Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. is probably one of the most influential rappers alive, and more than likely one of the most well-known across America. Dwayne, aka Lil Wayne, is the one guy I would sponsor to be my “National Living Treasure” out of any other American, no doubt. Lil Wayne landed in the rap scene when he was at the young age of eleven years old. Ever since the day he was signed by Cash Money Records in nineteen ninety-three, he has exploded and become one of the most successful artists Hip-hop/Rap has come across. With nine studio albums and twenty-five mixtapes, all eyes are on Lil Wayne to see what is bound to come next.
History of American rap; 1990's Rapper MC Hammer became a huge success after his multi-platinum album, "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" turned into the #1 record. The first single, "U Can't Touch This" was on the top 10 of the billboard Hot 100. MC Hammer became one of the most popular and successful rappers of the early 90's. His album, having sold over 18 million copies, made rap music rise to a whole new level of popularity. Another rapper, Dr. Dre, released his album, "The Chronic," in 1992 and helped establish West Coast gangsta rap as more commercially viable than East Coast hip hop.
Bob Marley was more than just a simple musician, or any local artist. He was an icon to the many people he touched with his different styles of music. At the age of 18 his mother Cedella Marley birthed Bob in Rhondan hall.Bob Marley, was only to his teens, when he moved to Kingston in the Fifties. He grew up in some of the roughest parts of Jamaica, Marley was able to escape the ruthless jaws of the jungles in Jamaica, and reach out with his reggae music. His music was recognized as some of the most significant styles of music, and inspirational type of music known.
Motown played an important role in the racial integration of music as it was the first record company to be owned by an african-american and consisted mainly of african-american artists who achieved crossover success in the 1960’s. “Into the '60s, I was still not of a frame of mind that we were not only making music, we were making history. But I did recognize the impact because acts were going all over the world at that time. I recognized the bridges that we crossed, the racial problems and the barriers that we broke down with music. I recognized that because I lived it.
According to dictionary.com, importance means, “of much or great significance or consequence”. Martin Luther King Junior was an extremely charismatic, intelligent, and moral leader during the 1950s and 1960s of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America (USA), and these special traits made him of great importance to Movement. Martin Luther King Junior was an African American leader of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955-1968(death). Before he became noticed as a charismatic leader, he was a pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. He was the first non violent African American leader and helped others to achieve many great things.
Kayleigh Vestal Backing It Up Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a documentary on the Funk Brothers and their influence on the Motown sound, being the backbone behind many of the genre’s greatest musicians such as Stevie Wonder and the Supremes. I personally found the film to be very enjoyable, and the history of the band was fascinating to watch, seeing their connections to these famous players and how their music coincides with the evolving trends of the decades. The show begins with a slow, funky bassline that walks along as the narrator introduces the Funk Brothers by way of floating text. In Detroit, Michigan, 1959, a new record company called Motown records gathered the best blues and jazz musicians the city had to offer. This band would go by the name the Funk Brothers.
The Golden Age of the Motown Sound By Vivian M. Baulch / The Detroit News March 1, 2000 That man, of course, was Berry Gordy Jr. Smokey Robinson saw something in Gordy, too, and urged him to start his own recording company. In 1959, Gordy borrowed $800 from his family and "Motown" was born. "It is probably true to say that Motown was as much Robinson's company as it was Gordy's, although Gordy was unquestionably the head of the company," author Sharon Davis wrote in her book, 'Motown, the History.' By 1972 Berry Gordy was the richest black man in America with an annual income in excess of $10 million. Berry Gordy Jr.: The genius behind Motown.
Firstly, his character traits including his oratory skills, his Nobel Peace Prize and his famous I Have A Dream speech were instrumental in his success as the face of the Civil Rights campaign. His oratory skills was the key component that got Martin Luther King famous, when he moved to Montgomery it was this skill that got him to the top so quickly. These made him a successful leader because it allowed him to motivationally communicate with his fellow African American followers. An example of great motivation in his speech would be his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’ at the March on Washington in 1963, this was his most famous speech, he spoke to at least 250,000 supporters and motivated them completely and got the civil rights act that followed was a true reminder of his skill. However his leadership skills were strained when it came to the Birmingham, Alabama protest that was a huge disappointment.
The term “selling out” plays a big role in the dichotomy of underground and mainstream music across all genres and I will explain more about this term further on in the essay. Consumption and commerce interface with rebellion and expression in many ways according to Wahl (1999). Historically, hip hop didn’t gain much commercial success in the mainstream until the influential act ‘Run-DMC’ made their way onto the scene. Their album ‘Raising Hell’ in 1986 was the first hip hop product to go gold in the US. As Wahl (1999) points out, this was largely due to their hit single and cover of Aerosmith’s 1975 song, ‘Walk This Way’.
I believe the Montgomery bus boycott was the most important event in the 1950s -1960s in changing the civil rights for African-Americans, because this event gained internationally attention. On the 1st of December 1955 a white man requested for Rosa Parks’ seat however she refused as it seemed unreasonable. Leading her to be arrested, this act was very important because it went against the Jim Crow which was created to force segregation in public school systems, kept many African-Americans from moving out of segregated neighbourhoods and often made it difficult for African-Americans to vote. Overall it was very unfair to the black community, as a result the black community in Alabama started a non-violent boycott of the buses, leaving buses only half full this had a major financial impact on bus companies as it was the black community who used buses the most and the event was lead by Martin Luther King. This event was important because it gained international attention which put pressure on the different structures of the American government to make changes, and finally in 1965 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal.