Black Influence On Rap Music

Elvis Presley was signed to Sun Records in 1954. This was monumental for Phillips’s stand on racial boundaries in music. Elvis drew national attention to Sun Records which, in part, sparked slight popularity for other Sun artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, and Roscoe Gordon (Sun Records 1). This point in time is known as the origin of Rock and Roll. Contrary to what Rock and Roll is now, it was only popular within a certain demographic of people for a long time

Music and society have always been closely related. For years now music has been apart of people’s everyday lives all around the world. Having so many different genres out there, it makes it easy to be appealing to so many different ethnic backgrounds. However, one type of genre in particular has seemed to grab the attention of a younger generation. Rap music has undoubtedly had its utmost impact on African American youth, since many of the performers themselves are African American. An overtly masculine culture dominates rap music and creates gender stereotypes that become abundantly popular to the youthful audience. Three constant themes that are found within the rap culture are encouragement of violence, the misogynistic representation of women, an extreme hatred of homophobia. Each theme plays a detrimental role in the process of defining black masculinity as well as shaping the values, morals, and beliefs that its younger audience adopts after tuning into this “gangster lifestyle”.

A lot of us have wanted to live the music dream. Many people have the thought of becoming a star. There is not a doubt that Elvis Presley lived that dream. Elvis is considered to be the king of Rock and Roll. He has influenced millions of people with his music by spreading Rock and Roll across America in the mid-1950’s.

What can be said for the music artist Elvis Presley, other than he is most undoubtedly the reason that Rock and Roll survived past its start, and grew to the massive popularity that it still grasps onto to this day. Although he may have been born a simple white southerner, he masterfully intertwined country music with the raw emotion of gospel and blues in order to create his own breed of unmatchable music. By him taking two vastly different genres of music from two equally different cultures, he successfully managed to blur the prominent color line that divided all of America up until the 1950s. He did all of this while enthralling the youth of America and singlehandedly caused an idea of teenage rebellion that lasted far past his popularity,

African American influence in music has been an ever present and controversial subject in American history. Stemming from many different cultures, religions and backgrounds, large portions of American music was introduced by, and credited to African Americans. Although in many cases, this music was used for entertainment by the masses or majority, contrary to popular belief, black music served a greater purpose than just recreation. Dating all the way back to the beginning of slavery in the U.S. during the 17th century, music has been used to make a statement and send a message. As African American music progressed over the years, there were common themes expressed as the genres evolved. It has been an open letter to the world, documenting and protesting the ongoing oppression faced by blacks in the United States, as well as an outlet for frustration. For many African Americans, the music gave them the only voice that couldn’t be silenced by their oppressors.

Elvis Presley was, is, and will forever be known as the King of Rock and Roll. No matter what the public thought of him, he did what he loved because he believed in his music and lifestyle. Elvis once stated, “Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I can't help it.” This quote sparked a feeling of ambition and drove the dreams of almost every single rock and roll star who came after him. Elvis’ true passion for his music, inspired an inexplicable amount of people to pursue their dreams and be passionate about what they love. Elvis Presley by Tony Gentry explains how Elvis Presley became one of the most iconic figures in music history.

Elvis created his own type of Rock n’ Roll known as rockabilly which is country music of the south, fused with rhythm and blues of African American's pop music. It was said that “He spread rock ’n’ roll music across the country, making it popular to a wide audience, especially teenagers. In that regard, he was a true innovator.(Elvis Presley’s Musical Influence On America)” Elvis had a great impact on the way a whole generation dressed, what they thought, and what they did.

Alyssa Waggnor Mrs. Ohler English IIII February 10, 2017 The King of Rock Elvis Aaron Presley was and will forever be known as the “King of Rock and Roll.” Elvis Presley began his career by singing gospel music for his church and other events in Tupelo, Mississippi, during his childhood. His family was poor, so in 1948, Elvis Presley’s dad, Aron Presley and mom, Gladys Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee.

While Presley was no doubt the most successful and best known artist of the decade, there are several other performers who were key figures in establishing rock n’ roll as the music of the era. Artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Bill Haley and the comets played an integral role in creating rock n’ roll and making it a success with songs such as Johnny B Goode and rock around the clock .

Elvis Presley was the first rock and roll star. He was a white man from the south. He mixed blues with country and country with gospel. This combination of musical genres was a great gift to popular culture. His looks and dancing were an inspiration for adolescents.

Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", or simply "the King". His music career began there in 1954, when he recorded a song with producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was an early popularizer of rockabilly, an up-tempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, blues and gospel, he is one of the best-selling solo artists in the history of recorded music, with estimated record sales of around 600 million units worldwide.

“The image is one thing and the human being is another...it's very hard to live up to an image.” says Elvis Presley. However, Elvis live up to his image and left his mark in history. Elvis Presley otherwise known as the King of Rock n’ Roll. Elvis earned this name because he was the first person to ever combined country, hip pop, and gospel. Elvis grew up with his mom, Gladys Presley, and his dad Vernon Presley. Elvis had a twin brother (Jessie Garon Presley) was stillborn. Elvis started singing with his church and on his tenth birthday the church helped Elvis’s family by hum a guitar. Elvis used that guitar when he performed at a school talent show which he had won. The first genre Elvis learned was gospel and the blues because he had gone

There are so many influences in today’s society. Not only are our family members and peers, but the things that are a part of our daily routines in this case listening to music. Specifically, the rap and hip-hop genre has some of the most explicit lyrics. A lot of artist that categorize there self in this genre have come from poverty and/or middle-class backgrounds. Most of the artists in this genre are also African-Americans. Since way back African-Americans who are not typically following societies norms are classified as thugs and bad influences. It doesn’t make matters better when one actually listens to the lyrics of some of these songs. Most rap artists are summarizing the conditions and experiences they went through while growing up. This is why music is so relatable, because we all have our own story.

In my perceptive racism has been within the music industry for decades. This has caused many rivalries between record labels such as ASCAP and AFM American Federation of Musicians. During the Swing Era authoritative intuitions created laws over the rights of Musicians. This led to the separation of Big Bands declining along with war and deaths of jazz musicians. The music industry has focused mainly on marketing to target the general audience the Caucasian population.

Music is an important part of life. Its role as a form of art and entertainment is a significant one but more important is that it serves to reflect and reinforce societal norms and values. It is not only used to entertain but also serves as a form of social commentary (Baran, 2009). For instance, the emergence of Rhythm and Blues (R&B) in America after the Second World War was a means of advancing the black race and it helped blur the line between white and black as more young white people became aware of the distinctions that existed in the society. The Hip-hop and rap of the 1980s and 1990s had almost the same effect, awakening in Black Americans a sense of