Challenge #47: Make someone a mixed tape

Remember the good old days when it took hours to make someone a mixed tape?

It was a gesture that showed true love. A willingness to sit with a stack of CDs or tapes, choosing tracks and then painstakingly recording each one onto a tape. You don't do that unless you REALLY care.

Admittedly, in the times of iTunes, this challenge now seems blindingly, stupidly easy. Dragging tracks into a new playlist on iTunes and then clicking 'burn to disc' isn't that hard.

However, nostalgia for the past caused me to put this onto my challenge list, just for the simple reason that people just don't make mixed tapes anymore, even though it's so easy you could almost do it by accident.

I've always loved getting mixed tapes (then CDs) and their absence from my life is a constant source of disappointment. My cousin used to send me them from London when we were teenagers and I still love the tracks she carefully selected for me. Music is personal, so when someone shares their loves with you, you have to sit up and listen. Literally.

All year I have been trying to find a reason to make a mixed tape and finally an opportunity popped its little head out and said, "Oi! You can do something awesome right here!"

I was talking to my friend, Shelly, and we were having one of our amazing, insightful, solve-the-world's-problems-over-a-drink conversations, sparked by my recent reading of How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. Feminism is revived in this book and is an issue that we are both passionate about. After a long discussion on the book and all things feminist, Shelly admitted to me that her 'secret passion' was rap music. She told me how she felt she couldn't listen to it anymore because of how sexist it is.

Suddenly a light bulb flashed above my head - Aussie hip hop!

I don't really care for rap as a general rule; however, I always feel cool listening to some Aussie hip hop. Their lyrics always seem to speak to me, with their catchy, quick quips and analysis of Australian (and world) issues. A particular favourite of mine* celebrated the 'death' of John Howard's political career, without actually mentioning names.

As an English teacher, I always love things that require context and knowledge to understand their true meaning. It also helps that rappers (or MCs) use all those incredible sound devices that the Wilfred Owens of the world mastered all those years ago... Assonance, sibilance, alliteration, onomatopoeia - they are used in spades.

My brain made a quick connection between my enjoyment of something 'rap'-like and Shelly's disappointment in her favourite rap artists: I could solve her problem with a mixed CD of Aussie hip hop.

My feminist side has never been rankled by an Aussie hip hop song. If anything, they usually celebrate diversity and discuss gender-neutral issues that affect us all like the environment or political knobs (see previous reference to John Howard).  In fact, one of Australia's most prolific hip hop groups, The Hilltop Hoods, has recently released a song that speaks out against racism and homophobia.

And so, I gathered all my hip hop loves together into one playlist for my feminist friend and entitled it 'Feminist Friendly Hip Hop'. After some decoration, it was ready to be presented to her.

The finished product! 

Inside I wrote her this note: Because a feminist should never have to go without anything (especially music) because of some sexism.

Maybe I should send it to Caitlin Moran. Or, at least, tweet her about it.


* If you're interested in the song it's called "The King is Dead" by The Herd