Assignment 1-3-6

Since the emergence of the hip-hop culture, their presence has dominated pop culture. Hip-hop’s musical appeal, flashy lifestyle, clothing attire, and social influence have built an impelling empire in today’s society. Even though I’m not an all out hip-hop fan, it was influenced the other genres of music I like, like gospel, pop, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Hip-hop culture has been the driver behind presidential election, social movements, blockbuster sensations, and media reforms.

            Though hip-hop has inspired positive change, it has also stirred up negative stereotypes and myths. The content in some of hip-hop’s greatest song encourage a thug lifestyle, quick rich schemes, drug paraphernalia, female degradation, and flashy means of living. These lyrical messages create theories behind the hip-hop culture and fashion ideas of being a hip-hop thug has engulf pop culture to believe that it is okay to follow a gangster lifestyle. Hip-hop artist become crowned as heroes for being gangsters and “showing love” to their “hoods”, but they really can’t be considered heroes at all.

            The most interesting finding in my analysis of the hip-hop culture was the gay rights transformative movement in hip-hop. A culture that’s believed to hate, despise, and ban gays from their environment is now becoming inviting to the gay community. Some of the same artist that talked about, disowned, and blasphemed gays are now supporting their gay friends and family publicly.

            I now look at hip-hop more than just music but a lifestyle, a culture. I see now how hip-hop moguls pave the way for the youth and the future. Hip-hop has had influence on more than just the African American communities but every ethnicity around the world. Its not just a “black thing” its anybody thing. With hip-hop’s heavy influence it can change pop culture and the world.

 

Formula Analysis 

Crashed used an unconventional formula where there’s numerous series of stories happening in the film but do not follow a uniformed formula. In Cool Runnings the storyline does pan out a conventional formula. The movie follows and action story template. The story starts with ordinary people, who come up with an idea, they try and execute the plan, they face some issues getting to their goal, something inside of them changes, and they win and become heroes in the end. This story line is much like other movies that use the conventional formula.

            Cool Runnings debuted in 1993, a time period where the conventional story template was apart of pop culture, that’s what people were interested in. around the time when Crash was release, 2004, the story templates were changing over to a more unconventional structure. I believe that maybe people were becoming bored with the normal good guy hero in the end, so film directors switched it up so movie goers would be guessing what’s next and who’s going to win in the end.

            If I were a director of the movie Crash I would change the end of the formula the existing director used. At the end of the movie the audience saw how all the character came together and how all their stories intertwined, but I would make the characters see that as well. So instead of each character going off with their lives, I would have created some freak accident where all the characters met at the end and realized everything that happened and how all their stories combined.

For Hip-Hop and Gay Rights, a Transformative Moment, By Scott Gold

Journal Article

For Hip-Hop and Gay Rights, a Transformative Moment, By Scott Gold

           

Scott Gold writes, “The notoriously homophobic music scene is having a change of heart. I song or interviews headliners are showing support for the gay community” (2012). Adair Lion is an up and coming hip-hop artist and has been claiming his way to fame. Recently Adair has recorded his first pro-gay song track called “Ben”, which has lead to a transformative movement in the hip-hop culture. The ultimate no-no for a rapper to say that gay is okay and that’s just his attempting stating, “ The Bible was wrong this time…” (Gold, 2012).  Adair has broken some very heavy cultural norms in the hip-hop philosophy. Many thought that the release of “Ben” would be a career nightmare, but it was the total opposite. The song “Ben” has put him on the map, since then the rookie hip-hop rapper has been turning heads and local radio stations have been buzzing over the groundbreaking song. 

            “Rap was one of the most reliably homophobic arenas in American pop culture” (Gold, 2012). Hip-hop artist have been notably known for bashing gays, speaking of violent acts against gays, and making cutting remarks that has referred to them as “weak,”  “gross,” and “dirty.” As we can see hip-hop has not been a very welcoming environment for gays to be apart of. But the hip-hop culture has had a change of heart.

            As president Obama proclaimed his support for same-sex marriages and the support for the state’s to repeal the ban on same-sex marriages, and whose support did he have African American and Latino communities, the sole of American hip-hop. Also standing by him was rap mogul Jay-Z and Lady Gaga. In later years a hip-hop personality Mister Cee was caught in a parked car receiving oral sex from another man, and his friend rapper 50 Cent stood by him. Just when 50 Cent suggested rapper should kill themselves, he had a change of heart and publicly supported Mister Cee through his trial. Frank Ocean recently came out in a letter he wrote where he described his first love to be a man.

Adair says he’s very proud of his song and describes his work as the “finest tradition of rap” (Gold, 2012). The gay community had ask the rapper to appear at the gay pride festival in his hometown El Paso and Memphis. He gone back to work on his next song “Another Part of Me” which features him being transformed into several music icon including Lady Gaga. Adair Lion has been praised for starting the engine on the train, “Now the heavyweights are driving the train. Now everybody’s riding the train. They might not stay on board, but they’re sure going to ride it to the next city" said DJ Sedrick “Spade” Knowlton (Gold, 2012).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

This article is very important in the movement of hip-hop. If rappers want o be accepted they have to move along with movements in hip-hop, even if it means supporting that gay is okay. Coming out or being “gay” or “lesbian,” seems to be a catching trend and cooler than ever. I think more and more people in the hip-hop culture will begin to support gay artist and all previous cultural norms about rappers will soon be a transformative movement in hip-hop.

Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

Hip-hop's Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

Assignment 1-3-4

            Many have been labeled heroes in the Hip-hop culture, but what makes them a hero? Hip-hop artist may have shown heroic acts in their communities or just have inspired people with their catchy hooks and historic beats. Hip-hop fans dub these artist heroes for making it out the “struggle” or the hood and making it big; making millions of dollars, having all the ladies, and rolling in big cars with fancy rims and sound systems. But what is a hero? A hero is someone who represents the best of the best in society or in their families, shows the best qualities or attributes out of everyone else. So not every singer or rapper is a hero just because of their captivating music or numerous music videos’ they’ve made, but for standing up and showing teens, adults, and children heroic character. Hip-hop heroes go beyond the music beyond the stereotypes and stigmatism and reach out to help the world, environment, community, and families any way they can.

Fans idolize hip-hop performers by mocking their music, imitating their clothing, and praise their videos. People see all the fabulous things these celebrities have and glorify their lifestyles. Hip-hop artist personify a life of money, cars, clothes, jewelry, promiscuous girls/boys, and sex. This lifestyle is magnified through music videos’, the clothing they wear, and television shows with reference to the hip-hop culture. Celebrities realize our dreams of being rich and famous and eulogize these fabricated dreams through their music, television shows, and lifestyles. The cult of celebrities wraps around so many peoples lives so much so people go as far as changing their occupations, lifestyles, and location to be live like their favorite celebrities. To live the life of the rich and famous has engulf pop culture and the dream of being a hip-hop mogul has empowered a movement in pop culture.