Common- Letter to the Free

Question 1

1. When was Letter to the Free released?

2. What is Common’s real name?

Answer 1

1. 2016 as part of the album Black America Again, his 11th album
2. Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr

Question 2

Is Common part of any political movement?

Answer 2

• “Knowing Is Beautiful” Movement- supports HIV/AIDS awareness
• Featured in vid for “Yes We Can”- song that supported candidacy of Obama, debued on online on 2nd Feb 2008
• Common has pledged to stop using anti-gay lyrics.

Question 3

What is the Common Ground Foundation?

Answer 3

• Common is a co-founder
• Non-profit organisation set up in early 2000s.
• Seeks to empower underprivileged youth

Question 4

1. Why is the label who released the video significant?

2. Who owns this label?

Answer 4

1. ARTium Recordings: signed only non-white artists, few artists
2. UMG- international conglomerate w/many subsidiaries; biggest music company in the world

Question 5

1. What is synergy?

2. How does it relate to Letter to the Free?

Answer 5

1. When multiple organisations or media products are linked for commercial purposes
2. Letter to the Free is part of the soundtrack to the documentary 13 about the 13th Amendment.

Question 6

1. What do the lyrics of Letter to the Free reference to?

2. What is the intended message of the song?

Answer 6

1. • History of US racism
     - Contemporary racial issues
2. To critique current US prison system using cultural and historical references, wordplay, metaphors and direct commentary.

Question 7

Historical and cultural references in the lyrics

Answer 7

• “Southern trees we hung from”

- “Slavery’s still alive, check amendment 13”- 1865

Question 8

Historical and cultural references in the music

Answer 8

• Bricolage of genres from black culture- gospel, jazz (C.’s all black outfit connotes this), blues, - forms which gave African-Americans a voice in times of oppression
• Marching percussion beat- chain-gang songs, mournful, grieve over slavery w/dreams of finding future liberty- links to Christian beliefs, often presented as afterlife

Question 9

1. Why is gospel so important to african-american culture?

2. How does the video connote African culture?

Answer 9

1. Christian beliefs strong part of giving hope of freedom to the enslaved African Americans.
2. Barefoot drummer + headwear of one of the female singers connotes African culture.

Question 10

Modern references in the lyrics

Answer 10

• “They stop, search and arrest our souls”
• “Shot me with your ray-gun/And now you want to trump me”
• “For Americans to rise it’s a matter of black lives”

Question 11

Modern references in the video

Answer 11

Takes place in a dark, dingy prison.

Question 12

How does the actual video content appeal to the audience?

Answer 12

• Abstract black square
• Brightly lit areas highlight aspects of mise-en-scene but don’t show performer’s faces- racist approach of us penal system, dehumanising- personal identity;
  e. g. at one point performers are in long-shot, overhead lighting reflects off walls instead of illuminating performers.

Question 13

Visuals: Black and white

Answer 13

• History: b+w footage connotes ideas of history as early photos and footage were b+w
• Realism: early photography seen as representing reality + newsreel originally filmed in b+w + newspaper photos so b+w often used to create idea of realism in modern media, feeds into symbolism of this aesthetic choice
• Seriousness: looks stark, clean lines