What am I doing here anyway?
Hi there, the Wild Kid talking to you!
For this first newsletter, I want to put the bases. Don’t panic, I don’t intend to give you moral lessons. It is not the reason that brought me here. What is the reason then? you are legitimately asking yourself.
I will be brief. I hope you are ready because it’s starting. Now.
Besides eating and sleeping, there are two things I really like: art and music
The music is part of our everyday life
Music is something universal that is common to all of us.
Whatever you think this sentence is too cheesy and generalist, I’m sure I’m not the only one to think that music plays a big role in our daily life. Believe me or not, but it started even before the emergence of streaming platforms as Spotify or SoundCloud.
Back in the days, people used to buy CDs, and before that they used to listen music on tapes, and even before vinyl. And even before vinyl there was the radio. And if I really want to push it, which I do, I can tell you that even before all of this technology, people were just attending musical representations at the theater.
From your personal listening on your phone to concert lives, including the possibility of sharing playlists with friends and strangers on streaming platforms, all these modes of listening to music can be now all possible at a single time.
Whether it is to relax, to loosing up when you’re travelling or to avoid talking with your strange neighbor in the public transports (you know what I mean), I’m sure that, just like me, there is no day that goes by without you listening to some music. And there are so many kinds of music that everyone can enjoy any genre.
Personally, my musical taste is diverse, but what I like the most is Rap music. For the beats, the lyrics that for me means more than just provocation and vulgarity, and especially, and above all sometimes videoclips. That's where my interest in art comes in.
Art is everywhere ! Even where you don’t see it
Let’s be honest: art doesn’t affect as much people as music does. Or at least that’s what you think…
I have to tell you: I am a believer. I believe in art. I study art. So, it is not really a surprise that I end up bringing together my two favorite activities into one. I don’t want to pretend to be a connoisseur here. I just want to share this feeling with you. For some time now, I realized some references to the Art History in some artists’ songs and videoclips. Sometimes it is very subtle. Sometimes it is really not.
But what is art ?
Nah, I’m kidding. I don’t want to be philosophical about the definition of “Art”, so let’s just say that we accept a really broad conception of art. If you already have your own idea of art, it’s great! I also have mine and, together, it makes a lot of possibilities. Why should we set limits? For those who think they don’t have an opinion, that’s even better!
I genuinely think that these two disciplines have a lot in common and enrich each other. I want to share with you how the art present in museums is used, adapted and reappropriated by the music industry, especially by the rappers. This newsletter is created to show art as a more interesting, more alive and more accessible topic than in museums, through music.
If what I’m saying doesn’t make any sense to you, here is a quick glimpse of what I mean by “ videoclips refer to art”:
The Carters, “Apeshit” (2018)
Do you understand what I mean now ? Cool! Ok, the reference is quite obvious in this one. But it won’t always be the case.
Yes, I know. You want more. Let’s keep that for the next time.
Later,
The Wild Kid