The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
the b-side
Thursday, January 12, 2017 — 3B
This week Daily Music writers
look back at — and reconsider —
less modern pieces of music.
On his 2005 track “The Food,”
Common wonders aloud about
sincerity in rap, questioning “if
it’s for the art or for the dough.”
It’s a critical distinction, staying
away from the material mindset,
and it’s one that was echoed just
a year later by fellow Chicagoan
Lupe Fiasco.
Fiasco has made a career out
of distinguishing the “real” from
the inconsequential. A Chicago-
born Muslim, he visibly carries
both of these characteristics
with him, channeling their
relevancy
into
a
heartfelt
characterization of himself. As a
result, he has the voice, for he is
a real one, embracing positivity
and flipping negativity on its
head, essentially functioning
through
purposeful
compartmentalization.
2006’s
Food & Liquor is the first sign of
this. His studio debut operates
in dichotomy — rebellion and
conformity,
sin
and
virtue,
optimism and pessimism, good
and bad.
In effect, he pulls off a rare
feat, one we might today call the
Kendrick formula, only before
Kendrick. Exuding an air of
cool, calm and collectedness
in light of otherwise gloomy
circumstances
––
shattering
perceptions of how to tackle
obstacles that just might not be
institutionally conquerable.
But, maybe they are. Because,
maybe,
Lupe
can.
Amidst
characteristically
grandiose
production, with blaring strings
and Jill Scott’s forceful hook,
the poised Lupe shines. He
neglects an idealized Chicago,
instead describing a grimmer
reality:
“Now
there’s
hoes
selling hoes like right around
the toes / And the crackheads
beg at about the lower leg,” he
tells us. “There’s crooked police
that’s stationed at the knees /
And they do drive-bye like up
and down the thighs.”
This locality lends itself to
universal social consequence,
and the result is home-cooked
poetry that manifests as a
unique brand of “cool.” With
fresh retrospect this Chicago
cool becomes more apparent.
It’s the same self-assured cool
that
produced
a
president
who pumps out Al Green at
fundraising events and almost
nails “Sweet Home Chicago”
in the White House. The same
worldly cool paved the way to
stardom for Chance the Rapper
(“Lil Chano from the 79th”),
later
acknowledging
that
influence by returning to help.
Though abstract in nature,
what begins earnestly quickly
turns
—
appropriately
—
preachy. In “Real,” it morphs
into adversity-defining (“Just
Might Be OK”). “Kick, Push,”
shrouded in production similar
to that on “Daydreamin’,” comes
across as a coming-of-age tale
(“When things got crazy they
needed to break out, they’d
head / To any place with stairs,
any good grinds the world
was theirs”). Humanizing the
youth through skateboarding
anecdotes,
Fiasco,
in
turn,
continues an impossibly subtle
yet effective narrative of hope.
Food & Liquor, Fiasco and
the collective ethos behind
both is helplessly, yet positively
foundational in nature. For
many, the magic of Food &
Liquor is just how formative
it proved to be. It enlightened
and resonated with those inside
and, most impressively, those
outside. Through it all, Lupe
had the proverbial swagger, in
a time when it was culturally
relevant
to
exhibit
—
no,
trailblaze — such a thing.
Even at its most vulnerable,
like
the
dead
ends
and
brokenness of “Hurt Me Soul,”
there’s substance, comforting
overtones
and
lingering
glimmers
of
confidence.
Accompanied
by
a
sound
(though eventually repetitive)
that proves ahead of its time,
the rebelliousness — the cool
factor — anchors Food & Liquor.
A timeless album that examines
while it tells, it thrives in the
organic, making it engaging for
nearly every genre of listener.
ATLANTIC
Have you heard Imagine Dragons latest single?
When it comes to The School
of Music, Theatre, and Dance’s
annual Collage Concert, not
a seat in the house is left
empty. Every year 3,500 people
saunter into Hill Auditorium
to soak up the brilliance of
this
concert’s
mosaicism.
Highlighting
and
combining
the University’s
large ensembles
with
the
top
student-
comprised
groups,
the
Collage
Concert’s
inclusion of all
aspects of SMTD
makes
for
a
riveting, diverse
performance.
Through a very selective
application
and
audition
process,
eight
student
ensembles
were
chosen
to
showcase short performances
that will be integrated into
the
program,
alongside
the
University
Symphony
Orchestra,
the
University
Choir,
Jazz
Ensemble
and
University Symphony Band.
With hardly a minute between
each different performance,
the
exhilarating
continuity
keeps
the
audience
on
their feet, while spotlights
illuminate
different
areas
of the auditorium back to
back, cueing the next piece to
immediately begin after the
antecedent.
“It goes from one end of the
spectrum to the other. It’s a
great ride — you’ll go from a
mass orchestra piece, to a folk
duet, to a dance piece,” said
Janet Lyu, a senior violinist in
the School of Music, Theater
and Dance. “It’s a night of a lot
of stimulation.”
In addition to performing
in Collage with
the
University
Symphony
Orchestra,
Lyu
is
one
of
five
student
liaisons
for
the
school.
When
applying
for the job, Lyu
specifically
had
Collage in mind
as
something
she
particularly
wanted to be a
part of.
“It’s really special to me,”
Lyu
said,
regarding
why
Collage is one of her favorite
concerts
of
the
year.
“It
proves that this school is not
your
typical
conservatory.
It’s a great coming together
of community. There’s really
nothing like it — a lot of schools
copy the model that we have. It
brings me a lot of pride to be a
part of.”
Lyu, who will be performing
in Collage for her sixth time,
is excited for the audience to
feast on the wide variety of
performances.
“It’s a wild showcase,” Lyu
said. “It’s one of the only times
in the year where the entirety
of SMTD gets together on a
complete level. All different
genres and all different aspects
of the school get a chance to
showcase themselves — not
just to the audience, but to each
other.”
Every year, all the numbers
are
unique.
There’s
quite
an
assortment,
including
incorporation
of
different
instrumentation,
electronic
music and theatre skits; the
Collage
Concert
aims
to
challenge the norm of typical
University performances.
“They’re constantly trying
to make it exciting,” Lyu said.
This
year,
the
Collage
Concert will spend part of
the evening paying tribute
to the man who originally
brought the idea of Collage to
the University, Gustav Meier.
Meier, who passed away in
May 2016, was the professor
emeritus
of
conducting
at
SMTD for 19 years.
Additionally, because 2017 is
the University’s Bicentennial,
performances will showcase a
few pieces that were written
the year the University was
founded
to
celebrate
its
inception.
“I think that Collage is a
great array of different pieces
and a great focal point of
pushing the boundaries of
our art. It’s a beautiful way of
tasting everything SMTD has
to offer in a compact and fun
way,” Lyu. “There are so many
different people on stage, yet
at the same time, we’re all
representing the same family.”
National Book Award winner, Colson
Whitehead, to speak at Mendelssohn
Author of ‘The Underground Railroad’ visits for University Bicentennial
‘Food & Liquor’ a seminal Chicago
work that foreshadows conscious rap
JOEY SCHUMAN
Daily Arts Writer
SOPHIA KAUFMAN
Daily Book Review Editor
Colson
Whitehead
Mendelssohn
Theater
Thursday, Jan. 12 at
7 P.M.
Free
When it comes to The School
of Music, Theatre, and Dance’s
annual Collage Concert, not a
seat in the house is left empty.
Every year 3,500 people saunter
into Hill Auditorium to soak up
the brilliance of this concert’s
mosaicism. Highlighting and
combining
the
University’s
large ensembles with the top
student-comprised groups, the
Collage Concert’s inclusion of
all aspects of SMTD makes for a
riveting, diverse performance.
Through a very selective
application
and
audition
process,
eight
student
ensembles
were
chosen
to
showcase short performances
that will be integrated into
the
program,
alongside
the
University
Symphony
Orchestra,
the
University
Choir,
Jazz
Ensemble
and
University Symphony Band.
With hardly a minute between
each different performance,
the
exhilarating
continuity
keeps
the
audience
on
their feet, while spotlights
illuminate
different
areas
of the auditorium back to
back, cueing the next piece to
immediately begin after the
antecedent.
“It goes from one end of the
spectrum to the other. It’s a
great ride — you’ll go from a
mass orchestra piece, to a folk
duet, to a dance piece,” said
Janet Lyu, a senior violinist in
the School of Music, Theater
and Dance. “It’s a night of a lot
of stimulation.”
In addition to performing
in Collage with the University
Symphony Orchestra, Lyu is
one of five student liaisons for
the school. When applying for
the job, Lyu specifically had
Collage in mind as something
she particularly wanted to be a
part of.
“It’s really
special
to
me,” Lyu said,
regarding
why Collage
is
one
of
her
favorite
concerts
of
the
year.
“It
proves
that
this
school is not
your
typical
conservatory.
It’s a great
coming together of community.
There’s really nothing like it —
a lot of schools copy the model
that we have. It brings me a lot
of pride to be a part of.”
Lyu, who will be performing
in Collage for her sixth time,
is excited for the audience to
feast on the wide variety of
performances.
“It’s a wild showcase,” Lyu
said. “It’s one of the only times
in the year where the entirety
of SMTD gets together on a
complete level. All different
genres and all different aspects
of the school get a chance to
showcase themselves — not
just to the audience, but to
each other.”
Every year, all the numbers
are
unique.
There’s
quite
an
assortment,
including
incorporation
of
different
instrumentation,
electronic
music and theatre skits; the
Collage
Concert
aims
to
challenge the norm of typical
University performances.
“They’re constantly trying
to make it exciting,” Lyu said.
This
year,
the
Collage
Concert
will spend part of
the evening paying
tribute to the man
who
originally
brought
the
idea
of Collage to the
University,
Gustav
Meier. Meier, who
passed
away
in
May 2016, was the
professor emeritus of
conducting at SMTD
for 19 years.
Additionally, because 2017 is
the University’s Bicentennial,
performances will showcase a
few pieces that were written
the year the University was
founded
to
celebrate
its
inception.
“I think that Collage is a
great array of different pieces
and a great focal point of
pushing the boundaries of
our art. It’s a beautiful way of
tasting everything SMTD has
to offer in a compact and fun
way,” Lyu. “There are so many
different people on stage, yet
at the same time, we’re all
representing the same family.”
Collage Concert to display wide
spectrum of talent at Hill Auditorium
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
ALLIE TAYLOR
Daily Arts Writer
Migos have a lot to celebrate
at the moment: after years of
fighting their way through
hip-hop’s underground and
trekking toward a commercial
peak, they
finally seem
to be on top
of the world.
Next week,
the rap
supergroup
will release
its second LP, “Culture,” while
the album’s first single, “Bad
and Boujee (featuring Lil Uzi
Vert),” will hopefully continue
its reign as the number one
song in America. So, it should
be no surprise that amidst their
current hype, Quavo, Takeoff
and Offset are celebrating like
kings, and in the new visuals
for the third single off of
“Culture,” entitled “T-Shirt,”
the three emcees do so in high,
wintry style.
The music video for “T-Shirt”
finds Migos towering atop a
snowy mountain
and dressed
in full-fur
wardrobes that
seem to take style
tips from both
Cam’ron and
Leo’s Revenant.
Quavo, Takeoff and Offset, who
are also wearing royal amounts
of jewelry, dance, bounce and
floss in their quintessentially
braggadocios ways while each
delivers an ice-cold verse in
the group’s staple start-and-
stop flow pattern. Eventually,
attractive women and race-
ready snowmobiles arrive
without any precedents at
all, as do brief glimpses of a
luxurious cabin, all of which
seems to insinuate that the
rap group has conquered
the wilderness and turned it
into their own comfortable
playground, much like they did
with the streets, then the rap
game.
“T-Shirt” and its extravagant
visuals might have arrived
just in time to prolong Migos’
residency in pop’s spotlight.
It also is pretty random, as it
never explains why they’re on
that mountain, like at all. But
that’s okay. Quavo, Takeoff and
Offset standing there in all of
that fur — that’s iconic. That’s
culture. Digital culture at least.
That’s why “T-Shirt” is perfect.
— SALVATORE DIGIOIA
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW
“T-Shirt”
Migos
Young Rich Nation
BOWIE LIVES.
JOIN ARTS.
If you agree in this and other deeply rooted conspiracy theories started by Nabeel Cholla-
mpatty, email Anay Katyal at anay@umich.edu
Collage Concert
Hill Auditorium
Saturday, Jan. 14 at
8 P.M. description
$12 for students,
$32 reserved
seating
ALL THINGS RECONSIDERED
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
COLSON WHITEHEAD
It’s time for some game theory.
Entirety of SMTD to come together for showcase this Saturday evening