Zip Zap Zop: The Power of Theater & Storytelling in ‘New’ Hip Hop
In a previous post I highlighted the visual storytelling and theatrical elements in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. Several other examples of recent theatrical (dramaturgical) performances in rap/pop and on social media have also been noted. This may be an early indicator of a cultural shift. I figured it might be helpful to note this development (I was once a part-time theater kid) and explore the theoretical aspects. Khan Academy has a video that highlights Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy theory that explains human behavior in social settings. Goffman divides this into “frontstage” and “backstage” scenarios.
Frontstage is where we perform for others, often portraying an ideal image. Backstage is our private life, where we can be ourselves. Interestingly, social media blurs these lines, as we often perform even in our private spaces.
In his video, “The ‘Theatre Kids’ of the Music Industry are Taking Over” Anthony Aiken, Jr. mentions Zip Zap Zop, which is a theater game that is ‘folkloric’ and has differing rules and names in different places. The most basic form of the game involves a circle of people sending a “clap” or “impulse” or “ball of energy” to each other in turn, saying the word “zip” each time. Other moves such as “zap” send the clap in different directions.
Kendrick talked to the dancers more than once during the performance. After “Peekaboo” he walked over to four women and asks them if he should perform “their favorite song.” Later, he stood in the center of a circle or cypher as it is referred to in hip hop. There was also a call-and-response interaction with Uncle Sam(uel) L. Jackson. The responses literally sent Kendrick into different directions around the ‘stage’ that was structured like a game controller. Aiken notes how many of these moments became viral memes on social media.
Backstage is our private life, where we can be ourselves.
On social media the staged performances by Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator and others are imitated and celebrated by random people. These memes feature babies, elders, and even house pets. The memes extend and exapnd the popular moments from the artists’ performances. The artists, themselves, sometimes put their private lives on stage for public consumption. Take, for example, Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 The Big Steppers Tour:
As Aiken notes in his video, Kendrick has become known for staging hip hop/rap performances as “Broadway musicals.” These performances included visual storytelling, private thoughts, personal struggles and triumphs. Rapper Doechii’s “Denial is a River” music video is staged as classic 1980s television sitcoms:
Throughout the clip, Doechii and her cast mates each offer an iconic sitcom intro pose, as the rapper introduces audiences to the cast of “Denial Is a River Show,” including Baby Tate, Schoolboy Q, SiR, Teezo Touchdown, Ricky Thompson, DJ Miss Milan and Earl Sweatshirt. In the song, Doechii raps about her life, including failed relationships and pressures to conform to stereotypical rap personas for women.
Tyler, the Creator is another performer who stages his hip hop/rap performances as theatrical musicals. Conceptually, Chromakopia is narrated by Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith, as a diary that pieces together Tyler’s perspective on past timeline experiences separated by tracks. In every example mentioned here we see the blurring of boundaries between genres, personal vs. private life, and audience interaction/participation. The latter is becoming more and more important in mass culture.
What I’m learning is how important it will be (and will become) to be able to proactively respond to moments, especially in education. Kendrick’s halftime show to Doechii’s TV-themed video and Tyler’s staged diary contain ideas that can be linked to subjects such as math (game theory), technology, and science.