ENGL 1101 - Fall 2020 - Hip-Hop Reader - PEASE
HIP HOP PAPER
The music video chosen for this assignment is "Run the world (girls) by Beyonce. In this video Beyonce sets the bar for women empowerment. This is similar to Roses "rap Music" because she speaks on how women where criticized by men by bringing down their self esteem or confidence. They made women feel like they couldn't exceed in being an artist or being different just because they were females.
The setting of the video takes place in a desert with junk and an abandoned outside ally. In this clip it shows Beyonce and her women army standing their ground from a group of men trying to takeover and bring down their movement. The first line in the song states " who run the world girls" setting the tone for the video and its purpose. She wanted everyone to know that she's stepping out creating a voice for women. In Roses "rap music " she mentions how men were always the ones to succeed and given credit for everything. Everyone felt like women couldn't make a hit or become an artist or just bring something new to the table.
This image shows Beyonce jumping on one of then men in the group. All the other men are standing in the back watching as if something horrific just took place. She's showing that she's not scared of anyone or anything and it also may make everyone think from a different perspective. Another thing in Roses "Rap Music" that was similar to this moment was the Salt N Pepa incident. In order for them to sign to Next Plateau , they demanded a certain amount of money before agreeing to the deal. In response of this their MALE manager slapped one of the in the face as if they had no say so in what there were getting into. Salt N Pepa felt like even tho they were young female artist they needed a voice and to use that voice by speaking up in what they believed was right. This is also what Beyonce is showing, she wants to let everyone know that she has a voice and she's determined to make a chance.
Throughout the rest of the video, Beyonce speaks on women empowerment and how she's here to make a difference for them even if their scared to speak out on it. In this clip of the video she says , " my persuasion can build a nation." This means that her voice can motivate everyone that has the same motive to make a chance as well. Many women in the 1970s- 1980s where scared to have a voice. Whether it was putting it in a song or saying a speech. More references from Roses "Rap Music" come into play with this as well. A young female artist ( Roxanne Shante) was given a lot of criticism from UTFO an African American old hip-hop group stating that shes a girl" being conceited for spurring sexual advances". In response of this Roxanne made a song, in the song it stated, "Like corn on the cob you're always tying to rob/You need to be out here lookin' for a job". Just like Beyonce, she wasn't scared to speak for herself and she made her message known
This image shows Beyonce and her women army standing up to the men showing empowerment
Overtime, women begin to have a voice and get credit for the things they accomplished over the years. Beyonce sets a prime example because she relays a message that women can take control and make a difference just as much as a man can. Rose briefly gives us an inside look on how women were treated and what happens when they change the expectations for women in the hip-hop world.
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September 18, 2020
Visual Analysis
Final Draft
The music video chosen for this visual analysis is who "Run The World (Girls) by Beyonce. This particular video was chosen because it reflects on a couple things from Rose's "Rap Music". In her article she talked about women's rights and how women did not get the same treatment as men coming up as a young artist. She also talked about samples which is something Beyonce exploited in her music video. However, this analysis focal point is going to reflect on women's rights.
Samples have really evolved over time, they aren't what they use to be which isn't a terrible thing. In this music video Beyonce used multiple samples throughout her song which became a big hit! This refers back to Rose's article which mentions how Djs would use different samples, combine them, and make a new beat that everyone could bop to. Back in the day instead of calling them samples they were characterized as "break beats or b-beats". These beats would later on be used in an artist song like Beyonce for example. To kickoff her song she used "Major Lazo -Pon De Floor" https://youtu.be/bz6bF8HikIM . This sample came out eleven years ago only to be featured in a number one hit two years later.
In this clip shows Beyonce tackling down one of the guys in the video
The message from this music video is the empowerment of women finally standing up for themselves. The setting of the video takes place in a desert area with junk lying around and an abandoned outside ally. This is where Beyonce and her women army come together as one to stand up against a group of men trying to take over and bring them down. In Rose's "Rap Music" , she mentions how women were talked down on and criticized as an upcoming artist. People in the industry and people in general thought that certain things men could do women could not succeed in. An eyeopener in Rose's article was a young girl being criticized for what another male rap group (UTFO) called her. Her name was Roxanne Shante, Rose called her "the first queen of rap" in her article. UTFO made an accusation that she was "being conceited for spurning sexual advances". In response to this Roxanne made a rap dissing the group that stated "Like corn in the cob you're always trying to rob/You need to be out here lookn' for a job". The song was a hit in the hip-hop world , and in my defense set the bar for other upcoming female artist as well. For example, in the clip above, Beyonce stood up to the men in the group. She jumped on one of the men letting him know that she isn't scared to buck. The men in the background are astonish as if something horrific had occurred, they didn't expect her to jump on one of their men.
The clip shows Beyonce and her women army taking a stand (showing empowerment)
Throughout the video, it focuses on one thing, women showing that they are much more stronger than what people make them out to be. In the song Beyonce states "my persuasion can build a nation", which means she's the voice of the women and she also sets the expectation of what women need to fight for. Rose makes this clear as she mentions a Salt N Pepa incident in her article. Another upcoming women group were about to be signed to a record lable (Next Plateau). Before they signed, they commanded a certain amount of pay for which they felt like they strongly deserved. In response, their MALE manager slapped one of them in the face. This is a prime example of men bringing down women, not giving them the credit they deserved. Even though they were not treated the best, they still stood up for themselves, they didn't worry about who thought otherwise at the time .
This is the clip Beyonce says "my persuasion can build a nation".
Beyonce's music video comes into term with many aspects in Rose's" Rap Music". She gives examples of the different samples used and also the importance of women and what they deserve in her music video. She teaches her female audience to have a high confidence and stand up for what they believe in even if you have to be the voice to set it off. To set the bar for other females want to speak out and have a voice in women's empowerment as well.
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Figurative Language "Wishing Well" Juice Wrld
Growing up , listening to hip-hop was something I loved to do, and still love till this day. Getting older I started listening to more music with a little bit more meaning to it. Whether it told a story or taught a lesson, it got me interested in listening to lyrics more and actually understanding the meaning of a song. In junior year of high school , an artist by the name of Juice Wrld was brought to my attention. For starters , I wasn't very much interested in his music because it was different and it wasn't something I took time to listen to very often. He was a hip-hop artist that talked about his deep dark feelings and thoughts beyond what he would tell others. As I started listening to his music, I was amazed at how he could put all these thoughts into a song and make a hit! One song that really caught my attention was Wishing Well.
Some may not know but, Juice died caused by a drug overdose in December 2019. His lastest album " Legends Never Die" , told his audience everything he was going through that led up to his death. In most of his songs he used metaphors to describe his emotions and feelings. A metaphor is a figurative language that describes someone or something without using the literal term. In the beginning of the song he says, "Waiting for the exhale, I toss my pain with my wishes in a wishing well". This verse is a metaphor because it touches on how he used drugs quote: "waiting on the exhale" , to condolence whatever he may be going through at that moment and letting it go by relaxing his mind or "tossing it in a wishing well".
In the next verse he uses similes. A simile is a type of figurative language that compares one thing with another by using the terms "like" or "as". In this verse he quotes, "Stress on my shoulders like a anvil, Perky got me itching like a anthill". An anvil is metalworking tool usually to cast steel , the metal is very heavy and I could imagine holds a lot of weight. Juice is comparing his stress to the anvil because they are both heavy . His next verse was a simile as well, he compares the drugs he consumes to an anthill. When you step in an anthill you're more than likely to get bit by a few ants. After an ant bites you in a particular place on your body, an itch comes not too far after the bite. In other words, Juice Wrld's intake of all those drugs may have side effects. One could possibly be itching in his manner.
As the song goes on, I've notice with a different verse comes a new form of figurative language. Outside of the usage of metaphors and similes, a presence of personification is also on the radar. Personifications make objects of the non living come to life. The next verse quotes, "Ring-Ring, phone call from depression, you used my past and my memories as a weapon". He brings his problems to life by describing how his fight of depression brings up past trauma or issues he had throughout his life that he may have been trying to get rid of. He faces his depression by getting a call from it which could mean that it came back into his life when he thought he had overcame it already. "On the other line I talked to addiction, speaking of the devil , all the drugs I missed them." He calls his drug addiction the Devil, who is conceived as evil in the religious world. His use of all those drugs he consumes has convinced him that it would make him feel better but its actually caused him to be a drug addict. His drug addiction is causing more problems in his life as well which won't leave just like his depression. The devil is like this in a way because he tries to convince the mind that something is good when its actually bad.
Throughout the rest of the song Juice states how drug have now took over his life , but how it also keeps his life going. The song itself explains everything he's truly going through with a mix of different figurative language. Its crazy how a simile or metaphor can give a song a real purpose or meaning without being literal or up front about it. Juice described every emotion perfectly so his audience would understand his journey leading up to his death. I can also say it's a lesson to this song as well as a story. You never know what's really going on in someone life , this was he way of telling everyone. He used figurative language as a "cry out for help" as he stated in his song.
Figurative Language
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Figurative Language "Wishing Well" Juice Wrld
Growing up listening to hip-hop culture is something that i loved to do , and still love till this day. Getting older I started listening to more music with a little bit more meaning to it. Whether it told a story or taught a lesson ,it got me interested in listening to lyrics more and actually understanding the meaning of a song. During my junior year of high school , an artist by the name of Juice Wrld was brought to my attention. For starters , I wasn't very much interested in his music because it was different and it wasn't something I took time to listen to very often. He was a hip-hop artist that talked about his deep dark feelings and thoughts beyond what he would tell others. He used his music to express how he felt in his everyday life. As I started listening to his music, I was amazed at how he could put all these thoughts into a song and make a hit! One song that really hooked me on his recent album was Wishing Well.
Some may not know but, Juice died caused by a drug overdose in early December 2019. His latest album " Legends Never Die" , told his audience everything he was going through that led up to his death. In most of his songs he used metaphors to describe his emotions and feelings. A metaphor is a figurative language that describes someone or something without using the literal term. In the beginning of the song he says, "Waiting for the exhale, I toss my pain with my wishes in a wishing well". This verse is a metaphor because it touches on how he used drugs quote: "waiting on the exhale" , to condolence whatever he may be going through at that moment and letting it go by relaxing his mind or "tossing it in a wishing well".
In the next verse he uses similes. A simile is a type of figurative language that compares one thing with another by using the terms "like" or "as''. In this verse he quotes, "Stress on my shoulders like an anvil”. An anvil is a metalworking tool usually to cast steel , the metal is very heavy and I could imagine holds a lot of weight. Juice is comparing his stress to the anvil because they are both heavy . As the verse continues he mentions how the perks he takes makes him itch like an anthill which is another comparison to his current issue . When you step in an anthill you're more than likely to get bit by a few ants. After an ant bites you in a particular place on your body, an itch comes not too far after the bite. In other words, Juice Wrld's intake of all those drugs may have side effects. One could possibly be itching in his manner, or just an odd feeling .
As the song goes on, I've noticed that with a different verse comes a new form of figurative language. Outside of the usage of metaphors and similes, a presence of personification comes into play. Personifications make objects of the non living come to life. The next verse quotes, "Ring-Ring, phone call from depression, you used my past and my memories as a weapon". He brings his problems to life by describing how his fight of depression brings up past trauma or issues he had throughout his life that he may have been trying to get rid of. He faces his depression by getting a call from it which could mean that it came back into his life when he thought he had overcome it already. "On the other line I talked to addiction, speaking of the devil , all the drugs I missed them." He calls his drug addiction the Devil, who is conceived as evil in the religious world. His use of all those drugs he consumes has convinced him that it would make him feel better but it's actually caused him to be a drug addict. His drug addiction is causing more problems in his life as well which won't leave just like his depression. The devil is like this in a way because he tries to convince the mind that something is good when it's actually bad.
Throughout the rest of the song Juice states how drugs have now taken over his life , but how it also keeps his life going. The song itself explains everything he's truly going through with a mix of different figurative language. It's crazy how a simile or metaphor can give a song a real purpose or meaning without being literal or up front about it. Juice described every emotion perfectly so his audience would understand his journey leading up to his death. I can also say it's a lesson to this song as well as a story. You never know what's really going on in someone's life , this was his way of telling everyone. He used this method to make a statement or a "cry out for help" as he mentioned in his song.
Compare and Contrast draft
Compare and contrast
Today in the modern hip-hop society there are many talented artists. Overtime, you see that a lot of women are trying to show off their abilities in the rap industry. Given that men were idolized more , my main focus is women . Women in my defense focus on their empowerment to other women that may need guidance and other things of course like finding love and being independent. Throughout the years the tone and message of these songs have changed vigorously. There are a couple female artists that stand out on my behalf which are TLC and the City Girls.
TLC was a hip-hop group that took off in the early 90s while the City Girls duo took off in 2016 with their hit song "take yo man". They turned Salt N Pepa original song and made it relatable to a more relevant audience which started their hip-hop career. With a different choice in words, they touch on the same thing. These two groups give women audiences a piece of knowledge about their worth and morals. Both of these groups objectify their body as a prize and not something that can just be given to somebody. Their lyrics can be clear but voguer at the same time. Even though these two groups were gunning towards the same objective, they are also different in a way which makes them stand out.
For starters , TLC was a women’s group. In their music videos they weren’t as vulgar and manipulative to the eyes. In other words, they made themselves the center of attention without having to show off or objectify their bodies inappropriately. It was something that wasn’t too revealing nor too closed off to their audience. They switched up their style from time to time as well. In a billboards article, they showed and described TLC’s style by sometimes baggy and slouchy, cropped t-shirts, and boxer sets. A quote from TLC themselves stated, “Especially being young ladies , and not wanting to wear , like tight dresses- there’s nothing wrong with that look, but it wasn’t what we felt comfortable in.” Anything they would wear were things that they agreed on or picked out themselves, never mocking what another artist would wear . As stated in their song Unpretty, “My outsides look cool, my insides are blue”. TLC used their lyrics and appearance to not only express themselves but to also teach young ladies that wearing certain things or looking a certain way to impress everyone else doesn’t change you as a person on the inside.
As TLC made their message settle and clear without having to show off their bodies , the City Girls had a more different approach. They presented themselves as “grown & sexy” from a previous interview after kicking off their career. The group uses music as a way to show girls how to make a living for themselves getting what they want by any means necessary. If you want to show off your body that's okay, if you want to wear tight clothes and a face full of makeup to get the One of their songs “where the bag at “ explains it all. A verse from the song
Compare & Contrast Final Draft
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English Hip-Hop
Final draft
Compare and contrast
Today in the modern hip-hop society there are many talented artists. Overtime, you see that a lot of women are trying to show off their abilities in the rap industry. Women in my defense focus on their empowerment to other women that may need guidance and other things of course like finding love and being independent. Throughout the years the tone and message of these songs have changed vigorously. There are a couple female artists that stand out on my behalf which are TLC and the City Girls.
TLC was a hip-hop group that took off in the early 90s while the City Girls duo that took off in 2018 with their hit song "take yo man". They turned Salt N Pepa original song and made it relatable to a more relevant audience which started their hip-hop career. With a different choice in words, they touch on the same thing. These two groups give women audiences a piece of knowledge about their worth and morals. Both of these groups objectify their body as a prize and not something that can just be given to somebody. Their lyrics can be clear but voguer at the same time. Even though these two groups were gunning towards the same objective, they are also different in a way which makes them stand out.
For starters , these two groups took off in two different decades. This means that both groups grew up in different environments with different lifestyles. Two decades ago, it wasn’t that easy being females trying to become hip-hop artists in the industry. In a BET movie the original TLC group developed their own story for the audience to see the true trials and tribulations within the group itself. They grew up poor, with talents that they’d never thought they would use. They went through money problems with their label which later on made them question if they were having the right person manage them. They later on signed to a new record label which helped them take off a little more. The three girls also received criticism from fans and articles without the luxury of social media and other technology that wasn’t thought of back in the day. Not only that, but the group also suffered pain while they lost one of the artists in the group (left eye) in a car accident later on in their pop star career. It wasn’t very hard for fans to notice them out in public being that they shopped in the same stores picking out their own clothes with no fashion designer, online shopping and a 50% chance that they might be ambushed without the presence of bodyguards. Although they were in the hip-hop industry they were still treated and lived lifestyles as just three regular girls in Atlanta.
In the TLC music videos they weren’t as vulgar and manipulative to the eyes. In other words, they made themselves the center of attention without having to show off or objectify their bodies inappropriately. Their old manager Peaches wished to change their style to a more girly look as that was beginning to be the new style but they wanted to keep their own look going. It was something that wasn’t too revealing nor too closed off to their audience. They switched up their style from time to time as well but also kept the same look being themselves. In a billboards article, they showed and described TLC’s style by sometimes “baggy and slouchy, cropped t-shirts, and boxer sets”. A quote from TLC themselves stated, “Especially being young ladies , and not wanting to wear , like tight dresses- there’s nothing wrong with that look, but it wasn’t what we felt comfortable in.” Anything they would wear were things that they agreed on or picked out themselves, never mocking what another artist or celebrity would wear. As stated in their song Unpretty, “My outsides look cool, my insides are blue”. TLC used their lyrics and appearance to not only express themselves but to also teach young ladies that wearing certain things or looking a certain way to impress everyone else doesn’t change you as a person on the inside.
TLC may have set the bargain high for upcoming artists but however, the city girls story turned in a different direction. Relatively speaking, it is less of a challenge to become a rapper or hip-hop artist. Women have set a path over the years so that women won’t have to be afraid to show off their talent in the industry. City Girls came out with their hit song TWO decades later from TLC! In a mini biography on youtube it sums up step by step on how the City Girls took off. They stated ,” The City Girls had an astronomical rise to fame and it came from authenticity.” These two girls grew up in Miami , they had no clue they would become rappers. In fact, they didn’t see themselves being rappers at all, they just wanted a way to make money to live the life they wanted. They grew up with parents teaching them how to survive as two young women in the hood not being taken advantage of and still getting what they want. One day they decided that they wanted to go to the studio to make a diss track for fun about some girls in their hometown. Just after the diss track they were noticed by a record label (Quality Control) and were signed just like that which jumped off their hip-hop career. They took off so quickly making hit songs and working with the biggest artists in the industry like Drake and Cardi B just to name a couple. The money came in shortly after as they rap and teach girls how to live the lifestyle that they always wanted. There's a small chance you’ll ever encounter these two girls in public unless it's a big event and anywhere else they will have bodyguards to prohibit any ambush from fans.
While TLC made their message settle and clear without having to show off their bodies , the City Girls had a more different approach. They presented themselves as “grown & sexy” from a previous interview after kicking off their career. The group uses music as a way to show girls how to make a living for themselves getting what they want by any means necessary. If you want to show off your body that's okay, if you want to wear tight clothes and a face full of makeup to get the ideal look you want go ahead ! The City Girls tell it all in their songs to do what you want and how you want even if you have to “spend a couple thousand on my tittes and my ass cheeks” as they mentioned in one of their songs.
The two groups came up very differently, without the social media and other social ways that we have now, TLC had to do things discreet to the City Girls. They couldn't easily jump up and go to the studio, they couldn't magically be signed to a record label , they had to work hard and accept the fact that they may or may not go far or be great like a lot of other artists especially men considering the time they grew up in. During the time where the City Girls discovered their talent they had it easy by then. It was nothing but a trip to the studio that changed their life forever in less than a year which brought them fame and riches quickly. Social media gave them an easier platform and a place to brand themselves faster.
Overall both female groups made a path for their audience to be yourself and love yourself no matter what you do to your body and style or by not doing anything at all. The messages from both groups changed/helped lives all over. These ladies put themselves out there setting the bar high for self love and motivation for whatever they want to be in life. Society gave us two standpoints that show life back when we weren’t thought of to life modernly developed now. It also gave people a chance to adapt and learn the difference of hip hop life a couple decades ago and life a couple decades after if they were able to still be with us now.
Research:
https://reelgood.com/movie/crazy-sexy-cool-the-tlc-story-2013?amp=true
A Look Back at TLC's Pioneering Fashion Moments