Shakespeare was the First Gangster Hip-Hop Artist | Doug Rappaport | TEDxEdgemontSchool

Summary

This script explores the surprising parallels between Shakespeare's works and modern hip-hop, arguing that the Bard would be a rapper today. It highlights common themes such as racism, sex, partying, and violence found in both, suggesting that Shakespeare's plays were as raw and relevant to their audiences as hip-hop is to ours. The speaker encourages a reevaluation of both art forms, emphasizing their shared tradition of social commentary and storytelling.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Shakespeare was an entertainer who wrote for a popular audience, similar to how modern rappers aim to reach a broad audience with their music.
• 👑 The Globe Theater experience, with its penny admission and boisterous atmosphere, was akin to attending a modern music festival.
• 📝 If Shakespeare were alive today, he would likely be a rapper, combining his poetic words with beats to engage with his audience.
• 🔍 Central themes of contemporary rap music, such as racism, political injustice, sex, partying, and violence, were also prevalent in Shakespeare's works.
• 🎵 Rap artists like Tupac Shakur and A Tribe Called Quest address racism in their music, and Shakespeare similarly tackled the theme through characters like Othello and Shylock.
• 🍻 Shakespeare's plays are filled with references to drinking, partying, and sexual innuendo, much like the content found in modern hip-hop.
• 🗡 The theme of gang warfare and violence in hip-hop is mirrored in Shakespeare's plays, with examples such as the feuding families in 'Romeo and Juliet'.
• 🕊️ Shakespeare's message of unity and equality, emphasizing that all people are the same regardless of race or religion, is timeless and relevant to both his era and today's society.
• 📚 The script encourages an open-minded approach to appreciating the poetry and artistry in both Shakespeare's works and modern hip-hop.
• 🎵 Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' is highlighted as an example of successfully merging hip-hop with theater, creating a new form of art that resonates with contemporary audiences.
• 💡 The script concludes with an encouragement to not dismiss unfamiliar art forms and to embrace the opportunity to experience diverse expressions of creativity.

Q & A

Who is considered the original hip hop gangster artist according to the speaker?

The speaker considers William Shakespeare as the original hip hop gangster artist.

What is the significance of the 'Groundlings' in the context of Shakespeare's audience?

The 'Groundlings' refers to the general audience who paid a penny to stand in the yard of the Globe Theatre, similar to how people today might attend a popular music festival.

What is the connection between Shakespeare's plays and modern rap music according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that both Shakespeare's plays and modern rap music share common themes such as racism, political injustice, sex and partying, and gang life, which are relevant across different eras and cultures.

How does the speaker relate Shakespeare's 'Othello' to themes of racism in hip-hop?

The speaker relates 'Othello' to hip-hop by pointing out the character's struggle as a Black Muslim in a predominantly white society, similar to the experiences of racial discrimination depicted in hip-hop songs.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate Shakespeare's focus on racism?

The speaker cites 'The Merchant of Venice' where the character Shylock, a Jew, questions the humanity of Jews in a monologue that resonates with the theme of racial equality.

How does the speaker link Shakespeare's works to the theme of sex and partying in rap music?

The speaker provides examples of bawdy language and references to drinking and sexual encounters in Shakespeare's plays, drawing parallels to the celebratory and hedonistic themes found in rap music.

What Shakespearean play does the speaker use to discuss the theme of gang warfare?

The speaker uses 'Romeo and Juliet' to discuss gang warfare, highlighting the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues as an example of this theme.

How does the speaker compare the level of violence in Shakespeare's plays to that in hip-hop?

The speaker argues that the level of violence depicted in Shakespeare's plays, with numerous murders and acts of cruelty, is as intense, if not more so, than the violence often criticized in hip-hop music.

What message does the speaker intend to convey about the relationship between art, poetry, and hip-hop?

The speaker aims to convey that there is a continuous tradition of art and poetry in the English language that includes Shakespeare's works and modern hip-hop, suggesting that both are forms of expression that reflect societal issues and human experiences.

What advice does the speaker give to those who might dismiss Shakespeare or rap music?

The speaker encourages an open-minded approach to both Shakespeare's works and rap music, suggesting that understanding the themes and messages in these art forms can lead to a greater appreciation of their poetic and cultural significance.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Shakespeare and the Roots of Hip-Hop

The script introduces the theme of Shakespeare's relevance to modern hip-hop culture. It argues that Shakespeare, often considered a writer for the elite, was actually a popular entertainer whose plays were enjoyed by common people, much like today's hip-hop artists. The speaker draws parallels between the central themes of contemporary rap music and those found in Shakespeare's works, such as racism, political injustice, sex, partying, and gang life, suggesting that if Shakespeare were alive today, he would likely be a rapper addressing these same themes.

05:02

🖋️ Exploring Shakespeare's Relevance to Social Issues

This paragraph delves into the theme of racism in both hip-hop and Shakespeare's works. It discusses how Shakespeare's play 'Othello' addresses racial tensions, despite being set in a different time and place from contemporary racial issues. The script also references 'The Merchant of Venice' to illustrate Shakespeare's exploration of prejudice, using the character Shylock to question the nature of racism. The paragraph suggests that Shakespeare's themes of social injustice and identity are timeless and resonate with the messages in today's rap music.

10:04

🍻 The Boisterous World of Shakespeare and Hip-Hop

The speaker connects the themes of sex, partying, and drinking found in hip-hop to similar themes in Shakespeare's works. It provides examples of bawdy language and references to drinking in Shakespeare's plays, indicating that these themes are not unique to modern music. The paragraph highlights the humanizing aspect of these themes, showing that both Shakespeare and hip-hop artists explore the full spectrum of human experience, including the pursuit of pleasure and the darker aspects of relationships.

15:05

🗡️ Gang Warfare and Violence in Shakespeare and Hip-Hop

This paragraph examines the theme of gang warfare and violence, drawing comparisons between the rivalries depicted in hip-hop music and those in Shakespeare's plays, such as 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Macbeth'. It emphasizes the intense and graphic nature of violence in Shakespeare's works, arguing that the level of brutality and conflict is on par with what is sometimes criticized in modern hip-hop. The script suggests that the portrayal of violence in both art forms serves to reflect and comment on societal issues.

🌟 The Timeless Art of Hip-Hop and Shakespeare

The final paragraph concludes the script by emphasizing the shared tradition between Shakespeare's works and modern hip-hop. It posits that both are forms of poetry and storytelling that have evolved over time but remain connected. The speaker encourages hip-hop fans to explore Shakespeare's works and challenges the notion that rap is devoid of artistic value. The paragraph ends with a call to appreciate the poetry in unexpected places, as exemplified by the musical 'Hamilton', which blends hip-hop with traditional theater.

Keywords

💡Hip-hop

Hip-hop is a cultural movement that originated in the African American and Latino communities of the Bronx in the 1970s. It encompasses various artistic forms, including rap music, DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. In the video, hip-hop is discussed as a modern form of expression with deep roots in the tradition of storytelling and poetry, drawing parallels with Shakespeare's works.

💡Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is an English playwright and poet, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. The script uses Shakespeare as a bridge to connect the themes found in his plays with those in contemporary hip-hop, emphasizing the universality of human experiences and storytelling.

💡Racism

Racism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice. The video script mentions racism as a central theme in both Shakespeare's plays, such as 'Othello', and in hip-hop lyrics, highlighting the ongoing struggle against racial injustice.

💡Political injustice

Political injustice refers to unfair treatment or discrimination based on politics, often leading to social inequality. The script implies that political injustice, like racism, is a recurring theme in both Shakespeare's time and in modern hip-hop, where artists use their platform to critique societal issues.

💡Sex and partying

Sex and partying are themes often associated with celebration, enjoyment, and sometimes excess. The script points out that these themes are prevalent in both Shakespeare's works and in hip-hop music, suggesting a timeless human interest in pleasure and social interaction.

💡Gang warfare

Gang warfare refers to conflicts between rival groups, often associated with violence and turf wars. The video script draws a parallel between the gang conflicts depicted in plays like 'Romeo and Juliet' and the gang-related narratives in hip-hop, showing the enduring relevance of these stories.

💡Violence

Violence is the use of physical force to harm or kill others. The script contrasts the violent themes in hip-hop with the graphic violence in Shakespeare's plays, arguing that the intensity of storytelling transcends time and medium.

💡The Globe Theater

The Globe Theater was a round playhouse in London where many of Shakespeare's plays were performed. The script uses the Globe Theater as an example of the popular entertainment of Shakespeare's time, comparing it to modern music festivals and the communal experience of watching performances.

💡Groundlings

Groundlings were the audience members in Shakespeare's time who paid a penny to stand in the yard of the Globe Theater. The script mentions groundlings to illustrate that Shakespeare's plays were meant for the common people, much like how hip-hop is a form of popular culture today.

💡Contemporary rap music

Contemporary rap music refers to the current trends and styles in the hip-hop genre. The video script discusses how themes prevalent in contemporary rap music have historical roots in the works of Shakespeare, suggesting a continuity in the exploration of human and social issues.

💡Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a composer, lyricist, and actor known for creating the musicals 'Hamilton' and 'In the Heights'. The script quotes Miranda to emphasize the successful fusion of hip-hop and theater in modern productions, drawing a direct line from Shakespeare's influence to current artistic expressions.

Highlights

The comparison between Shakespeare and modern hip-hop artists, emphasizing their shared themes and influence on popular culture.

Shakespeare's works were intended for a popular audience, much like today's hip-hop is for the masses.

The Globe Theater experience is likened to attending a modern music festival, with its interactive and sometimes unruly audience.

Shakespeare's plays and modern rap music both focus on central themes such as racism, political injustice, sex, partying, and violence.

Tupac Shakur's 'Changes' and Tribe Called Quest's music are used to illustrate the theme of racism in hip-hop, paralleling Shakespeare's exploration of the same theme.

Shakespeare's 'Othello' is highlighted as a play dealing with racism, featuring a black general in a predominantly white society.

The character Iago from 'Othello' is presented as an example of unexplained hatred, similar to the unaddressed racism in hip-hop.

The Merchant of Venice's Shylock is used to demonstrate Shakespeare's commentary on anti-Semitism, a form of racism.

Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg's lyrics are cited to show the prevalence of sex, partying, and drinking in rap music, which is also found in Shakespeare's works.

Shakespeare's characters are shown to be just as scandalous and salacious as those in modern hip-hop, with numerous references to drinking and sexual innuendo.

Romeo and Juliet is reinterpreted as a story of gang warfare between the Capulets and Montagues, drawing a parallel to modern narratives of gang life in hip-hop.

The level of violence in Shakespeare's plays, such as 'Macbeth' and 'Hamlet', is compared to the violent themes found in contemporary rap music.

The speaker argues that the poetic tradition in English language, from Chaucer to Shakespeare to modern hip-hop, shares a common thread of social commentary and expression.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' is mentioned as an example of successfully merging hip-hop with theater, much like Shakespeare did in his time.

The speaker encourages hip-hop fans to explore Shakespeare's works to understand the depth and relevance of his themes to modern life.

A call for open-mindedness from parents and critics of hip-hop, suggesting that the genre contains profound poetry and social insight.

The transcript concludes with an inspirational message to embrace new art forms and not to miss opportunities to experience them.

Transcripts

[Music]

okay hey how are y'all doing this

morning when people think about the

Giants of hip-hop think about the great

rappers out there a couple different

names come to mind right jay-z Tupac

Shakur may he rest in peace

Kendrick Lamar Biggie's and Biggie

Smalls but one person is frequently

forgotten and this guy is the original

hip hop gangster artist out there who's

that person

the notorious ba Rd okay so I'm here to

tell you now some of you may be rolling

your eyes right now oh man we thought

this was going to be cool he opened this

kendrick lamar's is going to be

something interesting we sat all day for

this but um now they going to talk to me

about this guy who wrote stories 500

years ago in inscrutable Old English

this dude has zero relevance for my life

well you're wrong okay something people

think Shakespeare wrote for kings and

queens and Dukes and duchesses he did

not he was an entertainer he wrote plays

for popular audience made up largely of

Groundlings who paid exactly one penny

to stand out in the stage drinking cheap

booze like Old English ale eating

chicken maybe getting rained on and

snowed on a trip to the Globe Theater

was like going gov baller Summer Jam

right if the show is good everybody

cheered if the show stunk

you booed maybe you brought some

vegetables along is threw a little

tomatoes you threw a little lettuce up

there cabbage whatever you had I

appreciate you all for not bring

vegetables today by the way so thank you

for that most importantly if you had

poetic aspirations in the 15 and 1600s

and wanted to reach a broad audience you

became a playwright it's way to do it

today you become a rap

so if Shakespeare was around today he'd

be trying to combine his words his flow

with some mad beats to reach his desired

audience and who his desired audience be

his desire audience would be you guys

right that's my boy Shakespeare what it

looked like today okay most importantly

if you look at many of the central

themes of contemporary rap music

many of them are precisely the same

themes Shakespeare focused on in its

works okay so let's take a look at some

of these themes among these themes are

racism political injustice right when I

rap music on there sex and partying and

having fun yeah see that regularly gang

life violence okay again something we

commonly see these are central themes in

hip-hop today these were central themes

in shape William works of William

Shakespeare okay so let's talk about

racism first all right we see racism

hip-hop all the time right let's check

in with our man Tupac Shakur on his

legendary song changes

disgraceful racist we are a bunch of

what it takes to make this one better

place let's see rates the wasted take

the evil of the V whatever yeah karate

is all black and white and smokes crack

tonight and yo it's our telephone kill

each other the idioms are mere ears on

the heel ease up

similarly in their hit last year we the

people tribe called quest's talked about

the rise of racist racist problems and

racist hatred in this country

[Music]

or we hate you wait okay so you guys are

sitting there right now thinking all

right that's great thank you for the

beats this morning we could need we need

a little wake-up call at this point what

does this have to do with Shakespeare

okay Shakespeare lived in England you

don't get more Anglo than that he knew

nothing about America's problems of race

500 years ago okay 500 years later after

the time that he wrote so what does this

guy know okay but this is the genius of

Shakespeare okay this is the brilliance

of Shakespeare Shakespeare wrote a play

called a fellow and the fellow is a

story about a great black general trying

to make his way in White Venice okay

Estella was sort of the Cam Newton of

the Venice war scene in a world full of

white coaches and white quarterbacks all

right and but a solo had a bigger even

most a bigger problem there

he wasn't just black he wasn't more you

know what it means to be a more that

means you're a Muslim so this man is a

Black Muslim living in Venice located in

Italy home of the Pope for those of you

who took AP euro this year okay so what

is she what does a fellow do when he

gets to Venice a fellow finds a

beautiful white girl and he secretly

marries her and how does her father

react to this

our Father accuses a fellow of employing

um employing witchcraft to take his

daughter his father says whether a maid

so tender fair and happy so opposite to

marriage that she shunned the wealthy

curled darlings of our nation would ever

have to incur a general mock run from

her garden to the bosom of such a

thing as thou to fear not to delight

judge me the world it is not gross and

since thou has practiced on her with

foul charms abused her delicate youth

with drugs and minerals so Desdemona's

father what's she saying she say there

is no way my pristine daughter would

hang out with you much less marry you a

fellow the Black Muslim general in

Venice

you must have draw

hugged her that's the only way to do it

later on in a cell oh we meet the chief

antagonist Shakespeare's teeth chief

sellers chief tormentor guy named jogo

okay and what does Yoko say about a cell

oh okay Yago explains again and again as

I have told thee I've told the often and

retell the again and again I hate the

more my cause is hearted Yahoo never

explains why he hates the more but one

could assume why does he hate the more

because he's different because he's

black Shakespeare focuses on racism

again in the Merchant of Venice with

chief antagonist in a play is it

you he sums up racism quite simply he

says I am a Jew hath not a Jew eyes as

not a Jew hands organs dimensions senses

affections and passions if you prick us

do we not bleed if you tickle us do we

not laugh if you poison us do we not die

and if you wrong us shall we not revenge

through these characters Shakespeare

like Tupac and Tribe Called Quest is

saying whether you're black or white Jew

Christian or Muslim we are all people

we're all the same underneath and that

was a theme that was relevant 500 years

ago when Shakespeare wrote it and it's

obviously quite relevant today okay

perhaps you say all right so you know

really clever or you found this common

theme going on there let's move on to

the next one here sex and partying and

drinking all right we know rap music is

full of these celebratory references

let's take a visit with my personal

favorite jay-z

[Music]

you even gotta bring your purses out we

did oh yeah traces on okay so rock boys

in the building tonight and all the

drinks are on us guys let's party let's

celebrate not an unusual theme in rap

music Snoop Dogg said it more succinctly

than that when Snoop Dogg simply said

rolling down the street smoking in Indo

sippin on gin and juice right it's as

simple as that that's all that life is

about right according to our friend

Snoop Dogg here okay so that's fine what

does this have to do with some English

dude who live 500 years ago what did

Shakespeare or his characters know about

drinking and partying and sex and all

that stuff actually quite a bit

Shakespeare's works are full of

rabble-rousing carousing and drinking

and scattered among his many characters

are a number of guys that you might

refer to as players currently and I'm

sure they weren't referred to that way

back in Shakespeare's time but his works

are full of scandalous and salacious

references would be quite at home in the

works of folks like Ludacris and little

Wayne let's take a look here at a number

of these references to drinking here

okay so if you take a look there it said

it says simply that we're talking about

ale in drinks and pull up my notes here

if sack and sugar be a sin God helped

the wicked a quart of ale is a dish for

a king maybe parents of brothers and

sisters have thought that sometime I

would give all my fame for a pot of ale

and so on and so forth so all this

stuff's out there saying hey Shakespeare

liked to party too

Shakespeare enjoyed his drinks he

enjoyed his ale enjoyed guzzling as well

okay so we have that piece covered what

about

this was Victorian England we don't talk

about things like that not the way

that's talked about in rap music well

you'd be surprised actually if you take

a look we've got all of these varying

lines from Shakespeare Hamlet says to

his girlfriend Ophelia that's a fair

thought to lie between maids legs

Yago talking about a cell oh says your

daughter and the moor are making the

beast with two backs you don't have to

be too creative to figure out what that

means okay and then in a play called

Titus Andronicus we have the first to my

knowledge at least the first yo mama

joke in which an upset son Chiron says

you have undone our mother and Aran was

pictured up there comes back and says

villain I have done thy mother okay so

we see again this common thread that

runs through Shakespeare and runs

through hip-hop let's focus on our last

theme here gang warfare and violence

okay gang warfare in the thug life rap

music is sometimes criticized sometimes

praised for us focus on the thug life

and gang warfare Kendrick Lamar and good

kid bet mad city talks about life among

the Bloods and the Crips

if Pyro's and Crips I got alone they

probably got me down by the end of the

song seemed like the whole city go

against me every

ministry okay all right so great and

there's plenty of others out there

talking about the Bloods and the Crips

and gang warfare what does this have to

do with Shakespeare well quite a bit we

find similar instance of gang warfare in

unusual places such as Romeo and Juliet

Oh Romeo and Juliet that beautiful

romance what could that have to do with

any of this Romeo and Juliet is not

simply the story of poor star-crossed

lovers

Romeo and Juliet is a play about gang

warfare between two clans

the Capulets and the Montagues okay

these Capulets and Montague's hate each

other and they go out through the course

of this play and I don't want to be

spoil it for you guys but they go out

and they kill each other so if you take

a look at Baz Luhrmann's film Romeo and

Juliet makes this really clear and here

you've got gianluca's amo playing t-ball

and he comes up and says what drawn and

talk of peace I hate the word as I hate

hell all Montague's in thee have at thee

coward and then he pulls his sword or in

the case of Baz Luhrmann's film his gun

and they go at it okay so it got a

little of gang warfare here that's cool

what about violence we all know that

hip-hop is filled with violence

sometimes it gets criticized for that as

well as jay-z puts it in his song threat

put that night take a little bit of life

from you

come on frightening yo shall I continue

it's gone too young let us sing the song

I met it home to you lovely one signal

okay that's pretty tough right I put the

knife to you I put the gun to you okay

the violence in today's hip-hop is

nothing compared to Shakespeare in these

plays you encounter the most vicious

psychopathic twisted murders and

miscreants you could ever imagine

okay we have plays we're an aspiring

prince kills off his brother the king

then he kills over his other brother

quit so he's ahead of him in line to the

throne then he marries the wife of a guy

he killed earlier and then he kills off

his sister and his tiny little nephews

okay that's Richard the third for you

another example how about we have a

situation where a prince poisons his

brother the king and then marries the

Kings wife and then tries to murder the

dead king's son to be or not to be folks

that's Hamlin third here we have another

one where we've got a jealous King who

suspects his baby is not his own so what

does he do he tells a woodsman take the

baby out to the woods and kill the baby

and the woodsman would have succeeded

but for the fact that the woodsman first

is eaten by a bear eat your heart out

for those of you who saw the movie the

revenant it gets pretty rough here too

and then maybe my personal favorite from

the movie Titus you've got two young men

who get angry at an aging general so

what do they do they snatch the generals

young daughter take her away they rape

her they cut her hands off and they cut

out her tongue so she can't tell anybody

who did it all right and these are just

some examples in Macbeth alone there are

32 murders or deaths in Macbeth they

call it the Scottish play because it's

bad luck to say its name but

something horrible might befall you okay

it doesn't get more gangster than the

stuff that's going on in Shakespeare's

plays okay so we've got these common

threads but why am I telling you all

this why am i sharing this with you

really to help you guys understand that

all art and poetry certainly great art

in poetry share a common tradition at

the English language poetic and lyrical

tradition that may have started with

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

which was a scandalous work at the time

back in the 1300s continued 200 years

later with the notorious BA Rd

Shakespeare and now is reflected in

today's hip-hop artists like jay-z

childish gambino and Kendrick Lamar that

the sometimes almost invisible thread

that began to unwind centuries ago

through the work of these contemporary

hip runs through the work of these

contemporary hip hop poets today they

are the voices of conscience they are

the voices of outrage they are the

voices shouting to be heard so for you

hip hop kids out there who think that

Shakespeare has nothing to do with you

give it a try see what wonders it might

hold maybe try to figure out why this

guy has been so popular for so long try

and figure out why everything from West

Side Story to The Lion King owes a debt

to Shakespeare Lion King scar the

jealous uncle kills Mufasa the brother

and then tries to eliminate his son

folks that's Hamlet no disrespect to our

friends at Disney but they just swiped

that from Shakespeare and for any of you

cultivated parents out there who think

rap is a bunch of noise who think

hip-hop is really just this awful

indictment of music today open your

minds a little bit listen to songs like

we the people from Tribe Called Quest or

Empire State of Mind from jay-z and

Alicia Keys you may kind of come to

understand the brilliant poetry can come

from unexpected places now I'm going to

leave you guys with the words of

lin-manuel Miranda who's perhaps the

first guy to perfectly marry hip hop and

theater into a seamless whole in his

popular musical you may have heard of it

called Hamilton when you have an

opportunity to experience new art when

you have an opportunity to hear new

music when you have opportunity to see

new or different theater do not throw

away your shot throw away

[Music]

thanks very much

[Applause]