Computers and Writing

Rice argues that cool can be used to describe someone who is oppressed culturally, economically, and or politically. Rice begins by showing that cool’s origins are placed within African history, and that the term probably came to America with the slave trade. Rice points to Amiri Baraka’s Blues People for further insight into the historical background of the cool. He talks about how white culture in America in the 1930’s and 40’s appropriated the African music movement jazz, and totally detached it from its creators, therefore detaching the creators from the benefits of their ingenuity. Here cool is a rhetorical response to oppression. Rice uses this example to show how African-American culture has been appropriated by white culture and then separated from its true roots. Rice breaks down this historical cool into 3 areas: cultural (recognition of work), economic (compensation for work), and political (lack of control or power).

Rice’s assertion is dead on. Many parts of African-American culture (including phrases, music, and clothing) are appropriated by white culture. Knowing this history changes one’s view of cool. Now whether or not we are cool depends on if we feel like we are oppressed, or feel like we are empowered. How do we participate…? Are we part of the group that sews the seed, or the group that reaps its benefits?

The discussion on appropriation shifts from appropriation of culture in chapter six, to appropriation of music types and sounds in chapter seven. Hip-hop is used as the main example for how appropriation is used in music, due to the sampling that takes place in this industry. In 1979 Sugar Hill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight” which used a disco hit and new lyrics to rise to the top of the charts. Rice also talks about current hip-hop icons, such as Will Smith. Smith uses sampling to create many of his songs. Rice closes with talking about the ethics of sampling.

Sampling is defined as the practice of joining pieces of different songs together to create a new song. Originally it was done by matching up vinyl records, today digital samplers are used to sample music.