Thursday, August 12, 2010

Greydon Square

I have something that on the surface is something of a walking paradox. When you think of hip-hop what pops to mind? Pimps, hos, benjamins and rollin' in ya escalade? Yeah, me too. Isn't it nice to have a stereotype smashed up sometimes?

Greydon Square is a black American army veteran hip-hop artist. Get that image in your head. Now read the following exerpt from his song "A Rational Rap"

To battle me you need to reason clearly
Now I'm not sayin fear me
But at least be versed in punctuated equilibrium theory
Grand unified fields, quantum mechanics and dark planets
With logic that's sharper than a blade of d'Artagnan's
To destroy arguments of creationists who cant stand it
Then they try and hit me with the wager
Who? Pascal's wager. Who? Pascal's wager.
Now that's a fool's bet
And against the intelligent it's used less

How's your worldview doing? He's a graduate student in physics and an extremely outspoken atheist and skeptic. Now I'm not a hip-hop fan but I can appreciate this guy for what he's creating. It's clearly his preferred art form and he's wielding it with both graceful skill and brutal clarity. He's as blunt and forceful as the old school rappers speaking out against oppression and poverty but he's dangerously intelligent and his message is that science, skepticism and atheism are important.

I don't know how I feel about the atheism bit. I'm still a bit of an agnostic which he's clearly not thrilled with:
"I been sayin it since agnostics people been playin the fence"

But overall it's interesting, intelligent and I have to thank him for breaking a bias for me.

Thanks Greydon. Good luck with your music, your message, and your studies. If you really want to screw people up, get a Nobel prize and rap your acceptance speech ;)

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much Ryan. I know everyone wont agree with everything I say, but just the fact that "thinking" people listen and dissect my music is enough success for me. Not a bad idea with the Nobel Prize Acceptance speech. Thanks again man

    Grey

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  2. Wow! First celebrity comment! I'm going to drink a celebratory beer...

    ...Delicious.

    In response: I think Greydon's work would lose purpose and meaning if everyone agreed with him (I think that's called pop music). His music does have a message and an agenda and is clearly seeking to incite both an intellectual and emotional response. If he chose to go bland and middle of the road it might be more accessible but it wouldn't get much accomplished.

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