I have always been interested in music and I enjoy listening to various genres from show tunes to rap. From country to electronic. From classical to hip-hop. One thing that I find incredibly interesting is how each genre varies in messages. These next few posts have been inspired by having to read part of an essay entitled "Eminem Is Right" by Mary Eberstadt.I want to explore the various meanings that surround the different genres that are most popular today. Building off this essay, I am going to start by writing about rap music in today's society, focusing especially on Eminem because he is who I listen to most.
A lot of music involves both violence and foul language, which are two of the biggest reasons parents (such as mine) are not fans of this style of music. But in reality that is part of the rap culture and needs to be looked at in context. Many of the themes and ideas that are presented by the artists are based on experience from their childhoods. Both Eminem and Lil Wayne grew up in families abandoned by fathers. Eminem especially puts his views on family life into his tracks such as "Mockingbird" and "When I'm Gone". He raps about dysfunctional families and often uses his own as an example. In my favorite song by Eminem, "Beautiful", he explains how life can be hard and he says "I'll be you, let's trade shoes/Just to see what it'd be like to/Feel your pain, you feel mine/Go inside each other's minds/Just to see what we find". It can be hard to overlook the fact that rappers swear so much, it was one of the reasons I used to stay away from listening to it. But then my brother showed me how inspiring and intelligent the lyrics can be and I was hooked. Eminem's most recent album is very different than all its predecessors. It is titled Recovery, and in this album he focuses more on fighting his demons while rehabbing from drug use. It is true that there are a plethora of rap songs about violence against police, drug use, and sex, but that is because that is what many grew up around. It is rare that a rapper comes out of a well-to-do area of the United States and wasn't struggling at some point in his/her life. And since most rappers are African-American, these topics just confirm many stereotypes which do surround the African-American community. Without a doubt, Eminem is one of the most successful rap artists in history and in an interview on 60 Minutes, you can see how passionate he is about his music and his dedication. The messages that rap produces are driven by experience and people need to realize that the music is what it is and that is what has/will sell.
I highly suggest watching Eminem's interview on 60 Minutes. It shows a different side of an artist who many feel is a menace to society.
I find Rap, and especially Hip-Hop, to be more direct, raw
ReplyDeletehonest (if not honorable) , intelligent (within its realm) than
most bubble-gum pop songs, or even the divas..Mariah Carey, Whitney Huston, JLo, and such. I grew up on Blues, Bebop, Jive, plus Mozart and Bach and the American Song Book (you know, Porter, Kern, Gershwin, Arlen, et. al.) Hip-Hop is a true reflection of current times.