Back To Back Analysis

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.

Comeback Season included Drake's first hit single and music video, "Replacement Girl," which was featured as the New Joint of the Day on BET's popular hip-hop television show 106 & Park.

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.

Drake's highly anticipated and unnecessarily hyped album has dropped, and it is disappointing when comparing it to his previous work. This follow up to his mixtape, if you’re reading this it's too late, is an emotional and spacey project, with drake seemingly riding the horse of fame to make his music.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, today we have the great privilege of being able to listen to a man that I like to refer to as the new rap royalty. Picture driving in your car and let’s say you’re stuck in traffic and you’re looking for something to listen to on the radio to buy the time, you can turn on just about half of music stations nowadays and you’ll find one rapper that happens to be everywhere you turn, Drake. Drake has become one of the fastest growing and interesting empires that we have seen from the hip-hop scene in a long time.

In video 1 of Go Back to Where You Came From, Darren Hassan (a businessman from Adelaide) is questioning his new host, Wasmi, about the reasons he did not have his documentation. Darren’s original stance was noted that all those coming in the country without documentation should be expatriated (12:38). Furthermore, he alludes that they are intentionally destroying their documents and that their reasons for doing so are immoral. The communication between the two men was dialogic. Wasmi shares that his documents were taken by force and had he refused to comply he would have been killed. He continues to explain that had he not left Iraq, he also would have likely been killed. “Dialogue requires that one know the ground from which one speaks, meet the

The decade of hip-hop is what some may call it. Tupac, Naz, Biggie Smalls, as well as other artists, were major contributions. Not only for the people who are trying to find their footing, but Buck as well. Throughout the book various lyrics were embedded in order to create a better understanding for its readers. In addition, this book is based upon a 90s lifestyle within Philadelphia, which included drugs, gang activity, crime, hip-hop, and havoc. Malo was directly in the center of everything, the girls, the fights, the guns. His experiences shed light towards what it’s like to as an African American individual living in or near the hood. Not everyone realizes what people go through while living there, but now it gives some readers an image of what goes on. Though times have changed, not all previous feelings

The song quickly grew popularity on the mixtape “So Far Gone”, which was Drakes third mixtape released February 13th, 2009. Being the top mixtape of all modern music, hit the charts with significant success on billboards top-100. Following the release of the mixtape, a notorious bid war started between two record labels for the artist to contract with. Young money record label, had won the upcoming artist.

Once Simmons and McDaniels rapped infront of Mizells, they all decide tobecome close friends. Having Russell around, he helped them record their first single called “Street Kid”,they’re song came to a failure, but they didn’t mind because they knew it was just the beginningfor them. Simmons had a plan to record with McDaniels but Russell refused because he didn'tlike McDaniels style of rapping. Once they went to college, Simmons and McDaniels convincedRussell to do a Duo and add Mizell. Russell decided to help them out and make a single but hadto change their name to Run DMC, they hated the name but went along with it because theywanted to record. At this time, their fame was so big they started to be on VH1 making documentaries.After awhile, everyone started to go there own ways by recording solo. Even though theyseparated in the 80’s, everyone knew their music would never die, it is a legacy. The way theymade this happen was by taking hip hop and rap away from funk and disco and made it its ownsound. Run DMC was not worried about the West Coast, however in 1988 N.W.A came out with“Straight Outta Compton” and that's when Run DMC had to come out with “Tougher thanLeather”.In 1984, Arabian Prince was a producer that produced a hit single for J.J. Fad. AntoineCarraby, aka DJ Yella, was a record producer and a film director. Andre Romelle Young, aka Dr.Dre, was an Dj at the nightclub “Eve After Dark”. Eric Lynn Wright, aka Eazy E, was also arapper, to Ruthless

Nearly two decades later, in her July, 2010 reflective article “A Bitch Ain’t One: Hip-Hop’s Gender Crossroads and Its Reluctance to Embrace the Feminine Creative Process” former hip-hop artist and multi-faceted career woman Hanifah Walidah mulls over the words of a misogynistic emcee. Walidah provides background into a past interview, the sole purpose for the drive of her article; she articulates her outrage in response to the chauvinistic views of an once applauded emcee, a man she looked up to, moreover noting the importance of Walidah’s interaction is crucial for her to shed light upon the way of men within the hip-hop spectrum.

Jay-Z is known for being one for not only being one of the best rappers in hip-hop but also having a successful career in and outside of hip-hop. Recently he has been protesting some of the newer hip-hop. His songs “D.O.A” (Death Of Auto-Tune) & “Run This Town” he takes a rebel approach to all of the recent fads in hip-hop. Even though, the fads were embraced by pop culture, Jay-Z saw them as stale and unprogressive. In “D.O.A.” he talks about hip-hop becoming ringtone rap and has lost its edge. “This is anti autotune/ death of the ringtone/ this ain’t for I-Tunes/ This ain’t for sing-a-longs/…This is practically assault with a deadly weapon/ I made this just for flexin’/ Basically I want people to feel threatened. (Blueprint 3) ” Jay-Z

"You used to call me on my cell phone / Late night when you need my love," Drake raps. "I know when that hotline bling / That can only mean one thing."

Not long ago Eminem was in court for gun charges. He hit somebody over the head with a gun because he was hitting on his wife, Kim Mathers. Eminem was fined thousands of dollars, put on a good behaviour bond and monthly drug tests. So to stay out of trouble Eminem gathered a few of his unsigned rapper friends to create a rap group. This forming D12 a.k.a. Dirty Dozen. Eminem and D12 recently released a single called “S**t On You.” This song is about the critics continuously harassing Eminem about him and his lyrics. Eminem explains he is sick of it and doesn’t care who you are or who you know he will s**t on you.

The short story “Perfect Tandem” by Jason Gomberg is a story about Friendship and a bond. Steve is a highly skilled tennis player participating in the U.S Open. During his long journey facing various opponents and participating in different tournaments he has always used one tennis racket through it all. He named the tennis racket Wilson.

In 1983, Run- DMC released “Sucker M.C”, which was a song about the group getting discovered, and how bad it was to be considered a “Sucker M.C”, meaning a bad rapper. “Sucker M.C” was important to hip-hop, for the fact that it separated the then new rappers, from the old. Up until this point, artist were using turntables, and used a technique called scratching to make their beats they would rap to. Run-