jackcyganiakmultimediajournal

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Biggies Living Work

For my third Tumbler multimedia post I decided to choose The Notorious BIG Instagram page. The Instagram page is owned and operated by the Estate of Biggie. The page is very active in posting and sharing pictures and memories from the past. The entire Instagram page comes across as a celebration of life. Celebrate BIG and the people who helped him along the way. One person other than Big that appeared was Jay Z. I believe Biggies Instagram page serves as a portal of the past it acts like a living art show. Constantly being updates with pictures and videos of the past. In a way it’s a living representation of biggies life and the impact he had on modern culture a culture he helped craft and shape into what it is today. I believe his Instagram account relates directly to our class discussions on African American culture. The Instagram page is a living art show that expresses and shows African American culture during the early 1990’s and later. As you can see on the photo of Biggies Instagram page there is a website. The website leads to a Biggies own personal music website with a playlist of all of Biggie’s songs. This adds to the living art piece of the page. It brings a new element of artistical expression. Most recently the website is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Biggies music. The music website promotes Big’s life, commemorating it with another piece of art. The website highlights transforming part of Biggies music into a living Non-fungible Token (NFT). I believe Biggie’s page serves a purpose of reminding the living of Biggies life and his mission. Biggie was surrounded by loved one thought-out his life supporting him every chance they could. His page serves as tribute to them and the mission of biggie. While Biggie is not physically with us today his work will live forever. The impact he has had on society and culture is profound and long-lasting. He serves as an icon and inspiration to his fans in the past and today. Prior to researching BIG I didn’t know much about Rap and rap culture after learning more about BIG has opened my eyes to rap and rap culture. How important it is to the African American Culture and all the complexities of it. I have a new appreciation for BIG and the legacy he left.

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“I Got A Story to Tell”

For my second Tumbler media post I will be doing a deep dive into the Netflix film Biggie. “I Got A Story to Tell” tells the origin story of Biggies lifelong friend “D-Roc” The film shows actual footage shot from hotel rooms, backstage at shows. The film shows an up close and personal life of Biggie and D-Roc. The film also shows influential figures in Biggies and D Roc’s life, how they shaped and influenced their lives. The biggie film is unique in featuring and making D Roc a central figure in the documentary. The film pivots to show how baggies music shaped and transformed the music industry. It also shows how his music has influenced music and culture even to today. Biggie was known as a “Gangsta rapper�� his music broke traditional norms of music. The documentary shows Biggies mother, she explains how Biggies music started and how it has developed over time. The movie shows that biggie was a true believer in the mission of music. The documentary shows Biggie could only sleep if music was playing. He lived and breathed music and he loved every minute of it. The movie address that Biggie was a drug dealer, it shows how he didn’t spend much time drug deal and more time being a music artist expressing himself. This movie could be an entire lesson plan it is jammed packed with knowledge and history of American. The movie show cases black culture during the time when biggie was on center stage. It show cased what life was like in the inner city. The Movie tackles how gang life runs hand and hand with the music industry. Biggie shows a map of the city. Outlined by different boundaries, the boundaries showed which gangs controlled which areas. The movie shows biggies biggest songs “Suicidal Thoughts” Biggie songs was written like a cinema. In that way there could be considered multimedia type of art. I would say this movie is a great example of black culture during the 1990s. It shows how black people were treated and how they saw the world. The types of scenarios many black people face everyday even today.

[jackcyganiakmultimediajournal]

Hip Hop Evolution & Biggie

For my Multimedia project I have decided to watch Biggie on Netflix and the Tv program Hip Hop Evolution. I thought the programs built on each other and provided more context of the times. I watched the Hip Hop Evolution first because it started in the early 1970s. The show highlights the major influencers of the time many of them Rap icons. I thought it was interesting to see how rap started and transformed through the decades. I liked how the Hip Hop Evolution talked with the artist directly to get there take on certain topics. I believe this makes interviews more authentic and real. The TV Show focused on rappers it also highlighted the culture of rap. It specifically touched on the drug problem that has struck the United States. The Show shows how Music and drugs intertwined. The show made it clear that the drugs and music were not a black and white cookie cutter issue but a more complex situation. Following Hip Hop Evolution, I also watched Netflix’s Biggie. I really enjoyed watching Biggie because it dove into the rap legend. The movie showcases his life the relationships he made and the influence he had on culture. I like how the movie or documentary showed how Biggie entered the drug world and left the world. It showed how complex and dangerous the rap world was during the 1990s. I believe both films relate to our course work because they showcase African American culture and how it is tied to rap music. I thought it was extremely insightful because in the media today you can only find talking points about the war on drugs. I thought these two documentaries show how complex the issue really is. I thought it was interesting to see how Biggie built and shaped rap culture. I believe he directly relates to our course work as a historical figure who shaped history though his work. He is so influential he is referenced in rap music to this day. I believe these documentaries show a realistic portal of the times they were in. It showed how the poor black neighborhoods were plagued with drugs and violence. It showed how many young African Americans males believed the only way out of poverty was through the world of drugs, music, or sports. It showed the reality few want to talk about in America. Relating the Tv show and movie to the course material I would say these two films could be lessons on how America was for African Americans during the 1970s-1990s. It’s very in-depth with the culture they manifested and perfected.