Coachella 2018 — Where Hip Hop Takes A Stand
The crowd screams. Bodies pulse on a steaming dance floor. He takes the mic and starts spitting. This is it. The moment when the room’s collective tension is expelled in a wave of expletives. It’s a scene that has already hallowed the halls of clubs and concert venues across the country. Soon, these beats are set to make their way around the festival circuit, premiering in Indio this weekend. I’m talking about hip hop.
If Coachella’s lineup tells us one thing it’s that in 2018, hip hop reigns supreme. For the first time in the festival’s history, the lineup eschews dance and rock in favor of hip hop, rap, and R&B. Although a splattering of indie, electronic, and rock acts remain, the overwhelming vibe is defiantly hip hop. From legends like Eminem to newer stars like Cardi B, the weekend is set to be awash with the heavy beats and provocative lyrics that define this beloved genre. No matter how you feel about Coachella, it is arguably the most influential festival in the United States. It plays a pivotal role in reflecting, establishing, and predicting the culture à la mode. So what does the 2018 lineup tell us about life in America today?
One thing is clear: we are angry and we are powerful. Since 1982 when Grandmaster Flash released The Message, hip hop has illuminated the gritty reality of American society. Hip hop in 2018 is no different. 2017 was a year of atrocities: #metoo, the muslim ban, police brutality, DACA. We have watched as the core tenets of American society — acceptance, diversity, justice — have been undermined and discarded. Many of us feel angry and hip hop embodies this. However, it is not just anger that defines this moment. Power, and more specifically empowerment, is growing. With movements like Time’s Up, Black Lives Matter, and March For Our Lives flooding the country, it seems that the public is starting to take control. As so many of us fight to reclaim our home, hip hop provides us with another quintessential ingredient: strength.
Take Cardi B for example. A stripper from the Bronx turned hip hop sensation. If that isn’t a poster story for female empowerment, I don’t know what is. Bodak Yellow’s first line “Little bitch couldn’t fuck with me” is a lyrical weapon. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has sung these words to the imaginary faces of those who have hurt me. Maybe you’re even singing this about one of the many frightening figures of 2017: Donald, Weinstein, Nassar. In the midst of #MeToo, we need more women like Cardi. Women who rap about bitches, hoes, and money with pride not with shame. Cardi B takes ownership of the labels that were once thrown at her, thus destroying their power. In her latest single, Be Careful Cardi reveals her vulnerability, but her fragility is obfuscated by confidence and strength. She tells us “it’s not a threat, it’s a warning, be careful with me”. We need more of this. Women who are proud and defiant and strong. Her songs provide a channel to express our anger and regain our power. This is the energy we need this year. Ramping up for the 2018 elections we need fight, a kick up the ass — Cardi delivers!
She isn’t alone. Vince Staples’ 2017 album, Big Fish provides further catharsis. BagBak, a killer song from the album and the official song for the Black Panther trailer, puts a poem of police brutality and racial inequity against a fast and aggressive, electronic beat. The result is energetic power. Staples begins with a wish: “This for my future baby mama // Hope your skin is black as midnight”. With this wish, Staples exalts blackness. He is proud and confident — two emotions that are also detected in Cardi B’s work. Staples continues to call attention to the omnipresent threat of police brutality in America: “Pray the police don’t come blow me down ’cause of my complexion”. His delivery is frank — there is no sugar coating. This is a problem and Staples addresses it. Again, I believe that this is something we need. We need more people making big statements because these are big problems. As BagBak progresses, Staples turns his attention to political representation with the bold commitment: “Until the president get ashy, Vincent won’t be voting”. Staples tackles the complex subject of racial diversity in politics with one succinct statement — he won’t vote until he sees someone like him on the ballot. Positioned against such a thumping and electric beat, Staples’ work embodies the energy and anger that has developed since Trump’s election. Perhaps most telling is the final reprise:
Tell the one percent to suck a dick, because we on now
Tell the president to suck a dick, because we on now
Tell the government to suck a dick, because we on now
This sentiment manifests in many forms. Blackbear, who will also give his first Coachella performance this year, is not overtly political. His songs boast melodic vocals and catchy beats that generally tackle topics of romance. The subject might not be politics, but the tension, the vibe, it’s still there. His words are heavy with force. His songs are about anger — Idfc, i miss the old u, do re mi. In i miss the old u there’s a sense that he’s been tricked, disrespected, and abandoned. Isn’t this what we’re all feeling? Since that fatal day in November 2016, we’ve all been fucked. Communities of color are being ripped apart. Black men are murdered and police walk free. 800,000 DACA recipients suddenly face an unknown future. Millions are set to lose their healthcare. i miss the old you could be an ode to the presidency of the United States. We miss you, Obama.
A discussion of hip hop as a genre of resistance could not be complete without mention of Kendrick Lamar. Lamar may not be performing in Indio this weekend, but he did headline the festival in 2017. Since then he has won four Grammys, gone double-platinum with Damn, and curated a legendary soundtrack for Black Panther. Lamar’s HUMBLE stands as one of the most memorable songs of 2017. In HUMBLE Lamar recounts his journey from a broke kid eating “syrup sandwiches” to a bonafide superstar driving a Mercedes, and proclaiming “I still be the greatest”. The narrative is motivational, aspirational — a dream that came true. It is also intensely powerful. The chorus is a repeated command: “Bitch, be humble // Sit down”. Fans speculate that Lamar wrote the song to diss Big Sean. Despite the intended target, Lamar’s words resonate with everyone. We all have someone or something that attempts to derail our journey. Be it your boss, your boyfriend, your finances, or even your president. As we shout at that entity to “sit down” and “be humble” we empower ourselves. We uphold the conviction that we are stronger and we will be triumphant. I truly believe that this is the mentality we need right now. We need to be motivated. To keep pushing, to keep fighting for what we know is right. Whether that means standing up in the Senate, or standing up in our own lives.
I am sure Coachella will be as utopian as ever this year. Ostensibly, little has changed. Old performers have been traded for new names. Hip hop will replace EDM and people will sing, dance, and laugh. Yet underneath the paradise, an angry and powerful movement augments. A movement of resistance. A movement played to the beats of hip hop’s finest. Join us and take a stand.
