Nobody Talks about the Positive in Hip Hop

The Hip Hop Wars

Nobody Talks about the Positive in Hip Hop

            In this chapter, Tricia Rose talks about how when people describe hip hop they described it as being a bad thing. When really the first reason for creating hip hop was to show that minority are people and may be poor but they can make something out of themselves if they choose to.         

            To begin with, Tricia Rose talks about how the commercial radio only promotes the bad things because; these are the things that the fans like to hear. Now-a-days all these fans would like to hear is about sex, money, drugs, and women, and at the end of the days these are the things that will always continue to sell. When Tricia Rose says this I agree with her in so many different ways. If you turn on the radio now, nine times out of ten the song playing would be about sex, money drugs or women. Then, people think that they hip hop music that is playing on the radio is the only music out there, which is not true at all. They are different varieties of hip hop music out there. It is just that only certain ones are played on the radio.

            In addition, Tricia Rose also talks about how when people talk bad about hip hop they tend to mention that all these rappers have so much money and will not even give money to those in need. People only think this way because they never hear it on the radio how so and so gave money to this charity or went to a specific area and helped out this amount of people. When in reality, Tricia Rose says that there are rappers who actually do give to those in need and not just only think about themselves.

            In the end, I do believe that only the producers only spill out the things that sell, and the profanity and the illegal doing is what sells to these fans. There are a few artists out there that don’t portray the lifestyle that their music sells, however, they do want to make money and a living and the profanity and illegal doing makes that type of money. Also, people believe that only the bad thing sells, which in the end is true. However, some of the good things that these artists do should be in the fame also. When it’s not it makes some of the fans think that these artist are selfish and never do anything that can help those in need. There are many times where we see these artists on top and wonder, what they actually do with their money. These commercial radio stations should at times show us some of the positive things artists do with their money.

There are Bitches and Hoes

The Hip Hop Wars

There are Bitches and hoes

            On the subject of there are bitches and hoes, Tricia Rose, specifically talks about how most of the rap music consists of women being bitches and hoes. She also feels that when the women are referred to as being bitches and hoes the rappers are specifically pointing the fingers at the females in the black community. Tricia Rose makes many points about rap music referring to black women as bitches and hoes in their music.           

            To begin with, most of today rap music deals with females, drugs and how the society is today. The reason why most rappers speak upon these topics is because they are issues that happening as we speak and are easy to talk about. Tricia Rose specifically talks about how in the rap music the men rap about themselves being “pimps” having so many females. However, when a female has many males they don’t call it a pimp they call it as being a hoe. I agree with Tricia rose when she says that why women can’t have a good representation to be called when doing these actions like men had a good representation as being called a pimp.

In addition, Tricia Rose states, “Are they saying the issues brought up in their music are unimportant, less worthy of discussion?” They are important if they portray women in a certain way. Then, there are some women that don’t really care about how rappers rap about other women, like myself. I say this because I know it don’t pertain to me. The way women are talked about is how they act, dress and the things they do to men which I know things that they say in their songs I cannot see it relating to myself. However, Tricia Rose then made a statement about when people defend themselves this way they make it seem that labeling doesn’t heart all women, which I know it probably do. However, I never looked at it in the context that Tricia Rose was seeing it. Now, that I do I understand where she get her insights from. She then ties it down to that we shouldn’t only worry about defending ourselves but we should also worrying about defending others and helping them too, and she has a point.

Imitation 7 (2010): Drake Ft. T.I and Swiss Beats, Fancy

Assignment #9
Rap and Spoken Word

The song “Fancy” by Drake featuring T.I and Swiss Beats is about what they think is the typical female. They talk about how women think they are all that when they are looking their best. They use the word “fancy.” Basically when women get all dressed up, they think, they are on top of the world.

You getting ready so I know we gon be here awhile
in the bathroom flat irons and nail files
spending hours in salons on your hairstyle
in the mall steady racking up the air miles
hit the gym step on the scales stare at the number
you say you dropping 10 pounds preparing for summer
and you don't do it for the man, men never notice
you just do it for yourself you're the fucking coldest

I think this song is a boast, because Drake, T.I and Swiss beats all brag about how females brag when they pampered themselves. For example, Swiss Beats talks about how women think they are fancy when they have they “hair done, nails done, everything did.” I noticed that they talk as if they were the females considering themselves fancy.

The context of this song is basically a typical female lifestyle. The reason for Drake writing this song is to prove a point; that most females have similar things in common. For example, making sure everything is done nice from face down. He also probably wrote this so when his fans listen to it they can somehow relate to it. Most rappers rap about things others can relate to, I’ve noticed.

In this song the lyrics consist of many literary elements. For example, it has different rhyme schemes. In the eight bars above there is mainly end rhyme. However, Drake uses near rhyme also. For example, he rhymes “awhile,” “flies,” “hairstyle,” and “miles.” Even though miles and files rhyme together creating an end rhyme, but “awhile,” “flies,” “hairstyle,” and “miles” rhymes together creating a near rhyme, which I find clever. Also, in one of the verses T.I use assonance when rhymes champagne range in the same line. Another literary element I’ve noticed in this song is tone. The way the song is preform is using a lot of attitude. They sound like they are yelling trying to prove a point that no one seems to understand. In the end, they want everyone to realize and understand it.