Creation 3 - Rap Song

A combination rap with Cindy Rebellon, this is my half of 16 bars & a hook:

[16 bars]

Our roomie Keady is Irish like Spring

Can’t get in her pants cuz she wears a promising ring

White like Casper, & she stays repping Queens

Studying Biology because she likes them genes

Funny how she thinks she’s the smartest of us all

But don’t get scared when she blends into the wall.

She’s into rap, her favorite rapper’s Yeezy

Only for him she would act sleezy

Let’s end the rap with Cindy

She has a stuffed giraffe

His name is Matthew

He’s her better half.

As you can see, she’s short and petite

Can’t take her anywhere without a car seat.

She loves her Arizona Green Tea

But not more than going on a shopping spree.

[Hook]

Suite 322, you know how we do.

Come to class, we about to school you.

Creation - 2 Poem

"When Your Pride Leaves a Scar"

Mi Papa, light eyes, dark skinned, AFRO-BORIQUEN.

He was the father of my father & my only grandfather.

Swept me away almost every summer

to the island of my ancestors. PUERTO RICO

It was my second home & still is.

See the man was known throughout the states

& his island querido.

For he was a humble man, very grand, and always put others before him.

He was Latino to the full and everyone knew it.

The pride was ever to be hidden and is driven within me through him.

But because an argument parents, I just drifted myself away from that family even my Papa.

Months past, as my pride to stay in contact took the best of me.

Then a call from my father hit me like an atomic bomb…

Sorry mi hija pero Papa is gone. Regrets run through my head of what I should of, could of,

But didn’t do to make our last moments better. Now because of the death of a loved one, the family was together.

Te amo Papa are the only words I wish I could have said.

How my price like me with my scars.

RIP Papa. 

Creation 1 - Poem

                                                  A Toast to Where I’m From

Abuelita is always cooking, Mami is always working.

Where the Puertorican blood is thick, because I was born into the culture not the land.

Where the loud Spanish music plays and the rhythm goes from my body into my brain

Hips are like a washing machine,

Feet so quick like NYC’s rush hours.

Where translating isn't viewed as a job but a way of life.

Our people are supposed to stick together, but instead we fight.

New cultures are introduced to me, but does that change what I am?

These different cultures mixed with some of my sazon and adobo,

                                                          Is what made me who I am.

Critique on Chapter 10: The Hip Hop Wars

Chapter 10: Nobody Talks About the Positives in Hip Hop

            During this chapter, it speaks about how Hip Hop is usually viewed in society. When people think about Hip Hop they usually think: money, females and just expensive things to make them look good. However, that is not the case for all the Hip Hop artist, according to Tricia Rose; she states, “These artists-the more visible ones are Common, Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def, KRS-One, Tribe Called Quest, OutKast, Dead Prez, and Talib Kewli-are often mentioned as notable examples of what is good about hip hop but also often overlooked in the frenzy to condemn all that is associated with hip hop” (pg.202). In other words, these artists are the ones that talk and rap about actual things that happen in life and how we can try to make a difference. These are also the artists that do not get much attention or recognition. Unlike other artists who are viewed as bad role models in society such as Lil’ Wayne and Meek Mills, they speak about violence, drugs, and degrading females by calling them “bitches”. These are the type of artists and rap songs that our listeners like to hear. It is has gotten even harder to change that now because the younger generation prefers to listen to music about discriminating females and about having the best gear. Trying to teach them the positive about Hip Hop, would not be “cool” for them especially if they were to hear a song from Lupe Fiasco, since he talks about the government. Trying to educate their mind is a big challenge because showing them how to use Hip Hop to understand life issues is not that easy to get through to them, especially since they do not see Hip Hop as a learning tool.

Critique on Chapter 9 The Hip Hop War

Chapter 9 : We Are Not Role Models 

 In chapter 9 of Hip Hop Wars by Tricia Rose the author speaks on how Hip Hop rap artist are not role models or at least they claim they are not role models. Rappers use lines such as “we’re not role models”, “parents are responsible for their own kids” and “just turn it off” a lot. Most of the time when a rapper is confronted he brings up on of these 3 clichés to justify themselves and deflect negative attention that comes from their negative music. Rappers say that they are not role models of the young but they are flashing their lives around so that others may see and mimic them. They say parents are the responsible but how much impact can a parent have when their children and already filled with the negativity most rappers and passing on as the truth. The “Don’t like what you see, then just turn it off” line is a major contradiction because record labels spend millions on marketing so that everyone could know about a particular artist. So rappers are not only everywhere but in all the minds of the youth with their catchy negative tunes and their image is like a goal to the youth. How can rappers say they are not role models when a rapper is supposed to be the voice of all struggling unable to voice their opinions and thoughts but rappers want the benefits that come with being a role model without the responsibility.

Critique on Chapter 8 The Hip Hop Wars

Chapter 8 : There Are Bitches and Hoes

               Chapter 8: There Are Bitches and Hoes in “The Hip Hop Wars”, speaks about the icon that started the idea of calling a female a bitch or a hoe, in the black and rap community. This term came from the socially structured image of a man being dominant towards a female, and the female throwing themselves towards the male, serving him and his every need. This is what created the Pimp.

            The Pimp was this image of a man, which was created during the 1980’s Hip Hop. The Pimp was pictured to be this idol towards the black community. Where ideally strippers and groupies praised him, money was included, and of course the image of the fuzzy hat. It was all about g’s up ho’s down mentality during this time. In the chapter it explains how much this idea was promoted through artist such as Nelly, Lil’ Pimp and 50 Cent. These artists bragged about controlling women, using the word Pimp. Furthermore, movies were also exploiting it as well; such as Hustle and Flow. As stated in the text, “Dominating prostitutes and living off of their sex work” should not be how society should view women point blank; especially, when it is involving the use of physical violence towards women while calling them Bitches and Tricks.

            This chapter also explains how men think it is ok to call a women a Hoe, because they call themselves that as well. However, in my opinion men may call themselves Hoes but in a sense that it is a more like a compliment to them. How many bitches did you fuck this week, what’s your count? It’s like the more they let themselves out the higher they view themselves. Whether for girls it is the complete opposite. A woman can be exactly the same a man in a sense where she’s sleeping around, but obviously it is both disrespectful towards herself, disgusting and wrong. An issue that the book brings up in which I believe is, the how because of this male dominance, it is ok to say that every female is this way. Discrimination is a key factor in the play of Rap music.Instead of discriminating the real issues, such as the war in Iraq or poverty; they are spreading the words of a man who all he wants to do is “fuck bitches and get money”.

            Although, the rappers and hip hop artist use these terms to describe a female; some use the term to describe females they feel deserve no respect. Sometimes women are put to blame because they hyper-sexualize hip hop. Women also use bitch when speaking to one another, challenging the sexist word which I feel does not help make them any different from men. However, places them into the same category of power as men when saying it to the opposite sex. 

     In my opinion the words (Bitches and Hoes), are  only there to label the Afro american race even more than what they are labelled. It is a concept that as create years ago, and is still used now in days to discriminate women.

Imitation 7 - Rap Music of 2010/11

                                                                Break Down - J.Cole

"Look, I just shed tears homie and now I ain't too proud to admit it
Just seen my father for the first time in a minute
And when I say a minute I mean years man
Damn, a whale could have swam in them tears fam
Cause as I left them I reflected on my younger days
When it was just me and my brother and my mother played
Father, cause no other man bothered
Not even my biological, it never seemed logical"

The rap song that I chose is called Break Down by J.Cole. It is a 2010 song that speaks about a boy who lived without his biological father and the struggles he had growing up as a kid with his mom, brother and sister that is later mentioned in the rap. J.Cole is an adult rapping in the perspective of this child. The context is written to expresses his anger towards his dad, but when meeting him for the first time it seems that he misses him too much to even be mad, so he breaks down. The song is a confessional rap because he confuses his true feelings for his father, and is also critiquing the father's irresponsible decisions in life. The rhyme scheme is (aa,bb,cc,d,e) and the literary devices used are imagery, ending rhyme scheme, and most importantly flash backs to reenact conversations and emotions with is father. 

Critique on chapter 2 of The Hip Hop Wars

The Hip Hop Wars - Chapter 2

In chapter two of Hip Hop Wars, Tricia Rose reflects on how rap in Hip Hop has negatively portrayed its community over the years. When Hip Hop first began rap was motivational, inspiring and a way to vent about the tragedies the black community was facing and had to endure. This era has taken rap as a way to demean women, minorities, themselves and the black community. The excessive cursing is always associating ways to belittle their culture and everything it represents. Rappers talk about their community which is often referred to as the “ghetto” in a good way. Early in their careers they talk about the struggles trying to let others know about their circumstances faced in their community but that all fades away once they become a little famous. Now they switch their messages from struggles to selling drugs, treating women like dogs and being disrespectful to everyone. Rappers try to feed their listeners false reality that selling drugs is a way out of the “ghetto” and that the more women or money you have the happier you will be. As a person who comes from a black community where I have seen and experienced struggle I have to disagree with this generation’s rappers. Hip Hop is a culture that many outside of the culture see a negative, demeaning and trashy. Rap has made the outside world judge the black community based on the lies rappers are feeding the public. Rap is about self-expression or at least it was when it first began but now rap is about who has the most money, women, and cars. The black community is suffering because its role models forgot how to be role models.

Imitation 6 - Music of the 2000's

Jesus walks- Kanye West 

"We rappers are role models we rap we don't think
I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way I need Jesus
So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes

The song I chose is called "Jesus Walks" by Kanye West, this is one of his early rap pieces. In the rap, he raps not to convert anyone into believers of cristianity, however, to prove a point with how rap music is labeled. He sends his little message through this song how rap represents a lot of gun violence, drugs, and bad depictions of woman. The 8 bars that I chose which are my favorite lines of the rap song, he even states how rappers are viewed as "role models" and can rap about anything except for the "Jesus". Which to me means they can rap about the negatives but can't rap about positive messages to the people. Kanye's "Jesus walks" rap is a confessional piece, because he is stating how he feels how rap music. He also makes a statement by questioning, how just because his rap isn't about sex, lies, and violence that his records wont get played. The rhyme scheme is (a,bbb,c,d,c,f), the literary devices used is an ending rhyme scheme.

Imitation 5 - Rap music on the 90's

Tupac- Changes 

"I see no changes. Wake up in the morning and I ask myself,

"Is life worth living? Should I blast myself?"

I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black.

My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch.

Cops give a damn about a negro? Pull the trigger, kill a nigga, he's a hero.

Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares? One less hungry mouth on the welfare.

First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal to brothers.

Give 'em guns, step back, and watch 'em kill each other."

The song that I chose is a song by Tupac called Changes. This song discusses the issues in society back in the 90's and around the world, and how Tupac himself would like to see some changes from the people to help make it a better place. This song is written to make a statement about the struggles that people who live in the ghetto go through. This song is critiquing the society that he lived in back in the 90's and how unfair and wrong it was. However, I personally feel that despite the differences in time frame, we still deal with the same issues now. The rhyme scheme is (aa,bb,c,d,ee), the literary devices that tupac uses is an ending rhyme scheme and  inside rhyme schemes as well. 

Imitation 4 - Rap Music of the 80's

Rap.Music from the 80

Ice Ice Baby 

"Dance, go rush the speaker that booms

I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom

Deadly when I play a dope melody

Anything less than the best is a felony

 Love it or leave it, you better gang way

You better hit bull's eye, the kid don't play

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it"  - Vanilla Ice 

The 80's Rap song that I chose is "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice. In this song Vanilla Ice is boasting about his skills and talents of being a rapper. His audience is to all of the other rappers and towards those who listen to his music. The context of the rap is basically written to say that he is the best, and how his crowd will love it and if they don't, screw them.  An example is in these 8 bars, when he says "anything less than the best is a felony... If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it". The rhyme scheme is (aa,bb,cc,dd) and the literary work that he uses is ending rhyme scheme. 

Critique: Chapter 6 of The Hip Hop Wars

Chapter 6: Just keeping it real

          Chapter 6: Just keeping it real in “The Hip Hop Wars” speaks about how rappers portray the phrase “just keeping it real”. It states how Hip Hoppers use that phrase as a defense mechanism as a response towards criticism. Most rappers use their raps to tell their own stories and struggles. However, with those stories, they may demonstrate “violence, crime, support sexism and homophobia” as stated in the text.  

This chapter dispute how “just keeping it real” is both a good and bad. By “just keeping it real”, people are able to know the truth about the poor black community that our government tries to hide. On the contrary, there are some people who rap and declare themselves as real but are speaking falsely about what they do, just because it seems cool. “Just keeping it real” can be viewed through many aspects and not just speaking about the troubles, however, it should also acknowledge the accomplishments of the black community.

  This chapter questions “Why are there few music videos or radio played songs about the extraordinary sacrifices that neighbors, teachers, coaches, mothers, ministers, etc. make to help keep the community together”. I agree with this completely, rappers are supposed to be story tellers, so why not tell stories of the positive things that go around with the people in their community. 

        Overall, this chapter really caught my attention on how people view rap and hip hop. The audience for which it was written, is for both those who are interested and  those for are not knowledgeable of what rap and hip hop is. It provides both sides of what people see rap and hip hop as, and what rappers try to portray in their music. 

Imitation 3: El Spanglish National Anthem by Pedro Pietri

El Spanglish National Anthem by Pedro Pietri [ first 8 lines]

"En my Viejo San Juan
They raise the price of pan
So I fly to Manhattan.
It was there that I swear
Everyone took welfare
Especially the Latins!

To El Barrio I went

In pursuit of low rent"

The poem that I chose is called "El Spanglish National Anthem" by Pedro Pietri. It is basically a poem that defines the reasons why Puerto Ricans migrated to New York, and their hopes to return to the mother land. The poem itself is written in Spanglish and it was written to speak on behave of the struggles, hopes, and dreams of the Puerto Rican community. It's both a confessional and a critique written poem. Pedro Piertri confesses the reasons to why Puerto Ricans moved to New York; to acquire a better living situation and be able to provide for their families back home. However, he also critiques that the "American Dream" is not what they pictured it to be. That bills will be bills in Spanish or English. He also describes the discrimination that they face in New York because of their accent and the way they look, but that was not a problem back in their home land. The rhyme scheme is an (aaa,bb,c,dd), and the literary devices that he uses is an ending rhyme scheme and lots of imagery when describing both living situations in New York and Puerto Rico. 

Imitation 2: Bob Dylan, " Like A Rolling Stone"

The 1960’s song that I chose is one created by Bob Dylan, called “Like A Rolling Stone”. It is about a woman who thought of herself to be better than everyone else because of what she had at the time, but then lost everything and the song asks her, how does it feel, due to that fact that she is leaving in that persons’ shoe now. The context is written to teach the woman a lesson, and grasp her attention that karma eventually caught up to her. The song is written to boast to the woman that she has nothing now, and she is no different from the poor people she used to look down upon. The rhyme scheme to this song is written in (a, b, c, b, dd, ee) form. The literary devices that Bob Dylan used are inside rhyme scheme, ending rhyme scheme.

Imitation 1: Poem Jose de Diego, En La Brecha

       The poem En La Brecha by Jose de Diego, is a poem of empowerment for one to fight for something that they want with anger and honor. This poem is written in Spanish and was created to advocate to his people to fight to become an independent country, by all means necessary. It is also a confessional poem to the Puerto Rican culture. Jose de Diego, is confessing how he feels his people should act upon this issue and encourages them to arise, to return, and resist. The rhyme scheme is (a, bb, aa, bb, a) and he uses lots of metaphors and similes. Jose de Diego describes a person’s anger to be like a rain storm to emphasize the rage he wants his people to obtain. Also he leads an example of how his people must fight back with power by comparing it to the roaring of a beast.

The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain

The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain by Langston Hughes, the author is confessing how he feels about the Negro community and artist. Langston Hughes discusses the fact that people feel to great is to be white American and not their true self. The word “white” is praised while the word “negro” is looked down upon. He critiques the way a Negro of a higher class would act compared to one of a lower class.

Langston Hughes brings upon valid points about the worries of a Negro artist, and how the Negro artist has to worry about the opinions others. How he wants to be true to himself, but his people are afraid of criticism. They want to be spoken about as nicely as possible and not stay true to their culture. While the white folks want the Negro artist to mock and be humorous about his culture. They do not want to be compared or equality. Either way, whether the Negro artist has great reviews about his work, the public eye fails to realize his greatest because they cannot accept the truth.

            I like the message that Langston Hughes was providing to his audience, which I believe heads towards the Negro community. The message that I got from this work piece is to stay true to yourself and to be proud of who you are and where you come from. To be “Negro” is to be both ugly and beautiful just like “White America.”