Rakim

“Biggie Biggie Biggie can’t you see sometimes your love just hypnotize me.” “Watch me Whip. Watch me Nae Nae. Watch me Whip Whip. Watch me Nae Nae.” “Like never leave me, won’t forsake me. If you don’t help me, I won’t make it.” Could you name any of these song lyrics? Think about the ones you could and could not. These are lyrics of traditional and modern day R&B and gospel songs. The comparison between these lyrics show the way rap music has changed throughout time. Rap music is defined as…

Shawn Corey Carter, also better known as Jay Z, is a rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Jay Z was born on December four, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York, being at the age of forty-five today. I believe Jay Z is a charismatic leader because of everything he went through and achieved for it. Jay Z grew up in a drug-infested area called the Marcy Projects, where he ended up associating his life with gun-violence and drugs. Jay Z's father, Adnes Reeves, left the family when Jay Z was at the age…

In an excerpt from her book, titled When Chickenheads come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down, which was first published in 1999, music writer and hip-hop enthusiast Joan Morgan expresses her deep concern of the negative influence lyrics in rap music have on women and people of the African American community, as stated in her essay, "From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos". Morgan shares her views on the root causes of the prevalence of misogyny in rap music lyrics. Morgan illuminates…

Lil Yachty, a rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, began feeling as if he could be more than just the average rapper and quickly changed the habits he possessed. One night, he had a dream about being visited by a God, who wanted to take him to Rapper Hell, to see what will happen to him if he continues on the path that he is on. God tells him, “I will be sending someone that will guide you through Rapper Hell”. Lil Yachty wakes up to the face of Tupac Shakur a famous rapper in front of him. Lil Yachty…

Jay Z and Sam Walton both began at the bottom and were born to working class families. They did not have a head start in wealth as most rich and wealthy people have present day. Jay Z and Walton both worked extremely hard to rise to the top and become successful. The ways in which they reached this level of greatness drastically differ. Walton discovered his ability to sell and promote things at a very young age. He used this to his advantage and focused on work centered around his abilities. He…

Decoded was a glimpse into the rough environment of world known artist Shawn Carter, or better recognized as Jay-Z. In this book, Carter gives a clear analysis of not only his lyrics, but also the meaning of each lyric. He goes into detailed memories to steer the audience in the direction of a better understanding and acceptance to a different perspective than of those that are given via social media. In order to accomplish this, Jay-Z delves into three main topics. Firstly, he hoped to make a…

Aaron Copland once said, “To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable”. Aaron Copland had the right idea about music it will never stop until time stops. All music has history, a purpose, and a fan. Everyone has their own music that they love to listen to because everyone is different and many songs embrace differences people find in themselves and in society. The five radio stations I have set on my car radio begin with a Christian…

A very controversial and rebellious group from the 1980’s, is N.W.A. The group started in 1986 with Easy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre; they went on to include Mc Ren and DJ Yella. They were famous for their songs “Straight Outta Compton”, “Fuck tha Police”, and “Express Yourself”. N.W.A brought gangsta rap into the mainstream of music at the time and as a result influenced thousands of people. They also brought to light issues of the time, such as police prejudice against blacks and the…

Who owns Hip-Hop? Hip- hop has been one of the most hated and most loved genres of music since the late 70s. Some of the most popular artists were associated with hip-hop. Also, some of the most disliked artist were associated with hip-hop. This music has grown to get more popular over the years and is very famous to this generation. Being such a big thing for teenagers and adults, many debatable topics come up about hip-hop. Many people ask the question of who does hip-hop belong to. I believe…

It is only through music in which the world can be unified by one universal language, as it captivates the mind, and embraces the soul. One has access to various genres and styles of sound such as Jazz, Rock and Roll, or even Hip-Hop, which some may say has lost its way. On account of the continuous change that inevitably occurs in the world we live in, many artists have utilized Hip-Hop to either glamorize dangerous lifestyles that have developed over the years, or to raise awareness against…