My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Millions of people in the world listen to music for all different reasons. Most people all over the world listen to different genres of music in order to relax, but not too many people pay attention to the actual lyrics of a song. If you listen to the lyrics of a song you will realize that many songs have important messages or themes to them. An example of this is the lyrics of the song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur. If you listen to this song, you will realize that Tupac raps about not only the problems that African Americans face from society, but also the struggles that poor people in society have to endure and overcome. Many

In the intro of the music video, there are drill sergeants commanding orders to his troops with. Also, in the beginning of the song drums over power which provides the foundation for a war effect. The beginning of the music video creates an imagery of modern day slavery. It draws attention to the aggressive interrogation methods police forces use against African Americans to confess to crimes they didn’t do. Kanye West wants to make it clear of the evils done to African Americans, “getting chocked by detectives, yeah, yeah, now check the method. They be askin’ us questions, harass and arrest us.”

Both labels of White are beneficial to create equality between blacks, whites, and other races. The tension in the music is because of his direct approach to equality and freedom in which he is considered to be the voice of blacks in the form of a protester. He sings to the current issues that are happening around him and argues directly to the issue. He brings awareness to the people by singing “Freedom Road.” In the lyrics he says, “United we stand, divided we fall, Let’s make this land safe for one and all. I’ve got a message, and you know it’s right, Black and white together unite and fight.” He sings his music as if he is talking to the audience. He states his cause and hopes that people will pay attention to him. In the lyrics above, you may just listen and understand the message of working together to make America and its cities a better community. With his straightforward lyrics, he can start movements and changes faster for his people. Art does not have to be abstract and confusing, even the simplest work can be seen as a

Through songs many people express their feelings of the world threw the words they have wrote. Many songs talk about civil rights of the people and how change should be an option. In the world we live in today we have social issues that people have to face such as: police brutality, racial profiling, discrimination etc. Through Kendrick Lamar, Public Enemy, The Game, Bebe Winans, and N.W.A they will use their voice as a weapon for change among all people. Music with a message thrives in a live setting, for obvious reasons, and many politically conscious musicians aim to channel the heightened emotions

West Coast Hip Hop”, because it based on singers who write about their cultural movements. Oh Snap features photos of west coast hip hop artist such as Tupac, E-40, Snoop Dog, The Game, Ice Cube, and much more. What I love about this showroom is that you walk in there is music playing loud, on the side there is a small television with headphones to heard of why artists feel free to express themselves in music. Each artist had their own way of express their selves, whether it Gangster Rap, Gangster-Funk, or hyperactive. West coast music is based on a reflection on what African American struggle or what they face on a daily life; Ice cube once stated “our art is a reflection of our reality”. Many people would think that their music is to cause trouble or mislead someone, however, they’re only speak how they get treated due to their skin color. When I walked into the showroom the song “keep ya head up” was playing by Tupac; he notes “You know what makes me unhappy, When brothers make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy, And since we all came from a woman, Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman, I wonder why we take from our women, Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? I think it's time to kill for our women, Time to heal our women, be real to our women”. In other words, what he is trying to say is that why do men like to disrespect women, if it a man’s job to protect them. I

In 2005, Kanye uttered a controversial quote during his appearance on TV for hurricane relief, in which he accused President Bush of lacking sympathy for the African American community that suffered from this tragedy, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people”. As you may know, on August 29, 2005, New Orleans was destroyed by a devastating hurricane. This tragedy caused billions of dollars in damage, and managed to kill over 2,000 people, Sadly an estimated of 400,000 jobs were lost, 275,000 homes were destroyed, 600,000 pets were killed, and as a result sending the Gulf Coast into a financial crisis. The majority of the people affected were African American. Kanye being black himself was upset that the government wasn’t as supportive as they should’ve been.

In seventh grade, I stumbled my way upon the Detroit based rapper Eminem. I was at 150 listens on his track The Real Slim Shady before I knew it. I then found my way into Kanye West, which exploded my interest into the genre. I have listened to all of the considered essential hip hop “classic” and modern day albums. I noticed in these “classic” albums very distinct change in subject matter and style that each of the different areas of rappers on where they originate from. Some people believe that the hip-hop culture is at a decline with the lose of this uniqueness and individuality shown in each of these areas. I too even thought that the hip-hop culture was at a decline until I was researching my topic, but instead this individuality and uniqueness in the rapper’s different stories that they tell in their raps. The genre has expanded throughout the world and continued to evolve while sticking to these roots of individuality and uniqueness.

Although this book is suited for Hip Hop fans, many others could enjoy and relate to this book as well, like music fans in general, people who want to get out of the struggle, etc. But the audience opinions vary drastically. Many from

Throughout his career rapper Kanye West, has been portrayed as many different things in the media based on his public appearance and the subject matter of his music. The message he relates in his music is ever changing and often showcases different ideals or stances on issues echoed among different parts of the African American community. Two such instances of this come from very different periods of Kanye’s career, and show two polar opposite opinions of how to deal with arguably the most important social issue in American history. This change in Kanye’s way of dealing with racism reflects two differing schools of thought in the African American community. Although early in Kanye’s career his music identified the racial inequality

To begin with, within these last few weeks the public has heard Kanye West make some extremely controversial statements, from him praising Donald Trump, to him saying in an interview with TMZ that “400 years of slavery was a choice”. Contrasting kanye’s recent action with Childish Gambino who has recently released a new song and video that can be interpreted as his views on what America truly is. Both men are held in high esteem in both the public eye and to black people living in America. The popular opinion is that Childish Gambino is now taking Kanye’s place in the music industry and being the voice for black people, however Kanye’s place in the industry is secured and can never be taken; not because he is a “genius” or makes “good music”

Within these last few weeks, the public has heard Kanye West make some extremely controversial statements, from him praising Donald Trump, to him saying in an interview with TMZ that “400 years of slavery was a choice”. Contrasting Kanye's recent action with Childish Gambino who has recently released a new song and video that can be interpreted as his views on what America truly is. Both men are held in high esteem in both the public eye and to black people living in America. The popular opinion is that Childish Gambino is now taking Kanye’s place in the music industry and being the voice for black people, however Kanye’s place in the industry is secured and can never be taken; not because he is a “genius” or

It’s been surprisingly hard starting a review for A$AP Rocky’s newest work, and I’ve been trying out figure out why. AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP isn’t a classic by any means, but it’s still captivating at times, and it’s been a hell of a time trying to capture its essence in a few elementary paragraphs. It’s the very definition of an album greater than its parts, which are diverse and textured. On this album, Rocky moves away from the poppier territory he explored on LONG.LIVE.A$AP and goes after a more definitive mood, and it permeates the whole album. It results in a stunningly individual work from someone who has long been accused by critics of not having that much of a personality. With the glossy, nocturnal beats on AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP, A$AP Rocky tugs hip hop in his own individual direction, and with his emphatic lyrical work and infectious flow, he’s silenced those critics. This is a confident and

Even though critics are very quick to point out the vehement and intense lyrics of some Hip-Hop artists, they are ultimately missing the point of their message. Similar to other different forms of music, Hip-Hop and rap cannot be understood unless it is studied and analyzed

Kanye West has proven himself over time that he is much more than just a producer. With each new album he releases, he constantly pushes the boundaries of music influencing artist across all genres. Kanye has an ever evolving sound that changes almost year to year. Kanye West’s Yeezus album is an album that takes a much darker and more minimalist turn in his discography. This approach to music makes Yeezus a much harder album to listen through because it is not filled with nice, polished sounds. Having the album made this way makes us look over what the message of a song and the album are. Among many rough songs one the most popular on the album was Blood on the Leaves. Blood on the Leaves samples from another song called Strange Fruit sung by Nina Simone which is a very political song talking about gruesome lynchings that happened before and at the turn of the century. With help from the sample, West uses the pain of lynching and drug abuse to compare with the break ups he goes through.

Since the release of “Rapper’s Delight”, by The Sugarhill Gang in 1979, the hip-hop culture has been widely referred to as one of the most influential industries present today. With popular artists such as ‘Drake’ & ‘Rihanna’ releasing record breaking albums, the influential aspect of this genre is growing exponentially. With the growing audience in the hip hop world, it’s important to recognize the positive influences present. Within the world of hip-hop, thousands of artists and millions of song are floating the internet, with only around 300 artists considered “popular”, or globally known.