...Paper The genre of music called “Hip Hop,” originated back in the 1960’s with the help of a Jamaican native and Dj, named Kool Hurc aka, Clive Cambell. Since the evolution of hip hop, the style of music has become one of the main branches of an artistic culture that consists of b-boying (break dancing), graffiti, and MC-ing. All of which have tremendously influenced many aspiring artists, their physical images, the ever-changing sound of hip hop, and other elements that relate to the hip hop culture. A lot of people claim that hip hop and rap can only be about violence, aggression, sex, and money in order to sell or be popular. Another view on hip hop and rap is that it’s too violent, and inappropriate to audiences. That it’s not even music but just a bunch of crap, when in reality, it’s like poetry. The lyrics that artists write come from personal experiences, and perceptions of what they see in the world they live in. Hip hop and rap is more than just music. One of the primary sources I found is a review/article published in “The New York Times” called “The Uncluttered Hip-hop of De La Soul”, written by Peter Watrous, in which Watrous critiques the performance and the group De La Soul at a show. This review of Del La Soul is relevant to the history of hip hop course because it makes a point in which gives an argument for positive recognition of not only De La Soul, but other hip hop groups with similar style of music. These groups don’t write about sex, killing, and being...
Words: 1738 - Pages: 7
...Check, One-Two Suzanne Fields, the author of “Bad Raps: Music Rebels Revel in Their Thug Life” wrote her article on May 21, 2001 for insight on the news. In her article, Fields talks about how rap music has negative effects on our younger generation. She personally believes that the lyrics in these songs have a harsh effect on our youth and that it is the worst genre of music out right now. While reading, I found her opinion to be extremely biased and unfair. I also found myself disagreeing with almost every bad thing she stated about the rap genre since many other genres can have the same types of effects on younger people when they listen to them. Fields starts out her article by saying that rap music “expresses the worst kind of images” and is harmful to our younger generations. She thinks that the lyrics “employ vulgar street idioms” and are too harsh. She also states that she believes their lyrics come from “a world of broken families, absent fathers, illegitimate children and matriarchal dominance, often subsidized by welfare.” (Fields) Fields continues her argument against rap music by saying that the reason for the harsh lyrics is because language and experience of poetry and romance are absent from the lives of the rappers and their audiences. Fields personally does not know the true lives of the rappers, so she shouldn't be judging them just off of their lyrical content. Fields continues her article against rap music by using a couple facts about other singers,...
Words: 769 - Pages: 4
...about "preferred transcripts" suggested by music videos and Todd Boyd's conception of "hyperreal" cinematic imagery. FINAL PAPER INSTRUCTIONS: Your paper should also incorporate research that extends beyond the boundaries of materials on our syllabus. You should also be sure to construct an argument and offer a critique of assumptions surrounding your argument. The most successful papers will allow the "messiness" of researching popular culture to foreground contradictions implicit in your arguments. For example, if you want to argue that misogyny is less of a concern in 2006 than it was in 1995 because many of the gangsta rap groups responsible for "bitch-ho" rhetoric have disbanded, you would probably want to underscore the pervasive lack of feminist female representation in any hip hop idiom in 2002. In other words, less gangsta rap has not meant more positive heterosocial conditions for the production of hip hop. This is a research paper, and it will be graded according to standards of college-level humanities writing. Your paper must be typewritten, double-spaced, and thoroughly edited for spelling and grammar. Composition counts! For compositional guidelines, you might consult a guide for writing research papers in MLA style. Look here for citation...
Words: 269 - Pages: 2
...Brandon Woody English 3604-201 Dr. Reginald Martin July 15, 2015 Future & Financial Illiteracy in Rap Hip-Hop has grown exponentially from its meager beginning in New York City, with influence globally resembling religion in the way it impacts the lives of its most fervent followers. Rap, Hip-Hop?s musical component, has provided outlets for artistry and entrepreneurship for individuals in the inner city who wouldn?t otherwise have one. Despite the positive effects that the musical genre has had on countless lives, it has fairly been criticized for its glorification of misogyny, violence, and drug use; unfortunately, tendency to promote fiscally reckless behavior is often ignored. A rather popular song on urban radio over the...
Words: 694 - Pages: 3
...Is there more violence in gangster rap than in regular hip hop music? The answer to that is: there is more violence in hip hop music rather than ganster rap. I know it is may seem a little weird, but, it is true, there is more violence in hip music rather than gangsta rap, but, the number of gun violence has doubled from gangster rap from 2000 to 2014 (Taboola, 2015). On top of this, most people would think that hip hop is the culture of nonviolence and just people singing, to have a good time but, this is not the case now these days (Taboola, 2015). “Violence in the hip hop world really needs to cease...it needs to stop to save people from being influenced to be part of a gang or, go and commit crimes of all sort”. It isn’t worth spending...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
...INTRODUCTION Culture of Hip-hop was born in 1970 and it keeps developing until today. Hip-hop basically has four kinds of forms which are DJing, Rapping, Graffiti, Break-dancing, and Beatboxing. However why music, in this case is Rapping, can build great influence to the listeners. Music is form of cultural expression that does not necessary experience race and other identity relationships. This aspect appeals to youth experiences because racial identities do not mean only simply one thing for them. Since identities of race are combination of multiple identities, such as national context, class, and even gender. This turns up in Hip-hop music which focuses on mixed identities to find local’s expression. Hip-hop music is no longer seen only as song to listen but has become a lifestyle to youth in modern era. They feel this music can represent them who are struggling to find meaning and identities in their society which most of them do, regardless of they are White, Black, Asian, etc. However, other kinds of Hip-hop culture like graffiti art and break dancing also have same influence like Hip-hop music. This condition makes business players who are outside of Hip-hop industry find opportunity to contract famous and successful Hip-hop music artist to commercialize their products. These companies use the mindset that has been built by the artist and indirectly put that image in the commodities which appeal to young consumers. The thesis of this paper is how Hip-hop cultures...
Words: 2335 - Pages: 10
...between marijuana use amongst teenagers and the popularity of West Coast Rap Music Introduction Marijuana has been around for hundreds of years and the use of marijuana has been becoming more and more popular especially among teenagers (Lee, 2012). Music has also been around for a very long period of time, in a vast aray of genres. What has changed in music however, is the references to drugs (specifically marijuana) especially in rap music. Marijuana references in rap music have increased by 27% percent from 1979 to 1997 (Herd, 2008). Since the main audience for rap music are teenagers, listening to this music can have a possible effect on teenager’s substance use. Marijuana refers to the leaves, flowers and stems from the Cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica plant. This plant contains the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannibol (THC). When using marijuana there are both short and long term effects on the brain. Short term effects include: altered senses, changes in mood, and impaired memory (Hall, 1998). A study done by Meier (2012) showed the long term effects of marijuana. This study showed that people who started smoking heavily as teenagers and continued use of marijuana lost an average of 8 IQ points between ages 13 and 38 (Meier, Caspi & Ambler, 2012) US West Coast rap music is rap music that is created in the West Coast of the United States of America, mainly referring to California. West Coast rap started in the 1970’s but didn’t become popular till the 1980’s and...
Words: 1317 - Pages: 6
...the former. Sentimental masculinity appeals more to female vanity and the need for affection. The sentimentalist is charismatic and charming full of sensual flirtation aimed at luring the superficial audience. Critical observation indicates that both forms of masculine sexuality are still present in the world of Hip Hop today. In a detailed overview on the same, this paper tackles the issue of hegemonic and sentimental masculinity as evidenced in the world of Hip Hop today and the pervasive trend of aggression and sexuality in popular culture. Sexuality in Popular Culture The issue of sexuality continues to dominate the world of popular music since the inception of hip hop culture in the late 1970s to date. In fact, observers note that rap music was then as it is now ‘an expression of hyper-masculinity’ as evidenced in violent music videos and strong worded song lyrics that seem to reaffirm the perceived superiority of the male gender. Writing in the wake of the birth of hip hop culture, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 374) noted an...
Words: 2101 - Pages: 9
...What would you do if I Rhymed out of Tune? One of the main channels where Americans speak out about race, violence and culture, is Hip-Hop music. This is a place where the music is dominated by black artists, yet most of its sales/profits are to whites in America. Is it because white people just like the beat and lyrics of the music, or are they trying to identify with a society they have never known? in spite of its popularity among white listeners, you don’t see the murder rate among young white males increasing because they identify with it. Some might argue that music could never inspire an individual to act in a certain way or someone to kill. However, some could also debate, if music can make you feel happiness or tranquil, then it might also motivate one to violence or invoke aspirations to kill. Byron Hurt, the Filmmaker of “Hip-Hop, Beyond beats and Rhymes,” talks about a “Box” that Hip-Hop puts men in with its lyrics and by the gangsters the music videos embody showing what a real man should desire to be, in his film. “In order to be in that box, men have to be strong, tough, have a lot of girls and money. Men have to be a player or pimp, they have to be in control and dominate other people, because if men are not those things, then they are called soft, weak, a pussy, chump or faggot, and nobody wants to be any of those things so they stay inside the box.” (Byron Hurt) Hip-Hop’s impractical ideas of manhood have become a box resembling a prison, the same...
Words: 1177 - Pages: 5
...“RAGE, r-r-r-r-rage, rage, r-r-r-r-rage, rage!” Le1f, a.k.a. Khalif Diouf, screams these words deliriously in the chorus of “Rage”, the second song on his debut album Riot Boi, as the cute electronic flourishes surrounding him suddenly turn to siren sounds, breaking glass, and brutal bass. It’s a line that Diouf likes to toe - Riot Boi’s instrumentals go from saccharine to scary, as does his delivery, which is wonderfully diverse. Riot Boi is quite the personal statement - although Le1f’s music is jarringly experimental and unapologetically queer, Diouf feels completely comfortable in the middle of it all, to the point where he can easily forget any debut album tropes and focus on making good music. Riot Boi is a self-assured debut album, so much so that Le1f doesn’t even have to try. Lead track “Hi” is an introduction to Le1f, one that accomplished all it needs to in less than two minutes. Le1f is a liberal, he addresses the important issues, and he’s “so Nubian”. The word ‘cunt’ is dropped, on this song as well as throughout the album - such a crass word is transformed into a statement of pride when coming from Le1f’s mouth. “Hi” is a definitive establishment of Le1f’s identity; because of it, Riot Boi can enter more exciting territory. And so it does - the aforementioned, Balam Acab-produced, Death Grips-sounding “Rage” is unpredictable and electric, like being in the middle of a thunderstorm. “Swirl” is a thumping club track, set on top of a simplistic sample and a riveting...
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
...especially among African American teenagers. During that time many of the young teens who dance over a beat that made you move in a special way from within like just feeling it like no other. It wasn’t until 1979, when the Sugar hill gang released their breakaway hit, ‘Rapper’s Delight, that record producers took notice of this developing musical genre. Once they did, numerous rap acts, including Run-DMC and N.W.A., raised, and rap’s audience began to swell. It wasn’t just African American male rappers...
Words: 1031 - Pages: 5
...Looking through the Allmylifeforsale.com pages, the descriptions all told a story about the item displayed. All the descriptions I read were very subjective. For the item that I chose, “Jump Around, House of Pain tag # 001018”, the author told the story of his roommates and him jamming out to this album while listening to college radio. On the other side of the spectrum, when browsing Ebay.com for the same product, the descriptions were very objective. Stating only the details of the products, the title of the album, the release year, etc. On Allmylifesale.com, I could easily visualize the product, not by direct description, but through how the writer wrote about the product. The author told a story in each description, making it more accessible to the reader. It felt more relatable in terms of whether or not one could see themselves buying the product. On Sellmylife.com, the author told the story of how he and his friends would dance to the song. He wrote “College radio used to be the only place that you could hear hip-hop… We used to have this dance called the "fuckshitup" where Paul, Trey, Dennis and I would all start jumping up and down from one leg to the other often bumping into each other and falling down.” On Ebay.com, though easy to see what the product was through the pictures posted with the item, it was not quite so easy to visualize using the product. Only objective facts being used on the two auctions I viewed, which I assume is what Ebay.com is really known for...
Words: 595 - Pages: 3
...has a philosophical effect on one’s emotions allowing happiness or sadness to rise. Throughout time, music has the characteristic of fluidity, shaping to society as new facets of life emerge. All-in-all, music has the capability to incite emotions of sadness, grief, joy, and even ecstasy. Since music can invoke these emotions, is it possible for music, more specifically rap or “gangsta...
Words: 336 - Pages: 2
...Ryan Boeh Music apparition American gangster Rap is a popular type of music in today's society, but it didn't just come to be. In the 1970's rap emerged from other types of music to become what it is today. Rap is influenced and inspired by other types of music. Its influences are closely related to each other. Rap music has derived from various types of music. In a world in which people are constantly confronted with violent acts such as rape, assault, murder, school shootings and other violence's, society is eager and anxious to find and remove all causes of these cultural ills. All the blame can not be put on one particular thing but a heavier degree of blame can be put on one thing. Some of the violent acts listed above are expressed through music. Gangster rap, which followed rap music, developed in the 1980's. Though the immaturity and lack of teaching morals has an impact on how we view and take in things, the context of gangster rap presents a negative image for people in society. Rap music has derived from other music categories. One of the first musical influences on rap music is hip hop. Hip hop is comprised of graffiti, break dancing, attitude and the dress of the people who listened to it. The start of hip hop, along with rap, can be located in the Bronx of New York. There were three major events that occurred in the Bronx that contributed to the hip hop subculture. The first event was the building of an expressway through the Bronx. This plan was carried...
Words: 2167 - Pages: 9
...fashion and modern language. It doesn't stop there. The culture permeates everything from TV commercials to toys to video games. Currently, there is even a hip-hop exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. You name it, and hip hop is there representing. However, hip hop's most potent form is its rap music--embraced by urban Blacks and suburban Whites alike. It is raw self-expression that sometimes features profane lyrics, misogyny and violence. The music, along with rap videos that often present a disturbing mix of rap, hip-hop dance styles, fashion and language, leave many people asking: Is hip-hop culture harming our youth" "The hip-hop culture is just like electricity," civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton told JET. "It can be used negatively or positively. The same electric current that lights up your house can also electrocute you. It is the misuse of hip-hop culture to attack our women and promote violence. We must encourage the proper use of hip-hop culture. We are all influenced by the hip-hop generation." Sharpton, who recently hosted a special summit on social responsibility in the hip-hop industry, labeled gangsta rappers "well-paid slaves." Advertisement "Don't let some record executive tell you that cursing out your mama is in style. Anytime you perpetuate a slave mentality that desecrates women and that desecrates our race in the name of a record.... I consider you a well-paid slave." Sharpton labeled...
Words: 1907 - Pages: 8
