunciation of injustice. Over the course of the 2000s, French rap diversified its style with the emergence of movements such as conscious rap, hardcore rap, alternative rap and commercial rap. Artists such as MC Solaar, Booba and PNL have managed to conquer non-French-speaking audiences and spread French rap culture worldwide.

How does hip-hop translate these social changes?

Schuchardt: It happens on several levels. Firstly linguistically, because francophone rap texts are places where new words are created, but also places that spread such neologisms. The French youth language, verlan , with its rapid changes and syllable twists, is a source of this linguistic change. Change is also thematised and initiated in terms of sound, for example through new sounds. From 2010, we suddenly find classical instruments such as the oboe in hip-hop, which was previously frowned upon, for example in the track "Fenêtre sur rue" ("Window to the Street") by Hugo TSR. Sonic refinement is often deliberately contrasted with the lyrical depiction of violence and drug addiction. The whole thing is always linked to a call for change. In terms of changing gender images, hip-hop shows a diversification that is now also visible in society. For example, the rap scene has changed from a formerly male and heterosexual-dominated field to one where FLINTA* rappers such as Piche and Finna are now clearly visible (FLINTA* stands for women, lesbians, inter, non-binary, trans and agender people, editor's note).

One of the lectures poses the question: Has hip-hop culture changed the cities? How can you recognise this?

Schuchardt: One important element is graffiti as part of hip-hop culture. Breakdancing is also part of it, because it is danced outdoors, on the street. Because hip-hop goes hand in hand with social engagement, it creates meeting places, e.g. in the form of youth centres. However, hip-hop also denounces developments such as gentrification and social displacement processes due to more expensive housing. The Marseille rapper Keny Arkana did this in her track "La rue nous appartient" ("The street belongs to us", 2008), which also triggered social activism and protests.

How diverse is French hip-hop?

Schuchardt: Extremely diverse. This applies to the many different styles and the breadth of topics addressed, as well as the cultural diversity and the linguistically and musically diverse influences. French hip-hop can be found in all parts of the francophone world. This phenomenon, which is also a consequence of French colonialism, is always critically reflected in rap. Francophone hip-hop can be found from the Ivory Coast and Senegal via Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to Quebec and the Caribbean, e.g. Haiti and the Antilles. Alongside France, Belgium also has a very lively hip-hop scene that is recognised far beyond the country's borders. Local languages and musical styles flow into hip-hop from all the countries mentioned, while at the same time there are global trends. It is important to realise that even within the individual countries there are no homogeneous hip-hop cultures, but rather highly specialised scenes. Specialisation is also a strategy for standing out. Since its beginnings, hip-hop has offered a space for cultural, linguistic and musical diversity. This is also why it is so dynamic and correspondingly receptive to change as a theme and process.

Cravageot: The spectrum of styles and characteristics of French and French-language hip-hop is very broad. It is indeed striking to go from JUL (Generation Z superstar from Marseille), whose lyrics and musical style were often harshly judged by music critics, to an artist like Stromae, a Belgian artist with resounding success who was widely welcomed by all the media. Although at first glance everything seems to stand between these two artists, in my opinion they represent the whole diversity of hip-hop, both in terms of lyrics, music, stylistic development and the staging of the video clips of their songs. If there is one genre of music that is characterised by diversity, it is hip-hop. This is what makes it so rich, but also so complex.

What role do codes, slang and other languages play in the realisation of this style of music?

Cravageot: Hip-hop, especially rap, is an eminently urban medium that conveys the language of youth. Its lyrics are rooted in the heart of modern oral language like no other music. Anglicisms, abbreviations, imports from other countries, new forms of slang, variations of all kinds. Rap popularises expressions that were originally often very local. And when the number of views of a song skyrockets, the codes, words and references of a neighbourhood, a group or a simple circle of friends are made accessible to the rest of the world. While many are curious to discover these linguistic variances, others are studying this sociolinguistic phenomenon with the utmost seriousness through outstanding linguists. As in their everyday lives, in which they speak several languages, rap lyrics also juggle between languages. We are thinking here of very well-known artists such as Soolking, a French-Algerian rapper and dancer of Kabyle origin, who not only mixes French and Arabic, but also presents a heterogeneous musical style in which one finds non-urban pop music, reggae and Algerian folklore. Soolking, like other multilingual artists, has finally paved the way for a new style of music that offers a hybrid, colourful and mixed hip-hop.

What does hip-hop have to do with climate change?

Schuchardt: Since its beginnings in the 1980s, French-language hip-hop has criticised social grievances, social inequality, racism and structural violence. This social criticism, which is common in hip-hop, also includes the naming of environmental damage, the call for a more conscious and responsible use of our planet's resources, which has been noticeable in rap since the late 1980s. In rap, the call to save the planet is essentially about future opportunities that the young generation is demanding for itself. In rap, this goes hand in hand with criticism of political decisions and economic systems. While around 1989 Assassin was still criticising the hole in the ozone layer, deforestation and nuclear testing in French rap, today artists like Orelsan are focusing on climate change as a literally burning issue. It is also about criticising consumer cultures. Incidentally, consumption as a status symbol is also widespread in the hip-hop scene: large cars with high petrol consumption and a high level of wear and tear on clothing are seen as a sign that you have made it. In tracks that criticise precisely this, hip-hop also takes itself to task to a certain extent.

The congress ends - how could it be otherwise - with a great hip-hop concert. Who is coming and where is the concert being organised?

Cravageot: We are delighted to be welcoming three French-speaking artists who live in NRW. This shows that hip-hop in all its diversity is really very close to us! We welcome the rapper ALBI X, a rousing and energetic Afro-German artist who skilfully combines his Congolese roots with his career full of rich encounters. In his lyrics, he switches seamlessly between French, Lingala, German and English. A multilingual and multicultural mix that allows him to easily transmit his positive spirit to all those who do not understand any of these languages with his varied play between trap, hip-hop, Afro and also African sounds. In this way, he fights discrimination in a positive, energetic and inclusive way. Our favourite, which you should discover as soon as possible: C'est ma vie (2023). We will also welcome Guy Dermosessian, who was born and raised in Beirut. He is a DJ, vinyl collector and founder of the music label Kalakuta Soul Records. He has been travelling the world's clubs for over fifteen years with a well-stocked record case. In his eclectic DJ sets, he questions Eurocentric club culture and its musical canon, preferring to play Nigerian boogie, Lebanese pop, Cameroonian mokassa or Syrian hip-hop. We also have DJ ADJO as a guest, who is a member of the Global South Sound Collective. She grew up in a mixture of German and Togolese culture, which has developed her musical identity into an innovative sound. She draws inspiration from genres such as Afrobeats, soul, samba, highlife and British sounds such as UK garage or jungle. With each cover, ADJO takes us on a journey through her diverse musical universe full of pan-African music, soundcloud nuggets and homemade edits. We present these artists on 7 June at 18:00 on the AStA level of the University of Wuppertal. Admission is free of charge.

Ms Schuchardt, Ms Cravageot, what do you personally like about this style?

Schuchardt: The playfulness of the sound, arrangements and lyrics. Language games, the desire to use language in new and different ways, to break grammar rules, to play with the sound structures of words, play a major role in many tracks. Compared to the rather hard beats of the 1990s and 2000s, the sound has become softer and more pleasing since around 2010, which often forms a contrast to the harsh social and cultural criticism. Humour is also important. I particularly like French-language hip-hop that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Cravageot: My youth was characterised by MC Solaar and IAM, artists you couldn't avoid even if you didn't grow up in the suburbs. Today, I'm rediscovering these texts from the 1990s and marvelling at their poetic power. This writing talent can also be found in some hip-hop artists in the literary world, such as Abd al Malik or Gael Faye. The latter is currently an artist in France who is being praised by both music and literary critics. In addition to the music and lyrics, the remarkable interpretative power of many hip-hop artists should also be mentioned. The incredible expressiveness of the young rapper Keny Arkana from Marseille, for example, bears witness to this. And then there is another central feature of hip-hop, namely collectives, crews or even featurings. These phenomena, in which artists work together and invite each other to compose a track together, are a strong marker for solidarity, exchange and enrichment. And, contrary to what the media tells you, the power of hip-hop conveys more positive values than you might think!

Uwe Blass

Beatrice Schuchardt is a qualified Franco-Romanist and Hispanist. After receiving research and teaching awards from the Universities of Münster and Dresden and holding positions in Freiburg and Dresden, where she headed the "Centre France | Francophonie", she has been Professor of French Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Wuppertal since the summer semester 2023.

Marie Cravageot works in the Department of Romance Studies at the University of Wuppertal in a dual function: as a mentor for the "Quality Measures in the Induction Phase" (QSP) programme for Romance Studies students and (also) as a lecturer in French cultural and literary studies. She specialises in French exile literature and contemporary French and Francophone literature.