This Thing Called Hedonism Music is something almost everyone listens to for various reasons, like for happiness, relaxation, grievance, or even for focusing. With all the various genres out there that suits the needs of what people like to hear rather it’s a beautiful saxophone of jazz or the singing of opera. Music is everywhere such as on the radio, tv, and even on our phones. Music can change your mood really fast when you’re feeling down and listen to a nice up beat song. Music affects us all in different ways, from the way we walk, talk, and how we dress. Through my years of growing up I would mostly listen to whatever my parents would listen to. My Mom listened to R&B, Hip-Hop, and Jazz, while Dad would also listen to Hip-Hop, R&B, but he also listened to Rock, and Alternative. I ended up liking them all but the one that really stuck out to me was Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop was usually up beat and energetic. I would hear songs from Hip-Hop artists like Tupac, Nas, Emienem, and Jay Z. They are considered to be the best ever in hip-hop music. I never really paid attention to the negative aspects of Hip-Hop I would just listen to the beat and lyrics, not how they degraded women, talked about violence, and those kinds of things. In the mind of younger me a good song was with nice rhyming on it and a nice beat to go with it. It seems like Hip-Hop was starting to lose its fire. It was not as good as is it used to be. It seems like it is getting worse and worse as I get older. It just seems like now hip-hop artists have let their self-pleasure and masculinity takes over just to gain respect people in their music. All the songs do is degrade women and promote violence. Most songs involve some form of talk about sex, and they take it ... ... middle of paper ... ...al and friendly type of hedonism. Everyone bin the picture should be both gaining pleasure not being hurt in any kind of way just to gain respect just for them. Everyone should be able to just enjoy the music without any conflicts involving gender. Everyone should be well respected. Works Cited Iwamato, Derek, Tupac Sakur’s Understanding: The Identity Formation of Hyper-Masculinity of A popular Hip-Hop Artist, Black Scholar, 2003:44-49, Print J. Cole. Can’t Get Enough. Cole World: The Sideline Story. Columbia, Roc Nation 2011. MP3 Moore, Andrew, Stanford University, “Hedonism” Stanford University, 20 April 2004, Web 30 April 2014. < http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/#Bib> Sharpley-Whiting, Tracey Denean, The Irony of Achievement for Black Women ,Ebony Magazine, July 2007:86-88, Print T.I., A.S.A.P., Urban Legend, Atlantic ,2005, MP3
The lyrics in today’s hip hop music are completely pointless. An example of this is 2Chainz “Birthday Song,” in which the rapper says, “She got a big booty so I call her Big Booty,” the song continues with “I’m in the kitchen, yams everywhere.” The majority of hip hop songs on the radio involve three main themes: money, drugs, and women. Rappers brag about the massive amount of money they have, along with their intake of drugs. Hip hop also sexually degrades women by labeling them with offensive words, and overall all being very misogynistic towards women. The message that the new hip hop today is sending is incredibly negative for the audience as well. The negative message that the music is sending poses a large effect on the young listeners. Young listeners are influenced by the antagonistic lyrics in these hip hop songs that they are listening to. Unlike today’s hip hop, old school rap music had meaningful lyrics and when hip hop went to the mainstream media the message was destroyed. Old school rap music has lyrical significance. Rappers wrote lyrics about important subjects such as racial inequality, politics, life struggles, and police brutality. An example of a lyric with actual meaning is N.W.A.’s “Express Yourself,” “I’m expressing with my full capabilities. And now I’m living in correctional facilities.” This lyric explains how the very act communicating their beliefs will cause trouble and could possibly lead to
If one were to look back into the world’s history, one would find that an important and consistent element is the world of music. Music has presented itself in various forms throughout its spread and through our identification of its magical realm, people have been fortunate enough to come across a means of relation. Whether it is blues and reggae or rap and pop rock, there is music out there for everyone. Music can serve as a stabilizer for some, a relaxant to others, and to many a form of inspiration.
Since the early to mid 90’s, hip-hop has undergone changes that purists would consider degenerating to its culture. At the root of these changes is what has been called “commercial hip-hop". Commercial hip-hop has deteriorated what so many emcees in the 80’s tried to build- a culture of music, dance, creativity, and artistry that would give people not only something to bob their head to, but also an avenue to express themselves and deliver a positive message to their surroundings.
Certains ideals such as hyper sexuality, material possesions, and hegemonic masculinity found in hip hop certainly highlights some of its negative aspects. Hip-hop in a sense at times can promote feminism in the sense of sexual freedom (at least in the lyrics provided) where certain songs condemn women for the same freedoms. It is suggested that many young people especially young black people begin to monitor and interrupt some of the messages and ideals that are taken in /followed. Personally the ideals in much of hip-hop do not reflect my own values or views on femininity or masculinity although I do listen to most of the music. Being an educated young black man I in a sense can see through most of the gimmicks and fads that of the music portrays and keep to my personal values more times than not. That said there are times that I do find myself reciting lyrics or enacting the same negative ideals that I personally do not believe because I may like a song. This is where education and awareness comes in and I am able to recognize and correct my behavior which is something I would like to see become more popular amongst my
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.
Since hip-hop has expanded from the undergrounds in Bronx in the 70’s it has grew into a popular accepted music genre. Consequently, as it progressed from the golden age it gradually grew away from its original roots. If one were to evaluate the change of lyrics in hip-hop, they would see a difference between early hip-hop and today’s hip-hop. The current state of hip-hop is in a stage where things like hey young world are outdated. Instead of broadcasting out a positive message, hip-hop sends out a message of sex, drug, and violence. The early musicians who helped solidify hip-hop, by producing music that told stories on subjects of race, respect, or even music that had a positive message.
Hip hop culture is known for its negative reputation. It is often thought as an entrance way into gangs, illegal drug activity, and malicious behavior. In today’s culture it is important to lead kids toward a positive direction in life but the hip hop culture of today is not steering youth in that direction. This is because hip-hop has moved away from what it was supposed to be used for. This genre of music was supposed to be used to for personal expression and growth not to create negative images for the youth and encourage them to change their behaviors and beliefs. Hip hop was supposed to give hope to the youth. Give them a reason to pursue their dreams and give them a positive outlook on life. Are there artists who keep it “old school?” Yes there is, but it is never heard on mainstream radio. Hip hop culture has the potential to help the youth follow their dreams and become better people. It just needs to go back to its roots and bring those morals back up again.
Has Hip-Hop given us a warning of change or is it simply a part of musical evolution? In “Hip Hop Planet” by James Mcbride he argues that hip hop is destructive to our society. Hip hop provides a variety of beats, intense rhymes, and yet provocative language. The author has many negative views on the genre but sees some positive influence. With this said, his warning to our future generations can be challenged. Hip hop can have a negative impact on young adults but it also provides large amounts of support to people who struggle with similar complications.
Since the earliest days of human civilization music has been a key tool for communication of stories which carried emotions through them. If we think back to our youngest years of life music has surrounded us whether it was from our parents singing us lullabies or from some sort of toy that played music we can say that musical melodies have helped shape or lives one way or another. Once we start growing up and figuring out who we are our musical preferences change; some people like classical and some like punk. We start to befriend people who like the same music as us and eventually we may attend a musical event. Our lives somewhat revolve around the music that we listen to.
What does music mean to you? Music is something that has been around for many years. It started out as just some drums and a few instruments, but has changed a lot over time. The dictionary defines music as “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.” When I think of music I think of it has a story combined with instrumental sounds. Over the years, it has changed so much, some for the good and the bad. There are many different types of music and different emotions it will bring.
Hip Hop is a genre of music that was born around 70’s. This type of music doesn’t really involve singing but words that are spoken. Hip Hop is in a poetic form with simple phrases and it usually has end rhyme. The music genre known as Hip-Hop produces positive effects on teenagers of this generation.
Music is one of the few things that has remained constant through the centuries this world has existed. Not only does music provide entertainment, it also has several effects linked to it. Music allows emotions of happiness and sadness to arise. From those emotions, physical effects, negative or positive, can occur. Music has a profound effect on the emotional, social, intellectual, and physical aspects of a person.
According to dictionary.com, music is “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, and color.” Music is the product of sound waves coming from anything making a melodic tone. There are different genera’s of music, ranging from rock to pop to classical. Each person likes different genera’s of music.
In the eyes of the general public, all of Hip-Hop is usually categorized in the same way. Labeled as the poison of the Black community because nowadays, most Hip-Hop lyrics all sound the same generic way always talking about money, women, cars, drugs, or some type of beef that all these rappers sooner or later continuously have with one another. But what this new generation doesn’t know about are the positive and creative flows that were spit not so long ago in the 80’s and 90’s. Rappers back in the day like Tupac and Ice Cube both had times when they had to show off their thug sides but they both had reasons or a call-to-arms for that, and indeed were in tune with that era’s problems as well as the society where they were raised. Moreover, even though some new school songs actually look promising, old school songs are still always great classics that anybody in this day and age will most certainly vibe to.
Hip-hop music is portrayed by an entertainer rapping over a track that regularly comprises of loops or specimens of other music woven together (Selke INT). Hip-hop originally appeared in the Bronx around the 1970s and steadily turned into the predominant mainstream music structure by the 1990s, representing a multi-billion dollar industry today (Selke INT). Hip-hop music can additionally have some positive impacts. For example, its verbal imagination can motivate audience members to play with dialect, and acknowledge musicality and rhyme (Selke INT). Just like poetry, hip-hop can be a way of expressing oneself.