... living in the ghetto?" (Philips A18). U.S. Representative Cardiss Collins, chairwomen of the congressional panel, complained the industry executive to cut out vulgar and violent lyrics was doing that little. She said, "a sticker is not enough" (Congresswomen 7). Some censorship has been incorporated in the radio industry. Inner City Broadcasting ... buy them because there is no law to prohibit sale. There are a lot of people who agree something should be done about the explicit lyrics on albums. Stanley Crouch, a music critic and writer, says that rappers are "a bunch of opportunists wh...

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... mother was very involved in the Black Panther movement, black people bettering themselves and such. From his mother, he gained the revolutionary aspect in his lyrics and his concern for political issues. He never knew his biological father. His mother had lived briefly with Mutulu Shakur who became his stepfather and ... grew up in the ghettos and was involved with street gangs and drug dealers. The struggles of the ghetto life and his friends would influence his lyrics to come. His mother was introduced to crack from these drug dealers and developed an addiction that hurt him deeply. Fr...

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... it's June fourth release activist such as GLAAD and the National Organization for Women started demonstrating in front of record stores and writing letters to congress. They declared that the lyrics to his songs were homophobic, violent, misogynistic, and a dangerous influence. Songs such as "Kill You", "Kim", and "Criminal" were dissected and quoted often during debates. During this ... Rolling Stone 4-11 July 2002: 70-75 4. Eminem. The Eminem Show. Aftermath, 2002 5. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP. Aftermath, 2000 6. Wood, Douglas S. (Feb. 20, 2001) "Controversy Over Rapper's Lyrics...

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... it's June fourth release activist such as GLAAD and the National Organization for Women started demonstrating in front of record stores and writing letters to congress. They declared that the lyrics to his songs were homophobic, violent, misogynistic, and a dangerous influence. Songs such as "Kill You", "Kim", and "Criminal" were dissected and quoted often during debates. During this time Eminem ... Stone Interview", Rolling Stone 4-11 July 2002: 70-75 4. Eminem. The Eminem Show. Aftermath, 2002 5. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP. Aftermath, 2000 6. Wood, Douglas S. (Feb. 20, 2001) "Co...

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... The problem of urban violence is much bigger than rap. Rappers such as Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre, who have been publicly criticized for their lyrics, grew up in the ghetto, and their words reflect what they have lived through. It is what is often referred to as the "realness" of ... pull the trigger, his bodyguard did. The shooting was ruled out of self defense. Snoop received lots of criticism from anti-rap activists and media relating his lyrics as a gangsta rapper to his trial. David Kenner, Snoop's attorney, said, "Snoop was perceived negatively, and we had to dispel that inaccu...

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... brainwashed to believe that they are inferior to the workforce and can't achieve against the odds. "Tired of being scapegoats for the capitalistic drug dealing", he raps in his song "Letter to the President". Which was a song addressed to the president, about the political struggles of black families. Meanwhile, he started rapping as a way out of the gutter. He became a member ... about the reality of the black societies. Tupac said the album "was his practice to introduce a center character through whom he could develop a narrative". The album was bursting with militant lyrics, illustr...

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... whatever he wishes, because it's his way to expressing his feelings, it's not against the law, and it's the truth. Tupac uses a lot of profanity, and his lyrics are inappropriate for kids. The song "Hit em" Up" starts off with vulgar language and has negative content. "First off, *censored* your bitch and the click you ... Tupac is really rapping about anyway, but the more they hear it and grow up with it, the more it will become a part of them. The Yim 2 lyrics to most of his songs are about death and about life in the ghetto. Even though all of it is reality, kids should not be exposed...

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... With out these elements, they shouldn't even classify what they call their music as Hip-Hop. Emcees used to make their records with passion, with their lyrics based on their life experiences, emotions and aspirations. Now most of Hip-Hop like this remains underground, but if it's not like that, can we ... underground community is "Nas" Jones. He can go mainstream but keep his street credibility. He raps about life and reality; speaks his mind. He inspires people with his lyrics, not by how much cash he has. In Nas's "I can" 2003 debut, he raps, "Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again, This i...

• Word Count: 1796
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• Grade Level: High School

... With out these elements, they shouldn't even classify what they call their music as Hip-Hop. Emcees used to make their records with passion, with their lyrics based on their life experiences, emotions and aspirations. Now most of Hip-Hop like this remains underground, but if it's not like that, can we ... underground community is "Nas" Jones. He can go mainstream but keep his street credibility. He raps about life and reality; speaks his mind. He inspires people with his lyrics, not by how much cash he has. In Nas's "I can" 2003 debut, he raps, "Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again, This i...

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... songs coming from??? It's interesting how the message in these songs is still relevant today. Even in his death he's touching people with his lyrics- Why would they put this track on the album if they did not want fans to suspect that something was funny about the situation? One ... aid in Tupac's escape? If the album was supposedly recorded before this incident, why would it have been put on there in the first place? Several lyrics throughout this album hint that Tupac is still alive. The song "Blasphemy" contains many references toward the bible, judgment day, Jesus, and God. In ... ...

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... a relentless 28-track assault on whoever it was that shot him. Though this was his best selling record ever, it contained little insight or violent revolutionary lyrics that his music is known for, but rather a loud spitting of venomous gangster mentality. His next and last CD would also go quadruple-platinum. This album ... the point of view he had. He was or is probably the best product of environment example ever to be seen in the public eye. Tupac's lyrics, as well as his life, have had many affects on society. His words and his attitude raised strong emotions in all he touched, wheth...

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... LISTENER"S BEHAVIOR? MICHELLE MACK The infamous rap artist, Tupac Shakur has a song entitled, "Bury Me a G," off his album, "Thugs Life, Volume 1". One collection of lyrics in this song states: "I got nothen to lose sos I choose to be a killer/ Went from bangin" to slangin"/ Now I"m a dope dealer/ All my a ... on gettin" tossed/ Popping rocks on the block was a past time/ Pack a 9 all the time" (qtd. in Pelley 3). What are these rap lyrics encouraging young people to do? They cause them to do negative things resulting in aggressive behavior. It encourages young people to be gangsters, cu...

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... based rap. Grandmaster's song "The Message" deals with life in the inner city, and the stress of being around violence and drugs. It included such lyrics as, "Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat, I tried to get away but I can't get far, cause the man with the touch-up ... controversy, MTV began to run videos by black artists. These artists were showcased primarily on the new program "Yo! MTV Raps". The rhythms and the lyrics attracted a spectrum of listeners, from inner-city minorities to suburban upper-class whites. During the same era, as rap was rising in popularity, the ... the...

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... began moving away from the more socially conscious themes, to more superficial themes such as flashy cars, expensive clothes and jewelry, degrading women and explicit lyrics became more common. Braggadocio, or "bragging rap" becomes popular in this era by artists like Kanye West and Jay Z. Rap and ... are great examples of why rap and blues are both highly controversial. Some can relate to the songs, and appreciate the humorous and realistic lyrics, while others see the songs as a negative influence and of little substance. Both songs are meant to blunt references about womanizing that o...

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... began, it was just a battle on records and no one was getting, however, as soon as the fans became involved it became a serious issue. It looked as if the violent lyrics in songs cause the fans to react violently. Then the media had a way of portraying rap music as all violent and negative. They never showed the positive side of the ... done in his community, such as start youth programs and help build playgrounds. It is safe to say hat some rap music has violent lyrics, but at the same time, it also has a large number of conscience lyrics as well. When newspapers would quote a lyric fr...

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... his life. Afeni and Tupac would live with Ray Luv and his family in downtown Marin City, known as the "Jungle." This is when Tupac first started writing rhymes and lyrics and started thinking more seriously about rapping. Tupac and Ray started to want nice cars, jewelry and a better lifestyle and realized they could have the opportunity for that through rapping ... together by reading many books on many different topics, ranging from Zen to Buddha, to astrology, medicines, and Cultural Literacy. He would attack the point of these books in his lyrics, questioning which perspective they w...

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... to entertain an audience. People put their thoughts and feelings into their music. Music is very powerful because the rhythm is so catchy and the lyrics you can relate to them . Now some types of music can have you feeling like your in love, while other types can have you feeling ... by the young people who listen to their music. This only make thing worst when rap artists commit violent acts themselves. Some gangasta rap lyrics are anti-police and cause violence against police officers. Most rap artist use their music to express themselves and some of the trials and tribulations ... g...

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... he is still alive. In my essay I will include many suspicious facts of why I think he is very far from death. I will also add personal lyrics and statements Tupac has written or said, and hopefully entice you to have the same faith myself and thousands of Tupac fans have. In a survey held currently by ... on the same day as Tupac. In his song "Niggas Done Changed", Richie Rich and Tupac did a duet on this song and Tupac quotes the following lyrics "I've been shot and murdered, can't tell you how it happened word for word, but best believe that niggas gonna get what they deserve." To me ...

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... concern within the music industry, as well as modern-day America. With a beat that rattles your bones, and the "in-your-face" lyrics, Rap music has countlessly been accused of contributing to the decay of modern society. Rap lyrics are often times about the problems and struggles rappers have encountered throughout the course of their life, such as (but not limited to ... spreading their gospel from the top of the music charts. Gangsta rappers such Snoop Doggy Dogg, Slick Rick, and 2Pac Shakur not only take the controversial subject matter of their lyrics to new extremes, but have also ...

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... though country and rap are two types of music, they show many differences. Country is full of guitars, fiddles, and sometimes-even banjos. Rap is exactly the opposite. The smooth lyrics and inventive beats in rap make it pleasurable to listen to. Someone who listens to country may consider rap nothing but a bunch of jumbled up, scurrilous language meaning absolutely nothing ... and vocalization. Even though bluegrass is still around, it slowly evolved into what is known as country. This form of music maintained the word country due to its form of lyrics and origin. Country's connotation...

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... . The following year he played a ruthless drug dealer in the basketball drama "Above The Rim." Tupac was also fascinated with poetry which was the base of his rap lyrics. Some of his more famous poems include "The Rose that Grew from Concrete" and "In the Event of My Demise." Many people did not see this ... deeper side of Tupac because of his violent rap lyrics where he talks about hardships and struggles he went through as a child, and the violence going on still to this day in the ghettos. Tupac often promoted the saying " ... Life" which he went by and later got tattooed across ...

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... , was widely recognized for his military theories, most of which are found in his illustrious book "The Prince." Makaveli's renown, on the other hand, came from his audacious and evocative lyrics, especially those in his final album "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory." Interestingly, many of Machiavelli's theories in his book draw a parallel to Makaveli's philosophies and preachings in his album ... his principles expressed in The Prince, Machiavelli would both approve and disapprove of Makaveli's many testimonials throughout "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory." Makaveli was extr...

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... part at the age of twelve. At the age of fifteen Tupac and his mother moved to Baltimore. While living in Baltimore he fell into rap. He began to write lyrics, and walking with a swagger. Also while living in Baltimore he enrolled in the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he learned how to act, and learned ballet. By the time ... a big factor in Tupac Shakur's death, because Mobb Deep and Tupac did not like each other because both Mobb Deep, and Tupac made lyrics insulting each other. Also following Tupac's death Mobb Deep made a song with the following lyrics about Tupac's death "you...

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... Harlem as well as many homeless shelters. He eventually ended up in the Bay Area California, alone, and spent his first two years there homeless. Tupac had a love for writing lyrics as well as acting. Soon enough he ended up as a dancer for the rap group known as Digital Underground. After dancing with the group for about a year, Tupac went solo ... survive in these places where they live just because their skin is black. This is a prime example of how racism is played out in our society today. Some of Tupac's lyrics are spoken with the real truth and there are real life examples to bac...

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... a global scale, why not use this to our advantage? Can you imagine what our influence could be if more groups like The Fugees or Tribe Called Quest created music and lyrics to inspire a new wave in Pan-African thinking? If hip-hop is destined to rule youth culture around the world, wouldn't you rather it be a reign that will unite and ... while this reality does exist, it is not simply a Black reality(2)." Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, put it best when she said, "It doesn't make sense to suggest that rap's violent lyrics are to blame for society's ills. If that were the case, she said, ...

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