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

Katie Snyder

Composition I

Professor Pease

11 September 2020

Video Analysis on the Hip Hop Song “This Is America”

Ever since hip hop first began, there has been a continuous theme concerning police brutality and gun violence, especially in the African American community. The song “This Is America”  by Childish Gambino creates an excellent visual demonstration of these specific themes. From the first line to the closing exiting scene, a beautifully sculpted music video teaches the audience an unsightly reality. 

Authors of hip hop quite frequently still refer back to the original fundamentals and developmental aspects that author Tricia Rose refers to in “Rap Music.” Her work states that, “graffiti and rap were especially aggressive public displays of counter presence and voice. Each asserted to write --to inscribe one’s identity on an environment”(20). The “urban experience” Tricia Rose refers to, is clearly represented by Ronald Glover’s song “This Is America” by providing a sublime depiction of the twisted reality of America’s gun violence and racism.

The repetitive use of guns, through extreme measures, is one of the many focal points in Childish Gambino’s (Ronald Glover) “This Is America.”  One specific scene regarding this is when a man previously playing the guitar is shot and killed by Childish Gambino’s character in the introduction. Adjacent to this, an all-black choir was murdered by an assault rifle. The symbolic detail Glover includes in both murders is stating the iconic phrase “this is America” after killing both sets of victims. As a result, there is sound evidence and reasoning that supports the underlying theme of gun violence and racism in America specifically. As Tricia Rose referred to the “urban experience,” the recurring use of gun violence supports what she deems as only seen by the less privileged. Ronald Glover demonstrates these murders to express his rage over gun violence and make the privileged Americans see the truth.

Throughout the entirety of the music video, Glover stuck solely to a monotone color scheme, using whites, black, and neutral colors. However, there are a few specific spots where pops of red is present. An example would be after the man is shot in the opening scene, Childish Gambino hands the gun to a man holding a red towel. Likewise, to the scene of the choir murder, a red towel yet again makes its presence, and the walls this time are painted red with both blood and actual paint. There are multiple explanations for the choice of color, but after analyzing the general theme of the music video, the emphasis on the black and white contrast as a reference to the “white against black” racism and stereotyping seen in modern society. While the pops of red are precisely touched on throughout the video, this could be a symbolic representation of blood, anger, or danger, each relevant to the overall theme of the video. In regards to color, Tricia Rose states that “hip hops anger is produced by contemporary racism, gender, and class oppression” (25) which both demonstrates an issue that has continued since the beginning of hip hop and also explains the forces that drove Glover to compose a music video that explicitly addresses his anger towards racism and oppression.

At two minutes and thirty-five seconds, the camera directs Glover and his backup dancers into the middle and right boxes, of the rule of thirds, while in the background, on the left boxes, portrays an abandoned police car running blue, red, and white lights. In between a car on fire and the police car, a person dressed in all black clothes rides emerges from in between cars riding a solid white horse. After further analyzing and questioning both the presence of the white horse contrasting the dull and dark background, as well as the point of view created by the camera shot, there is specific importance is placed on the dark clothed man perched to the top of a white horse. When looking deeper into the biblical reference is to be found. Revelations 6:8 in the bible states, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.” In other words, the white horse in the music video correlates to the pale horse mentioned in the bible, the man riding the horse in “This Is America”, is death in the bible. The setting of cars on fire and an abandoned police car deliberately depicts hell. The bold accusation that America is a form of hell is created through exaggeration to prove a point that there is an ungodly amount of death, murder, brutality, all reasons to justify hell

As previously stated, the issues of gun violence, racism, and police brutality, are also explicitly shown in Glover’s “This Is America” music video. The reasoning behind such a violent, disturbing, and evil visual approach, is to expose the less privileged to the twisted realities of what is swept under the rug in modern society. As Tricia Rose touched on, the issues that were portrayed in a violent and gory manner, have been going on since the start of hip hop music. Childish Gambino’s song is merely adding on the list of hip hop songs written about gun violence, racism, and police brutality, in hopes that there will be change.

Katie Snyder
Professor Pease
English 1101
22 October 2020

An Analysis of “Gangsta’s Paradise”

In Coolio’s song “Gangsta’s Paradise” multiple examples of figurative language add a greater dimension to his lyrics, to support the overall lesson of his song: to not fall in his footsteps of living in the streets and participating in gang violence. 

Coolio’s song presents an idea that where a person lives is essential to the quality of their life. He opens the song by spitting the verse “the valley of the shadow of death” which verbatim alludes to the metaphor in Psalms 23:4 of the bible stating “the valley of the shadow of death,” meaning that a person is bound to experience the most troubling and breaking moments. However, Coolio additionally develops the question as to where do these most troubling times come from? He later answers, with the antithetical title and recurring lyric “Gangsta’s Paradise.” What this “Paradise” represents is the streets or the ghetto, and Coolio’s intentional use of a “heavenly” word poses as a contradiction to what life in the streets actually is like. Coolio’s allusion to the bible references a place where a person will experience evil while the remark of “Gangsta’s Paradise” references the place where evil lingers. Both quotes together support the idea that the place where people will experience their worst moments is in the streets, and for the sake of happiness, and real paradise, Coolio preaches the importance of avoiding the streets life.

Coolio uses two metaphors to describe to the audience how thoughtless murder is when partaking in gangs, and his regrets for acting in such violent behavior. When Coolio explicitly details “you better watch how you talkin’ and where you walkin’ / or you and your homies might be lined in chalk” he demonstrates to the audience a personal experience in the streets, one where he or one of his friends might have been offended, and because of this offense, they were to pay the price. Coolio later adds “as they croak, I see myself in a pistol smoke,” and by including this metaphor, depicting Coolio murdering someone, Coolio shows the audience how quick and thoughtless murder was.  Moreover, the metaphors develop the idea that murder and violence is a social norm in gang life, something simple to them, and that this violence was their solution to even the smallest issues, something that Coolio wants his audience to listen and learn from so they will avoid this threat from him and others. 

When Coolio released his song “Gangsta’s Paradise” in 2010 there was a trend, where youth looked up to gangsters and were inspired to be like them. Teens and children had seen the few successful gangsters and aspired to be like them. When Coolio articulates “I’m the kind of G that little homies want to be like,'' he explains that his fame has caused minors to turn to the streets in aspiration for fame, fortune, and money. But, what Coolio wants these youth to hear is that his fame came with a price. He explains this fee when he states “on my knees in the night sayin’ prayers in the streetlights” meaning that Coolio experienced a time where he was held at gunpoint and he had no means of escape other than quite literally praying to God. Together, the two quotes create this ironic statement that children would want to experience being held at gunpoint, live in fear, no escaping, all just for fame. For that, Coolio provides the lesson: to not join a gang because life in a gang is living in a never-ending debt of threats and fear. 

Multiple times Coolio alludes to the movie Dangerous Minds, a movie essentially about how a teacher directs students, who either live or are descending towards life through crime, poverty, and looming threats from gangs and guides them towards the values of education and the life someone could have following the law.  Coolio alludes to this movie when he raps the oxymoron “I’m an educated fool with money on my mind."  To be “an educated fool” is a personal reflection stating he has gone through the required schooling, however, the information he learned in school has never proved of value to his life or his future. Including this oxymoron, Coolio declares he never encountered a person, or teacher, who reached out to him, stopping him in his tracks to lead him in the right direction. When Coolio later adds the verse “they say I gotta learn, but nobody’s here to teach me” he refers to the fact that he despite being forced to go to school, here was never someone who was emotionally involved with educating him in school topics and becoming a person with a sustainable future. Essentially Coolio’s purpose in adding the allusion to Dangerous Minds is to demonstrate how the school system failed him and people with a similar lifestyle as his. He says that teachers should be more emotionally involved with their student’s personal lives, like in the movie, not only because they have an impact on their education, but because they have the potential to change a kid into becoming a truly successful adult. 

Coolio’s song “Gangsta’s Paradise” persuades young people to stay in school, get an education, and to avoid falling into the uncontrolled lifestyle in the streets.

As social media continues to grow, and hip-hop continues to meticulously weave its way through society’s social constructs, middle schoolers and older elementary schoolers are being exposed and taught the portrayed values in rap, which typically entail topics of sexual desire, murder, and violence. 

Hip-hop artists Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released the song “WAP” in 2020, immediately blowing on radio stations, social media platforms, and TikTok, a popular video-sharing app with users ranging from and can be younger than, thirteen and over. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion portray explicit depictions of sexual pleasure and other sexual inuendos through both figurative language and the exotic dancing and scenes produced in the music video. The titles acronym “WAP” alone details an astronomically high level of inappropriateness standing for Wet A** P**** and the rest of the lyrics and music video entail a similar level of appropriateness. The artist's Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have in the past both produced music that is more inclined to an adult audience, however, with the popularity of their music in adult crowds and society’s obsessive use of social media, leaked images and videos demonstrating indecorous scenes and lyrics, the exposition of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallions music circulating its way to society’s youth, allowing the one part of the population that should steer clear from the disclosure of sexual desires and pleasure. Music that explains topics mentioned, teaches youth that meeting sexual needs is normal, and should be strived upon thus creating the issue of children aspiring to follow through with the same actions, body language, and speaking the same words as Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion did. 

On the other hand, another renowned artist, Beyonce, released one of her many popular songs, “Best Thing I Never Had,” in 2011. While any hip-hop music will include some sort of innuendos and inappropriate attributes, a song like this, however, portrays features not on a matter of sex, violence, or drugs, but an experience of hers, a friendlier topic that middle schoolers to late elementary schooler can be handle, not teaching them topics of sex as mentioned in the popular rap song “WAP.” While the beginning half of her music video portrays her in white lingerie, dressed in her pre-wedding attire, the second portion of the music video airs on the side of a friendlier image, and singing on a topic gentler for the ears of the uneducated pre-teens
 

Over time there has become a longer bridge between appropriate rap songs and rap music with gory topics, violent messages, and extremely explicit lyrics. The most inappropriate songs speak on topics of violence, sexual pleasures, and subjects that would turn up the nose of a parent if they knew their kid was being exposed to. 
 

When a pre-teen attends school with children who are older in age, they are bound to hear, see, and learn about topics that should be explained to them in a responsible manner, rather than by an explicit song that their friend heard. In relation to hip-hop and rap music, famous rappers and artists are thoughtless in their exploitation of topics that are teaching pre-teens in today’s society adult subjects. Topics that kids who are growing up and learning about how the world functions should not know about until they are at a mature stage of their life. But, who said that all hip-hop and rap music was bad? There are hundreds to thousands of songs that have been released within the past decade of which speak on behalf of important social issues, female empowerment, and lessons of past experiences. Lessons like that teach these pre-teens, however, is good because it can provide a more personable and positive influence on these children.

Katie Snyder

Professor Pease

English 1101

3 December 2020

Inappropriate Versus Appropriate Rap and Hip-Hop Music

Each person in society has a different opinion on what they deem is appropriate or inappropriate for children. So what is the consensus for what differentiates appropriateness and inappropriateness? According to Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, they list that explicit lyrics, parental advisory labels, and the content found in music videos will dictate the appropriateness of a song. The website also mentions how hip-hop and rap is one of the largest contributors to inappropriate music when they state, “hip hop and other genres have received criticism for lyrics with graphic references to drugs, sex, violence, and hate aimed at women, minorities, gays, and lesbians.” For obvious reasons, these topics have negative consequences for the youth, influencing them to partake in activities that are spoken about. The DailyMail UK supports this idea by stating, “rap stars are encouraging early sexual activity among teenagers” after elaborating on a pregnancy that blamed rap and hip hop music. The issue with hip-hop and rap music explicitly detailing sexual intercourses, is that children will take after what they learn from these famous artists and be inspired to be like them - to participate in activities they are uneducated about.

As of August 7, 2020, a new hip-hop song was released to the world by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, two of the most prominent female figures in the rap industry. Within a week, their song quickly became successful, with the most streams per week for songs in 2020. When it was released, it advanced into the brains of pre-teens across the nation where they were rapidly exposed to the explicit acronym for the title of their song “Wet A** P***y.” The entirety of the song's lyrics and the music video is a reference to sexual intercourse and topics speaking on behalf of their female body parts. In the line “not a garden snake, I need a king cobra” Cardi B metaphorically references the size of a male’s private part, as this is one of the many sexual innuendos. Additionally, the two artists include a scene where they lay in a pit covered in snakes while wearing makeshift lingerie, just contributing to this metaphor of snakes being a man’s part, and how they are covered in them. Out of 81 lines, only 54 lines do not contain a curse word (f*ck, d*ck, sh*t, a**, p**sy), however, what the remaining 54 lines do, is contain more series of metaphors about sex. For example, when Cardi B uses the metaphor, “I want you to park that big Mack Truck / Right in this little garage” she explains how she wants someone to please her sexual desires. In each scene in the music video, Cardi B’s and Megan Thee Stallion’s physical attributes are revealed to portray a “sexy” or “attractive” image, drawing attention to their body parts. With both artists and back-up dancers wearing clothes that reveal nothing much but what society requires to be covered, they support what inappropriate is defined as. For a child to see this, it influences young girls to dress in revealing clothing and to be admired for their physical attributes rather than their intelligence or their personality. 

The issue with this song, however, is the audience who interprets it. As social media has continued to expand, there has been a reduction of the parental information barrier that has specifically driven a wedge between topics deemed appropriate and topics that are deemed inappropriate (for adult audiences 18+).  The song “WAP” is a perfect example of an inappropriate song that has passed through the membrane of the parental information barrier. Not only was the song spreading from person to person because of how loved it first was when it came out, but the song itself has spread from popular social media platforms such as Tik Tok (an app used by lots of young people) weaving its way into the hands of a child who, as a society might say, should not be exposed to because of the inappropriateness that it entails.

On June 1, 2011, Beyonce released “Best Thing I Never Had,” just one of her numerous hit songs, focusing on one of her previous relationships and the heartbreak that followed suit. The explicitness of her song is quite the opposite of the previously mentioned “WAP”, only having two curse words (both being the word a**). While most hip-hop or rap music is known for its explicit lyrics, and explicit lyrics generally coincide with inappropriateness, in this instance having a minimal number of curse words is considered to be allowed. For example, in G and PG-rated films, they allow one harsh sexually derived curse word. So, when Beyonce uses less than a handful of curse words, it already proves her music to be more appropriate for younger crowds than what “WAP” entails. Beyonce also calls on God in multiple different lines explaining how God kept her from being in a toxic relationship. Just one of her multiple references states, “thank God I dodged the bullet.” By implying that a figure, one who is seen as perfect and a mentor, supports her and “protects” her. While there are children/people who stick to different religious beliefs and do not follow Christianity, it is essential to understand the concept behind using God as Beyonce’s way of showing her moral beliefs. These morals that the Bible calls upon deem to be appropriate for youth to hear about knowing that stories and morals from the Bible are taught to children in youth groups and Sunday schools. Beyonce clearly exemplifies a positive influence on a younger audience, when she states, “‘Cause honestly you turned out to be the / Best thing I never had” where she reverses a negative situation and finds a positive take away from it. To coincide with her lyrics, the music video follows suit to the recurring appropriateness. Her dress attire and lyrics combined, develop a gentle tone - some might say in a soothing manner. The second half of her music video highlights her in a wedding dress with who must have been portraying her previous lover. The video itself captures Beyonce’s beauty, but not because of her revealing clothing. This just proves to children who may have watched the music video that beauty is not reliant on extremely revealing or elaborate clothing.

Tension arises between evaluating the explicitness and visual appropriateness in a song, and the profound message delivered from the lyrics. Artist’s Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are known for their sexy demeanor and rapping about their sexual pleasures or dominance in bed. So when Cardi B explains “I don’t cook, I don’t clean” she supports this dominating idea - countering the submissive stereotype placed on women by both society and men. A bold move by these artists to announce their refusals to falling into gender roles. And with all things considered, to state this in a competitive and mostly male-dominated industry. But, because they assert dominance in the tone of their music, gender roles are thrown out the window.  What “WAP” proposes is a new idea that counters female objectification in hip-hop and rap songs by developing a tone that makes men seem to be the ones objectified. While on the surface, some might believe that the artists and back-up dancers wearing revealing clothing objectifies women, however, it's quite the opposite when looking deeper into the female power that is spoken throughout the song. While the artists have "inappropriate" innuendos and explicit lyrics, female empowerment is a topic that should be influenced onto female pre-teens, and the clothing that the artists choose to wear should not be a reason to claim they are objectifying women or themselves, to be frank.

On the contrary, Beyonce’s song “Best Thing I Never Had” provides language much more appropriate and pre-teen friendly. But, with the song being more pre-teen friendly, the theme behind the song is significantly less empowering than the message that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion produced. While Beyonce explains the importance of getting over an ex and self-worth, her message does not contain the same power or energy that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion express. On top of that, less fame was given to this song compared to the instantaneous spread of “WAP” right after release. Beyonce’s lyrics are less bold and kinder to an audience, which coincides with the fact that her music is more appropriate for a younger audience. Songs like this never receive the same amount of fame, however, due to society's on-going crave for explicit lyrics. 

Of course, when it comes to music or business in general, the producer will want to sell a product that causes an attraction from the population. If there is a high demand for explicit lyrics, having women dance half-naked in music videos, gun violence, and more, then that is exactly what will be produced. After “WAP” experienced fame rolling in hour after hour of being released, other aspiring artists will then develop songs just alike so they too will have the same amount of fame and money rolling in. While on the contrary, Beyonce’s song “The Best Thing I Never Had” did not receive the same amount of fame, but the level of appropriateness is much friendly and portrays a message that parents would likely allow their pre-teen to absorb. In essence, the issue as to why inappropriate music continues to race throughout modern culture and into children's brains is due to the fact that society is asking for more songs like “WAP” rather than songs like “The Best Thing I Never Had.”

Sources

“Inappropriate Content in Music.” Media Smarts: Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy. mediasmarts.ca/music/inappropriate-content music.

December 2, 2020. 

“Rap Music Blamed for Teen Pregnancy.” Daily Mail UK. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-401684/Rap-music-blamed-teen-pregnancy.html

August 23, 2006.