“Yo yo yo, all you sucker Emcees ain’t got nothin’ on me…” All Kevin Gnapoor and Mean Girls references aside, muMs certainly isn’t a sucker emcee. In fact, he’s a rather spectacular one.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you. When the performance first started and I realized the premise of the play, I wasn’t too happy. It seemed like it was just going to be another story about a young black guy’s dream of being a rapper. I internally sighed and prepared myself to hear another tale about someone’s come-up, or their struggle to become recognized at least. But NO, this performance took both my original expectations and my lowered expectations, threw them out the window, and blew me away!

First and foremost, this performance had a very remininscent vibe. Between the staged flashbacks and me making my own personal connections, it felt very relatable. It reminded me of so much from my life, both past and present. I think the part I related to most was muMs’ mother having plastic on the couches. You really don’t quite understand that struggle unless you’ve experienced it for yourself (try sitting on a plastic covered couch in shorts on one of the hottest days of summer, then we can talk!). But on a more serious note, it really did make me remember a lot of things from my childhood. From the break dance scene in the Proud Family Movie set to Looking for the Perfect Beat by Afrika Bambaataa to Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight! In my house, these were staples in my young years, back when I had no choice in what I listened to, seeing as to how my dad pretty much ran the radio in our house, but I’m not complaining because it’s a fun soundtrack to have for my juvenile years. I can’t even deny the fact that I was dancing in my chair! I was really excited that I could understand the references made in the performance, considering my age. The music was old school Hip-Hop: Run-DMC, Diddy’s music from back when he went by Puff Daddy, basically, the classics. There was even one instrumental song played that irked me so much, because I couldn’t quite figure out what the name of it was; never have I been more satisfied than when I recognized it to be “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” by BT Express (Yes, pun WAS intended). On an even more severe note, I can relate to muMs’ mother having Alzheimer’s disease. My grandmother suffers from the disease, and it is especially hard on her caretaker, her husband, my grandfather. Seeing muM’s sadness about that particular part of his life really hit home for me and made me feel for my grandfather even more.

I think my favorite part of the performance was that it reminded me why I don’t really listen to the rap music made nowadays. I mean, think about it: what are today’s Hip-Hop hits? “Black Widow” by Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora, Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda”, “Hot N***a” by Bobby Schmurda. What are these songs even about?!?!??? I’m not going to deny the fact that when Anaconda comes on my iPod I get excited and walk down the street like I’m Tyra Banks on a runway, but what is the subject matter of these songs? Or any songs of today’s generation? Sex, drugs, money, crime? Basically. The Hip-Hop/Rap music classics are about just having a good time and being happy. Listen to “La Di Da Di” by Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh. Try to tell me it doesn’t make you feel good! The whole premise of the song is partying and having fun.

Or how about the song that the performance was titled from? Run-DMC’S “Sucker MC’s”. A real rap classic. The whole song is pretty much just about a regular day that turns into a rap battle. Run-DMC is literally rapping about rapping! Not degrading women, not talking about sex. Times were different then, simpler. “Youse a sucker MC, and you’re my fan … You’re just a sucker MC you sad face clown (Run-DMC. “Sucker MC’s.” Simmons, Smith, 1983. Mp3)”. Let’s go back to those days of Hip-Hop. This performance would appeal to anyone who appreciates the old-school Hip-Hop jams, or anyone who wants to hear a reminiscent story told through music.

Once I got over my initial distaste about the storyline of the performance, everything about the play worked for me. The performance was intriguing and used music to set a time period in a way that was appealing and made me want to bust a move.

Can we ditch today’s rap music and just go back to this? In the words of Montell Jordan, “Let’s flip the track, bring the old school back. (Montell Jordan. This Is How We Do It. “This Is How We Do It”. Jordan, Pierce, 1994. Mp3)”

muMs the word, and he knows what the people want.

Call it a preconceived notion, but I think all rich people are fake. They’re phony! They think they are chameleons. That they can blend in and fit into any situation undetected, motivations unknown. But some people can see right through them, probably because they are weary of every little thing.

Where did my preconceived notion come from? I have no idea. It’s not as if I’ve ever actually had a conversation with a rich person. I’ve just been a middle class teenager in a room full of upper class teenagers; making small talk, watching them exchange judgmental glances, and listening to them complain about the latest luxury item they’re parents wouldn’t buy them. I’d watch them whisper comments to each other about another person and then greet them with a huge smile and a warm embrace. Talk about being fake! I guess being one of the only middle class people in the room, I stuck my fellow “class-mates”, we were just more comfortable together, but watching the upper class kids socialize was like watching an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen: unnecessary attitude and drama.

Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage embodied and characterized my interpretation of “Uptown”, wealthy New York. Let’s set the scene shall we?

Two sets of parents come together to discuss an altercation that transpired between their sons. Alan and Annette Raleigh. Michael and Veronica Novak. The discussion takes place in the Novak home. At first we sense some strange tension between the two couples. Both couples are described to be very stiff and put together, as opposed to the natural air that people usually have when they are comfortable and being themselves. Every comment and response made seems precise and well thought out, not organic or unrefined.

About twenty pages later it appears that all hell has broken loose! Vases of freshly bought tulips are being shattered. Priceless books are being vomited on. Cell phones are being destroyed. Compacts are being broken. In short, real personalities are have emerged, causing utter confusion, resulting in behavior than my mother would frown upon and call lawlessness!

What were the true intentions of this meeting? To resolve the quarrel between the boys (who were never actually seen) or to get an apology?

I’m not comparing a realistic play to a sub-par television film, but back in the day, and by back in the day I mean eight years ago when I was a young and annoying ten year old, I watched the legendary film Cheetah Girls 2. Although looking back at it, I am aware that the movie was barely above mediocre, there is one line that’s stuck with me: “It’s the principle of the thing.” Our class discussion brought out the idea that while Veronica was indeed concerned about her son’s predicament, she was more interested in receiving an apology from the Raleigh’s. Perhaps because “it’s the principle of the thing”. Kind of like there is an unwritten contract between the rich: If your child beats mine up, you must apologize to me as soon as possible. The perpetrator does not have to apologize to the victim; the responsibility of expressing remorse falls upon the parent of the perpetrator. It’s just the principle of the thing!

On a brief side note, I found it absolutely hilarious that Veronica told Michael that Annette was being fake. (Pot, meet kettle!)

Now, back on track. I’m sure we’ve all encountered fake people at some point in our lives whether we realize it or not: A “friend” who says things about you behind your back. An employee at a store who helps you with a smile, but rolls their eyes as soon as you aren’t looking. The list goes on and on. But it just seems to me that the rich, upper class people are so much more fake than the rest of us “common folk”. Their fabricated personalities are so easy to detect. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that most, if not all, wealthy people, not necessarily “Uptown” New Yorkers exclusively, have a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, like they are better than you or above you. Underneath that exterior of kindness and understanding, welcoming and openness, they are only looking out for themselves and their priorities. Occasionally, something phases them and their persona falters, but make no mistake, they are professionals, and slip back into character in the blink of an eye.

I get it; people have to fake their way to the top! You have to blend in with the others, even if it means acting like someone you’re not. But what about after you get there? Can you just be yourself, and “let your hair down” so to speak? Can you drop the contrived persona? I thought that people just fake it ‘til they make it, but I guess not. Once a fake, always a fake.

Back in my junior and senior year of high school, “Clique” was all the rage. Everyone would take pictures and post them to Instagram or Facebook with a lyric from the song, “Ain’t nobody messin’ with my clique.” But upon listening to my iPod on shuffle earlier this week, I rediscovered this old gem. And I listened to it with totally different ears! The song is littered with nods to elitism and the celebration of exclusion. Now, I’m a little bit of a music junkie and my taste varies widely, but the common denominator in all music is that the musician has something to say, a message. Something they stand for. Musicians are artists and public figures who have a platform to broadcast their point of view to the world.

Now, let’s take a few moments to dissect the lyrics of the song in order to gain a keener understanding of class structure in America, with reference to Oliver Stone’s 1987 classic, Wall Street. But before we can fully analyze the song, we need to have a complete understanding of what a clique is:

Clique [kleek, klik] n.: exclusive group; a close group of friends or coworkers with similar interests and goals, whom outsiders regard as excluding them (“Clique Lyrics.” Rap Genius. Genius Media Inc. Web. 20 Sept. 2014).

1)”What of the dollar you murdered for? If that the one fighting for your soul?”

• So, let’s start with the topic of morality. If you were to indeed go to the extreme of killing for money, how does it affect your conscience? Would it be clean, or would you be haunted by it? And if we continue this thought, will that same dollar you murdered for be important later, when everything all comes crumbling down? This question is posed to each individual and leaves a listener thinking, “If I had all this money, what would I do to get more? Would I feel any guilt at all?” Now, let us relate this to Stone’s Wall Street. We know that the main character Bud stepped on toes and committed illegal acts to get to the top and acquire the wealth he had so long desired. We also know that he felt almost no guilt until almost the end of the movie where he regained his conscience. But in the end, when he was arrested, the money wasn’t so important then was it?

2) “Your money too short, you can’t be talking to me.”

• This lyric really reinforces the idea of elitism and class. The upper class is VERY exclusive. I understand surrounding yourself with people who have the same ambitions and interests as you, but that doesn’t mean that those with less money should be excluded. People of a lower class may still have the same interests and ambitions; they just have fewer funds to pursue said interests. Referring back to Wall Street, Gordon Gekko originally was not concerned with discussing business with Bud because Bud simply wasn’t established enough, and Gekko thought that Bud couldn’t particularly offer him anything. It wasn’t until after Buddy proved himself that Gekko gave him a chance. Money talks.

3)”He never told. Who he gonna tell? We top of the totem pole. It’s the Dream Team meets the Supreme Team. And all our eyes green it only means one thing.”

• Yes, Jay Z is making a reference to his personal life and a cousin’s arrest, in which Jay Z had a hand. The cousin didn’t snitch, allowing Jay Z to go on to build his empire. But that’s a story for another time. Right now we want to focus on this in the context of the rich. As the upper class, the rich are at the top of the pyramid, the top of the food chain, it is seems that they are untouchable. They have a ton of money, and all they continue to see are dollar signs. In Wall Street, Gekko was under the impression that he was invulnerable: he was the cream of the crop and he had his money to back him up, no one could touch him. The rich all seem to share this sentiment.

We’ll end analysis before we get to Kanye’s verse, simply because he brings race into the mix on the discussion about class, and that is entirely another blog post. The point of all of this though, was to demonstrate the elitism in America. It doesn’t only exist here in New York on Wall Street, but throughout the country. In music and in art. Artists often have the opportunity to share their opinions on matter, and many do. Not all of them share the same attitude toward class and exclusivity. I’ll give you a few examples to demonstrate other viewpoints on the matter.

Bob Marley’s Them Belly Full (But We’re Hungry) (Bob Marley & The Wailers. “Them Bell Full (But We Hungry). Natty Dread. 1974. CD. ) focuses more on the fact that the rich have many opportunities to help those who are less fortunate and suffering under harsh conditions. Marley himself was an advocate for the poor and needy. Marley’s Guiltiness (Bob Marley. “Guiltiness”. Exodus. 1977. CD) also denounces the rich pouncing on the low and middle class: “These are the big fish who always try to eat down the small fish, just the small fish. I tell you what: they would do anything to materialize their every wish.”

Rapper MGK, also known as Machine Gun Kelly, shares Marley’s position on the rich feeding off the poor: “These ****** eating, while my people starve” (Machine Gun Kelly. Louder. 2012. MP3). His most recent tour, the No Class Tour promotes putting an end of class levels, as he resents growing up as part of the low class.

Depending on their notion, an artist can either reinforce or break down class structures. So much music, so many artists, so many opinions.

Art. Merriam-Webster, one of the most trusted and reputable reference book companies, defines art as something that is created with imagination and skill, and that is beautiful, or that expresses important ideas or feelings. Now, not to downsize the reputation of Merriam-Webster, but, isn’t art subjective? Doesn’t each individual decide whether or not they consider something to be art for themselves? With that being said, to me, art is anything that makes someone feel something, either visually or musically. When I say that art makes you feel something, I mean that it is thought or emotion provoking.

I believe that you know art when you see it. As I said before, art is subjective; just because my mother likes a particular song or painting, doesn’t mean that I do as well. I do not have to like it. I do not have to consider it art. But if that song or that painting inspires something within my mother, or makes her feel something, it is art. In this case, anything can be art. Take for example graffiti, some may consider it vandalism or destruction, another may consider it to be beautiful street art and self-expression. We each define art for ourselves.

The Brooklyn Art Museum displays their idea of art, their perspective. Any art institution does as such. Many people may think that something is only a work of art if it is showcased in a renowned art museum such as Le Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On a trip to Le Louvre a few months ago, I had the opportunity to see the Mona Lisa, the extremely famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. People flocked from around the world to see a painting that was 77 centimeters by 53 centimeters! Sure, it’s a great painting that inspires a lot of questions, it IS art, but that doesn’t make it more important than another piece of artwork. Does it?

I detest the fact that people think art displayed at a famous museum is any is better or superior to art that is not showcased or held at such high esteem. My problem with this idea is the fact that street art or pieces not shown in acclaimed institutions are still significant; their quality and influence are not diminished. A piece of street art may affect me just as much, if not more, than a piece featured at the Vatican Museums. It all depends of one’s taste. But some of the most meaningful and inspiring pieces are the product of street art, more specifically, revolutionary art. For example, Walls of Freedom, street art of the Egyptian Revolution is not in a museum, but it reaches the hearts of many every single day. Every day. And it makes a difference. It inspires.

Art does not have to be showcased in a museum to be critical. Art just has to touch a person’s heart, soul, or mind. Art is everywhere. All you have to do is open your eyes.