...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 Blacks and Latinos who...
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...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 way Plato’s cave was a...
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...often reflects a collection and pattern of personal experiences. Hip-hop or rap, an art form and culture nearly thirty years old originating from The Bronx, New York, has provided a forum for Black and Latino youth to express their respective cultures and speak on a number of issues. Today, Hip-hop is a global phenomenon that appeals to almost all ethnicities and is synthesizing a new culture that goes beyond race, education, and income. Hip-hop has been under continual metamorphosis since its 1970’s inner-city inception. Some of the original artists like Kurtis Blow chose to lament everyday life in the ghettos. Others, Sugar Hill Gang among them, took a more dance inspired approach to the music. But for both these and other artists from the early years of rap through the late 1980’s including KRS-One, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J, fast beats and socially relevant lyrics were among the primary components of the music. By the 1990’s a new face of rap music emerged. It began with Ice T and later gained popularity with artists such as NWA (Niggaz Wit Attitude) whose first album shocked and titillated the rap world with their obscene lyrical content and unabashed “gangsta” style, since then dubbed by the media as “gangsta rap.” Despite the growing acceptance of Hip-hop within white America and the middle class, Hip-hop is, at times understandable, also under siege. Comments made on rap or Hip-hop by Bill O'Reilly, popular talk show host on the Fox News Channel...
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...United States by African Americans, hip hop culture and music is now global in scope. Youth culture and opinion is meted out in both Israeli hip hop and Palestinian hip hop, while Canada, France, Germany, the U.K., Poland, Brazil, Japan, Africa, Australia and the Caribbean have long-established hip hop followings. According to the U.S. Department of State, hip hop is "now the center of a mega music and fashion industry around the world," that crosses social barriers and cuts across racial lines. National Geographic recognizes hip hop as "the world's favorite youth culture" in which "just about every country on the planet seems to have developed its own local rap scene." Through its international travels, hip hop is now considered a “global musical epidemic,” and has diverged from its ethnic roots by way of globalization and localization. Although some non-American rappers may still relate with young black Americans, hip hop now transcends its original culture, and is appealing because it is “custommade to combat the anomie that preys on adolescents wherever nobody knows their name.” Hip hop is attractive in its ability to give a voice to disenfranchised youth in any country, and as music with a message it is a form available to all societies worldwide. From its early spread to Europe and Japan to an almost worldwide acceptance through Asia and South American countries such as Brazil, the musical influence has been global. Hip hop sounds and styles differ from region...
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...Elmhorst 1 Nicole Elmhorst Dr. Stephen McCabe WBIS 188-024 Research Essay December 13th, 2013 How Women Are Portrayed in Music In today’s society, the genres of rap and R&B are one of the most popular forms of music. Conversely, the ideas and lyrics of many songs fall into these genres tend to be violent, offensive, vulgar and sexist. We can see that sexism in rap music is apparent through the negative portrayal of women found in both the lyrics and music videos. This is an important issue because rap is so popularized today that these negative depictions of women, especially African American women, is potentially giving its viewers the idea that it is acceptable to treat women in such demeaning ways. Most of the time, we do not comprehend the message that is being sent through songs we listen to. We as society need to become more conscious of the music we listen to. Over the years, rap and rap music videos have repetitively become more and more sexual and degrading towards women. Rap has been criticized various times for this reason. The excuses used to justify the misogyny in rap are inadequate and lack accurate support. The most effective way for this continuous cycle to end is if the fight and protest comes from the women themselves. Men are the problem in the objectification of women but in order for it to stop, women need to step up and take control of the situation. Misogyny and degradation of women does exist in almost every genre of music, yet the Elmhorst...
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...Hip hop has influenced generations in a way I believe no other genre has. Hip Hop in the textbook is said to have first emerged in largely African-American, afro Caribbean, and Latino communities of the Bronx and then spread to Harlem and other boroughs of the New York City in the early 1970s. It is defined as a style of popular music of United States and Hispanic origin, featuring rap with an electronic backing. It can also be described as a culture and form of ground breaking music and self-expression with elements that consisted of the elements of graffiti art, DJing, MCing, and breaking. Today Hip-Hop is considered to be dead in the mainstream because so-called mainstream Hip-Hop doesn't have the elements of hip-hop and have no meaning....
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...Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that was formed during the 1970’s among African American youths residing in the South Bronx in New York City. Hip-hop is characterized by four distinct elements, all of which represent the different manifestation of the culture; oral, aural, physical and visual. The term is often used in a restrictive fashion as synonymous only with the oral practice of rap music. The origin of the hip-hop cultures stems from the block parties of the Ghetto brothers, when they plugged the amps for their instruments and speakers into the lampposts on 163rd street and Prospect Avenue; and used music to break down racial barriers. Since 1970’s hip hop has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the world. Hip-hop music first emerged when contemporary disc jockeys and imitators creating rhythmic beats by emphasizing a percussive pattern. It was later accompanied by a rhythmic style of chanting or poetry often presented in 16-bar measures or time frames, and beat boxing, a vocal technique mainly used to provide percussive elements of music and various technical effects of hip hop DJs. In the early days of Hip hop young partygoers initially recited popular phrases and used the slang of the day. It was fashionably for DJ to acknowledge people who were in attendance at a party. Early raps featured someone shouting over instrumental break, which would usually evoke a response from the crowd. Rap caught on because it offered young urban New Yorkers...
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...unapologetic attitude, rap music is the voice of urban culture. Rap music gives people the confidence to do and say how they feel. It pushes boundaries, even in uncomfortable situations. It expresses the harsh reality in urban and rural cities in such a artistic and realistic way. It is not just about the energetic instrumentals or the catchy metaphors , it’s about the content. Rap music touches on subjects like politics, sexual exploits, and personal uniqueness. It is considered to be the perfect example of postmodern music. It’s affect on American culture is phenomenal. Rap is not just a genre of music, it is a lifestyle. From the clothes people wear, to the way people talk, rap is more than the...
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...Research Evaluation: The Behavior of African American People through Hip Hop Music Papi Jean Florida Memorial University Introduction The Growth of Hip Hop in America As hip hop continues to grow into a major aspect of the modern African American culture, the studies intend to distinguish the mass outlook of black people in America. It is incredible that this single genre of music has transformed into a vital communication mechanism for an entire race and may even become larger in future generations of African American people. The other races, in America, have gotten an idea of African Americans through the controversial rap music in which black people use to communicate with each other, and outsiders; the non-blacks. The study revolves mainly around the attitudes which have deemed as common in the black culture; rap music has always been open for interpretation which can lead to danger. The music has become so popular and influential to the youth that many crimes have been linked to the music which fuels an efficient form controversy in America. Do people receive the negative aspects of rap more than the positive aspects? If so, then why? Also, why are the positive approaches of hip hop not made commercial rather than the sex, drugs, and violence? There is belief that the music has a great influence on how the other races in America view the black culture. It is not certain whether rap music is more negative than positive, but it is obviously a notorious topic for many...
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...movement. For the music genre, see Hip hop music. For other uses, see Hip hop (disambiguation). Graffiti of "hip hop" in Eugene, Oregon Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic subculture that originated in African-American and Hispanic-American communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx.[1][2][3] DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, B-boying and graffiti writing.[4][5][6][7] [8] Since its emergence in the South Bronx, hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the world.[9] Hip hop music first emerged with disc jockeys creating rhythmic beats by looping breaks (small portions of songs emphasizing a percussive pattern) on two turntables, more commonly referred to as sampling. This was later accompanied by "rap", a rhythmic style of chanting or poetry presented in 16 bar measures or time frames, and beatboxing, a vocal technique mainly used to imitate percussive elements of the music and various technical effects of hip hop DJ's. An original form of dancing and particular styles of dress arose among fans of this new music. These elements experienced considerable refinement and development over the course of the history of the culture. The relationship between graffiti and hip hop culture arises from the appearance of new and increasingly elaborate and pervasive forms of the practice in areas where other elements of hip hop were evolving as art forms, with a...
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...Originating in the Bronx in the 1970s, the genre that would later become a global phenomenon grew substantially in the ’80s and, by the time the ’90s rolled around, had fully matured both artistically and commercially. When you think about hip hop in that decade, two names hover above the rest: 2Pac (“California Love”) and The Notorious B.I.G. (“Hypnotize”). If you’ll recall, though, the ’90s was also a period in which hip hop expanded from being purely a coastal phenomenon. Southern anthems like “Back That Thang Up” by Juvenile and Fiend, Silkk, Mia-X and Mystikal-featured Master P song, “Make Em Say Uhh!,” dominated the charts. Meanwhile, the East and West Coasts held it down with their own distinctive hits, respectively, including Jay-Z’s “Can I Get A…” and Warren G ft. Nate Dogg’s “Regulate.” If any of the aforementioned songs come on right now, in any region, hip hop fans will react. And that acknowledgment likely manifests with head bobbing, rapping along, or dancing. 38. “Summertime” – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Album: Homebase Year: 1991 Before Will hit it big with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, this friends-since-childhood duo recorded a summer anthem that eventually won a Grammy for Best Rap Single in 1991 “I Wish” – Skee-lo Album: I Wish Year: 1991 . “Still Not A Player” – Big Punisher ft. Joe Album: Capital Punishment Year: 1998 Latin’s Going Platinum! Another MC gone too soon, Pun made this still-incredible Uptown record one that we’ll dance...
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...others would paint their skin black and dress up in costumes to perform songs that perpetuated racial stereotypes like the dumb but loyal slave or a heathen vandal like persona. These shows were suppose to be comedic but were fueled by real prejudice and allowed real hatred to fester throughout America. It is claimed these shows existed to express how whites felt marginalized by black culture but it is evident these shows had no other purpose but to mock African Americans. The songs they performed mimicked a syncopated rhythm featured in traditional African American songs but could never quite nail down the complex beat that was used in traditional African American...
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...Crystal Hawthorne Psonak ENGL 1102 5 March 2016 How is Language and Media a Controversy? Is social media and technology a good resource, or have we turned it into something else? Recent discussions have brought up the controversy of language and media, and how there are ways media uses language to control and destroy. Can media really obtain the power to manipulate people and destroy languages? Kerby Anderson and Juliet Giraso use fallacies, such as appeal to emotion and cause and effect, as well as logos, ethos and pathos to support their arguments in order to persuade the reader into choosing their side of the controversy. Kerby Anderson, who wrote the article “Violent Media Do Not Teach Christian Worldview,” believes media has become a dangerous resource. Anderson is President of Probe Ministries, holding master’s degrees from Yale and Georgetown University. Juliet Giraso, who wrote the article "Social Media - A Disastrous Distraction [opinion],” believes media has become a dangerous distraction. Giraso is a student at the Gashora Girls Academy. These authors use ethos by having credibility. Anderson argues how violent images and vulgar language in media have a negative effect on young people and don’t teach a Christian worldview. He is able to support his argument by using the rhetorical device logos. He uses Leonard Eron's long-term study to persuade his readers. The study consisted of Eron studying children at the age of eight, then again at eighteen, and he concluded...
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...She had a dream to be in Julliard, which is one of the most prestigious schools of the performing arts. Her mother dies in a car accident on her way to see her daughter’s audition. Sara holds resentment towards her mother for not making her audition and blames her mother for her failure in the audition. Sara learns that her mother died on her way to the audition. She holds in a lot of guilt for the loss of her mother and blames herself for making her promise to be there for her, and in turn decides to give up on dancing all together. Sara ends up living with her father in Chicago and transfers to a new school where she is one of just a handful of white students. She befriends a black girl, Chenille who is a single mother with relationship issues with the father of her child. Chenille invites Sara to a club and here is where she meets Chenille’s brother, Derek. The two hit it off and Derek decides to help Sara with her dream to get into Julliard. The two become intimately closer and Derek takes Sara to a see a ballet in the city as a surprise. Sara gets emotional and after the show she shares with Derek the guilt and sadness she has had because of her mother’s death. Derek continues to help Sara with her newfound dance moves that now is including a style she was not familiar, Hip Hop. At school, Derek’s ex-girlfriend, Nikki starts a fight with Sara and later on Sara accompanies Chenille to a clinic because her son is sick and brings up the fight with Nikki. Chenille...
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...* * * * * * * * * Representation Of Race In Media * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Much of our perceptions of the world are based on narratives and the images that we see in film, television, radio, music, and other media. These are some of the outlets that construct how individuals see their social identities, as well as learn and understand about what it is to be black, white, Native American, Asian, South American, etc. (Dow, Wood, 2006, p. 297). You will get a better understanding of this once you understand the concept of ideologies. Ideologies are what create our perception of the world around us, whether it is political, social, economic, etc. Ideologies are not the product of individual intention or conscious, rather we create our intentions within ideology (Marris, Thornham, 2000, p. 267). These ideologies exist before we are even born; they form the social constructions and conditions that we are born into. But, ideologies are just a practice, and it is produced and reproduced in apparatus of ideological production. The media is a great example of an apparatus of ideological production (Marris, Thornham, 2000, p. 273). It produces social meanings and distributes them throughout society. However, as long as ideologies continue so will social struggles such as racism, which we will discuss in this essay. Media elites represent different races through media based on...
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