...hip-hop started to stray away from country and rock to come into this genre. Hip-hop also changed after this album because the style of rap in this album went backwards to when famous rappers like Biggie used to rap same style and it made other rappers resort to go back to this style. Tha Carter Three also accomplished the feat of becoming the fastest album to sell one million copies people from age groups of teenagers to young adults in college were listening to this album and listening to what most reviews of this album are calling it a master piece. One point people try to make about this album is the meaning behind the lyrics these lyrics in these songs mean a lot more then just words. This album also changed the way people viewed music because this album introduced songs that did not talk about killing people or just being rich or how many drugs or girls the artist Lil Wayne gets it talks about his life and talks about how he is the greatest rapper alive and does not let the people deny him of that. The style of music in those days was which rapper gets the most girls, which rapper has the most money, which rapper has the biggest house, and best cars. Lil Wayne when writing Tha Carter Three wanted to change that and write about his life and real problems he faced and why he is the best rapper alive. For instance in the song “3 Peat” he says “they can not stop me even if they stopped me”. This statement is implying that even if they stop him he will still prevail and show...
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...century, rap music expresses two concerns: social construction on identity-formation and the life of the rapper. Rap music, when it first broke out, was viewed by society as a deviance from social construction, and the rappers were aware- but they in way- did not care. In King of Rock, a rap song released in 1985 by Run-D.M.C, the rappers’ lyrics, “I won’t stop rockin’ till I retire…It’s all brand new, never ever old school…Cause they don’t make no songs like these!”, shows that they know their music is different, but no matter what they will not change because they were content with the new identity-formation. A contemporary song that shows that same idea of the “I don’t care attitude” towards social construction on identity-formation is Look at Me Now by Chris Brown, featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes. This song was released in 2011. The whole song is about how the rappers do not care about what other people think because the life their living and who they are, they are completely contempt and satisfied with. “You ain’t never gonna stop me… Look at me now, look at me now. I’m getting paper.” These lyrics claim that no one is going to change who they are- their identity- because who they are and what they are doing now, getting “paper” which is money, is showing that they are successful. Early rappers expressed their lives through their raps. Eminem’s The Real Slim Shady explain’s his life through his lyrics. “Will Smith...
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...culture. Probably one of the most interesting, new and, unfortunately, typical example of the domination of stereotypes in American culture is the development of female black rap music, which has become particularly intensive in 1980s and is still quite dynamically developing. At first glance black female rap music should be free from traditional stereotypes, it should be innovative and contributing to black female emancipation and increasing the role of black females in the society at large but, in actuality, the situation is absolutely different. Despite the fact that many female rappers pretend to be unique at developing the new image of a free and independent black female, it turns to be that practically all of them, or at least the most popular of them, are ideologically dependent on the male dominance in proper and figurative sense of this word. It means that as a rule black female rappers tend to create an image which can be well accepted by the wide audience and which is created on the basis of the dominating ideology in American culture, notably in American rap music that is characterized by the male dominance and the role of a black female is so to say secondary or subordinated to a male. As a result, instead of a new image of a black female that could be independent and free of male...
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...what qualities or what examples are we looking for to be defining this educated person? In “Only Connect” The Goals of Liberal Education are basically broken down into qualities of learning that empowers individuals and the preparedness that deals with complexity, diversity, and change. In this special case we are trying to define a rapper, but not just any rapper we are talking about Jay-Z, a Hip Hop mogul, one of the East Coast raps top acts of the 21st century. So why would we think that a rapper is capable of being an educated person? One of the qualities of what an educated person is in “Only Connect” which states “They can write clearly and persuasively and movingly”. When it comes to being a rapper part of the job is how they write their lyrics and the messages they send or the sound that people are listening to. With Jay-Z’s style in particular you can tell that there is some education in the way he is able to make the music he writes. Having an interest in music from a very young age, Shawn Carter was known by the nickname “Jazzy” in his neighborhood and later that nickname morphed into the name, Jay-Z. Jay-Z’s rise into a successful rapper and businessman began as he and his fellow rapper’s began collaborating on shows and pieces of work. Eventually this road leads Jay-Z to become one of the most successful hip-hop artist and entrepreneurs in the United States. Jay-Z has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. He has received 13 Grammy Awards and...
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...It seems that the violence in United State has been rising drastically recently. Every day we hear about our youth becoming more and more involved in some type of criminal activity. It makes one wonder what causes these teenagers get into these terrible dilemmas. What triggers them to make such drastically bad decisions? Decisions that could alter their path in life, and not for the better. In many cases is possible that the home setting could have a great influence in pushing our youth in the wrong direction. Another big reason for the way children and teenagers act the way they do is the pop culture and the music that most of society listens to which can also greatly affect their minds. There are countless reasons to which why teens turn to music as a source of relief. Sometimes they need a little attention, praise even, to show that they are being noticed. They want to know that their parents have pride in their children and the path that they are taking in their lives. When teens are being ignored by their family, lack an active social life and are possibly being bullied among other reasons, they turn to music among other outlets. Although music can sometimes be a healthier way of dealing with one’s problems and issues or just a form of healthy entertainment, it can also become a negative influence for a person. Lyrics and rhythmic beats can either help soothe the soul or worsen the anguish one is dealing with. In this paper the main focal point will be music and the effects...
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...mile. In his earlier life, his lyrics talk about the struggles he has been through. Before Eminem became a rapper, he was unsuccessful in fulfilling his dream. His first chance at becoming a rapper failed when he lost the MC battle. As he struggled to work hard, he had the commitment in taking another chance in achieving his dream which was becoming a rapper when he won his next battle. While reading over the lyrics, these verses really stuck out to me . "Too much for me to wanna stay in one spot, another day monotony Has gotten me to the point, I'm like a snail I've got to formulate a plot before I end up in jail or shot" The meaning of these verses is saying that he is trapped in a situation where he is confused on what step to take on further in life. He goes through many obstacles throughout his journey in effort to break out of his problems. He had to be very cautious in any strategies he planned to make because he didn't want to end up being killed or put into jail, so he had to think of other alternatives to keeping him getting in trouble with the law. He calls himself a snail because he doesn't like what he's d oing in life. Everything seemed to be slow to his taste. Working at a factory is not what he dreamed of becoming. His dream was to be a rapper. Eminem had dreams he wanted to accomplish in life and he wanted to achieve it no matter how long it took. The impact these lyrics had on me personally showed me that we have so many opportunities in life that we either miss...
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...The Game Shall Always Remain the Same: Hip-Hop from a Protagonist’s Point of View The Hip-Hop culture and all it stands for has saturated a generation in an unprecedented way. It has begun to shape and unify a diverse population of people. Hip-Hop, for many, provides an outlet to express your thoughts and for others, Hip-Hop is a lifestyle. The influence of Hip-Hop has become universal. It has transcended from a cultural genre to having a larger audience not made up of solely African Americans. It has gone from the slums, to the suburbs, and into larger corporate rooms. McDonald’s, Addidas, Nike, Coca Cola, Sprite, and other corporate giants have capitalized on this phenomenon. Although critics of Rap music and the Hip-Hop culture seemed to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language Hip- Hop has potential to unify individuals and promote change. This genre of music has transformed generations across the country. Hip- Hop possesses a level of maturity and a sense of cultural belongingness that has become a protest form for people all over the world. The art form, now simply known as Hip- Hop, began with three New Yorkers: Busy Bee Starski, DJ Hollywood, and DJ Afrika Bambaataa; they are credited for creating the term Hip-Hop. It all began in the early 1970’s with house parties and basement beat shaking music in upstate New York. The beats were very melodic, Africanized, and soulful. Hip-Hop is music for...
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...or a rapper, Daniels dad wants him to be a rapper the effect of this is intense as it make the audience empathise how it would be like to be in the same situation as Daniel. The use of music that I decided to use is mainly drums and in some occasions is violin when there is trouble in Daniels life the tempo starts to get faster and faster showing problems this creates suspense for the audience not knowing what will happen next. The first drawing uses the camera very effectively the camera shot used was a wide shot and the camera pans immediately towards Daniel to show his loneliness also this lets the audience look at the background as well as the characters personality and face, the shots that I chose to do on my storyboard helps to carry the Daniels loneliness from scene to scene. The lighting used was very effective, For example, when the character (Daniel) is outside in the park with the famous rapper called Giggs outside, the sun is shining to show the turning point of Daniels life. The natural lighting used is bright; leading to a happy mood this makes the audience feel happy for Daniel. My drawings were accurate showing every body parts of the characters and the company of their cloths an example is when Daniels dad was young and had an ambition of being a rapper, the camera shot that I used in that scene was zoom showing every part of the face and the emotions he was feeling, the costume was a new era hat which symbolises gangster cloths normally what rapper would...
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...a modern day rapper. Growing up during the Harlem Renaissance really set the stage for Langston Hughes writing. He also lived in a time where he African Americans were proud of their roots. Being around all the arts made him more inclined to write the way he did, with a rhythm. From Langston Hughes attitudes towards women, to writing about the streets he grew up on and his struggles, it is very evident that Langston Hughes was a forerunner of rap. Langston Hughes was lucky his hit his peak during the Harlem Renaissance because that gave him the opportunity to perform and publish his work in Black magazines. Langston Hughes mirrors rappers because he wrote his poetry simplistically, so people with no education could read and understand it. Langston Hughes wasn’t just a writer he was also a performer, he would regularly perform in nightclubs to gain exposure. I’m sure that if Langston Hughes were alive today he would be performing spoken word poetry in New York night clubs, or writing lyrics for today’s rappers. Langston Hughes was so drawn to the nightlife that he dropped out of school to travel and perform his poetry, just like a lot of modern rappers chasing their dreams. In the 1923 poem, “Jazzonia”, Langston Hughes sets the poem, “In a Harlem nightclub” (1140) , and is describing the jazz players inside it. Three years later, in “Lenox avenue: midnight”, Hughes continues to write about his passion for jazz clubs. He compares jazz music to the rhythm of life. I completely...
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...depicted themselves. So in the past has shown black men not as involved with their kids or involved all together due to many issues like poverty, education, and not taking personal responsibility. Because of this research that has presented in the past this article is addressing what black men say, especially black rappers on how they feel about their fathers, on them being fathers, on their mothers, and the mothers of their children. The key question the author is addressing happens to be “The Black Family”. Specifically how rappers represent or show through their music how it is. This author breaks it down into smaller parts but throughout all the research this is the common thread. For example he references many artists like Nas, Kanye West, Rick Ross and many more, lyrics they have used in songs. The researcher defined these lyrics and explained what these artists were saying through their music about baby mamas, their fathers, their kids, and so on. The most important information in this article is lyrics that rappers have said in their songs addressing different aspects of the black family. For example when it comes to baby mama’s research shows among majority of rappers a negative connotation on how they feel toward them or disappointment of what they could have been if they weren’t such hard obstacles. In “War,” Nas (2004) mourns over his...
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... Hip Hop is a subcultural movement, which was formed in the 1970s in South Bronx, New York. African Americans mainly started this movement, but now it is diversified. It has various components, such as “DJing”, rapping, graffiti art, and break dancing. Hip Hop gained a lot of popularity for its fashions. Its authorial power and influence highly impacts the fashion world. Many rap artists have successful cloth lines, which are quickly adopted by the followers. Language, in Hip Hop, plays a vital role. Slang terms gained its popularity after it was being used in raps. Some say that rap is the modern day poetry. Rapping also known as “MCing”, is basically a mixture of rhymes and beats to produce a meaning or even a message. Many rappers incorporate historic events or figures in their raps to compare things. Rap Artist Tupac Shakur used to read and write poetry at an early age, and it developed to show through his rap songs. During his last days, he was studying the philosopher, Machiavelli, and released a controversial album called “The Don Killuminati : The 7 Day Theory.” It described and correlated Machiavelli’s famous work, The Prince, to modern world. Others use lyricism to...
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...Is this rap’s logical conclusion? An essay by Louis Frederic Mendel Life on the street has changed during the 20th century. The continuous poverty, anger and violence has affected every living soul on the street, and produced rap music – a new musical genre which has revolutionized the street-life. The dreadful street-life of a criminal can be heard through thousands of rhyming rap songs, and the rules are simple; the rappers which have the most experience with violence, drugs and poverty are getting the most respect from the audience. Rap music is a product of the poverty and violence, which people experience on the street, and many rappers are striving to achieve respect, money and fame through a rap music career. In the article “Is this rap’s logical conclusion” from 2003, the journalist presents the life story of 50 cent, a rapper who’s achieved all three elements: respect, money and fame. In the article, we are confronted with his horrible circumstances as a child, in which he was forced to live the life of a drug dealer. We hear the stories of his being shot, of selling drugs before he was a teenager, and of how he wrote a platinum hit-song in just under an hour. Throughout the article, the journalist is present in the text as he provides subjective observations. He conveys his own personal view of 50 cent’s life, and tells us how “he can flip the switch between being a though guy to a soft-spoken choirboy” (p. 3 l. 34-35). This is interesting for the...
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...properly, it is necessary to somewhat limit the scope of this essay. The “rap games” mentioned in the title refer (in this case) to the communicative aspect of rap music. More so than other music, rap songs refer and react to other rap artists, songs and expressions. The ways in which these reactions manifest itself in rap music and language are the focus of this essay. ! Hip hop culture and language Hip hop consists of different types of expression, but this essay only looks at the one most relevant to our discussion, namely rap. Rap consists of “the aesthetic placement of verbal rhymes over musical beats” (Alim, 2001, p. 272). In essence it is similar to musically spoken poetry, but it is distinct in its content matter. In the words of rapper JT the Bigga Figga, rap is “the voice of the ghetto” (Alim, 2000). Paraphrasing JT the Bigga Figga’s interview with Samy Alim, rap is about the issues, the crime, and the stories of the Running Head: RAP GAMES! 3 predominantly African American ghetto. The language used in hip hop and rap specifically is therefore predominantly...
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...The bronze Tupac Shakur statue is a life size statue. It stands on a big granite rock in the middle of a water fountain shaped like a cross. It was unveiled the year 2005, on the 9th anniversary of the deadly shooting. It used to be the centerpiece of the Peace Garden at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, which used to ran by Tupac’s mother. In the statue he is shown wearing a suit with a cross while carrying the bible. On the pedestal it quotes Tupac “I guarantee that i will spark the brain that will change the world.” Some People say him wearing the cross and carrying the bible is a bit to much. There are many theories to who killed Tupac Shakur, some even believe that he is still alive like Elvis Presley, and that he is waiting for the perfect moment to enter the spotlight again. If this is true they say that the Tupac Statue would e a good place to find him, since he would most likely stop by and check on it once in awhile....
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...artists known as rappers. Some people say rappers aren’t even artists, simply because rap music “celebrates the accumulation of status, and always has: chains, cars, and yes, women, who are treated like objects obtained through success” (Complex Magazine 2012). But maybe the rappers of today cannot avoid those subjects. After all, what good is the influence or subject of a song, if none of the content is true??? This method of song writing only seems fair to use if all of those materialistic subjects are a part of a rappers daily surroundings. The truth is that rap music has always been materialistic and subjective to drugs since it first became popular with the release of Sugarhill Gang’s song “Rapper’s Delight” in November of 1979. Big Bank Hank, just one of three members in Sugarhill Gang, made it very clear in Rapper’s Delight that he owned “a Lincoln continental and a sunroof Cadillac… and a color TV to watch the Knicks.” (Lyricsondemand.com) and that he was also “Feelin the highs.” (Lyricsondemand.com) Then another song released recently in 2013, named “Bugatti” by rapper Ace Hood, can easily be compared to the same idea behind the lyrics of Rapper’s Delight. In the first verse alone, Ace hood raps about “One hundred K, I spent that on my wrist. Two hundred dollars, spent that on your b****…copped me a chain your salary spent….woke up early morning, mind is telling me money paper, mula, pockets is fat as a tumor, millionaire n**** no rumor.” (azlyrics.com) Rappers Delight and...
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