Gangsta for Life

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Critical Analysis on the article Gangsta for life Gangsta for life is written by Dr. Orville Taylor, Senior Lecturer in the department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at UWI, Mona, and was published in the Sunday Gleaner on March 30, 2008. The writer’s purpose is to the general public about the relationship of hip hop and dance hall music in the society. The article highlights the depression faced by black youths due to lack of guidance and opportunity. Taylor states that hip hop, like dance hall, is the culture of a people who, separated from mainstream society, turn into themselves to create their own standards of survival in a hostile world. He further went on to say that these young men are both product and producers of the kind of social order created by post-emancipation period. Because opportunities are few, success is advertised in the form of jewelry and clothing worn by these entertainers which is often denoted as “Bling!” Youths in these areas die by the gun. Police and informers are viewed as rivals. Hip hop resonates from the need for self expression and demonstrates the entertainers’ experiences. The material was a bit disjointed in that the writer on one hand was talking about Kern Spencer (Member of Parliament) and then on the other hand he was speaking about Mavado (Entertainer). He then went on to speak about Christopher Wallace who died under a hail of bullets in California. This could cause confusion among readers who are not familiar with incidents surrounding these individuals. In this article Taylor used simple diction to communicate his views surrounding hip hop music. Although it could be argued that the excessive use of jargons could make it complex for some readers. The article was informal yet serious. The use of Pun, “he had better avoid the ‘L’ which comes after the judgment”; Symbol, “but he

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