5 texts that i will look at for my linked production:
Eminem - not afraid
- expressions, the aggressive look (close ups, direct mode of address (confident)
- location, normal living household and the london streets
- follow the concept of the music.. eg the beat is maintained through out the music video
- bright lighting
- nothing extreme in the ending
Tupac - ghetto gospel
- showing the drug dealing, etc (moral panics)
- teenagers shouting
- gangs dressed in tracksuits
- close ups used
Ciara - like a boy
- girl dressed as a guy
- close ups and log shots
- low angel shots to show the stereotypes of men with women (show the women is dominant)
- choreographed dance
Neyo -one in a million
- men dressed in suits, not the gangster look
- females dressed in casual clothes and not much cleavage
- gentlemen look, but singing rap
- fades and black outs
- storyline
lil wayne - bedrock
- loctaion, big house
- acting, normal - sitting on laptops etc
- women objectified (dress)
- chains and low trouser, showing more of the body
- show the party animal etc so not an educational material
Monday 31 January 2011
Sunday 30 January 2011
essay 1st draft
'LL Cool J comes out with one leg of his pants rolled up, the next day everyone is doing the same thing'
How do hip hop music videos featuring contemporary rap stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne construct ideologies of masculinity and why does this negatively influence teenagers?
Hypothesis: representation and stereotype of rap music manipulate teenagers in a certain way.
Are artist represented in a certain way that it manipulates teenagers to act in a certain way? This essays aims to find out how hip hop has changed during the years and whether it has had a big impact on teenagers. The hip hop genre has often been criticised for its unhip stereotyped of young particularly black males: 'there are a lot of people who are doing something positive...But too often, the ones that get the most recognition are those emphasizing the negative.' There are many more socially responsible hip hop artists such as Kanye West; and come of those demonised such as Eminem (in his track "not afraid" for example) or Tupac (in ‘ghetto gospel’ and others) promote uplifting values; however, the mainstream media often seems only influenced in perpetuating old-fashioned myths.
The main text that this essay will be looking at are, Eminem's 'love the way lie' and 'no love' and also will be looking at Lil Wayne 'drop the world'. The reasons that these texts have been chosen are because they show the typical codes and conventions of hip hop and also because Eminem and Lil Wayne have made it very big in the hip hop world and are contemporary and known worldwide.
Eminem is an American actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'The Slim Shady LP' which he won a Grammy award for the best rap album. He released an album 'recovery' (2010) which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in its first week. Lil Wayne is also an American rapper. Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week.
Men are always seen to be more dominant then women. 'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying...' In the text ‘love the way you lie’ from Eminem you can see that the man is beating up the lady, and this shows that men are dominant and can treat women anyway they like. This also makes it seem ok for the audience as they are following what they see in the videos, and this has lead to teenage violence. Although now there is more gender equality given by the society and you this is shown through female rap artists who also made it big in hop hip. Female rap artist such as Missy Elliot, Lady Sovereign and the more contemporary which is Nicki Minaj.
Teenagers that listen to rap are behaving in a destructive way research shows. ‘Lyrically, some of hip-hop's most popular songs and musicians have negatively influenced violence, drugs, alcohol, sex, disrespect for authority, and disrespect for woman. For many young children and teenagers, this type of music can create an environment that can become detrimental to their lives and education.’ Research suggests that all the unconstructive behaviour of teens had started some time ago. ‘With crushing poverty and little to do, teens turned to gangs, but also to house parties, break dancing, and graffiti.’ Rap music can persuade teenagers to act in a degrading manner and so it control the way youths think. This raises the issue that if teenagers can act in a downbeat way by listening to rap then they can also act in an optimistic way if they choose to but most choose to follow the artist.
Different stereotypes are represented through various media platforms. 'Stereotype has entered public life as a term that is used to describe how fixed qualities or traits may be attributed to groups in the way they are represented in various media.’ We now believe that there are fixed stereotypes for example if we see a young youths in a gang then we automatically believe that they are out to cause trouble. This is because we have been brought up with these values and ideologies. The stereotypes that are conveyed through Eminem and Lil Wayne’s text are such that they are off-putting and harmful for the kids. However this is just our judgement towards hip hop as research shows hip hop got broader, there was more violence and so these stereotypes had been proved right.
Rap music videos such as Eminem’s and Lil Wayne’s use the hypodermic needle theory and also desensitise the audience. 'Some lyrics can be quite provocative and insensitive and they hear these lyrics and want to do exactly what it's saying...For example: If they hear music about having sex...They want to go out and do it.’ The behaviour of the artists in the music video influences its audience to go out and do wrong and so gives the sense of the copycat theory. The audience will do what they see on TV or anywhere else. Rap music gives youth’s knowledge on social life issues although it’s not very clear which is why teenagers are acting in a shocking behaviour which is the issue of moral panics which assumes that the media are involved in misrepresentation and distortion of opinions. ‘Hip-hop is now one of the biggest and fastest growing businesses in the world. It's creativity in sound, and its lyrics have impressed and empowered many of today's youth.’ The lyrics of rap have taken control of the youths today and brainwashed them hence the reason the youths act in a degrading manner.
Many rap artists have been portrayed as the negative role models and have been given the dumb stereotype. ‘This guy's smart, and he's got ability.’ An article about Lil Wayne shows that the rap artists are actually really smart and very talented although because of the myths and stereotypes of them, we see them in an opposite way which proves the fact of binary oppositions. Artists are very passionate about their work and believe they can change the society. ‘I'll be still rapping in there, have a gang of raps ready when I come back home.’ This quote from Lil Wayne himself shows that he wants to carry on with his work even back in prison, which shows the enthusiasm within him; although you could also argue that he wants to do this so that when he is out of prison he is ready for to sell him album and make money.
Are the artists to blame for the way that teenagers are behaving? This could be argued that it is the artist as they choose to portray themselves in a certain way. ‘It is as if men always have a reason to be photographed or otherwise represented which extends beyond their appearance' This quote sums up that artists care about the way that they are appeared through the media. This links to the copycat theory where teenagers are following what they see on TV or online of the artists. For example in my text of Eminem’s “love the way you lie” and “no love” it shows social issues such as bullying and domestic violence: when the audience watch such videos they think it is acceptable to bully or be violent. It shows that TV is the sense of realism ‘So, it would seem that TV addicts make a direct connection between what they see on the small screen and what they think is happening in reality.’ Audience accept what they see on TV and behave in the same manner.
Who does the responsibility lie with? There are three main categories that you could argue with are the institutions, artists or the parents of the youths. The parents would blame the institutions and artists for constructing such videos and lyrics. It could be the institutions or the parents of the young audience to blame. It could be the institutions to blame as they would argue that they are just doing their job and getting music out to the audience, although the artist would say that they have do present themselves in a certain way for them to sell their music. You could also say that it is the parent’s faults for letting the kids watch such videos when they have the choice of turning of the TV.
Teenagers tend to follow what they see on TV. ‘Repetition of messages tends to enhance their effects. People tend to believe something if it’s said that often enough (provided it isn't too outrageous).’ It is believed to have said that once you see or hear something again and again you start memorising and so will start acting in a particular manner. This could be the reason why most teenagers are acting the way they are, because they hear lyrics which are to do with violence and bullying. Music is the language for teenagers especially rap and so when teenagers hear lyrics that have swearing in it they will also go out and swear and use such words without having the knowledge of what they mean.
In rap videos today, it has been argued that artists care about their appearance. 'The more he resorts to his body as proof of his virility, the more he 'unmans' himself, in effect admitting that his only asset in his body - the traditional position of female stars'. There are many rap artists that produce music which reflects their personality, although many artists dress in a undignified way given the young youths the wrong impression. In my texts both Eminem and Lil Wayne are half dressed, with their trousers low and also in the text “low the way you lie” in the beginning of the video you see the lady and man together in bed which might not be acceptable for some parents to be watched by their children. Also the reason for the artists choosing to dress that way they are showing their masculinity.
Overall from all the research put together rap stars such as Eminem, Lil Wayne and others do portray themselves in a negative way. 'We are tired of praying and marching and thinking and learning Brothers want to start cutting and shooting and stealing’. This quote sums up the fact that audience who listen to hip hop have started behaving from constructive to unconstructive way. It has affected young youths of today in a negative way although it can also be argued that it is not entirely the artist’s behaviour which effects the youth today. However research also suggests that it’s not actually rap that affects the youths ‘Oddly enough, students listening to a nonviolent rap song experienced more depressive symptoms than those who listened to a violent rap song’. Hip hop does control some youths but not all and so cannot be said to be the cause of teenager behaviours. It is the media that shows a text to be portrayed either positive or negative.
Word count – 1,975
Bibliography
Books
MacKinnon, K. (2003). Representing men maleness and masculinity in the media. London: Arnold.
Hartley, J. (2002). Communication, cultural and media studies: the key concepts (3. ed.). London [u.a.: Routledge.
Chang, J. (2005). Can't stop, won't stop: a history of the hip-hop generation. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Dan Laughey. (2009). Media Studies: Theories & Approaches. Kamera Books Great Britain: Sparkford, Somerset
Graeme Burton. (2002). More Than Meets The Eye. Arnold, a member of the Hoddler Headline Group. Great Britain: Euston Road
Websites
The effects of Hip Hop music on today's Youth. http://media.www.msuspokesman.com/media/storage/paper270/news/2003/10/31/Perspectives/The-Effects.Of.Hip.Hop.Music.On.Todays.Youth-547432.shtml
How does rap music influence teens?.
http://www.blurtit.com/q367586.html
The Effects of Hip Hop Music on Today's Youth. http://media.www.msuspokesman.com/media/storage/paper270/news/2003/10/31/Perspectives/The-Effects.Of.Hip.Hop.Music.On.Todays.Youth-547432.shtml
Lil Wayne’s prison release delayed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/nov/04/lil-wayne-prison-release-delayed
Rapper Lil Wayne begins one-year prison term.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/09/rapper-lil-wayne-prison-rikers-island
Rap Music's Psychological Effects: Research into Mood, Behaviour, Crime, Violence and Gender Relations.
http://www.suite101.com/content/rap-musics-psychological-effects-a53370
Moving text
Eminem. (2010).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U
Eminem. (2010).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV2ssT8lzj8
Lil Wayne. (2009).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErCAOMi5EGM
How do hip hop music videos featuring contemporary rap stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne construct ideologies of masculinity and why does this negatively influence teenagers?
Hypothesis: representation and stereotype of rap music manipulate teenagers in a certain way.
Are artist represented in a certain way that it manipulates teenagers to act in a certain way? This essays aims to find out how hip hop has changed during the years and whether it has had a big impact on teenagers. The hip hop genre has often been criticised for its unhip stereotyped of young particularly black males: 'there are a lot of people who are doing something positive...But too often, the ones that get the most recognition are those emphasizing the negative.' There are many more socially responsible hip hop artists such as Kanye West; and come of those demonised such as Eminem (in his track "not afraid" for example) or Tupac (in ‘ghetto gospel’ and others) promote uplifting values; however, the mainstream media often seems only influenced in perpetuating old-fashioned myths.
The main text that this essay will be looking at are, Eminem's 'love the way lie' and 'no love' and also will be looking at Lil Wayne 'drop the world'. The reasons that these texts have been chosen are because they show the typical codes and conventions of hip hop and also because Eminem and Lil Wayne have made it very big in the hip hop world and are contemporary and known worldwide.
Eminem is an American actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'The Slim Shady LP' which he won a Grammy award for the best rap album. He released an album 'recovery' (2010) which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in its first week. Lil Wayne is also an American rapper. Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week.
Men are always seen to be more dominant then women. 'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying...' In the text ‘love the way you lie’ from Eminem you can see that the man is beating up the lady, and this shows that men are dominant and can treat women anyway they like. This also makes it seem ok for the audience as they are following what they see in the videos, and this has lead to teenage violence. Although now there is more gender equality given by the society and you this is shown through female rap artists who also made it big in hop hip. Female rap artist such as Missy Elliot, Lady Sovereign and the more contemporary which is Nicki Minaj.
Teenagers that listen to rap are behaving in a destructive way research shows. ‘Lyrically, some of hip-hop's most popular songs and musicians have negatively influenced violence, drugs, alcohol, sex, disrespect for authority, and disrespect for woman. For many young children and teenagers, this type of music can create an environment that can become detrimental to their lives and education.’ Research suggests that all the unconstructive behaviour of teens had started some time ago. ‘With crushing poverty and little to do, teens turned to gangs, but also to house parties, break dancing, and graffiti.’ Rap music can persuade teenagers to act in a degrading manner and so it control the way youths think. This raises the issue that if teenagers can act in a downbeat way by listening to rap then they can also act in an optimistic way if they choose to but most choose to follow the artist.
Different stereotypes are represented through various media platforms. 'Stereotype has entered public life as a term that is used to describe how fixed qualities or traits may be attributed to groups in the way they are represented in various media.’ We now believe that there are fixed stereotypes for example if we see a young youths in a gang then we automatically believe that they are out to cause trouble. This is because we have been brought up with these values and ideologies. The stereotypes that are conveyed through Eminem and Lil Wayne’s text are such that they are off-putting and harmful for the kids. However this is just our judgement towards hip hop as research shows hip hop got broader, there was more violence and so these stereotypes had been proved right.
Rap music videos such as Eminem’s and Lil Wayne’s use the hypodermic needle theory and also desensitise the audience. 'Some lyrics can be quite provocative and insensitive and they hear these lyrics and want to do exactly what it's saying...For example: If they hear music about having sex...They want to go out and do it.’ The behaviour of the artists in the music video influences its audience to go out and do wrong and so gives the sense of the copycat theory. The audience will do what they see on TV or anywhere else. Rap music gives youth’s knowledge on social life issues although it’s not very clear which is why teenagers are acting in a shocking behaviour which is the issue of moral panics which assumes that the media are involved in misrepresentation and distortion of opinions. ‘Hip-hop is now one of the biggest and fastest growing businesses in the world. It's creativity in sound, and its lyrics have impressed and empowered many of today's youth.’ The lyrics of rap have taken control of the youths today and brainwashed them hence the reason the youths act in a degrading manner.
Many rap artists have been portrayed as the negative role models and have been given the dumb stereotype. ‘This guy's smart, and he's got ability.’ An article about Lil Wayne shows that the rap artists are actually really smart and very talented although because of the myths and stereotypes of them, we see them in an opposite way which proves the fact of binary oppositions. Artists are very passionate about their work and believe they can change the society. ‘I'll be still rapping in there, have a gang of raps ready when I come back home.’ This quote from Lil Wayne himself shows that he wants to carry on with his work even back in prison, which shows the enthusiasm within him; although you could also argue that he wants to do this so that when he is out of prison he is ready for to sell him album and make money.
Are the artists to blame for the way that teenagers are behaving? This could be argued that it is the artist as they choose to portray themselves in a certain way. ‘It is as if men always have a reason to be photographed or otherwise represented which extends beyond their appearance' This quote sums up that artists care about the way that they are appeared through the media. This links to the copycat theory where teenagers are following what they see on TV or online of the artists. For example in my text of Eminem’s “love the way you lie” and “no love” it shows social issues such as bullying and domestic violence: when the audience watch such videos they think it is acceptable to bully or be violent. It shows that TV is the sense of realism ‘So, it would seem that TV addicts make a direct connection between what they see on the small screen and what they think is happening in reality.’ Audience accept what they see on TV and behave in the same manner.
Who does the responsibility lie with? There are three main categories that you could argue with are the institutions, artists or the parents of the youths. The parents would blame the institutions and artists for constructing such videos and lyrics. It could be the institutions or the parents of the young audience to blame. It could be the institutions to blame as they would argue that they are just doing their job and getting music out to the audience, although the artist would say that they have do present themselves in a certain way for them to sell their music. You could also say that it is the parent’s faults for letting the kids watch such videos when they have the choice of turning of the TV.
Teenagers tend to follow what they see on TV. ‘Repetition of messages tends to enhance their effects. People tend to believe something if it’s said that often enough (provided it isn't too outrageous).’ It is believed to have said that once you see or hear something again and again you start memorising and so will start acting in a particular manner. This could be the reason why most teenagers are acting the way they are, because they hear lyrics which are to do with violence and bullying. Music is the language for teenagers especially rap and so when teenagers hear lyrics that have swearing in it they will also go out and swear and use such words without having the knowledge of what they mean.
In rap videos today, it has been argued that artists care about their appearance. 'The more he resorts to his body as proof of his virility, the more he 'unmans' himself, in effect admitting that his only asset in his body - the traditional position of female stars'. There are many rap artists that produce music which reflects their personality, although many artists dress in a undignified way given the young youths the wrong impression. In my texts both Eminem and Lil Wayne are half dressed, with their trousers low and also in the text “low the way you lie” in the beginning of the video you see the lady and man together in bed which might not be acceptable for some parents to be watched by their children. Also the reason for the artists choosing to dress that way they are showing their masculinity.
Overall from all the research put together rap stars such as Eminem, Lil Wayne and others do portray themselves in a negative way. 'We are tired of praying and marching and thinking and learning Brothers want to start cutting and shooting and stealing’. This quote sums up the fact that audience who listen to hip hop have started behaving from constructive to unconstructive way. It has affected young youths of today in a negative way although it can also be argued that it is not entirely the artist’s behaviour which effects the youth today. However research also suggests that it’s not actually rap that affects the youths ‘Oddly enough, students listening to a nonviolent rap song experienced more depressive symptoms than those who listened to a violent rap song’. Hip hop does control some youths but not all and so cannot be said to be the cause of teenager behaviours. It is the media that shows a text to be portrayed either positive or negative.
Word count – 1,975
Bibliography
Books
MacKinnon, K. (2003). Representing men maleness and masculinity in the media. London: Arnold.
Hartley, J. (2002). Communication, cultural and media studies: the key concepts (3. ed.). London [u.a.: Routledge.
Chang, J. (2005). Can't stop, won't stop: a history of the hip-hop generation. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Dan Laughey. (2009). Media Studies: Theories & Approaches. Kamera Books Great Britain: Sparkford, Somerset
Graeme Burton. (2002). More Than Meets The Eye. Arnold, a member of the Hoddler Headline Group. Great Britain: Euston Road
Websites
The effects of Hip Hop music on today's Youth. http://media.www.msuspokesman.com/media/storage/paper270/news/2003/10/31/Perspectives/The-Effects.Of.Hip.Hop.Music.On.Todays.Youth-547432.shtml
How does rap music influence teens?.
http://www.blurtit.com/q367586.html
The Effects of Hip Hop Music on Today's Youth. http://media.www.msuspokesman.com/media/storage/paper270/news/2003/10/31/Perspectives/The-Effects.Of.Hip.Hop.Music.On.Todays.Youth-547432.shtml
Lil Wayne’s prison release delayed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/nov/04/lil-wayne-prison-release-delayed
Rapper Lil Wayne begins one-year prison term.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/09/rapper-lil-wayne-prison-rikers-island
Rap Music's Psychological Effects: Research into Mood, Behaviour, Crime, Violence and Gender Relations.
http://www.suite101.com/content/rap-musics-psychological-effects-a53370
Moving text
Eminem. (2010).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U
Eminem. (2010).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV2ssT8lzj8
Lil Wayne. (2009).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErCAOMi5EGM
Wednesday 19 January 2011
essay so far....
'LL Cool J comes out with one leg of his pants rolled up, the next day everyone is doing the same thing'
How do hip hop music videos featuring contemporary rap stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne construct ideologies of masculinity and why does this negatively influence teenagers?
Are artist represented in a certain way that it manipulates teenagers to act in a certain way? This essay research is going to find out how hip hop has changed during the years and whether it has had a big impact on teenagers. The hip hop genre has often been criticised for its unhip stereotyped of young particularly black males: 'there are a lot of people who are doing something positive...But too often, the ones that get the most recognition are those emphasizing the negative.' There are many more socially responsible hip hop artists such as Kanye West; and come of those demonised such as Eminem (in his track "not afraid" for example) or Tupac (in ‘ghetto gospel’ and others) promote uplifting values; however, the mainstream media often seems only influenced in perpetuating old-fashioned myths.
The main text that this essay will be looking at are, Eminem's 'love the way lie' and 'no love' and also will be looking at Lil Wayne 'drop the world'. The reasons that these texts have been chosen are because they show the typical codes and conventions of hip hop and also because Eminem and Lil Wayne have made it very big in the hip hop world and are contemporary and known worldwide.
Eminem is an American actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'The Slim Shady LP' which he won a Grammy award for the best rap album. He released an album 'recovery' (2010) which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in its first week. Lil Wayne is also an American rapper. Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week.
Men are always seen to be more dominant then women. 'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying if necessary in faraway places to provide a safe haven for their people. This, too, is nurturing in the sense of endowing or increasing.' In the past society has given more power to men although this has now changed and there is more gender equality. There are many women doing jobs that they were not allowed. There are also a lot of female rap artist such as Missy Elliot, Lady Sovereign and the more contemporary which is Nicki Minaj, and this shows that the values in the society have changed giving more rights to women.
Teenagers that listen to rap are behaving in a destructive way research shows. 'Some lyrics can be quite provocative and insensitive and they hear these lyrics and want to do exactly what it's saying...For example: If they hear music about having sex...They want to go out and do it.’ ‘Lyrically, some of hip-hop's most popular songs and musicians have negatively influenced violence, drugs, alcohol, sex, disrespect for authority, and disrespect for woman. For many young children and teenagers, this type of music can create an environment that can become detrimental to their lives and education.’ Rap music can persuade teenagers to act in a degrading manner and so it control the way youths think. Rap music gives youth’s knowledge on social life issues although it’s not very clear which is why teenagers are acting in a shocking behaviour which is the issue of moral panics. This raises the issue that if teenagers can act in a downbeat way by listening to rap then they can also act in an optimistic way, but do teenagers choose to act in an unconstructive way or are they pressurised?
How do hip hop music videos featuring contemporary rap stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne construct ideologies of masculinity and why does this negatively influence teenagers?
Are artist represented in a certain way that it manipulates teenagers to act in a certain way? This essay research is going to find out how hip hop has changed during the years and whether it has had a big impact on teenagers. The hip hop genre has often been criticised for its unhip stereotyped of young particularly black males: 'there are a lot of people who are doing something positive...But too often, the ones that get the most recognition are those emphasizing the negative.' There are many more socially responsible hip hop artists such as Kanye West; and come of those demonised such as Eminem (in his track "not afraid" for example) or Tupac (in ‘ghetto gospel’ and others) promote uplifting values; however, the mainstream media often seems only influenced in perpetuating old-fashioned myths.
The main text that this essay will be looking at are, Eminem's 'love the way lie' and 'no love' and also will be looking at Lil Wayne 'drop the world'. The reasons that these texts have been chosen are because they show the typical codes and conventions of hip hop and also because Eminem and Lil Wayne have made it very big in the hip hop world and are contemporary and known worldwide.
Eminem is an American actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'The Slim Shady LP' which he won a Grammy award for the best rap album. He released an album 'recovery' (2010) which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in its first week. Lil Wayne is also an American rapper. Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week.
Men are always seen to be more dominant then women. 'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying if necessary in faraway places to provide a safe haven for their people. This, too, is nurturing in the sense of endowing or increasing.' In the past society has given more power to men although this has now changed and there is more gender equality. There are many women doing jobs that they were not allowed. There are also a lot of female rap artist such as Missy Elliot, Lady Sovereign and the more contemporary which is Nicki Minaj, and this shows that the values in the society have changed giving more rights to women.
Teenagers that listen to rap are behaving in a destructive way research shows. 'Some lyrics can be quite provocative and insensitive and they hear these lyrics and want to do exactly what it's saying...For example: If they hear music about having sex...They want to go out and do it.’ ‘Lyrically, some of hip-hop's most popular songs and musicians have negatively influenced violence, drugs, alcohol, sex, disrespect for authority, and disrespect for woman. For many young children and teenagers, this type of music can create an environment that can become detrimental to their lives and education.’ Rap music can persuade teenagers to act in a degrading manner and so it control the way youths think. Rap music gives youth’s knowledge on social life issues although it’s not very clear which is why teenagers are acting in a shocking behaviour which is the issue of moral panics. This raises the issue that if teenagers can act in a downbeat way by listening to rap then they can also act in an optimistic way, but do teenagers choose to act in an unconstructive way or are they pressurised?
Sunday 16 January 2011
next para
Men have always seen to be more dominant then women. 'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying if necessary in faraway places to provide a safe haven for their people. This, too, is nurturing in the sense of endowing or increasing' [3]. In the past society has given more power to men although this has now changed as there are many women doing jobs that they were not allowed. There is also a lot of women rap artist such as Missy Elliot, Lady Sovereign and the more contemporary such as Nicki Minaj, which shows that the values in society has changed.
pg 10 (Gilmore, 1990, p. 230)
pg 10 (Gilmore, 1990, p. 230)
hip hop background
Hip hop music is a musical genre that developed as part of hip hop culture, and is defined by four key stylistic elements: rapping, DJing/scratching, sampling (or synthesis), and beatboxing. Hip hop began in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop also denotes the practices of an entire subculture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music
This isn't a musical history, but rather an urban social history. While learning about those who originated hip-hop, readers are informed of the social conditions that led to its creation in the Bronx and its expanding popularity. In the '70s, the borough was in the throes of an urban-development scheme that left it cut off from the rest of New York City by major highway construction, as illustrated by two small maps. With crushing poverty and little to do, teens turned to gangs, but also to house parties, break dancing, and graffiti. Soon, Lower East Side art dealers and club owners discovered the scene and brought it to the mainstream. But hip-hop wasn't destined to be a fad, and suburban Long Island's Public Enemy appeared, followed a few years later by the Los Angeles scene, led by NWA and Ice Cube. The contrast between the Bronx gangs of the '70s and the Crips and Bloods of the '90s shows how rap lyrics-and the daily lives of rappers-got more violent. This is an extremely well-researched, heavily footnoted, thoroughly indexed book that, although lengthy, isn't the dry scholarly read it might appear to be. Chang wears his left-leaning sensibilities on his sleeve, and artists who tried to advance the art form are given more attention, to the detriment of those who were shallower but just as popular. The conclusion the book draws is its real strength-hip-hop is the culture of youth, and teens today have never known a world without it.-Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD
Chang, Jeff. "Can't Stop Won't Stop".
Rap music is not polite. It's a noisy 'n' crude attack on mainstream sensibilities that has even liberal-minded adults who were raised on the rebellious, outlaw beat of Little Richard and the Rolling Stones asking themselves, "What happened to real music?"
While these adults shudder at the sound of rap, however, the music is the pulse of a far wider urban hip-hop phenomenon--a glorious, multilayered celebration of spontaneous, street-ignited artistry that also includes break dancing, graffiti and video. Its energy and flash and style have moved into advertising, fashion, and--of course--the pop-music mainstream.
Sales of rap records to young fans--black and white--have become strong enough to even make the once-reluctant pop Establishment finally open its doors to the black street sound. The Grammy Awards introduced a rap category this year, and Billboard magazine followed suit with its own rap sales chart. MTV dishes up a weekly rap show, and critics toast the best rap with a fervor rarely seen since the arrival of new-wave rock in the late '70s.
One reason for the greater acceptance is the arrival of a new wave of rappers, such as D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. They're so wholesome they could be regulars on the Cosby show.
But even with this new-found acceptance and poplarity, rap is still criticized by some who say that much of the music is socially irresponsible.
Nowhere is this outlaw rap more visible than in Los Angeles, where Compton's N.W.A has become an explosive new force with tales of gang violence that make even some in the rap movement uneasy.
Pushing the imagery much further than anyone before them, N.W.A feature sirens and gunshots as backdrops to their brutal and ugly X-rated tales of drug dealing, gangbanging and police confrontations. The group's first album, "Straight Outta Compton" has sold nearly 500,000 copies in just six weeks, while the solo album by N.W.A leader Eazy-E, "Eazy-Duz-It," is nearing the 650,000 mark.
Ice-T, a pioneer of the Los Angeles movement who calls his management-production company Rhyme Pays, goes out of his way in interviews to warn against the gang life style. His records, he has said, show young rap fans the consequences of such actions. Ice-T wrote the title track for the controversial gang movie of last year, "Colors."
The defiant N.W.A, however, refuses to pass judgment or offer itself as a role model. The group's name echoes its bold, incendiary nature: Niggers with Attitude.
http://articles.latimes.com/1989-04-02/entertainment/ca-1582_1_black-rap
Monday 10 January 2011
feedback - tutorial 1
- write each paragraph in PEE.
- Don't use the word 'I'
- background about tracks (year in brackets/record label)
- detaills needed
- music video - development of genre (MTV) - main codes and connventions - how hip hop developed better (specific codes/connventions of this sub genre - mis en scene, camera work, iconography)
- reading - get quotes
action plan
- get more reading done to get a varitey of quotes
- research background of hip hop
- try and get another paragraph done
- Don't use the word 'I'
- background about tracks (year in brackets/record label)
- detaills needed
- music video - development of genre (MTV) - main codes and connventions - how hip hop developed better (specific codes/connventions of this sub genre - mis en scene, camera work, iconography)
- reading - get quotes
action plan
- get more reading done to get a varitey of quotes
- research background of hip hop
- try and get another paragraph done
Monday 3 January 2011
task 6
'LL Cool J comes out with one leg of his pants rolled up, the next day everyone is doing the same thing'[1]
How do hip hop music videos featuring contemporary rap stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne construct ideologies of masculinity and why does this negatively influence teenagers?
Are artist represented in a certain way that it manipulates teenagers to act in a certain way? This essay research is going to find out how hip hop has changed during the years and whether it has had a big impact on teenagers. The hip hop genre has often been criticised for its unhelp stereotyped of young particularly black males: 'there are a lot of people who are doing something positive...But too often, the ones that get the most recognition are those emphasizing the negative'[2]. There are many more socially responsible hip hop artists such as Kanye West; and come of those demonised such as Eminem (in his track "not afraid" for example) or Tupac (in "ghetto ghospal! and others) promote uplifting values; however, the mainstream media often seems only influenced in perpecturating old-fashioned myths.
The main text that this essay will be looking at are, Eminem's 'love the way lie' and 'no love' and also will be looking at Lil Wayne 'drop the world'. The reasons that these texts have been chosen are because they show the typical codes and connventions of hip hop and also because Eminem and Lil Wayne have made it very big in the hip hop world and are contemporary and known world wide.
Eminem is an american actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'The Slim Shady LP' which he won a grammy award for the best rap album. He released an album 'recovery' which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in it's first week.
Lil Wayne is an american rapper. At the age of 9 Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week.
How do hip hop music videos featuring contemporary rap stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne construct ideologies of masculinity and why does this negatively influence teenagers?
Are artist represented in a certain way that it manipulates teenagers to act in a certain way? This essay research is going to find out how hip hop has changed during the years and whether it has had a big impact on teenagers. The hip hop genre has often been criticised for its unhelp stereotyped of young particularly black males: 'there are a lot of people who are doing something positive...But too often, the ones that get the most recognition are those emphasizing the negative'[2]. There are many more socially responsible hip hop artists such as Kanye West; and come of those demonised such as Eminem (in his track "not afraid" for example) or Tupac (in "ghetto ghospal! and others) promote uplifting values; however, the mainstream media often seems only influenced in perpecturating old-fashioned myths.
The main text that this essay will be looking at are, Eminem's 'love the way lie' and 'no love' and also will be looking at Lil Wayne 'drop the world'. The reasons that these texts have been chosen are because they show the typical codes and connventions of hip hop and also because Eminem and Lil Wayne have made it very big in the hip hop world and are contemporary and known world wide.
Eminem is an american actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'The Slim Shady LP' which he won a grammy award for the best rap album. He released an album 'recovery' which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in it's first week.
Lil Wayne is an american rapper. At the age of 9 Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week.
essay plan
hypothesis : representation and stereotype of rap music manipulate teenagers in a certain way
brief description of my critical investigation...
- my critcal investigation will be focusing on the stereotypes and representation of two rap stars Eminem and Lil Wayne. I will be investigating whether rap music challenges or reinforces the represenation and stereotypes. I will also be investigating to see whether rap music influences teenagers in a negative way and if so how it does that, I will back my points with eveidence from the three of my texts which are eminem's 'love the way you lie' and 'no love' and also using lil wayne's video 'drop the world'.
brief descripition of the main characters that i am looking at...
- Marshall Bruce Marthers III who is better known by the stage name of Eminem is an american actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'the slim shady LP' which he wona grammy award for the best rap album. He had started performing rap at the age of 14. He repeated 9th grade due to trauncy and near-dailing the grades. He left studies at the age of 17. He released an album 'recovery' which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in it's first week.
- Dwayne Micheal Carter Jr. who is better known by the stage name Lil Wayne is an american rapper. At the age of 9 Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week. The album contained the top selling single 'lollipop'. He was then later convicted in march 2010 for criminal weapons. When in jail he released another album 'i am not a human being' in september 2010 feteauring Drake, nicki minaj, lil twist and many others.
society and representations of men in the society...
-'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying if necessary in faraway places to provide a safe haven for their people. This, too, is nurturing in the sense of endowing or increasing'
pg 10 (Gilmore, 1990, p. 230)
This quote is saying that men are supposed to be dominant and going out to work while women are supposed to sit at home and do the housework and look after the children. This reinforces the stereotypes of males and females both. This quote was believed by many back in the 80's, although the idea of men being dominant and women being passive have know changed and both males and females have been given almost the same rights.
teenagers listening to rap cause moral panics...
-'Rap stars are encouraging early sexual activity among teenagers by promoting a degrading view of women, research shows.'
'Some lyrics can be quite provocative and insensitive and they hear these lyrics and want to do exactly what it's saying...For example: If they hear music about having sex...They wanna go out and do it..'
Research shows that teenagers listening to rap have had an influence on them and that teenagers are doing what they see and hear. Rap music mostly talks about sex, drugs, alcohol etc and so when teenagers listen to rap, they would act in the same manner. Research also shows that tenagers aged 13-18 act like the artists they see on TV etc, they would talk in the same manner, dress in the same sense and even act in a particular way. Studies show that violence has increased as hip hop has become more popluar also artist don't act in apositive way which effects teens behaviour.
hip hop from the 80's compared with contemporary hip hop and stereotypes...
The text that I researched from the 80's was Big Daddy Kane who also was known for the same genre music, hip hop.Big Daddy Kane hit it big for a short period of time but left a lasting impact on the rap scene, which influenced many rappers of the '90s. Kane released "Long Live the Kane" in 1988 with the single "Ain't No Half Steppin'" but found even bigger success in 1989 when he released "It's a Big Daddy Thing", which spawned the hits "Smooth Operator" and "I Get the Job Done". As the '80s crested into the '90s, Big Daddy Kane continued to release albums, but fell victim to a changing era of music with the emergence of Grunge and such new rappers as Snoop and Tupac. The difference compared to my contemporary music video is that in this video 'Big Daddy Kane' is wearing more of the 'bling' whereas in Eminem's video he is not wearing any bling. In Big Daddy Kane's video there is no swearing whereas in Eminem's video he's got more swearing and also his video is more aggressive. This shows that the society has changed in a more negative role.
'stereotype has entered public life as a term that is used to describe how fixed qualities or traits may be attributed to groups in the way they are represented in various media'
The quote above explains how different stereotypes are shown through various media and that audience has a different interprtation of each. Most common stereotypes of teenagers are that teeangers are thought to be having/thinking about sex all the time, that they are lazy, rude etc.
audience theory...
audience theory such as the hypodermic needle theory can be well linked to hip hop and teenagers because research shows that teenagers take in whatever they hear in the lyrics of rap. This means that the teenagers get injected by a certain thing that they see/hear and they accept it without having to do any further research.
conclusion...
From all the research done it can be seen that rap definately influences teenagers in a negative way and males are surely shown to be dominant in rap music videos. Rap music reinforces the ideologies of masculinity by using the hypodermic needle theory. It shows how the media has developed our mind in a way that they want us to.
I will discuss the representations is shown in my historic text compared to my contemporary text and how the society has accepted the similarities in both males and females. I will close it by making a point on how artist are not trying to send out a negative message and that the media shows in such a way that it effects teenagers in a negative way.
brief description of my critical investigation...
- my critcal investigation will be focusing on the stereotypes and representation of two rap stars Eminem and Lil Wayne. I will be investigating whether rap music challenges or reinforces the represenation and stereotypes. I will also be investigating to see whether rap music influences teenagers in a negative way and if so how it does that, I will back my points with eveidence from the three of my texts which are eminem's 'love the way you lie' and 'no love' and also using lil wayne's video 'drop the world'.
brief descripition of the main characters that i am looking at...
- Marshall Bruce Marthers III who is better known by the stage name of Eminem is an american actor, record producer and rapper. Eminem gained popularity with his album 'the slim shady LP' which he wona grammy award for the best rap album. He had started performing rap at the age of 14. He repeated 9th grade due to trauncy and near-dailing the grades. He left studies at the age of 17. He released an album 'recovery' which was very different to Eminem's style and even then the album sold 741,000 in it's first week.
- Dwayne Micheal Carter Jr. who is better known by the stage name Lil Wayne is an american rapper. At the age of 9 Lil Wayne signed with cash 'money records' as the youngest member on the label. In 1999 he released a platinum album which sold over one million in the U.S alone. His most successful album was 'the carter III' released in 2008 which sold over one million in its first week. The album contained the top selling single 'lollipop'. He was then later convicted in march 2010 for criminal weapons. When in jail he released another album 'i am not a human being' in september 2010 feteauring Drake, nicki minaj, lil twist and many others.
society and representations of men in the society...
-'Men nurture their society by shedding their blood, their sweat, and their semen, by bringing home food for both child and mother, by producing children, and by dying if necessary in faraway places to provide a safe haven for their people. This, too, is nurturing in the sense of endowing or increasing'
pg 10 (Gilmore, 1990, p. 230)
This quote is saying that men are supposed to be dominant and going out to work while women are supposed to sit at home and do the housework and look after the children. This reinforces the stereotypes of males and females both. This quote was believed by many back in the 80's, although the idea of men being dominant and women being passive have know changed and both males and females have been given almost the same rights.
teenagers listening to rap cause moral panics...
-'Rap stars are encouraging early sexual activity among teenagers by promoting a degrading view of women, research shows.'
'Some lyrics can be quite provocative and insensitive and they hear these lyrics and want to do exactly what it's saying...For example: If they hear music about having sex...They wanna go out and do it..'
Research shows that teenagers listening to rap have had an influence on them and that teenagers are doing what they see and hear. Rap music mostly talks about sex, drugs, alcohol etc and so when teenagers listen to rap, they would act in the same manner. Research also shows that tenagers aged 13-18 act like the artists they see on TV etc, they would talk in the same manner, dress in the same sense and even act in a particular way. Studies show that violence has increased as hip hop has become more popluar also artist don't act in apositive way which effects teens behaviour.
hip hop from the 80's compared with contemporary hip hop and stereotypes...
The text that I researched from the 80's was Big Daddy Kane who also was known for the same genre music, hip hop.Big Daddy Kane hit it big for a short period of time but left a lasting impact on the rap scene, which influenced many rappers of the '90s. Kane released "Long Live the Kane" in 1988 with the single "Ain't No Half Steppin'" but found even bigger success in 1989 when he released "It's a Big Daddy Thing", which spawned the hits "Smooth Operator" and "I Get the Job Done". As the '80s crested into the '90s, Big Daddy Kane continued to release albums, but fell victim to a changing era of music with the emergence of Grunge and such new rappers as Snoop and Tupac. The difference compared to my contemporary music video is that in this video 'Big Daddy Kane' is wearing more of the 'bling' whereas in Eminem's video he is not wearing any bling. In Big Daddy Kane's video there is no swearing whereas in Eminem's video he's got more swearing and also his video is more aggressive. This shows that the society has changed in a more negative role.
'stereotype has entered public life as a term that is used to describe how fixed qualities or traits may be attributed to groups in the way they are represented in various media'
The quote above explains how different stereotypes are shown through various media and that audience has a different interprtation of each. Most common stereotypes of teenagers are that teeangers are thought to be having/thinking about sex all the time, that they are lazy, rude etc.
audience theory...
audience theory such as the hypodermic needle theory can be well linked to hip hop and teenagers because research shows that teenagers take in whatever they hear in the lyrics of rap. This means that the teenagers get injected by a certain thing that they see/hear and they accept it without having to do any further research.
conclusion...
From all the research done it can be seen that rap definately influences teenagers in a negative way and males are surely shown to be dominant in rap music videos. Rap music reinforces the ideologies of masculinity by using the hypodermic needle theory. It shows how the media has developed our mind in a way that they want us to.
I will discuss the representations is shown in my historic text compared to my contemporary text and how the society has accepted the similarities in both males and females. I will close it by making a point on how artist are not trying to send out a negative message and that the media shows in such a way that it effects teenagers in a negative way.
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