Pop And Protest

Musicians use the environment around them to find inspiration. Artists during the Vietnam war used their views on the war to form their protest songs. Modern artists incorporate their views on racial discrimination, inequality, and false accusations of the media.

To gaze into the lyrics of both Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur is like living in the ghettos of New York City where violence never stops. Both of these artists grew up seeing and living a life filled with violence. Gunshots and drive-byes, death and murder were a daily occurrence. Although the lyrics of both artists are simply telling their life stories and how hard it was to grow up in their “hoods” they contain vulgar, hateful, and sexual verses that send the wrong message to their listeners. Whether these listeners are teens or adults, white or black, they are continually sending notions of hatred and fear through their lyrics and actions. Ultimately,

The cry of injustice has become louder and louder and those people who are knowledgeable about their ancestral history, feel hopelessness in the midst of this unfortunate rebirth of the New Jim Crow. Their hopelessness is further fed and satisfied by the powers that be who arrange for African-Americans to be unable to escape the extreme cycle of poverty forcing them to adapt the best way they can to their current situation; whether that be murdering someone like yourself or selling narcotics. Tupac Amaru Shakur, wrote the famous song “Changes” in 1992 but it was released after he was murdered, in October 1998. Tupac exposes the reality of commonly ignored societal ills such as racism, classism, and discrimination and establishes that unity is the only way out. Through the use of juxtaposition, allusion and call to action, Tupac illustrates his thoughts on racial desperation and its correlation to overarching racism during the period of social unrest in the United States and the importance of establishing a united front to fight back. Although written more than twenty-four years ago, currently we are facing a heightened cultural climate in the United States and the relevancy of Tupac’s song “Changes” is more than necessary. Tupac has become a spokesperson of not only his generation, but current American society.

Throughout history, music has been used for many reasons: national anthems, love songs, praises for God, even to invoke a feeling from a listener. The variety of music that is offered through the Internet or radio is overwhelming because, depending on the artist’s style, genre, and tone, each new song or composition is unique because no one has thought of that sound before. Music has also been used to voice political dissent. During the Vietnam war, music was used to show disapproval, even to the point where people disobey the government by not registering for the draft. In addition to voicing political dissent, it has also been used for current events like the Super Bowl, National Basketball League Finals, even used for a theme song for national

The 1960’s was one of the most controversial decades in American history because of not only the Vietnam War, but there was an outbreak of protests involving civil and social conditions all across college campuses. These protests have been taken to the extent where people either have died or have been seriously injured. However, during the 1960’s, America saw a popular form of art known as protest music, which responded to the social turmoil of that era, from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. A veritable pantheon of musicians, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan sang their songs to encourage union organizers to protest the inequities of their time, creating a diverse variety of popular

When people think of a protest song, they often think about artist such as Tupac, N.W.A, and even Dar Williams. People remember these artist specifically because they leave a lasting impression on them in one form or another. The first question that comes to mind is what really is a protest song composed of? Many people do not realize that a protest song does not just draw attention to a certain social, emotional, and political issue. A protest song strives beyond the idea of these cliché criteria. It is important to know all these criteria for the reason that society thrives on the arts to advance a cause or problem towards success. For many years, artist have utilized art to aid them in advancing these causes in a positive manner. The song called “Revolution” by the infamous Beetles illuminates an issue about war. Written in 1968, it has withstood much criticism from various different social groups even today. This song enlightens the listener on John Lennon’s opinion over the Vietnam War and the effect violence can have on society as a whole. The song is to be considered a protest song because it draws attention to the issue about involving the U.S in combat with Vietnam, it expresses the artist’s opinion in the lyrical aspect of it, and in some form, depending on personal opinion, offers a solution such as isolation to fix the issue at hand.

I seek to tell about the life, passing, and achievements of Tupac Shakur, from his initial takeoff of the world until the end. Tupac influenced enormous commitments to the movement of "gangsta" rap, which still influences hip hop till this day. Tupac's own life was tormented by racism. He had been engaged in criminal offenses and detained. In spite of the fact that he passed away at a youthful age of 25, Tupac accomplished extraordinary statutes in his profession that made him one of the best rap artists ever. Tupac may have been one of the greatest rappers ever, but he was humble and fought for the right of his people. Coming from a violent and rough background in Maryland to becoming one of the greatest rappers ever, Tupac Shakur sets the

however provocative lyrics do not negate the fact that Hip Hop is a vocal outlet for many people in America. Hip Hop has provided a platform for MCs and rappers to express their opinions about society, the government and the treatment of African Americans in America for decades. This outlet is crucial for the uplifting of the black community and would benefit society entirely if people opposed to Hip Hop tried to embrace the culture rather than attack the culture.” (Kathleen Odenthal) Artists today like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Drake, and even Kevin Gates are the type of hip-hop artist we need to listen to rather than

Around the world music can influence the emotions of people. Simple rhythm can make people move with the beat. Some songs can sadden people and make them realize how bad a subject is, while other can create a movement that can spark change that can create brand new laws. Some of these songs can be influenced by the same movement and can grow the support all around. Over the years the civil rights movements of the 1960’s have evolved into the current day, black lives matter.

With that being said, “Keep ya head up”, is a song that was made to uplift the black community, especially black women in general. It is like a love letter to black women. The song makes reference to the struggle of being a single mom, men being demeaning towards women, poverty, other struggles and basically just feeling the world isn’t mean for certain people to fail. But, in the song Tupac is reassuring them that things are tough now but will get better if you “Keep ya head up”. For example, in the song says “ The blacker the berry the sweeter the

Another stereotype about people who listen to rap music is that they all live in lower income communities. It is true that most rap has to do with growing up in a rough neighborhood and overcoming adversity, but lately in the rap scene, there have been numerous rap acts that emphasize with other topics that are relatable such as love and family life. So due to that, there will be a more diverse fan group that could relate to them. Even with topics concerning struggles in the rough communities, listeners that do not necessarily relate to similar living conditions can understand what life is like where poverty exists. Those lessons are brought to the listeners of all kinds the attention to say that it is possible to overcome what is thought to believe is impossible.

In a broader context, protest musicians composed songs about student protests in which they firmly sided with the protesters, supporting their actions and condemning those trying to stop the protests. (OnlyEverArabella, n.d.). The ideas were expressed in music as it served as a form of publicity and promotion for the counterculture community during this era. The government continuously tried to prevent media coverage about these movements but their music simply spoke the

Music allows an artist to give those whose voice may not be loud enough to be heard. Their music can cover any issue of poverty, discrimination, segregation, people of color, oppression, and etc. The lyrics are the key part to get any point across but also any footage that accompanies gives the viewer more of an insight into these issues. Many artist/bands like Bob Dylan, Fort Minor, Joyner Lucas, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Michael Jackson address many issues the class talked about and the point of view of those who are viewed as minorities. The music these artists and bands produce gives the listener an idea of what exactly is happening in the world and what has happened. Each song individually covers the importance that we, as humans, must change the way we think and act and listen to the problems others have and even if it does not affect us.

It is undeniable that rap music has had an impact all over the United States. This form of art that combines poetry, rhythm, jazz, graffiti, and dancing held down by the roots of a tribal west African background, contrary to popular belief that the “Sugar Hill Gang was the first rap group established”. This type of art is a very special thing, it has the ability to influence people's decisions and make people come together. Whether you’re looking at N.W.A’s aggressive movement in the in the late 1980’s that redefined what music meant to a people racially divided society or simply a small independent artist who you can relate to on a lyrical or rhythmic level. Rap is the greatest form of music in the world when it comes to diversity and influence.

Music is a cultural journal that expresses the realities and emotions of life in a poetic way. For the African American culture, music has always been a statement for many controversial topics such as racism, religion, politics, education, crime, and violence. In the 1990’s, Hip-Hop became the newest cultural and artistic voice for the African American population. Genres such as jazz, blues, rock-n-roll, and gospel that once dominated the musical culture of African Americans slipped into the background, and Hip-Hop rose to power and defined a generation. The inspirational and influential Tupac Shakur stormed onto the rap scene in 1991 with an emotional style that changed the rap game forever.