NOTORIOUS

Not only do I plan to introduce you to new artists and producers, but I also plan to delve into the discourse of their underlying cultural relevancy, as well as I plan to draw meaning from and make conclusions about the creative musical collaborations we will encounter. I am largely influenced by the content and discourse of another blog which deals with similar subject matter. Dr. Todd Boyd is a professor at USC, and is the self proclaimed Notorious PHD. He is the authority on African American culture as it pertains to hip-hop, sports, and pop culture over the course of the last century. His blog includes deeply insightful "meditations on politics, culture, sports and the game of life from a uniquely notorious perspective." Not only are his writings extremely profound, but also are they very informal and humorous. He fuses wisdom with an extremely relaxed tone and rhetorical style that is often characterized by slang and profanity. However, Boyd maintains both his credibility and authority by means of such unique presentation of his thoughts.


Boyd's blog is not confined to one single subject, but rather maintains an omniscient frame of reference which is larger than the scope of most blogs I have encountered, which is a great part of the intrigue. He posts most frequently when he is teaching, and encourages his students to follow his blog as part of his classes. When some controversial event takes place in pop-culture that has any relevance with regards to sports, politics, etc., it is likely that you will hear from Boyd. His viewpoint is so sharp and so distinct that he is able to put in perspective issues which may not have previously held so much weight in your thoughts. In this way, by reading his blog, you can better understand the culture by which you are surrounded.


The posts are always fairly rich and detailed, and he often links them to youtube videos etc. One of my favorites includes his criticism of the African American film and television producer, Tyler Perry. Boyd's audience is widely eclectic, ranging from students to professors to fans of his work and career. I will attempt to incorporate elements of Boyd's relaxed analytical rhetoric into my blogging, as well as I will try to take on a similarly insightful viewpoint regarding my topics. My blog will differ in that it will be much more specific, however, the conclusions and theories that I intend to create will be of much larger declaration and cultural relevancy.