Hip Hop music and setting encourage opportunities for victimization and crime. Further, the attendees’ typology and their patterns of alcohol consumption and illicit drug abuse provide motivational factor for aggressive behaviors. “The theoretical discoveries from various researches illustrated that nightclubs in 1990s were the major settings for victimization, deviance, and crime,” (Davis, 34). Further, other types of criminal activities and victimization occur after the completion of the event as people interact and make social connections. “Other important aspect is social context, which has great impact on the behavior of the youths,” (Kun, 589). The context shapes the identities and the behaviors of individuals or group. Hip Hop Music has certain aesthetic effects, which are attracting to the youth. However, these effects making it a unique culture have been overshadowed by the negative effects and influences associated with the…
The texts Monster written and performed by 4 members of the DC slam team, Dance with the Devil composed by Immortal Technique, Blindside directed by John Lee Hancock, and Divergent directed by Neil Burger, studied the connecting idea of influences across life in varying ways. An important lesson that was found was that our cultural capital can influence our choices and the way we see and value things in life. Secondly, it is our choice on whether we let our past and cultural capital be the barrier that stops us from seeing things from a new and broader perspective.…
Close to the Edge: The Representational Tactics of Eminem a comprehensive essay written by Marcia Alesan Dawkins, provides a concrete, insightful examination of the strategy and tactics used by a Caucasian artist to integrate himself into the predominantly African-American and Latino dominated sub culture of hip-hop. The purpose of this document is to illuminate the methods utilized by what Dawkins calls the Other to seamlessly sneak into a racially charged social group and gain acceptance amongst its critics and audiences. This is someone who would otherwise be labelled as an outcast from the point of view of its patrons. Such methods draw from Michel de Certeau’s stages of cultural navigation, which Dawkins makes use of to support the analysis. The focus of this analysis is of course Eminem’s conscious and effective employment of these three stages: appropriation, “spatial acting out of the place” and allocution, in order to represent himself as a talented artist. The significance of Dawkins paper lies in its clear and concise ability to communicate with other spectators and critics of hip-hop and in doing so offer insight as to why others haven’t been able to mimic the same path Eminem has taken to be successful in the art form. The general idea inferred from this article is that of the sameness and otherness, which is believed to be a large component of America’s racially divided entertainment industry. Dawkins therefore refers to this concept continually as the underlining argument to reinforce her analysis of Eminem’s representational tactics.…
In the poem Sympathy for the devil, the speaker uses many different historical allusions and understatements to gain the readers sympathy for him. The speaker of the poem is the Devil and he tries to make it sound as though he is forced to be around all of the death and despair so that the reader might feel bad for him. He uses the historical allusion of “I was around when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain” to show that he has been around for a very long time and he has seen some of the most sorrowful deaths in history. The speaker tries to make the reader feel sorry for him because he has seen so much death. Throughout the poem he makes it very clear that he himself did not murder or cause any of the deaths that he talks about by making the understatements “I was round when” and “I watched “. Those kind of understatements show that he was not the reason for the deaths even though he was there when they occurred and therefore he should not be to blame but in fact he wants remorse. The biggest understatement that the speaker use is the second to last stanza when he list the contradictions “Just as every cop is a criminal, And all the sinners saints, As heads is Tails”. In that stanza he tries to show that people should not be judged for what they see or are around because no one is perfect. The best way that he attempted to elicit sympathy for himself is by being polite by saying “Please allow” and “Let me please”. Him being polite was probably his best chance to gain any kind of sympathy from the reader because usually if you are nice to a person they are generally nice to…
“Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn. Sixteen years on the streets and you see a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to see.” (S.E Hilton, The Outsiders). In the Outsiders, Hilton demonstrates the rough life of gang living. In the story there many negative examples and consequences from the gang life, such as, “rumbles”, violent acts, and even tragic deaths. The gangs were small groups, within the community in which members were often loyal to each other, and to the gang as a whole. All member of the gangs seemed to have unconditional love for one another, and would sacrifice for each other, but shared in hatred and spite for the other group. This caused conflict within the community. Often the gang members would set aside their personal differences, to remain united, and loyal to the group.…
People shouldn’t have control over others because of the abuse of the system (in this case, the government), and the deprivation of individual’s rights.…
It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who famously said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”. There was a deep-seated irrational fear in Lake County, Florida in 1949 four black boys accused of raping a 17-year-old girl. White supremacists obsessed over controlling the black race, and protecting the “flower of southern womanhood”. While blacks feared for their lives. And with the influential but extremely courageous help of the NAACP, especially Thurgood Marshall, some fought back. Gilbert Kings Novel, The Devil in the Grove, tells the story of a rather suspenseful tragic time for our Nation that should never be forgotten or repeated. A time when irrational fears oppressed an entire population of people under the system, above the law, that was racism.…
Gregory Boyle begins chapter eight: “Success with a few questions that seem so simplistic at first glance. What is success and what is failure? What is good and what is bad? Setback or progress?” (Boyle 167). Taking a few moments to process these questions, one realizes that the question is quite complex and difficult. Success has such a subjective definition that it can only be defined by the one who answers the question of “what is success to you?” and has no universal definition. Specifically with gang members, success in the context of their lives is about personal growth and less about tangible results. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”(Biblegateway). Their lives have endured much turmoil and through experiences they find what is good and acceptable and perfect to themselves. Individuals may have their own views on success and failures, and these views may be similar or vastly different. Success for anyone, particularly the gang members, is doing the best one can in any given situation. This may be forgiving the killer of your son or deciding to discontinue participation in gang activities. Although defining success proves to be elusive there are many forms of success that should be embraced with open arms.…
Gangsta rap is based off of real life situations that these artists have been through. Music is supposed to be a form of self-expression and that is all these artists are doing. Although these songs can sometimes be bad or inappropriate, they can be used in a positive manner, such as talking points as to encourage their children to make positive life choices. I understand that art is often misunderstood, and that is no means fir it to be censored. Because these rappers are talking about real life situations, many are quick to judge and say that they are being a bad influence. When in reality they are just speaking the truth. Most lyrics of a gansta rap song is about the struggle they went through and how they made it out. The verse of Young Scooter’s song ‘Made it Through the Struggle’, goes as such: “I made it through that struggle, struggle. I grinded out that gutter, gutter. This a letter to my momma. I never had a fuckin' father. Ain't no mo going broke, ain't no mo' going broke” (Rap Genius). Here is talking about how he was going through…
How does a person find their true self? Do they find it through their friends and family; or do they just expect to know? Some may think that it can only be found through life changing incidents. However, that is not always the case. Simple events can make a profound impact on an individual’s life, leading them to discover their true identity. Throughout the poem, this is shown through the speaker’s perception of the stranger, how he makes her feel, and how he influences her life.…
Hip-hop is a popular form of music in today’s mainstream culture. In its first realm it appeared in forms of jazz as a verse style capturing the absence of melody, but has since evolved into a form of capitalizing egoism through criminal references. Therefore, deviance within youth in society is rising thanks to hip-hop music and the trends it provokes. Throughout Rap’s history, artists have depicted a lifestyle of drugs and violence along with instances of drug use, aggression and sexism, which is being passed onto listeners, who are mainly young people. These young people view successful artists as major influences, and look to them as heroes. But should this generation really be looking up to artists who speak so highly of violence, misogyny, and drug use? Charis E. Kubrin of George Washington University even goes as far as to say “Instead of music lyrics reflecting pre-existing identities, in this view, they…
In the 1980s, we saw many different genres of music emerge, genres such as Pop, Rock, and R&B. But a new genre emerged that sparked a lot of controversy: “Gangsta Rap” otherwise known as Hip Hop. Rappers/Rap groups such as NWA, Run DMC, Big Daddy Kane, and more changed the industry with catchy tunes and lyrics that talked about hard topics like slavery, violence, and police brutality. These lyrics sometimes caused major conflict, whether between races or with civilians and police. Hip Hop was very controversial in the 80s. “Gangsta rap” has caused a lot of controversy, many people protested this music in the late 80s and 90s due to the message within its lyrics and what those lyrics conveyed. Many accused “Gangsta Rap” for promoting things such as crime, killings, profanity, drugs, sex, racism, and more. But Gangsta rap doesn’t influence this type of lifestyle; it’s telling a story/conveying a message of the individuals who wrote the lyrics.…
For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become extremely popular. In the 1950’s Rock n Roll came to the scene and shocked everyone. The new sexual language and sex appealing dance moves had people thinking it was the end of all innocence. Then in the 1980’s Hip Hop Rap became increasingly popular. Many people viewed this new music as stupid and disgusting. It was seen as a ghetto, spoken word, vulgar, type of music. An example of this stereotype is the views of Hip Hop/ Rap through James McBride’s perspective. In James McBride’s essay “Hip Hop Planet” he shares with us his views on hip hop/ rap music and how hard it was for him to appreciate it. Overtime people began to appreciate this new genre of music more. They started realizing that this is not just a bunch of ghetto people cursing and speaking; it has meaning. Hip Hop/ Rap is truly an artistic genre and expression of real talent. This genre of music depicts peoples’ lives, tells us a story, and expresses their emotions. Some songs can be inspirational and can move you in a way that other genre’s cannot. An example of an artist that can convey this in his music is Eminem.…
that time was one of forcing the other young men in the hoods to join with them. Many sought out the Devils Disciples and joined their ranks for protection. The whole thing with gangs back in those days was territory not money or power as it is now. In 62 the Devils Disciples began having conflicts with the Black Stones over this very…
The gang's genesis dates to 1960, with a South Side gang called the Devil's Disciples had become sufficiently large to warrant being given an outreach worker by the Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago Youth Services (source: Chicago Historical Society). The Devil's Disciples were mostly male African-Americans, 15-18 years of age, frequenting the intersection of 53rd St. and Kimbark Ave., and operated from 53rd and Woodlawn to 49th St. and Dorchester Ave. In the early 1960s this gang known as the Devils Disciples became the "Black Disciples" (see Explosion of Chicago's Black Street Gangs: 1900 to Present, 1990, by Useni Perkins). The three major players in the Devils Disciples were David Barksdale, Shorty Freeman, and Don Derky.…