Hip Hop America: How did Engineering and Technology first impact your life?

As a young man Dr. Dre demonstrated his love for technology in the form of DJing.  By learning how to control two turntables and a microphone, Dr. Dre became a celebrated music producer. In the last post I wanted to learn about your first Hip Hop experience. Now I want you to reflect back to your most memorable experiences and how engineering and technology played a role. 

Hip Hop America: Cultural Awareness

Culture is a key component of Hip Hop.  The regulatory practices of the elements i.e., Djing, Rapping, Breaking, Graffiti Art, and Knowledge demonstrate the cementing of popular activities that became cultural practices.

How did you learn about them, and what would you consider your first Hip Hop cultural experience?

Now What?

Tim Cook/Apple

When Tim Cook became CEO of Apple, he began the process of implementing a cultural shift with a leadership style that was far different than Jobs. Tim Cook talks about the humane side of technology and how technology can be used to enhance and improve humanity. He doesn't believe that Apple needs to be the first at making great products. He believes that Apple needs to make great products that make people's lives better. Cook connects engineering and humanities.

Sean Rab/Tinder

Sean Rab, an eager technologist, recognized the phenomenon behind Selfies and figured out how to make them relevant with the app, Tinder, in the on-line dating/match making world. Dating Site Reviews reports that on-line dating services in America will grow into a $2.7 billion dollar industry by 2019. Rab connected engineering and humanities.

Eyal Phrat/MedCPU

Dr. Eyal Ephrat, an obstetrician and technologist, co-founded MedCPU in effort to not only reduce the cost of medical services, but to also improve the safety of patients. Dr. Ephrat connects science with humanities.

Mitchell and Martin/Techturized

Candice Mitchell and Chanel Martin recognized a need in the field of hair care products for African American women and utilized their geek skills in computer science and chemical engineering to form the tech start up, Techturized. Smart move for an industry reportedly generating $10 billion dollars in 2013. Mitchell and Martin connect engineering, science, and humanities.

Questions

Has this class provoked you to contextualize engineering from a humanities perspective? In what ways, if any, do you think this course will influence your contributions to the field of engineering or to your selected profession?

Things to Remember

1. Uncover your passion and purpose.
2. Discover what is hot in your field of interest and consider how to improve it.
3. Identify solutions to make stronger societies.
4. Be spirited and have fun doing your work.

Opportunity is knockin': What is your algorithm?

A Wondering Dr. Dre

In our first few classes, it was important to investigate your impressions and knowledge on the origins of Hip Hop Culture. The idea was to demonstrate that there is a long narrative of genius that flows in urban communities. Dr. Dre is a contemporary, living reflection of that identity. Through your blogging experiences and project work, I would now like you to synthesize your perspective on the intersection of culture and engineering.

A Questioning Dr. Dre

What are the possibilities when cultural genius is nurtured throughout a developing student's academic experience in elementary and secondary school? What would that look like in school? When should it begin? What was your STEM experience in school?  Did you attend a public or private school? Did the experience inspire as well as prepare you pursue a career in engineering? What made the difference? How would you define this intersection of culture and engineering? How do we bridge culture that is developed and made popular in urban communities with STEM that is nurtured and developed in suburban communities? How would you develop Urban STEM or U-STEM? As an aspiring engineer, what do you think is the algorithm for potentially developing more companies like beatsbydre?

A Knowing Dr. Dre

Let Me Ride: why BEATS is beatin' up the street to Apple

When it was announced that Apple had purchased BEATS for 3.2 billion dollars, it was a profound moment for Hip Hop and Dr. Dre.   It was an ode to the streets and young people from urban America saying there is value in who we are and what we produce. Dr. Dre exemplified the spirit of street life in the 1990's.  Fancy old school Chevrolets equipped with boomin' bass, candy paint, and switches to operate hydraulics systems were the rave that cemented and solidified Hip Hop as cool American culture. At the same time computer culture was expanding into more consumer homes and Steve Jobs at Apple had begun redefining computer geekism as something "cool"as well.  The rise of Apple with the advent of the Macintosh personal computer placed them in a

Jobs and a Mac

pivotal position to become a leader in developing cool gadgets that consumers were willing to pay a premium price for.  The Macintosh was a smaller and more user friendly than PC's. No longer were computers something for university professors and garage scientists.  Computers were becoming an everyday household item and Steve Jobs was a major instigator in the cultural shift that redefined who computer geeks were. He reflected a youthful suburban image of jeans, turtlenecks, and sneakers...geek chic. He was relatable, the technology was reliable, and more and more consumers wanted his product.  As Apple continued to grow, corporate politics ensued, and Steve Jobs was ultimately removed as it's president and before long, the company begin to experience a decline in it's product offerings and sales. Eventually, Apple brought Steve back to renew their sense of direction, market share, and profits. Not one to leave them hanging Steve got to work providing the vision for new technology that impacted various industries such as entertainment, business, education, and labor.

Jobs became the "go to guy" for cool gadgets a second time in his career with the development of the IPOD. The IPOD set the tone for engaging youth through cool technology that played downloadable music files, but for also establishing a new method for buying and selling music on-line with iTunes. Jobs was the man, and it seemed each season he would hold a press conference announcing to the world the next big thing in computer technology.
He was the face of cool technology and consumers were hooked. Hooked to the point where consumers were willing to pay a premium price each year to reestablish their "cool factor."

When Steve Jobs passed away, Apple had to rethink it's model because it's primary asset was no longer on the planet, and the tech and business communities were questioning if Apple was going to be able to survive and thrive.  The Daily Dot's report on why Apple needed BEATS indicated that Jimmy Iovine, cultural influence, and BEATS Music streaming service were the three main factors that would help Apple survive and thrive.  Do you agree or disagree? Provide your argument.

You Should Know

1. Visionary leadership is key in developing and marketing new technology.
2. Understanding culture and it's role in marketing is key.
3. New relevance or "tech edge" may exist in an acquisition or merger.

B.E.A.T.S.: Bridging Engineering, Arts, Technology, and Science in automotive, computer, audio, IT, through Hip Hop

If Hip Hop is a culture of revolution, what does the revolution represent? During Hip Hop's earlier years, outstanding artistic expression was the currency that provided the cultural capital to be recognized in the hood.  Unfortunately, it was not enough to raise most artists out of impoverished conditions in places like the South Bronx and South Central, LA.

Hip Hop's earlier years were about solidifying the culture based on the various elements of MCing, Djing, B-Boy and B-Girl

Russell & High End Automotive Engineering  

Prophets of Rage: Public Enemy

Dancing, and Graffiti Art.  From the mid seventies through 2014,  Hip Hop has morphed from young people practicing the elements to brand-influencing and building products across various industries. The popularity of the culture moved beyond the cries of social injustice to economic justice.  Hip Hop generationers aspired to have fine homes. fancy cars, exceptional jewelry...the "finer things in life." Russell Simmons, often considered and recognized as Hip Hop's first multi-millionaire and architect of cross promotional deals and brand building in Hip Hop, demonstrated Dr. Dre's immortal words, "look what Hip Hop can do." Russell Simmons structured clothing deals with Adidas for RUN DMC, crafted clothing lines with Phat Farm and Baby Phat, and now sells money with his credit brand, the "Rush Card."

Although Russell is consider the "godfather" of Hip Hop brand building, Sean "Puffy" Combs took Russell's model another step. He made the collision of Hip Hop and entrepreneurship cool. Puffy saw Russell's success and made it "ghetto fabulous." Sean, a student of mid and late 1980's Hip Hop, recognized the value of street culture and began popularizing the idea of being "ghetto fabulous," his idea of the "good life" on steroids. Sean created his own record label, "Bad Boy," fashion line, "Sean John," popularized an

Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs

alcohol spirit, "CIROC," and acquired a media outlet, "Revolt TV."

Dr. Dre in the Studio

Noel Lee: Monster Cable

Hip Hop culture is at the center of each of these businessman's success. Their influence and understanding of urban youth culture sets the tone for what America and other parts of the world recognize as cool. They were able to bridge advances in engineering, technology, art, and science, entrepreneurially.

When Dr. Dre made the leap from artist to entrepreneur, he began to recognize the economic value of Hip Hop and it's ability to brand build, but he wasn't concerned about being fashionably cool. He was an artist and technologist that was interested in gadgets. Dre mentions how the development of the BEATS brand was about delivering sound to the consumer the way the artist intended.  That philosophy drove the development of a relationship with BEATS and audio company, Monster Cable. Monster Cable is a company that was developed by Noel Lee, a mechanical engineer in 1979. Like Dre, Lee was a lover of sound and believed that better sound could be delivered through cable versus speaker wire. His initial product offering was audio cable, but eventually expanded to other sound producing products like headphones. Dr. Dre's credibility as a hit making producer and studio wizard brought authenticity and a cool factor to the technology that Lee's company had developed.

Through the vision of Jimmy Iovine as a marketer and Dr. Dre as a credible technologist, and the technology that Lee developed, they were able to build the B.E.A.T.S. brand. The success of BEATS headphones provided an opportunity for the company to build partnering relationships with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Dodge, and HTC. The partnerships with each of these companies demonstrate the bridging of their technology with Hip Hop culture. HTC

Jimmy Iovine, Noel Lee & Dr. Dre

Ralph Gilles

Peter Chou, Dre, & Jimmy

president, Peter Chou, made the leap into enhancing the audio technology of their cell phones by incorporating BEATS into their product. Chou invested $400 million dollars into BEATS to gain the competitive edge in the cell phone wars. Ralph Gilles, Senior Vice President Design/President SRT Dodge, also utilized the culture to reintroduce classic american muscle cars to a new generation. When he spoke at the IPOWERED: Higher Ed Remixed lecture series at the University of Illinois in 2013, he was clear that their mission at Dodge was to develop their vehicles around new technology and  gadgets that recognize popular culture and allow the consumer to have a more seamless life.  Because of their successes, more companies are seeking ways to integrate engineering technology and culture. In fact, Rob McConell, Principal Engineer for the 2013 Avalon, discusses how Hip Hop is the inspiration for their product development and how, when they are in the engineering studio, Roots and Common tracks help set the tone for their design.

Rob McConnell/Toyota

The 2013 Avalon was the first Toyota to be conceived, designed, and developed in the U.S. My expectation is that we will see more bridging of culture and engineering technologies in a variety of product offerings. Do you think this is a trend? If not, explain. If so, are there other examples that you can cite as examples of this trend?

Things You Should Know

1. Companies are pursuing and marketing to younger consumers.
2. Knowledge of popular culture and how to bridge culture with engineering technologies appears to be the wave of the future.
3. Products now need to be seamless or synonymous with consumer lifestyles.  

Questions

1. What appears to be the predictable future for how companies will remain relevant to consumers?
2. What companies do you see having strong potential for merging given current trends?

Aint Nuthin But a G Thang: the intersection, personification, and cross-over appeal of Hip Hop and Ghetto Genius

Mechanical Engineering

When Dr. Dre dropped the single "Ain't Nuthin' But a G Thang" it solidified the era of "gangsta" culture in Hip Hop.  The G Thang video represented the "disengaged reality" of street life culture.  Disengaged Reality is a grounded theory of urban street life that represents a culture that doesn't believe in the promise of an equitable society and recognizes the reality in which they live.  It has it's own rules and codes in order to not only survive, but also thrive.  Leeriness of law enforcement, street economics, and how well you take care of your own dictates your authenticity.  Dr. Dre was able to capture that culture and put it on wax with a new sound rooted in the historical intersection of black american music technology and geekism. Welcome to the "G-Funk" era.

Robert Moog & Bernie Worrell

Aerospace Engineering

G-Funk was the sound that reflected street life. It had the various elements of Hip Hop culture within it, yet it had much more of an edge. G-Funk was very technical because it relied on the augmentation of technically synthesized sound by classically trained musicians like Bernie Worrell.  Bernie Worrell, a musical prodigy that was classically trained at Julliard and the New England

Genetic Engineering

Conservatory of Music, was a tech geek that introduced the sound of the keyboard bass to funk music as well as other sound innovations. Robert Moog, an Engineering Physicist created the the Moog Synthesizer, an instrument that was used to create the  heavy bass sound in funk music. It was gritty, heavy, hard, and raw. Much like the street life of South Central, LA that Dr. Dre was accustomed too. Dre grew up in "stereo" listening to Dj's on the radio pump the sound of bands like Earth Wind and Fire, Ohio Players, Barkays, Bootsy, and Parliament/Funkadelic. These bands were filled with engineering innovation and well prepared artistry.

Bioengineering

However, it was the geekness for tweeking the technology that spirited the formation of Funk. Funk music is a by-product of engineering innovation, exceptional musicianship, and the spirit of social justice. It is forever present in the digital DNA of Parliament. Just look at the album covers, they set the tone for the listeners sound experience.

So when Dre developed "The Chronic," he reached out and incorporated the sound of artists like Bernie Worrell, someone like him who appreciated the integration of
technology and music. Their collective geekism helped shape the sound that ushered in the next wave of Hip Hop.  The new wave; a fusion of technology, funk, and Hip Hop proved to be a winner cross-culturally.  The tales of growing up in the hood, laced with funkdafied bass not only resonated with black kids from the ghetto, it attracted white kids from the suburbs, the "burbs" became filled with the sound of the G-Funk and Dr. Dre's record

sales as an independent artist went through the roof. And to demonstrate it wasn't by chance, the release of Snoop Dogg's "Doggystyle" cemented how Dre's "Ghetto Geekism" evolved into "Ghetto Genius."

So again, the historical legacy of engineering technology was historical and key in the sound creation that built a new musical era.  Do you see potential for BEATS to engineer new musical tools that are influenced by the legacy of Bernie Worrell?  How could an aspiring engineer tap into the legacy of someone like Bernie Worrell?  Is there an artist today that is spirited like Bernie Worrell?

You should know:

1. Geekism is a part of the African American experience.  
2. Advancements in electronic sound technology provided the foundation for new music genres to emerge. 
3. Parliament/Funkadelic reflected the sound of new music technology and presented it to the masses with palatable themes of innovation, engineering, and social justice.
4. Dr. Dre pulled from the legacy of Funk to create G-Funk; the fusion of funk and hip hop.
5. The G Funk era exposed Hip Hop to the burbs and kids like Eminem who expanded the marketability of the culture and everything that it influenced.