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Lecture searches for connection between early rap music and crime television

By Hannah Fierle, For The Miami Student

With song titles like, "Gangsta, Gangsta" and, "Straight Outta Compton," the first association that comes to mind may not be politics.

But, beneath the surface of this rough-and-tumble genre is valuable insight into the tensions of the political landscape, both past and present.

Eric Harvey, assistant professor in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University, will visit Miami University to give a lecture entitled, "Who Got the Camera?" on Monday afternoon.

Harvey strives to analyze the relationship between the "gangsta rap" groups like N.W.A. during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the rise of the true crime television genre, with the increased popularity of shows like "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted."

The lecture explores the "gangsta rap" genre by dissecting lyrics and themes from both rap music and early crime shows to highlight the similarities in theme and political tensions each medium communicates.

Through this type of analysis, themes of crime, law, order and reality are all portrayed, despite the differences in how that theme is expressed. By highlighting the similarities, the audience is able to consider each medium with a new perspective.

"The goal of the piece is to reevaluate N.W.A. through the lens of early crime television programs, which paved the way for a lot of reality shows today," said Harvey. "We can understand N.W.A. differently by thinking about their approach toward music through the lens of reality as of a mode communication."

The content of Harvey's lecture came directly from a research paper he wrote as a graduate student at Indiana University several years ago. He always had an affinity for rap music from the era, and his father was a police officer, so the connection between the two subjects resonated with him personally.

"Like a lot of kids, I liked to listen to music that made my parents mad," said Harvey.

After presenting his research paper, the editor of quarterly music magazine "The Pitchfork Review" expressed interest in publishing his work. Once published, the article began to circulate around academia.

Ron Becker, professor in the Department of Media, Journalism and Film (MJF), stumbled upon Harvey's article. Becker showed the article to his department colleague, Mack Hagood, who is, coincidentally, personal friends with Harvey from their Ph.D. program.

"Given how popular the rap genre of music has become among Miami students, it will be interesting to consider when rap music was a very marginal form of cultural expression before it hit the mainstream culture," said Becker.

Hagood and Becker sought after Harvey to visit Miami and deliver his article in a lecture format. And, given that the MJF department focuses on how media shapes thought, opinion and culture, they thought Harvey's lecture seemed like a perfect fit for reconsidering and reexamining different forms of media.

"The lecture encourages thinking across different media platforms and hopefully will heighten students' perspectives on media," said Hagood. "Students will be able to see social inequalities we discuss today and how they were brought to the foreground in the 1980s and 1990s."

Because Harvey's original piece was quite lengthy, he condensed the article into a lecture and added interactive media with music and video clips to engage the audience. Additionally, with the popularity of the film "Straight Outta Compton" this summer, Harvey wanted to include new insight and perspective after viewing the movie.

"I hope students can show up and listen to cool music and maybe think about reality TV and rap music in a new and different way," said Harvey.

The lecture will begin at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26 in Kreger Hall, Room 319.