Michael Davis Mr. Andy Page History of Rock Music 28 Feb. 2018 My Analysis of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy One would be hard-pressed to find an artist more controversial and influential than Kanye West since the start of the millenium. As soon as the former beatmaker became a solo artist, Kanye and his ego changed the rap game by showing true mastery regarding the art of using the human voice. Flaunting his pink polo and backpack, Kanye proved to be quite different from the current hip hop culture stereotype of “gangster rap.” Kanye’s perfectionist production style and variety of samples from different genres of music added to the sophistication and complexity of his music. As a passionate fan and true appreciator of Mr. West’s music,
Rap music has become one of the most distinctive and controversial music genres of the past few decades. A major part of hip hop culture, rap, discusses the experiences and standards of living of people in different situations ranging from racial stereotyping to struggle for survival in poor, violent conditions. Rap music is a vocal protest for the people oppressed by these things. Most people know that rap is not only music to dance and party to, but a significant form of expression. It is a source of information that describes the rage of people facing growing oppression, declining opportunities for advancement, changing moods on the streets, and everyday survival. Its distinct sound, images, and attitude are notorious to people of all
In the book “Decoded,” rapper and businessman Jay-Z describes the emergence of hip hop culture while sharing his childhood memories, life challenges, and passions. Along with Jay-Z’s personal narrative, he provides an explanation for his song lyrics to educate readers about hip hop’s importance, his life, and national issues. Thus, he creates several arguments about hip hop’s purpose in the music industry. Two of Jay-Z’s main arguments consisted of hip hop being a form of art and the story of a hustler. This is especially true when considering how Jay-Z defines hip hop, analyzes supporting evidence, and interprets rap lyrics.
Kanye West is one of hip-hop's most influential rappers/producers. With albums like 808s and Heartbreak revolutionizing autotune in hip-hop, he has influenced many young artists to launch their careers. In this essay, I will discuss his early life, career, and current career. He started from nothing and built himself up to be one of the greatest. Kanye’s rise to fame is a great story of perseverance.
In the essay, “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal Of Black Women”(221), by Jennifer McLune, she vents her feelings regarding hip-hop songs that are rhythmically diminishing the value of black women. She provides example on how the lyrics are being voiced and how hip-hop artists do not seem to care. Kevin Powell in “Notes of a Hip Hop Head” writes, “Indeed, like rock and roll, hip-hop sometimes makes you think we men don’t like women much at all, except to objectify them as trophy pieces or, as contemporary vernacular mandates, as baby mommas, chicken heads, or bitches” (221). There have been apologizes for what the rappers have said but nothing to resolve the dehumanization of black women. McLune informs the readers that hip-hop singers belittle black women and make them invisible. Jay-Z, a popular hip-hop artist is brought to center stage by McLune. The essay shows the example of a part of Jay-Z song that says, “I pimp hard on a trick, look Fuck if your leg broke bitch hop on your good foot” (222). This lyric is a perfect example of how hip-hop artist have no remorse in the words they sing. The hurt feelings and loss of self-esteem black women suffer, is of no concern to the rappers. McLune expresses that those who are underground hip-hop artist follow the footsteps on being sexist and using crude words in their lyrics just because they yearn and dream of being in the spotlight. Upcoming rappers want to be loved like Jay-Z and other famous notorious rappers.
Kanye Omari West, an icon of hip-hop, pop culture, fashion and music in general. Kanye Omari West, a person belittled against and a person subjected to a life of racism and hate. Born on June 8th, 1977, Donda West, West’s mother, always knew he was destined for greatness, but did she know her son would turn out to be the Kanye West, a man lacking the respect he deserves for transforming a big part of the music we listen to on this very day? West came onto the scene in the late nineties but didn’t release The College Dropout until 2004, an album that took everybody by surprise. Kanye West changed the gangster filled rap genre by releasing his positive, soulful debut album, changing the way rappers
Hip hop and rap as a musical genre is a very controversial subject for nearly everyone. Its influences are powerful, both positive and negative. There are many positive influences of hip hop, and a few examples are the breaking down of cultural barriers, the economic impact, and political awareness of pressing and urgent issues. Though there are many positive influences, there are many negative influences as well. Some of the more heated debates of the negative influences of hip hop are that it glorifies violence, and the fact that the music sexualizes women and degrades them as well. Attached to the negative outlook on hip hop, there are also many stereotypes assumed by society towards this type of culture
For most people that listen to music, a song can be classified as simply a plethora of words constructed into verses in the midst of an appealing tune playing in the backdrop. But it is when an artist can take all of this and add even more to it to make it memorable and even sometimes controversial he or she is considered a great artist. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood rap, along with hip hop artist of the 20th century is the late Tupac Shakure. ... However, to his fans and critics, he was perceived as a political poet and a lyrical genius. Though I wasn’t supposed to, I have listened to Pac since I was a child...and Ill have to
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy boasted an amazing maximalist approach that boarded on a hip hop opera symphony with lyrics that were memorable and verses that can rank as the best hip hop verses of all time. It was an album filled with legendary moments that music fans will remember for ages, and moments Kanye fan boys will yell at his concerts. This reaction by hip hop fans for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was immediate. For Yeezus, it was different. Yeezus’ minimalistic approach threw fans and critics off due to the very left field and experimental approach he took for this album, both sonically and thematically. In spite of this, Yeezus still manages to hold up it’s quality, value, and impact in comparison to his preceding albums while becoming one of the most important hip hop albums of all time.
It can be hard to cross over genres, just as it is hard to cross over art forms. Some do it with aplomb - to pull a name or two out of the hat, Zooey Deschanel is a talented actor and songwriter, and Justin Timberlake has proven his worth in comedy and film as much as he has in his music. However, we get something very different when a egotistical artist who is great in one field ‘crosses over’ to a new one: the deluded artist. Here we see Kid Cudi, a reasonably established and quite popular hip hop
It has been 30 years since Hip-Hop was first “introduced” to the world. Whether it be fashion or politics, this musical genre/culture plays a huge role in everyday life and has generated billions of dollars across the globe. In this paper I will be discussing when, where, and how Hip-Hop was created, “old school Hip-Hop, “Hip-Hop’s Golden Age”, “Hardcore rap” “Gangsta rap”, “G-Funk”, 21st century Hip-Hop, and how Hip-Hop affects society.
The rap genre originated from some of the most underprivileged areas of New York in the 1970’s. What was once DJ’s talking over a beat they were playing to encourage more activity on the dance floor, turned in to a new genre of music called rap. The majority of earlier rap songs were fun inducing tracks, but in the 1980’s, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five introduced social consciousness to the genre. They sparked a long lasting impact on rap as it started to evolve rapidly as time went on. The 90’s was home to “gangsta rap,” followed by a softer side of song writing pioneered by the likes of Outkast and Kanye West in the 2000’s. Today, rap music is very diverse and more accepting of different styles than it was before. However, throughout the entire history of rap music, the one thing that has stayed
Specialists Enlistment Act prompted his arraignment with four others by a government excellent jury in 1951.
“Rap is poetry” (xii). To any avid fan of the genre, it is a statement that seems obvious. The words could easily be the musings of a listener first introduced to the art form, not the focal point of an entire work of contemporary criticism. Yet in Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop, Adam Bradley’s primary focus is this very point, the recognition of traditional poetic elements within rap music. With the global cultural and economic phenomenon that hip hop has become, it is easy to forget that the style of music is barely thirty years old, that scholarly criticism of it has existed for only half of that time. When viewed within this relatively new arena of scholarship, the importance of Bradley’s text is
Rap is the most streamed music genre in the world according to Spotify, one of the world’s largest streaming services. It is also one of the newest genres, only gaining popularity in the 1980s. What led to the explosive obsession of rap? Much of this craze can be attributed the beats, rhythms, and lyricism, but most importantly, rap spoke to people unlike any other music could. The tales of disenfranchised minorities and their daily struggles spoke to these communities.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote and published many novels and short stories throughout his career, including several published anonymously. More often readers find a his work to be different types of romance followed and surrounded with twists of darkness. Based on Hawthorne’s biography you can find most of his characters and the darkness in his stories, come from personal experience. The mix of success and failure during Hawthorne’s writing career resembles parts in his story “The Devil in Manuscript” leading to an unfathomable twist for his readers.