When researching the first step is to do thorough literary research. When looking for research sources the inquiry to think about is, what is the question, hypothesis, or topic are you’re searching? Are you researching a scholarly source which will be founded in experimentation and testing or a subjective source based on less controllable observation; such as human behavior or emotion? To give you a better idea, I will be using an idea I have for a research topic as an example. I will be researching the personal life of Kanye West.
The next step is to determine what kinds of sources you will need; books, articles, magazines, videos, etc. Once you’ve figured out what it is you need and acquired said source types; it may be necessary to confirm
It’s crucial to hone in on one aspect of your research topic. Because I chose to research an artist, I had to stray away from the media limelight perspective of his life and, instead, delve into the more personal, behind-the-scene corners of his life. For example, the traumatic life event, of Kanye’s mother passing, heavily influenced the way he views life. This is evident in the music he writes, as it is an expression of his soul. Kanye wrote using more materialistic and apathetic themes. In his earliest album, College Drop Out, Kanye has more of an upbeat theme where as his albums afterwards pour out more aggression and heartache. Life of Pablo, Kanye’s newest album is written up of a soulful theme but also a mix. People refer to, “missing the old Kanye,” commonly, because Kanye was genuinely a different person before the hype of fame and lowest point of his personal life.
In conclusion, the research you conduct is completely up to the topic and your preference. But there are multiple sources available and ways of accessing these sources conveniently. If you’re researching the life of a star, remember the importance of focusing on a personal theme. Ask yourself, what major life events have altered this person’s life, and other personal statement themed questions. If you do this, then the paper will flow much more naturally. The more you research the more information there should be to skim through and to back up your
In the short story “Tupac and My Non-Thug Life” by Jenee Desmond-Harris she talks about the death of Tupac Shakur and the impact it had on her and her friend Thea. I think its interesting that although Harris and Tupac are polar opposites she uses the connection of their race and applys it to this “coming of age” journey. Harris expresses that Tupacs music made her feel apart of something and that she valued the racial equality being voiced through his music. I can relate to this on multiple levels. For example when I’m feeling down and listen to sad music that i can relate to. Listening to music and lyrics that you can relate to brings you a sense of belonging like you arent the only one that has ever felt this way.
Many believe that the words of a song are what makes the largest impact on viewers, but on the contrary in an article posted by hiphopdx it states that “Like any form of art, there are those that are a cut above the rest. Telling a story is an art form in itself, whether you’re recalling a story to your boys at the bar, writing songs or making movies. A true storyteller can make an average story great, and a great story unforgettable.” (J-23) As many of these songs illustrate, it isn’t just the story, it is how you tell it. putting in those small, seemingly insignificant details, which make the listener feel like they are there. It is using a metaphor that captures a situation in a way that a description could never do. The songs that are so deep you could picture it like a movie in your mind are more powerful than any words of a rap song just sung to be sung. These are the songs that are almost cinematic to listen too. These are the types of rap artists that are down to earth, true to themselves as well as their audience, and also the artists that sing for the pure enjoyment to tell stories, not to be plastered on social media or to worry about how many instagram, twitter, facebook followers they have, or how many people bought or listened to their songs
To collect my information I used a variety of sources and methods. These consisted of:
Roberts, Edgar V., Jacobs, Henry E. “Literature.” The Lesson. 470-475. Toni Cade Bambara. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 2001
On first visiting the site, the user is impressed by the simple, friendly layout. The collection is divided into Reference, Verse, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Users can click on drop down menus or tabs for each category to go directly to the title of the work they seek. And each menu or tab is divided into subcategories so users may locate similar formats or subjects with ease. Works can also be found through author, subject, or title keyword searches, or one can browse the “featured” selections that are frequently updated on the home page. The content of every title in the collection can be keyword searched to locate specific quotes or phrases that are of interest to the user within the work.
" Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 1. Ancient Times to the American and French Revolutions.
I was so interested in the truth that I suspended my assumptions about West as I pursued more information through research, giving me an objective lens. It truly rattled me to have been so wrong in my assumptions, it felt weird to know that because of something I didn’t know, I had believed something. It genuinely shook my self-confidence. I really prided myself on my knowledge of Hip-Hop, I thought I knew all the classic albums, how could I have overlooked this one for so long? So, jolted by this sting of self embarrassment, I searched further, I wanted to know what else I had been oblivious to. It became increasingly clearer to me that there were two completely opposite views about Kanye, the more popular view: he’s a worthless egotistical pop star, who’s created nothing of value, and, as I was shocked to learn over time, the informed view, and the truth, that he was and is one the most influential artists of the 21’st
They have been some challenges in trying to figure out the right approach to follow in a research study, and this semester is more of an eye opener that reveals the expected ways in conducting research which has been a very interesting and tough process. Dudley (2011), least four major search strategies available for locating references related to the chosen topic issues these include: (1) consultation, (2) searches in subject indexes, (3) browsing, and (4) footnote chasing. Researcher needs to be aware of all of these strategies in information gathering.
When West first showed up (late 90s and early 2000s), the world was a different place. Fans of the genre were most likely listening to gangster-rap, artists like: Jay Z, Notorious B.I.G, 50 Cent, Tupac, Ice Cube, Eazy E, N.W.A, Wu-Tang, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg (Best Gangsta Rappers), the kind of music that dominated mainstream rap at the time. Rappers and fans of rap were mostly in a gangster-influenced mind state. West was foreign to the idea of being a “thug” or a “gangster”. West grew up in an average house while his mom made good money working as a professor in the English department at Chicago State University. He was well educated and attracted to more preppy fashions- sport coats, polo shirts, and sunglasses, quite the contrary to what other rappers were wearing in those times. Like many rappers, West wrote about his daily experiences, experiences majorly ...
Kanye Omari West, rapper, producer, professional celebrity, and with an ego to match, has forced himself into the limelight of the music industry. Kanye West has made a lasting impression on all of those around him, whether it be a good one or bad. With seven full length albums, a multimillion record label company, and a successful fashion business all under his belt, it’s fair to say that Kanye has done his fair share of creating. Over the last twelve years Kanye went from a young Chicago kid just trying to get his flows off, to one of the most decorated musicians of all time. With over 20 Grammy’s and 3 of his albums ending up on the Rolling stones “500 greatest albums of all time”. He has continuously created, entertained, and spoken his mind for years. Whether it be “George Bush does not care about black people” or “Taylor imma let you finish, but Beyoncé had
For my third source I used information from a book rather than a journal or a book review so I could get different information on the topic.
The steps taken to search for information that already exists about the topic include using scholarly search engines to gather a se...
Rap music has given me personally something to look up to. Not a role model but hope of continuing my dreams because rappers successfully made it. “For what’s money without happiness, or hard times without the people you love” is from a song called “Love Yourz” by J. Cole. He clearly understands how there is “beauty in the struggle and ugliness in the success” because he’s lived that life. Other songs such as “2Face” or “The Autograph” were instantly relatable to me because he has been through several struggles from the beginning of his childhood. Cole’s father left when he was six leaving his mother and younger brother alone. Cole became “the man of the house” but becoming a rapper is not as easy as it seems. Cole’s messages in these two songs are relative because I too, have had several issues with my mother and father creating a sense of lonesome. Hearing music like Coles helped me overcome my
Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG125.10.2/sections/sec2.3
The study gathers the reliable information and data through the primary sources and secondary sources.