C.R.E.A.M. Part 1: Lefebvre Enters the 36 Chambers

The French Marxist philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre theorized two different levels in which society conceptualizes space. On one level, there is what he calls “abstract space.” Simply put, this is the way the state and investors think about building in or up the space of the city. So for example, where is the center of the city, the mayor’s office, the residential area(s), and where does the city put its police departments and fire stations. The other level is what he terms “social space.” This is how residents who live within and interact with the space. Although different cities may have different characteristics, because of the way their abstract spaces have been built, “places produced by similar social systems tend to resemble each other” (Gottdiener, 85; 2015).  These two different levels are often in competition with each other, as investors may have a different idea of how to use the space than existing residents. It also may strain city financial and policy support for certain areas based on structural characteristics of the residents such as race and class.

Many artists have described at length their perceptions of their social space, however, no artists do it better than Hip Hop artists and, arguably, no Hip Hop artists have ever done it better than the legendary Wu-Tang Clan (the Wu). (In fact, if you don’t know what it means to enter the 36 Chambers, go home.) The title of the song I’m particularly looking at is Cash Rules Everything Around Me or, for short, C.R.E.A.M (linked below). Simple. Direct. Firm. A statement that lays out for the listener not only a perspective in direct conflict with a humanitarian view of how one should be treated within the city, but also sets the tone for the type of lifestyle for the lyrics to follow. Let’s start with the intro:

 What that nigga want God?Word up, look out for the cops (Wu-Tang five finger shit)(Cash Rules) Word up, two for fives over here babyWord up, two for fives them niggas got garbage down the way, word upKnow what I'm sayin'?(Cash Rules Everything Around MeC.R.E.A.M. get)Yeah, check this ol' fly shit outWord up(Cash Rules Everything Around Me) Take you on a natural joint(C.R.E.A.M. get the money) Here we here we go(Dolla dolla bill y'all) Check this shit, yo!

Unfortunately, the YouTube link skips the intro, but it’s an equally important piece of the story. Those of us more familiar with scenes like this, or who were addicted to the Wire, can probably also insert the added background noise of shuffling paper bags and the sounds of loose coins. But the stage is set. We get cuts from Method Man (in quotations above), that allude to the famous hook. Raekon both lets us listen in on “a day in a life” of a person influenced by C.R.E.A.M. and tells us he’s about to take us on a journey through his own accounts, or a “natural joint.” (As a quick side note, the only line that isn’t said my Method Man in quotations in the intro above is “Wu-Tang five finger shit.” This isn’t a reference to stealing; there will be plenty of those later. It’s actually a not to a K  I’m pretty sure that was said my Raekwon, but it just means this song one of the Wu’s greatest, which means it will murder the best in the Hip Hop world. Because the Wu is awesome, fact.)

Kung-Fu movie titled 5 Fingers of Death.

In the song they give an account to how they interpret their social space in a largely neglected community that has led to them experiencing a large range of social issue related to poverty. The members of the Wu featured on this track are Method Man, on the hook, Raekwon, who heads up the first verse, and Inspector Deck, wrapping us up with a riveting introspective account of his youth.

Raekwon dives right in:

I grew up the crime side, the New York Times sideStaying alive was no jive

Despite what some may assume and largely what some websites will lead you to believe, Raekwon is not talking about abstract space. The “crime side” means the side of black urban life that is associated with life in their social space, while being reported by the New York Times. So already, we have two actors at play here: Black youth struggling to survive within the area and their stories being reported on by local media. Then he gives us even more context.

Had secondhands, Mom’s bounced on old manSo then we moved to Shaolin landA young youth rocking the gold tooth, 'Lo gooseOnly way I begin to G off was drug lootAnd let's start it like this son, rollin' with this oneAnd that one, pullin' out gats for fu

Essentially he’s describing wearing secondhand clothing, obviously before Macklemore made that cool, and Moms leaving his Pops. The listener is left to assume that the absence of his father forced his family to move to Shaolin Land, which is what the Wu refers to as Staten Island. There he was just another young kid, with a gold tooth in his mouth wearing Ralph Lauren Jackets, which was a popular fashion trend at the time.

The last line here is the most crucial and sets the stage for where the storm is going. Now that he’s just another poor kid growing up trying to obtain materials that will give him status, the only options he see is entering the life of a drug dealer. So within his social space, Shaolin Land, we have a material culture, influenced by a counter culture that maintains and creates status for black youth.

But it was just a dream for the teen, who was a fiendStarted smokin' woolies at sixteenAnd running up in gates, and doing hits for high stakesMaking my way on fire escapesNo question I would speed, for cracks and weedThe combination made my eyes bleedNo question I would flow off, and try to get the dough allSticking up white boys in ball courts

Here the story picks up. He says although he’s living this rough lifestyle, it was really more of a character that he had built for himself as a young kid who was really just an addict (woolies are cigars that have been stuffed with a mixture of weed and crack). He starts doing break-ins and robbing just to be able to maintain his habit and get high.  Without hesitation he would do anything to get money to support his habit, even robbing other neighborhoods in public.

My life got no better, same damn 'Lo sweaterTimes is ruff and tuff like leatherFigured out I went the wrong routeSo I got with a sick tight click and went all outCatchin' keys from across seasRollin in MPV's, every week we made forty G'sYo brotha respect mine, or anger the tech nineCh-chick-POW! Wu from the gate now 

So he’s robbing people, break-in to people’s houses to steal things, and presumably sell them, and selling drugs, but nothing in his life has significantly changed. He’s wearing the same clothes, that are now worn out, and he still perceives himself as struggling. So, he makes a change. He gets with a bunch of his friends, later forming the mighty Wu, and together they do everything they have to do to become successful Hip Hop artists.

In the last few lines, he speaks directly to the listener, and anyone near the listener. He says people need to respect his story, his struggle, and his journey through his social space and, most importantly, respect the crew. This all led him to the point of being able to afford the nicest cars and making five figures a week. Now, the Wu is his family and together they represent the dreams of the addict he used to be, being realized.

So, how does this account add to what Lefebvre describes as social space? Not only does it give a detailed description of how the concept of social space can be applied, it also add emphases on how the ramifications of capitalism and the ignored underclass that can be engulfed by that conflict. As Lefebvre theorized, this is a contentious dichotomy that is only one of the ranking issues within class conflict in society. This conflict is what leads to the type of social space that has rendered Raekwon to only see a space dictated by secondary economy influenced by social systems.

Lefebvre influenced the contemporary approaches to urban sociology, but before we talk about contemporary approached we will need to go back to the themes and ideas that led up to them.  

Stay tuned, as the saga continues within the 36 Chambers in C.R.E.A.M. Part 2: Kickin It to the Chicago School

Links yo:

The New Urban Sociology

C.R.E.A.M by Wu Tang Clam