The Stereotypes Of Rap

My portal has been something that I could take anywhere with me, and within minutes or even seconds, I could be transported back to the world I know. My sleek, white earphones were always stashed away in my pocket, just in case for whenever I had some free time or felt the need to escape from the daily grind. After unraveling the tangled mess, plugging it into my phone, and pressing play, I was taken to another world through the music of various artists, particularly those of rap or R&B. Whether I was taking my daily train ride to school in Oakland or resting on my bed in the late evening, my pocket cradled my portal to the melodies, the rhythms, and most importantly the voices of many artists. Wherever I was, my earphones could instantly take me the worlds of those artists. My phone
alone was not the portal; playing the music through the built-in speakers of my phone did not provide the same experience. My earphones were the key that allowed myself to become fully immersed in the dynamics of the music and the voices of the artists.

I became fond of rap for the intricacy and the thoughtfulness often found in its lyrics as well as it being a way for artists to genuinely and utterly express their thoughts, opinions, and ideas.
Although frequently demonized by many, rap tackles various significant themes outside of its stereotypes of being overly explicit and violent. From Kendrick Lamar reflecting on the loss of a close friend in “u” to Chance the Rapper recounting the difficulties of growing up in his neighborhood in “Summer Friends”, various rap artists often describe personal life events or issues. Listening to their music through my earphones enlightened me on the series of unheard struggles that occur outside the relatively blissful bubble of my own life. I enjoyed R&B for the mellow flow and the soulful vocals that merged to form music that often felt like an audible daydream. R&B also tackled various themes often involving love and relationships, which can be found in songs such as Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” in which Ocean reminisces the feelings he had with an ex-lover or Bryson Tiller’s “Don’t” in which Tiller narrates his own shortcomings in a relationship through the perspective of someone
else.
I never left my house without my earphones. That powerful feeling of spine chills and goosebumps from listening to my favorite songs was an experience that kept me tethered to my earphones. Through the music playing through them, I was taken on a spiritual journey and could envision life through the eyes of those artists. Without this portal, I would have never been able to truly develop into the person that I am today. It may seem ridiculous to say that this bundle of wires enveloped in rubber and plastic could have such heavy influence on me, but the ability to listen to an artist express themselves so naturally through music and to feel a multitude of emotions just from audio is an extraordinary experience.