... the belief of many people that all of the afore mentioned qualities are destroyed in the lives of teens due to popular music. Today, pop music remains one of the most controversial issues in modern society. Because adolescences are seen as being highly impressionable their negative actions ... and exposure to the content of any form of artistic expression has ever been scientifically established" (Gilchrist). Furthermore, Aaron Beck (A Dispatch Pop Music Critic) claims that censorship "is less about content and much more about communication and control" (Beck). He goes on to say that ......

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... of Clean Rap." The Buffalo News 23 Nov. 1997, final ed. :17A. (EBSCOhost) "More-Responsible Rap." Christian Science Monitor 30 Sept. 1996: 88.20. (EBSCOhost) Collins, Glen. "Rap Music, Brash and Swaggering, Enters Mainstream." The New York Times 29 Aug. 1988, late city final ed. :C15. (Lexisi-Nexis) Kinnon, Joy. "Does Rap Have a Future"? Ebony June 1997: 76 ... 5. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP. Aftermath, 2000 6. Wood, Douglas S. (Feb. 20, 2001) "Controversy Over Rapper's Lyrics Overshadows Other Nominees" Retrieved Sept. 1, 2002 from http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/2/19/grammy....

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... connotation associated with both genres can be greatly attributed to the elements of sex, gambling, and drinking which are commonly associated with rap and blues. Blues music is very structured in its form. Songs are usually 12bars, 16 bars, or 8 bars. Each has a very specific set of rhyme schemes. ... Lost love, bad luck, discrimination and loss of a loved one are among other themes common in blues. Blues was considered "the Devil's music" by most Christians. During the Second World War, blues migrated to urban communities, as black people moved to major cities seeking work. Other ......

• Word Count: 1900
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• Grade Level: High School

... that it describes life in the eyes of a black person. Venise Berry says that, "as a product of the black urban community, rap music is indisputably entangled with the struggle for black identity and legitimacy within mainstream society" (615). She feels that it indeed describes black culture. ... the artists rapping degrade themselves, as well as others? This is actually promoting young listeners to be ignorant to what is really going on in the music. The all female rap group, Bytches wit" Problems, produced songs such as, "Two Minute Brother," "Fuck a Man," and "Is the ... If these ra...

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• Grade Level: High School

... Way." The beastie boys on the other hand, were White ex-Punkers gone Hip-Hop, and with their raucous style and rebellious behavior, managed to bring Rap music to a whole new group of listeners... White Middle-Class America. This exposure opened up a whole new can of worms, that of which still to this ... line between art and reality much too thin for the youth of America, and hate to see them 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 extre...

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... its graphic sexual content, violent imagery and misogyny. Gangster rap is hardly the only source of violence, but it is a potent one. Not only is the music violent but the rappers lifestyle is also. Today most young people think that if a person is rich and famous they can get away with anything. Not all ... as Snoop Doggy Dogg, was arrested in 1993 on murder-conspiracy charges. He pleaded not guilty and was acquitted. He was also a drug dealer and user. His music also glorifies violence and demeans women. Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, served five months in a halfway house in 1993 for viol...

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... be lying." Taneika Archer, another Long Beach teen said, "He tells it like it's supposed to be told" (Leland). When Tupac Shakur was murdered, anti-rap music activist C. Delores Tucker, said, "Mr.Shakur always talks about violence, and now it has come back to him." Many of Tupac's songs did contain violence, ... care for our women, Time to heal our women" (Leland). Living in the ghetto caused Tupac to have a negative outlook on life. Tupac wanted to have positive music. He said, " that's what I want to do. I want to move people. I want to heal them, but I'm still just tryin to silence th...

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... streets, therefore, many may say that it was the industry that killed them. It all started when Tupac was shot and robbed in the lobby of a music studio in New York City. He was at the studio to meet with Biggie to work on a song together. After the robbery, Tupac blamed Biggie for ... 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 rap industry. When Tupac died, all the media concentrated on was the fact that .....

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... in many songs contain violent and explicit lyrics that usually talk about killing someone along with sounds of gunshots in the background. It is also music that refers to women as "bitches," "whores" and sex-dispensing "hos"(Saunders B29). "Gangsta rap " has been criticized and debated over ... 3 identifies him as a member of Long Beach Insane Crips, a notorious street gang (Cheevers A1). He was also a drug dealer and user. His music also glorifies violence and demeans women. Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, served five months in a halfway house in 1993 for violating his probation for brea...

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... unrequited love. This distinct ability presents an alternative side to both critics, fans and first-time readers of his work. Those familiar with his music can certainly agree that his life was full of excitement. Tupac's musical persona, for the most part, was based on a life filled with ... and angry. The tone in his poem "Sometimes I Cry"" was far more emotional and sensitive. The duality in both Tupac's writing and music represent the inner conflicts he battled throughout his life. Essentially, this unique characteristic gives one a more diversified view of both Tupac's life and wor...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... 23 Nov. 1997, final ed. :17A. (EBSCOhost) "More-Responsible Rap." Christian Science Monitor 30 Sept. 1996: 88.20. (EBSCOhost) Collins, Glen. "Rap Music, Brash and Swaggering, Enters Mainstream." The New York Times 29 Aug. 1988, late city final ed. :C15. (Lexisi-Nexis) Kinnon, Joy. "Does Rap Have ... coming. In his shining rise to the top he has conquered the VMAs, (recently winning Video of the Year for "Without Me"), AMAs, The Billboard Music Awards, and most impressively the Grammys. "You think I give a damn about a Grammy? "- "The Real Slim Shady" from "The Marshall Mathers ... . Aft...

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... ride comin' equipped with game You claim to be a playa but I *censored*ed your wife We bust on Bad Boy niggas *censored*ed for life." His music is for young adults, not for young kids who are easily influenced. Kids won't know what Tupac is really rapping about anyway, but the more they hear ... of it is reality, kids should not be exposed at such a young age. Tupac expresses his feelings by letting it flow onto the paper and then into music just as a poet expresses his or her feelings through pencil and paper, thus creating art. His feelings towards life are depressing, but by letting ...

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... picture, "Juice". He quickly became friends with a couple of popular rap artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre. He made a number of songs and music videos with them that made it big on the Billboard charts. This really helped boost his reputation. In November of 1994, he was shot five times during a ... believe in that too. This is viewed as his biggest difference from other rap artists. A lot of others are very racist to different people in their music, and many people would not appreciate that, thus not listening to that specific artists and not influenced by them. But Tupac reach...

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... filed a multimillion dollar civil suit against him, claiming that the young black man who killed her husband - a cop - was influenced by Tupac's music. Then there is 1002's In Living Color incident. Tupac had just arrived at the Fox lot to tape a segment when he claims that his "limo ... movie about the rapper's early life and an authorized biography. Just because Tupac's seemingly endless vaults may soon empty out, that doesn't mean the music will stop. The seventh and "final" posthumous album of his unheard material will be released in early 2004. Even though his postmortem work has ....

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... style of dj which involved reciting improvised rhymes over the dub versions of his reggae records (Davey). Kool Herc separated rap music from other popular music and set the stage for further innovation. he is know for his massive stereo system speakers and his practice of extending obscure ... dancing competition and musical events promoting peace and racial tolerance (Keeley). Grandmaster flash is credited with perfecting and making famous the third critical rap music advancement: scratching. Scratching is a turntable technique that involves playing the record back and forth with your ...

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... important to understand that as an industry it is moving forward. The so called "Hip Hop" culture is a self expanding one. Influences from other music are there in small amounts, but Hip Hop in general expands internally. Tomorrow it will be a completely different thing to what it is today. Meaning ... West coast feud which ended in 1996, taking with it the lives of the Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur, two of the most influential people in music. Hip Hop in-between these years was laced with hostility, from the "Old Dirty Bastard" serving eight years for assault, the relatively unheard of...

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... suburban upper-class whites. During the same era, as rap was rising in popularity, the infamous "PMRC hearings" occurred. Tennessee senator Al Gore's wife, Tipper, led the PMRC, or Parents' Music Resource Center. This group, which included a number of other wives of Washington legislators, convinced Congress to hold hearings regarding the placement of warning labels on "offensive" albums. The National PTA ... on a sheet of paper inside the packaging. Zappa's idea was dismissed, but the ideas of warning labels and ratings were reviewed, with the eventual recommendation that recording com...

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... b-boying, graffiti, dj-ing, and lastly emceeing or commonly known as rapping. 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 ... that just makes your head bob and body rock. Speaking your mind. But Hip-Hop is now deteriorated by the mainstream. Putting bad names on the music. Most of America can't experience that true hip-hop because the embodiment of mainstream. I know most of America preferably would liste...

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... . When the movement first started not all the elements were recognized together. Because of both the goals they were trying to achieve and the need for music support by each element to reach their goals they merged together to fight authority. From the 70's to today the hip-hop world has changed a ... culture in the world, hip-hop had to go through the trial and error stage. The elements were not accepted by everyday society. Hip-hop music was seriously criticized. Certain elements of the hip-hop culture became illegal in some areas. Writers or graffiti artists faced jail time if caught ...

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... comforting voice, offering an empathetic message and speaking the truth that many knew all too well. There are many however that emphasize the negative virtues of his music. Aisha K. Finch for example asks, "If young Black America is going to be a cultural trendsetter on 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 ... violence, it is...

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... b-boying, graffiti, dj-ing, and lastly emceeing or commonly known as rapping. 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 ... that just makes your head bob and body rock. Speaking your mind. But Hip-Hop is now deteriorated by the mainstream. Putting bad names on the music. Most of America can't experience that true hip-hop because the embodiment of mainstream. I know most of America preferably would liste...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... As he sold millions of albums throughout his career most people attacked Tupac for being violent and hostility reflected in his lyrics, the violence in Tupac's music carried on into his personal life. Tupac had ended up being arrested several times on assault charges he also served eight months in prison for sexual ... , gangs, and fights, but when Tupac was released from prison he made a song called "Me Against the World" which became number one on the music charts, "Dear Mama" showed a different part of Tupac's life ("Shakur"). All of Tupac's song had a meaning/reasoning to them for th...

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... years. He lived on the streets of Marin City and Oakland and sometimes stayed with friends. Through these times he continued to write and record his music, trying to somehow stimulate something so that could get him off the streets. During this time Tupac's mom was in and out of trouble and found ... movie film "Juice." Juice, his very first film, was about gangs, death and friendship. Shakur's solo debut year was a hit. He made waves throughout the music community and the black community. Soon after Shakur's quick leap into stardom his future was not looking as easy. Tupac was arrested w...

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... Guns, Rap, and Silence" written Jay Nordlinger for the National Review he mentions another recent hip-hop headliner. Puff Daddy, a foremost representative of hip-hop music, recently had a run in with the law following a shootout in a New York nightclub (Nordlinger 620). Shyne Barrow, Puffy's protégé, supposedly shot ... charged with illegal weapons possession and bribery"(620). Nordlinger states that "A lot of people were interested in the Sean Combs trial: fans of rap music; celebrity-watchers; connoisseurs of popular culture"(619). These are only a couple examples of how the media o...

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... "Keep Ya Head Up". The album went platinum, selling more than a million albums and sky rocketing Shakur's popularity. While Tupac was getting known through his music, he also made his film debut in the 1992 urban crime drama" Juice" with Omar Epps, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah. His softer side ... quot;Thug Life" Persona after getting arrested for violent offenses in the 1990s. Tupac also fell victim to the violence he always talks about in his music as he was shot 5 times outside of a recording studio during a mugging. Tupac showed up to court the next day even with his wounds re...

• Word Count: 1059
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School