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CANDIDATE’S NAME: Jaymelia Meisha Diamond

CANDIDATE’S NUMBER: 1500270293

FORM/CLASS: 5 Business

SCHOOL: Thomas Saunders Secondary School

SUBJECT: English A

CENTER NUMBER: 150027

TOPIC: Genres Of Music

SUB-TOPIC: Hip-Hop

TERRITORY: St. Vincent

TEACHER’S NAME: Mrs. Tisha Allen Jack

YEAR OF SUBMISSION: 2024

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 2nd February, 2024

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Table of contents

Plan of Investigation 3

Artifact One 4

Artifact Two 5

Artifact Three 6

Reflections

Reflection One 10

Reflection Two 11

Reflection Three 12

Group Written Report 13

Artifact One 15

Artifact Two 17

Artifact Three 19

Oral Presentation Outline 20

Oral Presentation 21

Bibliography 23

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Plan of Investigation

My group chose the topic Genres of Music because it has a powerful influence on society. I
chose to investigate Hip-hop because it has piqued my interest. Therefore, I am eager to discover
more about its history and its impact so that I can enlighten my peers. As a student of English, I
expect my vocabulary and comprehension skills to be enhanced. To conduct research, I plan to
collect two poems and an article from textbooks and from the internet. I will use my vocabulary
skills to write my oral presentation and my comprehension skills to write my reflection 1.

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Jaymelia Diamond
Stimulus 1
Poem
Author: Alex Duffy
Title: What happened to Hip-Hop
What happened to Hip-Hop, how did it end up like this?
the biggest song on the radio is by a rapper who didn't write it And the ones who do write
they repeat the same 8 words for all 3 verses
What happened to the art of storytelling and taking pride in being a wordsmith?
People just don't care for lyrics these days
Hip-Hop doesn't have the same spirit these days
I'll school you but I'm not here for the merit these days I'll do it out of passion, pride and
love
I wish rappers would stop freestyling 30 songs and start to write with love
I learned more from lyrical gangstas than I ever did teachers Nas, Rakim, Big Pun,
Eminem, Tupac all made me believers
These days rappers freestyle for an hour straight but don't say a thing
Every other word is something, something, something, I'm the king
But there's not one impressive bar, quotable or line
Kids act like it's the greatest thing ever, because they're all blind Nas wrote Illmatic at 21 so
stop using age as an excuse for writing nonsense rhymes
How can I take your Hip-Hop knowledge seriously if you can't tell me which group said
"Ain't no such thing as halfway crooks"
If you want to be a rapper go and study Jay-Z, Rakim, Big Pun, Ice Cube and Big Daddy
Kane before writing in your rhyme book
I'm sick of these "Lil" rappers bragging about having more drugs than pharmacy's
When every song sounds the same how can I judge their artistry?
I'll stick to listening to Wu Tang Clan, Nas and Bone Thugs N Harmony
This generation of rappers post pictures of their jewelry for whatever insecurities they're
masking
But I'm tired of the signing and talking about Jewelry, I want to hear some rapping
If your playlist has Lil Pump, Tekashi or Soulja Boy in it then I'll avoid the music
and ask the DJ to put on some Kendrick, Big Sean, J.Cole or Joyner Lucas
Why is it that it's mainly the garbage untalented rappers that the radio plays
Constantly posting about being in beef, but knowing it's all staged
They spend more time on social media than writing rhymes and songs
Considering they're meant to be rappers you should find this wrong
This generation of rappers don't care about the history of Hip-Hop
They don't even put any effort into the songs they're making, so they have 70 quick drops
They need auto tune, so they'll stutter if they're challenged to a rap battle or spit off
I'd rather sit in silence than hear anymore mumble rap
I'd get rid of you all if we could bring Tupac, Biggie and Big Pun back
I hope that in the near future this generation of rappers will be forgot
It will always be my first love, but I hate what's happened to Hip-Hop

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Jaymelia Diamond

Stimulus 2

Poem

Author: Yamig29

Title: A HIP HOP REVOLUTION

Competition in this generation marks the determination of
H.I.P.H.O.P
We will be those who carry insanity
Our craniums are crosswords of metaphors except the answers sometimes don’t match up with the
numbers
Our minds are doors left open because we’ve recognized our power and decided to let wonders
roam worlds that might clash with others
We have de la soul that’s killin’ us softly coming from a gangster’s paradise
This paradise detrimental to the souls and the youth but you can’t break the cycle cause “yolo”
the ghetto remains in the bloods of the kings of the coast wars
This is spoken word the cousin of hip-hop
who seem to be distant from one another
but in reality they are from the same mother
Of beats rhythms rhyme with rhyme and time and after time I’ve drowned in my own mind because
they spit about dimes and crime after crime they drown in their grime
Turntables now run backwards, mix tapes record, record amounts of reckless senseless notions that
have made it lose its power
Brooklyn seems to be going through series of identity complexes
Its DNA thread of hip-hop is long forgotten
Hip-hop encodes genetic instruction used to develop living organisms
Because hip hop is biology, it is also philosophy
My fascination with hip-hop has let me see authenticity
Like wu tang this stuff is forever a
prism of messages compressed into minimal space
it should elevate consciousness
Hip hop is forever hip hop is in the past and right now I am ask how long does forever last
Unknown~

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Jaymelia Diamond
Stimulus 3
Article
Author: Lucien J. Flores

Title: Hip-Hop is for Everybody: Examining the Roots and

Growth of Hip-Hop
Starting from humble roots, hip-hop has grown from the creative outlet of
underrepresented black teenagers living in the South Bronx in the late 1970s to
a highly successful commercialized business that in 2000 grossed over $1.8
billion in sales in the United States. (Kun, 581) Hip-hop is not only successful in
the United States, but also, its influence has permeated the entire planet,
becoming a global creative and economic force. Historically the genre has been
considered representative of the voice of the black community, but some critics
argue that the commercialization and globalization of hip-hop music dilutes its
message so that the genre no longer truly represents the voice of the black
community.

In his 1999 manifesto “Fear Not of Man,” the highly acclaimed rapper Mos Def
proclaims, “We are hip-hop.” (Mos Def, 1999) Who is the “we” Mos Def is referring
to? Who exactly constitutes hip-hop? Traditionally this “we” would be interpreted
as America’s black community, but, as we have seen, the consumers and
producers of hip-hop have expanded far beyond the black community. Mos Def
recognizes the ever expanding base of hip-hop and later in “Fear Not of Man”
states that, “Me, you, everybody – we are hip-hop,” suggesting that hip-hop music
no longer solely represents solely the voice of the black community, instead, hip-
hop now represents all those who partake in or promote hip-hop culture whether
male or female, rich or poor, black or white, American or foreign, and so on. (Mos
Def, 1999)

In today’s commercial world, hip-hop has even gone so far as to represent

various companies and products. After an analysis of the roots of hip-hop and the
growing commercialization and globalization of the genre, it becomes evident
that Mos Def’s assessment is correct and hip-hop currently represents far more
than the black community.

The roots of hip-hop date back to the South Bronx in the 1970s, when the
construction of the Cross-Bronx expressway displaced many black and Hispanic
families while many whites fled the area. Renewal projects also caused massive
relocations of economically delicate blacks and Hispanics into the South Bronx.
(Rose, 30) These displaced citizens were left with “few city resources,

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fragmented leadership, and limited political power” and the South Bronx started
to become depicted as “drained of life, energy, and vitality.” (Rose, 33)

The youngest generation of these relocated families began frantically searching

for outlets to channel their creativity and aggression, and soon hip-hop emerged,
providing black youths with an identity and cultural support groups through
deejaying, rapping, break dancing, and graffiti production. (Rose, 33-34) Author
Tricia Rose suggests in her seminal masterpiece, Black Noise, that rap is deeply
rooted in “premodern oral traditions” while hip-hop itself follows in the footsteps
of previous black musical styles such as jazz, blues, and southern soul music.
(Rose, 21, 185) These genres of music all have historic roots in black culture and
society and were later commercialized and expanded to wider audiences, both
globally and ethnically: something that is currently happening to hip-hop.

Early rappers voiced their frustrations of a society in which urban blacks were
oppressed, powerless, vulnerable, and underrepresented. The first rappers
criticized institutions such as the police, the government, and media, as well as
the discrimination faced by blacks; the themes in these songs clearly
representative of the plight of blacks. (Rose, 106) Boogie Down Productions’
1989 song “Who Protects Us From You?” is a prime example of themes used in
early rap songs, commenting on the ills of police brutality and racism. (Rose,
106)

These early rap artists such as Grandmaster Flash and the Sugar hill Gang were
signed to small independent labels and those not a fan of the genre assumed rap
and hip-hop would be a passing fad. (Rose, 6) However, doubts of hip-hop’s
ability to become a viable commercial force were quelled in 1979 when the
Sugar hill Gang’s song “Rapper’s Delight” sold millions of copies and rose to the
top of the charts, establishing hip-hop as a true commercial force. (Rose, 6) The
economic triumph of “Rapper’s Delight” also gave evidence to the fact that
demographics of hip-hop consumers were growing to encompass more than just
urban blacks. Hoping to profit from the commercial success of hip-hop, the six
major record labels (CBS, Polygram, Warner, BMG, Capitol-EMI, and MCA) started
purchasing the independent labels, with the hope of reaping the benefits derived
from the toil of these smaller labels that originally brought hip-hop to
prominence. (Rose, 7)

After the major labels bought out the smaller independent companies, there was
a noticeable shift in the lyrical content of hip-hop. (Hurt, 2006) Whereas,
previously the lyrics focused on social, political, and cultural issues, the lyrics
now were becoming more hyper-violent and hyper-masculine, eventually coming
together as a new genre known as “Gangsta Rap” which rose in popularity and
sales while being heavily promoted by the major labels. (Hurt, 2006)

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Along with the major label’s growing interest in hip-hop, MTV’s decision to air
“Yo MTV Raps” in 1989 helped mark the emergent influence and
commercialization of rap. This moment is significant in hip-hop history, as prior
to this show, MTV had never devoted much airtime to hip-hop or black artists in
general, fearing its predominately white teen audience base would not be
receptive of the content. (Rose, 8) “Yo! MTV Raps” became highly successful and
confirmed that hip-hop could be especially “marketable to white suburban teens”
as well as the original black audience base. (Rose, 8)

The premiering of “Yo! MTV Raps” influenced a monumental shift in hip-hop

culture as now music videos became a major factor in hip-hop. By airing music
videos on MTV, hip-hop artists were able to gain visibility and expand the genre’s
audience base to an ever-growing white market. With the growing importance of
music videos, there was an “increased focus on how a singer looks rather than
how he or she sounds” and soon rappers and their music labels were crafting
images to go along with the musical content. (Rose, 9)

Prior to the success of hip-hop on MTV, the genre’s music videos frequently
“functioned as a snapshot in the lives of the artist,” and generally depicted the
rapper hanging out in his neighborhood (generally “black urban inner-city
locations”) with his or her “posse.” (Fitts, 221, Rose, 10) However, after the
commercialization of hip-hop, the major labels had more control of the creative
process and soon music videos became a “quasi-cinematic, sensationalized
illustration of the persona of the artist” in order to appear more marketable to
Top-40 demographics. (Rose, 13, Fitts, 221)

The generic, industrial standard of hip-hop videos of this modern era often
display rappers “ego-stroking” by making glorious displays of wealth and power.
(Fitts, 212) While watching a standard contemporary music video, one will often
see scantily clad women parading around the rapper’s mansion, entertaining the
rapper and his “posse.” One anonymous music video director has even stated
that it has gotten to the point where “it’s all about the hot girls” and the social
and political messages behind the lyrics have taken a back seat. (Fitts, 218)
Violence and hyper-masculinity were once again major themes present in the
videos produced by the major labels.

When given the choice to air a cutting edge music video or a generic one that
makes use of these violent and sexist elements, record labels will generally use
the latter for fear that the audiences would be unreceptive of deviations of
formulaic rap music video. (Fitts, 224) Hip-hop appears to have gone away from
the socially, culturally, and politically critical messages dealing with the plight
of generally voiceless blacks to an expression of wealth, power, and hyper-
masculinity. In an interview featured in Byron Hurt’s documentary Hip-Hop:
Beyond Beats and Rhymes, Mos Def commented on the presentation of rappers,
stating that in the current rap and hip-hop culture, rappers have to assert

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themselves physically to seem powerful and worthy of respect; even he, as a self
confessed bookworm, believes that rappers need people to know that they are
not weak or docile. (Hurt, 2006)

It might seem odd that rappers would portray such stereotypical and possibly
self-degrading image of themselves by continuing to write songs and make
videos laced with violent, sexist, egotistical, and hyper-masculine lyrics, visuals,
and overtones. However, as it turns out, rappers seems to have less of a choice
than one would think. In Hurt’s documentary, young rappers were seen rapping
about very violent and sexist topics with the aspirations of one day signing with
a major label and becoming famous.

When these young artists were asked why they rap about such deplorable topics
with arguably little social meaning, they responded that they would prefer to rap
about more “righteous” things as the first rappers had done. (Hurt, 2006) These
aspiring rappers insist that the reason for continuing producing “Gangsta Rap”
over music with more social and culturally meaningful lyrics is that they firmly
believe that the record industry only wants to see the image of tough black
males. Marko Fitts, the author of “Drop It Like It’s Hot” laments that hip-hop has
so abandoned the original social and political themes that the “historical mantra
of ‘keepin’ it real” is only a “fragile prospect.” (Fitts, 224) The images idealized
by the major record labels in modern day hip-hop might actually be a matter of
catering to consumers. Currently, whites consume 70% of hip-hop produced and
at this day and age it is more economically viable to advertise hip-hop more to
whites than to the black community that it originally derived from. (Hurt, 2006)
Whites have admitted to being attracted to the hyper violent and sexual themes
presented in many modern rap songs, thus contributing to the continuation of
these themes. In Hurt’s documentary, a group of young white suburbanites were
asked why rap and hip-hop are attractive, responding that by listening to rap,
they felt that they were experiencing a different culture; a culture rooted in
black American history. (Hurt, 2006)

Essentially, the argument is that white people believe that by listening to rap,
they are getting closer to blackness. (Condry, 644) However, this image of
blackness presented in current rap songs and videos is not very flattering and
falsely represents the black community in a laundry list of negative ways,
including being sexist, overly violent, egotistical, and so on. This phenomenon is
problematic as there is a danger that people may perceive blacks as the hyper-
violent and sexist people they see in videos. Like the major record labels, many
businesses and corporations have turned to utilize hip-hop to turn a profit. Hip-
hop has been used to advertise numerous corporations, organizations, and
causes, from McDonald’s to Coca Cola to NIKE to MTV to anti-drug campaigns,
and so on. (Rose, 17) Even hip-hop fashion has become very popular and chic,
spreading to “encompass a steady clientele of various racial (including white),
ethnic, and natural identities.” (Heath, 859) Hip-hop has gone from representing

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the voice of the black community to representing countless companies, brands,

products, fashion lines, and more.

Not only has hip-hop spread from being consumed solely by urban blacks to
being popular throughout the United States, but currently, hip-hop has been
“internationally recognized as a dominant commercial force.” (Kun, 580) In
Japan, as in the United States, many companies combine hip-hop’s “outlaw
stance” with “conspicuous, brand-name consumption” to successfully promote
the business, providing further evidence that hip-hop represents companies and
products and not just people. (Condry, 640)

It is fair to conclude that hip-hop has permeated Japanese society, establishing

a strong fan base, by the heavy use of hip-hop in Japanese marketing. However,
there are many fans and critics of hip-hop that suggest that foreigners cannot
truly understand hip-hop. (Condry, 644) These critics believe that hip-hop is so
strongly rooted in black American culture and history, that foreigners could
never grasp the social underlying themes present in the genre. These claims are
valid when considering that in other countries, such as Japan, “Blackness” and
hip-hop culture “became a fad to be consumed, without the obligation of learning
about or understanding Black people.” (Condry, 644)However this seems to be a
shallow perspective on other cultures. In Japan, for example, there are many
Japanese hip-hop artists and fans who do make the effort to learn about hip-hip
and how its history relates to black Americans. (Condry, 649) Additionally, many
Japanese rappers do in fact rap about societal ills from “hierarchies of class” as
well as youth and gender issues, using their lyrics to “highlight divisions within
Japanese society.” (Condry, 658,665) While these Japanese artists do not rap
about the same exact issues that black rappers have historically rapped about,
they still do bring attention to cultural, political, and societal ills; something that
is engrained in hip-hop’s history. By rapping about Japan’s societal problems,
hip-hop has come to represent a portion of the Japanese community, just as it
has come to represent the black community in the United States.

Hip-hop has ultimately lost its original meanings much in the way that jazz,
blues, gospel, and other types of historically black music have lost theirs
throughout the years from being heavily commercialized and expanded to
encompass a much wider fan-base. While hip-hop is no longer solely the voice of
the black community as it once was, it has grown, becoming the voice of a
variety of communities and peoples, as well as products and companies. Hip-hop
can now be found in places nobody would have expected years ago, from
television commercials and video games to public service announcements and
political campaigns. Yes, it is true that with the ever commercialization of hip-
hop, there has been an influx of music produced that is devoid of any social
meaning, however, there will always be artists that still believe in the art form as
an expression of social change.

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The transformation of hip-hop music from a generally urban and poor audience to
a global commercial force brings us closer to a world where “Me, you,
everybody” comprises hip-hop. (Mos Def, 1999) In this global market of hip-hop,
entirely new groups of people from a score of different backgrounds and cultures
can take advantage of the genre to voice their own problems with the
government, police oppression, marginalization, and numerous other societal
issues.

This spreading of hip-hop music can provide social groups and outlets for
underrepresented people in other countries that have not had any before. Hip-
hop has essentially opened its doors to accept a new group of consumers and
producers that span the entire globe. Ultimately, hip-hop is now open to
everyone; the four basic elements of rap, deejay, break dance, and graffiti are
available to a new global and commercial world. However, with the globalization
of hip-hop there is potential for the spreading of the “Gansta Rap” ideology of
black people as hyper-masculine and over-violent. While the music may no longer
be entirely as politically, socially, and culturally charged, the roots remain the
same and these roots can never be altered. When the history of hip-hop is
discussed, people will always be directed to the ingenuity of blacks in the South
Bronx during the late 1970s who started the movement; it is clear that the genre
is historically embedded in the black community and that cannot be denied.

Reflection One: Theme

Before embarking on my SBA journey, I knew that Hip-hop is used to express black
culture. The first piece selected is a poem titled ‘What happened to Hip-Hop’, by Alex Duffy.
This shown the lyrics became inferior whereas I am astounding as I perceive this poem that
reveals Hip- Hop on the verge of losing its meaning.

The second piece of artifact selected is a poem titled ‘A Hip-Hop Revolution’, by

Yamig29 . This focuses regarding how Hip-hop culture, among youths, promotes violence
because it’s ingrained in their nature to be gangsters.

The third piece of artifact selected is an article titled ‘Hip-Hop is for Everybody:
Examining the Roots and Growth of Hip-Hop’ written by Lucien J. Flores. This explains how
Hip-hop has drastically changed over the past years from gangster to sex. I am intrigued to learn
different races sang in this century and becoming more diverse in music.

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Reflection Two: Language

The first Poem that is used for my stimuli compares modern days Hip- Hop to old times
using the language African- American Vernacular English. The language is descriptive, creating
imagery and an emotional tone. Techniques such as repetition and enjambment enhance the flow
and rhythm of the poem, inviting reflection.

The second stimuli which is a poem creates an overview of the history of Hip-hop
through the use of metaphors, similes, and colloquial language, as demonstrated in the line, “My
fascination with Hip-hop has let me see authenticity Like wu tang.” Factual information and the
poet’s personal experience are discussed in this poetry.

The last stimuli is an article that utilizes various figurative devices, such as metaphors
and similes, to create vivid imagery. The author also incorporates slang and vernacular language
to reflect Hip-hop culture. Historical facts, statistical data, and anecdotal evidence are used to
support arguments and engage readers.

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Reflection Three Process

After investigating and analyzing, I obtained knowledge on the topic, ‘Hip- Hop.’ As I delved
deeper into the research, I began to understand the power and significance of Hip-Hop beyond
just music. It serves as an outlet for social opinion, self-expression and, cultural identity. This
allows me to express myself and connect with others that share similar interests. Hip-Hop has
transcended boundaries, influencing societies worldwide and giving a voice to underrepresented
people. The investigation has broadened my perspective on the transformative nature of music
and the role it plays in shaping our society.

I will begin listening to the old Hip-Hop songs to gain inspiration and motivation as a Caribbean
girl growing up in a black household. I am going to influence my peers that are passionate about
music, into bringing back the old days of Hip-Hop. I wish everyone had the knowledge of it
before they give negative remarks.

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Group Written Report

“Genres of Music” was the subject of our SBA group. Five subtopics were identified within this
main topic, and they were as follows: R&B, Afro Beats, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Gospel music.

Mrs. Richards began our SBA adventure, which has been carried on by Mrs. Allen-Jack.

At the outset of our journey, Mrs. Richards provided us with direction by outlining the

most crucial tasks we needed to accomplish for our SBA.

After careful analysis, we selected the three pieces that best exemplified our topic. They are an
article titled, “The Effects of Dancehall Genre on Adolescent Sexual and Violent Behavior in
Jamaica,” a poem titled, “Music of Africa” and a poem titled, “Hip-Hop Revolution.”

The article by Christina Allen was chosen because it describes several effects of music.

We learned that dancehall has an impact on youth’s lives that is both beneficial and

detrimental. The poem by Wayne Visser was selected because it elaborates on the virtues of

African music. The poem, A Hip-Hop Revolution, was selected because it provides more

information about the impact that Hip-Hop has on this generation.

Teamwork was a bit challenging as some of us were not being motivated enough. It took

some time for everyone to get along. We had our group meeting physically at school, at

lunch and break time, as well as via WhatsApp from 8pm to 9:30pm.

As youths we found that music plays a significant factor in our lives. As we conducted this

research, we gained a better understanding of how music can impact our lives. Mostly people

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are inspired by music to make decisions. It is also very therapeutic in nature and heals the mind.

Clearly, however, we need to be careful about what we listen and be mindful of the hidden
messages in music that may influence us negatively.

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Artifact 1

Article

Author: Alexay D. Crawford

Title: The Effects of Dancehall Genre on Adolescent Sexual and Violent Behavior in Jamaica

The effects of dancehall genre on adolescent sexual and

violent behaviour in Jamaica: A public health concern
Alexay D. Crawford

Background:

Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between the loud
‘hard-core’ music played on public transportation and the proliferation of
sexual activities on these said transportations.

Aim:

To determine the extent to which dancehall music/genre impacts

adolescent behavior.

Materials and Method:

The study is informed by quantitative and qualitative data, which were

collected during the period February–May 2008. Convenience and
judgmental sampling were used to target 100 subjects.

Results:

Of the 100 adolescent cases (50 male, 50 female), females (40%) were
more likely to gravitate to sexually explicit lyrical content than their male
counterparts (26%). Females (74%) were also more likely to act upon
lyrical contents than males (46%). There was no significant difference

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where males (100%) and females (98%) subconsciously sings the

dancehall lyrics even without hearing it; as well as inspire their dreams
64% and 62% respectively. However, more females (74%) than males
(46%) acted on lyrical contents of the dancehall genre.

Conclusion:

There is a correlation between hard-core dancehall genre and the sexual

and violent behavior of adolescents.

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Artifact 2

Poem

Author: Wayne Visser

Title: Music of Africa

Music is the heartbeat of Africa

And as we drum
So we are drummed
By the pulse of Africa

We celebrate
As we stamp our feet
We celebrate
As we join the beat
The beat for Africa

Music is the harmony of Africa

And as we sing
So we are sung
By the melody of Africa

We celebrate
As we sing our song
We celebrate
As we hum along
We hum for Africa

Music is the glue of Africa

And as we bind
So we are bound
By the unity of Africa

We celebrate
As we join our hands
We celebrate
As we link our lands
We link for Africa

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Music is the movement of Africa

And as we move
So we are moved
By the life of Africa

We celebrate
As we band for Africa
We celebrate
As we stand for Africa
We stand for Africa

Wayne Visser © 2017

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Group Report Artefact 3 – poem

Title: Hip Hop Revolution
Poet: Yamig29
Competition in this generation marks the determination of
H.I.P.H.O.P
We will be those who carry insanity
Our craniums are crosswords of metaphors except the answers sometimes don’t match up with the numbers
Our minds are doors left open because we’ve recognized our power and decided to let wonders roam worlds
that might clash with others
We have de la soul that’s killin’ us softly coming from a gangster’s paradise
This paradise detrimental to the souls and the youth but you can’t break the cycle cause “yolo”
the ghetto remains in the bloods of the kings of the coast wars
This is spoken word the cousin of hip-hop
who seem to be distant from one another
but in reality, they are from the same mother
Of beats rhythms rhyme with rhyme and time and after time I’ve drowned in my own mind because they spit
about dimes and crime after crime they drown in their grime
Turntables now run backwards, mix tapes record, record amounts of reckless senseless notions that have made
it lose its power
Brooklyn seems to be going through series of identity complexes
Its DNA thread of hip-hop is long forgotten
Hip-hop encodes genetic instruction used to develop living organisms
Because hip hop is biology, it is also philosophy
My fascination with hip-hop has let me see authenticity
Like wu tang this stuff is forever a
prism of messages compressed into minimal space
it should elevate consciousness
Hip hop is forever hip hop is in the past and right now I am ask how long does forever last

Oral Presentation Outline

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Pleasant Good day Mrs. Allen Jack and my classmates. My group chose the topic ‘Genres of
Music, ‘and my subtopic is Hip-Hop.

For my Oral presentation, I am doing a poem, titled, Hip-Hop and I will be using my vocabulary
skills to write my presentation where I acquire enough knowledge to share.

Hip-Hop helps us to express ourselves through various ways like dance, music, poems etc. My
expression is going to be in a poem where my main aim is to educate my peers on the true
meaning of Hip-Hop.

To gather my information for my poem, I use previous knowledge and research on the internet
especially Google into writing my presentation. I was also inspired by Hip-Hop music to write
the oral presentation. These sources also help my vocabulary skills to be enhanced.

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Oral Presentation
Poem
Hip-Hop

What is hip hop? Who created hip hop? Why is it popular?

These questions got me thinking.
In the rhythmic poetry and musical beats,
The sound of Hip-Hop music never retreats.
Born from the urban streets and city’s life,
It’s a culture that reflects societal strife.
Its message penetrating,
Its rhymes so lively,
Hip-Hop grew in popularity so widely.
From the bodegas of Bronx to the thumping clubs across the land,
The beat of Hip-Hop echoes and rocks as it speaks with a bold command
In the streets of New York City,
Where the Bronx saw youths in pain,
A culture was born in gritty Neighborhoods where hope was slain.
The street poets weave a tale of life that’s gritty yet true,
Their rhymes sonic cocktail of defiance, hope, and breakthrough.
It started with DJ’s choice to cut and blend the vinyl’s sound,
To loop and sample with a voice
To which the people would come around.
From the sidewalk to the concert throng,
It speaks of love, anger, injustice, and pain,
But it uplifts, inspires, and entertains.
An art form that blends so many styles,
It’s influence felt for so many miles.
Spoken word, flow and rhyme are the essence,
Connecting people across cultural differences.
A new kind of movement began.

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With raps that spoke with strife and truth,

A fusion of sound, dance and clan
That traversed the city’s every booth.
From breakdancing to graffiti to fashion with a slant of wit,
Hip-Hop emerged as a freeway for the youth to find their grit.
It spoke of life in the inner city, of struggle and strife,
Of disenfranchisement and inequality, a music born out of life.
Through the decades, Hip-Hop evolved from the underground to the mainstream,
From the parks to the clubs, it resolved to be a voice for those without a name.
It’s about putting dreams into action,
About carving a path for oneself,
About breaking down walls and distractions
And standing tall alongside oneself.
It’s the beat that moves the soul the rhymes that speak the truth,
It’s about finding one’s own role in a world that often undercoat.
Hip-Hop is a window to culture of young and urban sound,
A storytelling that’s always pure even when it’s lost its ground.
For poetry and Hip-Hop share, a love of words and verses’ rhyme,
A passion to rise above despair and to dance and sing through time.
Let us honor the Hip-Hop legacy for all it has given us and to come,
For the voices of past generations and future ones that are yet to hum.
It is very sad to see that the main purpose of hip hop is being forgotten.
Rappers like Cardi B, Nicki Minaj rap about sex and their body.
Rappers like Dababy raps about guns and violence.
There is one or two rappers that rap about the purpose of hip hop but it is not that big as
the unseeing ones.
Hip hop has taken an enormous change. It is not being an advantage anymore.
This music is affecting the younger generation because the content keeps getting worse.

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Bibliography

Duffy Alex: (2018) What Happened to Hip-Hop.

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/what_happened_to_hip-hop_1070486

Unknown Publisher: (10/04/2013) A Hip-Hop Revolution.

https ://powerpoetry.org/poems/hip-hop-revolution

J. Flores Lucien: (2012) Hip-Hop is for Everybody: Examining the Roots and Growth of Hip-Hop.

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1686/hip-hop-is-for-everybody-examining-the-roots-
and-growth-of-hip-hop

Visser Wayne: (April 18, 2017) Music of Africa.

https://www.waynevisser.com/poetry/music-of-africa

D. Crawford Alexay: (March, 2010) The Effects of Dancehall Genre on Adolescent Sexual and
Violent Behavior in Jamaica.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354427/

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