ENGL 1101 - Fall 2020 - Hip-Hop Reader - PEASE

The video I’m going to analyze is the official video of the song Toosie Slide by the hip hop artist Drake. I took into consideration that artist want their work to be meaningful and try to use their creativity to communicate in addition to entertaining or creating beauty, so I’m going to pay attention to camera techniques, the theme of both the lyrics and the video, what the artist is trying to say and how he is trying to say it . I also took  into consideration that this is a hip hop video, so I will talk about  aspects of the hip hop genre that I can see. 

Firstly, to understand the whole video it is very important to learn about the context in which it was recorded and published. As we see that the date in which the video was released is the third of april, we know that the main issue that attracted everyone’s attention was the covid-19 global pandemic, and this will help us understand many aspects of the video. Other aspects of the reality of the last months will appear in the video very subtly. 

Secondly, the first part I would like to comment about the video since it seems to me that it creates the vibe of the whole video is the initial part of 39 seconds. In these 39 seconds we hear absolute silence, we are shown that it is 10.20 pm in a city and that there is no one in the streets or any shops or restaurants open. These are 39 seconds dedicated to show the desolation and the lack of life in the city due to the locked down suffered because of the pandemic. One technique used to show the lack of movement and action of this initial part of the video is the static use of the camera, almost as if it was a picture but still showing that it is not to inform that time goes by while nothing happens. This use of the camera will be in contrast with the use of the camera of the rest of the video that I will discuss later. Another point that shows us the influence of the pandemic is that he is recording the video in his house, which may seem to be done just to demonstrate that he is rich because of the lyrics, however, he is the only person in the video which in normal conditions would be rare. Furthermore, if we take a look at his clothes we see that he is trying to say something with that too, he is wearing a mask, gloves, and all of his body is covered with clothes which gives the impression that he is trying to protect himself from something. Also, another reference to an event that has happened this year is the moment in which we see the T-shirt of Kobe Bryant next to a plane hinting at the accident where the star died with his daughter. 

Thirdly, it is worth mentioning how the camera follows him giving the impression of a homemade video as well as the originality of the transitions in which he puts his hand in front of  the camera as he is singing “black leather glove no sequins”. This phrase is one of the different references that Drake makes to Michael Jackson in his video as Micheal Jacskon’s outfit sometimes included white gloves with sequins. This distinction and the phrase “I can dance like Michael Jackson” show that he is trying to compare himself with but not completely because Michael Jackson was an icon and he is still not. 

Fourthly, the mentioned before about Michael and the lyrics in which he talks about the streets can be related to the history of hip hop and rap. This music genre was practised at first at the streets, and therefore, it has many artists that started their careers having nothing and just going to the type of events that were organized on the streets. Also related to the history of hip hop we can find many pictures of famous hip hop artists hanging in the walls of his house. 

Finally, I would like to mention the constant repetitions that would be called patterns in the song that add even more monotony, and the simple dance that has that hip hop vibe and it is entertaining as you listen to the song.

Sara Barriendo 

The implicit meaning in “Lose Yourself” 

The purpose of this essay is to analyze the figurative language of a hip-hop song. I am going to analyze the figurative language in the song “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. In the song, Eminem uses figurative language terms like metaphors, repetitions, rhymes, symbols, allusions or rhetorical questions, as he explains how he took the chance of being a successful rapper and lost some aspects of his private life when he became famous. I chose this song because it is a great example of how figurative language influences hip-hop. In my analysis of the figurative language of the song I discovered it is necessary to pay attention to these figurative language terms, especially the metaphors, to understand the underlying meaning of the lyrics. 

In the beginning of the song Eminem explains the risks he was taking to become a famous rapper.  He describes how he went from being poor to rich.  He uses figurative language by using rhetorical question, illusion, and metaphor. “Would you capture it, Or just let it slip?” is a rhetorical question that was used by the rapper to have the listener put themselves in his shoes, and make them think about the choice they would make. Symbolism is used in the following line “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti,” this line is the rapper symbolizing he is tired and feeling nervous because he knows this decision to become a rapper has a big risk of failure. There is an illusion to Alice in Wonderland “Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity, Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked,” This shows that Eminem is slipping between his daily life, and the life that he dreams about, which is being a famous rapper. This also takes into consideration the fantasy of him going from a poverty filled life, and then seeing himself as a rich successful man. Metaphors are used in the song such as “He won't have it, he knows his whole back's to these ropes.” This metaphor is used to show the fear he has of failing. He knows if he fails that he has to go back to fighting for himself and family to stay out of poverty even though he does not have a proper job. This refers back to a boxing match and being in the ring, that's why he refers to fighting.  Another metaphor he uses is “Back to the lab again,” which references him going back and creating more music. 

Anaphora is used in the chorus, with the repetition of the word “you,” Eminem is referring to himself in third person here, and calling himself out on things he needs to do to be successful. The middle two lines of the chorus rhyme. “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow,” is referring to shooting someone with a gun, and only having one shot and one chance to kill the person.  

In the next part of the song he starts to explain how he took the chance, and became successful, but with that came sacrifices.  He had to sacrifice several aspects of his personal life, such as not being close with his daughter.  Then it goes into how he was the hottest on the charts, but eventually he dropped off and a new person became more popular than him.  The following metaphor explains how a normal life is not what he desired, and now that he is famous his normal life is gone for good “A normal life is borin', but super stardom's close to post mortem.” .“They moved on to the next schmo who flows,” this metaphor emphasizes that hip hop fans moved onto the next big thing, and stopped listening to him as much. This of course led to him being less popular, and not as high on the charts.  

In the next part of the song Eminim explains how he wants to have a medium between both being successful, and having a good personal life. He basically explains that he needs to do a better job at balancing his time, and not getting caught up in stardom considering he has a family he also needs to tend to. “No more games, I'ma change what you call rage,” is a metaphor used towards the end of the song to show he is growing up, he cannot just simply continue playing games and also that everything in his life is changing. He uses “Pied Piper,” to give the listener an illusion of how he wants people to be major fans, and follow him and his music.

The implicit meaning in “Lose Yourself” 

The purpose of this essay is to analyze the figurative language of a hip-hop song. I am going to analyze the figurative language in the song “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. In the song, Eminem uses figurative language terms like metaphors, repetitions, rhymes, symbols, allusions or rhetorical questions, as he explains how he took the chance of being a successful rapper and lost some aspects of his private life when he became famous. I chose this song because it is a great example of how figurative language influences hip-hop. In my analysis of the figurative language of the song I discovered it is necessary to pay attention to these figurative language terms, especially the metaphors, to understand the underlying meaning of the lyrics. 

Eminen uses metaphors in the song to make the reader think and process what he is saying, so they understand the situation he is living. Also, as most of the song is trying to express emotions, he makes them tangible to the reader by creating an image that relates to those feelings. For example, in the metaphor “He won't have it, he knows his whole back's to these ropes.” , he makes us think about him fighting against the ropes of a boxing ring by showing us that internal fight with himself and his situation of poverty. The metaphor is used to show the fear he has of failing. He knows if he fails that he has to go back to fighting for himself and his family. He feels the pressure because he knows this is the opportunity for him to stay out of poverty by achieving his dream. Another metaphor he uses is “Back to the lab again,” which references him going back and creating more music.This metaphor not only shows the listener that he has to go back to work, but also implies some negativity or tiredness about the situation.The following metaphor of “A normal life is borin', but super stardom's close to post mortem.”  explains  how a normal life is not what he desired.Now that he is famous his normal life is gone for good. By analyzing these examples the listener gets a better idea of the feelings and emotions Eminem was trying to express. With these metaphors he shapes our minds so we get to understand his reality and the way he sees the world. 

Symbolism is used by Eminem throughout the whole song. Instead of describing his emotions in an abstract way, Eminem´s song is full of symbols that communicate the message he wants to say by giving us hints of what might be happening. These symbols can be given in verbal and non verbal type of communication. For example, symbolism is used in the following line, “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti,”. In this line the rapper symbolizes that he is tired and feeling nervous because he knows this decision to become a rapper has a big risk of failure. This example proves that Eminem uses symbols in the song to guide the listener through the entire experience and not just to describe an emotion. He could have said that he is nervous but instead he uses all of these non verbal symbols that society knows are related to that feeling. It is necessary to keep in mind that these symbols are world known and easy to identify and that is why the rapper uses them as a tool to communicate his experience, because he is sure that everyone will understand them.  

Another form of figurative language that the rapper introduces in the song is the allusion. With all of the allusions in the song, he shows us his point of view by making reference to something we all know. There is an allusion to Alice in Wonderland when he says “Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity, Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked,”. This shows that Eminem is alternating between his daily life, and the life that he dreams about, which is being a famous rapper. This also takes into consideration the fantasy of him going from a poverty filled life, and then seeing himself as a rich successful man. The use of this allusion allows the rapper to explain himself in a creative way. It also makes the listener’s mind work through the concepts to relate them and find what he is trying to say. After this process of understanding and relating the concepts, the information sticks into the listener's minds easily. He also uses “Pied Piper,” to give the listener an allusion of how he wants people to be major fans and follow him and his music. Again, a popular reference is used so it is the listener who has to tie the concepts to understand what Eminem is trying to say, and after doing this he will get a clear image of it.  

Throughout the song the forms of figurative language are used, such as rhetorical questions, anaphora, repetition and rhyme in order to convey the listener of the song's main message.  The question “Would you capture it, Or just let it slip?” is a rhetorical question that was used by the rapper to have the listener put themselves in his shoes, and make them think about the choice they would make. It is through this process of self reflection that the listener interiorized what the rapper is saying. Anaphora is used in the chorus with the repetition of the word “you,”. Eminem is referring to himself in third person here and calling himself out on things he needs to do to be successful. The middle two lines of the chorus rhyme. “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow,” is referring to shooting someone with a gun, and only having one shot and one chance to kill the person. This is a very important line in the song as it shows us that this is his only chance and that the opportunity will not come back. By these repetition and rhymes the rapper is not only pointing out the important parts of the song in terms of meaning but also working through the listener’s mind to make him remember the lines. 

Figurative language, as I mentioned, has many functions in the song. From helping the rhythm of the song so it sticks to the listener’s mind to giving the message a whole new level of importance and shape by using creativity in the way he expresses it. It is clear that it is through analyzing these terms of figurative language that we get to understand everything Eminem wants to communicate with this song. 

The rappers I am going to compare are each one of the main figures of hip hop in the west coast and in the east coast. The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was an enmity between artists and fans of the East coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States, especially in the 90s. Tupac Amaru Shakur was one of the central figures of the West Coast hip hop while Biggie was one of the central figures of the East Coast hip hop.

To compare both artists it is important to talk about the next differences between them. When comparing styles we see that Biggie had a more aggressive style, which was in fact a characteristic of the East Coast side, and Tupac’s style was more laid back. One of the main differences between both of them was that Tupac’s songs were usually related to social issues and he supported the social causes of the moment. For example, the song “Keep your head up” is about respecting women and the role of women as mothers in society. However, Biggies rap is more about storytelling and his life experiences. An example for this can be the song “Juicy” in which he raps about life in Brooklyn and how he grew up. Another difference was that Tupac was a man with a higher level of education capable of arguing about important topics while Biggie talked about his experiences on the streets or drug and drug selling problems. In spite of their differences they both are considered to be part of the best rappers of history and they both had the same tragic end as they were killed. 

The East coast- West coast rivalry left us two legends of gangster rap like Tupac and Biggie. However, it is an interesting topic to discuss whose music and personality is timeless, if not both,  and what are the reasons why. After almost 30 years, we still talk about them and people still listen to their music so there has to be an explanation to this phenomenon. In spite of their differences it is easy to think about some things that define them in the same way. 

A factor to take into consideration is that we do not just know their music and their lyrics, we know their story, we know how they struggled in life and that makes their audience feel more connected to them. The fact that their fans feel attached to them beyond their music makes it more difficult to forget them. Also, their audience was mostly defined by their role within the East Coast- West coast rivalry and their location which gives their fans another reason to like them and support them. For me, the most important thing to consider is the impact of their deaths when they were on top of their careers. They were both killed and their murders have not been solved yet. People still feel the need to know what happened so they still think about them and listen to their music. However, there are many factors that make them different. As an example, we know that Tupac was more well-rounded. He did ballet, he was an actor, etc. He was creative and he exploited his talent in many ways whereas Biggie rapped for fun and he just happened to be good at what he did. 

The hip hop East coast vs West coast rivalry left us two legends of gangster rap, Tupac and Biggie.The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was an enmity between artists and fans of the East coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States, especially in the 90s. They both were born in New York but they represent the different styles of the West coast and East coast. Tupac Amaru Shakur was one of the central figures of the West Coast hip hop while Biggie was one of the central figures of the East Coast hip hop. The battle between the artists was related to their producers. Suge Knight, who was Tupac’s producer, and Sean Combs, who was Biggie’s producer, were the ones having the real fight. Referring to the audience, they just supported their favorite artist claiming that he was the best. For example, if you were from California you would probably be a fan of Tupac, and if you were from New York you would be a fan of Biggie.  After almost 30 years, we still talk about Biggie and Tupac and listen to their music, so there has to be an explanation to this phenomenon. In order to analyze why Biggie and Tupac are still relevant, I will compare and contrast their background, music styles and relationship with their audience.

A factor to take into consideration is the relationship with their fanbase. We know their story and  we know how they struggled in life, so their audience feels more connected to them. The fact that their fans feel attached to them beyond their music makes it more difficult to forget them. Also, their audience was mostly defined by their role within the East Coast-West coast rivalry and their location which gives their fans another reason to like them and support them. Furthermore, the fact that there is still a passionate discussion to discern who is the best of all time makes the fans constantly think about reasons why each rapper should be considered better. This discussion has become a fight in which each side tries to prove they are right, and as each fan tries to prove himself right, it has become a personal matter, making their fans so implicated on it. 

When speaking about these two artists, for me, the most important thing to consider is the impact of their deaths when they were on top of their careers.They were both killed and their murders have not been solved yet. The first attempt of murder against Tupac happened on November 30, 1994, when he was seriously wounded by two men during a robery. Tupac blamed the attack on producer Sean Combs and rival The Notorious B.I.G (Biggie). Two years later, on September 7, 1996, Shakur was riding as a passenger in a car driven by Death Row Records head Marian “Suge Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up alongside them and opened fire. Tupac was shot four times and he survived that night but died a few days after on September 13, 1996. Six months later, Biggie was shot to death at a spotlight in Los Angeles. There are a lot of speculations about what really happened and theories that blame each side for the other one’s murder, however, any theory has been proved and both deaths remain unresolved for the police and the public. Related to the relationship they have with their audience, we can assure that since the mystery has not yet been solved, the wound has not yet closed and people still feel the need to know what happened, so they still think about the artists and listen to their music. 

When comparing styles we see that Biggie had a more aggressive style, which was in fact a characteristic of the East Coast side, and Tupac’s style was more laid back. One of the main differences between both of them was that Tupac’s songs were usually related to social issues and he supported the social causes of the moment. For example, the song “Keep your head up” is about respecting women and the role of women as mothers in society. However, Biggies rap is more about storytelling and his life experiences. An example for this can be the song “Juicy” in which he raps about life in Brooklyn and how he grew up. Another difference was that Tupac was  more well-rounded. He did ballet, he was an actor, etc.  He was creative and he exploited his talent in many ways whereas Biggie rapped for fun and he just happened to be good at what he did. He was therefore a man with a higher level of education capable of arguing about important topics while Biggie talked about his experiences on the streets or drug and drug selling problems. As an example that supports this point, the book “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” included 72 of the poems Tupac wrote just before he started his rap career in 1990, and which he obviously used in his songs after. On the other hand, songs like  "Ten Crack Commandments" shows us the life in the streets that Biggie talks about. In the song he talks about rules you need to know to sell drugs with verses like It's the ten crack commandments, what?,Nigga can't tell me nothing about this coke, Can't tell me nothing about this crack, this weed, my hustlin' niggas”.

Another factor that contributes to the fact that we still talk about them and they are still remembered is that the social issues and the life experiences that they talk about in their songs are still relevant and relatable nowadays. For example, in the song “If I die 2night” Tupac reveals himself against the treatment that black people receive by the police with lyrics like “Polish your pistols, prepare for battle, pass the pump. When I get to poppin', niggas is droppin' then they done. Calling the coroner come collect the fucking corpse. He got hit by a killer, preoccupied with being boss”. It is clear that this is a topic that is bringing a lot of controversy nowadays and that is one of the focuses of the media at the time. The storytelling songs from Notorious B.I.G like “Sky’s the limit” deal with topics like poverty and the struggles of life in the streets, and in this case the story of overcoming them and becoming successful like the verses “Just keep on pressin on.Sky's the limit and you know that you can have.What you want, be what you want” show. 

Analyzing the similarities and differences between these two artists we can get to the following conclusions. Firstly, a great battle between two opposite geographic locations and styles of hip hop brings a lot of attention to the artists that contribute to their fame. Secondly, understanding the relationship with the fans is crucial to determine the reasons why someone is difficult to forget. Thirdly, mysterious and emotional stories are difficult to forget so it is a factor that should be considered when trying to determine the reasons for fame. Finally, by acknowledging the differences between these two artists it is shown that there are many ways to success and that you have to be original to become a legend.   

Sara Barriendo 

The factors that created legends 

The hip hop East coast vs West coast rivalry left us two legends of gangster rap, Tupac and Biggie. The East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry was enmity between artists and fans of the East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States, especially in the 90s. They both were born in New York but they represent the different styles of the West Coast and East Coast. Tupac Amaru Shakur was one of the central figures of the West Coast hip hop while Biggie was one of the central figures of the East Coast hip hop. The battle between the artists was related to their producers. Suge Knight, who was Tupac’s producer, and Sean Combs, who was Biggie’s producer, were the ones having the real fight. Referring to the audience, they just supported their favorite artist claiming that he was the best. For example, if you were from California you would probably be a fan of Tupac, and if you were from New York you would be a fan of Biggie. After almost 30 years, we still talk about Biggie and Tupac and listen to their music, so there has to be an explanation for this phenomenon. In order to analyze why Biggie and Tupac are still relevant, I will compare and contrast their relationship with their audience, background, and music styles. 

A factor to take into consideration is the relationship with their fanbase. We know their story and we know how they struggled in life, so their audience feels more connected to them. The fact that their fans feel attached to them beyond their music makes it more difficult to forget them. Also, their audience was mostly defined by their role within the East Coast-West Coast rivalry and their location which gives their fans another reason to like them and support them. Furthermore, the fact that there is still a passionate discussion to discern who is the best of all time makes the fans constantly think about reasons why each rapper should be considered better. This discussion has become a fight in which each side tries to prove they are right, and as each fan tries to prove himself right, it has become a personal matter, making their fans so implicated in it. 

When speaking about these two artists, for me, the most important thing to consider is the impact of their deaths when they were on top of their careers. They were both killed and their murders have not been solved yet. The first attempt of murder against Tupac happened on November 30, 1994, when he was seriously wounded by two men during a robbery. Tupac blamed the attack on producer Sean Combs and rival The Notorious B.I.G (Biggie). Two years later, on September 7, 1996, Shakur was riding as a passenger in a car driven by Death Row Records head Suge Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up alongside them and opened fire. Tupac was shot four times and he survived that night but died a few days after on September 13, 1996. Six months later, Biggie was shot to death at a spotlight in Los Angeles. There are a lot of speculations about what happened and theories that blame each side for the other one’s murder, however, none of these theories have been confirmed and both deaths remain unresolved for the police and the public. Related to the relationship they have with their audience, we can assure that since the mystery has not yet been solved, the wound has not yet closed and people still feel the need to know what happened, so they still think about the artists and listen to their music. It is important to mention the role of social media in the fact that they are still in people´s memory. A mystery mixed with fame and huge amounts of fans is something that social media would explode to bring everyone’s attention, so they contributed to the artists being a topic of discussion until nowadays.

When comparing styles we see that Biggie had a more aggressive style, which was, in fact, a characteristic of the East Coast side, and Tupac’s style was more laid back. One of the main differences between both of them was that Tupac’s songs were usually related to social issues and he supported the social causes of the moment. For example, the song “Keep your head up” is about respecting women and the role of women as mothers in society. However, Biggie’s rap is more about storytelling and his life experiences. An example of this can be the song “Juicy” in which he raps about life in Brooklyn and how he grew up. Another difference was that Tupac was more well-rounded. He did ballet, he was an actor and more creative activities. He was creative and he exploited his talent in many ways whereas Biggie rapped for fun and he just happened to be good at what he did. Tupac was therefore a man with a higher level of education capable of arguing about important topics while Biggie talked about his experiences on the streets and his problems with selling drugs. As an example that supports this point, the book “The Rose That Grew From Concrete'' included 72 of the poems Tupac wrote just before he started his rap career in 1990, and which he obviously used in his songs after. On the other hand, songs like "Ten Crack Commandments" shows us the life in the streets that Biggie talks about. In the song, he talks about rules you need to know to sell drugs with verses like “It's the ten crack commandments, what?, Nigga can't tell me nothing about this coke, Can't tell me nothing about this crack, this weed, my hustlin' niggas”.

Another factor that contributes to the fact that we still talk about them and they are still remembered is that the social issues and the life experiences that they talk about in their songs are still relevant and relatable nowadays. For example, in the song “If I die 2night” Tupac reveals himself against the treatment that black people receive by the police with lyrics like “Polish your pistols, prepare for battle, pass the pump. When I get to poppin', niggas is droppin' then they done. Calling the coroner come collect the fucking corpse. He got hit by a killer, preoccupied with being boss”. It is clear that this is a topic that is bringing a lot of controversies nowadays and that is one of the focuses of the media at the time. The storytelling songs from Notorious B.I.G like “Sky’s the limit” deal with topics like poverty, the struggles of life in the streets, and the story of overcoming them and becoming successful like the verses “Just keep on pressin on.Sky's the limit and you know that you can have.What you want, be what you want” show. Nowadays there are still a lot of people living in the streets and trying to achieve a good quality of life, so Biggie’s lyrics can be relevant to all of these people. 

However, these are not the only artists that represent the East-Coast and West-Coast rivalry. There are many other artists like Snoop dog representing the West-Coast and Nas representing the East-Coast. All of these artists have different styles, and yes they have similarities and differences based on their role in each side, but in the end, they are individuals that make their own music so the East-Coast vs West-Coast distinction does not tell us everything about them and it is not the main reason some of them are unforgettable. Taking into consideration that there are artists from different sides that were very similar makes us understand that there are phenomenons that do not have a concrete explanation and that sometimes success is attributed by people based on social expectations rather than real facts. 

Analyzing the similarities and differences between these two artists and their surroundings we can get to the following conclusions. First, a great battle between two opposite geographic locations and styles of hip hop brings a lot of attention to the artists that contribute to their fame. Second, understanding the relationship with the fans is crucial to determine the reasons why someone is difficult to forget. Third, mysterious and emotional stories are difficult to forget so it is a factor that should be considered when trying to determine the reasons for fame. Finally, by acknowledging the differences between these two artists it is shown that there are many ways to succeed and that you have to be original to become a legend.  

Works Cited 

Dalton , D. “Tupac vs. Biggie: Who's the Greatest Rapper of All Time?” The Tylt, 2020, thetylt.com/entertainment/tupac-biggie-greatest-rapper-of-all-time-the-goat-of-hip-hop. 

“Compare and Contrast - Jbarraza.apcomp.” Google Sites, sites.google.com/site/jbarrazaapcomp/compare-and-contrast. 

“Category:East Coast Hip Hop Musicians.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 May 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:East_Coast_hip_hop_musicians. 

Https://Www.lyricfind.com. 

“East Coast Rap Vs. West Coast Rap.” youtu.be/sr-WTJpSdqA.