Sean “Jay Z” Carter is considered among many in the world of Hip Hop as one of the most influential lyricist in the history of the rap music genre. He is known for his elaborate use of references to history’s most prominent figures, his rags to riches legacy and his life of wealth and fame. Despite Sean Carter’s success, he constantly pays homage to the journey that has brought him to where he stands today. In 2013, he released his twelfth studio album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail”, which contained the song “Oceans” featuring singer/songwriter and grammy award winner Frank Ocean. The song takes on a recollective scene of Jay Z and Frank Ocean sailing on a yacht across the Atlantic, celebrating their accomplishments, while retrospectively looking …show more content…
At the beginning of the song, the tone is established through the use of oppressive drumming, heavy bass, and dismal horns. The use of these musical tactics immediately brings on a mood of insurgency and defiance. With the set tone, Frank Ocean proceeds with the chorus by singing, “I see elephant tusk boar on a sailing lady/Docked on the Ivory Coast.” This line describes an image of large “elephant tusk” on the front of a ship, anchored along the “Ivory Coast.” This verse is an allusion by containing a line of hidden history. The “Ivory Coast” is a country located along the western coast of Africa. During the Pre-Revolutionary Era, the “Ivory Coast” was a major location along the route of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The country was a major exporter of slaves and Ivory to the Americas. During this period, Ivory in the form of “Elephant Tusk” were placed on the front of ships to indicate wealth and prestige—which Frank Ocean …show more content…
In the hook Frank Oceans says, “Because this water drowned my family, This water mixed by blood/This water tells my story/This water knows it all.” This stanza brings out the tone of the artists through emotion when they realize that the water they are sailing and celebrating on is the same water their ancestors were forced to sail across on their tragic route to America. America is referred to as the “Melting Pot” and the introduction of the slave trade to the North American region contributed to much of its diversity, this is acknowledged when Frank says, “This water mixed my blood”. When Frank Mentions “This water drowned my family,” he alludes to the the 1783 court case of Greg V. Gilbert. This case was the most extensive court case that took place along the Atlantic slave trade. It centered around an event in which more than one hundred slaves were forcefully drowned in efforts of the owner and crew of the ship to be compensated for the “accidental” deaths, by failing an insurance
“Across the Western Ocean” tells the tale of immigrants who have sailed to the United States from Ireland in search of a better life and promises of wealth, prosperity and gold. Although the era the song’s lyrics reference is uncertain, certain lines like “the times are hard and the wages low” likely refer to
Sean Carter or known as Jay Z to his fans is a multy-platinum, world famous rap artist with record sales of over a million, had never previously done anything like this collaboration. Jay and Panjabi MC were hooked up through their managers after Jay heard some of Panjabi’s work while on vacation. Jay brings an American hip hop vibe to the song and on the other hand Panjabi Mc brings bhangra beats. Bhangra is a traditional style of music, whose main components are comprised of the dhol, tumbi and Punjabi lyrics. It is said that Bhangra was started in the 14th or 15th century when farmers would come home after the harvest. After the harvest the farmers would celebrate the long months of hard work with bhangra which meant dancing to drum beats and even singing. The song itself has a very special sound to it, the track starts off in English with Jay Z rapping and then Panjabi MC's lyrics, which are sung in Punjabi the words mean Translated, are a warning to a 16-year-old girl to be leery of guys who are trying to take her innocence.
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011) is a 1 hour and 40 minute documentary that observes the black power movement in American history. This film is directed by Swedish director Goran Hugo Olson and has detailed footage that was shot during the 1960s and 1970s by Swedish journalists. The footage largely focuses on the black power movements. The film allows viewers to not only grasp a better understanding of this movement but allows us to understand why this movement appealed to Swedish journalists. The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 includes vintage interviews with Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton, and other prominent leaders during the Black Power Movement. The documentary also contains contemporary audio interviews and commentaries from various entertainers, artists, activists, and scholars, including but not limited to: Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli, Melvin Van Peebles, Erykah Badu, Abiodun Oyewele, and Questlove from The Roots.
Barbara Gowdy’s White Bone is a novel that is written about the perspective of a herd of elephants living in Africa. The main characters are Mud, Tall-Time, Date Bed, and Torrent. All of which develop immensely over the course of the beginning to the end of the first half of the book. The story revolves around their separate and combined journeys towards finding the white bone, a mythical bone which will lead any elephant to where they want to go in life.
Social psychology is a branch of the spectrum of psychology that primarily focuses on social interactions, environmental influences and the social experiences that weigh heavily on individuals cognitive schemas. The film “Boyz ‘N The Hood” is comprised of many contemporary influential African American actors, heavily influenced by the environment they are in and the violence surrounding them in their community. There are various aspects of the movie that portray social psychological concepts, such as social perception, attitude change, aggression and violence, and group dynamics. Social psychological issues such as proactive aggression, reactive aggression, desensitization, differential association theory, and deviance
“You Was Right” by Lil Uzi Vert is fairly easy to understand lyrically. The essence of the song deals with unfaithfulness in a relationship as well as the aftermath. Lil Uzi Vert spends a large portion of the song admitting his mistakes to his presumed girlfriend in hopes of making things right between them. The song starts off with the hook, which rests upon the premise of how Lil Uzi Vert should have stayed loyal rather than taking another girl home with him. For example, he says, “You was right, I was wrong” (6) in an attempt to console his girlfriend and apologize. Following the hook, the first verse centers on Lil Uzi Vert’s riches due to his success as a rapper. He ties that in to his relationship by expressing how he wants to share his wealth with his girlfriend. At this stage in the song, Lil Uzi Vert is attempting to win his girlfriend back with his money and general success as a rapper. The hook then repeats itself to indicate that the argument between Lil Uzi Vert and his girlfriend is still continuing. The second verse signifies an escalation in their conflict, as he says, “You just locked the door, so I gotta text you” (42). His girlfriend is refusing to even listen
The first song I want to use choose to represent me is called “Gravity”, by NBA Youngboy. I chose this song because I can relate to some of the things he said in the song. For example, when I had my car sometimes I would just go riding around Lake Village by myself late at night to think about things going on in my life. Sometimes I would stop at the lake and just look at the water because of how peaceful it is. This song can just put me in my right mind and calm me down.
Macklemore begins with “When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay, / 'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight. / I told my mom, tears rushing down my face.” In just these first couple of lines, the listener is easily able to understand what the song is about, and also comprehend the stereotype that is associated with gays and lesbians. The listener is given the equation that Macklemore made up when he was younger; he added the stereotypes that were given to gays: being artistic, having a gay relative, and being tidy. By following these fashions, he assumed that he was gay as well. When Macklemore states that tears were rushing down his face, it gives even more awareness to the negative connotation that gays
Hip-Hop’s criticism of George W. Bush is a good example of hip-hop’s reflection of Black public opinion. The Republican candidate who already had a low approval rating of 57% amongst African-Americans received an even lower approval rating after his lackluster efforts to support Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (Jones, 2003; Cillizza & Sullivan 2013).
While on a recent carefree jaunt throughout Harlem, I was introduced to the lyrical genius of one “Big L.” As is common of all true artists, Mr. L passed before his time, but not without a legacy. You see, it is the will of the Almighty Himself that I elucidate the meaning of Mr. L’s first major work, “Put it On,” in order for it to be made accessible to the common man and the upper crust alike, so that this truly majestic piece may live for eternity in the bosom of humankind. To this end, I have composed a line-for-line translation of the complex, sophisticated diction, which, I expect, will henceforth serve as the standard through which all scholars will study this master of the English language.
Throughout my life I’ve always had a knack for good music, and the second I heard Lil Uzi Vert I knew he was a great artist. Once he released his new album Luv is Rage 2 before even listening to it, I knew it was going to be amazing, and no surprise it was. The way Lil Uzi portrays himself as an artist in this album is phenomenal. In each of his songs he uses different unique styles which make each one different from the next. In Lil Uzi Vert’s most recent album, Luv is Rage 2, he displays his brilliance throughout every song with the flow of the beat to the lyrics and the deep meaning behind them.
Founded in New York City,1984,by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, Def Jam Records is now one of hip hop’s most influential record labels. Famous for dragging a once underground genre into the mainstream.Def Jam Record’s first release under the label was Jazzy Jay and T La Rock's "It's Yours." This was the initial fuel that launched the label to fame in 1984. Singles produced by Def Jam such as ‘I Need a Beat’ by LL Cool J in 1985 closely followed by ‘Rock Hard’ by the Beastie boys allowed Def Jam to gain a distribution deal with CBS records which boosted the popularity of the record label dramatically.
Some weaknesses of James McBride’s “Hip Hop Planet” include its cynical tone and his attitude towards the musical side of Hip Hop. McBride opens the essay with a reflection on what his ultimate nightmare is. He showcases the Hip Hop community in a negative light with phrases like, “music that doesn’t seem to be music—rules the world” (McBride, pg. 1). This starts the essay off negatively because it misleads the reader by letting them think he is not a supporter of the Hip Hop movement. As you read the entire essay you realize this is not the case. The article itself isn’t very inviting because tone of the entire essay is very cold and cynical. He also doesn’t agree with the typical Hip Hop sound saying things like, “It sounded like a broken record” (McBride, pg. 1). The sound of Hip Hop music is what helps define it and is a crucial aspect of
The song that I choose to do this assignment on is Fight the Power by Public Enemy. Fight the Power was written in 1989 and quickly became a street anthem for millions of youths. It reflects with issues dealing with both the Civil Rights Movement and to remind everyone that they too have Constitutional Rights. This particular song is about empowerment but also fighting the abuse of power that is given to the law enforcement agencies. It gave citizens of the U.S a more modern outlook on the many struggles that not only the African American community is up against but the other minority groups as well. The song’s message was eventually supposed to bring people together and make the world a better place, even though some teens saw it as a way
The billboard U.S ranking rank in 1987 the song “Forever And Ever, Amen” by Randy Travis as peak position number one in the category of country singles, and in 2009 the song “Best I Ever Had” by Drake as the number one in category of hot hip-hop songs. ” Forever And Ever, Amen” (Randy), the singer sang about a girl for whom he has a great affection, while in “Best I Ever Had” (Drake), Drake sang and complemented his girl whom he want back. Although the songs “Forever And Ever, Amen” by Randy and “Best I Ever Had” by Drake both talk about love and where very popular in different era, they have many differences in the ways they express their message, how their music sound,