critique #2: Hip Hop Reflects Black Dysfunctional Ghetto Culture

In this chapter of Hip Hop Wars, Tricia Rose talks about how Hip Hop negatively portrays the black community. Many times in Hip Hop songs rappers describe where they come from and their lifestyles which generally don't tend to be good. Because of this,many people start to relate black people to the lifestyle many rappers rap about,such as bad neighborhoods full with drugs and violence. This poor reflection of black culture is what many people who do not support hip hop use to support their opposition to hip hop. A word directly related to this issue is "ghetto" which is what many people use to describe aspects of a dysfunctional black community. This draws a negative attention to the black community because rappers are publicly exposing the "ghettoes" in which they live in. In my opinion this makes it a lot harder for black people to get rid of that stereotypical image that is directly associated with them,simply for being black.

Imitation #2000: Kanye West,All Falls Down

"Then I spent 400 bucks on this
Just to be like nigga you ain't up on this!
And I can't even go to the grocery store
Without some ones thats clean and a shirt with a team
It seems we living the american dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings"

In these 8 lines of All Falls Down by Kanye West,Kanye is rapping about the struggles some people face to fit in to the higher social classes,specifically African Americans. Specifically in the first few lines he's talking about the pressure thats placed on him to go out dressed nicely even when hes just going to the grocery store. I feel that the message hes trying to get across is how much African Americans have to overcompensate just to be respected. In line 5 Kanye West alludes to the well known term "the American dream" and says that it only seems like they're reaching that goal but in reality they're struggling to keep up.I lines 1 &2,4&5, and 7&8 there are examples on end line rhymes because the words at the end of those pair of lines all rhyme. Also even though line 7 is straight forward, in my opinion it is one of the most captivating lines because it shows that external beauty means nothing when you're a bad person on the inside. I feel as if Kanye is basically saying that even the prettiest people who are idolized to really ugly (bad) things. I believe Kanye is speaking to everyone and isn't directing his song to anyone in specific. I believe this verse is both a confessional and a critique because hes talking about the struggles he faces and is also critiquing those same struggles society places on African Americans to fit in.

redo immitation of the 90's

Imitation #1980's: Madonna,Like A Virgin

Like a virgin
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
When your heart beats (after first time, with your heartbeat)
Next to mine

Gonna give you all my love, boy
My fear is fading fast
Been saving it all for you

This song performed by Madonna is a confessional in which Madonna talks about being in love. She uses the simile " Like a virgin" in which she compares falling in love to being like a virgin because its her first time being in love. You can tell that this song is directed toward her love interest because she talks about how warm he makes her feel and about hearing his heartbeat next to hers.I chose this song because i thought that comparison of her being in love for the first time to being a virgin was very interesting. I like this comparison because its easy to understand her feelings about being in love for the first time and she even goes on to say how she felt like a new person. I can make the assumption that she is happy to be in love because she is giving all her heart to this love interest similar to when a women gives all herself to her partner and loses her virginity.Also in other verses throughout her song she says plainly without any literary technique that he makes her feel good inside and she will be his to the end of time. Overall,the message of this song was easy to grasp and I enjoy both the lyrics and music to this song.

Chapter 1

In the first chapter of Hip Hop Wars by Tricia Rose the connection of hip hop music and violence is analyzed. This controversial issue examines the effect that rappers lyrics can have on their fans listeners,especially their young fans. Many people believe that while rappers talk about committing violent acts they are not just rapping but they are also influencing. This argument has also been used by both defense and prosecuting layers. I believe that this is surely a very controversial issue because there are many arguments from people who believe that rap music sends a negative message and also from people who believe rap music does not influence bad behavior in people. In my opinion, I believe that rap music that is specially focused on violence and drug use does send a negative message to its audience and therefor influences the way they think and maybe even their actions. I specifically believe that it influences young listeners because they look up to these rappers who they think are cool because they rich and famous and they think that what they rap about is also cool. Many times listeners do not stop and question the meaning behind rappers lyrics and just sing along without realizing that what they're saying is not something most people would be proud of;(murder,gang affiliation,robbery,drug use and abuse,etc.)

Imitation #1970s: Nikki Giovanni,My House

i only want to
be there to kiss you
as you want to be kissed
when you need to be kissed
where i want to kiss you
cause its my house and i plan to live in it
i really need to hug you
when i want to hug you
as you like to hug me
does this sound like a silly poem

english isn't a good language
to express emotion through
mostly i imagine because people
try to speak english instead
of trying to speak through it
i don't know maybe it is
a silly poem
i'm saying it's my house
and i'll make fudge and call
it love and touch my lips
to the chocolate warmth
and smile at old men and call
it revolution cause what's real
is really real
and i still like men in tight
pants cause everybody has some
thing to give and more
important need something to take
and this is my house and you make me
happy
so this is your poem

In this poem written by Nikki Giovanni in 1972 I was able to grasp a strong feeling of romanticism which I really enjoyed. I believe that Giovanni is speaking to someone she is interested in or loves. This poem is a confessional because she speaks about her personal feelings specifically regarding her love interest. With the use of short and simple lines you are able to read through the whole poem in a smooth manner which made it easy to read. I really enjoy this poem because in a way I feel that it is contradicting itself; one moment she is talking about doing only what SHE wants and the next she is talking about doing what her lover wants. Also she ends every few lines with a reference to HER house which is in a way funny to me because its as if she stops being selfish but then goes back to restating that she can do as she pleases because she is in her house. Giovanni also repeats her concern about this being a silly poem which I also find interesting because although she is being selfish she also cares about what someone else might think of her "lovey-dovey" poem. I chose to add a big part of the ending of the poem because I feel like you have to read more of it to get the whole picture. What I get from this poem is that she is in love and in a way she feels like shes losing control of her emotions and she feels that she comes off silly to people who hear her and that is why she keep repeating in a way "i know this is a silly poem" to just state that she herself knows that she may come off as silly and crazy to others. I really do like this poem because i think it really shows how love works. One moment she's selfish making everything about what she wants and how she wants it,shown in the first 3 lines,and the next she's talking about doing what her lover would want. In the end I feel like she finally gives in and admits that this poem is not about her,its about her lover and its for them because that person is what makes her happy.



I seriously really liked this poem. It was crazy and not a typical love poem and I feel like it really grasped what being in love is like; just odd and overall crazy. I'll remember this poem !