Hip-hop has evolved relative to the 1980s in a more aggressive and violent direction. While the mainstream artists of the 1980s were fairly puritanical in their lyrics and maintained minimal censorship, the 1990s is seen as an era of explicit lyrical content (Baker, 2018). The samplers of the 1980s were also more technically limited compared to the artist equipment of the 1990s, which produced a richer and more authentic sound. The new forces that emerged in the early 1990s in the booming hip-hop genre were more hardcore and vulgar artists. The subject changed from street life and social justice to the more violent and explicit themes of gang life, swindling and drug dealing – although pimp rap already gained popularity in the late 1980s through Big Daddy Kane and Slick Rick.
In New York in the 1990s, the hardcore hip hop genre became particularly relevant. From a musical point of view, hardcore hip hop belongs to the boom bap school – the name symbolizes deeper and biting beats with lo-fi production. Wu Tang Klan, a team of charismatic and ironic rappers and producers, formed a special school in the hardcore hip hop scene, supplying stories about street life with martial arts aesthetics and tournaments from old exploitative Hong Kong action movies.
In Los Angeles, the 1970s soul-inspired G-Funk genre, musically inspired by the production work of Dr Dre, is gaining popularity. This beatmaker created a sound unique to hip-hop, borrowing psychedelic grooves from funk music but supplying them with a layered synth production with an abundance of sawtooth waves imitating sirens (Baker, 2018). The iconic, immediately recognizable sound was reinforced by rapping from Snoop Doggy Dogg, whose relaxed and confident flow is also a signature sound of the 1990s. The popularity of G-funk is also associated with many crime stories about the bloody confrontation between the West and East coasts of Los Angeles. The music and lyrics of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, who died in gang shootings, can feel like a soundtrack that mythologizes this era.
Work Cited
Baker, Soren. The history of gangster rap: From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the rise of a great American art form. Abrams Books, 2018.
The late 1970s was the period rich for various events including the intentions to identify civil rights, prove the importance of feminism, and underline the importance of the role of a woman in society. Still, for many people, one of the main distinctive features of the late 1970s was the emergence of hip-hop. During several decades, people tried to give a number of definitions to hip-hop. It was introduced as a separate genre of music, a social movement, or even a style of life. Many writers share their opinions and attitudes to hip-hop, and some of them will be used in this paper in order to comprehend if it is possible or even correct to give one clear definition of hip-hop.
For example, Watkins offers to give several definitions of hip-hop regarding different periods of time and comprehend it as a real and organic movement, a simpler time in history when it was not spoiled and sullied by the power of commerce and political divisions (9).
For many people, hip-hop was a chance to unite their powers, skills, and interests and organize the groups within the frames of which they can share their opinions and discuss the issues that are really important to them. In fact, many authors underline the fact that commercialization of hip-hop has changed its essence considerably and deprived modern people of the possibility to understand the essence of hip-hop and true reasons for its appearance. Nowadays, it is hard to comprehend that such serious and definite genre of music as hip-hop was introduced as a form of signifying with a number of formal qualities and iconoclastic spirit (Bradley, DuBois, Gates, D, and Common xxiv).
At the same time, the intentions to be indifferent made people believe that the hostility of hip-hop, the possibility to avoid taboos, and the ignorance of language rules could provoke young people. The development of stereotypes occurred. Kelley wanted to explain how the question of gender was raised in hip-hop song and clips. Violence against women, male superiority, and physical power became inherent to hip-hop music and made people believe that stereotypes could not be excluded from hip-hop (Kelley 198).
With time, the definition of hip-hop was changed and commercialized. In addition to the power of men, the idea of money was introduced. It was not enough for hip-hop artists to use special words and terms, to demonstrate special moves and signs, or even to be black. Hip-hop became available to everyone, who was in need of self-defense and power, and who could pay for it (Chang 12). The analysis of hip-hop and its history prove that it is not easy to give one clear hip-hop definition. Much time as well as more opinions and approaches is required.
In general, the only thing that is clear is the fact that every person is free to choose any definition of hip-hop given at different periods of time and be correct with their choices and explanations. Hip-hop may be a music genre, a style of life, or even just another way to earn money. The definition of hip-hop depends on people’s attitude to this phenomenon. As hip-hop was created as a free movement for people in need, people are free to make their guesses and give their independent definitions. Hip-hop remains to be a salvation for every person, who wants to find out it in the chosen music genre. Hip-hop is a kind of music chameleon that could understand what a person is in need of at the moment.
Works Cited
Bradley, Adam, Andrew DuBois, Henry Louis Gates, Chuck D, and Common. The Anthology of Rap. New Haven: Yale UP, 2010. Print.
Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. Print.
Kelley, Robin D. G. Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class. New York: The Free Press, 1994. Print.
Watkins, S. Craig. Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of Movement. Boston: Beacon Press, 2005. Print.
Seattle is the city where Hip Hop has extreme power over people by helping them to find out a sense in life, a working goal, and a possibility to demonstrate their skills and interests. Kung Foo Grip is one of the famous Hip Hop duos in Seattle. Though the history of this duo is neither too complicated nor full of some unpredictable and fatal decisions events, it can be used to explain how the lives of two fans of Hip Hop can be changed, and how the changes lead to the creation of several albums available to all admirers of the band’s work.
In the beginning, there were three main members of the band: Eff Is H, Greg Cypher, and BBJ. The boys met at one of the parties where their friends invited them to rhyme and cipher in their favorite ways. As soon as they met, they understand that their styles and ideas were similar.
It was possible to enjoy a number of personal benefits in case they started cooperating. Still, in a short time, one of the members, BBJ left the group, and, from that period of time, Kung Foo Grip turned into a powerful Seattle Hip Hop duo consisting of Greg (a straight technical man) and Eff is H (also known as Fish, who may unhinge from the beat but make interesting sounds in a song) (“Kung Foo Grip”).
In 2011, the duo introduced their first album “Capitalize” with a number of songs that demonstrate how interesting the combination of two or more styles can be (Mizell par. 1). Kung Foo Grip was accepted positively in Seattle due to their intentions to stay in contact with people and the environment. The artists admit that one of their peculiar features is their desire to observe the lives of ordinary people and share their thoughts about life, its challenges, and beauty via their music. There is no need to invent or imagine something. It is enough to sing about everything the way it is.
In several years, Kung Foo Grip returned with their new album “The New Flash,” where “two young firebrands sound hungry as ever, in addition to featuring multiple producers/collaborators who bring a widely varied-yet-cohesive sonic palette” (Michel par. 1).
With time, the team introduced a video clip “M.I.A.” (Tue par. 1) that proved the intentions of the duo to stay rough with the environment they have to live in and to be ready to respond to any kind of violence or misunderstanding that may occur around. Such a line of events that took in the last two years impressed many Seattle Hip Hop fans. Nowadays, Kung Foo Grip does not want to make fast decisions or introduce a new project. They provide people with time to enjoy the effects of their last works and to listen to the beats that change every single second.
In conclusion, it is necessary to say that Kung Foo Grip is one of the local groups that prove the dignity of Hip Hop in the best possible way. They continue working, writing, and rhyming in order to prove that it is always worthwhile to expect the unexpected (Tue par. 8). Kung Foo Grip aims at building a new civilization where people and rap could co-exist. Seattle is the beginning, and it is high time to think about the ways of how the impact of this group can be discovered in other regions.
Works Cited
Kung Foo Grid 2015. Web.
Michel, Carradin. “Kung Foo Grip Are Back with ‘The New Flesh’.” Seattle Music Insider. 2015. Web.
Hip-hop is a genre, a social movement as well as an affluent part of the industry that originated in the late 1970s and bore predominantly social meanings. However, nowadays, hip-hop is far from what it was in its primary stages of development. Despite being the most financially supported style in the entire industry, hip-hop has become a vehicle for promoting antisocial or sometimes event violent behavior.
In her book The Hip Hop Wars Tricia Rose puts forward an opinion: “Relying on an ever-narrowing range of images and themes, this commercial juggernaut has played a central role in the near-depletion of what was once vibrant, diverse, and complex popular genre”. The author argues that in 1980s hip-hop was a complex framework of styles, ideologies, and varieties – from avant-garde to political. It was in the late 1990s when commercial success caused hip-hop to transform into a narrow-minded collection of stereotypes.
In his foreword to The Anthology of Rap Henry Louis Gates argues that the modern version of hip-hop does not explore important aspects of social or political life the same way it does not take any measures to do so: It “doesn’t’ take itself too seriously or try to overburden its lines with rehearsed wisdom or the cant of ideology”. Hip-hop is a genre that does not obey the taboos but creates new stereotypes, allowing itself to use risky language to convey the text of the songs in a much recognizable and provocative manner.
Furthermore, it is crucial to mention the themes that dominated hip-hop and become stereotypical definitions for the genre. The style of gangsta rap was supported by the attacks on the law enforcement agencies as well as the direct connections between the Black community and criminal activity. This can be characterized by the dominance of males in the genre, which was backed by the misogynistic narratives. As Robin Kelley states in his Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class, “The gendering of crime also helps explain why gangsta rappers are reluctant to denounce violence, why the criminals in their narratives are almost always men, and why, in part, violence against women appears consistently in the music of many gangsta groups”.
Despite hip-hop nowadays being a stereotypical music genre that does not care about appearing too serious about social or political issues, it is crucial to remember that it did not originate in an affluent environment. On the contrary, South Bronx and East Brooklyn, the centers for the hip-hop culture, were places where poor African-Americans, Jewish, and Puerto Rican families moved in a search for cheap housing and more jobs.
Furthermore, by the end of 1960’s more than a half of white population moved away from the South Bronx, leaving this area dominated by the poor layers of the population involved in criminal activity. In his Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: a History of the Hip-Hop Generation Jeff Chang mentioned that “the Black and brown youth formed gangs, first in self-defense, then sometimes for power, sometimes for kicks”.
Hip-hop is not only a musical genre but also a way of seeing the surrounding world that still continues to change to this day. While hip-hop on the earliest stages reflected the social and political life of the predominantly African-American layers of the society, nowadays there is only a small portion of hip-hop artists that still care to talk about important social and political themes.
The aim of this essay is to study current forms of Hip Hop music while comparing and contrasting them to the Civil Rights era of the 1960’s/70’s. In doing so, I will examine the social, political and economic aspects of selected song lyrics. The objective is to find out whether contemporary Hip Hop has managed to continue the political commentary of past events, or ended up creating an entirely different messaging system due to present-day cultural phenomena.
The whole Hip Hop movement grew in itself to forge an entirely new identity for Blacks, both adults and young people, essentially those who were born after 1965 (Ginwright, p. 31). This generation is characterized by an “urban aesthetic” which is expressed through arts, culture, clothing and other trendy items which have far less political connotations than that, which not very long ago, used to reflect the Civil Rights generation (Ginwright, p. 33).
The Civil Rights generation had the wherewithal to pull off astounding results that are spoken of even today with great reverence; the ending of segregation in school buses and cafeterias, tireless efforts towards achieving the Black citizen’s right to vote and similar accomplishments that have paved the way for the countless rights and privileges which the current generation of Black youth enjoy (Burnim and Maultsby, p. 51).
The contemporary Hip Hop scene, however, has essentially rejected the pious, sanctimonious nature of the Civil Rights movement, as applied to “Blackness” (Brown, p. 90), while making the whole musical premise far less relevant to the political struggles of the Black community. Indeed, as far as their rights and struggles in facing up to systemic oppression are concerned, some of these songs would actually take our present generation quite a few steps backward in time.
For example, a song by current rapper, Outcast, seems to mock the whole idea of the civil rights movement if one considers derogatory lyrics about Rosa Parks, such as “Ah ha hush that fuss/everybody move the back of the bus/do you want to bump and slump with us?” (Brown, p. 92).
Compare it to lyrics of the 1960’s social change era that not only emboldened a benighted Black community, but also extended its solace to anyone who has to remain under the jackboots of an unchangeable system that is thwarting his progress in life. “Soul” was the key here. Those song lyrics radically call upon the oppressed to break free from the manacles of social oppression, and identify with self- empowerment.
Let us examine a few more song lyrics to understand the apathy entailed in contemporary Hip-Hop. Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” makes a cheap dig at “rednecks” and 400 years of oppression, ironically, without identifying the real enemy in their midst. “2 Live Crew” is another Hip-Hop song which glorifies crime. Same goes with “Banned in the USA” which only pays lip service to the sacrifices of Civil Rights campaigners without backing it up with something real, such as a mission statement that would galvanize Black youth to come out of their inaction phase.
Apart from being insulting and not in good taste, many of these contemporary Hip hop songs tend to suggest that present day Black youth will have nothing to do with the sacrifices made during the Civil Rights era. Just like others in the same boat as them, they live for the present and are not really serious about questioning the authority of the oppressor. In fact, it’s not even far-fetched to suggest that by being categorically apathetic to the political situation, many Black youth may be even inadvertently surrendering their freedoms to the very authority they hate (Brown, p. 94).
Works Cited
Brown, Cecil. Dude, Where’s My Black Studies Department. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007. Print.
Burnim, Mellonee V., and Portia K. Maultsby. African American Music an Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.
Ginwright, Shawn A. Black in School: Afro-centric Reform, Urban Youth and the Promise of Reform. New York: Teachers College Press, 2004. Print.
Hip hop is a genre of music that has its origin in South Bronx in New York among the urban communities. It started as block parties where people with incredibly loud and sophisticated music systems would throw parties in the neighborhood to share with their friends and compete among themselves (Parker, 2009, p.1).
The music involves high speed raping, break dancing among other vigorous activities and movements. It is today crowned the fastest growing music genre worldwide. Hip hop music has had a major influence on the lives of many youths in the society today. This music genre has both positive and negative effects to the youths and the general public as a whole.
Impacts of Hip hop on Youths
Hip hop is well known for its vulgar language in its lyrics. The words used have may have a different perspective from the real meaning as the singer or artiste uses a word to bring out a different meaning.
For instance, many hip hop singers use the word “bitch” to mean a woman whereas we all know that the word is abusive. The youths then take the vulgarly terms and use them as the artistes do. According to them they think it is fun but to the public it is seen as moral degradation.
Hip hop music is also said to perpetuate the rise in criminal activities among the youth. Taking a look at a hip hop music clip you will bear me evidence that there are violent scenes involved. Such scenes range from robberies, demonstration on fights.
When the youth watch let us say a scene involving bank robbery their minds are tempted to use the tactics involved in the music and put it into reality. This has lured so many youth into criminal life where they plan and implement their activities in reference to the crime in the hip hop music (Parker, 2009, p.1).
Taking a look at most convicted youth criminals you will discover that larger percentages are diehard fans of this genre of music. Not only are the lovers of hip hop music but also the artistes themselves some have criminal record. Not forgetting looking at statistics it is evident that in many night clubs where hip hop is played they are areas prone to violence.
Majority of hip hop artistes have a similar dress code among them that is considered indecent by the society (Murray, 2003, p.1). For example you may see male artistes performing bear chest with trousers worn way down below the waist. The following day it is quite obvious that you will see a youth exactly dresses as the artiste or even worse than the role model.
This trend has led to many youth having an unspeakably dress code that is morally unfit for the society. In trying to emulate the artistes dressing and behavior the youth find themselves going against the society’s code of conduct.
However, the music helped create political awareness among the youth. Most hip hop songs major on issues such as racism, gender, elections and so on.
In these instances the youth with a passion for hip hop get to hear about matters of politics and learn of their impact to the society (Reese, 2000. P.1). for example in Obama’s bid for presidency in the USA several songs were sung in his favor to promote his political ambition.
Hip hop also helps to keep the youth updated about the countries past history. The artistes use matters of older generations to pass it on to the current youth thereby acquainting them with relevant history.
Conclusion
Having looked at the positive and negative effects it is evident that negative effects outweigh the positive impacts. It is therefore recommendable for the youth to shun away from the vice brought about by hip hop music. The hip hop artistes also have a role of ensuring that their songs have a positive impact to the society rather than a negative one.
Hip hop music and rap have created a stereotype that distinguishes people by race and builds stereotypes that can ruin mental health and cause social issues like intolerance. HipHopDX (2020) has stated that historically black people were more professional in creating rap masterpieces, but these days, this type of music is under discrimination, and the general culture of black people becomes intimidating and unattractive. Black women are making massive talk about ensuring a society that they should not be judged for their art and that social justice should stay fair (Craig and Kynard, 2017). Moreover, similar messages might influence urban violence and decrease the level of crimes. Nevertheless, the problem remains massive, and the definition of misogyny, which means dislike of women, continues spreading in societies (HipHopDX, 2020). The situation is unacceptable, but many races have started forgetting It and making it normalized.
However, even though the changes in the attitude toward hip-hop women are not significant, more role models started making the issue popular. For instance, Beyoncé is one of the most famous artists in the world who have stated her opinion regarding misogyny related to artists and other black women. She has said that females of every race should have the same rights in diverse creative spheres (HipHopDX, 2018). If black people do not want to choose rap as their career path, societies should accept the change and ruin the stereotype. A similar message from popular artists changed the relationship with women who consider being rappers and express their thought through this type of music. Moreover, females not related to this art can become more self-confident in their daily routines.
I believe that the commercialization of hip hop is one of the most positive movements that make many aspects of life normalized and decrease discrimination allowing more people to express themselves by creating masterpieces. The level of sexualization can fall, and the quality between males and females of different races can be achieved. This factor influences African Americans’ values the most as they have always been striving to become freer in their actions.
Dance is and always shall be a form of expression where the movements performed speak volumes of the emotions and feelings that the dancer is trying to impart to the audience. The unique aspect of dance is that it is not limited to an assigned constraint or form but rather adapts to the type of music that is being played which as a result has created a myriad of different dance forms reflecting the plethora of available music in the world today.
What must be understood though is that just as different versions music must convey different messages so to do different forms of dance portray different feelings and emotions. In order to better understand this concept an examination of contrasts is needed to clarify just how different yet similar certain styles of dancing are to each other. To this end Hip hop and ballet have been chosen due to the obvious differences in their manner of conveying emotion and eliciting reactions from various audiences.
It is actually a rare sight for audiences of either form of expression to interact and even rarer still to see them within the same area however this is precisely why both styles of dance were chosen, for it is in their contrasts that make them dissimilar that the obviousness of their similarity comes to light.
It is based on this that this paper assumes that despite their inherent differences in style both hip hop and ballet contain similar attributes when it comes to precision movements and their ability to tell the story of a song through movement and body rhythm.
What must first be understood is that despite the assumptions of this paper, hip hop and ballet are still inherently different styles of dance. When a person performs ballet their body follows a certain flow, moves delicately in precise accordance with the music with strict adherence to form and style. Hip hop on the other hand has no particularly distinct style, in fact the basis of this particular form of dance is in improvisation where dancers develop dance moves and patterns as they see fit.
If ballet is a soft form of dancing involving delicateness, hip hop is a hard form of expression employing explosive movements. It is on this basis that this paper will elaborate on the basis of the forms and styles utilized in both types of dance and will break down just how similar and different both particular methods of dance are to each other.
Similarities
Emotion, pure unadulterated emotion and expression, this is basis of the style of ballet, every bodily movement, every graceful step, leap and raised limb, all of this is done to convey some form of message to the audience. While many may assume that the ballerina merely dances along with a song it must be understood that the song itself is merely complimentary, what must be observed is how the movements flow, if they are meant to portray lust, sadness or demurity.
It must be noted that the human body is in fact capable of multiple types of bodily expression all of which can be interpreted in any manner ways. Ballet takes advantage of this by utilizing body language as a means of telling a story without words. The songs, backgrounds and costumes all contribute to building up the story however it is the ballet dancer that is the true story teller.
On the other hand ballet is also done to impress, precise movements, breathtaking rhythm and timing as well as slight acrobatics are all done in order to entertain the audience. In reality ballet is not only a form of expression but also a form of entertainment that is meant to draw in crowds for a profit. Comparatively Hip hop is also based on sheer raw emotion; its movements though convey the baser aspects of emotion such as anger, the need for freedom and recklessness however they convey emotions none the less.
Just as ballet is precise in its movements and rhythm so too is Hip hop, one present day example of this can be seen in the Step Up movie series where Hip hop dancers move together under the same rhythm, express themselves through their dancing and let the music compliment what they do instead of their dancing complimenting the music. Similar to ballet Hip hop performances are also meant to impress and entertain audiences during various events to also make a profit.
Differences
The inherent difference between the two styles lies solely with the fact that one advocates absolute conformity while the other encourages improvisation and redefinition, this of course refers to ballet and Hip hop respectively. What must first be understood is that the each form of dance developed under a different type of culture. In the culture of Hip hop redefinition, recreation, and improvisation are at the heart of this dance style due to fact that that imitation is highly frowned upon in Hip hop culture.
For them, originality and uniqueness defined the utilization of styles with each performance actually being slightly or even divergently different than what came before. This is done in the name of ensuring that particular dance numbers are done in way where they always seem original, that they are not reliant on imitation and that they are the sole creation of those who dance them.
Ballet on the other hand is all about conformity, performances done on one night must be the same as the next night and the night after that. For classical ballet dancing it is not all about improvisation and creativity rather it is the development of talent to its zenith through sheer repetitive action. The development of perfect form, perfect grace and perfect steps, to give the perfect performance over and over again is what ballet strives to do.
While there are certain improvisations done, these are relatively minor when compared to manner in which the style seems to keep repeating itself. In this repetition a ballet dancer can develop himself/herself into a figure of absolute grace and beauty. While Hip hop can be considered constant surprise and innovation ballet is considered the achievement of the absolute zenith in grace and fluidity.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this paper it can be seen that while Hip hop and ballet may have inherent differences in the intent and focus of their various dance movements the fact remains that they are still inherently similar in their desire to express and entertain.
While it is still not quite clearly understood, precision and coordinated movements that can be seen in both ballet and Hip hop apparently have a similar appeal to the human senses. Perhaps it is in the body language, movement styles or sheer rhythm, regardless both styles of dance are the same in their ability to entertain and impart a message through their movements.
This ability is distinctly different as compared to ballroom dancing since there does not seem to be any message that ballroom dancing is trying to impart to an audience and in fact rather than the song complimenting the dancer, in this case it is the dancer that is complimenting the song.
This is why ballet and Hip hop are so similar, they are able to convey messages other forms of dance cannot; they alone can use their bodies to weave stories, elicit strong responses, cause excitement and tension and most important of all entertain audiences beyond mere body movements and knee jerking.
Common or Lonnie Rashid Lynn is an American rapper and actor was born in 1972 and first debuted in 1992. He received acclaim from many underground rappers. During his career as a rapper, he joined various hip-hop groups. Many albums released by the artist have been nominated for prestigious awards such as Grammy, and the rapper himself is an Academy Award laureate. In his texts, the theme of drugs, weapons, and police brutality is very clearly traced.
The Style/sound/tone
The rap of the artist Common is not rude, even though some of the lyrics contain profanity. The artist’s songs are inspiring and powerful. His rap is underground and can be said to be street, as many of the poems cover the theme of the streets and what is happening on them. The mood of the texts is very inspiring, not depressing the listeners. There is a severe tone of the performance because there are important topics such as negative attitudes towards blacks, inequality, and discrimination in his texts.
Black America Again
‘There we go, here, here we go again
Trayvon will never get to be an older man
Black children, they childhood
Stole from them
Robbed of our names and our language, stole again
Who stole the soul from black folk?
Same man who stole the land from Chief Black Smoke
And made the whip crackle along our back slow
And made us go through the back door
And raffle black bodies on the slave door
Now we slave to the blocks, on’em we spray shots
Leaving our own to lay in a box…’
This song’s lyrics show that Trayvon Martin, who was killed by the police, will no longer become an adult and that the entire justice system is dirty and unfair. In addition, the text says that a black person should be proud of who he is and from where he comes. In his text, he calls America Black America. The rhythm of this rap is quite fast, and the words are sharp and jerky. Probably, this artist wanted to show how strong the black people remain and inspire people to be proud of who they are.
Messages
Police officers take the lives of black children who will no longer have a childhood, just as they took the life of Trayvon, who will no longer have an old age.
Part of the plot of human life is killing each other.
Government systems are unfair and dirty.
The lyrics of the song, although not very diverse, included all the acute and pressing problems of black people. A reflection of many of the issues highlighted by the performer Common can be found in the book, as it also very vividly depicts the lives of black people and the problems they face.
Connection 1
Khalil was still a young man but was untimely killed by a police officer. Now he, like many murdered black young men, will have no childhood, no future, nothing, and no one around. Starr is very sad about Khalil’s death because he was her best friend, and his death was absolutely in vain. Khalil’s mother, Brenda, is also in agony over her son’s death.
Connection 2
The Starr family home was attacked, and the attackers sought to kill the entire family. They are at home, and Star, watching the news about Khalil, realizes that everything is now her fault.
Connection 3
Everywhere it is said that Khalil himself is to blame for his death. In this case, the injustice is that the authorities are trying to protect their police officer. They try to do it dishonestly, exposing Khalil as a simple drug dealer and drug addict and the police officer as a real hero who does not deserve a prison sentence. A phrase from the rap song Common highlights the idea that the justice system is unfair and dirty.
Reference
Thomas, A. (2018). The hate u give. Collins publishers.
The essay is a comparative paper regarding jazz and hip hop music. These two set of music came to limelight thanks to the rich culture as well as inborn love and passion for music of African Americans. It is worth to note from the onset that this music is very popular globally (Carney 82).
Both hip hop and jazz are closely linked and for that matter there are a number of similarities they share prompting some individuals to pronounce that hip hop is ‘the jazz of young individuals in the society’. To the extreme there are some who hold that the two are similar and may use the names interchangeably. However, these two set of music have clear distinctions.
Similarities between Jazz and Hip Hop
As suggested by Carney 125 a major similarity between hip hop and jazz is that the architects are African American. Their passion, rich culture and love for music saw to it that the music came to be what it is today. On the same note, the country of origin of this music is common to both. United States of America is where jazz and hip hop originated.
Additionally, the two music genres have been widely and lovingly embraced. It is worth noting that it is not only Americans who love the music but other varied cultures across the globe. This has been heightened by technological advancement which has made geographical distance to be counter with regards to distribution and availability of these genres.
Currently, in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and North America individuals are listening and watching music of jazz and hip hop origin (Conyers 88). To a certain this, it is evident in these population to see how they dance, dressing styles, graffiti writing among others clearly being depicted. On the same note the manner with which a number of youths are talking seems to be influenced by the global impact of these genres of music (Charters 63).
According to Conyers 212 another similarity between the two music genres is the origin of the singers. It is worth noting that the musicians can be linked to hard life full of oppression. For that matter most of the songs revolves around fighting for their rights and trying to raise concern regarding mistreatment of the less fortunate in the society. In terms of economic class, majority of the artists of these genres are from lower classes.
Differences between Jazz and Hip Hop
The exact birth place of both jazz and hip hop is different. It is worth remembering that although the two originated from the United States of America, jazz is linked to be born in New Orleans. With this, it came to the limelight in the 19th centaury. Additionally, jazz were originally sung during funerals (Charters 108).
But later made its way to bars as well as dancing halls; it was during the First World War that it became so popular and a global favorite. On the other hand it has been established that hip hop originated in school play ground of Bronx in New York back in 1970s. Ideally hip hop clearly reflects the feelings and emotions of African American youths in 1970s regarding issues of concern such as racism plus other sorts of discrimination.
Although it can be argued that both uses improvisation, jazz seems to use in a different manner when compared to hip hop. Jazz prominently and integrates varied set of creativity. Additionally, “rhyming off the top has become common in live performances and battles” (Bogdanov 39). Strictly speaking in jazz improvisation is a core element. On the other hand, hip hop are made from written rhymes, beats that are programmed and very little materials for improvisation.
Additionally, jazz in terms of collaboration of musicians outweighs hip hop. It is worth noting that majority of jazz especially modern one clearly depicts features of active and true collaboration efforts from artists where each and every one has an opportunity to react to the activities of the others during performance (Charters 71).
However in hip hop, recorded collaboration between musicians is made up of each taking the chance to recite a verse previously composed. A typical example of such is a song by Biggie and Meth’s titled ‘The What’. Although it was previously mentioned that the two genres are popular globally, it is apparent that hip hop has overtaken jazz in terms popularity despite of coming into the limelight after jazz. The former seem to be a cultural movement currently being experienced by the youths globally (Bogdanov 45).
Conclusion
From the review of jazz and hip hop, indeed there are certain characteristics the two genres share. These include country of origin; the characteristics of musicians playing the genre, the two have been globally embraced and loved. On the other hand the distinct differences between the two set of music make it easy for one not to easily get confused and use the names interchangeably. The differences include the extent to which improvisation is utilized, place of birth, the nature of collaboration and the period of time they were developed.
Works Cited
Bogdanov, Vladamir. All Music Guide to Hip Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip Hop. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books, 2003. Print.
Carney, Court. Cuttin’ up: How Early Jazz Got America’s Ear. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2009. Print.
Charters, Barclay. New Orleans: Playing a Jazz Chorus. New York: Marion Boyars Publishers, 2006. Print.
Conyers, James. African American Jazz and Rap: Social and Philosophical Examinations of Black Expressive Behavior. Jefferson, N.C.: Mcfarland, 2001. Print.