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Decoded
When you glance at the cover of this book written by Jay Z you automatically know this book is going to be filled with musical touches. One of the things I noticed was that his titles were all the names of songs. He incorporated the hardships, and the different aspects of the entertainment industry into each one. Jay Z used an Andy Warhol tidbit for his cover of his writing. It’s a print from the 1980’s , one of those prints utilized in a basic art class when you have one side drawn , and full colored or painted , and you fold the opposing side to get the same print on the other. The purpose of this particular design was the symbolism behind it. The Giclee print by Andy Warhol signifies the introverted life of an individual, and the unknowns. Jay Z allows us to see deep into his life before the fame, and into his life post fame. It’s kind of a rags to riches type of work.
Rapper Jay Z tells his life story, well some of it through song lyrics. He chooses about three to five songs per chapter and they all have the same theme. Each song deals with a different aspect selling drugs, politics, critics, or whatever other topic you could thing. He uses the songs to relate to hard times in his life. The lyrics of the songs are written out on the pages for readers to see especially in One Eye Open and Revolutionary T-Shirt, he gives an explanation of the meaning behind these songs with a thorough explanation. Hip Hop ultimately saved his life, just like basketball did for me. You only have two options growing up in the hood you either play a sport, or you go into a life of violence.
Jay Z is the main individual highlighted in this book. Other individuals mentioned are celebrity encounters or individuals who grew up w...
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...ic. This reminds me of when I would take one basketball, and dry to dunk on one of those cheap hoops that you make from scraps on a yard. I knew I had to perfect the bounce, and much more before becoming elite. Practice made perfect. Another thing Jay Z presents in “Decoded” which relates to my personal life as I stated is that he’s an introverted person. Believe or not, I am a very low-key person just as Jay Z was I don’t overreact or allow people or life happenings to maneuver my moods. I just deal with what comes accordingly. I have been through hardships and many obstacles in my life similar to Jay-Z’s. I have been through hardships and many obstacles in my life similar to Jay-Z’s. The way Jay Z used lyrics to make his autobiography makes decoded a good read. It brought my attention to every song he’s ever made, and made me focus on the content within the book.
There are a lot of Epic Poems written in Literature that intrigue, and capture reader’s attention like; The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, and the Divine Comedy. Never had the Hip-Hop culture had an epic story of its own until Lupe Fiasco came along. Lupe created a 17 song saga Called “Michael Young History (MYH) also known as The Cool” spread throughout his first two albums, and a few mixtapes. MYH is a frictional rap character who was raised by a single hard-working mother who struggle to raise Michael and his loving sister. With the lack of parental guidance the promising, intelligent young Michael turn into a drug deal. Michaels love for the street, and fame sent him to a road of greed, deception. In no time Michael had control of his neighborhood making money, bribing dirty cops to look away from his crimes. As Michael unethical fame rise his friends get jealous, setting Michael to end his life. Unless a music listener is not a Lupe Fiasco fan they will not be aware of this
... cover art for the Rolling Stones greatest hits album GRRR! which commemorated the band's 50th Anniversary. He is held in high regard due to his dedicated pursuit of becoming a prominent artist and his work over the years has demonstrated his true passion for the arts.
The purpose of the author for writing this book is to inform people about the live of Vince Carter and the live of an all-star who seems to be happy but really isn’t. This book shows that a lot of problems come with being an NBA player its not just get money but you have to be real wise. I know this because it say that Carter started playing basketball his senior year of high school before that he used to be a band geek. It also talks about how old NBA players got paid less than players now. Some the NBA players Don’t go play to a town because they are not good enough or they don’t pay more even though they are not as good as they think. Like one of the examples they said was Tractor Taylor he didn’t want to stay with the grizzlies because they didn’t pay him enough and now they pay him what he wants and his not delivering like he said. Another example is all the old players they mention that they are over rated.
The novel Makes Me Wanna Holler discuss the problems of the black Americans from an insider prospective. When I say black Americans, I mean from the cultural issues, fatherhood, family, and how blacks working class families are anything, but lazy. Nathan recalls his troubled childhood, rehabilitation while in prison, and his success with the Washington Post. The novel helped me understand the mindset of black males and why some choose to be affiliated with gangs. Additionally, I learned that bouncing back from a hardship time help you regain strength because Nathan went threw a lot. However, I did not relate to the novel, but I understood the concept of it. The title of this book speaks out loud about the inner struggle that he dealt. I did relate to the racial incidents and wanting to work early to have the best appearance. I actually did enjoy the
Perry, Imani. 2004. Prophets of the hood: politics and poetics in hip hop. Durham: Duke University Press.
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.
He shows us a happy family that is destroyed by the turmoil of capitalism in early 20th century Chicago, although it is still something that runs rampant in our society today. In the book, Jurgis gets a job where he works at a packing house and the conditions are horrible. The people who own the packing house are deceitful and unfair, and when Jurgis gets hurt at work his employer shows no sympathy. He struggles to find another job where he can get paid well, and when he gets put in jail he struggles even more. He finds that his family is falling apart and the young children are having to work to support the family. At one point a character literally gets eaten by rats due to bad working conditions. Another theme is corruption. In the beginning of the book Jurgis is a hardworking family man, but by the end he is a stealing thief. It is apparent that living in a place where police are out for themselves and salesmen lie for their own profit, can change you as a person. Jurgis gets so obsessed with money that he beat a child to make him go to work, when he knew that in the freezing winter the child might get frostbite (which he eventually did). Another theme is about society and class in early 20th century Chicago. Jurgis' family comes to America because they think that if they come to America and work hard, then they will get money and succeed. It is as if they think that
He shows the audience that even if they have obstacles in their way; they can overcome them. Jamal has to overcome multiple obstacles to achieve his passion for writing. Jamal was taken from a school he was used to and was thrown into a private school that he knew nothing about. He shows the audience that they can achieve their dreams if they try. Jamal was doubted by his literature professor and was looked down on by some of his peers. Some of the audience can relate to be looked down on like Jamal. At one time; the audience all experienced the feeling of starting at a new school and not knowing anyone there.
Rap music has given me personally something to look up to. Not a role model but hope of continuing my dreams because rappers successfully made it. “For what’s money without happiness, or hard times without the people you love” is from a song called “Love Yourz” by J. Cole. He clearly understands how there is “beauty in the struggle and ugliness in the success” because he’s lived that life. Other songs such as “2Face” or “The Autograph” were instantly relatable to me because he has been through several struggles from the beginning of his childhood. Cole’s father left when he was six leaving his mother and younger brother alone. Cole became “the man of the house” but becoming a rapper is not as easy as it seems. Cole’s messages in these two songs are relative because I too, have had several issues with my mother and father creating a sense of lonesome. Hearing music like Coles helped me overcome my
As hip hop culture became prevalent in pop culture, so did black culture. Hip hop stems from black struggle. Their vernacular, songs, and spiritual ways were different from what whites were used to. Their different lifestyle of “living on the edge” was intriguing yet inaccessible for the whites living among them. Thus, this initiated America’s fascination with the culture. It became about what people assume and perceive about black people rather than what they actually are. In essence, an essential to cool is being on the outside, looking in. In the media and celebrities today,
He may just seem like another rapper to you but if you actually listen to his lyrics you can see he’s not like any rapper out there. His name is Kanye West and he was born in Chicago Illinois. He grew up in the “ghetto” and learned to appreciate life. He didn’t learn to really, truly appreciate life until October of 2002. Driving back to his hotel late one night after a recording session, the new-coming rap/hip-hop artist was involved in a devastating, near fatal car accident. The crash left him with a broken jaw in three places and an appreciation for life. Just weeks after being released from the hospital he recorded his first major hit, “Through the Wire,” with his mouth still wired shut. He records every song like its going to be his last song and that makes every song better than the last. He’s not only a rap artist but also a producer. He has been responsible for being behind songs like Jay-Z’s Izzo, Girls, Girls, Girls, The Takeover, and 03 Bonnie and Clyde.
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.
These six words in many ways defined the late 1980s and 1990s, encapsulating the rise of hip-hop, NIKE, Michael Jordan, and the racial-class narratives embedded in each of them. The problem of such ethos are highlighted in a music video from Seattle’s very own Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
During this decade artist such as Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog. Those are some of artist that revolutionized the rap industry, each artist made an impact to hip hop music. “Jay-Z has built a career on combining nimble, braggadocious and largely autobiographical rhymes with adventurous production that incorporates everything from snatches of classic R&B to Broadway show tunes and Eighties electropop.” (Rolling stone Magazine). Jay-Z has made himself a pioneer of the hip-hop world by show casing himself in his music. He created his own signature by using all kinds of musical influences in the production of his
There is a central notion that there seems to be a mysterious curse surrounding child stars. These young celebrities are often described as having ‘too much too young’ or being ‘scarred for life’ by success (WLVDialogue, 2009). According to Dr. Jane O’Connor (2009), an expert in child stars at the University of Wolverhampton’s School of Education, child stars lack the routine that most children usually benefit from. They often struggle to have a childhood due to the high demands of the show business lifestyle. This strengthens the idea that childhood is a private space for the development of a person’s identity and personality. Childhood is a special time that comes only once and if you miss it, there can be problematic repercussions manifested in the adult identity. Children put together from what they see and hear eve...