Creation #3: Gotta Do It

I bet you never thought you'd see me here
So sit back and relax and enjoy, my dear

Okay so first things first I'm not a rapper, let's get this straight
But I have a message for you all so just give me a break
This past semester has taught me - let's see - a few things
I've been busy, I've been working and okay, I enjoyed a few drinks

Let's start from the beginning - I got a job and of course that's been hell
Serving others isn't great when you're pretty hungry yourself
And some people just can't be pleased no matter what I do
They forget I'm probably the same age as their little daughter, too

Hook:
This attitude I have to handle to pay all my bills
Then I get to class, they think I've been chillin', got nothing with to deal
What you don't know is that I work hard and I take this seriously
Go to every class, schoolwork first, won't pass on this opportunity

You gotta do...
Chorus:
(What you need, what what you need)
(What you need, what what you need)
You gotta do (What you need, what what you need)
(What you need, what what you need)

Now let me tell you a little something about my sorority
Yeah those little drunk sluts with the shirts that say "Eat"
Think I'm paying all this money to have girls to drink with?
Community service, business aspects, you got nothing on my leadership

Everything that comes with my org I can put on my resumé
And what are you gonna write? Sat on your ass and watched TV all day?
I work damn hard to earn my future and be able to impress
So don't judge me when I go out to celebrate all those A's on my tests

So talk whatever shit you'd like about me and my girls
But you'll take it all back when you see our success in just a few years
And what's that about me being stupid in love with some guy?
Trust me that won't hold me back, he's the one helping me reach the sky

Hook

Creation #2: In Your Own Hands

It's not where they take you
It's where you take them
It's where you take you
It's what you choose.

You can sit on your ass all day
You can sit on your ass and complain
Eat chips and dip and sip, give lip
But you're not going to get your way.

Let me tell you something about attaining success
Get up and put yourself to the test
Get yourself out of your own damn mess
You're not the only one who's felt a bit of stress.

If you want something go get it
Try once. Try twice. Try a hundred times.
If you give up you're never going to get it
The day you stop trying you can just forget it.

Nothing is going to come to you
It's not going to appear on your doorstep
Not your job
Not your money
Not your friends
Not your family
So go out and get it yourself.

Creation #1: Always Missed

Your smile

Your laugh

Your eyes

Your hair

The way you dance

The way you sleep

The way you stare

You're perfect, a blessing

Everything I could ask for

The happiness you bring

The feelings and so much more

She's not around to see you

She would have been so proud

She would have spoiled you, done everything for you

By just a few months she missed you now

I didn't understand it at first 

Such a beautiful woman who gave her everything to us

But she has to watch over you from above

Your perfect guardian angel will give you so much love

Her smile

Her laugh

Her eyes

Her hair

A perfect angel, but I'm still left in despair

Critique #5: Hip Hop Demeans Women

The first paragraph to this chapter presents are strong argument. It provides the reader with three solid examples of disrespectful and demeaning lyrics which sparks more ideas in the readers head of songs with similar hurtful lyrics. The author then makes a valid point that t is not debatable whether these lyrics degrade women or not. It is apparent to all and even artists know when they are doing it. This chapter also expresses how the "gentleman" existed when women did not have the right to vote. They treated women with respect and looked at them as innocent essential people. While many were against their rights, others fought for women's suffrage. Fast forward to modern day and men are now publicly degrading women. Women are treated even worse and are looked down to. The fight for their rights has been completely overlooked and they are back tracking. This chapter also speaks about the view of sexuality. Hip hop songs degrade women in a sexual way, giving sex a bad connotation. There are no other positive mentions about sex, so any relation women have with sexuality automatically gives them a bad image. Radio station, KBOO, sent a clear cut message by banning Sarah Jones' song meant to express the drawbacks of women degrading themselves. While this song held explicit content, it sent a strong message meant to imposer women. Plenty of other explicit songs that are demeaning are repeated over and over on the radio.

I want to tell her all the ways hip hop made me feel powerful. How it gave my generation a voice, a context, how we shifted the pop culture paradigm. How sometimes it's a good thing to appear brave and fearless, even if it's just posturing. I want to suggest that maybe these rhymes about licking each other's asses are liberating. But I can't.

This passage was very powerful. It shows what hip hop was made for and what it has come to. Tricia Rose uses inspiring words to explain the power of what hip hop was and then shifts to "licking each other's asses,"which exemplifies hip hop today. It shows how meaningless the lyrics have become and how disappointed she is by it. The chapter requests a change in sexism exploited by hip hop music. As a main discussion in this type of music, the connotation that comes along with it makes is seem negative as a general topic. Sexism must be taken out of the context of hip hop music.

Critique #4: We're Not Role Models

This chapter defends hip hop artists with the fact that the youth should be influenced elsewhere, such as by parents. Music shouldn't hold such a large impact in their lives and they should learn to be entertained by the music and maybe even moved, but to shouldn't affect their daily lives or actions. Artists should not be looked at as role models just because they have become famous and grabbed media attention. Some have started as rebels and they use their music to express themselves. This outlet of expression is what gave them fame, so by no means does it make them role models. A role model is a reference for others of the same social group, and although some believe hip hop artists fit this description, the media-saturated and market-driven hip hop that has developed alters the classification of a hip hop artist being a role model. Parents are the main cause of how a child turns out. Artists rap about negative aspects of life, drugs, and violence but they are usually accompanied by the common theme of not having a father, having a careless mother, or other parental related issues. Again, music is their outlet of expression, and for parents to blame the behavior of their kids on the music they are not listening to the actual message of the lyrics. These kids that are growing up to mimic the music they listen to are not getting the proper guidance from their parents and then looking elsewhere for it. The hip hop defenders are not underestimated the time and work it takes to be a parent, but the artists should not get the blame.

Critique #3: Hip Hop Hurts Black People

This chapter claims that there are many arguments made against hip hop, such as it fuels a self-destructive attitude amongst the youth, it promotes violence, and it degrades black women. But the strong argument that it hurts black people is claimed by other blacks. They also claim that hip hop as it was once known is dead. The promotion of drugs, gang activity, abuse, and homophobia is thrown onto the listeners and is not helping anybody. Three majors issues os hip hop listed in this chapter are "1) unfair generalization made through sweeping claims and over blaming; 2) the tone of disdain and disregard that is smuggled in under 'outrage' and gets misunderstood and tough love; and 3) what's left out...the absence of collective responsibility for what's happened to hip hop and the silence among many critics about structural racism and its heightened impact on the black poor." This chapter emphasizes the destruction of rap and hip hop music because it devalues education for the youth. Even the best learning environments will not do much for a young black child if he is listening to destructive music.

Imitation #7 (2010/2011): Lupe Fiasco, Words I Never Said

I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence

Fear is such a weak emotion that's why I despise it

We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth

So scared of what you think of me, I’m scared of even telling you

Sometimes I’m like the only person I feel safe to tell it to

I’m locked inside a cell in me, I know that there’s a jail in you

Consider this your bailing out, so take a breath, inhale a few

My screams is finally getting free, my thoughts is finally yelling through

In this song, Lupe is speaking of governmental and global issues including 9/11 and the War On Terror. It is about violence and the lack of speaking out against what is wrong. He is speaking for those who are against government actions and want to stand up for the people. This piece is a critique directed at bystanders who don't do anything to stop what the American government is doing. The first line uses an internal rhyme. Lines 3-8 include slant rhymes, identical rhyme, and end rhyme. He uses figurative meaning when stating "I'm locked inside a cell in me, I know that there's a jail in you." "Fear us such a weak emotion" could be looked at as personification because an emotion cannot be weak itself.