Wednesday, September 24, 2008

 

Post your essay here, but if you already posted it at the assignment, you weren't wrong

The late class' essay is due Monday, Sept. 29 for a peer review. Bring in a typed copy, plus questions you'd like considered as someone reads your essay. Also, make sure you have an outline and a bibliography and works cited for your print and other sources. If you need help, you can look in Hacker and/or bring the reference in. We'll do it together.

The Dyson/Hurt interview is just another source to consider. The essay should be minimally 3 pages (750 words), but if you go over a bit, that's okay. It's also okay is it's under a few words (50 or so).

A tutor I recommend you ask for in the Tutoring Center is Rudy Gonzales. He is there, inquire at the counter, T-Thursday. Tuesdays: 9-10 and 11-1. Wednesdays, 9-11, and Fridays 9-10. You can get one-on-one assistance. He is a former student of mine who is a fabulous writer and thinker. He got an A in my English 1A class and you can read his writing at my Professor Wanda's Posse blog, which is linked to this one.

He is also an actor and writer.

Is anyone going to La Pena tomorrow evening with me?

Comments:
Dion Cade
English 201B
8:00 to 8:50

Male privilege

Males: one of Gods first creations. Why do they think they are so dominant? Is it because God made them first? No matter where a person goes, there will always be a patriarchal society around them whether they notice it or not. Society has grown a lot more patriarchal because of hip hop. More men try to act tough to get respect from other people including the ones that they do not know. Byron Hurt, a film maker and an anti-sexist, has seen enough music videos and listens to enough of the music to know that there is way too much violence with men always being the cause and the fact that women are always scantily clad and being disrespected in these videos. One video with Nelly portrayed that women can be even be bought and sold. The impact of hip hop on society is huge and it affects everyone. Much of the music that comes out is filled with nothing but violence in which rappers talk about nothing but shooting and stabbing someone and having sex with some woman. Many people hear this and figure this is what everyone wants to hear and what everyone pays for. So they are influenced to do the same thing. There are many stereotypes that go along with being a man and hip hop helps portray them, which affects a lot of young men whether it makes them want to go along with it or speak out against it.
The people that go with today’s hip hop music are the ones who like all of the violence and apply it to there own music which expands that particular style, or people who just like to listen to it. The rappers that apply this to there music just keep everything the same. The same subjects are rapped about with no originality or uniqueness. Rap music has shown just how dominant men think they are. In a lot of the songs, they reference women as being “bitches” “hoes” or “sluts” and saying that they would do anything with them. Soulja Boy has a song called “Pimp Slap Dat Hoe” in which he says: “Pimp slap dat hoe man, show her what you know man, give her what she need man rite side her face man.” Many rappers say they treat them like animals, saying that they just have sex with them than just move on to the next. This is what many people like to listen to unfortunately and this does sell. A lot of people relate to some of the things that these rappers say especially if they are from the ghetto. Rappers threatening people makes them tough and some of them will not do what they say they will do which relates into more threats coming from other rappers. This is called beef when one rapper has a problem with another and they constantly disrespect each other on their songs. Sometimes a beef can be fatal like Tupac’s and Biggy’s and other times it can be just name calling until finally the situation is solved like Nas and Jay-Z’s beef.
The people that go against today’s hip hop music are the ones that are looking for justice and change to make society better, especially in the black community. They are tired of hearing the same lyrics expressed in different ways about killing people and violence in general. These are people who, if they are artists, like to express the positive subjects in hip hop and put more originality in the music to make it better and full of variety. They want to send positive messages in people’s ears and tell them to stop the violence and convince and influence people to be more like them instead of the artists that promote violence. In Boogie Down Productions song called “Stop the Violence” he says:
We gotta put our heads together, and stop the violence
Cause real bad boys move in silence
When you’re in a club, you come to chill out
Not watch someone’s blood just spill out

Many kids listen to violent music and they hear all of the violence and profanity and start thinking that all of these things are ok so if they do not have someone to tell them that these things are wrong. They end up growing up off of the concepts that they listen to and applying them to there life. People who are against today’s hip hop want society to know that all of this violence is reaching their kids and there must be something that needs to be done.
Hip hop shows the different stereotypes about men and how people portray men and it affects everyone in different ways. Many people have come to believe that what is said on a rappers song can not always be true. Rappers may say that they have done one thing or another but no one can say for sure that they have or haven’t done these things unless they were always with them. Rich men and football players always show how tough they are and one reason why they may act like that is because of the hip hop music that they have heard. An article from pbs.org/independentlens/hiphop said: “Such violence has become so pervasive-not just in popular cultures such as music, movies, and videogames, but also in military and sports-that many Americans have become desensitized to it, supporting violent culture through consumerism, even unwittingly”
The sense of being strong and disrespecting anyone around a person is always going through the male mind in today’s society because hip hop is heard and thought of even though one person or more may not want to even listen to hip hop. It is always played in someone’s car or at parties so the affect is great. But what some people are trying to do is neutralize that effect and erase the stereotypes because not all men act violent and want to diminish the stereotypes for there lives.
 
Andrew Nguyen
English 201A
8-8:50

Dominance and Survival

Byron Hurt's innovating documentary, "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" explores through Hip Hop culture and its connections through many issues. From the music he grew up with, Hurt connects topics such as sexism, homophobia, violence, and masculinity, with the music itself. He goes through many locations and interviews many people, ranging from famous artists and authors, to inspired rookies of the culture. With his interviews, Hurt gains knowledge of the topic in the music itself. One of Hip Hop’s issues that Hurt examines in his documentary, violence, as it displays Hip Hop’s perspective of it as a necessity of surviving and being strong.

Majority of Hip Hop music relies on the same topics: girls, money, shooting someone, and having a prized gun. Artists rap about the only way to survive and make oneself noticeable is by owning weapons, win fights, and kill anyone who is an opposition. According to Byron Hurt, “America is a very hyper masculine and hyper aggressive nation.” Audiences and listeners look up to artists who create these types of music and will believe that violence is the answer. Mainstream artists rarely rap about political or social issues like Kiwi Illafonte of Native Guns, a Hip Hop group formed from Los Angeles and San Francisco. This group creates music revolving around political and social issues, such as sweatshops, the War in Iraq, racism, and more. Kiwi‘s song, Imagine, is about wanting to stand up and actually act for something you believe in:

“Sometimes I ask myself why should I even fight for? Like what’s the point if this country already likes war? I write more to kind of get myself through the process, thinking of the fate of humankind as the world watches. Is it me or are we just losing our conscious? Are we just scared or does everybody really want this?”

Instead of Hip Hop music that inspires people in a positive way, people mostly hear music that inspires in a negative way. During Hurt’s documentary interviews rookie , artists who rap the same subjects: guns, shooting, and guns. Those artists explains that they are able to create the type of music like Kiwi does, but nobody wants to listen to it. Instead, they rap what sells, using concepts from the military and movies. As the violent music continues, listeners continue to be influenced, leading to deaths of people

Hurt’s documentary “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” displays what people think and believe in through Hip Hop music. If mainstream music continue on, there will be numerous of consequences to pay. Because Hip Hop culture is highly influential, people do follow its ways and believe that the music is truth. Hurt's documentary shows the issues the music includes in its songs and uses them to sell and sell. While artists gain money and fame, some or most areas are suffering. Is the price of life worth the gain of manhood, money, and fame?
 
Outline


Thesis
- In Byron Hurt’s film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and rhymes some hip hop and most rap artist in society today are faced with insecurity dealing with masculinity and toughness issues.


Major Points
- New era hip hop or other known as rap there are many artist that portray thugs just to prove their masculine side.

Evidence- These rappers in the hip hop game today rap lyrically about nothing that goes on in their lives. The rap about what the around wants to hear. They go to the studios and rap about guns violence and actually they are good business men. These rappers are insecure of their masculinity in my opinion that is the reason why the rap way they do.

Evidence- Most rappers to be considered a thug you must be from the hood. In society our black men mainly have been brainwashed to think you must be from the hood or the ghetto so that makes you hard or a thug. In my opinion none of these young men are not thugs, it was our ancestors were the ones that was “hard”. So being from the hood doesn’t make you tough your mind is what makes you tough.


Concluding Sentence- There is a lot of perpetrating in hip hop now and days but hip hop is also faced with these insecure males and sexism.


Major Point 2
Sexism is one of the main masculinity issues in hip hop because sex sells and women are a mans best friend.


Evidence - Music videos have women in them half naked women being called bitches and hoes. Society calls this behavior pimping and all men and rappers loved to be looked at as “Video Hoes”and these women don’t mind as long as they are getting paid.

Evidence- The media in hip hop just add the lying on the cake in the interviews etc...all play a role with rappers masculinity. The reason why is because the media just add the extra flavor to the hip hop artist life and they do their work to grab their audiences attention and it works.


Concluding sentence- All men have a responsibility to society claims to have a strong manhood.

Major Point 3
Manhood in our hip hop society is defined as your masculine image and your authority as a man.

Evidence- the rappers image is basically the jailbird look. The tattoos sagging pants no shirts is what most rappers look like to prove their masculinity. Most also have gold teeth and that when the portraying of a thug comes in.
Evidence- men want a authority over everything just about even women. To disinagrate women is the way or another way to show your masculinity.Rappers call women Bitches and hoes and all types of bad names ans society accepts it.


Concluding Sentence- throughout the hip hop culture today rappers in my opinion will never bring hip hop back alive.

Planning Sheet


1. What is the subject of your paper? Masculinity in hip hop

2. Why do you want to write about this subject ? Is your purpose to explain , explore , evaluate , describe a problem and purpose a solution, or argue a point. I wanted to write about this because I have a big issue with masculinity in hip hop. My purpose is to argue a point.

3. What audience will you write for? ( your audience determines the language and information you need from your sources . In this essay , you are a primary source.) My audience is too rap artist mainly

4.what question do you want your essay to answer? Is masculinity a big issue in Hip hop?


5. What Is the main writting strategy you think you will use? Description , process or casual analysis, compare/ contrast problem/solution , classification. I mentioned that all discourage is argument, or persuasive? The main writing strategy is argument.

Julian Pete

English201A

Ms. Sabir
The Lyrics of Rapper’s Lives

In Byron Hurt’s film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, some hip hop and most rap artist in society today are faced with insecurity dealing with masculinity and toughness issues. There are three major issues that I feel these hip hop artist are faced with and they are, portraying to be thugs, sexism, and insecurity with their manhood. Although rap artist have money and millions of dollars masculinity is holding them back from making billions. The more you stay humble in hip hop today in my opinion the more money you make.
New era Hip hop or other known as rap there are many artist that portray thugs just to prove their masculine side . These rappers in the hip hop game today rap lyrically about nothing that goes on in their lives. They rap about what the crowd wants to hear. They go to the studio and rap about guns and violence and actually most of them are good business men. These rappers are insecure of their masculinity in my opinion that’s the reason why they rap the way they do. Most of rappers to be considered a thug, you must be from the hood. In society our black men mainly have been brainwashed to think you must be from the hood or the ghetto so that makes you hard or a thug. In my opinion none these young men are thugs it was our ancestors who were the ones who were “hard”. So being from the hood does not make you tough your mind is what makes you tough because , “ a mind is a terrible thing to waste” (Martin Luther King Jr.). There is a lot of perpetrating in hip hop now and days but hip hop is also faced with these insecure males and sexism.
Sexism is one if the main issues in hip hop because sex sells and women are a man’s best friend. Music videos have women in them half naked being called bitches and hoes. Society calls this behavior pimping and all men and rappers loved to be looked at as a “Mac” or a “Player”. These women in the videos are known as “Video hoes” and these women don’t mind as long as they are getting paid. The media in hip hop just ad the icing on the cake in the hip hop culture . The magazines , interview etc. all play a role with rappers masculinity. The reason why is because the media just ad the extra flavor to the hip hop artist life and they are getting paid to do it. They do their work to grab their audience’s attention and it works. All men have a responsibility to society claims to have a strong manhood.
Manhood in our hip hop society is defined as your masculine image and your authority as a man. The rappers image is basically the jailbird look. The tattoos, pants hanging low, and no shirt is what most rappers look like to prove their masculinity. Most also have gold teeth and that’s when the portraying of a thug comes in. Men want authority over everything just about even women. To disrespect women is the way or another way to show your masculinity. Rappers call women bitches and hoes and all types of bad things and society accepts it. Throughout the hip hop culture today rapper’s in my opinion will never bring hip hop back alive.
In Byron Hurt’s film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes some hip hop and most rap artist in society today are faced with insecurity dealing with masculinity and toughness issues. Thug mentality , sex, and insecure manhood is the lifestyles these hip hip/rap artist live today. “Nas” a rap artist that has been in the game for a while now once stated “ Hip hop is Dead” and in my opinion, rappers that have big masculinity issues in hip hop it will remain dead.
 
Nina Wooten
Eng.201B
8-8:50 a.m.
Misogyny in Hip-Hop

Thesis:More commonly seen in music videos, than heard in lyrics before, the hip-hop culture has created an image of women that is degrading and objectifies their bodies.

Major point 1: Hip-hop culture is frequently condemned for the misogynistic exploitation of women, but this misogyny has its roots in the culture in which we live

Major point 2: music videos specifically promote negative images of African American women.

Major point 3: Misogynistic hip-hop does not only expose black men’s pain, but it also shows the issues that black women deal with.


More commonly seen in music videos, than heard in lyrics before, the hip-hop culture has created an image of women that is degrading and objectifies their bodies. The music that defines youth also fuels heated debates. Hip-hop culture is frequently condemned for the misogynistic exploitation of women, but this misogyny has its roots in the culture in which we live. For most young people who don’t hold sexist ideas are however easily influenced by mainstream hip-hop, which spreads and continues to gain popularity. The exploitation of women in hip-hop culture has become an accepted part of both the artist and the audience.
Many if not most music videos specifically promote negative images of all women, but more so African American women. These women in particular are seen in popular hip-hop culture as sex objects. Women are half clothed, mostly in bikinis while cameras focus on their revealing body parts. The visuals are accompanied by explicit lyrics that artist produce, which contain name calling such as: whore, bitch, slut, tramp, which many women would agree is degrading. For example, a rap artist by the name of Webbie released a song on his latest album titled “Come Here Bitch.” Many of these lyrics suggest that women are worthless and beneath men. Artists describe women only being good for sexual favors, which may imply the artist is a pimp. Men glorify the life of a pimp in their lyrics.
Misogynistic hip-hop does not only expose black men’s pain, but it also shows the issues that black women deal with. Most of the sexual exploitation in hip-hop is done with the consent and collaboration of women. Women have less access to power and material wealth and so they us sex as the “bartering chip” to gain access. These women start to know themselves as what society views them. Some accept that they have no control over their own bodies. “In a study done about black male/female relationships of this hip-hop generation, many black men in hip-hop culture who were interviewed valued economic resources an used these resources as a way to manipulate and control women.” Most women in these music videos define their own worth on what they can do and get from these men.
One of hip-hops most controversial, explicit, misogynistic videos comes from a famous rap artist by the name of Nelly and his group the St.Lunatics, called “Tip Drill.” The video is filmed in a mansion with men and women packed in every level. Women are clothed in bikinis or less. However, the men are clothed from head to toe. These women are dancing and stripping on poker tables and the men are gambling for the women. Other women are in tubs and hot tubs of the house, while men are caressing and touching their bodies in a sexual manner. In one particular scene two women are dancing and one man, a member of the St. Lunatics slides a credit card down the back side of a women as if he was making a purchase at a store.
Hip-hop has definitely taken a toll on society, which leads our males into thinking these actions are appropriate and tolerable. Majority of the rap artist are being admired and considered role models. As a result of mainstream hip-hop exhibiting these kinds of behaviors to the next generation, we have no hope but to expect these actions as the upcoming lifestyle. In order for this not to occur we need strong women to step up to the plate and fight these issues, but as long as “we” as women allow hip-hop to disrespect, degrade, and discriminate against us and our bodies we will forever continue to be stepped on until we decided enough is enough.
 
Joshua Brown-James
English 201A
1-2:50pm
Professor Sabir


Initial planning sheet

What is the subject of your paper? The subject of my essay is about the violence in Hip Hop

Why do you want to write about this subject? I choose to write about this subject because I feel that Hip Hop should put an end to all types of violence that they promote.

What audience will you write for? This is a scholarly audience

What questions do you want your research to answer? The questions I want my research to answer is, is Hip Hop the root cause to violence in today’s society?

What is the main strategy you think you will use? The writing strategy I think I will use is problem/solution.

Outline

Thesis: Hip Hop has a great impact in today’s society and promotes all types of violence.

Body paragraphs: Violence against one another, violence against women, and how can we change how Hip Hop promotes violence.





Hip Hop’s Effects

Hip Hop has a great impact in today’s society and promotes all types of violence. Violence is an intense destructive action or force. They lyrics and actions of most hip hop artist show violence towards one another and violence towards women. Some people argue that hip hop is the root or fuel of violence in our world today. Hip Hop needs to make a major change on how the culture presents itself because many younger people grow influenced by the culture and decide to do the same things they have seen and heard and if this continues nothing will ever change.
Director of the short film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes Byron Hurts say’s that Hip Hop promotes violence. In his film he went around to many communities asking young aspiring rap artist to spit lyrics for him, when they did the first and only things that came out of their mouths were violent lyrics toward others saying how they will rob, shot, or kill someone else. All artist asked to rap basically had the same violent lyrics about guns and other harmful things. Michael Eric Dyson responded to a question asked by Byron Hurt saying “So the gun becomes the outlet for the aggression and the rage that young black and brown men feel.” This was shocking to me because black and brown men shouldn’t be taking out their aggression on one another but should be trying to succeed in life. When they were interviewed asking why they only rap about violent things and not positive things they replied saying that no one wants to hear the positive things they have to say, all people care about are violent things. This was a shocking answer that these artist gave because if that’s what all people want to hear about why are there so many people that constantly protest artist because of there violent lyrics. This has been a problem in hip hop for many years but it doesn’t seem like things will ever change.
Tens years later after artist Tupac Shakur came out with the song “Keep Ya Head Up”, which was about how we are violent and disrespectful to our women, Tupac wanted an end to this but women are still being disrespected by hip hop today. “And since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman and game from a woman, I wonder why we take from our women, why we rape our women, do we hate our women?” This was one of the many powerful verses in the Tupac song that made our mean think twice about disrespecting our women. Byron Hurt talks about how hip hop promotes sexism and violence towards women. In the film he showed many rap artist video’s in which most of them they exploited women and disrespected women in many ways. The lyrics that they had in their songs about women showed that they meant nothing and they were only good for having sex with. An artist named Nelly was shown in the film in one of his video’s called “Tip Drill” sliding a credit card down one of the video vixen’s backside. This shows that he believes the girl is just a hoe and is just used for pleasure to a man. The way these rap artists treat these women are hurtful to them and it seems as if they hate women.
When many of these artists were interviewed they said they believe opposite of what they put in their videos and songs. They say that they rap about violence because that’s how they were brought up and that’s all they saw. If they saw this type of behavior when they were growing up and know how harmful violence can be and how hurtful words can be why would they want the next generation which is most of their children to grow up learning and seeing the same things they witnessed. Many of the artist said that they have a hundred percent respect for women and they don’t mean anything by their lyrics. This is hard to believe because if they don’t mean the things they say why do they even put them on their tracks. The violence towards women in hip hop needs to stop but it seems artist don’t care about respecting women and how hurtful they can be it’s just all about the money for them.
Hip Hop is a culture that many people admire and has a great influence on people and how they view certain topics. If hip hop has a violent attitude towards one another and women, then people who pay close attention to hip hop will also have violent attitudes. Hip Hop has been view by many for decades, but I don’t believe that it is the root cause of violence, other things such as movies and games also promote violence and most advertisements exploit women and treat them improperly in order to sale items. Violence is seen everywhere in across the world and not just one specific thing is the cause of violence, but certain people and things fuel violence and this needs to change before it gets out of hand.
 
Treana Penn
English 201A
1:00-2:50

Planning Sheet

1) The subject of my paper is about the masculinity inside of Hip Hop.

2) The primarily purpose for my paper is to explore the issues and evaluate it.

3) This essay will be written for a scholarly audience.

4) I want to answer, should masculinity be the main concern of Hip Hop’s bad influences?

5) I plan to evaluate and describe the roots of masculinity and the way it grew into Hip Hop.
 
Dung Nguyen
English 201A
8.00-8.50


Thesis:Hip hop music today has gotten the violence from the society it's in as well as the people listen to it.

evidence:

The United States itselfsupports violence where Hollywood movies and video games are mostly about shooting and killing so people affected from that culture


evidence 2:
As people became more intensify to the violence around them, gangster rap lyrics reflecting the proliferation of guns, gangs and prison culture



1. What is the subject of your paper? Masculinity in hip hop

2. Why do you want to write about this subject? i want to write about this subject because i want to show to all the hip hop's fans what has influence hip hop music to have so many violence lyrics and images.

3. What audience will you write for? my audience will be hip hop's fans as well as the artist.

4.what question do you want your essay to answer? Influenced of the society to hip hop music today

5. What Is the main writting strategy you think you will use? i think i will use classification.



In the documentary “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” by Byron Hurt, the director shows us the influence of hip hop music to their fans. From music that he grew up with and in love with, Hurt began to hate what he's seen and what he's heard from the new generation of hip hop music. Hurt tackles issues of masculinity, sexism, violence and homophobia in today's hip-hop culture. Hurt questioning himself why hip hop music has lost the real meaning of it when it first time settled down on the street of the South Bronx. Almost in any hip hop music video today you can find rapper rap about violence and guns. Violence has become the main subject or actually it has become the topic for every rapper nowadays. When Hurt interviewed many young rappers at Bet’s annual Spring Bling about why do they only rap about guns and killing each other but not about other topic, their respond is that no one will ever listen. Is it what hip hop has become? From the music to get the crowd hype and entertain into something that violence and hyper masculinity. Today Hip hop music has gotten the violence from the society it's in as well as the people listen to it.
In Byron Hurt’s documentary, "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes", his journey is to find an answer around the question: what has made hip hop music has a strong hyper-masculine and violence behind each of those album. Even though there are hip hop artist who rap about violence and killing another man but there are also some that rap about life and the struggle they go through such as Tupac Shakur. But hip hop has such a strong influenced already about the violence contain in it that not many people will notice the other side of it.

Hip-hop culture itself was born out of the devastated South Bronx ghettoes, where thousands of residents, mostly poor and black or Latino lives in an abandoned community by the city. The early rappers rap about what were really happening in the community. As people became more intensify to the violence around them, gangster rap lyrics reflecting the proliferation of guns, gangs and prison culture. Hip Hop: Beyond beats and Rhymes" explains that environments, such as the South Bronx which had gave glorious rise to Hip Hop and also had shaped the hip hop culture today.The United States itself also supports violence where Hollywood movies and video games are mostly about shooting and killing so people affected from that culture.Such violence is also in military culture and sports that many Americans have been supporting it. When you think about American society today, violent is one of the forms to identify it. From school violent to street violent they all have the same meaning is to show that violent is the only way to solve the problems in this society.

As hip hop culture has becoming one of the factors to identify American society so does people who listen and supporting it. The violence images in every hip hop video has become a stereotype reflect the whole society in many outsider’s eyes. It is time for those ideas to change. We need to recognize the negatives images to remove them, and bring back the positive images of hip hop culture.
 
Stephanie Yu
English 201A
MW 1-2:50

homophobia

1. What is the subject of your paper?
homophobia and hip hop

2. Why do you want to write about this subject?
Most people play hip hop, they dislike homosexual people.

3. What audience will you write for?
My audience are the people who never like homosexual people.

4. What question do you want your research paper to answer?
What is homophobia?
what is the relation between hip hop and homophobia?
why hip hop players have homophobia?

5. What is main writing strategy you think you will use?
argument

outline
Thesis: a lot of hip hop players have homophobia, and they hate the homosexual people, they should not have homophobia.
Main point 1: homosexual people like hip hop, so the hip hop players feel scary.
Main Point 2: hip hop players are strong, sexy , and they always shouw their big muscle. No matter homosexual or not, people like hip hop.
Main point 3: some hip hop palyers are homosexual also, and hip hop is not homosexual representation.


Now, hip hop culture is cover the world, and there are a lot of people love hip hop. Hip hop culture become more and more popular. But the hip hop players feels uncomfortable, because they have homophobia. People who play hip hop know that the homosexual people love them very much, thus, they hate the homosexual, they don't want the love from homosexual people. And also, some people they don't know hip hop very much, but they know many homosexual people love hip hop, so they misunderstand that hip hop is homosexual and only homosexual people play hip hop. This reason makes hip hop players hate homosexual people a lot. But they should not have homophobia for the reason of hip hop.
Homosexual people love hip hop, and they may want to marry a hip hop guy, just like many girls want to marry their favorite singer. The hip hop players feel proud if many girls love them, but they feel scary if many homosexual guys love them. Even though some of them don't hate homosexual people, and they can accept homosexuality, but they can not accept that the homosexual people love them. If a gay guy love a straight man, then that man will think the gay guy as terrible as a devil. That is why people play hip hop have homophobia.
The image of hip hop players give people is, sexy, strong, big muscle. And the homosexual people may like this kind of men, that's why so many homosexual people love hip hop. But for this reason, not only homosexual people, every body who loves sexy men then they like hip hop.So the fans of hip hop are many different kinds of people. The homosexual people are equal to other people, that they may have the same habit with others.
some hip hop players are homosexual too. Base on the homosexual people love hip hop culture, and they become hip hop players, other people may say hip hop is homosexuality, and homosexuality is hip hop. Some straight hip hop players don't like that, they hate this speech and the speech makes them be fear aobut the homosexual people. And other people think they are homosexual music, they prejudice the hip hop players and hip hop music.
Those reasons make the hip hop players have homophobia. And they never want the homosexual people love their music. The important thing is, people don't mind homosexual people, and they are the same with others. Then there will never have homophobia in hip hop. So, hip hop players should not have homophobia, because every kind music, there must have some homosexual fans, not only for hip hop.
 
Renee Dumaguit
Eng 201B
1-2:50pm

Initil Planning Sheet:
What is the subject of your paper? Masculinity in hip hop/society.

Why do you want to write about this subject? I want to investigate if masculinity in hip hop adds to violence.

What audience will you write for? I'm writing for teenagers in high school to realize how some lyrics in music, videos, movies, etc. can lead to a violent society.

What question do you want your research paper to answer? Does masculinity add to violence around the world?

What is the main writing strategy you think you will use? I intend to express the lyrics in some songs/movies that leads young peoples towards violence.


Outline:
Thesis - Masculinity plays a big role in society, not only in hip hop.

Body Paragraphs - Masculinity isn't only exposed in music. Violence is a cause of masculinity. Masculinity causes men to feel dominate. Masculinity is a part of society.


Essay:

Masculinity in Society

In the movie, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes directed by Byron Hurt, he exposes another side to hip hop music and culture that people don‘t realize. He shows this by expressing the relations between rap music videos to another. Even though Hurt loves hip hop, he realizes how rap music videos are the same. For example, men are flashing money at the cameras, riding around in expensive cars, and having women dancing in the background. This exploits that “manhood” plays a dominate role in hip hop life. “Manhood” is being tough, dominate, pimp, or a thug. People don’t realize that masculinity is an issue in the world today. It is not only in the music we enjoy to love, but it’s part of our every day lives. Therefore, masculinity plays a big role in society, not only in hip hop.
First of all, masculinity isn’t only exposed in music. In many movies, men are shown as physically fit and powerful. For example, in the movie Belly 2, rapper artist, Game, plays a dominate role of the streets in Compton, CA. He was known as the biggest drug dealer in town before he got locked up. When he was released from prison, he revived his missing years by killing the top notch “candy man” on the block in order to survive. Belly 2 shows masculinity through out the movie by displaying images of males having to dominate other males in order to “become” more masculine.
Secondly, violence is a cause of masculinity. Many people view hip hop music as violent music, yet they don’t realize that violence is around the world. Men think they should be more powerful than women and other men in every way possible. They enjoy the feeling of being dominate and being recognized as masculine. For example, in the movie, Redemption, former gang member, Tookie Williams, deals with the consequences of the violent choices he made to prove his masculinity in the “gangster life”. He was involved in the Crip gang. The action that took place was that he was willing to prove his loyalty and manliness to his fellow gang members with any means necessary. He murdered several people to prove that he is capable of anything and that he is “hard”. The outcome of his actions were very brutal.
Thirdly, masculinity causes men to feel dominate over women. An example is, domestic violence. This plays a big role in society and many couples deal with this issue. If women do not listen to the men, then the men will take action. Men harm the women in any way possible to make them understand who is “boss” in the relationship. For instance, the movie, Next Friday, shows that Katt Williams plays the role of a pimp. He has a woman who works for him and attends to his needs. This female is known as his “bitch” or “ho” and obeys him. If not, there are c certain consequences that she will have to pay.
Masculinity is a part of society. Without masculinity, our nation would not be the hyper-masculine or aggressive country that it is today. It is very troublesome and causes chaos in different aspects in the world. Hip hop is not the only place that the masculinity issue occurs at, it’s all over the world. People have to realize that violence and the competition between men in our society leads them to a feeling of domination. In order to change the criteria of masculinity between others, we must make a change. If not, our world will be the same as it was yesterday and the years before. Nothing will conclude of this matter and we will continue to be a chaotic nation with many unsolved problems.

Cited Sources -
Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Dir. Byron Hurt. DVD, ITVS, 2006

Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club. Dir Ivan Frank. DVD, 2006

Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story. Dir. Vondie Curtis-Hall. DVD, 2006

Next Friday. Dir. Steve Carr. DVD, 2000
 
Francisco Marcial
English 201 A
MW 1-2:50pm


MASCULINITY IN THE HIP HOP CULTURE

Even though masculinity already exist in America, men in the hip hop culture believe that you have to be tough and strong to be a real men. Men also need to have a lot of girls and a lot of money. If they don’t have these things then they will be called names for example; weak, faggot, or a pussy. So most of the men try to portrayed themselves with these things so they don’t get called any of these names.
Men have always been trying to look tough and strong and the way that they show it is by always saying that they are not afraid of anything, like of dying, going to jail, and getting shot. They also show themselves strong by having weapons like guns. They think that if they have a lot of guns then they will have a lot of power and be strong. They think that people are going to be afraid of them, so they wont mess with them. Most hip hop/rap artist show themselves with guns for example 50 cent in his album “Guess Who’s Back”. 50 cent is in the front cover with a gun in his hand, which means that he follows these stereotypes.
The stereotype of being a real man is if you have a lot of women. If you have a lot of women and you are able to control them you are supposable a pimp or a player. Most hip hop/rap artist show themselves as pimps or player’s by having a lot of women half naked in the background of their music videos and by calling them hoe’s and bitches. For example some of the artist that do these kind of things are; Too short in the song “Blow the Whistle”, and Nelly in the video “Tip Drill”. Both of them show themselves with a lot of women in the background.
Finally having a lot of money is one of the stereotypes In the hip hop/rap culture of being a real man. Most of the artist like to show themselves in their music videos with a lot of money and they also like to throw money at the camera for example in the music video “Make It Rain” by Lil Wayne and Fat Joe, they are always throwing money all over the place. Also most artist like to come on their music videos with a lot of expensive and fancy cars, and they also like to show up with a lot of jewels. They think that by showing that they have a lot of money, and everything they want; then it must mean that they are a real man.
Masculinity has always been in the American society for years but people don’t really notice it. People notice it the most in the hip hop culture because that’s where it has grown the most. Like I said before, it has been in the American culture because if you watch closely it’s in the American cowboy, movies, etc. But although masculinity has always been here; no one has ever gotten it to stop. Some people have started to do some things to try to stop it for example Byron Hurt by making a video, as well as many others. As long as the rap artist keep following these things of being a pimp, player, and calling women bitches, hoes, then the hip hop culture will never change.
 
Treana Penn
English 201A
1:00-2:50

Outline

Thesis:Byron HUrts documentary, Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes" explains how Hip HOP is blamed for todays society issues such as masculinity.

Evidence: Many people watch the youth today and only see how they have slowly been changing for the worst, because the youth look at rappers as their role models.

Evidence:Even though masculiniity is displayed in movies, video games, cartoons, and sports, they use Hip Hop as the blame since there is more of a popular demand for it.
 
Lisa Ryan
English 201
MW 1-2:50
Professor: W. Sabir


Outline:
1. What is the subject of your paper? Misogyny in hip hop music.
2. Why do you want to write about this subject? To examine the role that female rappers have in the promotion of misogyny in hip hop.
3. What audience will you write for? Women
4. What questions do you want your research paper to answer? I want my research paper to show that the lyrics in some female artist songs invite misogyny.
5. What is the main writing strategy you think you will use? I will describe the meaning of misogyny and provide an analysis of women roles in the production of misogyny in rap lyrics.
Thesis:
1. The lyrics in some of the female hip hop artist songs are an invitation for misogyny from their male counterpart.
2. Some female rap lyrics are an invitation to the male lyricist misogynistic views.
3. Lyrics in music are influential to society and artist must be held responsible for the examples they portray.
1. Major Point: Female rappers send the same message as male rappers, that women are only as good as the sex they give.

Evidence: The following lyrics from Lil Kim’s song entitled, “Would you die for me are a clear example of a woman who lacks self love and it validates misogyny in the lyrics of male rappers: “Anyway, I fuck better than you, give head better than you, pussy wetter than you.” Too Short’s song “Shake that Monkey,” is similar in its message, “Now put your mouth on his dick, let him know you are the baddest lil bitch.”
Major point: Some female lyrics promote sex in exchange for money or gifts (Prostitution).
Evidence: Lyrics from Trina’s song “The baddest Bitch,” States, “Sale the pussy by the grands and in months you own a Benz.”

"Women's contribution to Misogyny in Hip Hop"

In the documentary by Byron Hurt entitled, “Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Byron explores the oversimplified image of hip hop music. He examines the effects of the lyrics (which topics centered around sexism, misogyny, violence, homophobia and masculinity) and its effects on African American’s. He looks at some of the most popular videos and lyrics of hip hop spanning over the past two plus decades, including Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Snoop Dog, Busta Rhymes and other hip hop icons. Interviews with some select famous rapist were conducted where they gave their perspective on the above topics. Byron also look at some of hip hop current and past videos. The most recent videos displayed African American women in a negative image, scantily clad with big butts and full breast gyrating to demoralizing lyrics as if they had no idea what the words meant.
Misogyny is defined as “Hatred for Women. What grabbed my interest in this documentary was the level of misogyny not only from the hip hop artist but from the young African American male community that Byron interviewed. Most of the male hip hop artist that spoke in the film expressed that they make the kind of music that will sell records. I got the impression that some didn’t necessarily agree with the content, this in know way justify their choices but it does explain their motives. On the other hand the listener’s more specifically the African American men buy into the lyrics, see them as reality and replicate the lyrics in real life. In the street interviews that were conducted in the documentary all of the males that were interviewed showed a contempt and disrespect for women through their actions (i.e., unwarranted fondling, verbal abuse, sexist remarks, sexual assault and an overall disrespect for women). What role do the women play in glorification of misogyny? I hope to answer that question as I examine the lyrics of male hip hop artist and their female counterparts. I will demonstrate how some female rap lyrics are an invitation to the male lyricist misogynistic views.
The goal of this paper is not to attack female rapper’s or devalue their contribution to hip hop because they have truly earned their status equal to some of the greatest male rappers in the industry. But I will show that they too have some responsibility to the young African American girls in society who idolize them, listen to their lyrics and aspire to them. The same holds true for the young boys in society who listen to these lyrics and in turn learn how to treat a woman. When I look back during the Run DMC, Public Enemy and Grand Master Flash era there was little to no misogyny in hip hop. Hip hop was fun, educational, liberating and a true example of self expression. There was Salt and Peppa, Queen Latifa and a host of other female rappers who earned the same recognition as their male counterparts. They gained there status in the industry through the same hard work and determination as today’s female artist. Their music was filled with self pride, encouragement and was inspirational to African Americans specifically African American women.
Some female rappers have given into the industry, demoralized themselves and pretty much sold their souls to the devil. Their lyrics encourage having sex with men for money, inviting a man to disrespect them and to be sexually violated. It doesn’t matter as long as they can make money or have the richest man. When I compare the lyrics of today’s female artist to those from the past there is a clear difference in the messages that they send. Queen Latifah’s lyrics from, “Unity” talks about forever loving and brining together black men and women and standing against misogyny, “Love a black man from infinity to infinity”, “Love a black woman from infinity to infinity.” In a song by Lil Kim entitled, “Would You Die for Me?” she states, “Anyway I fuck better than you, give head better than you, pussy get wetter than you.” The young girls love this song, but what message does it send? it validates what most male lyric’s advocate, which is that women are only good for sex. Not only does it have to be good sex but you better do whatever it takes to make it better than the next female. “Now put your ass on his dick let him know you’re the baddest bitch” “The way you move your butt all he wanna do is fuck.” These are lyrics from Too Short’s song “Shake That Monkey,” I see similarities when I hear this, he’s pretty much saying the same thing as Lil Kim. For me, this is an example of female rappers validating the messages of male rappers, which is, women are only as good as the sex they give.
Today’s artist tell a story of misogyny that most young African American male listeners live to emulate as displayed in the film, “Beyond Beats and Rhymes”. In the film, several African American males were interviewed, many referred to women as bitches and one even sang a rap referencing to raping a woman. He probably didn’t just think this up, most rap lyrics inform men that if a woman carry’s herself a certain way then they are entitled to take what they want. It’s time that female rapper’s write lyrics that will educate and empower women as it relates to taking a stand against misogyny. Let’s show the White youth community who are the dominant listener’s of hip hop music that African American men love their women and that African American women are worth more than good sex. Who’s to say that this kind of music won’t sell? It’s time for hip hop slavery come to an end. These successful female rapper’s no longer have to rely on the White CEO’s, because many of these women have made enough money selling themselves out to the industry to do some independent work. Their lyrics also have contributed to the tolerance of misogyny, the exploitation of our youth and the increase in prostitution. Many of the kids that are affected the most are poor, lack the guidance of responsible parents in the home and look to these artists for direction. I know it’s not there responsibility to raise these kids but like it or not they have a great influence none the less.
In closing I want to include a quote from Micheal Eric Dyson from an interview that Brian hunt conducted. Dyson states, “We have to ask the hard question of why certain women conform to the vicious images of female sexual identity promoted in misogynistic masculinity.” Although he was referring to women in music video’s I think the same can be asked of female lyricist.
 
Jaliyah Davis
Eng. 201A/B
8-8:50

Misogyny- The term used to describe the way women are being used in the media or how men dislike them or think have no significance,

(Excuse the Language within this essay)


In hip hop, women are seen being sexual exploited in music videos and on magazines covers. Misogyny and Homophobia are issues that go on, especially in colored communities. Black men treat woman as though they are not humans, but as circus animals for show. They were conditioned to think that being black is a symbol of worthlessness, or something that holds no value, so they take their insecurities out on others by make them feel unimportant. They go on by attacking one another: one, by insulting the man hood of another man (homophobia) and another by making the colored woman feel they hold no value and that they’re only good for their sexual pleasure (Misogyny).

The words hoe; slut, bitch and pimpin are commonly found in today’s hip hop lyrics. Rappers use those words to describe their view of women. In music videos the image of women wearing revealing clothes and men touching women disrespectfully is being portrayed. In their songs, rappers often use the terms: I’m gonna beat that, smack that a** , and get on the flo and crawl. Women, having our own set of insecurities, feel its ok to be treated as a bitch and disrespected. By degrading women, it makes some men feel superior which plays a part of being masculine. “The image of a scantily clad woman is supposed to affirm some image of masculinity, the man as a mack… But in actuality, what they show themselves to be is incredibly insecure.” is what was said by Sara Jones an actor and writer. I don’t think there is a big difference between the ways women are treated now verses the way they were treated during slavery. The slave master’s are the ones who initiated rape, sexual exploitation, and disrespect of African women. The behavior that was displayed by the slave master towards African American women is still being practiced by our own people within the black community.


Another issue that seems to affect the colored community is the desire some men have in becoming a woman, which I also think, associates with the insecurities black men endure. “Perhaps the greatest insult that one man could give to another in American culture is to degrade his manhood” said by the director of “Beyond Beats and Rhymes”, Byron Hurt. According to the media and society if a man doesn’t fit their criteria as to what they think a man should be, then they must be gay, a “Bitch Nigga”. In hip hop there are images of men (Thugs) with no shirts, greased all up posing on magazine covers, they might not be trying to portray “homophobia” but that is what is being portrayed.


These are just some of the issues that go on within the colored community. People thrive on hip hop music and it will be found in colored communities for centuries to come. I think we are capable of making a change within our community and the music we listen too. I think us women need to realize that we are be honored and not to used for show, and the black man has to realize that they are the leaders and they must take the role of leadership. Once get to that point we will have no need to hate on one another and degrade our selves.
 
Jaliyah Davis
Eng. 201A/B
8-8:50

Misogyny- The term used to describe the way women are being used in the media or how men dislike them or think have no significance,

(Excuse the Language within this essay)


In hip hop, women are seen being sexual exploited in music videos and on magazines covers. Misogyny and Homophobia are issues that go on, especially in colored communities. Black men treat woman as though they are not humans, but as circus animals for show. They were conditioned to think that being black is a symbol of worthlessness, or something that holds no value, so they take their insecurities out on others by make them feel unimportant. They go on by attacking one another: one, by insulting the man hood of another man (homophobia) and another by making the colored woman feel they hold no value and that they’re only good for their sexual pleasure (Misogyny).

The words hoe; slut, bitch and pimpin are commonly found in today’s hip hop lyrics. Rappers use those words to describe their view of women. In music videos the image of women wearing revealing clothes and men touching women disrespectfully is being portrayed. In their songs, rappers often use the terms: I’m gonna beat that, smack that a** , and get on the flo and crawl. Women, having our own set of insecurities, feel its ok to be treated as a bitch and disrespected. By degrading women, it makes some men feel superior which plays a part of being masculine. “The image of a scantily clad woman is supposed to affirm some image of masculinity, the man as a mack… But in actuality, what they show themselves to be is incredibly insecure.” is what was said by Sara Jones an actor and writer. I don’t think there is a big difference between the ways women are treated now verses the way they were treated during slavery. The slave master’s are the ones who initiated rape, sexual exploitation, and disrespect of African women. The behavior that was displayed by the slave master towards African American women is still being practiced by our own people within the black community.


Another issue that seems to affect the colored community is the desire some men have in becoming a woman, which I also think, associates with the insecurities black men endure. “Perhaps the greatest insult that one man could give to another in American culture is to degrade his manhood” said by the director of “Beyond Beats and Rhymes”, Byron Hurt. According to the media and society if a man doesn’t fit their criteria as to what they think a man should be, then they must be gay, a “Bitch Nigga”. In hip hop there are images of men (Thugs) with no shirts, greased all up posing on magazine covers, they might not be trying to portray “homophobia” but that is what is being portrayed.


These are just some of the issues that go on within the colored community. People thrive on hip hop music and it will be found in colored communities for centuries to come. I think we are capable of making a change within our community and the music we listen too. I think us women need to realize that we are be honored and not to used for show, and the black man has to realize that they are the leaders and they must take the role of leadership. Once get to that point we will have no need to hate on one another and degrade our selves.
 
Sara Yusufi
English 201A
MW 1-2:50

Outline

Thesis: Throughout a song women are discriminated and they don’t seem to realize that they are.

Body Paragraph 1:

Topic Sentence: Music videos for hip hop stars always tend to give the same message

Evidence #1: In Nelly’s music video he has a credit card and he slides it down a girl’s body part.

Evidence #2: Women are raped almost every 45 seconds and they are mostly under the age of 18.

Body Paragraph 2:

Topic Sentence: It isn’t just the hip hop videos that discriminates women it is also the lyrics that is being said.

Evidence #1: Lil’ Wayne’s song “A Milli”.

Body Paragraph 3:

Topic Sentence: Males are sexist towards females and women do not see it.

Evidence #1: Women choose to be part of the videos and feel like it doesn’t refer to them.



Sara Yusufi
English 201A
MW 1-2:50
Ms. Sabir

Hip Hop Culture
Hip Hop influences the world with its use of sexism. In the documentary Hip Hop beyond Beats and Rhymes by Byron Hurt, you are able to see this clearly. Sexism is defined as “the discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex as in restricted job opportunities, especially directed against women” (dictionary.com). Hip hop fans tend to listen to a song yet they don’t may close attention to the lyrics. Throughout a song women are discriminated and they don’t seem to realize that they are.
Music videos for hip hop stars always tend to give the same message. Women are always surrounding the men half naked. They always seem to be in two piece swim suits dancing with a ratio of about 50 women to just one man. In the video “Tit Drill” by Nelly he is surrounded by women of which to one of them he slides a credit card down a woman’s body part (Hurt). Since the fact that credit cards are used to purchase items; by sliding a card he shows that he just purchases women the same. This shows how the men in the hip hop culture see women as sex objects; women are worthless creatures to men. Another fact that was given during the documentary that every 45 seconds a girl is raped and they are usually under the age of 18. This shows how using women is simple to men. Females do not have a great reputation in society by men because of their opinion that women are items to use.
It isn’t just the hip hop videos that discriminates women it is also the lyrics that is being said. To the listeners of hip hop they don’t seem to pay much attention to the lyrics as long as the song is attractive to them. During songs men refer to women with inappropriate language that puts them down. They are referred to many different words such as a female dog, hoe, etc. For example in the song “A Milli” by Lil’ Wayne he says, “Damn I hate a shy b****. Don’t you hate a shy b****. I had a plate of shy b**** and she ain’t shy no more. She changed her name to my b****.” In just three lines Lil’ Wayne refers to a girl as a female dog four times. Since men view women as insignificant people and with no power. They seem to discriminate women and they don’t even realize it.
Males are sexist towards females and women do not see it. It seems as if women want to participate in being part of such sexual videos. Females apply to get a spot in a video just to be with a hip hop star. Women should begin to realize that it doesn’t hold a strong and positive reputation for them. Males seem to take advantage of the women since they know that they are willing to do that for them. For example during the documentary Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes it showed during the BET event how the girls were walking around in swim suits (Hurt). They do not need to dress like that because they should know that by showing that men will take some action toward them. Women need to learn to become strong and be much more aware of what they are doing. Due to the fact that females have given males so much attention they have token advantage of it and is making a profit from it. It is time for the females to realize what they are doing.
Overall, hip hop culture gives a clear message that sexism is till present in society. Men will always see women as sexual objects and worthless people. They are referred to with derogatory terms to identify who they are. Females are not able to realize that this is happening because they give them way too much attention than they need. And guys have taken advantage of their actions and just enjoy their life. Hip hop culture is dominated on discriminating women and it seems to be getting worse by the day rather than making a change.
 
Miloš Bucalo
English 201
MW 1-2:40
Professor Wanda Sabir


Cover Your Eyes As I Describe A Scene So Violent


In the article “Cover your eyes as I describe a scene so violent”, track number 4 describing Violence, Machismo, Sexism, and Homophobia. In this track Mr. Michael Eric Dyson was interviewed by Byron Hurt. The thesis of this paper is that it is really true that Hip-hop has a negative outlook by the public, because violence, disrespect women and homophobia.
First, today everybody says that hip hop videos have a lot of violence, that you can see a young man talking about guns, including AK-47, GATs and other weapons. Dyson said that its true that today, hip hop videos are violent.
” And what you hear a lot in the lyrics of gangster and hardcore rappers are descriptions of the physical effects of gun violence on the larger community-from the viewpoint of the perpetrators and the victims.”(page 92).
You can also see in a lot of Hollywood’s movies where violence is evident, or video-games where young men get “ideas“.
“We live in a culture where the obsession with guns is painfully conspicuous, from its ubiquity in Hollywood action films to the ad campaigns for the National Rifle Association(NRA).” (page 92).
In hip-hop women are treated like objects. Why? Women are in videos wearing little to nothing , beauty and popularity is the essential goal in video production. Preferably speaking what’s a “hoe”? What’s a good sister? “Good Sisters” are women who don’t have contact with “bad boys“, and “hoes” are women who enjoy the company of “bad boys“.
“ In the parlance, a “good sister” is someone who stays away from “bad boys“, who doesn’t give sex easily, who keeps herself clear of the troubled circles that men in hip hop frequent. A “ho” is a loose women who gives sex easily, who drinks and smokes and is found in the company of males in hip hop.”(page 112).
Rappers talk bad about women, gays and lesbians.
”Hip hop captures the bigotry toward women and gays and lesbians found in the larger society-but no steroids, so to speak.”(page 116).
What will the public say when they hear that in their songs they sing about how they are with their boys.
“In any case, the male relation becomes a fetish in hip hop circles: hanging with “my boy”, kicking it with “my crew”, hustling with “my mens and them,” and dying for “my niggas.”(page 120).
In conclusion of the article, “Cover your eyes as I describe a scene so violent”, track number 4, hip hop has problems. The reasons being that hip hop today is commercial, it isn’t like in past when it was underground, when black men dominated rap. White men were in involved in hip hop as “Coe’s”, managers and all other high power authorities in hip-hop, putting their stamp on everything they could to make money, no matter on the consequence. Everything is strictly business in today‘s society.
 
Dalena Tran
English 201A
Professor Sabir
29 September 2008
1:00-2:50 PM

No Girls Allowed
Hip-hop culture involves in various entertainments, such as music and art. However, it has been notified by Byron Hurt that hip-hop culture must surround certain “box.” It must revolve around topics such as masculinity, sexism, and violence. One of the most important issues has been sexism. Byron Hurt and other scholars believe that sexism has been a concern in hip-hop culture. Many hip-hop arts have acknowledged men as a stereotypical figure, strong and powerful, as women are exposed as sexual objects and nothing else. The exploitation of women has taken its toll in society, today.
Since the Civil Rights Movements, women have continued to fight for their rights and name. A segment called, The Exploitation of Women in Hip Hop Culture, written by Ayanna, believes that “All women, but mostly black women in particular are seen in popular hip-hop culture as sex objects”(Ayanna 5). Nowadays, the hip hop generation has change in an extreme manner. Women are no longer respected in hip hop culture. They are stereotypically classified and discriminated against. In Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a documentary by Byron Hurt, he exposes hip-hop artists and their creations as they continue to exploit women in countless ways. Hurt uses music videos as examples, such as rapper’s Nelly and 50 Cent. In one of Nelly’s music video, women are exposed of their assets, such as their chest and back areas. These women are used as sex objects as Nelly and his entourage use the female dancers as credit card machines. As Ayanna mentions, “Women are described as being only good for sexual relations by rappers who describe their life as being that of a pimp” (ibid). The women in the videos are exposed and are treated in inappropriate manners.
Hurt explains that women are used in order to sell the video, such as using the term “sex sells.” In order to capture more viewers and obtain money, using the system “sex sells” will grab attention to not only men, but women that begin to develop self consciousness. Using women as sex objects are no concern to society. The concern is how much money and entertainment are provided. The exposure of women help influence the minds of many as young artists, mainly men, as it begins to form an illusion that indicates certain manners towards women are allowed. This illusion involves imitating groups of hip hop artists. Ayanna explains that “In many popular rap songs men glorify the life of pimps, refer to all women as they think a pimp would to a prostitute, and promote violence against women for 'disobeying.'” (ibid). Well known artists are inspirations to younger generations and due to their display of improper action towards women, young descendents begin to imitate. In Hurt’s film, he presents a scene in which women are being grabbed and touched in unwanted ways. Women are being mistreated by young imitations of well known hip hop artists because of their hip hop cultural beliefs.
Hip hop culture today has not been what it was meant to be when it first began. Due to changes throughout the years, hip hop has transformed into modern interests. Politics and self expression are no longer entertaining to society. The voice and power of masculinity, sexism, and violence are capturing the eyes and ears of audiences that find amateur issues more important than critical issues. The exposure of women and their sexuality are no longer a fight for freedom but a fight for attention of their physical beauty.
 
Dalena Tran
English 201A
1:00-2:50

Outline

Thesis: Many hip hop arts have acknowledged men as a stereotypical figure, strong and powerful. As women are exposed as sexual objects and nothing more.

Body I
1. Since the Civil Rights movements, women have still continued to fight for their own rights and name.

"All women, but mostly black women in particular are seen in popular hip-hop culture as sex objects" (Ayanna 5).

2. Beyond Beats and Ryhmes by Byron Hurt, demonstrates lack of women righteousness and appropriate treatments by exposing their assets in music videos, such as well known hip-hop artists, Nelly and 50 cent. The fmale body is used as playing objects.

3. "Women are described as being only good for sexual relations by rappers who describe their life as being that of a pimp" (ibid).

Body II
1. The exposure of women in entertainment has began to influence the mind of many younger generations, such as inspiring hip-hop artis; occassionally men. Many begin to form an illusion that indicates certain manners towards women are allowed.

"In popular rap songs men glorify life of pimps, refer to all women as they think a pimp would to a prostitute and promote violence against women for disobeying" (ibid).

2. Well known artist are inspirations to younger gnerations because of the "good life" they live.

In Hurt's film, women are being grabbed and touched in unwanted ways because the media displays it as fun and games.

IV.

Hip hop culture today has not been what it was meant to be when it first began. The voice and power of masculinity, sexism, and violence are capturing the eyes of audiences. Sexism has taken its level a step foward towards entertainment.
 
Lou Saechao
eng.201A
8-8:50

“Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes”

The film “Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes” is directed by Byron Hurts. Byron Hurts is a former college football player who when though college of education and learned about sexism, violence, and homophobia. He learned that hip hop have a similar responds to sexism, violence, and homophobia. He have said, “ I have been having conflict to the music I love .” the music that he like to listened to. Hip hop is a ambitious facts of suppose to be great become bad. And again, the reason for this is sexism, violence, and homophobia. This showing that hip hop is ambitious as in bad. Which will be explaining in the following to show what is hip hop all about.

The way of hip hop uses sexism as a game making none right of treatment as of being treated as the same. To have an equal right and similarity to one and the other. Byron Hurt cast a video that show ad provide information such as,” Women are being used to show and act out with there private joint body. Making the women doing what they want them to do to help out themselves to a better life but what about the females, what do they get and returned.” This is why Mr. Hurts is saying to tell people that the way of hip hop is out of control and bad to the bone. Another reason is that I, myself am impress with Mr. Hurts taught and taught myself that he is right. How they used the female to do a serious trait of badness and because maybe cause of the money, that is why the female is used. This showing that sexism is used a lot in hip hop to prove themselves of there arrogant side of life and badness to other.

The power of hip hop and what it can do to you when you have not even notice until it happened. How all of the rappers and hip hop people spit there game of rhythms and rhymes to hip hop life. There hatred and strengths combining into violence proving to become an ambitious words of death and crime. One reason for this is because they want other to respected them and show everyone how strong they can become by the way through hip hop. Which is in fact used to help explain the way of hip hop and how violence it can become to the ambitious way of life. Another thing is that Mr. Hurts video shows how hip hop can be a dangerous act of prove. Showing other what you’ve got. But than after all of that is happened as in after all the music in don’t, ether one is hurt or killed do to the way they reacted to the song and words of people saying. This showing that violence can lead to why hip hop can be so ambitious.

Homophobia is another reason why hip hop is a big deal of life and other being around the world. As said in paragraph 3, that people uses hip hop to become stronger and overcome other. But there’s actually a turned to this. Most people are actually are afraid and in fear of what might happened and that is what homophobia is meant. Most hip hop singer, rapper are scared of what might happened. They do hip hop to cover the entire fear away so they can feel safer. Which they tried to be fearless but always ended up as an ambitious way. The reason is that after what they been through such as hip hop and life, they over come there fear but they forgot that that fear can’t be remove. But they don’t know that until that fear actually came back and knock them on there head. This showing that fear is one thing that make people react to becoming ambitious and range of bad intention of becoming bad.
For my conclusion, the way of hip hop is a fact of bad intention to other viewers like you. Proven that hip hop can lead to sexism, violence, and homophobia, the ambitious range of life and death, becoming a tough situation to the world. Showing why Mr. Byron Hurts is right about the world of hip hop beyond beats and rhymes can lead to a lot of difficulty and conflict. Over staging each other to just getting to the top. Using other as a tool and the behavior of people, how this is going to be absorbed by the young and used in the future. That is why Mr. Hurts has explained to every viewer to see what he have came up to show people what he thing of the way of hip hop.


Out Line
Intro:
1. topic sent.
2. thesis
3. reason:
• sexism
• violence
• homophobia

1st par.
1. top. (sexism)
2. reason
• reason why
3. another reason
• reason why
4. proven


2nd par.
5. top. (sexism)
6. reason
• reason why
7. another reason
• reason why
1. proven


3rd par.
8. top. (sexism)
9. reason
• reason why
10. another reason
• reason why
1. proven


conclusion: my philosophy
 
Joshua Brown-James
English 201A
1-2:50pm



Initial planning sheet

1. What is the subject of your paper? The subject of my essay is about the violence in Hip Hop

2. Why do you want to write about this subject? I choose to write about this subject because I feel that Hip Hop should put an end to all types of violence that they promote.

3. What audience will you write for? This is a scholarly audience

4. What questions do you want your research to answer? The questions I want my research to answer are is Hip Hop the root cause to violence in today’s society?

5. What is the main strategy you think you will use? The writing strategy I think I will use is problem/solution.

Outline

Thesis: Hip Hop has a great impact in today’s society and promotes all types of violence.

Body paragraphs: Violence against one another, violence against women, and how can we change how Hip Hop promotes violence.



Hip Hop’s Effects

Hip Hop has a great impact in today’s society and promotes all types of violence. Violence is an intense destructive action or force. They lyrics and actions of most hip hop artist show violence towards one another and violence towards women. Some people argue that hip hop is the root or fuel of violence in our world today. Hip Hop needs to make a major change on how the culture presents itself because many younger people grow influenced by the culture and decide to do the same things they have seen and heard and if this continues nothing will ever change.
Director of the short film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes Byron Hurts say’s that Hip Hop promotes violence. In his film he went around to many communities asking young aspiring rap artist to spit lyrics for him, when they did the first and only things that came out of their mouths were violent lyrics toward others saying how they will rob, shot, or kill someone else. All artist asked to rap basically had the same violent lyrics about guns and other harmful things. Michael Eric Dyson responded to a question asked by Byron Hurt saying “So the gun becomes the outlet for the aggression and the rage that young black and brown men feel.” (Dyson) This was shocking to me because black and brown men shouldn’t be taking out their aggression on one another but should be trying to succeed in life, showing others that they aren’t how the stereotypes portray them. When they were interviewed asking why they only rap about violent things and not positive things they replied saying that no one wants to hear the positive things they have to say, all people care about are violent things. This was a shocking answer that these artists gave because if that’s what all people want to hear about why there are so many people that constantly protest artist because of their violent lyrics. This has been a problem in hip hop for many years but it doesn’t seem like things will ever change.
Tens years later after artist Tupac Shakur came out with the song “Keep Ya Head Up”, which was about how we are violent and disrespectful to our women, Tupac wanted an end to this but women are still being disrespected by hip hop today.
And since we all came from a woman,
got our name from a woman and game from a woman,
I wonder why we take from our women,
why we rape our women,
do we hate our women? (Shakur)
This was one of the many powerful verses in the Tupac song that made our mean think twice about disrespecting our women. Byron Hurt talks about how hip hop promotes sexism and violence towards women. In the film he showed many rap artist video’s in which most of them they exploited women and disrespected women in many ways. The lyrics that they had in their songs about women showed that they meant nothing and they were only good for having sex with. An artist named Nelly was shown in the film in one of his video’s called “Tip Drill” sliding a credit card down one of the video vixen’s backside. This shows that he believes the girl is just a hoe and is just used for pleasure to a man. The way these rap artists treat these women are hurtful to them and it seems as if they hate women.
When many of these artists were interviewed they said they believe opposite of what they put in their videos and songs. They say that they rap about violence because that’s how they were brought up and that’s all they saw. If they saw this type of behavior when they were growing up and know how harmful violence can be and how hurtful words can be why would they want the next generation which is most of their children to grow up learning and seeing the same things they witnessed. Many of the artist said that they have a hundred percent respect for women and they don’t mean anything by their lyrics. This is hard to believe because if they don’t mean the things they say why do they even put them on their tracks. The violence towards women in hip hop needs to stop but it seems artist don’t care about respecting women and how hurtful they can be it’s just all about the money for them.
Hip Hop is a culture that many people admire and has a great influence on people and how they view certain topics. If hip hop has a violent attitude towards one another and women, then people who pay close attention to hip hop will also have violent attitudes. Hip Hop has been view by many for decades, but I don’t believe that it is the root cause of violence, other things such as movies and games also promote violence and most advertisements exploit women and treat them improperly in order to sale items. Violence is seen everywhere in across the world and not just one specific thing is the cause of violence, but certain people and things fuel violence and this needs to change before it gets out of hand.
 
Isaiah Muhammad
Professor Sabir
English 201-b
Rough Draft #1
Monday-Wed 1:00-2:50 pm
09/29/2008
In 1970 New York, the lower district began to undergo changes that put hundreds of African Americans out on the street and out of their homes. Crime rate began to go up along with homicide rates and drugs. It seemed that there was no hope until one day underground a cultural movement called hip hop arose to inspire the masses. Hip hop first centered around 4 basic elements that involved Rapping, DJing, Graffiti and B Boying. Today few people think back on the roots of hip hop and what it used to stand for, it gave black people a chance to express themselves in a positive light whether it was the uplifting rapping of Public Enemy or the “watch your back” lyrics of the Wu Tang Clan.
If I was to ask someone of a different color to describe a black man in a few words their answers would vary from violent, show off, selfish, egotistic, angry, dumb, ignorant, trifling, dis respectful, women hater/beater, player, pimp, thug, murderer, unforgiving, uncaring, etc. all of these are just a few things that would make up a young black male, the sad thing about is that all of them are true. What we need to ask one another is “what would drive him to act like that?”, “who is responsible for turning him into a stranger among his own people?” the way I see it we are all hung up on the same person. By that I mean are seniors are blaming the young for the way, are communities are so decrepit; You see young people selling drugs, gambling, fighting, arguing and dying on the streets but isn’t it the adults responsibility for making sure that the child grows up in a safe and secure environment. We aren’t born with knowledge on how to sell drugs someone has to teach us that, who has way more experience and is a lot older. Then someone says that since it’s not their child not there problem but it takes an entire village to raise a child.
One of a the few major problems that plague hip hop are its homicidal and crime lyrics that artist put out for listeners and young black males listen and think that they have to commit crimes to get respect. For example, “A record number of 175 homicides were committed in Oakland in 1992. In 1993, Oakland's murder rate was 40.8 per 100,000; the 13th worst ranking for US cities with population over 100,000. Statistics published by Morgan Quitno put Oakland's crime at the 18th worst US city (out of 207 of the largest cities) in 1997, 16th worst in 1999, 22nd worst in 2000, 28th worst in 2002, 21st worst in 2004, and 21st worst in 2005. The 94 murders in Oakland in 2005 and 145 murders in 2006 contributed to making the city's ranking jump significantly worse, going to 8th most dangerous for 2006. In 2007, Oakland was ranked 4th most dangerous city in the U.S., surpassing all other Bay Area cities. All rankings above are based on the crime stats from the previous [calendar] year, with the reports released in the fall. Oakland ranks high in California for most categories of crime. Rates of other violent crimes, such as assault and rape, are also far above the U.S. average. 120 murders recorded in 2007 made Oakland's murder rate third highest in California, behind Richmond and Compton; however, Oakland also boasted rape and robbery rates per capita that were almost twice those of Richmond and Compton, making the city violent crime rate highest overall” ("Oakland, California." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 29 Sep 2008, 03:57 UTC. 29 Sep 2008
Another theme in hip hop is it’s over use of masculinity and the way it perpetuates manliness and how anything less is unacceptable. The characteristics of a man being a man is that he must be physical-athletic-strong-brave, functional-breadwinner-provider for family, emotional-unemotional-stoic-hence the quote “boys don’t cry”, intellectual-logical-rational-objective-practical, interpersonal-leader-dominating-disciplinarian-independent-free-demanding and then there’s ambitious or aggressive ("Masculinity." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Sep 2008, 15:53 UTC. 29 Sep 2008 In the black community the male has is almost forced to be these things, he has to have a nice car, a lot of money, a lot of friends to stand by his side or goons, aggressive, immovable, etc. When a black man doesn’t show all those characteristics he’s called a faggot or bitch ass nigga. The way a black man is willing to through himself to wolves he will willing lie to himself about who he is and risk losing everything he has in the process because goons have short life spans. Today young black men need to stop and realize that they aren’t just hurting themselves but everyone who still cares about him for what its worth.
 
Masculinity what is the real definition, what is masculinity and why is it important? Taking care if your responsibilities, respecting people, treating women like the queens they are, even when they see themselves less than human. Or is it beating on women, calling them Bitches and Hoes robbing people, hurting people?
Through the media America has been brained washed by this fake ideology of masculinity. Some men believe it’s important to be hard. Men size each other up through the five Makers of Manhood. What is Masculinity and why is it important?
As I sat back and watched Beyond Beats and Rhymes a film by the phenomenal Byron Hurts. All I heard was oppression, anger, men emasculating other men, challenging each other based on their stratification in life. Not one person on the film that rapped a line had anything positive to say about the next person, everything was about violence. In the film one young man made a statement saying “nobody want to hear that positive shit”. I love hearing uplifting music from artist such as Public Enemy, De la soul, Common the best rapper of all time. Back in the day and still today theses rappers still rap about the positive, challenging the system, unfortunately the up and coming rappers have not hooked on to the bate and change the message in their music. I understand that you want to tell the world your story; there are thousands of different ways to tell a story. Most of the rappers that are black and brown bring negative music to the communities. Most music labels are not color owned, therefore we have these non color people who own these record labels continuing to hold the black and brown communities down with this entire negative mumble jumble they call music. The communities are already oppressed. Encouraging them to rap about shooting and killing each other, money, guns, sexy women it does not help the people to see the truth from fake to real. There is no possible way you can make the connection between media masculinity and the real mans masculinity.

In the videos produced the main thing you see are beautiful women with close to nothing on, shaking their butts, not having enough clothing material to cover the upper part of the body being sexually victimized. Men slapping women’s behinds pouring liquor on them, when watching these videos all I see is dehumanization, seeing the men treat women like slave owners treated black people back in the day. When blacks were sold, the white people would lick their faces; slap their behinds and touching all over their body parts. It’s the same thing today. The music that is put out today is not uplifting at all. It’s filled with violence, telling their audience how many girls they can have, cars, houses, men their going to kill. This all boils down to “misperception of masculinity”, the toughest guy get the most respect. I strongly believe that’s backwards! All of the above is not real masculinity. Men size each other up by the 5 Markers of Manhood. Power control you have over some people, being wealthy how much money you have, status are you living large, sexy women, you can only be a completion, and violence how hard you look in front of other men. To a man if you have what he wants sexy women, money, power, wealth, status, and show people you are violent if you have all these tings you are considered the man your masculinity is never in question. This is not the definition of a real man let alone his masculinity!
A real man handles his responsibility; takes care his home makes sure his family has everything they need to survive on the day to day bases. He treats a woman with respect no matter how disrespectful she is to him, he never disrespects his elders. Go to work everyday come home and spend time with the family. a man that goes beyond his reach to help those in need.
This is what masculinity should be based on not how much money one has or how many women they have slept with or what they can buy with all that money. They have not giving back to the community or the schools. Attention all boys and men, look inside yourself and see what your masculinity looks like, are you making a solution or adding to the negative of real masculinity?

Englsih 201B
Tipton
 
Lisa Ryan
English 201
MW 1-2:50
Professor: W. Sabir

Final Essay

Outline:

1. What is the subject of your paper? Misogyny in hip hop music.

2. Why do you want to write about this subject? To examine the affects of the lyrics.

3. What audience will you write for? Men and Women

4. What questions do you want your research paper to answer? I want my research paper to show the types of messages that hip hop lyrics send to their listeners.

5. What is the main writing strategy you think you will use? Description, compare and solution.
Thesis:

1. The misogynistic lyrics in hip hop music have had a negative effect on its listeners.

2. Some misogynistic lyrics in hip hop are adopted into real life by male and female listeners.

3. Women and Men rappers are both responsible for the proliferation of misogyny in hip hop lyrics.

1. Major Point: oth female and male rappers are culpable for the proliferation of misogyny in hip hop lyrics.


Evidence: The following lyrics from Lil Kim’s song entitled, “Would you die for me are a clear example of a woman who lacks self love and it validates misogyny in the lyrics of male rappers: “Anyway, I fuck better than you, give head better than you, pussy wetter than you.” Too Short’s song “Shake that Monkey,” is similar in its message, “Now put your mouth on his dick, let him know you are the baddest lil bitch.”

Major point: Some female lyrics promote sex in exchange for money or gifts (Prostitution).

Evidence: Lyrics from Trina’s song “The baddest Bitch,” States, “Sale the pussy by the grands and in months you own a Benz.”

“Misogyny”

In the documentary by Byron Hurt entitled, “Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Byron explores the oversimplified image of hip hop music. He examines the effects of the lyrics (which topics centered around sexism, misogyny, violence, homophobia and masculinity) and its effects on African American’s.

He looks at some of the most popular videos and lyrics of hip hop spanning over the past two plus decades, including Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Snoop Dog, Busta Rhymes and other hip hop icons. Interviews with some select famous rapist were conducted where they gave their perspective on the above topics. Byron also looks at some of hip hop current and past videos. The most recent videos displayed African American women in a negative image, scantily clad with big butts and full breast gyrating to demoralizing lyrics as if they had no idea what the words meant.

Misogyny is defined as “Hatred for Women. What grabbed my interest in this documentary was the level of misogyny not only from the hip hop artist but from the young African American male community that Byron interviewed. Most of the male hip hop artist that spoke in the film expressed that they make the kind of music that will sell records. I got the impression that some didn’t necessarily agree with the content, this in know way justify their choices but it does explain their motives. On the other hand the listener’s more specifically the African American men buy into the lyrics, see them as reality and replicate the lyrics in real life. In documentary, Byron Hurt conducted street interviews; all of the males that were interviewed showed a contempt and disrespect for women through their actions (i.e., unwarranted fondling, verbal abuse, sexist remarks, sexual assault and an overall disrespect for women). What role do the women play in glorification of misogyny? I hope to answer that question as I examine the lyrics of male hip hop artist and their female counterparts.

Female and male rappers have some responsibility to the young African American girls in society who idolize them, listen to their lyrics and aspire to them. The same holds true for the young boys in society who listen to these lyrics and in turn learn how to treat a woman. When I look back during the Run DMC, Public Enemy and Grand Master Flash era there was little to no misogyny in hip hop. Hip hop was fun, educational, liberating and a true example of self expression. There was Salt and Peppa, Queen Latifa and a host of other female rappers who earned the same recognition as their male counterparts. They gained there status in the industry through the same hard work and determination as today’s female artist. Their music was filled with self pride, encouragement and was inspirational to African Americans specifically African American women. Today’s female rappers have given in to the industry and demoralized themselves. Their lyrics encourage having sex with men for money, inviting a man to disrespect and sexually violated them. The message they send is that it really doesn’t matter as long as they can make money or have the richest man. When I compare the lyrics of today’s female artist to those from the past there is a clear difference in the messages that they send. Queen Latifah’s lyric from, “Unity” talks about forever loving and brining together black men and women and standing against misogyny, “Love a black man from infinity to infinity”, “Love a black woman from infinity to infinity.” In a song by Lil Kim entitled, “Would You Die for Me?” she states, “Anyway I fuck better than you, give head better than you, pussy get wetter than you.” The young girls love this song. It validates what most male lyric’s advocate, which is that women are only good for sex. Not only does it have to be good sex but you better do whatever it takes to make it better than the next female. “Now put your ass on his dick let him know you’re the baddest bitch” “The way you move your butt all he wanna do is fuck.” These are lyrics from Too Short’s song “Shake That Monkey,” I see similarities when I hear this, he’s pretty much saying the same thing as Lil Kim. Female rappers send the same message as male rappers, that women are only as good as the sex they give.

Today’s male artist tell a story of misogyny that most young African American male listeners live to emulate as displayed in the film, “Beyond Beats and Rhymes”. In the documentary, several African American males were interviewed, many referred to women as bitches and one even sang a rap referencing to raping a woman. He was probably encouraged by rap lyrics, which encourage men, that if a woman carry’s herself a certain way then they are entitled to take what they want. It’s time that rapper’s write lyrics that will educate and empower men and women as it relates to taking a stand against misogyny. Let’s show the White youth community who are the dominant listener’s of hip hop music that African American men love their women and that African American women are worth more than good sex. Who’s to say that this kind of music won’t sell? It’s time for hip hop slavery come to an end. The successful rapper’s no longer have to rely on the White CEO’s, because many of them have made enough money selling themselves out to the industry to do some independent work. The misogynistic lyrics in hip hop music have had a negative effect on its listeners. Rap lyrics also have contributed to the acceptance of misogyny, the exploitation of our youth and the increase in prostitution. Many of the kids that are affected the most are black, poor and lack the guidance of responsible parents in the home. They look to these artists for direction. How do they get away from the lifestyle when the lyrics validate and encourage this type of behavior? It’s not the rappers responsibility to raise these kids but like it or not they have a great influence none the less. I believe both female and male rappers are culpable for the proliferation of misogyny in hip hop lyrics.

References

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Ryhmes.Dir.Byron.Hurt.DVD,ITVS

http://www.pbs.org/independenctlens/hiphop/

LyricsKids.com, 2005-2008
 
Christopher Yee

09-23-08

English 201a

1-250



Hip hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes





Many people probably want to know why hip hop is the way it is is. Why does hip hop music have so much to do to with violence, money, drugs, girls, and many other very inappropriate things? Does the music really sound better when it is about killing or causing others pain? Hip hop has become a very popular culture and has a very large influence in many people’s lives, and something with so much power or control should be setting a better example to the many people who loves hip hop.

Why there are so many confrontations between so many rap artists, and they always feel like they have to speak of killing or hurting their enemies in their lyrics. These artists can have a really big impact on there young fans, and many of these artist make they’re fans think that they can go out and kill someone like nothing just happened. Many of these artists use violence, manhood, and hardness to sell records, and most of it is an act and isn’t how the artist really is. Artist also knows that many of there fans look up to them and they feel like they have to try to be hard to get respect from there fans.

I have always wondered if rap artists really mean the things they say in there lyrics or did they just say it because that is what helps them sell albums. Having “Beef” against other artist does bring more attention and draws more fans. Hip hop has changed a lot since its beginning and much of it has to do with money, drugs, girls, and violence, and hopefully one day hip hop can be much more than just that.
 
Melissa Mah
English 210A
Professor Sabir
1-2:50

Sexism in Hip Hop Culture
Women have always been known as the Damsel in Distress, but hip-hop culture takes this concept too far. Since the beginning of time women have always been known as the inferior towards men, though nowadays women have more rights, the male culture refuses to believe this. Women are inappropriately portrayed as sexual objects in Hip Hop culture.
The media believes that women should always be shown as the property of men. Layota a hip-hop feminist shares her opinion on Snoop Dogg’s album cover “Doggystyle”, “The implication - that I was to emulate the sexualized bitch (literally!) Depicted on the cover, reduced to a pair of shapely haunches for the pleasure of the males in my surrounding area - made me shake with disgust” (Layota par.9). The media expects hip-hop stars to portray themselves as lascivious beings because they believe sex sells. This brainwashes young teens into thinking this is how they are suppose to act. Society takes the concept of Karl Marx’s Bourgeois and proletariats and uses it in the media, creating the image that men are superior towards women. The song “P.I.M.P” by 50 Cent states, “come get money with me, if you’re curious to see, how it feels to me with a P.I.M.P” (50 Cent). This relates to a video that watched in class Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes. This video illustrates a culture that is very degrading to the society we know. Though the video covers many issues that hip-hop culture disgustingly portrays one stood out to me the most, and that issue is sexism. In hip hop society a women is known as a lascivious man’s sexual object. In the video the director used as an example, tit drill by Nelly portrays a man who is surrounded by half naked women, and in this culture he is known as the “pimp”, or the cool, and all men in this culture wants to be known as this.
Women believe that the concepts portrayed in hip-hop culture are degrading. Another example shown in Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes is the young women that attend Spellman College. “The female students at Spellman College, they did not allow Nelly to participate in their bone marrow drive because of his inappropriate and disgusting video” (Hurt). This type of culture embarrasses women and should not be allowed to continue. Ayanna, a feminist believes that “People first need to be made aware that women's rights are being violated verbally in the sexist lyrics, in physical interactions at hip-hop events, and in the general way that hip-hop youth interact with one another everyday” (Ayanna par.13). Society needs to change the way the media portrays women. Women are angered by the fact that they are considered as sexual objects and not as human beings. To achieve the golden mean in society, everyone needs to rid of this inappropriate behavior.
Women are portrayed as men’s sexual objects in the growing hip-hop culture. By exposing these demeaning ways to the public shows juvenile minds that this is the way they are suppose to act. The media needs to change their outlook of women, because women should not be taken for granted.
 
Melissa Mah

Outline
Hook: Women Have always been known as the Damsel in Distress, the hip hop culture takes this idea too far.

Thesis: Women are inappropriately portrayed as sexual beings in Hip Hop culture.


TS1: Women in the media are always shown as the property of men.

CD1:“The implication - that I was to emulate the sexualized bitch (literally!) Depicted on the cover, reduced to a pair of shapely haunches for the pleasure of the males in my surrounding area - made me shake with disgust” (Layota par.9)



CD2:“come get money with me, if you’re curious to see, how it feels to me with a P.I.M.P” (50 Cent).



CS:in this culture he is known as the “pimp”, or the cool, and all men in this culture wants to be known as this.


TS2: Society believes that the women portrayed in these lascivious are considered cool.

CD3:“The female students at Spellman College, they did not allow Nelly to participate in their bone marrow drive because of his inappropriate and disgusting video” (Hurt).



CD4:“People first need to be made aware that women's rights are being violated verbally in the sexist lyrics, in physical interactions at hip-hop events, and in the general way that hip-hop youth interact with one another everyday” (Ayanna par.13).



CS:To achieve the golden mean in society, everyone needs to rid of this inappropriate behavior.




Restate Thesis: Women are portrayed as mens sexual toys in the hip hop culture.


Final Thoughts: Not all women consider the image portrayed in the Hip hop culture as cool, some women find it very discriminating.



WORKS CITED

Layota, Before I discovered Feminism, Feministe Blog, 26 August 2008, 28 September 2008

Ayanna, The Exploitation of Women in Hip-Hop Culture, My Sistahs Blog, 2 September
2008. 28 September 2008.

50 Cent, “P.I.M.P, Get Rich or Die Trying, Hip-Hop, 2003
 
Francisco Marcial
English 201A
MW 1-2:50pm

"planning Sheet"

1.What is the subject of your paper?

The subject of my paper is masculinity(Machismo).

2.Is your purpose primarily to inform, explain, explore, evaluate, describe a problem and soultion, argument?

The purpose of my essay is to explore masculinity(machismo).

3.What audience will you write for?

My audience is a scholarly one.

4.What question do you want your essay to answer?

How is masculinity(Machismo) portraid in the Hip-Hop culture.

5.What is the main writing strategy you think you will use?

The writing strategy that i think i will use is description.

"Outlune"

I. Intro:
Even though Masculinity(Machismo) already exist in America, men in the Hip-Hop culture belive that you have to be tough and strong to be a real man. You also need to have a lot of girls and a lot of money. If not you will be called names like weak, faggot, or a pussy.

II. Arguments
1.Being tough and strong
a.men shouldn't be afraid
b.having guns
c.men should not cry

2.Having a lot of girls
a.being a pimp or a player
b.dominate or control women
3.Having a lot of money
a.throwing money
b.having a lot of expensive cars
c.having a lot of jewelery

III. Conclusion
Masculinity(Machismo) has always been in the american society for years, it's also been in the american cowboy but it has grown the most in the hip hop culture. Men in the hi hop culture have followed these type of stereotypes because they are afraid of being called names like a faggot or a pussy.
 
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