Creation #2: “Jamaica”

“Jamaica”

His feet have been sculpted
by the Jamaican land.
Smoothed and rounded
as though Jamaica
was a great river
that flowed through him.

Slowly, her current
brought him to America,
like so many before him.

His feet slid
into the foot prints
laid down before him.

And when his son was born
he held his boys feet.
And tried to mold them
into the Jamaican rhythm.
As though his fingers where springs
rolling over his son’s pebble feet.

The Fall sets into the Catskill mountains
and the air catches a cold
that Jamaica’s water never held.
Now, he crushes his soul
of his feet into shoes,
But the current of his land
still runs
into America land.

Critique # 2: Hip Hop Reflects Black Dysfunctional Ghetto Culture

In chapter two of Hip-Hop Wars the major idea highlighted is, Hip-Hop is critiqued by racist ideas, just in a new light. On page 66 and 67 in Hip-Hop Wars this idea of Black music being seen as dangerous, especially to white culture, is explained. In today’s times Jazz and Blues music is not seen as threating, but when it first was introduced it was seen in a different light. This can again be seen in the way Hip-Hop is seen in our culture today. Many people in power, who are generally White, see Hip-Hop as having no value, and that it is not a valid art form. This view also comes from a historical time. During and after slavery, it was thought that the Black community had no cultural traits or values. Instead of having an identity, the Black community just copied the colonizing, Western power’s culture. And within this copying of White culture, the Black community just chose to have the “wrong” culture.
           This view is of course wrong. The Black community has a strong culture that grew from the experience of slavery and life within America. It is an experience that is usually ignored by Whites. So, when the Black community comes up with different music from the White music, it is usually shunned as nothing of value. This can be argued is happening again with Hip-Hop. The White community sees little value in Hip-Hop, or the complete opposite, they think it’s the only part of Black culture. Both these views of Hip-Hop are wrong. Hip-Hop is an important part of the Black community and culture as it tells a part of the Black experience in America. At the same time, Hip-Hop does not speak for all of the Black experience in America. Instead, it should be viewed like other music types. It is a voice, but it should not stand for a whole community. 

Imitation #6: Tyga, Tyga Tyga

On my way to the penthouse, tend a little me-ha
Her friend like meet her, you don't know Tyga?
She don't really care 'bout neither
Either, I'm too far where her mind can't reach up
Or she don't like music making money niggas
I do know that I ain't got time I maneuvers
Like that, voodoo, like that, you knew
Me don't, I'm already high rap guru


This section of the rap by Tyga is explaining how if women do not know about Tyga, then they are not cool or current, because he is the “rap guru”.

Tyga does not use many end rhymes in this stanza, instead he uses more slant rhymes. These can only be heard after you listen to the song. In the first line he ends with the word “me-ha” which slant rhymes and cross rhymes with the word “her” in the second line. The second line has an end rhyme with the first line, rhyming the words “me-ha” and “tyga”. This rhyme is again a slant rhyme. The artist, Tyga raps the words in such a way that they rhyme. In the third line the A rhyme scheme is kept with the word “neither” and then it is crossed rhymed with the word “either” in the next line.

The second half to the stanza changes from an A rhyme scheme to a B one. This helps keep the rhythm. The rhythm comes mostly from slant rhymes and cross rhymes. This creates a distinct rhythm, because most people are used to end rhymes, but Tyga chooses to use cross rhymes and slant rhymes. This creates a catchy beat that I highly enjoy. I think the word selection is weak, he rhymes words that do not make much sense, or they could have been explained in a better way. For example, line seven makes little sense. “Like that, Voodoo, Like that, you knew”, this line could be explained better, but instead the artist attempts to keep a beat rather than a context.

Imitation #5 (1990s): Patricia Smith "Skin Head"

It’s easy now to move my big body into shadows,
to move from a place where there was nothing
into the stark circle of a streetlight,
the pipe raised up high over my head.
It’s a kick to watch their eyes get big,
round and gleaming like cartoon jungle boys,
right in that second when they know
the pipe’s gonna come down, and I got this thing
I like to say, listen to this, I like to say
“Hey, nigger, Abe Lincoln’s been dead a long time.”

Patricia Smith’s poem “Skinhead” is by far my favorite poem of all time. I remember reading it my freshman year of college. My teacher had withheld the race of the author from us. I remember thinking how offal of a poem it was, so full of hate. Then when my teacher told us that this racist, angry, pro-White poem was written by a Black woman, it literally tore down walls in my creative process. This poem has allowed me to write in a new voice, a new way I would have never thought of, if it was not for Patricia Smith.

This poem is a slam poem. It does not rhyme, but it has a rhythm. The poem written as a narrative story that flows out of the reader’s mouth. It evokes the emotion of pure hatred towards any race that is not White.  This point cannot be highlighted enough that the author is a Black female. She had to put herself into the shoes of a skinhead, and for this poem she had to think like one. It is a testament to what an amazing creative writer Patricia Smith is.
              In this section of the poem we see the word “Nigger” appear. This is a rare case where I believe the word is in context and makes sense.  Too many times, in raps and poems, the N word comes up and it is used as in a light, fluffy context, almost used just for its shock value, and it ignores its historical background.  In the poem “Skinhead”, the N word is used the way it was used over history, not just for shock value. The shock value of this stanza comes from the words that surround the N word.  The words around the N word explain the graphic violence that this “skinhead” wants to commit onto the non-White world. This poem does not use traditional literary elements, but it forges its own way into becoming a wonderfully creative poem.

Imitation #4 (1980s): N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton"

Straight outta Compton, another crazy ass nigga

More punks I smoke, yo, my rep gets biggerI'm a bad motherfucker and you know thisBut the pussy ass niggaz don't show thisBut I don't give a fuck, I'ma make my snapsIf not from the records, from jackin' the cropsJust like burglary, the definition is jackin'And when illegally armed it's called packin' 

This whole rap is about how tough the people from Compton are, and about all the illegal actions they have taken. The part of the stanza I chose explains how strong and “crazy” the people from Compton are. The rap also touches on the subject of drug dealing and caring illegal weapons.  
              The tone of the rap is very aggressive. It does not only have aggressive lyrics, but it has a strong, fast beat, which compliments the lyrics. Within the aggressive tone, the lyrics are telling a narrative story about how life is rougher in Compton; and because life is rougher in Compton, it makes rougher and tougher people.
              This section of the rap has a very clear end rhyme. The end rhyme is AABBCCDD. There is no attempt by the artist to change this rhyme pattern. An interesting development in the stanza is the “Nigga and Bigger” rhyme, because it is a sound rhyme, but not a visual rhyme. The next stanza is followed by what I like to call a weak rhyme. To me, a weak rhyme is one that rhyme’s the same word twice. If we look further at the rhyme in the third and fourth line, it can be seen the second to last words (Know and Show) also rhyme. This helps makes the rhyme stronger, but it does not dismiss the fact that the third and fourth line end in the same rhyme. Over all to me, the rhyme scheme was easy, and did not challenge the artist. 

Critique # 1: Chapter One: Hip-Hop Causes Violence

The chapter about “Hip-Hop causing violence” was very much muddied on how it confronted its critique.  It would give a critique like, critics say rappers are speaking autobiographical, and then it would show how they are not. It seemed the author wanted to show the critique, but then almost immediately after doing so she would put in her own view.  This greatly weakened the critique, because the author imminently told the reader why this critique did not work.
              In the begging of the chapter, a critique on violent stories was brought up, but never revisited again in the chapter. It was a critique that was backed up with a study, saying violent music lyrics have been proven to increase “aggressive thoughts and feelings”.  The author imminently moves on to state that Hip-Hop is perceived to have more violence, because of the medium it appears in. The problem is, the author neglects to really look at this idea, that violent music lyrics create aggressive thoughts and feelings. This to me is a glaring sign that Hip-Hop can cause violent behavior, because if you have aggressive thoughts and feelings, you eventually act on them. (Look at bullies in schools.)  The author tries to sweep this idea under the rug, by saying rap is perceived to be more violent, and if the same lyrics are presented in a different context they are not perceived the same way. The problem with the study is, it does not talk about beat or rhythm. Hip-Hop usually comes in faster beat or rhythm, were country music is a slower beat or rhythm. These faster beats and rhythm’s paired with violent words could cause a double affect making the listener feel more aggressive. Even though this idea was only briefly touched upon in the start of the chapter, I believe it is something that should be discussed more.
              Over all, the chapter high lights why the critique’s about how Hip-Hop causing violence is wrong, instead of letting the reader decided. This chapter should have been combined with the “keeping it real chapter”, because it’s almost the same message, just packaged a little differently.