Common - Letter to the Free blog tasks

Social and cultural context

1) Other projects that Common has been involved in over the recent years is that he took part in the Tribeca Film Festival.-"He turned that song into an affecting visual, which he debuted a longer version of at Tribeca Film Festival Sunday night (April 23).".

2) The 13th Amendment of the American Constitution was the amendment stated that slavery was abolished as well as involuntary servitude, expect in cases where a person has committed a crime.


3) The Black Codes were laws passed in the Southern states in 1865 and 1866 restricting African Americans' freedom and compelling them to work in a labour based economy on low wages or debt. It was a part of a bigger problem of Southern Whites who tried to supress the freedom of African-Americans.

4) People suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment because mass incarceration was introduced after the abolition of slavery and segregation. 'Criminals' was used as an excuse in order to restrict the freedom of the African Americans which continued racism throughout the country and even till today.



5) Ava DuVernay was inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th because she stated that she wanted to be an advocate for change and to bring hope, "I make this film in a place of hope which is how I try to walk through the day".

6) Focusing on genre, the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop was -"I definitely have to first say that it was music in the late '80s and '90s that was truly reflective of a movement. It was the movement of black empowerment, black love, consciousness, just being aware."


 7) Other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music are- "But there are artists that do it, like Kendrick Lamar. I also think that Chance [the Rapper], though he may not speak in black consciousness, he has a consciousness about him, self-awareness and a spirituality",



8) The album Letter to the Free is taken from is 'Black America Again'. The critical reception for this album was 'critically acclaimed'. The album was given good reviews by Metacritic which rated the album an 88 out of 100. They said the album was "one of the year's most potent protest albums...The songs were emotional and loving". Q magazine said "Black America Again is a stirring reminder of the Chicago MC's relevance".

Close-textual analysis and representation

1) Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).

Camera shots

• establishing shots/wide shots-field
• long shots-lack of identity.
• black square- the 13th amendment-enclosed by walls and windows-represent the isolation and slavery for black people.

Camera movement

• constantly moving -slow paced, time passing.
• tracking shots
• angle- eye- no freedom.

2) The significance of the constantly moving camera may be reflecting the ongoing struggle for black people, in particular Black Americans. The slow pace may parallel how there has been such little progress and that there is still a lot of developing to do in order to reach where they should have been.

3) The video may be in black and white because the main idea is about conflict between blacks and whites- so its simply the message of the song. They may also be showing how there is white dominance, not just in terms of people, but in colour. The black also creates a heavy shadow, so you are never really shown to the musician-links to having no identity. Moreover, the black and white seems more traditional, more old so it could have a link with history, E.g. slavery etc.

4) Mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement.

• Setting- isolated place, which links to Gilroy's diasporic identity- not belonging anywhere. Reflect the marginalisation of black people by society. They are seen as subordinate and suppressed, given no voice. The prison represents slavery and the harsh conditions- mass incarceration. The prison cells, exercise yard-"No excessive noise"-link to slavery and how they used to sing.
• Costume/props- they have instruments- linked to traditional black music. The black square-diasporic identity/amendment 13. The pianist-black music genres, t-shirts. A urban element-link to black culture.
• Lighting- low key lighting is used- nor revealing much- highlights the repression of black identity. Links to the lack of close ups. The lighting makes the video seem cinematic/arthouse, link to the 13th documentary. Also a link to Dyson- "Hip Hop is still fundamentally an art form"
• Actor/performer placement and movement- we are never really close to any of their faces-suppressed identity. This may reflect their position/status in American societies. They are also in different rooms which indicates how they are isolated and subordinate, Dehumanised.

5) The key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song:

• "Shot me with your ray-gun/And now you want to trump me"- Common uses wordplay with ray-gun referring to former president Ronald Reagan. One thing that President Reagan is remembered for the most is his tough-on-crime mentality which lead to one of the most horrendous campaigns in America—the War on Drugs. This false crusade lead to many African-Americans and Latinos to be arrested in prison for years over non-violent charges. It seems that Donald Trump is very reminiscent to Reagan in regards to his views, policies, and slogans such as “Make America Great Again” and his emphasis on “law & order”.
• "For now we know, the new Jim Crow"- The emancipation proclamation and the 13th amendment brought the end of slavery 1863. However, most Southern States amended their laws to allow for racial segregation in society. The system institutionally kept black people from voting. The sets of laws passed were known as Jim Crow, they were abolished in 1965.For now, systematic racial segregation continues legally within the prison system which is referred to as—the New Jim Crow.

6) The significance of the floating black square motif:

• The 13th amendment- the constitution, cast in stone. Maybe a monument.
• The transition of slavery.
• The legacy of slavery/ stain or shadow over American culture.
• Final shot- cast a shadow/reflective.
• "Mass incarceration"- square in the cell.
• Commons interpretation- "It represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can't be defined in time or space".

7)  The video makes references to racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture by using specific shots, scenes or moments in the video. Initially, the video starts of by having a slow paced tracking inward shot into the prison, this may highlight how black people have been oppressed because of the slow development of their rights. The prison setting is significant as it can be inferred that it is the new way to marginalise black people, whereas before it was slavery. Also, the camerawork is done deliberately to never show a close up of any of the actors/performance. This indicates the idea of being isolated and not having an identity. Additionally, the prison yard says "no excessive noise", links to the idea of having no voice and the suppression of black culture. This also links with slavery as they used to sing rhythmic songs to pass on messages. Moreover, the final shot of the video shows this black square in a field, which lasts for about 24 seconds. This field may be paralleling a cotton field, which is a direct reference to the plantation locations that were conventionally associated with slavery. The fact that the square moves from the prison to the field could be significant, because it could represent how there is still modern day slavery and how views towards black people haven't really changed.


8)  Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity can be applied to Common's Letter to the Free. This is because the video shows how the black people who are sent to prison are isolated and treated harshly, therefore making them have no voice or identity.

9) Other theories of race and ethnicity that can be applied to this video are:

• Hall- suggests that Western cultures are still white dominated and that ethnic minorities in the media are misinterpreted due to underlying racist tendencies. BAME people are often represented as the 'Other'. This can be seen in the video because in the lyrics he says "Institution ain't just a building
  But a method, of having black and brown bodies fill them"

Hall also says how there are 3 representations of black people in American media:

1. Slave figure.
2. The Native.
3. The Clown

In this video we can see how there could be a reference to The Native, because they are seen as "primitive, cheating, savage, barbarian."

• Dyson- "Hip hop is still fundamentally an art form". This is emphasised through the use of cinematography.

10)Current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video:

• Mass incarceration.
• Racism.
• The oppression of black people within Western societies.
• Government/police corruption/racism.