News Briefs

“˜Spinderella’ gives students a fresh angle
on culture

Deidra “Spinderella” Jones, the DJ for iconic female
rap group Salt-N-Pepa, spoke to Scot Brown’s “Recent
African American Urban History” course. Brown was looking to
provide a fresh perspective on the class material.

Jones spoke about her experiences as a pioneer female DJ in the
mid-to-late 1980s, a time that served as the backdrop for several
groundbreaking rap acts like her own. She noted that critics at the
time saw rap and hip-hop as a passing trend, but ultimately the
music genre has become a powerhouse in the national and world music
markets.

She also provided her take on the current status of hip-hop
music and culture, praising the improvements in musical production
that hip-hop artists have implemented over the years. But she
contrasted these innovations with concerns about the ways that
women are projected in the music and how men are confined to pimp
and gangster roles.

Brown said the appearance by Jones accompanied the material his
course was studying, which focuses on political issues for people
born after the Civil Rights Movement. These issues include high
unemployment, de-industrialization and high incarceration
rates.

“Her testimony speaks to the resilience of African
American youth who grew up in a period of unfulfilled
expectations,” Brown said.

He even showed admiration for Jones’ ability in the
classroom.

“She’s a natural teacher in that she made the
students feel comfortable,” he said. “She really showed
how culture is deeply connected to politics and that cultures that
end up being popularized are still built by the visionary practices
of everyday people.”

Reports from Bruin staff.