The song I am choosing for this assignment is called “Money Trees” by Kendrick Lamar ft. Jay Rock released in 2012. The entire song is about Kendrick’s ambitions to make money as a whole. He starts by naming things of low economic value such as “hot sauce all in our Top Ramen” here he is referring to when he would eat ramen noodles because they are a cheap product and something he could afford. A hint of what could potentially be a reference to a black market is introduced in the song. Kendrick says, “and I been hustlin’ all day, this-a-way, that-a-way, through canals and alleyways, just to say”. It is obvious here that Kendrick, from Compton, was grinding to get money, but maybe not doing it in the most legal ways. This could be related to selling drugs in “canals and alleyways” or otherwise in a black market. …show more content…
Kendrick raps, “a silver spoon I know you come from, and that’s a lifestyle we never knew, go at a revered for the revenue.” Here Kendrick could be using the cost-benefit principle.
When he is saying that he wasn’t born with a silver spoon, or had an easy growing up with the advantages of money; he suggest that he might “rob” a reverend for money. Even someone with as high of a social status as a revered, he believes that he will benefit more from this that it will cost him. This is so since his entire goal is to get money. To finish up with another example of Kendrick’s self-interest he says, “Dreams of livin’ life like rappers do” and a few lines later, “back to reality, we poor, ya bish”. It is clear here he has ambitions of making it out and becoming famous and rich, but then again is faced with reality. This could easily be related to elastic and inelastic sides of the
market. The biggest and most important lyrics of the song, and also what the song is named after, goes like so, “money trees is the perfect place for shade, and that’s just how I fell, nah, nah.” This lyric is like the plot of the entire song; Kendrick is saying that money is the perfect place to hide from your troubles. This could be related to many things such as opportunity cost, or even optimization problem. Both suggest that the gaining of money is more powerful than dealing with “what is given up” or simply choosing the best alternative among options. In opportunity cost Kendrick gains money and gives up his hardships because now money is involved and he can hide under a “money tree”. Optimization problem is probably a better example for this lyric because it is defined as “choosing the best alternative among options”. Kendrick’s best option is to hide under a “money tree” than to deal with hardships or problems that he has faced in his past. Either way both suggest that he can forget his hardships and past now that he has money, even though this really isn’t the solution to the problem.
Thus, this was a place of opportunity. This was especially needed in Michael’s and Francis’s case due to evidence showing that both boys were not being given the same academic opportunities as Aisha, where she attended extra curricula programs (Chariandy 24). This place of belonging allowed Francis, Michael and Aisha to all have the confidence to attend hip hop talent scouting events with Jelly, which allowed the exploration of different kinds of opportunities to be sought out (Chariandy 104). With the continuous raids on Desirae’s barbershop causing an unwarranted association to hip hop and criminal activity, it is then also proven to influence the already limited job opportunities, and acceptance and integration in an emerging culture second generation. nonetheless subjected to countless police checks on a weekly basis (Chariandy, 29), and was subjected to more extensive police checks when hip hop parties were taking place.
People on the street do not know him except those caricatured black racial stereotype. People “snap” their books, “clutch” their bags, sees him as a carjacker, mugger, shoplifter, and drug dealer, revealing a common sense that a black man’s life is marked by prejudice and ostracism. By using metaphors, the words “score,” and “green” indicate an incorrect stereotype of black men’s relation with drugs and money. From Young’s standpoint, black men experience some degree of prejudice of being black skin men. Because as he points out, “Plainclothes/ cops follow me in stores/ asking me to holler/ if I need any help.” Plainclothes cops even pretend to be Clerks in the store, and they are so certain that he is black, looks unsettling that they even ask him to “holler” if he wants steal something, and they are ready catch him any minute. Additionally, Young writes about “Crowds gather/& wonder how/the spotlight sounds.” Here, “spotlight sounds” actually refers to the response from the narrator or black men to other’s attentions or treatments. Ironically, people do not listen to black people’s voice, and they simply judge from one’s skin
"Certain songs might tell you a little something about my upbringing. Certain songs might tell you how I relate to others life experiences. On the album I never get specific on all my dirt because I don't feel I need to talk about that. I want to put the spotlight on Mobile, and give the listeners an idea of what's going on here from a young black mans perspective." Listen up!
In a reputable rap album an artist must tell a real-life story. The following three artist come from different but similar backgrounds. One artist from Detroit, one from Compton, another from Brooklyn. Sada Baby along with other Detroit rappers share their experiences living in different parts of the city. Throughout D.O.N. by Sada Baby, he references a lot of weapon use, gang activity, and drug use in his neighborhood. The songs on this album go into so much detail about these things, because this was the life he was born into. This is what he knows first hand. In Sada Baby’s song, ‘Guatemalan’, he goes through the steps of his daily life and even goes on to justify why he is the way that he is based off his experiences.
“I was a true hustler - uneducated, unskilled at anything honorable, and I considered myself nervy and cunning enough to live by my wits, exploiting any prey that presented itself I would risk just about anything. Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterdays and today's school drop outs are keeping body and soul together by some form of hustling in the same way I did And they inevitably move into more and more, worse and worse, illegality and immorality. Full time hustlers never can relax to appraise what they are doing and where they are bound. As is the case in any jungle, the hustler's - every waking hour is lived with both the practical and the subconscious knowledge that if he ever relaxes, if he ever slows down, the other hungry, restless foxes, ferrets, wolves, and vultures out there with him won't hesitate to make him their prey. (Autobiography, pp. 109-110)
It starts by describing a young woman in college, stating, “she has no idea what she’s doing in college, the major she majored in don’t make no money, she won’t drop out, her parents will look at her funny (West).” By doing this the song establishes that this woman wants success but she doesn’t know how to obtain it since she was basically pushed into pursuing a career in college that she was unsure of in order to obtain success. The song furthers the story of the woman when she states that she gives up and goes on to say that her tuition money is enough to buy a few pairs of new shoes. The desire for success and frustration of not being able to achieve it, is what essentially leads the woman to take this shortcut of dropping out of school to acquire material possessions in the “now” instead of the slower, more standard route of finishing her education and finding success through that. Kanye West then describes in the song his addiction to material possessions when he began to acquire wealth from his music career.
For starters, hip hop originated in the Black ghettos of the United States, specifically in the South Bronx of New York City (“Hip Hop”). Aside from its origins, hip hop is also relevant to Black culture because of the topics mentioned in the music. In Notorious B.I.G.’s “Things Done Changed,” issues in inner-city Black communities are talked about in depth. This song also describes the life in these communities, mentioning problems like drugs, violence, and poverty. Additionally, “Things Done Changed” discusses how children no longer behave like kids, how people are not caring for their children, and how the only way to escape this harsh life is to either sell drugs or have “a wicked jumpshot” (Notorious B.I.G. 48-49). The song “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five also touches on the problems faced in Black ghettos and brings those problems to the forefront. Like in “Things Done Changed,” the issues of violence, drugs, and poverty are also discussed in this hip hop song. In addition to those problems, “The Message” specifically mentions the issue of the poor education people in Black communities receive, such as when the speaker states that he or she received “a bum education” (Grandmaster Flash
a slum and becoming successful. Teens in these areas are more likely to sell drugs and perform
Surrounded by the trees and Ivy League . Students that's recruited highly. Thinkin' "You do you and I do me". Crib has got a big 'ol back 'ol yard. My niggas stand outside and pass cigars, filled with marijuana, laughin' hard; thankful that they friend's a platinum star. In the driveway there's no rapper cars just some shit to get from back and forth, just some shit to get from back and forth. Welcome to the Sheltuh, this is pure. We'll help you if you've felt too insecure. To be the star you always knew you were. Wait, I think police is at the door”, which leads into the chorus “Okay, the neighbors think I’m sellin’ dope.”. What these lyrics explain clearly is the racism that is still present in America today. J. Cole made his money legally just like most of the black community in America and wanted to create a safe haven for other black artist to be successful. Just because him and his friends are ethnically and culturally different than the white community in America people viewed them differently. Differently enough to call the police on them with little to no reason. He uses other examples like this later in the song to explain his differences from the mainstream white community affect his everyday life. One other example of this is some of the lyrics in his second verse. “Took a little break just
Kendrick reverses the saying “the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice,” from a positive of blackness to the assumption and racial stereotype in
Inner city youth are usually very impressionable due to less than ideal living conditions in their communities. As a result, it is easy to see why so many African American youth think that selling drug is a way out of poverty. Unfortunately, because of their surroundings, the only people they know with substantial amounts of money are the drug dealers they see in their community. Whether it is a friend of a friend or a close relative, these young people have become accustomed to this way of life. With dreams of one day making enough money to have just the bare necessities or the respect of their peers, these are some of the reasons why drug trafficking is so prevalent in urban areas. In the story The Coldest Winter Ever, by Sister Souljah, she describes how this, the sensationalism and fast money associated with drug trafficking within urban communities, effects a young girl who wants to emulate and hold on to this lifestyle.
For example, Tupac commences his rap song by referring to poverty in the first few verses in his song as he states, “I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself/ Is life worth living should I blast myself? / I’m tired of being poor and even worse I’m black/ My stomach hurts so I’m looking for a purse to snatch,” (Shukar l. 2-4). In these verses Tupac indicates that many African Americans live in poverty and they are not given many opportunities to do well for themselves. Changes to better their situation seem unobtainable and he portrays the voice of impoverished groups as he questions his purpose in life. He contemplates whether or not he should continue living. This verse also indicates that people with very little opportunity must deviate from the norms which society has placed on them, meaning that because they have no opportunity they must resort to stealing in order to avoid
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
Although some people believe that these rappers didn’t have to sell drugs and create these stigmas, or even glorify them in the music, Lecrae insisted that with unemployment shooting through the roof, the only feasible choice was to sell drugs and produce records that
..., a person who earns $25,000 is happier than a person who makes $125,000 and an employee who makes $500,000 is only slightly happier than someone who makes $55,000. Lastly, there are more important things in life that and make you happy, for example, friends. They don’t come with a price tag, and if they do, you definitely need new friends. Money won’t make you happy since good times can’t be bought. You don’t need a fancy vacation to have a good time; it’s just a matter of who you spend it with. Over the years, humans have blown the value of money way out of proportion. People make it seem like if you’re not filthy rich, then you won’t live a good life but it’s not true. You can lack money and yet still live a perfect, happy life.