Aruni Rahman Professor Grant ENG 1102 28 January 2014 Rap Music: Provocative or Pleasing? Its summer.

The sun is blaring hot. The wind seeps through the windows of my friends car. Music is blasting, but it is not the typical music that one would think teenage children from the suburbs of Shoreview, Minnesota would be listening to. From afar it just sounds like the typical absurd and profound rap music, but if one takes a step closer they would realize it was much more than the basic rap. The music comes from no other than the rap genius himself, Biggie Smalls. Pop culture includes all sorts of things, ranging from social media to what is on the T.V., but one of the most favorable and relatable for all kinds of people is music. Music is something that has always been around in my life. I began playing piano and violin when I was about 4 years old and played throughout high school. Ive learned how to play all sorts of genres of music, but none of them really interested me as much as rap music. It was a shame because playing rap is not a very easy thing to do on the piano so I had to stick with just getting it off the computer and playing it on my iPod. I began enjoying it a lot more when I got into middle school because my brothers were very interested in it as well. Then I got to high school and I found friends that also shared the same interest. There are a multitude of reasons why I chose rap as my topic. The first being I thoroughly enjoy it, the second being it is commonly misunderstood, and third being I have a few problems with the current versions that are so popular today.

The first time I ever really got into rap was probably the song that everyone knows as the original birthday song. Its Your Birthday by 50 Cent has been played and replayed so many times on the radio, TV shows, everywhere. It was a song that everyone knew the lyrics to and if they didnt know the exact lyrics they knew the beat to it and would bring it up at any sort of event. Ever since then, the rap artists Ive started to follow and listen to have really grown. I began branching out to new unknown artists and even the artists that have been famous for longer than I have been alive. My favorite artists would have to be the ones that many consider as the classic ones. Tupac, Biggie Smalls, other comparable artists during that time tend to be my favorite because they didnt have a lot of fancy technology to make their music sound perfect, they had their voice, and whatever other instruments that worked at the time. This being said, the music seems very raw to me. Since they didnt have a lot of fancy technology, these artists had to put actual substance and passion to gain their fans. Each song is filled with feeling and various emotions that cause people to really want to listen to the music not only for the catchy tunes, but the real meanings. Rap music is often paired with words such as vulgar, inappropriate, and demeaning. This is partially due to the fact that many times it is. While some rap may be very patronizing towards women, often times, it also has many lyrics that are very passionate and relatable to all types of people. For example, some specific rappers that do not degrade women would include Lupe Fiasco and Brother Ali. Each artist is commonly known for how they tend to not speak of women in negative ways but much rather appreciate them for their hard work and equality. There are many other rappers that are very similar, just unrecognized. This might be due to the fact that most people do not take the time to break down the actual lyrics to rap songs and find the meanings behind them. Each rap artist expresses some part of them in their music.

Many of them talk about their childhood, their love lives, and their success. Other musical artists also do the same, but since they word it in a different manner, many people do not appreciate the rap versions as much. Modern day rap has changed dramatically from the classical version of it. Rap began in New York around the 1970s. It first started out with a lot of sociopolitical commentary, Black Nationalism or self-esteem within it (How Did Rap Start?). People started to rap because it was a catchy way to express ones self while also having fun. The classical rap, in my opinion, contained a lot of good themes and ideas. Nowadays, most rap found on the radio is typically the type of rap of music that I do not like. Those artists that can be found on the radio usually produce music that is just appealing to their listeners ears. While it is very successful for them, the music often loses its substance, including actual feelings, stories, etc. This saddens me greatly because it in a way it gives off a wrong impression to those that arent usually fond of that type of music. The fact that so many people enjoy that music is why a lot of rap is not as good as it used to be. I do not believe artists like Lil Jon and French Montana should really be considered as great rappers. They have a lot of music that is catchy and fun to dance to, but their underlying messages are usually filled with things that are not important or necessary to talk about. That being said, does not mean that I think they should stop, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and are allowed to express themselves in any way. Since I do not enjoy them, I just dont listen to them. However for people that think that rap is bad, a way to pin point a reason why they believe this is because fans allow artists like the ones stated above to be popular by listening to it. Rap music relates to the world in more ways than one may think. It is continuously growing and gaining more fans. It will always be around because people will always find it very 3

catchy, no matter what meanings lie behind the lyrics, and will always find a reason to play it for some sort of occasion. New types of rap will arise and people will always find comfort towards their favorite artists. The most powerful and rich people nowadays include some rap artists including Jay-Z, Drake, and Kanye West. These rap artists have a lot of influence on todays society, whether one wants them to or not. Even when these great artists do pass, others will take their place and they will have influence.

Works Cited "How Did Rap Start? - Curiosity." Curiosity. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.