This blog serves as a public forum for you to post your reactions to a broad range of texts--from Shakespeare's really uncomfortable early play Titus Andronicus to Alan Ginsberg's "obscene" poem "Howl" to the latest album from Kendrick Lamar. The conversation revolves around notions of cultural influence and how popular "products" get us to react to them and to the things they endorse.
All three of these songs I had never heard before and could definitely have continued to live my life had I not. They were terrible songs that just all had a catchy beat to them. Whether the meaning was sexual or just disgusting to me I didn't care for these songs. They are not music people should be allowed to produce. The music that kids listen to is more influential than we realize. Now that we are older we don't listen as closely to the lyrics because we don't care. Younger kids however are curious. How many times have we heard a young child singing along to a song in the car that is definitely not approiate for them to be listening to let alone repeating? The chorus in the song "Big Poppa" says "Throw your hands in the air, if you's a true player...to the honeys gettin' money playin' niggas like dummies." What? No one should be singing about being proud of playing and using women for sexual pleasures. Later in the song it talks about rolling up blunts and after they eat they will do what they came here for (meaning sex). This song upset me the most because the tune is very catching, but the song is gross. Had this been playing on 101.1 or 98.5 I probably would have been suckered into this song because of the beat and now that I know what this song is saying I'm happy to have never heard it.
Swimming Pool Of the three songs this one was probably my favorite. I believe that it possessed both the beat of Big Pappa and the message of One Mic. The song is about the common story of someone at a party going perhaps a little to hard, although not necessarily. The story is of someone perhaps being pressured into drinking a little more, which is an exponential affect as each drink gets easier with the previous one. There is then a point where one then thinks of the need to slow down, the conscious of verse two. Although these seems like a message for tolerance, in the end I took away a desire to engage in the described events of the song. Without a deeper analysis of the lyrics I believe that this is the common message taken from the song to engage in a night of excess intoxication.
Nas - One Mic One mic has the strongest message of standing up against the establishment, mainly the police. The verses refer to the struggle of hood life in which thugs feel that they are pitted against the police and therefor turn to thuggish activity committing crimes and shooting cops. This was a very common theme of music and a common stereotype however it was never truly the majority. Not all cops are crooked, mainly it was cops in cities who were simply fearful. Also most people were not carrying guns and killing cops. However I feel that the strongest part of the message is delivered with the hook, “All I need is one mic”. I belive this to be a statement expressing the power of one man and a microphone. Throughout history a single voice has been able to lead groups of people towards a common purpose. These movements though great victories, were long overdue and in the grand scheme small. There were numerous example in the nineteen sixties such as prominent figures of Martin Luther King, Malcom X, or common people giving speeches against the Vietnam war. This song is a testimony to the fact that were people able to organize and overcome the dividing walls established by the power elite, swift change could be brought about to better society.
Big Pappa The Notorious B.I.G. succeeds with his songs for a number of reasons. Although one may be able to argue that he isn’t the best vocalist, he voice is just what it needs to be. The human voice is just as much an instrument that effects tone as a guitar does with varying effect pedals. It seems as though anyone could have recorded the vocal tracks to this song and that’s perfect. This song has a chorus meant to be belted out by the listener. This song is the ideal night. Getting high with beautiful women and spending the night simply; enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The events include hanging with friends, hot tubing, love making, and lastly a feast of steak eggs and grapes. I don’t think that this song would have been unpopular if it were just released. There are many factors determining this, the largest being radio play. Unfortunately the music industry is currently at an all-time low as money has the greatest effect on number one hits. Ultimately the song appeals to the same themes that are pleasing today and that is indulging in a life of carefree pleasure seeking. It’s because of the infeasibility for our society to function with this mindset that it is so desired.
I agree with Christina’s assessment of the degrading material of these songs. Personally, I think there are certain lines that are crossed that go from artistic talent to uninspired ridicule. The fact that someone could make money off of these lyrics, solely for the tune being catchy, or being able to rhyme a word with blunt, is a true testament to what our culture has become. I do not understand the reason behind these songs and I wish people would chose to write true poetry instead of raps that wish they were stimulating. I understand if someone enjoys the music they have written, or even certain people that can enjoy these tunes, but the process of coming up with these lyrics and then sending them out into the world without understanding the impact they can have on young minds is naïve. If lyrics degrade and objectify women, then women that listen to these lyrics can subconsciously see themselves as just that. Also, more pertinent is the way that young men will see and treat women because of this new way of objectifying women in lyrics. Young men in the generation need to understand how to treat a woman respectfully, not only as a sexual object.
The song Big Poppy by Notorious B.I.G had a very catchy beat, but the lyrics were not all that great. No matter how bad the lyrics were though, the beat kept me intrigued and was the only reason I listened to the whole song. I don’t really like a ton of songs from this genre because of all of the violence and because a lot of them are explicit. This song wasn’t too bad in that sense but I just wasn’t feeling it. There were a lot of references to drugs which I’m not a fan of and I don’t participate in those activities. There are many rappers and artists from this genre who regularly participate in those illegal activities. Many do harder drugs than just pot. Some people who listen to these types of songs take the lyrics too seriously and may end up living their life in a similar way to that of the songs. Most college students at one time or another would love to try and live out the night described in the song. Some do but they most likely won’t remember it, but every guy would love to have a night out with beautiful women and just enjoying life. The song wasn’t bad and the beat was good. Not my first choice in genre but it wasn’t unbearable.
The song One Mic just has a very bad message for anyone who listens to it, especially for younger kids who are reckless and impressionable. Most of this song is about fighting against the police and possibly a rival gang. There is so much violence and the lyrics to me seem like they’re saying that violence and shooting people is cool. I did not like the lyrics to this song and I did not like the beat. This song is a perfect example of reasons why I don’t like this genre of music more than other genres. I like some songs but this is not one of those. It is kind of scary seeing how much influence one person can have with one microphone especially since this song is very violent. Talking about killing people and cutting up the body is gruesome and disgusting. Again in this song there are lyrics referring to smoking weed and doing illegal drugs. The older people get, the less they pay attention to the lyrics and just focus on the musical aspect of songs. Kids on the other hand pay more attention to the lyrics and in this case they would be saying terrible words and talk about gruesome actions. I really do not like this song at all and I feel like a bad person for listening to the whole thing.
All three of these songs speak to different aspects of the message rappers bring across in the majority of their songs. Those would be alcohol, woman, and making a stand or going up against a higher authority. In Big Poppa, of course Biggy Smalls (Notorious BIG) is talking about woman and how he’d like to get physical with them. This takes place in a decent amount of songs but he also talks about just having a good time and being with his friends and beautiful women. These songs are always the most liked but there is an overabundance of them being produced everyday so people are becoming annoyed with the message of getting money and women. Moving on to One Mic, this is more of a song going against the establishment, like with N.W.A. ‘s popular hit “ F’ Tha Police”. He is saying in this song that instead of the money, cars, and women, he’d rather have a voice against the police and the higher power. But he’s also talking towards the common people who are killing some of these cops and are saying to stop. He’s just trying to be the peace maker in this whole situation. Finally, Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” talks about the average partyer who has a little too much to drink because of peer pressure from his friends. It seems like he’s trying to send a message saying “have fun, but don’t overdo it”, because it can lead to short term problems like vomiting or long term problems such as becoming an alcoholic. If you really think about, Lamar is the D.A.R.E. program that kids wouldn’t mind actually listening to. My point in this is that rap songs and the artists don’t just have one common message. There are a variety of songs out there that are either party anthems or stories or even just messages towards others. I just dislike how everyone associates a specific genre of music to one specific instance and should give rap or any other type of music a listen or read before they decide to bash it.
Personally I am not a fan of rap at all so listening to these songs was new to me. I have never heard of any of these artists or songs before. Once I looked up the lyrics to actually understand what the artists were saying exactly line by line, I was able to get a feel for the songs more. I really didn’t appreciate the sexual content and other derogatory innuendoes. I agree with Christina and her opinion on younger children. They may not understand the whole truth to these songs and that they may not have the best message. I see more and more children growing up and listening to songs with inappropriate lyrics like this. When I was young if my parents heard a song that I was listening to with any swear words or inappropriate context I wasn’t allowed to listen to it. However, this makes me think too that if parents tell their children don’t do this don’t do that it may sometimes make them want to listen to it more and will find a way to listen to it. Lots of kids now have iPods or pads and computers and such so it makes it easily accessible for them to look up these songs or music videos. In “Big Poppa” the line, “Cause I see some ladies tonight who should be havin my baby” there is a horrible message being sent. This guy at a bar wants to hook up with these women “who should be having my baby” so basically he wants to knock these women up. And we wonder why teenage pregnancy is taking place. This message sends several ideas in adolescents heads such as having unprotected sex, having sex with strangers and having a child with someone you are not married to.
I am not a big fan or listener of the Hip-Hop/Rap genre, so all of these songs were new to me. I agree with Christina that the beats are very catchy, and frankly I believe that is the only reason why these are considered to be “hits” or even popular. I think the lyrics are awful and the songs themselves are pointless. Although I do understand that some people see rap as poetry of its’ own, I simply cannot. Drawing off of what Lydia said in her response, many of the lyrics in rap music (not only in a few of these songs) are specifically degrading to women, as well as some other cultures. I find it interesting that the racial slurs exhibited in raps are acceptable to the general population because they are in a song—whereas if someone said certain words present in the songs on the street, they would immediately be associated with being racist. What I particularly find interesting is that most rap songs have a common theme of either law-breaking, sex, or drugs. Catchy beats? Yes. Great workout music? Yes. Something that the world will remember in 50+ years from now? Perhaps in certain cultures, cities, or fan bases, but overall, no. There is a reason why we still read Shakespeare, and study different works of literature that have stood the test of time, like The Great Gatsby or Pride and Prejudice. These works were all culturally and globally significant. Although I’m sure someone could argue that rap is the future of literature and poetry, it is my simple opinion that these certain songs will not be remembered, read, or put in high regard 450 years from now.
I liked all of these songs. I understand how people could be upset with the lyrics but I don’t see how it is any different from many other songs. If someone were to be overly sensitive to lyrics one could also say country glorifies alcoholism, pop talks sexually, and rock endorses drugs. I really liked the beat of Big Poppa and thought that one mic had the most emotional vocals. Big poppa epitomizes 90’s rap and one mic also seems to fit the mold even though it was released in the early 200’s. I really wonder how different the “rap game” would be if Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac weren’t killed. The songs that Nas did with Damien Marley are some of the best songs I have heard in my opinion. Swimming pool is new school rap. With many artists such as little Wayne and 2 Chains releasing absolute garbage songs, saying such lines as “she got a big booty, so I call her big booty”. This stupidity in these lyrics makes Kendrick refreshing in new school rap. I think that the main difference in the two eras is flow. Big Poppa especially, along with One Mic keeps a slow pace throughout most of the song. Kendrick’s tempo varies throughout the song and has many parts in which he is rapping very quickly. I think that Kendrick is a lyrical genius and think that both him B.I.G. and Nas are very witty with their lines. Kendrick sends a great message with his song about the dangers of alcohol and alcoholism. He states that many people drink for the wrong reasons. I really like this type of music, especially when there is a good beat and witty lyrics.
Big Papa was not as bad of a song as the other two, to me that is. I have listened to big papa before so it was not anything really new, I don’t mind the song I just like it for the beat and the rhythm of it other than that it’s just a song I would personally listen to if it just popped up and I didn’t feel like changing it. To me the song was not as bad as many other songs in the hip-hop culture like the other two songs. This song was mainly about being almost like a pimp in my aspect or like a major player, not so much about killing people and shooting up the world. Don’t get me wrong it’s still wrong and very perverted but I would rather have people listening to a song about being a player and try to become a player rather than listen to a song about murder and go around pretending to kill one another or getting in to fights, or even actually killing people. I’m not a fan of hip-hop its music it’s mainly about drugs, sex and violence. Other songs are like that too that are not hip-hop but its every other word in the other song that is about killing somebody or raping somebody which makes hip-hop different.
The song one mic to me was the definition of hip-hop. I listen to it for about 30 seconds and had to turn it off. I hated it because it had no rhythm to what so ever to me, it just sounded like some guy was saying the “n” word over and over again, that’s the only word I got out of the song. My mom come up stairs and said “ oh great we have to listen to this crap now” I had not tell her it was for an English assignment and she said “thank god” my mom hates hip hop so much. I know that hip hop is about the rough times that these people have had throughout their lives and such but can’t they make a song about the good times they had in their lives also, I’m sure it was not all horrible. These songs are supposed to tell a story but to me they just tell a nightmare. They should at least attempt to make some songs about good stuff in life and see how the majority of the population thinks about then.
First I think for one to truly be able to enjoy rap music they must be able to understand what the words behind the lyrics mean. If you don’t know someone who has experienced or been through the same things rappers have been through then how can you have compassion for them and their music. One of the reasons why I think hip hop music is so popular is because the people that listen to it can relate to the things that are said, they understand the struggle. In all three of the songs the artist discuss their rise to fame and how they had to sell drugs and be in the streets just so they can survive. I myself know so many people who have to go through the same, rap is an outlet for them it makes the stress they have less stressful because it’s something they can relate to they know they’re not the only people going through these things and it gives them hope that maybe one day there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. I know that some of the lyrics are vulgar but there are a lot of songs and artist that use vulgar language outside the rap genre. I say don’t hate on Biggie for expressing how happy he is that he is living the good life and can have numerous women he was just enjoying his life and wanted to express that without sugar coating it.
All three of these songs I had never heard before and could definitely have continued to live my life had I not. They were terrible songs that just all had a catchy beat to them. Whether the meaning was sexual or just disgusting to me I didn't care for these songs. They are not music people should be allowed to produce. The music that kids listen to is more influential than we realize. Now that we are older we don't listen as closely to the lyrics because we don't care. Younger kids however are curious. How many times have we heard a young child singing along to a song in the car that is definitely not approiate for them to be listening to let alone repeating? The chorus in the song "Big Poppa" says "Throw your hands in the air, if you's a true player...to the honeys gettin' money playin' niggas like dummies." What? No one should be singing about being proud of playing and using women for sexual pleasures. Later in the song it talks about rolling up blunts and after they eat they will do what they came here for (meaning sex). This song upset me the most because the tune is very catching, but the song is gross. Had this been playing on 101.1 or 98.5 I probably would have been suckered into this song because of the beat and now that I know what this song is saying I'm happy to have never heard it.
ReplyDeleteSwimming Pool
ReplyDeleteOf the three songs this one was probably my favorite. I believe that it possessed both the beat of Big Pappa and the message of One Mic. The song is about the common story of someone at a party going perhaps a little to hard, although not necessarily. The story is of someone perhaps being pressured into drinking a little more, which is an exponential affect as each drink gets easier with the previous one. There is then a point where one then thinks of the need to slow down, the conscious of verse two. Although these seems like a message for tolerance, in the end I took away a desire to engage in the described events of the song. Without a deeper analysis of the lyrics I believe that this is the common message taken from the song to engage in a night of excess intoxication.
Nas - One Mic
ReplyDeleteOne mic has the strongest message of standing up against the establishment, mainly the police. The verses refer to the struggle of hood life in which thugs feel that they are pitted against the police and therefor turn to thuggish activity committing crimes and shooting cops. This was a very common theme of music and a common stereotype however it was never truly the majority. Not all cops are crooked, mainly it was cops in cities who were simply fearful. Also most people were not carrying guns and killing cops. However I feel that the strongest part of the message is delivered with the hook, “All I need is one mic”. I belive this to be a statement expressing the power of one man and a microphone. Throughout history a single voice has been able to lead groups of people towards a common purpose. These movements though great victories, were long overdue and in the grand scheme small. There were numerous example in the nineteen sixties such as prominent figures of Martin Luther King, Malcom X, or common people giving speeches against the Vietnam war. This song is a testimony to the fact that were people able to organize and overcome the dividing walls established by the power elite, swift change could be brought about to better society.
Big Pappa
ReplyDeleteThe Notorious B.I.G. succeeds with his songs for a number of reasons. Although one may be able to argue that he isn’t the best vocalist, he voice is just what it needs to be. The human voice is just as much an instrument that effects tone as a guitar does with varying effect pedals. It seems as though anyone could have recorded the vocal tracks to this song and that’s perfect. This song has a chorus meant to be belted out by the listener. This song is the ideal night. Getting high with beautiful women and spending the night simply; enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The events include hanging with friends, hot tubing, love making, and lastly a feast of steak eggs and grapes. I don’t think that this song would have been unpopular if it were just released. There are many factors determining this, the largest being radio play. Unfortunately the music industry is currently at an all-time low as money has the greatest effect on number one hits. Ultimately the song appeals to the same themes that are pleasing today and that is indulging in a life of carefree pleasure seeking. It’s because of the infeasibility for our society to function with this mindset that it is so desired.
I agree with Christina’s assessment of the degrading material of these songs. Personally, I think there are certain lines that are crossed that go from artistic talent to uninspired ridicule. The fact that someone could make money off of these lyrics, solely for the tune being catchy, or being able to rhyme a word with blunt, is a true testament to what our culture has become. I do not understand the reason behind these songs and I wish people would chose to write true poetry instead of raps that wish they were stimulating. I understand if someone enjoys the music they have written, or even certain people that can enjoy these tunes, but the process of coming up with these lyrics and then sending them out into the world without understanding the impact they can have on young minds is naïve. If lyrics degrade and objectify women, then women that listen to these lyrics can subconsciously see themselves as just that. Also, more pertinent is the way that young men will see and treat women because of this new way of objectifying women in lyrics. Young men in the generation need to understand how to treat a woman respectfully, not only as a sexual object.
ReplyDeleteThe song Big Poppy by Notorious B.I.G had a very catchy beat, but the lyrics were not all that great. No matter how bad the lyrics were though, the beat kept me intrigued and was the only reason I listened to the whole song. I don’t really like a ton of songs from this genre because of all of the violence and because a lot of them are explicit. This song wasn’t too bad in that sense but I just wasn’t feeling it. There were a lot of references to drugs which I’m not a fan of and I don’t participate in those activities. There are many rappers and artists from this genre who regularly participate in those illegal activities. Many do harder drugs than just pot. Some people who listen to these types of songs take the lyrics too seriously and may end up living their life in a similar way to that of the songs. Most college students at one time or another would love to try and live out the night described in the song. Some do but they most likely won’t remember it, but every guy would love to have a night out with beautiful women and just enjoying life. The song wasn’t bad and the beat was good. Not my first choice in genre but it wasn’t unbearable.
ReplyDeletePoppa*
DeletePoppa*
DeleteThe song One Mic just has a very bad message for anyone who listens to it, especially for younger kids who are reckless and impressionable. Most of this song is about fighting against the police and possibly a rival gang. There is so much violence and the lyrics to me seem like they’re saying that violence and shooting people is cool. I did not like the lyrics to this song and I did not like the beat. This song is a perfect example of reasons why I don’t like this genre of music more than other genres. I like some songs but this is not one of those. It is kind of scary seeing how much influence one person can have with one microphone especially since this song is very violent. Talking about killing people and cutting up the body is gruesome and disgusting. Again in this song there are lyrics referring to smoking weed and doing illegal drugs. The older people get, the less they pay attention to the lyrics and just focus on the musical aspect of songs. Kids on the other hand pay more attention to the lyrics and in this case they would be saying terrible words and talk about gruesome actions. I really do not like this song at all and I feel like a bad person for listening to the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteAll three of these songs speak to different aspects of the message rappers bring across in the majority of their songs. Those would be alcohol, woman, and making a stand or going up against a higher authority. In Big Poppa, of course Biggy Smalls (Notorious BIG) is talking about woman and how he’d like to get physical with them. This takes place in a decent amount of songs but he also talks about just having a good time and being with his friends and beautiful women. These songs are always the most liked but there is an overabundance of them being produced everyday so people are becoming annoyed with the message of getting money and women. Moving on to One Mic, this is more of a song going against the establishment, like with N.W.A. ‘s popular hit “ F’ Tha Police”. He is saying in this song that instead of the money, cars, and women, he’d rather have a voice against the police and the higher power. But he’s also talking towards the common people who are killing some of these cops and are saying to stop. He’s just trying to be the peace maker in this whole situation. Finally, Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” talks about the average partyer who has a little too much to drink because of peer pressure from his friends. It seems like he’s trying to send a message saying “have fun, but don’t overdo it”, because it can lead to short term problems like vomiting or long term problems such as becoming an alcoholic. If you really think about, Lamar is the D.A.R.E. program that kids wouldn’t mind actually listening to. My point in this is that rap songs and the artists don’t just have one common message. There are a variety of songs out there that are either party anthems or stories or even just messages towards others. I just dislike how everyone associates a specific genre of music to one specific instance and should give rap or any other type of music a listen or read before they decide to bash it.
ReplyDeletePersonally I am not a fan of rap at all so listening to these songs was new to me. I have never heard of any of these artists or songs before. Once I looked up the lyrics to actually understand what the artists were saying exactly line by line, I was able to get a feel for the songs more. I really didn’t appreciate the sexual content and other derogatory innuendoes. I agree with Christina and her opinion on younger children. They may not understand the whole truth to these songs and that they may not have the best message. I see more and more children growing up and listening to songs with inappropriate lyrics like this. When I was young if my parents heard a song that I was listening to with any swear words or inappropriate context I wasn’t allowed to listen to it. However, this makes me think too that if parents tell their children don’t do this don’t do that it may sometimes make them want to listen to it more and will find a way to listen to it. Lots of kids now have iPods or pads and computers and such so it makes it easily accessible for them to look up these songs or music videos. In “Big Poppa” the line, “Cause I see some ladies tonight who should be havin my baby” there is a horrible message being sent. This guy at a bar wants to hook up with these women “who should be having my baby” so basically he wants to knock these women up. And we wonder why teenage pregnancy is taking place. This message sends several ideas in adolescents heads such as having unprotected sex, having sex with strangers and having a child with someone you are not married to.
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan or listener of the Hip-Hop/Rap genre, so all of these songs were new to me. I agree with Christina that the beats are very catchy, and frankly I believe that is the only reason why these are considered to be “hits” or even popular. I think the lyrics are awful and the songs themselves are pointless. Although I do understand that some people see rap as poetry of its’ own, I simply cannot. Drawing off of what Lydia said in her response, many of the lyrics in rap music (not only in a few of these songs) are specifically degrading to women, as well as some other cultures. I find it interesting that the racial slurs exhibited in raps are acceptable to the general population because they are in a song—whereas if someone said certain words present in the songs on the street, they would immediately be associated with being racist. What I particularly find interesting is that most rap songs have a common theme of either law-breaking, sex, or drugs. Catchy beats? Yes. Great workout music? Yes. Something that the world will remember in 50+ years from now? Perhaps in certain cultures, cities, or fan bases, but overall, no. There is a reason why we still read Shakespeare, and study different works of literature that have stood the test of time, like The Great Gatsby or Pride and Prejudice. These works were all culturally and globally significant. Although I’m sure someone could argue that rap is the future of literature and poetry, it is my simple opinion that these certain songs will not be remembered, read, or put in high regard 450 years from now.
ReplyDeleteI liked all of these songs. I understand how people could be upset with the lyrics but I don’t see how it is any different from many other songs. If someone were to be overly sensitive to lyrics one could also say country glorifies alcoholism, pop talks sexually, and rock endorses drugs. I really liked the beat of Big Poppa and thought that one mic had the most emotional vocals. Big poppa epitomizes 90’s rap and one mic also seems to fit the mold even though it was released in the early 200’s. I really wonder how different the “rap game” would be if Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac weren’t killed. The songs that Nas did with Damien Marley are some of the best songs I have heard in my opinion. Swimming pool is new school rap. With many artists such as little Wayne and 2 Chains releasing absolute garbage songs, saying such lines as “she got a big booty, so I call her big booty”. This stupidity in these lyrics makes Kendrick refreshing in new school rap. I think that the main difference in the two eras is flow. Big Poppa especially, along with One Mic keeps a slow pace throughout most of the song. Kendrick’s tempo varies throughout the song and has many parts in which he is rapping very quickly. I think that Kendrick is a lyrical genius and think that both him B.I.G. and Nas are very witty with their lines. Kendrick sends a great message with his song about the dangers of alcohol and alcoholism. He states that many people drink for the wrong reasons. I really like this type of music, especially when there is a good beat and witty lyrics.
ReplyDeleteBig Papa was not as bad of a song as the other two, to me that is. I have listened to big papa before so it was not anything really new, I don’t mind the song I just like it for the beat and the rhythm of it other than that it’s just a song I would personally listen to if it just popped up and I didn’t feel like changing it. To me the song was not as bad as many other songs in the hip-hop culture like the other two songs. This song was mainly about being almost like a pimp in my aspect or like a major player, not so much about killing people and shooting up the world. Don’t get me wrong it’s still wrong and very perverted but I would rather have people listening to a song about being a player and try to become a player rather than listen to a song about murder and go around pretending to kill one another or getting in to fights, or even actually killing people. I’m not a fan of hip-hop its music it’s mainly about drugs, sex and violence. Other songs are like that too that are not hip-hop but its every other word in the other song that is about killing somebody or raping somebody which makes hip-hop different.
ReplyDeleteThe song one mic to me was the definition of hip-hop. I listen to it for about 30 seconds and had to turn it off. I hated it because it had no rhythm to what so ever to me, it just sounded like some guy was saying the “n” word over and over again, that’s the only word I got out of the song. My mom come up stairs and said “ oh great we have to listen to this crap now” I had not tell her it was for an English assignment and she said “thank god” my mom hates hip hop so much. I know that hip hop is about the rough times that these people have had throughout their lives and such but can’t they make a song about the good times they had in their lives also, I’m sure it was not all horrible. These songs are supposed to tell a story but to me they just tell a nightmare. They should at least attempt to make some songs about good stuff in life and see how the majority of the population thinks about then.
ReplyDeleteFirst I think for one to truly be able to enjoy rap music they must be able to understand what the words behind the lyrics mean. If you don’t know someone who has experienced or been through the same things rappers have been through then how can you have compassion for them and their music. One of the reasons why I think hip hop music is so popular is because the people that listen to it can relate to the things that are said, they understand the struggle. In all three of the songs the artist discuss their rise to fame and how they had to sell drugs and be in the streets just so they can survive. I myself know so many people who have to go through the same, rap is an outlet for them it makes the stress they have less stressful because it’s something they can relate to they know they’re not the only people going through these things and it gives them hope that maybe one day there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. I know that some of the lyrics are vulgar but there are a lot of songs and artist that use vulgar language outside the rap genre. I say don’t hate on Biggie for expressing how happy he is that he is living the good life and can have numerous women he was just enjoying his life and wanted to express that without sugar coating it.
ReplyDelete