Rhetorical Analysis Of Self Destruction

The song “Self Destruction” by the Stop the Violence Movement takes advantage of various rhetorical appeals in order to convey their message to the audience. The song uses the numerous appeals in order to target an audience of predominantly African Americans, while still enticing the rest of the public. These appeals all contribute to the overall message of coming together as a whole and becoming a better, less violent community. The song is able to successfully portray this message in a way unlike any other. Using logical, emotional, and ethical appeals, the songwriters were able to vividly depict the underlying message and convey their thoughts to the intended audience in a positive manner by taking a unique approach of self-examination.

The underlying message was shown using these methods as well as by expressing it through the language in the lyrics. Examples include Doug E. Fresh saying, “This is all about, no doubt, to stop violence.” (Self Destruction) which very clearly states the important message that was being portrayed. Another example is when Ms. Melodie says, “The violence in rap must cease and seckle.” (Self Destruction) This lyric points out the violent culture that exists in the rap community and how it can be detrimental to society. Many modern hip-hop and rap songs with messages get dismissed either due to the harsh language or because many people do not want to hear the harsh realities of the African American struggle. Another unique aspect of this song that appeals to the audience is the point of focus. “Self Destruction” focuses on an internal view of the issues and relies on self-examination in order to solve these issues. This aspect makes the song unique because it does not lay blame on others. Instead of pleading for help from others, the songwriters decide to take the approach of rebuilding their own communities from the inside. This aspect really makes the song stand out amongst many other similar songs. This song truly is able to appeal to the reader in a fresh and interesting way by using logical, ethical, and emotional