Musicians try to distill their reality and experience into their songs, especially in hip-hop. Kendrick Lamar with his distinct fervor and touch shares his own reality and experience with his audience in “Money Tree”, creating a song that’s intimate while remaining head-bopping. Money Trees begins with a distinct intro created using an 808 system and high hats. This intro is coupled with details such as bird chirps and the sound of a broom sweeping the pavement that helped to vividly paint the picture of the Compton streets that seems all too calm and real. This scenery is further emphasized by the melody which looms over the beat. The melody is reminiscent of a rain cloud, its airiness emphasized by its high and light note while the underlying …show more content…
The prominent chorus is overtaken by an omnipresent voice that echoes “the one in front of the gun lives forever” earlier in the chorus. The solemnity of the voice gives the presence of a higher being declaring the death of the victim and subsequently leading the victim to heaven. Anna Wise takes to a falsetto in the bridge of the song that oozes with confidence. Just as Kendrick repeats “ya bish” in the beginning, Wise similarly repeats “No way” echoing Kendrick. Overlapping the bridge, Kendrick’s sudden adlib of police sirens and gunshot brings turbulence and chaos to the calm melody of the song. These adlib fade to the voice of Jay Rock, who serves equal part protagonist and narrator through this chaos. Jay Rock, a fellow member of the rap collective “Black Hippies” serves as a storyteller in the later portion of the song that encapsulates the experience of living within the system. Jay Rock expresses anguish and determination in surviving and providing for his family even in the worst of situation. This shock of realism and directness elevates the song in a unique sense by drawing the listener in and placing the stark reality right in front of …show more content…
My style echoes my own way of examining a song through analysis and explanation. This form of writing reflects the way I’ve been taught to write, which is to dig into each song and sound and bring out the substance and reason behind it. On the other hand, Hsu presents a stronger overall picture of the song that utilizes details not as a form of explanation, but as a way to build into the bigger description of the song as a whole. Furthermore, Hsu examines the full ensemble of factors and situation surrounding the conception of the song. This usage makes Hsu’s piece seemed more researched and put together than mine. I don’t go nearly into as much detail regarding these factors. With my analysis, I tend to focus on the impact of the song at the moment of hearing. To me the song is an experience to itself, it’s a creation birthed from the efforts of the artist and the audience that listens to it. The meaning of the song shifts to reflect each individual’s own interpretation. You might not know exactly what Kendrick is saying with his lyrics, but you can grasp the basic idea and then apply your own experience to derive meaning, that is what I seek to emulate in my analysis. Another key aspect I’m missing as a writer is the skillful composition of an intro. Hsu’s intro “Ecstasy is a hell of a drug” is sharp and eye-catching that instantly grabs the reader’s attention. A
Many believe that the words of a song are what makes the largest impact on viewers, but on the contrary in an article posted by hiphopdx it states that “Like any form of art, there are those that are a cut above the rest. Telling a story is an art form in itself, whether you’re recalling a story to your boys at the bar, writing songs or making movies. A true storyteller can make an average story great, and a great story unforgettable.” (J-23) As many of these songs illustrate, it isn’t just the story, it is how you tell it. putting in those small, seemingly insignificant details, which make the listener feel like they are there. It is using a metaphor that captures a situation in a way that a description could never do. The songs that are so deep you could picture it like a movie in your mind are more powerful than any words of a rap song just sung to be sung. These are the songs that are almost cinematic to listen too. These are the types of rap artists that are down to earth, true to themselves as well as their audience, and also the artists that sing for the pure enjoyment to tell stories, not to be plastered on social media or to worry about how many instagram, twitter, facebook followers they have, or how many people bought or listened to their songs
Frahm holds a similar point of view encouraging clear, straightforward writing not one with a “Confusing introduction. Lack of content. Bad transitions. (and) Excessive grammatical errors.” (Frahm 271).
Prophets of the Hood is the most detailed and a brilliantly original study to date of hip hop as complicated and innovative literary story form. It is written with a refreshing harmonious combination savvy significance rigor as well as brave and creative narrative verve. Imani Perry’s research is an interesting analysis of late twentieth century in American great culture. Prophet of the hood is an excellent and unique book. It draws up a clear division between the negatives and positives involved in hip hop. She takes the discussions of rap to a deeper and greater levels with an insightful analysis of the poetic and political features of the art form. Being a fan and a scholar, Perry is aware the art, tradition of hip hop through an analysis of the song lyrics.
... song entitled “Formation”. The filming took place in Los Angeles, but features references to Hurricane Katrina, with Beyoncé on top of a police car in a flooded street and later cuts to a man holding a newspaper with Martin Luther King Jr.’s face on it with the title “The Truth”. Later a young hooded boy dances in front of a line of police officers with their hands up before the video cuts to a graffitied wall with the words “stop shooting us “ tagged on it, at the end of the video the police car sunk with her on top. Not only did this song, bring awareness to the 10th anniversary of hurricane Katrina it also brought awareness to police brutality, racism, and the “black lives matter movement”. I stand with Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, the people of New Orleans and the countless others who are pushing for a change in the way minorities and the lower class citizen are treated.
On a lighter note, he explains his inspirations for his dream of making music in the song ‘Juicy.’ Biggie’s writing went in depth to show his audience where he came from and to also inspire other artists working their way up in the music industry. Lastly, Kendrick Lamar’s piece Good Kid m.A.A.d City is a coming of age story from the perspective of teenage Kendrick living in Compton, California. This album shows the dark side of Kendrick’s life, as well as his lighter moments of aspiration. There are vivid depictions of violence that he endured as a teen, as well as the influence of money and power.
Prior to taking English 1301 my method of writing simply involved writing the first thing that I felt made sense, this unorganized strategy resulted in essays with multiple grammatical errors that made absolutely no sense. As an English 1301 student, I am fortunate to have a professor who has mastered the art of writing. In assigning group work activities and the literary analysis of songs, I was able to learn from my professor, that writing is a process not a product. Working in a group divided the workload and gave us more time to observe each other 's paragraph, in doing so we were able to revise, edit and rewrite, this process taught me that a terrific paper is not an overnight miracle. Analyzing a musical selection was tremendously difficult for me; as a mediocre writer it took me a long time to grasp the concept; after continuously rereading and analyzing different lyrics for multiple meaning, I acquired the skill of reading between the lines, by simply taking the time out to ask questions and research information. Participating in these activities helped me understand writing as a process, and also encouraged me to work on my critical thinking
Lamar has been successfully achieving his dream by rapping about the stress and difficult situations he has encountered but strongly claims that we will all be alright in his song, “Alright.” He released a song called “i” that reflects how violence has increased in the cities and how he wishes everyone should love each other as humans. His last song on “To Pimp A Butterfly” called “Mortal Man” he states “only because you don’t wear the same color as mine, that doesn’t mean I can’t respect you as a human being.” He clearly states how he understands the reputations of other gang members may seem important but should all still respect others as people. Lamar has been a role model to several students from the city of Compton that was able to create a scholarship called “Be Alright” that is based off the same song called “Alright.” Kendrick Lamar has been respectively producing music for his fans without a doubt of impressive beats and
As Kendrick entered the stage shackled to his black comrades with a soulful saxophone playing in the background, it is obvious that the imagery of imprisonment was a commentary on incarceration in America and its similarities with slavery. By amplifying this modern twist on slavery, Kendrick provokes American viewers to reflect on the struggles that black Americans still go through today. At the start of his performance he goes on to rap “I’m African-American — I’m African” as if he was correcting himself. This isn’t surprising as black identity is hard to establish in a country that implicitly detests you, but explicitly fetishizes your culture. Stuart Hall discusses this in his text when he states, “’the primitive is a modern problem, a crisis in cultural identity’…the modernist construction of primitivism, the fetishistic recognition and disavowal of the primitive difference” (Hall 125). There is no wonder why Kendrick, like many African-Americans, finds comfort in placing his identity with the mother land rather than his true country of origin. How can the black multitude stand in solidarity with a country who will continuously praise black culture but refuse to recognize the black struggle? Kendrick Lamar then conjures imagery of Africa, where he danced and rapped in front of a raging bonfire, one of the most powerful imagery included in his entire performance. One can interpret
The underlying message was shown using these methods as well as by expressing it through the language in the lyrics. Examples include Doug E. Fresh saying, “This is all about, no doubt, to stop violence.” (Self Destruction) which very clearly states the important message that was being portrayed. Another example is when Ms. Melodie says, “The violence in rap must cease and seckle.” (Self Destruction) This lyric points out the violent culture that exists in the rap community and how it can be detrimental to society. Many modern hip-hop and rap songs with messages get dismissed either due to the harsh language or because many people do not want to hear the harsh realities of the African American struggle. Another unique aspect of this song that appeals to the audience is the point of focus. “Self Destruction” focuses on an internal view of the issues and relies on self-examination in order to solve these issues. This aspect makes the song unique because it does not lay blame on others. Instead of pleading for help from others, the songwriters decide to take the approach of rebuilding their own communities from the inside. This aspect really makes the song stand out amongst many other similar songs. This song truly is able to appeal to the reader in a fresh and interesting way by using logical, ethical, and emotional
Hip hop has so many subgenres that preach different messages to the listeners. Artists are inspired to sing according to what they experienced when growing up, or what they thought should be done to address a particular issue.
From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop.
Hip hop is both a culture and a lifestyle. As a musical genre it is characterized by its hard hitting beats and rhythms and expressive spoken word lyrics that address topics ranging from economic disparity and inequality, to gun violence and gang affiliated activity. Though the genre emerged with greater popularity in the 1970’s, the musical elements involved and utilized have been around for many years. In this paper, we will cover the history and
Kendrick Lamar’s album to pimp a butterfly so the complexity of the artist. To pimp a butterfly is in no way an oval telling a story much like a novel Kendrick intends for the audience to listen to it from beginning to end. Kendrick Lamar’s first album good kid mad city was a critical and commercial success that skyrocketed the rappers career into superstardom. Lamar’s second album to pimp a butterfly is more intense more bizarre more profound and more controversial. In fact to pimp a butterfly may be one of the most complex albums in rap history. Each song is characterized by its own distinctive concept and on a larger scale all the songs are interconnected buy a wider narrative that revolves around Kendrick’s becoming a celebrity in the system owned by Uncle Sam and rode by the evils of Lucy (personification of Lucifer).
Unlike Becket and Hirsch, who use physical and mental ties, Kendrick Lamar in his song “How Much a Dollar Cost” uses a story in which he learns a moral lesson and from that heavenly and spiritual ties to all of humanity. Firstly Lamar asks, “How much a dollar really cost? The question is detrimental, paralyzin' my thoughts” (Source O). Here Lamar ponders the true value of money. Later, when he meets an old, homeless man and he asks for a dollar he immediately stereotypes the old man to be a drug addict and refuses to give the homeless man money. In verse four, we see Lamar becoming angry. He believes that it was a sign of disrespect that a man asked him for money because Lamar worked so hard to get where he is now. But there is a shift in Lamar’s
To truly compare or justify anything to be superior to something else, you must have more than one thing to compare. When I start to review narrative and descriptive essays, I have to try to understand what separates the two. I chose to compare “Caged Bird”, by Maya Angelou as my Descriptive essay and “How to say nothing in 500 words”, by Paul McHenry Roberts as my narrative essay. To me these two essays set themselves apart from each other, not just because of the different styles of writers, but the meaningful message that was delivered in both essays. While both of these essays have a strong message that it delivers, but only one truly keeps my attention, answers all of my questions, and helps me to imagine every word that is in the text. In the text of, “Essentials of College Writing”, it is stated, “Consider what would be interesting to you as a reader and what kinds of details and information you look for when you read a piece of personal writing”, (Connell, C. M., & Sole, K., (2013), Chapter 6. Section 6.2, paragraph 5). As a writer I believe it you have to grab the reader’s attention, answer whatever questions they have, and really help them imagine what they are reading. Initially, I was leaning to favor the descriptive essay, “The Caged Bird”, written by Maya Angelou, but after further consideration and critiques, I discovered that, “How to say nothing in 500 words”, written by Paul McHenry Roberts won me over. This change of mind came to me as I read each essay over again and then it was a clear choice of which essay was arguably the better style.