Therefore rap came to be the main way of expressing social oppression in black communities. Rappers best represented lives that lacked love ,fewer opportunities, and disgust with law enforcement. Dyson argues his beliefs on rap and its representation “Representing history is within reach of those who seize the opportunity to speak for themselves, to represent their own interest at all cost. Therefore gangsta rap is always involved in controversial representation. Constant attacks on homosexuals and women show the battle between cultural differences in many of gangsta rappers.
The only thing that matters to Armstrong is victory and he would do whatever to protect his self-image. However, some think his victories were just too unbelievable; his winnings were in fact due to cheating. In the interview Armstrong confessed to Oprah that all of his Tour wins were, in part, due to the use of performance boosting drugs. The story of an American hero, who had conquered cancer then crushed his competition, now lay tattered and torn. I agree with Joseph Burgo when he wants the readers to try to understand why Lance Armstrong acts the way he does.
Byron Hurt’s Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes is an oppositional reading about masculinity in Hip Hop culture, which is strongly influenced by American cultures dominant discourse. This documentary goes in depth of how hip hop has become commercially viable and strengthens different stereo types. An oppositional reading was done throughout this documentary, Byron Hurt touched on many different subjects including; Violence, how women are portrayed in hip hop, as well as manhood. Byron Hurt was a fan of hip hop once upon a time but he was able to take a step back and assess hip hop through a different lens and challenge what is ingested by hip hop fans. In the documentary Byron Hurt visits Daytona Beach, Florida during spring break and found that in most of the youth’s freestyles there was something that had to do with a weapon, women, and violent actions.
This all too often comes in the form of rap idols and gangs. The message of most rap lyrics, specifically gangster rap, is reflective of the hopelessness that pervades the black and urban community, and justifies an outlaw lifestyle. The Observational Learning Theory directly ties to the influence of rap and media since it emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes and reactions of others. These observations then become a way of learning
Majority of the lyricism depicted in Hip Hop is about emphasizing the “thug life”. In particular, misogynistic lyrics are prevalent in the Hip Hop community. It has become a norm within the community to demean and objectify women as this glorifies the ability of a male to control and exploit them. This phenomenon will be analysed with the Discourse Theory and the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. The Discourse Theory is the study of language, and the meaning assigned to language.
He had constant run-ins with the law which made his leadership very controversial. But in truth, Tupac was just a regular human being like the rest of us. Bill Clinton cheating on his wife doesn’t take away from the fact that he was a great president. The Government criticized Tupac for his abrasive lyrics and degradation of women, but he was only being raw and uncut about what was going on in society. He didn’t degrade women either, he highly respected them.
Even though the images of some rappers seem to send the wrong messages, Tupac's songs are where his real messages are. If people would listen to the words of his songs, instead of just hearing the bass and the music, then they could better understand the individual. Tupac was an artist with words. Despite his repeated run-ins with the authorities and ultimate death, Tupac Shakur managed to use his music and talent for poetry to send positive messages to his loyal listeners. Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 (1).
The liberal power of hip-hop sets its own foot on America, with a purpose of awareness, exposing, and explaining of the truth. Rappers utilize hip-hop to vent their life story, and reveal the evil from it, so others who can relate, can now be aware. As a matter of fact, many legendary artists such as, Tupac and Eminem share a desire to “break down boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ art- to make urgent, truth-telling work that reflects the lives, loves, histories, hopes, and fears of their generation. Hip-hop is about rebellion, yes, but it’s also about transformation” (Chang 60). Although there are those rebellious rappers, who scandalously flaunt about material things and aggressive behavior, there are many up and coming rappers all over the world seeking to be heard.
For years there has been a lot of controversy and unanswered questions about the Hip hop media. For example, is rap music linked to sexism? Some feel as though rap music is degrading and is frowned upon in certain households. But to some its apart of everyday life. All ages, and ethnicities listen to it.
Karn Singh Race and Ethnicity Research Project Role of rap in shaping black masculinity and black femininity, and its implications Introduction For this research paper, I will explore the differences and similarities in which rap music influences and defines black male and females identities. Specifically, I will examine how the music shapes black masculinity and black femininity and their implications at the individual and societal levels. Ever since its evolution, rap music has been a topic of much scholarly discussion. For example, its role as a cultural outlet for the black community, its influence on crime rates among young African Americans and its influence on shaping the urban black identity have been topics of much academic discussion in various disciplines such as sociology, psychology, law, etc.. From a sociological point of view, rap music’s role on determining and maintaining a black identity has been explored. In this regard, it is found that rap music portrays a very distinct images or idealizations of black masculinity and black femininity.