Think of a poet. Who came to mind? Was it Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Ralph Waldo Emerson? What about Eminem or Jay-Z? They are both poets too, but in a different way. They go by the title “rapper”, basically a synonym for poet, and Hip-Hop is their form of poetry is. Kevin Coval amusingly says that rap “dusted poetry off, took it out the closet, put Js on its feet, and told it to speak to the people, all the people,” and that hip-hop saved poetry from becoming “classical music,” meaning that rap prevented poetry from becoming an old, out-dated art form and renovated it for the next generation (20). Coval’s book, The BreakBeat Poets, says the creation of hip-hop music was by “latchkey kids in the crack era, left to their own devices to experiment wildly and make language and art new and meaningful,” and goes on to say its purpose is to, “move the crowd, relate to the crowd, and save the crowd,” and Kendrick Lamar does these things perfectly (18). Through the use of clever wordplay and rhyming skills mixed with great story telling, Kendrick is bringing rap music back to its “roots” while introducing a “style” of his own, which is why one can argue that Kendrick Lamar is the “savior” of the rap game and its listeners. Kendrick brings rap back to its “roots” by reintroducing the narrative aspect of old school rap. When rap was first taking off in the late eighties, one group in particular helped mainstream it, N.W.A. Consisting of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Easy-E, this group
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.
The two poems by Langston Hughes “Theme for English B” and “ I, Too” both identify racism that permeates all stations of life. In both texts, Hughes represents the two speakers as African Americans and identifies how one tries to elevate himself through education and the other individual remains trapped at a lower station. In the poem “Theme for English B” skin colour and all that it represents emerges when the speaker searches for his identity as well as what is the truth about his abilities. The speaker expresses his view in how he deals with his white counterparts (the instructor). “I, Too” centers on the idea of racial oppression, looking at how whites do not recognize blacks as equals and how this affects the individual. Yet the texts attempt to show the basic human similarities between African Americans and white people despite their perceived differences and societal segregation. The two speakers within the poems struggle with their own self-worth in relation to their colour. The similarity between the two speakers is that they approach their issues confident in their capabilities and futures. The two speakers differ in that they appear to have different stations in life; servitude versus achieving higher education, yet both struggle with self-worth.
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.
“Hip-hop/rap is a subcultural movement that formed during the early 1970s in the Bronx, New York” (“Hip hop”). Hip- hop has changed the way we speak, dress, think, and has even altered the way artist make music. Traveling all around The United States, Hip-hop has made many different names for itself. There is MC Rap, Gangsta Rap, Conscious Rap, and Old School Rap sprouting from the meaning of Hip-hop, all urban genres using different types of dialect. According to Oxford Dictionaries, dialect is “a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group” (“Dialect”), they decide on the type of message they want to convey to the listener through the rap. The two rappers I have chosen to show the growth in Hip-hop language history, are Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg. Lamar is considered as an American influential rapper. Whereas, the west coast godfather, Snoop Dogg, falls under the genre of gangsta rap. These West Coast rappers are from the same area, but when it comes to Hip-hop, they seem to speak a different language. The evolution of the world changes the topics discussed in Hip-hop, these two artists promote similar messages in their music, such as gang affiliation, unity, and politics.
Unlike many other mainstream artists, Kendrick Lamar attaches great importance to the lyrics of his songs. Lamar’s song “DNA”, released last April, became a real breakthrough in the world of hip-hop music. In this song, Lamar reflects on various social issues faced by the modern African-American community of the USA. The song’s lyrics, as well as the music video, portrays the most common stereotypes and biases labeled to the African-American community. The central aim of the song is to sarcastically demonstrate the image of African-Americans as they are viewed by biased media. By the use of symbolical sarcasm and double meanings, Lamar underlines the acuteness of the race inequality that remains existing in the modern America.
“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
Langston Hughes clearly connects with a wide range of audiences through the simplicity that surrounds his poetry. The beauty of this manner in which he wrote his poetry, is that it grasp people by illustrating his narratives of the common lifestyles experienced by the current American generation. His art form expresses certain questionable ideologies of life and exposes to the audience what it takes to fully comprehend what being an American truly means. Each individual poem describes and illustrates the strength and hardships the African American community was experiencing. Through his literature art form of poetry, Hughes was able to convey the common assertions of
A huddle of horns And a tinkle of glass A note Handed down from Marcus to Malcolm To a brother Too bad and too cool to give his name. Sometimes despair Makes the stoops shudder Sometimes there are endless depths of pain Singing a capella on street corners
In order to understand hip-hop dance, it is important to recognize hip-hop music and where it came from. Many scholars of rap music relate the founding of rap to African and African American oral and musical traditions, specifically African griots and storytellers. They link the rhythm of rap to the use of drums in Africa and to African American music in the United States, from slave songs and spirituals to jazz and R&B. Scholars have found very interesting connections between rap music and Black nationalist traditions (traditions historically practiced by black people that serve as part of their racial identity). Rap is similar to the “call and response of the black church, the joy and pain of the blues, the jive talk and slang of the hipsters and jazz musicians, the boasting of street talk, the sidesplitting humor of comedians, and the articulateness of black activists.” All of these African American oral traditions, including rap, can be traced back to West African oral traditions. In traditional African societies, the spoken word and oral culture included poetry, storytelling, and speaking to drumbeats. The links between rap music and African American oral and musical traditions demonstrate that hip-hop music represents more than just sound. It represents history. This aspect of it, in my opinion, makes this type of music very unique and makes it carry more value.
Within History, Rap has been considered the “CNN for black people”; what started as a way to express struggles in the ghettos of New York has transformed into one of the most popular genres of music in America. The popularity of rap has allowed many to have their voices heard, created new fashion trends, and even developed popular modern slang used by people throughout the world. The commercialization of rap has resulted in a significant following of the culture in America but also a large number of people who oppose the music. The culture of rap music has a substantial impact on popular culture in America, and by using an open mind and looking past the violence and language, people can better understand the meaning behind rap and the perception that follows it in America today.
The short but inspirational poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes' views on deferred dreams.
Rap music, also known as hip-hop, is a popular art form. Having risen from humble origins on the streets of New York City during the mid-1970s, hip-hop has since become a multifaceted cultural force. Indeed, observers say, hip-hop is more than just music. The culture that has blossomed around rap music in recent decades has influenced fashion, dance, television, film and—perhaps what has become the most controversially—the attitudes of American youth. For many rappers and rap fans during it’s early time, hip-hop provided an accurate, honest depiction of city life that had been considered conspicuously absent from other media sources, such as television. With a growing number of rap artists within this period, using hip-hop as a platform to call for social progress and impart positive messages to listeners, the genre entered a so-called Golden Age
From it's inception, rap indured a lot of hostility from listeners--many, but not all, White--who found the music too harsh, monotonous, and lacking in traditional melodic values. However, millions of others--often, though not always, young African-Americans from underprivileged inner city backgrounds--found and immediate connection with the style. Here was poetry of the
Before the video I did think that hip-hop was a form of poetry because some of the people who rap actually express how they feel, or how they have overcame hardships in their life or even how people should express themselves. Although on the other hand you have these other people who rap about drugs, sex, and violence and they think that they are the most hard core mother lover out there until someone actually puts them in their place.
People are used to music that justifies street culture but something that's not touched on is why these kids act the way they act, live the way they live. Enlighten the youth on the opportunities and chances that lie ahead of them are reasons why Kendrick Lamar is one of the best rappers right now. He prides himself on how he formulates his words, to keep his storytelling consistently deep and intricate.