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The effects of rap music on society
The negative effects of rap music on society
Essay on rap music and society
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Black Star, composed of MC’s Mos Def and Talib Kweli, are joined by fellow rapper Common in their 1998 song “Respiration” to expose the decaying urban and societal conditions in their respective cities of Brooklyn and Chicago. Each artist paints a brilliant picture of their surroundings and deals with various issues which plague their communities. Mos Def’s verse is particularly well-written; in it he highlights the growing economic inequality, daily struggles of the inner city poor, and the overriding nature of the his city. Mos Def begins his verse with a beautiful, vivid description of the New York skyline. With the line, “the new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis,” he establishes the dominance and almost royal nature of the …show more content…
This also has a double meaning as thick skin can physically mean weathered, calloused hands from manual labor or metaphorically that New York’s residents are toughened mentally due to hardships. The second meaning implies that the “working class” people are dealt “second hand” items, such as “watches,” from the rich. The 1% accounts for the majority of the capital in America and the rest are left to fight among themselves for what is left. Yet another interpretation is that as the “second hand” ticks, the “working class” becomes increasingly hardened from …show more content…
However, it is “bruised,” as it is filled with strife and people struggling to survive. The City is also “sweet,” as many people have a certain attraction towards it which is not easily resisted. Mos Def is saying that if you fall into the trap of the superficial glamour of the city, you will end up falling prey to the city’s rough and trying underside. There is also certainly a reference to the Garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit with this line. All knowledge, good and bad, is represented by the forbidden apple. Once eaten, man became “fallen” and subject to the struggles of Earthly life. Similarly, knowledge and all other pursuits are tempting, yet dangerous as they often lead us to unpleasant
Before beginning to analyze both Motown and Stax Record’s influence on black consciousness it must first be understood why black consciousness itself can be seen as a step in the right direction in the fight against black struggle. Brian Ward does a great job of capturing the true success of soul music’s influence on black consciousness. Ward says, “[Black radio’s] real strength… was its ability to dramatize and celebrate shared aspects of the black experience… to promote a revived sense of black identity, pride, solidarity and common consciousness” (Ward 449). In his book, Ward also points out that despite this successful development of black consciousness, there was limited success both economically and structurally on behalf of the black music industry. This shows that even though ther...
Ellis, Edward Robb., and Jeanyee Wong. The Epic of New York City. New York, NY: Carroll & Graf, 2005. Print.
Mary Shelley brings about both the positive and negative aspects of knowledge through her characters in Frankenstein. The use of knowledge usually has many benefits, but here Shelley illustrates how seeking knowledge beyond its limits takes away from the natural pleasures of known knowledge. She suggests that knowledge without mortality and uncontrolled passions will lead to destruction. Victor and his monster experience this destruction following their desires and losing self control. Walton, on the other hand, becomes of aware of the consequences and is able to turn back before it’s too late. Shelley also suggests that without enjoying the natural pleasures of life, pursuing knowledge is limited, but how can knowledge be limited if it is infinite?
It is a day in the summer of 1974 on the block of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, NY. The grass is blazing, the air is fresh, and the kids are shrieking with joy. This is where it happened. DJ Kool Herc popped in his new record playing smooth rhythms of jazz and blues with the integration of Jamaican sound creating a new genre that would soon sweep the nation. He called it Hip-Hop. Some would call it “black noise”, but to urban African Americans it was music they could own; music they could learn to appreciate and adore. As they faced afflictions like racism, oppression, drugs, and much more, they used this new found hip- hop to express their thoughts and feelings. Today, we try to understand where this passion and substance in rap has escaped; if it was left to wither in the blazing grass, or blow away in the fresh air. Today, we try to understand what is hip hop, and why it’s becoming the “black noise” we once denied it to be. Ever since rap officially emerged in the 1970s, critics had a negative reaction; even when rap had meaning and substance and consisted of people telling their stories. Now that rap has become more contemptuous, critics have began to question what rap is really about. It is clear themes have changed: But at what point? And how? Furthermore, how has this impacted blacks and their image, who dominate the rap industry. Conclusively, while themes in mid 20th century rap have been known to revolve around aspects like politics and unity, currently rap has underwent a dramatic change now producing themes that promote violence, among many other things, and has ultimately painted a negative image of African Americans.
In Total Chaos, Jeff Chang references Harry Allen, a hip hop critic and self-proclaimed hip hop activist. Harry Allen compares the hip hop movement to the Big Bang and poses this complex question: “whether hip-hop is, in fact a closed universe-bound to recollapse, ultimately, in a fireball akin to its birth-or an open one, destined to expand forever, until it is cold, dark, and dead” (9). An often heard phase, “hip hop is dead,” refers to the high occurrence of gangster rap in mainstream hip hop. Today’s hip hop regularly features black youths posturing as rich thugs and indulging in expensive merchandise. The “hip hop is dead” perspective is based on the belief that hip hop was destined to become the model of youth resistance and social change. However, its political ambitions have yet to emerge, thus giving rise to hip hops’ criticisms. This essay will examine the past and present of hip hop in o...
It began as a social practice of African-centered liberation to transform the black community or bring the youth together in unity, but towards the 90’s and onto the hip-hop scene in todays day and age, it is anything but that. The youth of today will know Tupac Shakur and beautify or streamline his self-destructive “thug life” but remain in the dark of figures like Mutulu and Afeni Shakur. Although this is a sad reality to live in, it is not hip-hops responsibility to change this. It is the responsibility of artists alike representing an oppressed populace to speak meaningfully in their art, in someway or another, for the liberation of their people.
Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that emerged from the dilapidated South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s. The area’s mostly African American and Puerto Rican residents originated this uniquely American musical genre and culture that over the past four decades has developed into a global sensation impacting the formation of youth culture around the world. The South Bronx was a whirlpool of political, social, and economic upheaval in the years leading up to the inception of Hip-Hop. The early part of the 1970’s found many African American and Hispanic communities desperately seeking relief from the poverty, drug, and crime epidemics engulfing the gang dominated neighborhoods. Hip-Hop proved to be successful as both a creative outlet for expressing the struggles of life amidst the prevailing crime and violence as well as an enjoyable and cheap form of recreation.
Rap is about giving voice to a black community otherwise underrepresented, if not silent, in the mass media. It has always been and remains … directly connected to the streets from which it came. (144)
Five star general and 34th president, Dwight Eisenhower once said that, “this world of ours... must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect”. When established in 1624, New York was only a very small colony of French Huguenots from the Netherlands where everyone was seen as equal to one another. However, as New York began to develop and change, a wealth gap developed between the wealthy and those who lived in poverty. This wealth gap led to many domestic problems emerging in the city. In George Templeton Strong’s journals, he outlines what the city New York needs to do to become a healthy functioning city. In doing this, Strong is confident that New York will make the necessary changes in order to have a very bright future ahead where many more opportunities will be available for its citizens.
Hip-hop music is the best base form of music to invoke change because songs can be written quickly by rappers to address their communities. Hip-hop started in the early 1970’s in minority-filled neighborhoods that were surrounded with poverty, crime, and drugs. Over time, hip-hop has been changed to express different messages. At its beginning the message was positive addressing the problems of poor neighborhoods and now the message is flashy and unclear. With this change
The pursuit of knowledge can lead to a humans destruction and awareness. The pursuit of
Hip hop has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its crossover appeal, it is a great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hop's influence has become well received by a number of different races in this country. A large number of the rap and hip hop audience is non-black. It has gone from the fringes, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Because it has become the fastest growing music genre in the U.S., companies and corporate giants have used its appeal to capitalize on it. Although critics of rap music and hip hop seem to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language, this genre offers a new paradigm of what can be (Lewis, 1998.) The potential of this art form to mend ethnic relations is substantial. Hip hop has challenged the system in ways that have unified individuals across a rich ethnic spectrum. This art form was once considered a fad has kept going strong for more than three decades. Generations consisting of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and Asians have grown up immersed in hip-hop. Hip hop represents a realignment of America?s cultural aesthetics. Rap songs deliver a message, again and again, to keep it real. It has influenced young people of all races to search for excitement, artistic fulfillment, and a sense of identity by exploring the black underclass (Foreman, 2002). Though it is music, many people do not realize that it is much more than that. Hip hop is a form of art and culture, style, and language, and extension of commerce, and for many, a natural means of living. The purpose of this paper is to examine hip hop and its effect on American culture. Different aspects of hip hop will also be examined to shed some light that helps readers to what hip hop actually is. In order to see hip hop as a cultural influence we need to take a look at its history.
Older, Daniel Jose. “Gentrification’s Insidious Violence: The Truth About American Cities.” Salon. Salon, 8 April 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.
Cellular respiration uses oxygen and sugar to make carbon dioxide, water, and 36 ATP. The process of cellular respiration is glycolysis, then next kreb's cycle then, electron transport chain. The electron transport chain equals 32 ATP, the Krebs cycle equals 2 ATP and glycolysis equals 2 ATP also, which in the end, pulling all 3 stages together equals 36 ATP per glucose. Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP, and releases waste products. Cellular respiration is the foundation for energy in a cell.
In Cellular respiration, glucose enters the body and is broken down by glycolysis. For prokaryotes, cellular respiration is performed in the cytoplasm or inner surfaces of the cell, while eukaryotes perform it in in the mitochondria. In Glycolysis, a process in the cytosol, two ATP are invested to produce two pyruvates, two water molecules, four ATP, two NADH and two hydrogen ions. Following glycolysis is Pyruvate oxidation, which oxidizes the pyruvates from glycolysis to acetyl CoA and NAD+ to NADH+H+ and a CO2 waste. After pyruvate oxidation is the Kreb’s cycle, which occurs in the mitochondria. This cycle oxidizes Acetyl