Poem Analysis: Made You Look By Nas

“Now let’s get it all in perspective”. This lyric from “Made You Look” by Nas, one of the greatest rappers of all-time, perfectly defines what I have learned about hip-hop this semester. This course has provided me with a new meaning as to what hip-hop really was like, how the whole movement got started, and what the lifestyle really consisted of. Through listening to song recordings, going through in-depth lyrical analyses, thoroughly reading book chapters, and attending and listening to Dr. Porco’s lectures, I know that I have a much deeper knowledge of the roots of hip-hop. I believe that I have grasped an understanding of the value and function of hip-hop in both the University of North Carolina at Wilmington setting, as well as the university …show more content…
When taught in a university setting hip-hop is unique; it essentially “flips the script” on traditional teaching. Rather than read a novel, students can listen to an album. Hip-hop albums tell a story, just like a novel, even though it is from a perspective that is not addressed often enough in educational institutions. As Lauren Kelly stated, “rappers are perhaps our greatest public poets” and by “studying language in the context of hip-hop, students can improve their vocabulary knowledge and decoding skills” (Kelly). Think about it. When a rapper raps, they often rhyme. What else rhymes? Poetry. Hip-hop songs convey a message and have a deeper meaning or theme than what is just heard on the surface. Sound familiar? Cermak agrees, “The metaphorical and historical themes in hip-hop did not often mesh well on the surface” (Cermak). That is what makes hip-hop unique in a university setting. Kelly also goes on to hypothesize that “Great literature is not defined by the presence of violence or sexuality or the lack thereof, but by how great writers have the ability to make us think deeply about the dilemmas of the human experience” (Kelly). Because of this, I think that hip-hop must be characterized as great …show more content…
I think that Kelly agrees with this, “Hip-hop is a genre worthy of independent study, not just a bridge to traditional literature” (Kelly). It is much more complex and there is so much more to it than many people today understand. Universities have the opportunity to enlighten students on this topic. Nevertheless, I have found that hip-hop is portrayed and valued variously at the university level. It is an outlet and a controversy, a teaching method and a perspective tool. All in all, as the SugarHill Gang put it, it is a “hip a hop and you don’t