Writing a Hip Hop Musical Part 2

Writing a Hip Hop Musical Part 2

by | Apr 21, 2020 | Blog

How to Write a Hip Hop Musical

 

Last week’s blog was about WHY a hip hop artist should be writing a hip hop musical. This week is about HOW a hip hop musical should be structured. I’ve been thinking about this because I’m writing a hip hop musical about the Irish famine of the late 1840’s, and I wanted to organize my ideas.

This is what I came up with so far:

  • Because it’s a hip hop musical it needs to be about something serious and important.
  • The best musicals flow naturally from dialog to song back to dialog.
  • The dialog creates the structure of the story.
  • The songs support the story by revealing character or advancing the plot.
  • There also needs to be musical diversity. Not just rap but the songs should be in other musical styles.
  • Rap works best in ensemble songs or in rap battles.

 

Three Kinds of Songs in Musicals

 

Musicals have three kinds of songs:

  • First, there are the “world” and the “want” songs. These songs show the world of the play and gives the main character the opportunity to describe they need.

In my musical I plan to sketch the world of rural Ireland in 1845 by having townspeople rap. The “want” song would be an Irish ballad.

  • Second, there are the “obstacles to be overcome” songs.

In my musical, if the obstacle is a conflict between two characters, it will take the form of a rap battle. If an individual, I’ll use more traditional Irish music.

  • Third, there are songs that end the show (the finale).

My musical ends with the main character, who has survived the famine by immigrating to America. This would be depicted using an upbeat, positive number that is a mix of rap and and a melody.

 

Are You Interested in Irish Hip Hop?

 

As the year goes by I’ll update everyone on the progress I’m making in writing an Irish Hip Hop Musical.

I hope everyone continues to be safe.

 

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Writing a Hip Hop Musical Part 1

Writing a Hip Hop Musical Part 1

by | Apr 14, 2020 | Blog

Why Write a Musical?

 

Let’s talk about some of the things that go into writing a musical.

A musical, like Gaul, is divided into three parts:

  • There is the music/beats.
  • There are the lyrics.
  • There is the dialog.

This week I want to talk about the songs.

 

Writing a Song

 

Songs have music/beats and lyrics. They tell a story.  A logical question is, why can’t the song writer just write the songs as songs? Why should a songwriter want to incorporate his songs into a musical?

I believe the answer is somewhat about creative control, but mostly about economic opportunity.

If you write a song, you need to get it recorded and distributed. The standard industry practice for this is that a record company, in exchange for these services, buys part of the the rights and revenues of the song. From this point on, you don’t fully own your song; you co-own it with the record company.

The situation is different in a musical.

 

Writing Songs in a Musical

 

The writers – playwright, composer, and lyricist – never sell any part of their creative work. They only “rent” it to a theater producer. And that rental is limited as to time and place.

A producer pays the writers for the right to mount productions of the musical. Unlike the music industry, this payment confers no ownership.

The answer to the why question, then, is that writing songs for a musical is always a better financial deal for the writer.

 

How Do I Write A Musical?

 

My guess is that most hip hop artists don’t know many playwrights or theater producers. This is where Rhymes Over Beats comes in.

One of our goals as a hip hop theater collective is to connect hip hop artists with a playwright and have them collaborate to create a musical.

Next week’s blog will be how – HOW the songs work with the dialog in a musical.

 

Stay safe everyone.

 

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I’d Like to Recommend…

I’d Like to Recommend…

by | Mar 31, 2020 | Blog

The Exonerated

 

The question I’m asked most often about Rhymes Over Beats is how I got involved in hip hop theater, since I’m not your typical hip hop demographic.

The short answer is The Exonerated, a documentary play about six individuals who were arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for a crime for which they were later exonerated. This happened primarily because these people belonged to the wrong social, economic, racial group.

In 2003 I was one of the producers of this play. The experience made me want to tell similar stories as a playwright, and to help tell them as a producer.

 

When I considered how to tell these stories using music, the choice of hip hop was obvious. A music that was born from an oppressed culture should be used to tell the stories of oppression. So I created a hip hop theater collective to do this.

 

More Stories 

 

But writing and producing these stories is not enough. We are not the only group involved in doing this. Others are as well.

We also want to show support for colleagues engaged in a similar mission. I especially want everyone to know about a new ABC series called “For Life.” Initial episodes air on Tuesdays at 10pm. It is about an innocent man who is sentenced to life for a crime he didn’t commit. He fights back by becoming a lawyer in prison to get his conviction overturned.

I’ve watched all the episodes broadcast, and recommend it unreservedly. It uses exceptional writing, acting and directing to tell the kinds of stories that need to be told. The cast includes Erik Jensen, the actor/playwright who co-created The Exonerated, and is produced by 50 Cent’s G-Unit film and television group.  Please check it out.

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Current Projects

Current Projects

by | Mar 24, 2020 | Blog

How Are You Staying Creative?

Like almost everyone else, I’m limited to what I can do during these stressful times. Fortunately, writing a blog is not one of them. Writing seems to be one of the safest things anyone can do, and I’m going to take advantage of that.

As I mentioned in the last blog, the subject of a hip hop musical should be about something serious. Ideally, it tells a story of the oppression of one group by another, and how the oppressed group responded.

My next writing project, one that was inspired by this time of self-isolation, is taken from my ethnic heritage.

 

Famine in Ireland

 

Between 1845 and 1850 over one million Irish men and women died from hunger and disease, and another million emigrated. It was a humanitarian disaster. It was caused primarily by the indifference of one population to the suffering of another.

This is an appropriate subject for a hip hop musical.

For the beats, at least for the additional instruments, I’m planning on using the sounds of traditional Irish folk music. Look up “Irish hip hop” on YouTube to get an idea of the sort of music I’m considering.

I look forward to sharing the progress as things develop over the next few years.

In the meantime stay healthy. Listen to the doctors, not the politicians.

Wash your hands often. At least 20 seconds (I use Polonius’ speech from Hamlet act 1 scene three to time it.).

Limit physical contact.

Stay safe.

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What Makes a Hip Hop Musical?

What Makes a Hip Hop Musical?

by | Mar 14, 2020 | Blog

Two Requirements for a good Hip Hop Musical

 

Musicals can be created from practically any source. My Fair Lady was originally a play by George Bernard Shaw called Pygmalion. Fun Home was adapted from a graphic novel. Cats was once a book of poetry by T.S. Elliott. Li’l Abner was a comic strip. Even an extremely long, very dry, historical biography by Ron Chernow served as the basis for Hamilton.

Any source can be made into a musical.

The best sources have two requirements.

  • First, it has to be a good story.
  • Second, the story must have heightened emotions which can be musicalized.

Are these two requirements enough to make a good hip hop musical? I don’t think so. There is an additional requirement.

It is the reason why I think Hamilton makes a good hip hop musical, but Pygmalion would not.

 

Freedom

 

The culture of hip hop arose from an oppressed community. A community denied basic human rights, and one that burned with an overwhelming desire for freedom.

The story of the American Revolution is the story of a fight for freedom and self–determination. That backdrop makes Hamilton a good source for a hip hop musical.

Hip hop culture is the reach for freedom. The source material for a hip hop musical must be about freedom as well.

 

What do you think? Comment below or on social media, or email me privately at pat@rhymesoverbeats.org.