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.
Gwendolyn Brooks in “We Real Cool” develops an ironic, sarcastic tone through specific word choice. The poem begins with the phrase “We real cool” (Line 1) so immediately, the reader knows that these pool playing buddies define themselves as “cool”. In their minds, they are the epitomes of
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.
Cool girls originated when the glamour of early Hollywood took America by storm. These women became famous during a time when women began to gain freedom and
To begin with, to be cool intended to keep up a casual state of mind in execution of any sort, whether in front of an audience or strolling in broad daylight. Second, to be cool was to extend passionate restraint as though wearing a "cool veil" even with antagonistic, provocative outside strengths. Third, to be cool was to make a one of a kind, singular style - or sound - that imparted something of your inward soul. Fourth, cool was a creative perfect of enthusiastic correspondence inside an imaginative field of principles and restriction, (for example, jazz or workmanship or b-ball). At that point and now, cool is additionally simply the word used to express tasteful endorsement of any amazing execution. Just like the famous Dr Jay, Young brought his own style to jazz which made him cool in the eyes of
"We Real Cool" is a short, yet powerful poem by Gwendolyn Brooks that sends a life learning message to its reader. The message Brooks is trying to send is that dropping out of school and roaming the streets is in fact not "cool" but in actuality a dead end street.
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 ...
With Jefferies’ complex cool we can understand gangsta rappers as something more than nihilistic villains. It may not be the preferred way of representing the story of life in the ghetto but it does just that. Even with commercial Hip-Hop, real sentiment slip through the corporate cracks to reveal a gangsta masculinity that is emotionally responsive and cognizant.
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.
Schor states right off the bat that cool has been around for a long time, although the meaning has changed. Cool used to be just another style
Hip-Hop became characterized by an aggressive tone marked by graphic descriptions of the harshness and diversity of inner-city life. Primarily a medium of popular entertainment, hip-hop also conveys the more serious voices of youth in the black community. Though the approaches of rappers became more varied in the latter half of the 1980s, message hip-hop remained a viable form for addressing the problems faced by the black community and means to solve those problems. The voices of "message" hip...
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.
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.
Not only is hip-hop a way of expressing ones feelings or views, but 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.