Music Video: Common- Letter to the Free
Social and cultural context
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
Common and John Legend wrote Glory as the soundtrack for Selma.
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.
3) What were the Black Codes?
Black codes were restrictive laws designed to limit the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labor force after slavery was abolished during the Civil War.
4) Why do 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?
Slavery is still a crucial part of American culture as the 13th Amendment has a loophole in it when it says slavery will be abolished 'except as punishment for crime'. This created more problems in the prison system and prison rates significantly increased especially for black people.
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
Ava wanted to explore the history of racial inequality in the US especially on the fact that the nation's prisons are filled with African Americans. Ava says 'I was always disturbed and fascinated by and furious with what we were not talking about the fact that, you know multi-billion dollar companies were profiting off of black bodies and people from my community, in prison'.
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
The 1980s and 90s had a rise in political hip hop.
7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?
He mentions Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper, who are both Black American rappers who have political aspects in their music. Beyonce and JZ also have strong political elements in their work.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
It is from his 2016 'Black America Again' album. Black America Again received widespread acclaim from critics.
Close-textual analysis and representation
Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:
1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
The music video includes slow paced camera movements through the empty prison which gives the audience time to understand the meaning of the song.
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
The constantly moving camera goes back and forth between Common and the other singers in the different prison rooms which gives the meaning that they are all going through the same struggles and are fighting together for justice and change. It could also be used to signify how black people occupy large percentages of prisons.
3) Why is the video in black and white?
The video is in black and white to emphasise the meaning of the song and not to take any attention away from it. It could also be used to signify the race problem in America that has been going on for hundreds of years.
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
The prison setting is used to give audiences an insight into the problems of the prison system and how bias it is against black people. Also, the fact that each of the singers are in different rooms could be mirroring how black people are often secluded and segregated in prison as well as society suggesting times haven't really changed.
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
' Slavery is still alive check Amendment 13'- the political message of this is that the 13th Amendment does not really give black people freedom, instead it gives people in power an opportunity to arrest black people for petty crime in masses which is not giving them freedom.
'Shot me with your Reagan and now you wanna Trump me'-this line has a double entendre as it is a reference to the police brutality against black people as they are being gunned down and beaten. It is also a political reference to Ronald Reagan's 'war on drugs' which people thought was a political move for mass incarceration of black people for the use of drugs. When Reagan took office the prison population was 329,000 and when he left office the prison population doubled to 627,000.
6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.
Common says that the black square is something that 'represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can't be defined in time or space'. I agree with this interpretation as Common is using his platform to spread awareness on issues black people face and to work towards change.
7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
0:37 ' No excessive noise' is written on the wall which highlights how black people are constantly tried to be silenced and is a reference to the hundreds of years of oppression. Black people have always been seen as dangerous or primitive so the cells are a reference to how white people have viewed black people as 'animals' that need to be controlled.
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity can be applied to this music video as Common is talking about the constant struggles of black people and the conflict of races suggesting they have never felt accepted or felt a sense of belonging. One of the lyrics is 'will the U.S ever be us lord willing' highlighting black diasporic identity the feeling of never belonging.
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Hall's theory of race representations can be applied here as the music video is showing how people view black people as primitive and criminals hence the prison setting.
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
The video makes reference to the new Jim Crow being stop and searches and police patrols as it seggragates black people .
1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
Common and John Legend wrote Glory as the soundtrack for Selma.
2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.
3) What were the Black Codes?
Black codes were restrictive laws designed to limit the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labor force after slavery was abolished during the Civil War.
4) Why do 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?
Slavery is still a crucial part of American culture as the 13th Amendment has a loophole in it when it says slavery will be abolished 'except as punishment for crime'. This created more problems in the prison system and prison rates significantly increased especially for black people.
5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?
Ava wanted to explore the history of racial inequality in the US especially on the fact that the nation's prisons are filled with African Americans. Ava says 'I was always disturbed and fascinated by and furious with what we were not talking about the fact that, you know multi-billion dollar companies were profiting off of black bodies and people from my community, in prison'.
6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?
The 1980s and 90s had a rise in political hip hop.
7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?
He mentions Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper, who are both Black American rappers who have political aspects in their music. Beyonce and JZ also have strong political elements in their work.
8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.
It is from his 2016 'Black America Again' album. Black America Again received widespread acclaim from critics.
Close-textual analysis and representation
Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:
1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
The music video includes slow paced camera movements through the empty prison which gives the audience time to understand the meaning of the song.
2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
The constantly moving camera goes back and forth between Common and the other singers in the different prison rooms which gives the meaning that they are all going through the same struggles and are fighting together for justice and change. It could also be used to signify how black people occupy large percentages of prisons.
3) Why is the video in black and white?
The video is in black and white to emphasise the meaning of the song and not to take any attention away from it. It could also be used to signify the race problem in America that has been going on for hundreds of years.
4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
The prison setting is used to give audiences an insight into the problems of the prison system and how bias it is against black people. Also, the fact that each of the singers are in different rooms could be mirroring how black people are often secluded and segregated in prison as well as society suggesting times haven't really changed.
5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
' Slavery is still alive check Amendment 13'- the political message of this is that the 13th Amendment does not really give black people freedom, instead it gives people in power an opportunity to arrest black people for petty crime in masses which is not giving them freedom.
'Shot me with your Reagan and now you wanna Trump me'-this line has a double entendre as it is a reference to the police brutality against black people as they are being gunned down and beaten. It is also a political reference to Ronald Reagan's 'war on drugs' which people thought was a political move for mass incarceration of black people for the use of drugs. When Reagan took office the prison population was 329,000 and when he left office the prison population doubled to 627,000.
6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.
Common says that the black square is something that 'represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can't be defined in time or space'. I agree with this interpretation as Common is using his platform to spread awareness on issues black people face and to work towards change.
7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
0:37 ' No excessive noise' is written on the wall which highlights how black people are constantly tried to be silenced and is a reference to the hundreds of years of oppression. Black people have always been seen as dangerous or primitive so the cells are a reference to how white people have viewed black people as 'animals' that need to be controlled.
8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity can be applied to this music video as Common is talking about the constant struggles of black people and the conflict of races suggesting they have never felt accepted or felt a sense of belonging. One of the lyrics is 'will the U.S ever be us lord willing' highlighting black diasporic identity the feeling of never belonging.
9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Hall's theory of race representations can be applied here as the music video is showing how people view black people as primitive and criminals hence the prison setting.
10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?
The video makes reference to the new Jim Crow being stop and searches and police patrols as it seggragates black people .
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