EXPLAINING MY APPROACH TO THE SOURCES INVOLVED

When examining hip hop lyrics, music, images, and the actual words involved in the LA riots it is important to apply rigourous analysis to both the source and the common interpretations offered.

I found the most useful way to examine the various genres and types of evidence I had was to concieve of it as visual, material, and sonic archaeology. To understand the riots, we must not neglect the sentiments behind them, which had been simmering for years. This riot was a result of the desperation, frustration and anger of a community. It may not have been the best presentation for these emotions, but it sent a powerful message none the less: street justice was the rule of law in this habitat, and the justice of the street was often brutal and shocking to outsiders.
 

With each source I have attempted to address the following issues:

1. What explaination can be offered for this source, and for others in its genre?

2. What narrative issues surround this source and its genre?

3. What does this source, and others like it, contribute to our understanding of  context?

4. And vice versa: what does the context contribue to our understanding of these sources?

I have tried to identify, contexturalise and explain the major sources involved in this issue, however, I must admit to the constraints of time and technology: this is not an exhaustive analysis, but rather, a locus between the event and its coverage, where new information can be accessed and connected through hypertext. Deep understanding of the themes and issues of the LA riots can only be achieved by in depth analysis of the primary sources available, and from the location of possible sources as yet undiscovered or unutilised in history. This is why I have attempted to add legitimacy to the hip hop of the time without a long exposition of hip hop's importance in history and social development. To read a general essay on hip hop, gangsta rap and 'black music' as background, click here.