From wicked good, to psychedelic, to “word”, there is no reason why older generations never understand what the youth today consider the latest slang. Our ever-growing vocabulary, to express our emotions and feelings, is never consistent or rigid in its capacity. However, one word that I have not only grown accustomed to in my daily life but also of my mother’s generation is the single syllable, “cool”. When something becomes common, it is hard to tell when it began. The usage of cool as a general positive epithet or interjection has been part and parcel of English slang since World War II, and has even been incorporated into other languages, such as French and German. Originally, in this sense, it is derived from a Black English usage meaning “excellent, superlative,” first recorded in written English in the early 1930s. Jazz musicians who used the term were responsible for its popularization during the 1940s. As a slang word expressing generally positive sentiment, it has stayed current far longer than most such words. One of the main characteristics of slang is the continual renewal of its vocabulary and storehouse of expressions: in order for slang to stay slangy, it has to have a feeling of novelty. Slang expressions that mean the same as cool, are words such as bully, capital, hot, groovy, hip, crazy, far-out, rad, and tubular.
Growing up for over sixteen years, I have the knowledge of using the word cool in its various forms. As a little boy I never would want to embarrass myself amongst the my sister’s friends who were much older and wiser than I. There was never room for any embarrassing mishap in my quest for being considered cool. As a young middle-schooler, I always looked up to the senior boys. Whenever I would run to and fro my next class, I would hear from a senior waltzing to his classes, “Hey man. Stay cool,” not at first knowing his true motive. Growing up, you might at first not understand the true meaning of the term, but through experience, one learns of the meaning in its entirety so as to use in daily life.
The poem “We Real Cool” is the story of young kids, possibly teens, who are rebellious, uneducated, and arrogant. It states: “We real cool. We left school. We lurk late. We strike straight. We sing sin. We thin gin. We jazz June. We die soon.” (l.1-8) The poem talks about the pool players and their lives. It seems as though the pool players are school aged because the poet says, “We left school.” (l.1-2) This line shows how they have no interest in school or learning. Since they choose to ditch school, they are most likely uneducated or immature therefore, their behavior throughout the poem, is not too surprising.
The poem, We Real Cool, by Gwendolyn Brooks speaks through the voice of a young clique who believes it is “real cool.” Using slang and simple language to depict the teenage voice in first person, Brooks’s narrators explain that they left school to stay out together late at night, hanging around pool halls, drinking, causing trouble, and meeting girls. Their lifestyle, though, will ultimately lead them to die at a young age. But, despite an early death, the narrator expresses that they are “real cool” because of this risky routine. Through her poem, Brooks’s shows the ironic consequence of acting “cool”: it leads to death.
In “We Real Cool,” by Gwendolyn Brooks, one can almost visualize a cool cat snapping his fingers to the beat, while she is reading this hip poem. Her powerful poem uses only a few descriptive words to conjure up a gang of rebellious teens. Brooks employs a modern approach to the English language and her choice of slang creates a powerful jazz mood. All of the lines are very short and the sound on each stop really pops. Brooks uses a few rhymes to craft an effective sound and image of the life she perceives. With these devices she manages to take full control of her rhyme and cultivates a morally inspiring poem.
The cool-pose culture of young black men is gratifying. These young men are dependent on this life style of imitating hip-hop culture. The positive of adopting “cool pose” is the fact that it gives the individual a sense of belonging, confidence and success. Unfortunately the positives are derivative of the negatives. Though, much of the confidence and belonging comes from being a part of a group of people ...
“We Real Cool” poem proves you can give a lot of personality and insight to a group of characters in eight lines. With the lines “We real cool, We Left school (Lines 1-2)” it tells us that these kids left school to chase after their perception of cool. The poet reveals the fact that these boys are also uneducated, rebellious and arrogant. This poem will be the prime example of quality.
When being cool you can see it as being socially constructed (Waren, 2014). Most people see cool as not being an object but just as seeing it as a word and self-confidence. Once one feel they are cool their self-esteem goes up and they find more self-control of how they life should be played out. The audience don’t have to be mean or break the rules to be cool there are many other things like helping out people in need or doing things you way without people telling you how things should be done. Once the readers can live their life how they want to and make up their own rules then that makes a person one step closer to being in the category
Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that emerged from the dilapidated South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s. The area’s mostly African American and Puerto Rican residents originated this uniquely American musical genre and culture that over the past four decades has developed into a global sensation impacting the formation of youth culture around the world. The South Bronx was a whirlpool of political, social, and economic upheaval in the years leading up to the inception of Hip-Hop. The early part of the 1970’s found many African American and Hispanic communities desperately seeking relief from the poverty, drug, and crime epidemics engulfing the gang dominated neighborhoods. Hip-Hop proved to be successful as both a creative outlet for expressing the struggles of life amidst the prevailing crime and violence as well as an enjoyable and cheap form of recreation.
Black culture is the epitome of what defines America’s understanding of cool. It is difficult to define what it means to be cool without stating the influence or impact of the culture. The idea of cool developed as a social attitude implemented by black men during slavery which they used as a defense mechanism in order to cope with exploitation and injustice. It is now spread by hip hop culture which has integrated itself into mainstream society. As a result, black culture continues to play a vital role in America due to its innovative and creature nature.
Hip hop has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its crossover appeal, it is a great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hop's influence has become well received by a number of different races in this country. A large number of the rap and hip hop audience is non-black. It has gone from the fringes, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Because it has become the fastest growing music genre in the U.S., companies and corporate giants have used its appeal to capitalize on it. Although critics of rap music and hip hop seem to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language, this genre offers a new paradigm of what can be (Lewis, 1998.) The potential of this art form to mend ethnic relations is substantial. Hip hop has challenged the system in ways that have unified individuals across a rich ethnic spectrum. This art form was once considered a fad has kept going strong for more than three decades. Generations consisting of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and Asians have grown up immersed in hip-hop. Hip hop represents a realignment of America?s cultural aesthetics. Rap songs deliver a message, again and again, to keep it real. It has influenced young people of all races to search for excitement, artistic fulfillment, and a sense of identity by exploring the black underclass (Foreman, 2002). Though it is music, many people do not realize that it is much more than that. Hip hop is a form of art and culture, style, and language, and extension of commerce, and for many, a natural means of living. The purpose of this paper is to examine hip hop and its effect on American culture. Different aspects of hip hop will also be examined to shed some light that helps readers to what hip hop actually is. In order to see hip hop as a cultural influence we need to take a look at its history.
Have you ever felt left out? Have you ever wished you seemed cooler or you were as cool as “those
In Total Chaos, Jeff Chang references Harry Allen, a hip hop critic and self-proclaimed hip hop activist. Harry Allen compares the hip hop movement to the Big Bang and poses this complex question: “whether hip-hop is, in fact a closed universe-bound to recollapse, ultimately, in a fireball akin to its birth-or an open one, destined to expand forever, until it is cold, dark, and dead” (9). An often heard phase, “hip hop is dead,” refers to the high occurrence of gangster rap in mainstream hip hop. Today’s hip hop regularly features black youths posturing as rich thugs and indulging in expensive merchandise. The “hip hop is dead” perspective is based on the belief that hip hop was destined to become the model of youth resistance and social change. However, its political ambitions have yet to emerge, thus giving rise to hip hops’ criticisms. This essay will examine the past and present of hip hop in o...
Hard Harry’s vulgar language equally resonates with his listeners and outrage the authorities. In his analysis of the address term dude, Scott Kiesling remarks that, “Youth in general often engage in practices that are meant to express rebellion or at least
Imagine our youth all over the country being exposed to this explicit kind of language. There is no need to imagine, because it is already happening. Ever since the rise of Rap and Hip Hop music, teens have been turning to them to help solve their problems. However these kinds of music can be very destructive to teens. It is not the youth’s fault; it is the content that the music contains. Although Rap and Hip Hop music can be a force for good, they can also have an extremely negative impact on the attitudes and behaviors of our youth.
In conclusion, since the early 1970s the boom and craze that is Hip-Hop will continue to be on the rise. Notwithstanding such criticisms, regardless of either most people just associate the two together and undermine the progress Hip-Hop has made its popularity remains largely undiminished. But I guess it’s those haters that always bring about the greatest ingenuity, and in this case it was the evolution of Hip-Hop as a whole. So in order to understand the present, one must look to the past to fully grasp the concept of new school and old school
Not only is hip-hop a way of expressing ones feelings or views, but it is a part of the urban culture and can be used as a communication tool. Slang originally came from hip-hop music and has become a very popular use in today’s society, especially the urban parts. Hip-hop is a standout amongst the most compelling musical sorts on the globe. There are rappers everywhere that know what amount of an impact their music can have. Some entertainers attempt to utilize that force of impact to do great (Ruiz INT).