Terry Funk

“In rap music, even though the element of poetry is strong, so is the element of the drum, and the implication of dance. Without the beat, its commercial value would certainly be more tenuous” Archie Shepp. For many years people have argued about whether or not rap is poetry and, the differences between the two. The most prominent question in this debate is, is rap poetry or its own form of literature. Both rap and poetry have been around for a very long time and have appealed to the senses of a…

I know how rap gets a bad name cause of rap today but what do you think of rap??? Personally my opinion is how did rap get this bad. To be honest I love listening to older rappers like 2Pac, Eazy E, and Biggie but now …. we got rappers like Young Thug, and Lil Wayne. And they produce some pretty dry stuff. And guess what. I HATE IT !!!!! But now I'm going to tell you how rap first started and it is kind of interesting. So thousands of years ago, Africa "griots" played music while they told…

Juan Williams’ “Songs of the Summer of 1963….and 2013” compares popular music from the sixties, with connections to the civil rights struggle, to in his own words, “malignant, self-aggrandizing rap songs that define today's most popular music.” In this subject to subject, or side by side, essay Mr. Williams talks about the music of the civil rights era, the artists who created it and its interracial effect from inception to present day. Then in a rather brief synopsis Williams expouses his…

The Music in the 90’s was booming. Bands like Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, No doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers , and The Presidents of the United States of America. These bands were a highlight in the 90’s. They were an advancement in music history. Today these bands are still very popular and listened to by many. I am one of them. They put rock and pop on the map forever. This music also created a high watermark for how good things used to be. The band, The Presidents of the United States of America is…

When you think about rappers and singers in the 90s who comes to your mind first? Throughout this essay I will compare, contrast, and explain how they impact the music industry. When I think of rappers and signers in the 90s, Aaliyah and Tupac come to my mind because they are one of a kind type of people. My favorite two artists are Aaliyah because she has a unique voice and Tupac (2Pac) because his music was about his experiences in life. You may not know it but Aaliyah and Tupac have a lot in…

Growing up, my life revolved around music. My mother, a waitress and my father a bassist. I pretty much grew up in restaurants and bars, listening to my dad play songs Keith Richards wrote 30 years ago. Living in a house with more vinyls than square feet, I learned to love every genre of music. My parents went to every live concert they could go to; Aerosmith, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, you name it my parents were in the crowd. When I was ten my mom told me about this great guitar…

Music of the Jazz, begging in African American communities of New Orleans began in the late 19th century and flourished in the roaring 20’s. During the time period of the 1920’s, many African American artist, musicians, and singers, rose to fame, fortune, and recognition as they performed in the Jazz genre. Theses artist, doing what many believed to be the dream were seen as trend setters, rule breakers, a form of representation and inspiration for the African American in America. In fact, these…

Jazz dance is often styled in parallel to the musical and cultural taste of the time providing it with its ever changing variations and influences throughout the decades especially the fifties and sixties. Jazz dance went from shallow imitations with Hindu/oriental inspiration to social dances that started in the African American community such as the jerk,locomotion, the Monkey and more. Gus Giordano, founder/director of the critically acclaimed Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, author,…

Hip-hop which had emerged in the midst of scant material, dwindling income, and education started to shift and transition around the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Due to an up rise of commercialization, this transition had become referred to as a “slow death” for hip-hop. Throughout chapters 6-8 in Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop the commercialization of hip-hop is explored, where hip-hop is a form of art but that which now is being depleted and replaced with making money. While early hip-hop…

Jazz is a genre of music that originated from the African-American community. It was introduced in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Jazz music became drastically popular during the 1920s and soon enough the genre had an impact on society. Literature and music united to create pieces of writing influenced by the new jazz age, both forms of art evolved simultaneously. Women’s fashion went from dull to glitz, flapper fashion was introduced to the decade.…