EMINEM: How Much Damage Can You Do With a Pen
"Damn how much damage can you do with a pen", says rapper Eminem in his song titled, Who Knew. This song is on Eminem’s most recent and most controversial album, The Marshall Mathers LP. If it possible for one single quote to sum up my research paper, then this quote does it. There exists an intense and extremely controversial set of circumstances surrounding Eminem and his music. Eminem’s lyrics have been intensely criticized lately and have been categorized as hate-filled and inappropriate by many gay organizations. The leading organization in this controversy is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, more commonly referred to as GLAAD. Their primary focus is to create consciousness about Eminem’s inappropriate use of derogatory words against homosexuals. GLAAD is protesting Eminem’s album as well as his four Grammy nominations. Since GLAAD is a liberal gay organization, they are limited by definition; in terms of how much they can participate in the complex situation that surrounds Eminem’s lyrics. They see words as either derogatory or not. Therefore they can not truly take part in the discussion about the constant evolution of the meanings of words, that occurs in our society. Eminem is undoubtedly the best artist to use as an example to show the effect of artist’s lyrics upon society, especially upon the youths in our society.
Whether or not Eminem’s lyrics are offensive enough to be banned is a discussion without a true answer. Therefore the major focus of my paper, the connection between music (particularly rap and Eminem) and our culture, is a subject which is greatly affected by whomever’s eyes you are looking out of. The most effective way of understanding...
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...e beauty of language, and its many varying applications. Rap is a style of music unlike any other. Rap is competition in its rawest and most simple form. It is based on a set of traditions that promotes the besting of those who have just bested you. Doing damage is essential to excelling in rap. If you participate in rap and don’t do damage then you won’t be doing rap justice. If you participate in rap and don’t do damage then you are not sticking to the lofty traditions rap has and you are not helping to enhance language. Most importantly, if you participate rap, or even if you don’t and you voice your thoughts through another form of creative expression and you don’t do damage, then you are cheating yourself. And you will never be able to honestly answer the question of, How much damage can you do with a pen? And that is a lost opportunity that no person deserves.
It was hard for Obama to know that his father was the person whom he had the most resemblance in terms of physical appearance and he was never around. There were so many questions and confusions in Obama’s head. His mother was a white woman and he was black. Obama was in the need of finding a community where he would feel welcome. Despite Obama’s traumas produced by the deficiency of his father’s presence Obama proved to be very smart. He was a student at Columbia University. He was one of the few black students that went t...
Barack Obama came on to the political stage in 2004 when he gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Before this momentous occasion very few people had heard of the Junior Senator from Illinois – he had only been in the Senate for eight months. He titled the speech “The Audacity of Hope” to highlight the strength and resilience of the country and to encourage people struggling to rise out of poverty and despair and help them believe in a better future for themselves, their children, their families and their country.
Obama, Barack. The Audacity of Hope: Thought on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2006. Print.
In the article “ From Fly to Bitches and Hoes” by Joan Morgan, she often speaks about the positive and negative ideas associated with hip-hop music. Black men display their manhood with full on violence, crime, hidden guilt, and secret escapes through drugs and alcohol. Joan Morgan’s article views the root causes of the advantage of misogyny in rap music lyrics. In the beginning of the incitement her desires shift to focus on from rap culture condemnation to a deeper analysis of the root causes. She shows the hidden causes of unpleasant sexism in rap music and argues that we need to look deeper into understanding misogyny. I agree with Joan Morgan with the stance that black men show their emotions in a different way that is seen a different perspective.
A race issue that occurs within the rap and hip-hop musical genre is the racial stereotypes associated with the musical form. According to Brandt, and Viki rap music and hip- hop music are known for fomenting crime violence, and the continuing formation of negative perceptions revolving around the African-American race (p.362). Many individuals believe that rap and hip-hop music and the culture that forms it is the particular reason for the degradation of the African-American community and the stereotypes that surround that specific ethnic group. An example is a two thousand and seven song produced by artist Nas entitled the N-word. The particular title of the song sparked major debates within not only the African-American community thus the Caucasian communities as well. Debates included topics such as the significance and worth of freedom of speech compared with the need to take a stand against messages that denigrate African-Americans. This specific label turned into an outrage and came to the point where conservative white individuals stood in front of the record label expressing their feelings. These individuals made a point that it is because artists like Nas that there is an increase in gang and street violence within communities. Rap and hip-hop music only depicts a simple-minded image of black men as sex crazed, criminals, or “gangsters”. As said above, community concerns have arisen over time over the use of the N-word, or the fact that many rappers vocalize about white superiority and privilege. Of course rap music did not develop these specific stereotypes, however these stereotypes are being used; and quite successfully in rap and hip-hop which spreads them and keeps the idea that people of color are lazy, all crimin...
... for the youth, but he also took into consideration any individual with a rough past. Overall, the central points that made a change in his life were mainly stories of individuals with different backgrounds and different outcomes in life. In addition, Obama saw the value of education in the youth and consequently took action with the school boards to improve the quality of education. Third, he learned to strengthen his faith within improving communities and spiritually. Barack always saw himself, or people he had came across in his life, in these individual stories. Barack knew that the education was poor and lacked quality. Barack learned that with faith many more things were possible. Ultimately, Barack Obama, too, had “the audacity of hope”.
It is essential for the United States government to provide its entire citizen with a free health care. This system ensures that everyone has an access to medical services regardless to his or her social status. It is an important way of preserving life as free health care plan ensures free treatment to the entire citizen. In addition, it can play a big role of ensuring that there is an improved access to health services. Ensuring that all American citizens have an access to the right health care will in turn decrease health care costs. It can also help to stop medical bankruptcies in the entire nation. Lastly, it is one way of reducing poverty as it will lower the debt of the US which would then increase employment.
Rap is about giving voice to a black community otherwise underrepresented, if not silent, in the mass media. It has always been and remains … directly connected to the streets from which it came. (144)
There are many arguments surrounding the lyrics in hip-hop and how it may have an impact on today’s society. To begin with, the most debatable opinion is how the language may have an influence on youth. The images betrayed in the media and TV are often misconstrued and fabricated. For example, many rap lyrics are about drug use and in reality, some rappers are not drug users and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Similarly, women lyrics in hip-hop language can be two-fold. Lyrics of feminism and another of exploitation. This illustrates how the language in hip-hop takes away the dignity of women. The word “bitch” is considered profanity but often used frequently and acceptable for women in the hip-hop culture. More importantly, hip-hop is
The health care system in the United States is one of the most complex forms of healthcare system. What makes the system complex is that there are multiple factors involved. For example, there are multiple players and payers involved in the system. This includes physicians, administrator of health services institutions, insurance companies, large employers and lastly the Government Shi & Singh, 2012). Each of these players and payers are involved to protect their own economic interest. Hospitals for instances, wants to maximize reimbursement from both private and public insurers. Insurance companies and managed care organizations are concerned with how they can maintain their share of the health care insurance market, while physicians seek to maximize their income and have minimal interference with the way they practice medicine (Shi & Singh, 2012). It is obvious that there is no centrality of the health care system. In other words, there is no one department or in particular government body that is unilaterally in charge of the administration of the health care system as it is in the other developed nations where they have a single payer system, which is the government. Instead, the U. S. has health system that is financed by private sectors. According to Shi and Singh,(2012), 54% of total health care expenditures is privately financed through employers , while the remaining 46% is financed by the government. Lack of centrality in monitoring the total expenditures through global budgets or control over the availability and utilization of services coupled with most hospitals and clinics now been privately owned may potential...
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.
Let’s take a step back to 2008 in Philadelphia. Neither the city nor year suggests that history is going to be made. On March 18, 2008, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Barack Obama took the stage and delivered a speech that would portray the racial landscape of his presidency. In his speech, Obama points out rhetorical tactics to support his argument that we as Americans in this country need to be united for racial equality to exist. He begins his speech with a back story to highlight the kairotic moment present, then appeals to pathos through lots of examples of racial injustice to signify the need for such change, and then uses his appeals to ethos to suggest ways of change for Americans, both black and white. The speech was very successful: people from both sides praised his bravery, and later the same year, Obama demolished McCain in a close victory to secure his presidency.
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.
Sultz, H., & Young, K. (2014). Health Care USA: Understanding Its Organization and Delivery (8th Ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Dixon, Travis L., TaKeshia Brooks. “Rap Music and Rap Audiences: Controversial Themes, Psychological Effects and Political Resistance.” Perspectives. 7 April 2009. .