Rap Music Synthesis Essay

Music is often considered “the universal language.” Throughout, history it has symbolized love, brought people together, and has been the cornerstone of many lives. In the 1950s, a new form of music entered American mass culture that drastically changed the culture of the United States (U.S.): rock music. In the U.S., it began as Rock ‘n’ Roll, a originally “black” music genre that was then taken and promulgated by white Americans. Post WWII, many Americans—especially teenagers—struggled with the newfound societal conformity and normalcy, and rock provided them a form of retaliation. From its beginning, Rock united the younger generation of Americans, stirring up a sense of community amongst teenagers and troubling many adults by their actions—heightening

F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton is a 2015 biographical drama based on the controversial American hip hop group of the 1980s and 1990s that were based in Compton California, who rose to fame through their glorified battle with the police department.

The five men were warned beforehand to “just watch yourself” by the stern authority not to performs their song “Fuck Tha Police”. Of course the rebellious music group does as they please, and does not listen to the authority. They use their freedom of speech to speak their minds about the world around them. The men did not even get to finish their song before they were chased by the police out of the arena, put into handcuffs and locked in the back of a police van. They help voice not only their voice but also the others around them who are African American who did not have the strength or ability to voice their own opinions at the time. N.W.A. uses brutally honest lyrics to help voice how they feel in society at the time against the police. Straight Outta Compton tells the inspirational story of how these producers and rappers reformed music forever with using their strong and powerful lyrics to state the truth about life on the streets. The five men used their talent and stood up to the authorities that tried to keep them down. Not only did the men do that but, they also formed the world's most dangerous group,

The movie Straight Outta Compton very well captures the revolutionary hip-hop group from Compton, California named N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). The group consisted of 5 members; Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and MC Ren. The movie is based on a true story and looks very true to life because the actors were very carefully and precisely chosen to play their specific roles. Directed by F. Gary Gray, who is very well known for directing The Italian Job, the movie Straight Outta Compton was a huge box-office success. With a budget of 28 Million Dollars, it has earned the worldwide Box Office of 201 Million Dollars. Perhaps the huge success was thanks to the producers who were actual members of N.W.A; Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. Because of their first-hand experience on all the events and their contribution to the movie, the movie was able to achieve a huge success. The huge success is also thanks to the very well developed marketing strategies.

Rappers started emerging all around the nation and rap music gained a new perspective on social issues regarding the black community. “While some rap songs were lighthearted and fun—for example, Run-D.M.C.'s ‘My Adidas’ celebrated hip footwear—rap music became increasingly political as the decade progressed,” DISCovering U.S. History suggests, “Sensing nothing but indifference from the Reagan administration and white America to the escalating problems of crime, poverty, drugs, and unemployment in their communities, many rappers openly raged against the police, the government, big corporations, and other bastions of white male power.” Rap starts to become more and more political due to the circumstances surrounding the lives of the black community. With the hardships and daily struggles of rappers, they had plenty of real life experiences to write raps about. This can also attribute to the start of “Gangsta Rap”, an extremely controversial form of rap music that follows the lives of gang

I have never met a person who stated they didn't enjoy music. Even the deaf can feel the beat and vibrations through hands and feet, if it's loud enough they might even feel it in their chest, acting as a secondary heart beating like a drum. It's fascinating, there's always some kind of connection to sound. Even when you wear a t-shirt showing an artist you like and a stranger will compliment you, or even start a conversation because you both have similar taste. It gives you something to talk about, it helps shy kids in the back of classrooms make friends, it makes connections, and can bring people together like moths to a flame. Music can make memories, it ties itself to a moment in time and replays that memory whenever it come on. A random reminder, whether it be a positive memory or negative one, it'll snap you back in time, giving you whiplash of emotion or

Some people think that music can positively influence the listener while others disagree and argue that it has a negative impact. Mark Edmundson, the author of “Can Music Save Your Life?,” asserts through his own experience and the research of others that music solely “preserves” the listener’s life as a “balm—cortisone spread” (paragraph 25). His use of a well-known medical supplement makes it more relatable and believable to the reader. The authors of “Feeling the Beat” support Edmundson by stating that they observed an increased sense of confidence in oneself and one’s beliefs in the people they interviewed(Iwamoto, Creswell, & Caldwell 346). Their main support is the quote from one of their interviewee’s who said, “We can identify what they are talking about” (Iwamoto, Creswell, & Caldwell 343). This not only explains why students listen to certain types of music, but also why it can have such an impact on them. Derek Iwamoto, John Creswell, and Leon Caldwell declare their statement that positive influence of music by stating that the majority of the students they observed used their music as a way to

How many people listen to music? That is a pretty open-ended question considering that in this day in age music exists everywhere. People run into music at the mall, at work, or any public place for that matter, on the radio, in the comfort of their own homes, and etcetera. Music is a part of our society, and it cannot be separated from us. It is used to convey emotion when nothing else can, and it is a great art form and recreational activity. But, how does music affect us in any way relating to our thoughts and actions, or does it do nothing? Negative connotations within music can make people within our society, especially the younger generations, more calloused and more accepting of inappropriate ideas and actions.

The 1980s is known for wearing tie-dye, the start of global warming, and classic movies like the Goonies. But also developed throughout this decade was one of the most influential and popular music genres for many years to come: hip-hop. Hip-hop, or “rap” music, is a form of R&B, with rhythmic lyrics over stronger, faster, and bass booming beats. Like rock and roll, hip-hop music was born and established throughout the African-American culture. While white fans and supporters were not completely out of sight, hip-hop music aimed to attract the black culture early on. It wasn’t until the Beastie Boys that rap music was being delivered by a white group of men. Since the mid-1980s, rap music has been widely spread out to people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and social groups. Hip-hop music has always been a popular form of debate because of its more than popular topic choices: drugs, women, and violence. Throughout the growth of hip-hop music, the growth of those against the content has also risen. While supporters argue that it is a voice for a voiceless, and a way to connect people of all types, some argue that the lyrics are too aggressive, and promote listeners to act in violent ways. Today, in 2015, hip-hop music is arguably the most popular genre of music, but the debate of the effect of its messages has also continued to grow. By evaluating the history and growth of hip-hop music, this paper aims to demonstrate that hip-hop music has a generally positive effect on

Music comes in a lot of different genres (forms) such as “popular music” (pop), rhythm and blues (R&B), classical music, jazz, country, blues, rock and roll to the most recent music rap music. All these forms have their starting points and I aim to familiarize you with some of these genres and their roots. Their history to present time. After studying these different genres, I’ve come to realizes they all have some similarities and some quite obvious differences. Also how they started from each other in some situations. As we go on this journey I’ll explain in light detail what music has meant to the growth of Americans and the growth of me. I wish I could give you the entire history, but there isn’t enough paper it write it all down on. They say music calms the “savage beast”, and it is a true statement, but I’m here to let you know that it does a lot more than that. It entertains the entire world, and without it, it’s hard to image the state of our planet.

Have you ever connected a song with a memory or past time? If you answered yes, then that is because our brains are hard-wired to connect music to long-term memory. Music has a powerful effect on us, and our thought process. Scientists have confirmed that music seemingly empowers people to do great things. Not only can your favorite song make you able to achieve great things, it also releases dopamine, which is your "feel good" neurotransmitter. Dopamine makes you feel emotions like happiness, excitement, joy, and motivation. When presented with this information, the first logical response would be to: run to your phone, put on your headphones, jam out to your favorite song, and wait for the magic to happen. Truth is, everyone could benefit

The piece Touraman contains key structural principles associated with West African music despite the different versions of Bembeya Jazz National and Lansana Diabate. The structural principles include an ostinato pattern, improvisation, triple meter, ensemble stratification, and hocketing. In the Bembeya version, the piece starts with a guitar flourish and then the test of the band comes in. The bass is keeping the ostinato while the guitars interlock and at certain points improvise; the trumpet improvises as well. This version also features some call and response, as the lead singer sings a line and the backing vocals reply in unison.

Another explanation for violent lyrics in popular in rap music, such as Shakur’’s, is the invasion of white capitalists within these artists’ spaces, who now more presently own and direct a majority of their recording labels. Blackness therefore becomes a commodity, in which romanticizes and falsifies hip hop culture as a community of pure anger and aggression. Those who fantasize about making it in the industry are pressured to convey a troubled past in the streets within their music, subsequently belittling those experiences through cultural appropriation. Once rap music’s purpose is related this way, depictions of its artists become more stereotypically enhanced and exaggerated. Hyper-masculinity intensifies and aggression is considered an effective problem solving method, and “necessary for individual protection” (Rebollo-Gil & Moras, 2012, pg. 124). There is a need for hip hop culture to reclaim its existence away from the hands of greedy white patriarchy, as it “is subject to the same institutionalized racist forces as our board rooms, schools, and public offices” (Rebollo-Gil & Moras, 2012, pg. 125). This resistance towards “whitening” hip hop music may prove to be difficult, especially when many of these artists who grew up on food stamps and suffered food insecurities, are now making millions because of the marketing consumption and production of whites. Artists become employees and slaves to these white powerhouses because “power is an outgrowth and benefit of

Music has been around since the beginning of time. We listen to music while driving, eating, doing homework, and the list goes on. In addition to listening to music, many individuals make their own music. We cannot deny the fact that music makes up a substantial portion of our everyday life. As a result, music like anything else that is embedded into our society has effects far from the obvious.

"The music is to the soul what gymnastics is to the body." (Plato 427 BC-347 BC) That is what thought the Greek philosopher. The music has accompanied man since ancient times and has become an important element in the daily life of many people, thanks to the changes of music you can know what generations live in accordance with the musical genre and behind there are thoughts, feelings, the mixture of cultures and a social context.