The content of form in Immortal Technique's Musical Oeuvre

Abstract

In African-American literary thought, Henry Louis Gates's book, The signifying monkey (1988) was a breakthrough in so far as it argued for a vernacular theory for cultural expression in black communities. However, some critics missed Gates's point, and began to suggest that a singing culture is biologically inherent in black people; that the evolution of different musical styles are sui generis to black people only and that unless one is coming from this black culture, one has no access to understanding the rhetorical devices used by black singers. This emphasis on cultural absolutism (Gilroy 1993) denies acknowledgement of creative diversity amongst black artists from America. This article uses some selected songs from Immortal Technique, one of the finest singers to debunk the above assumptions and reveal how the command of musical techniques or rhetorical devices in music is a function of communal socialisation as well as individual creativity and innovation. The article explores the notion of how particular styles in popular culture can create new meanings and content in black popular culture in America.