August Alsina Research Paper

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August Alsina is a contemporary R&B singer. He was born on September 3rd, 1992 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Growing up, August and his siblings did not have the ideal upbringing. His parents were both addicted to cocaine and his biological father abruptly left the family when August was 14. Living in Downtown New Orleans, there was a lot of gun violence and drugs; consequently, August and his brother turned to the streets. The majority of August Alsina’s albums are directly related to his life. Throughout his songs, he explains how certain events have impacted him. Even though his story may seem cliché, there is more to him than just your average kid going through family struggles. For example, when he was 17 he dropped out of high school, therefore, he did not obtain a diploma or GED. He states that “my only option was to sell drugs in order to make a living” …show more content…

When he was creating this album, he stated, “I struggled. I struggled a lot with how much of myself do I give to the people. Because as artists, we put ourselves out there to be judged. People are so judgmental” (Drake). One of the songs named “Downtown” exemplifies the day of his brother’s passing. The lyrics “Already bad, it can only get worse Hand full of steel 'cause the shit still hurts cut so deep when they put him in the hearse Never saw 25, had to put him in the dirt” allows listeners to feel the agony that August felt during the day of his brother’s death (Downtown). August Alsina states “my brother always told me living in the hood you never live past 25” which in this case happened (Drake). His brother died right before his 25th birthday. By placing an exact age makes it even more powerful and places a new perspective on the song. Being so young when you die is not something that we expect. August is expressing that living in the streets is not where you want to end

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