Hip hop music started gaining popularity at the end of the 20th century and the 21st century. The Game is an American rapper presenting the Westcoast rap genre. In his song called Dreams, he demonstrates the strong desire to pursue his goals regardless of life challenges. He also explains how life can change your path towards dreams and how people cannot find the right way to achieve what they want.
The Game was shot and went into a three-day coma in 2001. The rapper says,” I feel like ‘Pac after the Snoop Dogg trial was done” (line 8). It reflects the friendship of 2Pac and Snoop Dog. Line 8 indicates the latter’s arrest, but further acquittal; hence, 2Pac was relieved. In Game’s case, when he recovered from a coma, realizing that he had not died. It is followed by lines, “it’s gon’ take more than a bullet in the heart to hold me back” (19). Therefore, even after a severe condition, Game found resources to continue following his dream.
Moreover, in his song, Game tells about the accident that can change your life in one moment. “Aaliyah had a dream; Left Eye had a dream” refers to the plane crash when American singer Aaliyah died and the death of Lisa Lopes in a car accident (23-24). He dedicated the song to Yetunde Price, killed in a gang shootout. Thus, he claims that some moments in life could change it, and the person never knows how and when it might happen.
In addition, the path to dreams is fraught with pitfalls. For instance, Game sings, “hurdled life’s obstacles, found my way through the maze” (34). The rapper plays with the words in the line, “they say sleep is the cousin of death, so my eyes wide open” (43). “So” sounds like “sew”; consequently, if Game sews his eyes, he can avoid death (43). Strength and desire remain crucial, and obstacles can be defeated by continuous effort.
To sum up, the song Dreams by The Game reveals the topic of dreams. Every person has a cherished dream that he or she wants to realize in real life. Achieving a person’s goals is undoubtedly a difficult journey that an individual needs to go through to succeed. Thus, it is always important not to stop on the way to your dream and not give up in front of various difficulties.
References
The Game. (2005). Dreams [Song]. On The Documentary [Album]. G-Unit/Aftermath/Interscope.
Music is an art form that has existed in human society for thousands of years. It is a global language capable of eliciting a wide range of emotions and sentiments in its listeners. In this essay, I will compare a song that I enjoy to one that I do not enjoy and elaborate on how they differ in terms of rhythm, melody, and mode.
In terms of mode, one song that I enjoy is “Shape of My Heart” by Sting. It primarily uses the minor mode which creates a sense of tension and dissonance in the music. This song is a beautiful and contemplative ballad that features a slow rhythm. The pace is established by the use of a simple drum loop and a steady bass line. The melody is based on a simple but evocative, guitar motif that is repeated throughout the song. On the other hand, a song that I do not enjoy is “Baby” by Justin Bieber. The melody has a fast and upbeat rhythm established by the heavy use of synthesizers and drum machines. The melody uses major scales and is based on a repetitive and simplistic catchy phrase repeated throughout the song.
The major and minor modes came to be preferred over the other modes for a long historical period because of the distinct emotional qualities they convey. The major scale is frequently connected with sentiments of pleasure and optimism, whereas the minor scale is usually associated with emotions such as sadness and melancholy (Ferris, 2010). The reason for this difference lies in the sound of the third note. The distinction is that the third note is the whole step in major mode and half step in minor (Ferris, 2010). What unites major and minor mode but differ them from other modes is the tonic note. This note is the first and the last of these two scales. It is the most frequently repeated note that is the basis of composition (Ferris, 2010). This emotional association has been reinforced over time through cultural and historical usage, leading to their frequent usage in music. Many composers today use modal instead of, or as well as tonal effects in their music because of the unique emotional and expressive qualities of the different modes.
To conclude, because of the particular emotional aspects they transmit, the major and minor modes have been frequently used in music. In this sense, the main difference between the two songs is that “Shape of My Heart” is a melodic song with minor modes, while “Baby” is an upbeat song with major modes. The former song is a display of musicianship and artistry, while the latter is more of a commercial product.
As the songs are the product of the human mind, they reflect not only the values of their creators but the values and traditions of the society and the time they were composed. The purpose of this essay is to identify how the values of American society are reflected in the song My Shot by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Web). This song represents the central American values: independence and equality.
I selected this song because it sounds encouraging and inspiring. To me, the song is about ambition and relying on yourself and your mind to achieve your goal. The message of the song is to cling to opportunities that are given to you and use all the skills and resources you have to get where you want to be. The song is a part of the musical Hamilton, dedicated to the life of Alexander Hamilton, so the target audience is likely to be musicals lovers or people interested in history.
The song reflects such American values as independence and equality. The significance of independence is reflected through the course of the song, but it is emphasized the best in the lines “When you live on your knees, you rise up,” meaning gaining control over your life. The song illustrates the value of equality in the lyrics, “But we’ll never be truly free until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me.” It shows the importance of equal rights for the musical characters. Thinking about the song in this way made me understand how sociology helps to identify the special features of societies of different countries and times through culture.
In conclusion, the song My Shot by Lin-Manuel Miranda represents the qualities that are significant for American society. The message of the song is the necessity of using the chances given to a person by life to achieve their goal instead of throwing them away. As the song is part of a historical musical, it represents the significance of these values on two levels: in the past and present.
The life of a modern person is primarily based on scientific facts and is gradually losing connection with the invisible world of inexplicable things. Every day, people’s attention is more and more captivated by technology and scandals in the media. In my opinion, music presents one of the strongest means that allows people an opportunity to reconnect with the real world. Music in modern society is often perceived as an element of the entertainment sphere; for some, music has become a professional field of activity that brings significant profits. However, in ancient cultures, music had the power to connect people’s souls with nature, the spirits of ancestors, and divine entities. It seems to me that in today’s world, people often forget about the ability of music to transform people’s minds by connecting them with the wonderful world around them.
In my experience, the line that made me reflect on life and adjust the way I think is Louis Armstrong’s line in What a Wonderful World. While many powerful, inspiring, and sentimental songs can set an individual’s emotional mood, I think this song is different from others. I know that songs can change the way a person looks at certain things or problems. However, the line “what a wonderful world” is different because it does not focus on any particular human experience (Armstrong). Moreover, the song’s lyrics describe the everyday things that the narrator sees before his eyes, making it even more unusual. Since the song is quite popular, I have heard it in many different films where it was used as a soundtrack. However, my first experience fully listening to the song’s lyrics happened when I walked around town, and the song was randomly recommended as an extension of my playlist. Despite my initial desire to switch to another song, I continued listening because it is a relatively short composition. After the song ended, I listened to it a few more times on repeat.
At first, I noticed that my mood significantly improved after listening to the song. Next, I felt that my anxieties began dissipating, soon replaced by inspiration. After returning home in the evening, I found myself looking at the evening sky in the window and thinking about what tomorrow will bring me. However, after reflecting on what happened in the afternoon, I decided not to indulge in thoughts about tomorrow. Instead, I focused on the present, where I had the opportunity to enjoy the unique colors of the sunset sky. Just like the narrator in the song, I thought to myself: “what a wonderful world” (Armstrong). Delving further into the essence of the song’s lyrics, I realized that this line encourages people to be kinder to each other and pay less attention to the negative, focusing on finding beauty in everyday things.
Since that day, I regularly listen to the song because I associate it with the feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation. When I listen to the song, I imagine myself sitting alone on a beach, enjoying the sunset while listening to the peaceful sounds of the ocean waves. Two groups of strangers also came to the beach to watch the sunset; occasionally, I could hear their laughter and noises from enthusiastic children accompanied by caring parental voices. The sun eventually sets below the horizon, giving way to the starry night sky.
While people can have their own different interpretations of the song, for me, it refers to the miracles of the universe. The excessive influence of scientific views and technology makes people see nature and living organisms as complicated structures, depriving them of their souls. The music allowed me to realize that despite any of my worries, the world will continue to live, similarly to the way flowers bloom in the morning. Therefore, spending time on worries and negative thoughts can be a waste of time. On the other hand, treating people well and creating pleasant memories will spread the flow of wonderful things in the world. Now, when I face problems or obstacles, I remind myself that I am just a small particle in a big world, so there are no problems that I cannot solve.
In conclusion, this essay explains how important music can be for an individual’s life. While some people perceive music as a source of entertainment, and others use it to create a certain emotional mood, music can help in defining an individual’s perception of life. Thus, my experience with the line “what a wonderful world” significantly improved my daily life and allowed me to become a better person who does not give power to negative thoughts and intentions.
Eleven years ago, Rihanna introduced the single “Man Down”; the Caribbean-inspired reggae song was included on the singer’s fifth studio album, Loud. Overall, the song was a moderate success worldwide but became a hit in Europe, topping the charts in France and Switzerland. “Man Down” received mostly good reviews from critics, who called the song a real highlight of the album. The message of the song is to draw attention to the social vulnerability of women, especially in Latin American countries.
The General Message
In fact, the metaphor of murder is used in the video to show that such topics should not be hidden from the public, especially from children. Otherwise, according to Rihanna, they will not learn to adapt to society, and if they do, they will be embarrassed to talk about rape (Ferreday, 2017). Indeed, the singer and her team used many visual, musical, and stylistic devices to show the world the scale of the problem of the infringement of women’s rights and the widespread victim-blaming.
Stylistic Analysis
Murder in the context of this song is a gesture of desperation in a woman who has no other way to defend herself. This is evident in the pathos of the song, in which the story begins with a pleasantly relaxing Caribbean story with colorful shots and ends with a story of cruelty and social injustice (Jansen & Westphal, 2017). “He could have been someone’s son” – this line reflects appeals to humanistic sentiment (Rihanna, 2011). Logos manifests itself in various flashbacks, reflected both visually, through the transitions of the frames, and verbally in the lyrics of the song. Rhetorical questions as a means of expression reveal the ethos and allow the listeners to feel the humanity of the lyrical heroine and her sacrificial position: “Why did I pull the trigger? (Rihanna, 2011)” The Latin American motifs and rhythmic insertions create a special effect, giving the story a special dramatic quality.
Conclusion
Thus, this song is an independent statement and is not attached to a thematic album or a series of musical videos. The message that Rihanna wanted to convey was clear and unambiguous for the audience, thanks to the variety of correctly chosen means of artistic expression. The song and the video create a romantic atmosphere that contrasts with the content of the song. Visual, linguistic, and acoustic effects helped make this statement vivid and memorable.
Eleanora Fagan was born in 1915 in Philadelphia. Her childhood was difficult, as she was growing without a father and with her mother spending most of her time at work. In 1929, Eleanora moved to her mom in Harlem, chose her pseudonym, and started performing in local nightclubs. Ten years later, Eleanora had toured with Count Basie and Artie Shaw, was heard on the radio, had several hits, and became an established artist in the industry (Savage 40). In the 1940s, Holiday’s success grew, as she recorded some of her most well-known and popular songs, and in 1947 she reached her commercial peak. However, at the same time, her problems with drugs became more serious, and she was arrested twice (Perez & McKee 32). During the 1950s, both Holiday’s health and her financial wealth deteriorated, leading to her death in 1959 due to cirrhosis.
Billie Holiday released numerous songs during her lifetime, but I have chosen “Strange Fruit” since it still remains one of the most prominent ones in her catalog. The song was Holiday’s biggest-selling recording in 1939 as it reached more than 1 million sold copies eventually (Zirpolo). The genres of the song are blues and jazz, and it was written to protest the lynching of Black Americans, which peaked at that time in the South (Zirpolo). The song was based on the poem written by Abel Meeropol in 1937, and Billie Holiday recorded it in 1939. “Strange Fruit” was recorded at Commodore label as a single, therefore it did not have an album (Zirpolo). The musical arrangement for the song was created by a band who used a trumpet, saxophones, a piano, a guitar, drums, and a bass.
Comparing “Strange Fruit” with other songs of the genre at that time, it does noticeably stand out. Despite the fact that “Strange Fruit” was not the first song discussing and protesting racial issues, it was the first one to do so and become the greatest hit. The song was popular for decades and was named the song of the century by Time magazine in 1999 (Finley 175). For Holiday, the song was special as it reflected her own experience – her father’s death due to medical treatment refusal based on racism. The way Eleanora performed indicated her strong emotions; for many years, she was closely associated with this song.
Deconstruct and Evaluate
The first element of music which will be analyzed in “Strange Fruit” is the texture which is particularly notable in the current recording. Despite the fact that several instruments are engaged in the performance of “Strange Fruit,” the piano dominates the landscape of the song at times, even sounding louder than Holiday’s vocals. The song has no additional effects, and the guitar used on the recording has a clean sound. The song’s texture is homophonic since both the voice and instruments play the same melody in unison which is representative of the blues genre.
The melody of Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” is also of great importance since it is unusual. Holiday creates a through-composed melody which means that she introduces different music in each stanza of the lyrics. “Strange Fruit” is performed in B-flat minor, which reflects the somber character of the recording. Yet, Holiday is constantly changing notes using F, the lowest note in the song, to add dramatic effect and then raising her vocals to the A-flat. Holiday uses slides and grace notes which reflect the blues tradition, and she breaks the melodic contour of the song in the third line by ascending minor thirds and then moving on the diminished chords at the end.
Finally, the duration of “Strange Fruit” also presents an interesting case for the listener and music experts. The song has a simple rhythmic pattern since it is based on a poem, and it follows the quadruple meter and the tempo of 58 BPM. The rhythmic movement of the song involves sequences of eighth and sixteenth notes, which are short-long and long-short. Holiday also incorporates contrasting triplet rhythms at phrase beginnings and occasionally for textual emphasis.
Works Cited
Laura L. Finley. Violence in Popular Culture: American and Global Perspectives. ABC-CLIO, 2018.
Perez, Michael V. & Jessica McKee. Billie Holiday: Essays on the Artistry and Legacy. McFarland, 2019.
Savage, Ann M. Women’s Rights: Reflections in Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO, 2017.
It should be noted that the song called “Leave” by Post Malone is one of my favorite tracks by this artist. The value of this work lies not only in the excellent singing and production but also in the lyric that immediately immerses the listener in the atmosphere full of dramatism and melancholy. The purpose of this discussion is to reflect on the meaning of the song and the mood it creates.
General Impression
I appreciate the works of this artist since they embody country, grunge, hip-hop, and R&B music. Meanwhile, it is impossible to attribute such music to any particular genre as it exists at the junction of several styles, which makes this artist and his songs indeed versatile. I like the song “Leave” because it exposes the listener to beautiful singing, which is opposed to rapping. The audience finds a young man in the middle of the run from his lover: “Then I went to California / And I ain’t never coming back” (“Leave – Post Malone”).
The lyric of this work is worthy of particular attention. It is memorable due to a catchy rhyme and dramatism inherent in it. The singer makes an allusion to God to stress the feeling that has made his sacrifice himself in the relationship. He sings: “I worship since I met you / I fell down to my knees / And when no one would accept ya / Throw myself up on a cross and bleed” (“Leave – Post Malone”). Thus, the text supports the music in a remarkable way and intensifies the impression from it.
Concluding Points
The mood of the song is melancholy and calm while, at the same time, it is quite empowering. It pushes the listener to accept any concerns and regrets they have and embrace these feelings. A compilation of several instruments reinforces the mood the track creates. In particular, the atmosphere is established through the sounds of the guitar and the drums while strings add a dramatic note to it. The song ends with an emphasis on the strings to indicate that the main hero of the song has made a difficult choice and will now need to move on with his life.
Stevie Wonder is one of the most renowned musicians whose music career has shaped the American music industry. Born in 1950, he started his music career at a tender age and he went on to become a celebrated musician in early 1970s. Though blind ever since he was born, his inability to see did not put him away from playing musical instruments such as the bass guitar, harmonica, drums, piano, flute, and others.
Besides his music career, Stevie is also famed for advocating for the establishment of the Martin Luther King, Junior’s memorial birthday as a national holiday in the United States. In addition, the United Nations named him a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009. He has received numerous music awards and recognitions for his outstanding performance in musical career. He is a clear indication that disability does not amount to inability as he has achieved greatly in the music arena despite his blindness.
Introduction
Stevie Wonder was born on “May 13, 1950 in Saginaw Michigan as third born child to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway” (Brown 19). Unfortunately, he was born six weeks premature and consequently he developed eye problems that rendered him blind shortly after birth. At age four, he moved with his mother to Detroit after her separation with his father. At an early age, Stevie was active in the church choir where he showed prowess in playing musical instruments such as piano, harmonica, drums, flute, and bass guitar (Werner 72).
His music prowess is inspiring to many people across the world since he got into the musical career. He has received numerous awards due to outstanding performance. In addition, his musical prowess in jazz, rock and roll, R&B, and soul seem to have been improving, as he gets older. This paper explores his source of motivation for his outstanding musical prowess with regard to his blindness.
Music Career
Stevie Wonder started his music career in the church where Gerald White recognized his outstanding performance in music at a tender age of eleven years. White introduced Stevie to his brother, Ronnie White, who took his mother and Stevie to Motown productions.
Motown’s CEO, “Berry Gordy, was greatly impressed by Stevie’s outstanding performance and he signed him to Motown’s Tamla label as Little Stevie Wonder” (Brown 79). This move marked a great milestone in Stevie’s career. He had a passion for music at a tender age, which then lifted him to being signed at Motown.
His early rising in music career was internally motivated by passion considering his tender age and blindness. He was not exposed much to the music industry considering that the music industry had not yet developed to the level of reaching out to little children like is the case today. Besides passion, Stevie was born with a musical talent and hence he could not struggle to improve his skills in music, as is the case of an acquired passion or talent (Cramer 34).
Source of motivation in his childhood
A child’s talent is vulnerable to external events that bring about psychological conflicts in the child’s mind. According to Berk (70), a child of age between five and twelve years needs closer attention of a caregiver since at this stage a child develops the ability to reason logically. Other events take place in a child’s psychology due to growth and development, but most important it is the stage of self-discovery and mastery (Berk 71).
From the Stevie’s story, his mother was always close to him as he developed in musical talent and she accompanied her son to Motown for his meeting with the CEO before being signed. Hence, his mother played a crucial role of inspiring and motivating him during his childhood. Moreover, White made a great contribution to Stevie’s life by discovering his outstanding talent and introducing him to the Motown CEO who latter offered him great opportunities for his musical career.
Early Success
Stevie came into the public limelight in 1963, at age thirteen, after the release of the album, The 12 Year Old Genius, which was a live recording. The major hit of the album was the “Fingertips (Pt.2) single that was taken from a live recording performance of the Motor Town Revue where Stevie was featured on vocals, bongos, and harmonica whereas Marvin Gaye was the dramatist” (Love and Brown 23).
The good reception of the new hit by the audience made it the best on Billboard Hot 100, and consequently made him the youngest artist to emerge the best in its history, but this success did not stop him from putting more effort towards his career growth.
Stevie, despite becoming a public figure at a tender age, did not change his character, neither did he relax in his career; instead, he was motivated to put more effort in his musical career. This aspect is very inspiring considering the modern world whereby youths take their public consciousness as platforms for showing off. However, his maintenance of a good character as a young child could have been due to blindness, which held back his ego and arrogance, and instead made him put more effort in advancing his musical career.
In some instances, Stevie’s character and faith were tested after failure of his hits to emerge top on musical charts. A good example is his 1968 instrumental album called EivetsRednow. That album had soul and jazz tracks that were instrumental with most of them being the harmonica solos. Stevie had recorded it by himself and he gave it the title as his name written backwards.
However, the failure to garner much public attention and appreciation did not deter him from working harder to further his musical career, but instead he recorded other songs that emerged top in the charts between the same year and 1970 (Perone 48). His ability to move forward despite his released hits having not topped in the list of fame portrays him as a person of strong character whose character does not relent to fear and disappointment.
As a songwriter and artist
In September 1970, “Stevie married Syreeta Wright who worked as a songwriter and secretary at Motown and at then he was good at songwriting and he and his wife co-wrote his next album Where I’m Coming From” (Brown 31).
His conclusion to marry Syreeta was a boost to his career though his contract with Motown was expiring in 1971, he but opted to display his prowess in music as a tool for bargaining for contract renewal. Unfortunately, he allowed the contract to expire on May 13, 1971, which was then his twenty first birthday.
Right to control his work and ownership
After the expiry of his contract, Wonder opted to do music independently, and he wrote two albums that helped in negotiations with Motown. At this age, Wonder was in a position to issue his demands to the Motown before signing the contract.
This move shows his ability to acknowledge his self-worthiness and a courageous act of showing that musicians too can demand what is right for them before signing contracts with producers. Among the issues that he demanded were his right to full control of creativity and ownership to his songs, which was a great milestone in his career as he had been working as an employee of the producer who received the greater share of his work (Zorn 324).
In March 1972, Wonder got back to Motown after signing a lengthy contract that gave him a much higher loyalty to his career. His first album after the return was released in 1972 and was much more creative than previous recordings as it was full-length artistic statement unlike previous versions, which were single collections.
His boldness to demand his rights to creativity shaped the American music industry as other production companies utilized the same idea in their productions. Other music artists were allowed to control creativity of their artistic work and right to ownership. His inability to see did not deter him from leading others who had the eyes to see.
Having the right to control his musical talent granted, he dealt much with “social, political, and mystical themes in his lyrics as well as standard romantic lyrics” (Brown 92).
His ability to choose the theme allowed him to explore musical elements such as overdubbing and recording instrumental parts by himself. He opted to seek collaboration with other great artists for some songs and the first collaboration took place in “1972 with Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil in the song Expanding Head Band in the album Music of My Mind” (Brown 98).
The song was well received though it did not become a hit. His creativeness opened doors for other musicians to seek collaborations with others in their writing and recording works. On the other hand, his choice to control his work was of greater benefit to Motown as it opened doors to creativity and good reputation in the music industry.
Unfortunately, on August 6, 1973, “Wonder was involved in a serious automobile accident while on his performance tour in North Carolina” (Brown 115). The driver of the car lost control and thus hit the back of a truck. The accident left Stevie in a coma that lasted for three days. He had suffered head injuries that resulted in partial loss of his ability to smell coupled with the loss of sense of taste, which he regained gradually.
That accident, which for many people was a great setback, seemed not to have altered his music career at all. He re-appeared in March 1974 in a concert at Madison Square Garden and his performance was still intact. Later in July the same year, he released the album Fulfillingness, which first finale set two hits to the top of the pop list. Interestingly, the album won three Grammy awards.
Wonder has a strong character that is beyond falling out to fear or setbacks for despite the accident trauma, he made it to the top list with the best album of the year. In 1975, he made a greater milestone to his musical career by taking his career away from the US. He went to Kingston, Jamaica, for a live performance courtesy of the institute for the blind. This performance implied that his musical prowess was acknowledged outside the United States. Since then, he has made numerous trips to various countries.
Conclusion
Stevie Wonder has beaten all odds to become a world-renowned musician and his character strength has enabled him to overcome challenges that for many people would have rendered them lifetime beggars. He has received numerous awards for his extemporary prowess in music career and for his ability to shape the American music industry by demanding the right of musicians to control creativity and ownership of their work.
His courage opened doors for the growth of musical talents and quality of productions in the United States. Despite his recognition and great publicity across the world, he did not take advantage of that elevation to exhibit pride and arrogance like it has been the case with many public figures in the contemporary world.
However, he made good use of his publicity to advocate for the rights of the oppressed, teach the society, and give a helping hand to the needy and through those great actions, he is today a peace messenger of the United Nations and other foreign countries have recognized him for his contribution to the society. Stevie is a true hero who has struggled to bring glory to the music industry of the 20th and the 21st centuries despite nursing a disability.
Works Cited
Berk, Laura. Infants and Children: Prenatal Through Middle Childhood, Upper
Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2007. Print.
Brown, Jeremy. Stevie Wonder: Musician. Black Americans of Achievement, New
York: InfoBase Publishing, 2010. Print.
Cramer, Alfred. Musicians and composers of the 20th century, New York: Salem
Press, 2009. Print.
Love, Dennis, and Stacy Brown. Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula
Hardaway, Stevie Wonder’s Mother, Washington DC: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Print.
Perone, James. The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music, Westport:
Greenwood Publishing, 2006. Print.
Werner, Craig. Higher Ground, New York: Crown Publishers, 2004. Print.
Zorn, Jay. Listening to Music, Washington D.C: Pearson, 2006. Print.
Iskwe is an Indigenous child born to a Cree mother and an Irish Father. She came at a time when intelligent thinking allowed the light-skinned Indigenous people to approve of themselves as white – if they could. It was much safer to take this path to avoid ill-treatment from the non-indigenous type. In her late teenage years, she craved to know about her Cree origin, which endangered her grandfather’s teachings. She proposes to attend a naming ceremony and pays a costly price to an elder of the Cree heritage who names her Iskwe, also referred to as the blue sky woman. He also gave her a clan and colors, which would give her a sense of belonging. She embraces the Cree heritage with an aura and prefers it during a performance for identification. She is one songwriter who, from experience, calls it out as it is and seeks to have justice for the non-indigenous people.
During this time, Indigenous people were not considered a valid race, nor was it safe to identify themselves as such. Non-indigenous people forced the Indigenous to disown their cultural and linguistic heritage to fit in and have rights to specific justice systems, services, or livelihoods. The murder of the two Indigenous kids exposed the media coverage from a racist angle, leading her to call for justice against the discriminative treatment of Indigenous groups.
Lyrics Analysis
Have you seen the news today Did you hear what they had to say About our lost star They take in ways I can’t understand Place the blame on her like she was nobody’s child Now all I see today is how they wash away Our little star You see the way they play Say they’ll be a part of change But I think they lie Happens time and time and time again Place the blame on him like he was nobody’s child And all I see today is how they wash away Our little star Fire down, fire down, fire Fire down, fire down, down, down Fire down Now all I see today is how they wash away Our little star
Iskwe asks if anyone had seen the news that day of the dead little ones whose bright future was cut off untimely. She insists that the blame was placed on them as if they were nobody’s children and justice was unserved. The non-indigenous claim to amend and implement change, but she feels they lie as she remarks that it does not end there but continuously happens one day and another. Her emphasis on this case proves how Indigenous people are treated indifferently and blamed for their misfortunes, justice gets unserved, and the same continues daily.
The overall message of this song is Indigenous people ought to be treated as equivalent to non-indigenous. Discrimination in open places, legal justice, culture, and heritage of the Indigenous should be ended. This change can only be implemented by the Indigenous embracing their cultural and linguistic heritage without fear; only then can the rest bow to the arising of a people confident in their skin color, origin, and language. Iskwe was trying to bring an awakening to the Indigenous group that they deserve equal rights to any other person. They should not be blamed for any injustices against them because they are rightly entitled to human rights of protection and expression.
The ghetto consists of segregated housing units which lack strong institutions (Black 206). Formal organizations like churches, businesses, and schools make it more difficult for antisocial activities to thrive. Once such entities are uprooted, the sense of connectedness that makes other American neighborhoods effective is eliminated.
Poor social networks in these communities place responsibility for the care of children on lone parents, who are too preoccupied to carry out this role effectively. Unlike other effective communities, where responsibility for the care of children is shared in the network, this pattern is missing in black ghettos.
Nas represents one of the lone voices in such a community. He tries to school this boy on the realities of life. He advises him to ‘rise above the madness,’ among other things. In a society that lacks external controls, even a marijuana-smoking mentor like Nas is a welcome intervention.
In the song “One Love” as well as the movie “Belly,” twelve-year-old Shorty complements Nas on his style. Nas responds by giving him some gold chains that he could sell if he wanted. When one analyses how these two individuals are dressed, one notes the distinctive style of the black urban poor. Even how the two speakers is synonymous to this culture, they are both slow and deliberate in their speech. The two greet each other in an unusual manner and have a cool demeanor about them.
Majors and Billson (6) explain that the cool pose is a coping mechanism for several poor African Americans. They tend to appear fearless, emotionless, and in control. This is an attempt to mask the insecurities of their life. Many of them have to contend with the realities of marginalization.
Not only is their self-worth damaged, but they are also engaged by their hopeless circumstances. Maintaining a cool façade allows them to cover these inner struggles and thus cope with their environment. Shorty found inspiration from Nas and other rappers like him whose sense of style is cool. In this regard, he becomes a positive influence on the boy’s life by providing him with a coping strategy for his wretched reality.
Shorty is twelve, but he already smokes marijuana, sells crack cocaine, and carries a gun with him. These deviant circumstances are appalling but quite usual in black neighborhoods. Merton’s theory on Anomie best explains why Shorty was predisposed to so much negativity. When people share society’s goals of wealth acquisition but lack the means to achieve them, then they are predisposed to deviant means to meet those goals.
Black males want to enjoy material wealth, but economic, social and political barriers prevent them from doing so; they are left with violence as their only means of reaching these goals (Majors and Billson 21). One must not blame black men like Nas for initiating young ones like Shorty into the culture of violence. It is structural factors around him that pushed the boy into such a pathway. Nas was getting him to see the bigger picture by asking him not to get sucked into it.
Perhaps one of the most profound elements of the “One Love” song and the corresponding scene in Belly is its articulation of Black people’s problems. Forman and Neal (55), through their guest artist bam, explain that hip-hop makes people around the world learn about the negative and positive aspects of their lives. Nas is thus a black people’s ambassador.
Through such conscious music, he can reach out to other young black men like Shorty or to people in authority who can do something about their situation. Hip hop is about the regular lives of black folks (Toop 14), (Strode and Wood 110) & (George 49). Therefore, the social deprivation, violence, and urban decay in this rap song are a manifestation of what goes in this marginalized community.
Works Cited
Black, Albert. The Sociology and History of African Americans. Washington: University of Washington Press, 2000. Print.
Forman, Murray & Mark Anthony Neal. That’s The Joint: The Hiphop Studies Reader. NY: Routledge, 2001. Print.
George, Nelson. And It Don’t Stop: The Best American Hip Hop Journalism Of The Past 25 Years. New York: Faber and Faber Inc., 1985. Print.
Majors, Richard & Janet Billson. Cool Pose: The Dilemmas Of Black Manhood In America. NY: Simon and Schuster, 1992. Print.
Strode, Tim & Tim Wood. The Hiphop Reader: Gender Construction in Hiphop. NY: Longman, 2007. Print.
Toop, David. Rap Attack: African Rap to Global Hiphop. NY: Serpent’s tail, 1999. Print.