AKALA: And spending time with him and hearing him rap, in Brazilian Portuguese, I was like, the rhyme is not the same. What I would hear audibly as a rhyme in English isnt exactly what a rhyme is in Brazilian Portuguese. This guys should be a guest lecturer in a lot off universities man. Previous: Creating TNTs Will| Next: Shakespeares Kitchen. This was a boy who had already read Lord of the Rings and was tackling The Autobiography of Malcolm X far ahead of anything he was being taught in school. Shakespeare should not be taught in the ninth grade curriculum because it's too hard to teach; also its very difficult to understand, last it's not even relatable to today's youth. BARBARA: I want to start by picking up on something you use at the beginning of the presentations that you do, usually, and its the, Is it hip-hop or Shakespeare? bit. The point is youre supposed to get them wrong, which well discuss in a minute. Words by Sirius Gibson They raise questions of morality, politics, war, wealth, and death. So, when you understand this context, when you understand the type of instrumentation in West Africa, it becomes much more easy to explain how these musical cultures were created in the Americas. Why Shakespeare is still relevant over 400 years since his death. Since 2009, under the auspices of his Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, Akala has been going to community centers, prisons, and schools in immigrant and underserved communities using the tools of hip-hop to spread an understanding of the relevance of Shakespeares poetry. @Reasoned Alibis and thats how quran is memorized around the world and preserved. Bell Work 4/23. What was the popular perception of jazz when jazz was the dominant youth culture for black America? But I think some of the perceptions are because of the way a lot of commercial modern hip-hop is, that basically it doesnt take much intelligence to be a rapper from people that dont know about hip-hop. @Xelanderthomas Ok. . Who needs to revise for history/English exams when you have Akala! We obviously live in a corrupt world.What would the world be like with leaders such as thisI also wonder what Akala thinks pertaining to more spiritual perspectives on life. Fabulous and educational talk, one of the best TEDs I have seen! Press Esc to cancel. flexi classic leash tape; dynacraft golf clubs australia. And are unapologetically I think in 400 years people will look back on a Toni Morrison or a Gabriel Garcia-Marquez or a lot of the great novel Dostoyevsky, do you know, Bertolt Brecht, theres so many people we could look to who I think given an adequate length of time will go into that canon. Some hiphop artists may not be educated in a way such as to use the vocabulary of Shakespeare and such. And before it became fully mainstream, you know, groups like the Wu-Tang and others, you know, made it mainstream but to a really credible audience. Cause theyre not that interesting. BARBARA: Well you also do this interesting exercise I saw a presentation of yours in India where you asked people to find the pocket of the rhythm in a Shakespeare passage. In a way, theyre kind of more perfect characters, if you like. Akala, one to watch out for!!!! #1 Universal appeal. -Rhythm 2.) So, even that in England people think, Shakespeare was posh, which, again, is a, you know, a statement of class and a statement of that way I was just talking. Massive respect! AKALA: Yeah, what we try to I show young people, adult or anyone, I think as a songwriter, for me, actually, any songwriter should be engaging with Shakespeares work, if youre interested (a) in lyricism, but (b) in rhythm. If his name doesn't sound familiar, it's because he usually goes by his stage name, Akala. I mean it certainly could be Shakespeare. Esther French is the web producer. BARBARA: This reminds me of this wonderful presentation that you do which shows the relationship between iambic pentameter and how it fits with hip-hop and the rhythmic relationship between the two. As part of the colonizing efforts of the British in imperial India, the first English literature curricula were constructed, and Shakespeare's plays were central to . This statement has been disproven many times by academics. . So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. Annunciation means something quite different (its the visitation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary). Transcript: Akala on Hip-Hop & Shakespeare? at TEDxAldeburgh Thank you!!!! 6 why might akala say that we should teach shakespeare . Coming soon, maybe, who knows? Brilliant. Akalas dedication is enabling young people to retain their love of learning and benefit from educations life-enhancing effects and making it cool to be clever. BARBARA: Right, and the haths and the whatever. Have some answers, fellow students!Shapesphere abd Hiphop shares: Rythem, 5 sets, 2 beats.Rythem or music imitates the "heartbeat of life".With Hip Hop, "the way you are saying it" is just as important as what you are saying.A misconception of Shakespeare is that he spoke posh and was for the rich. That ones actually from Much Ado About Nothing. Akala also talked about howhip hop is commonly misunderstood and criticized because people dont understand it. Following on from his bestselling nonfiction, Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire, the BAFTA and MOBO award-winning artist, writer, and social entrepreneur has made his first foray into . So, for those who dont know what that is, Im gonna do my BBC accent now. Why might Akala say that we should teach Shakespeare? It is not an "ah ha" moment but a "Ta dah" movement because it resonates. So, we can play you the Golden Gate Quartet, who are a gospel quartet. Now I wantSpirits to enforce, art to enchant,And my ending is. What is the main thing shared between Shakespearean language and hip-hop? For many who were intimidated or just plain bored by Shakespeare at school, its a revelation. So if you write a verse on a regular tempo sort of hip-hop beat, 70 to 90 BPM, its very difficult to write the verse in such a way that it transfers onto what we in the UK call grime, which is 140 beats per minute. Groundings with the brothers reveals a clear message That the strengths inherent in poor people to make good their lifes circumstance seems more resilliant and sustainable as an integral [part of their aspirations. This guy is smart asf! For that reason, people get offended. -Intelligent movement 4.) And with the music and the beats and the rapping, it makes an old subject brand new." He's also made a convert out of this . I then went on to show my mates and they all knew it and I was gutted. Why might Akala say that we should teach Shakespeare? Akala was brought up to take his education seriously. Since 2009, under the auspices of his "Hip-hop Shakespeare Company," Akala has . I reccomend people who are interested in this point watch his interview on Russia Today where he discusses the causes in detail. BARBARA: And kind of the ultimate re-interpreter. AKALA raps the lines of Shakespeares Sonnet 18 over a 90 BPM beat. Ive known so many working-class kids who pretend to be less smart than they are.. Using hip-hop to explore Shakespeare is not as unlikely as it might sound. AKALA: I was not born under a rhyming planet. Complete the questions from yesterday then turn them in. 2. AKALA: And then you listen to Rappers Delight, its the same flow. The Poets Pen Turns Them to Shapes was produced by Richard Paul. With iambic pentameter examples from Shakespeare, Akala Gets Real On Capitalism And Economic Exploitation, Shakespeare's Ghosts and Spirits - Professor Sir Jonathan Bate FBA CBE, Akala at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Akala highlights The Racial Bias And Stigma With Mental Health (Recap), Akala: Football, Music & Politics | Music HISTORY, The Shakespeare strategy | Brad Berens | TEDxBergen, Reaction to Akala - The Journey ft. Mic Righteous. The enlightenment of knowledge is a moving force. Hip -hop or Shakespeare? is a challenge that Akala puts to lecture audiences including eminent Shakespeare scholars. *Hint: look up the names.*. They say, slave music. I mean the imagination of Shakespeare being a rapper is just hilarious In my opinion, the style of how you presented your findings is good and the interactive task of choosing who actually said different frazes was very interesting as well. Sleep is the cousin of death. Surrender yourself to the floor.Mowbray: come, come, settle down,Dont spit away your blood when you dont have a crown. AKALA: A hundred percent. He doesn't rap about women, money and weed whatsoever like most of the rappers rap about today, he talks about racial difference, discrimination and humanity. Maybe If I had his positive influence I would have made better and wiser choices whilst at school. On point all the time! I have a problem with that being the only voice that cuts through and being seen as the dominant perception. Similarly with Shakespeare, if you watch the Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet or, you know, Laurence Fishburne as Othello, I mean if you cant enjoy that, I would suggest that theres something wrong with you, maybe? And I was like so people would hear a rhyme differently in different languages. You listen to a song like Preacher and the Bear., [CLIP of the Golden Gate Quartet singing The Preacher and the Bear.], Lord, look here, you know you delivered ol Daniel from the lions den.And you delivered three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace, and then. The original Shakespeare theatre was built in 1599, it has since become Shakespeare's Globe theatre Although it's not "well known", Akala says the world in the book might feel familiar to some . Thanks. CATEGORIES : definition of grammar by different authors Uncategorized. Use this to follow along: Sonnet 18 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? so happy to find akala. Wrens can't make prey where eagles don't perch. So they set up Saturday schools.. Since 2009, under the auspices of his Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, Akala has been going to community centers, prisons, and schools in immigrant and underserved communities, using the tools of hip-hop to spread an understanding of the relevance of Shakespeares poetry. While there are certainly Shakespeare-ian phrases and a few pronunciations that exist in the Appalachian dialect, it's disingenuous to say that the accent is the same or close to what they spoke like. The plots we think of as quintessentially Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet and King Lear, among othersare based on old stories, histories and myths that he reworked into his own material. Akala, Akala, wherefore art thou? Tes talks toAkala | Tes Magazine [CLIP of the Hip-Hop Shakespeare Companys Draw For Your Sword]. What education should look like. -Because of the intrinsic value in inspiring people towards their own creative excellence. Shakespeares writing influences a lot of modern-day trends we see in todays society such as music. Thats the historical perception. Throughout his entire career, he was experimenting with different forms of rhythm. His intellect and use of word is breathtaking. BARBARA: Was it performance first for you? They both can allude latent meanings in witty ways. I always believed that knowledge was not something that was stationary or stagnant, but something that was verb more than subject. Wow. We caught up with him before the ceremony to discuss his theatre production company, The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company and his lifelong love of learning. They saw it as strong not weak. Hip-hop Shakespeare brings together several strands of Akalas own life: his music, his knowledge of theatre (his step-dad was Stage Manager at the Hackney Empire) and the huge value he places on education. What a miracle. He wasn't. BARBARA: And the other interesting thing when you consider what youre saying and drawing this line from way back into the past is that anyone, even if you dont know any of this history, you can hear hip-hop and you can immediately like get it or like it. 6 why might akala say that we should teach shakespeare . The most delightful TED session! It has to be rhythm first. So, sitting people down and forcing them to read Shakespeare Performance poetry has to be performance first. How did the founding Hip-hop artist see themselves as? So if artists wanna learn how to make stuff rhythmic that doesnt rhyme, you think of Hamlet: What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving. Part of my job, I think, and part of our job with hip-hop with Shakespeare is to sort of undo this undue reverence. (As in, a school subject unit). So, when you turn on the BBC, youll find that people speak like this. And I get that point of reference. Sleep is the cousin of death.. PDF Teacher: Why I don't want to assign Shakespeare anymore (even though he I'd love to see a hip-hop themed "taming of the shrew". BARBARA: Yeah, certainly not in class terms, yeah. I found it fascinating, enlightening and extremely educational. Well, like this. This man is pure geniusshould be on telly. Many of Shakespeares works can be changed to fit the style of hip hop. AKALA: But then the band and the actors who are also rappers and singers rewrote the rest of the story of Richard II as a collection of songs. He is glad that British universities have increased the diversity of their students in recent years but still feels we have some way to go to match American universities. Today, everyones like Charlie Parker, of course hes a genius. BARBARA: Also, Im still gonna go no Shakespeare. And its not always peoples fault. So I felt it would be radical to take this symbol of elitism and say no, thats not what he was in his time and he is still relevant today.. AKALA: Yeah, we did a production of Richard II which were revamping and will go on tour soon. Periphery. And great stories that really are cross culture, that we see from every culture around the world sort of in myth forms. Akala is interviewed by Barbara Bogaev. Hip-Hop & Shakespeare?: Akala at TEDxAldeburgh - Amara Wow love that! The fact that my questions are exactly the same word for word Click CTRL+F and you can search for key words within the transcript! And if you think of the millions of people all around the world, that rap, only a handful of them are actually genuinely incredible. MCs! He then goes on to show how these oral traditions influenced a lot of music styles from jazz, funk, blues to hip hop. i havent been on this thread in ages. interfere with the normal arrangement. People dont spend 30,000 sending their kid to Eton to get the same quality of education kids at state schools get, do they? @Truth Hurts I think my comment got caught by the spam filters, because it had a few links to outside of youtube (it was on NPR), and it will have to be manually approved by the person who uploaded this video. 16:09 - 16:12 What are we training the . You must know that this guy is clearly good at putting words together. His plays delve into the issues of love, loss, treachery, honor, tenderness, anger, despair, jealousy, contempt, fear, courage, and wonder. AKALA: What we now call hip-hop, really, the main thing that changed with hip-hop was the production technique rather than the art of rhythmically rhyming over the beat of a drum that had been going on for hundreds of years. Hip Hop Shakespeare 4. Is it Shakespeare, or is it hip-hop? British poet, rapper, and educator Kingslee James Daley, who goes by the stage name Akala, likes to recite a passage and then challenge his audience with this question. But the evidence from his recent trip to Jamaica contradicts this. This is fantastic. Hamlet is not his story. Observe digital content for Oxford Brookes alumni, supporters and friends, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), University news The magazine for Oxford Brookes alumni, supporters and friends, Wellness and mental health Black perspectives, Overcoming tragedy and finding an enlightened path, From Brookes to the Arctic Circle an artists journey, Oxford Brookes research: responding to Covid-19 and shaping the future, The importance of diversity and inclusion in marketing, The future of motor racing is here at Brookes, Local alumni chapters what they do and how you can join in. Shakespeare was a masterly adapter, and his work is largely based on borrowing and interpretation. The play was verbatim, but the tone was deliciously original. Dive deep into the worlds largest Shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period. Some of my uncles were gangsters. BARBARA: Now, you said even when you then change the rhythm its fine. (Not relevant to radio "rap"). Listen on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or NPR One. And so people would gather. Amazing, educative and inspiring!!! Why might Akala say that we should teach Shakespeare? I get an immediate connection. Id like to read it. I really hope many young rappers, and young people in general take much influence from this guy. I didn't feel like sitting in the canteen on my lunch break, I felt like making better use of my time. AKALA: How difficult that is to do to make sense, to rhyme, to be semi-autobiographical and to put ten syllables in every single line. A few years ago, I saw "a comedy of errors" set in a mafia controlled town in Italy. After this he talks about the medieval empires of Western African and how they had people who were the custodians of the history and cultural and spiritual traditions and were often musicians. But that didnt mean he was always a good boy. Thats right folks. And its cause it was mood and blood or loins and loins, which means loins and lines. And the point is, the guy wrote performance poetry and great stories that were about sex and violence and love and tragedy. Thank you. You think of Shakespeares best characters. There wasnt we didnt actually program any Shakespeare there. MICHAEL WITMORE: This is a Shakespeare podcast so lets start by reading some Shakespeare. If I had a teacher like that I know I would have been attending all my lesson. Shakespeare is a literary heavyweight, and just bringing up his name strikes a chord with readers and writers (you can see eyes growing wide with affection at the very utterance of his name). PPTX 4/23-4/25 - Schoolwires By exploring what's dearest to our hearts and most . What does hip-hop mean? , Akala is too much! Hes become a global icon for a whole host of interconnected complicated reasons. Theres only five percent that are old words. Maybe cause they are bloody brilliant, lots of them. -DJing -MCing -Break dancing -Graffiti art -Knowledge 5.) phillip watson age. No one feels intimidated by Bob Marley, though. At age 9 I was put in a special needs group for kids who didnt speak English without my parents knowing.. It helps us to get the word out to people who havent heard it, people who might enjoy it. But it was essentially a concept album with key passages from the text kept. I'm not tryna get into a argument. In the 1400s, the main kingdom he speaks about in that book is the Empire of Mali. This doesnt belong to you. AKALA: Well, its to think about language, perception of language, language out of context, linguistic techniques, metaphor, simile, alliteration, rhythm. Our doors are reopening in Fall 2023! Although at 66 I might be unusual, but I love Hip-hop. SonicHits. So, accent has changed so much. The majority of my teachers were really, really good. That boy Akala, the rap Shakespeare. We should teach Shakespeare because it could teach our future generation ways into how these texts, visuals, and themes, can connect to our life experiences or tragedies. Garland Scott is the associate producer. The English language has not changed as much as people would like to believe. You know, for us in the UK and perhaps to an extent here in America, I dont want people to feel culturally intimidated by something that theyre told is beyond them. Musicality was central to Shakespeare. BARBARA: I was not born under a rhyming planet. Akala On Shakespeare, Black Representation & His First YA Novel - Bustle The assignment is like two weeks late . From award-winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us. Agreed! If youve been enjoying Shakespeare Unlimited, I hope youll consider reviewing the podcast on whatever platform you get this podcast from. Akala is one serious dude, man knows his stuff and reps "urban music" hard. You know, it can appeal to you. Maybe its food for the spirit. Wait, is that Shakespeare? You know, if youre 12 how would you understand the fact its even called the Mystery of Iniquity or RZA, 12 Jewelz, hes gotta rap about physics, right? Miles Davis, of course hes a genius. Its similar with hip-hop. Akala - Shakespeare Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Othello is not originally his story. I am one that I sometimes am critical of mainstream hip-hop and the violence and the misogyny and whatever else. Even. Bring Shakespeares work to life in the classroom. One of them knew it word for word! And then you have this tradition that youre talking about which comes and tell us a little bit more about that because it comes out of this the griot and the drum circle that came out of the African diaspora. I would take this fellows class or lectures whether I was a music lover/musician, writer or actor. It doesnt matter that its from the projects of Staten Island. My class and I are speaking of Shakespeare and I will definitely recommend this to my students. So even if they dont make it as a basketball player or footballer or whatever, they come out of it with a degree.. But also its not seen as cool to be clever it is in Jamaica, its not here. Lyrics, Meaning & Videos: That Boy Akala, That Boy, -That Boy Akala-, Dat Boy Akala, That Boy Akala (Pure Exclus 2006), Akala - That Boy Akala, The Edge, Akala - Shakespeare, Akala feat Low Deep - That BOy Akala. But if you do like them, thats absolutely fine, too, and you dont have to ask anyones permission. It was the first time I realized cause we know this about music, right? What he has to say is relevant to many act forms. AKALA: Yeah, I mean he is an icon. Hip hop should be taught more in universities and people like him should be honorary professors. This was flawless very informative yet entertaining. Thats kind of fascinating. I think theres something about Shakespeare as a brand, but I think that comes as much from what has been written about him as what he wrote. BARBARA: So, and for people who havent heard it, you recite a passage, I gather, and you ask the audience, do they think its hip-hop or do they think its Shakespeare. You should never speak it, it is not a secret. Thanks. All rights reserved. And obviously I deliberately picked rappers that were eloquent, rappers that were good, rappers that use I mean, weve got a line in there where the RZA says, the most benevolent king communicates for your dreams. You know, weve got another line fromthe Wu-Tang in particular were one of my favorite groups growing upwhere they say, judgment day cometh, conquer, its war. People hear the word cometh and obviously, naturally would assume its Shakespeare. The only differencesometimes iscultural understanding.. without knowledge, how can you understand? Thank you for sharing. But usually if you know something and already like it, you will clap more compared to if you didn't know it. He then goes on to explain how many people who often criticize hip-hop dont actually understand it. remains to be my favorite ted talk, ive watched over and over and over again, I like the way he blends these disparate cultures (griots = bards) and mentions the need for explanation about Shakespeare's education as if only certain people have about the custodians of knowledge. So, I dont have a problem with some of the negativity in hip-hop. And through Hip-hop Shakespeares creative workshops and interactive lectures he is directly helping some of them giving them confidence in their own ability. AKALA: Next one, we will go for, I was not born under a rhyming planet.. That was great! Mansa Musa I, the ruler of that kingdom is, you know, many economists estimate the richest human of all time. They made music in spite of the condition of enslavement. There is a close focus on education in the book - and not much of . This culture needs more like him My level of appreciation for Shakespearean plays went up a few notches after listening to the play on a rap beat. Akala makes the point that it's hard to distinguish between hip hop and Shakespeare when . Romeo and Juliet are still among Shakespeare's most widely read plays, despite not generally being regarded as one of his best. Everyone has a perception of those characters. On a regular basis, it's difficult for anyone to match the acme of Shakespeare's genius when it comes to rhetoric and diction. Maybe you don't like it, but don't degrade the genre to say that its "an excuse for people to say whatever they want with total impunity", because its not. AKALA: There was a it has echoes of Hamlet. I think if you look at hip-hop in particular, in London, the most diverse audience youll ever see at any gig you ever go to, without question, will be a hip-hop show. AKALA: Okay. very old; of a long time ago. I will use this to start teaching the other kids I've taken under my wing about the importance of being the "custodian of knowledge" for themselves. Since 2009, under the auspices of The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company (THSC), Akala has been going to community centers, prisons, and schools in immigrant . That is one of the things that has made me so passionate about education and made me want to dedicate part of my adult life to working with young people, in the way that people gave their time to work with me.. And even he got a couple wrong. Disturb. IIm here bingeing Akala videos and everyone else is here bc of homework lmao. prologue reading and questions.docx - Course Hero