June 27: 20 Years of DJ Screw's "Da Streets Ain't Right" Freestyle Session

Houston’s late DJ Screw will forever be a legend. He pioneered the “Chopped & Screwed” style of hip-hop, in which the tempo of a song is slowed down significantly (screwed) with short sections repeated and/or cut (chopped). Houston Press has described “June 27”, a 37-minute freestyle session from that date in 1996, as “Houston rap’s Sistine Chapel ceiling”. This is an apt description of the monstrous track, on which eight rappers freestyle over a dazzling beat (Kriss Kross’s “Da Streets Ain’t Right”, properly screwed) to celebrate rapper DeMo’s (alternately known as D-Mo) birthday. A screwed sample of Biggie's "Warning" plays over the track before Big Moe enters to host the freestyle session/birthday party. In between every rapper, Moe performs a quick verse in his signature half-rapped, half-sung style. Moe's baritone croon is huge, almost elegiac, but the positive energy he exudes introducing his friends negates that description.

Big Pokey steals the show with a dazzling freestyle verse, providing what would become the sample for Paul Wall's hit "Sittin Sidewayz" early on in a particularly ferocious run that lasts about 6 minutes. When the beat's fried synth melody enters it seems to energize Pokey like some aural electric charge. He shouts out his friends, teams up with Tom Sawyer and rhymes "rabbit" with "dagnabbit". The way he puts emphasis on his rhymes is stellar, especially for a freestyle: "Let them boys know, flip phone I be foldin em / Fillin' up my foreign ride with petroleum". One more standout section: "Ain't no preppin in my corner / Cause you's a goner / I'm smoking marijuana / Broke em off when I snatched my diploma / I walked across the stage / I turned the page / no more minimum wage / And my corner got paid".

Yungstar is another essential player here, flexing a quick wit and southern slang on two verses. He shouts out "baked potato with chives" in both. Before closing it out he references his "Playstation in the car / Sippin on barre / TV VCR / With the star". Not all of the other rappers have incredible verses, but somehow, for 37 minutes, the sound of a bunch of guys hanging out and rapping becomes completely transcendent despite a lack of lyrical direction or a changing instrumental. The sound is not professionally mastered and there are obvious flaws in the recording quality (which somehow works to the track's advantage). Yet this is more a perfect snapshot of the lives of these friends than anything that could have been commissioned by a record executive. I was 15 months old when June 27 was recorded, but it still resonates today.

The rest of the June 27 tape consists mostly of remixed tracks, all of which are excellent. Bone Thugs' "Crossroads" is transformed into a swirling elegy. I never thought a Too $hort song would make me emotional, but the syrupy "Gettin' It" screw, with its "I'd Rather Be With You" flip and chorus from P-Funk members is just inspiring. Excellent chops in the second verse, too. "High Til I Die" is a superb 2Pac track that I wouldn't know about if not for this tape, and Screw even takes on reggae (yay!) with great results on "Rollerskates". June 27 is a classic Screwtape, and I have no doubt that its towering freestyle session will be bumping throughout the world today. Rest in peace to DJ Screw and Big Moe.

Listen to the June 27th freestyle here.

Apple Vs. FBI: Who Deserves Privacy?

An article from Bloomberg.com titled "Apple's Fight With U.S. Over Privacy Enters a New Round" details the U.S. government's fight to get the company’s help in getting data off a phone in Brooklyn, New York, that belonged to a drug dealer. The U.S. says it should get the help they want because Apple provided assistance in accessing such devices earlier. The request follows one previously made to Apple in hopes of accessing the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. That request was dropped in March after the government found another way to hack the phone. FBI Director James Comey has called this battle the most difficult issue he has faced in government.

The U.S. government has been arguing for Apple's compliance on the basis of the All Writs Act of 1789. But does the 227 year old Act apply to iPhones? A Brooklyn judge called this assertion "obnoxious to the law." The Act authorizes courts to "issue all writs [written orders] necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law." But such an old Act couldn't have possibly predicted the kind of large-scale privacy issue that Apple is facing today.

Where do we draw the line in terms of Apple helping out? They've complied to stop a terrorist and a sexual abuser, but will they comply with these drug laws? What if the U.S. called on Apple to unlock the phone of, say, a teenage vandalist who may have spray-painted a building? When does the FBI have a right to impose on Apple's time and high-stakes privacy policy? I say high-stakes because Apple Inc. is the world's largest information technology company by revenue and the largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization. Needless to say, maintaining the trust of their massive consumer base is important.

In our April 4 lecture on online privacy, we learned that people own private information and that revealing it can be risky. If Apple has to continuously hack in to phones and give their privacy to the government, they may be compromising the trust of their consumer base. From my view of the legal side, Apple owns its own private info first and foremost, and government writs cannot bypass that truth. Apple said the FBI is attempting to set a precedent to require it and other companies to work on the government’s behalf, which seems accurate. If Apple ends up compliant, it could create a snowball effect through this precedent, thereby allowing the government significantly more access to private information stored by a multitude of companies in the United States. Surely, that is an unsettling image of the future. Apple keeps its access and protection rules strict to avoid potential chilling effects. They do not want to experience the kind of boundary turbulence that could lose customers or make them less trustworthy of how Apple handles their private information. It is unclear whether or not the FBI / U.S. government will end up victorious in their fight against Apple, but if they do it could be bad for our privacy.

The Hogan Case

As NPR covered, former wrestler Hulk Hogan has been awarded $140 million by a Florida jury in an invasion of privacy lawsuit against gossip news website Gawker, who published a clip of Hogan's sex tape in October 2012. The footage, supposedly given to Gawker by an anonymous source, was a 30-minute sex tape between Hogan (real name Terry Bollea), and his best friend's then ex-wife. Gawker revealed this information as well as a graphic, multi-paragraph description of the entire tape. On page two of the U.S. District Court order for the case, we read that "On October 15, 2012, Plaintiff [Bollea filed] a five count complaint against Defendants [Gawker] asserting claims for (1) invasion of privacy by intrusion upon seclusion, (2) publication of private facts, (3) violation of the Florida common law right of publicity, (4) intentional infliction of emotional distress, and (5) negligent infliction of emotional distress".

In class we've learned about libel, the legally unprotected action defined as any "malicious, false statement about an individual online, in print or media". The Gawker post, I would argue, is not libel, as seemingly none of it is false. But is it malicious? The courts have argued that it definitely was, with Gawker countering that in the trial, "Emotion was permitted to trump the law, and key evidence and witnesses were kept from the jury". I think that the post was malicious too. To me, private sexual matters of an individual shouldn't be touted as news unless they involve a death (see: David Carradine) or other serious incident that the public has a right to know about. We have also covered other cases of cyber-bullying where the courts don't side in favor of the victim. For example, in the case of Megan Meier's side, the perpetrator of the fatal bullying was acquitted. This is a more serious incident, but I think it impacted how seriously courts view cases of "intentional infliction of emotional distress" via CMC, which is explicitly mentioned in this case.

Gawker didn't have to post any of the sex tape, reveal that Bollea was involved with an affair with his best friend's wife, or lampoon him for his sex talk or what he ate for lunch (gross). The aforementioned Florida common law right of publicity also dictates that "No person shall publish, print, display or otherwise publicly use for purposes of trade or for any commercial or advertising purpose the name, portrait, photograph, or other likeness of any natural person without ... express written or oral consent", which Gawker violated. And I don't think they should have. But to the defense of Gawker, $140 million is too much money in this case. They challenge the "$60 million [awarded to Bollea] for emotional distress with precious little evidence that he actually experienced any". Even if he did experience distress, does he really need $60 million for it? I think 1/60th of that amount would quell any emotional distress of mine pretty well.

Gawker will appeal the case and I am interested to see what happens. I don't think the end result is entirely fair, but I'm not sure if Gawker winning would be fair either. I think that when it comes to CMC, it isn't fair to publicly invade privacy intentionally when it will obviously cause the exploited person distress or worse. I support free speech but not when it goes this low. Although it can be hard to draw a line, a case like this becomes fascinating for that reason and I look forward to learning more about these types of situations in class.

The Trans Woman Looking for a Friend With Benefits

A recent update in New York Magazine's "Sex Diaries" series, where anonymous city dwellers are asked to record a week in their sex lives as a journal, follows a trans woman named Chelsea who pursues a friends-with benefits relationship.

Right off the bat, Chelsea notes "Checking my OKCupid messages has become the first thing I do when I wake up". This addictive element of online dating is interesting to me, and doesn't seem to be something we've discussed in class.

She worries that her profile pictures "are not representative of how I really look". She may have realized that a high selective self-representation is not the best way to go about online dating, because it doesn't seem as real. Regardless, she did not change her pictures.

Chelsea met and hooked-up with two men during her week. The first was simply referred to as "the 19-year-old", and the second is "Andy". Chelsea and Andy had a better connection than her and the 19-year-old did, which might be because they chatted more online before meeting, which we learned was a key in positive relationships/attraction through online dating.

Chelsea and a third man ("from Paris") participated in cybersex with each other by exchanging naked pictures. It seems to have been a positive experience ("we both cum").

At the end of Chelsea's weeklong journal is this entry: "I delete my OKCupid profile. I am not 19 years old anymore. I don't want any more one-night stands, either. Ideally, I would like a genuine friends-with-benefits situation. It seems like that's what most people say they’re looking for, but few seem to actually care about the friendship part." Chelsea is done with one-night stands, so maybe she wants a real interpersonal relationship. It seems like she has difficulty overcoming the "sexual challenge": people on OKCupid, to her, just want to have sex and don't "seem to actually care about the friendship part". None of her hookups really provided support, affirmation or security, which are all important in friendships. They were simply outlets for stimulation, and perhaps they were fulfilling a sexual utility.

This entry of the sex diaries was interesting to me because I feel trans people are under/mis-represented in popular culture. Chelsea seems like a fairly normal person who doesn't want empty sex, but might not be ready for a real relationship. In this case, maybe a friends-with-benefits situation would work out for her. Based on the percentage of college students we learned about who say these situations can work, it seems like it could be the right thing for Chelsea.

Is Online Dating Becoming Work?

The Honolulu Star Advertiser (the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii!) recently published an article titled "Working for love: Online dating is starting to feel like a second job". This article focuses on several people who are devoting more time and effort to online dating than the layperson like myself might expect. The article is inspired by a study by John Cacioppo, a University of Chicago professor of psychology. Cacioppo found that between 2005 and 2012, more than 34 percent of married couples met online, outstripping work and friend introductions (a combined 26 percent).

The first subject, Alejandro Peña, is a 24-year-old who works as a business analyst for a tech company and uses at least six separate dating apps up to 13 hours a week. Peña averages two to three dates a week, but has gone on as many as five. Peña's approach has become so methodical, the article suggests, that he has trouble keeping track of the women he's dating.

But while Peña finds his approach enjoyable, others tire of the effort that they put into online dating. 41-year-old Jonathan Zwickel says. "I want to believe I’m being proactive in my dating life... [but] I know in my heart of hearts that’s BS." Alternately drawn to and repulsed by online dating, Zwickel goes through phases of using apps and then deleting them, referring to some encounters as "contrived and forced and uncomfortable."

Frankie Rentas, 33, points out that online, it’s easier to reject potential partners before meeting them. "Because of that," he explains, "I have to be very careful with what I am putting out there and how I represent myself." This ties into some ideas we learned in class, namely that in computer-mediated relationships, chemistry appears richer and may develop faster, since both users have a more selective self-presentation than they would face-to-face. Similarities are magnified, and differences are easily ignored.

Eric Klinenberg, a New York University professor of sociology, says, "The interface we use for dating is the same interface we use for work. So many people spend their workdays sitting in front of a screen... that when they come home at night and find themselves in front of an online dating screen... they are just repeating the drudgery." Klinenberg refers to both processes as containing "mind-numbingly dull data entry and analysis."

I'm not totally sold on the premise that dating online is becoming a second job. Or, at least, that it is any more of a job than face-to-face dating. As the article points out, face-to-face speed dating is comparable to a fast job interview, which is probably more unappealing for most than an online conversation. Furthermore, online dating can be less expensive than face-to-face dating, where dinners, drinks and/or movies can put your wallet on a diet. People like Peña may be too entrenched in their computer-oriented jobs and their intense online dating strategies (6+ dating apps, seriously?) to really know the difference between work and fun. I align more with someone like Zwickel, who finds online dating sometimes appealing and other times sad.

To me, dating should be more fun than work, and I haven't reached the point where it is the opposite. Online dating is still open to some unpredictability, which can, as we discussed, be dangerous. But with this unpredictability leaving excitement to be found, I'm not convinced that online dating is becoming work.

Furry Fandom As Identity Conceptualization

In the past week we’ve learned a lot about identity. Identity is seen as a symbolic marker, and traditional view of identity as unchanging and singular has been replaced with a contemporary view that sees identity as more flexible and fluid. Furthermore, identity is both personal and social, and one individual’s identity can be formed by how they think others see them: the idea of the looking-glass self.
 

Identity play is the concept of pretending to be something else, which can free the player from constraints. Enter the furry community. A new article from The Guardian focuses on the role of identity in the furry subculture.

Furry fandom is often dismissed as simply a sexual fetish, but this is a misconception. Social psychologist Kathleen Gerbasi says this view "really doesn’t represent the reality [she] see[s] in the fandom.” In reality, furries can be as sexual or not as any other subculture.

Samuel Conway is a chairman of Anthrocon, a convention for all things anthropomorphic (including, of course, furries). “Furry fandom is unique among fan cultures in that we are not consumers, but rather creators,” he says. And it seems that furries are creating identities that they feel they may, in fact, need to have. In a study, 29% of furries reported experiencing being a “non-human species trapped in a human body".

Fursuit makers put serious effort into their work and their suits can sell for thousands of dollars. "Master fursuit maker" Sarah Dee explains the furry lifestyle: “What draws people in is that they can create this character which is a better version of themselves,” she explains. “It’s fun to just be silly, to use your imagination. To not have to conform to what people think being an adult is like.” For most, Dee believes, furry fandom is more about escapism than anything else. "It gives them anonymity to just be who they are and act how they want,” she says. 

So furries use identity play to free themselves of the constraints of being a "normal" adult, and in turn create "a better version of themselves". Almost a third of them identify as non-humans feeling "trapped", so surely their fursuits must relieve a fair amount of anxiety and personal discomfort. The constraints they are thus freed from suggest more than just "play" in their identity construction. Also, when they gather as a community (the last Anthrocon saw over 6,000 attendees), their social identity could boost their morale and make them feel like better people. Using the looking-glass self perspective, it makes sense why furries gather in communities: their identity construction is validated by other furries, whereas they may feel shunned or pegged as "freaks" by those who misunderstand the furry subculture (arguably the vast majority).

I only have one small issue with furries: I don't support the use of real fur to make costumes or dress. I think the fur trade is often harmful for real animals. Still, plenty furries simply can't afford intricate costumes and use something simpler like fake fur. Otherwise, this article, combined with theories of identity conceptualization learned in class, really help me to understand why furries do what they do. Sure, their subculture is unconventional and it isn't particularly inviting to a normie like myself, but it is creative and fairly harmless. If furries feel more comfortable constructing their personal and social identity as animals in costume, I say more power to them.

The Wacky World of ASMR

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is defined in a BBC News article as “a strange tingle in the head caused by certain sights and sounds” and “a growing YouTube subculture”. The discussion of ASMR is a fairly recent phenomenon and it is not wholly recognized, but this BBC article claims that these ASMR-triggering videos, where users often whisper or make “crinkling” sounds, help viewers to relieve stress and sleep at night.

On week one, we learned about the communication model. This includes nonverbal communications like paralanguage, the use of voice that doesn’t have to do with words, which is where ASMR fits in. TinyMixTapes.com, when talking about ASMR YouTube videos notes, “the tingling sensation that each piece aims to invoke comes from a combination of often delicate, fragile sounds, while the narrator uses whispering as their primary method for communicating actions or signals to their audience.” They were covering YouTube user softsoundwhispers’s video titled “ASMR Facemask – Festive Cranberry Face Brushing”. If you watch the beginning of the video, you’ll note that the user, Jenny, speaks in the aforementioned “delicate, fragile” whisper that is intended to trigger the ASMR response. It doesn’t really matter what she’s talking about, it’s how she’s talking that matters. If this were just a makeup tutorial video, the YouTube user would speak in a normal tone instead of a whisper.

What I find fascinating about these ASMR videos is the way they use paralanguage to illicit a very specific response, and how that response can vary from what I’ve read that others feel (relaxing) to what I’ve experienced (heightened discomfort). In short, I think these ASMR videos are scary. The unease inspired by the whispers and tones recalls something out of a David Lynch movie, or the creepy disembodied whisper of “sweet girl” that Nina hears in Aronofsky’s ballet horror Black Swan.

Another instance of ASMR that caught my attention was “Lonely at the Top”, a song (if one could call it that) featured on Holly Herndon’s album Platform, released last year on 4AD, one of my favorite music labels. Since the album was covered on some of my favorite music websites, and I follow 4AD on social media, I approached the album. Although Herndon’s music is totally inscrutable to me, it is kind of awesome that she devoted a whole song on her album to the monologue of ASMR specialist Claire Tolan. I challenge you to listen to this track for more than 10 seconds without feeling uncomfortable. I am not sure if Herndon’s approach is subversive or has some hidden meaning, (like I said, shit’s inscrutable), but I believe this to be the first intentionally ASMR-triggering piece to be featured on an album in the history of music.

Back to the BBC article, the writer traveled to Sheffield to partake in an ASMR study where he met someone who shares my discomfort. He says PhD assistant Theresa Veltri “finds many of the videos frankly rather creepy - and rather sexual”. Of course we must consider the implications of whispers and how they operate as an example of paralanguage in the communication model. Whispers can be relaxing, or creepy, or sexual. Or maybe two or all three at once. The world of ASMR seems to achieve this bizarre combination.