Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Quitting Hip Hop

Good Essays
495 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Quitting Hip Hop
Quitting Hip-Hop

Quitting Hip-Hop is about a woman named Michaela Angela Davis who can no longer reconcile her love of a great rap beat with the derogatory images of women pervasive in much of today’s music and videos. This article address’ the intended audience of parents and teens, it will inform the negative influence hip hop music videos has on society, and how she gets through the struggles of how she was a part of that influence. I believe the audience intended to read this article are listener’s of hip hop such as parents and teens because she makes it clear in the article by stating this exact quote, “Today is my day, too. And danger with what’s currently going on in hip-hop is not as simple as a mere generation gap. Increasingly, the male-dominated industry tends to view women as moneymakers (as in the kind you shake).” She also points out she has a young daughter who is exposed to these images that hip-hop is displaying to all viewers. As a parent, Michaela wants to make sure she is aware of what her daughter is listening to and that all parents should follow by example. The boarder context of the essay is to inform people how hip-hop is sending out the wrong message to the listeners. The producers of the hip-hop music videos show women wearing skimpy cloths and dancing dirty on the hood of cars. Parents should always beware of what the music videos consist of that are available to be seen by only watching a music video of their favorite hip-hop song. “Today’s hip-hop music has been sold off to the greedy industry for a few buckets on ‘ice’ and a stack of ‘cheese,’” Michaela stated in her article. I think what she means by this that the ‘ice’ is money and the stack of ‘cheese’ is “bitches and hoes”. Her tone comes across as angry and mad but I believe she is just more disappointed in what influences these videos have and young adults and how much it is impacting society without them even acknowledging it. I’m sure she is hurt as well because she is giving up her passion for hip-hop to take a stand and be respected the right way. I admire Michaela’s courage to make a point and be a good role model for her daughter and young sisters out there! The article represents how hip-hop can affect our young society. We need to start sending out positive messages to people to build others self-esteem up and have more self respect for ourselves. Im convinced that if everyone came together and took a stand to make a point that we don 't need to stand for derogatory images and horrible messages that the hip-hop industry’s are sending us! Michaela is definitely a role model for young girls and women everywhere, including me.

Bibliography
Davis, Michaela A. "Quitting Hip Hop." Essences Oct. 2004: 155. Print.

Bibliography: Davis, Michaela A. "Quitting Hip Hop." Essences Oct. 2004: 155. Print.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    After I watched “Shut Up and Give Me Your Bone Marrow” I have realized that, Hip hop beyond beats & rhymes provides a fascinating examination of manhood, sexism, and homophobia in hip-hop culture. Director Byron Hurt, former star college quarterback, longtime hip-hop fan, and gender violence prevention educator, conceived the documentary as a loving critique of a number of disturbing trends in the world of rap music. He pays tribute to hip-hop while challenging the rap music industry to take responsibility for glamorizing destructive, deeply conservative stereotypes of manhood. Critically acclaimed for its fearless engagement with issues of race, gender violence, and the corporate exploitation of youth culture.…

    • 241 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    McLune wrote about the discrimination of black women throughout hip-hop. The dominate rhetorical appeal used by McLune is pathos, which “is an emotional appeal that involves using language that will stair the feelings of the audience” (Hooper, etal 86). She complains about being a black woman and hearing the excuses for men when they talk about women in hip-hop and how it is just okay with society. McLune is also irate about the fact that Eve, who is a female rapper raps about women in a bad way and doesn’t seem to think that, that is not right. Another type of appeal McLune uses is logos “which demonstrates an effective use of reason and judicious use of evidence” (Hooper, etal 86). Back in the 60s it was wrong and considered unfair to demonize colored men, but yet the men in today’s society are disrespecting colored women. The author explains how record labels exploit this and benefit off of the disrespect artist show black women. The least used appeal by McLune is ethos “which establishes the speaker’s or writer’s credibility” (Hooper, etal 86). Hip-hop owes its success to woman hating. Few artist dare to be different and not speak badly about women and the ones that do, they don’t make it clear that they feel it’s disrespectful for rappers to demoralize women which is not good in…

    • 1266 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In her essay “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women” Jennifer McLunes states that “Hip-hop owes its success to the ideology of woman-hating”(222). She states that hip-hop condones an attitude of objectification, sexism, and homophobia. That rarely does an artist break the mold of rampant sexism. While she is right that some lyrics may be interpreted as chauvinistic and perhaps even sexist, this is not majority of the music. McLunes argument is not valid because hip-hop’s artists, the environment it is born from, and its culture is a celebration of materialism not misogyny.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jones and Mclune

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In his article, Powell poses poverty as the explanation for the sexism found in hip-hop today. McLune believes that, Powell’s explanations of hip hop are one way to silence those that are critiquing it. McLune begins to explain that Kevin’s argument, “completely ignores the fact that women, too, are raised in this environment of poverty and violence, but have yet to produce the same negative and hateful representation of black men” (McLune 214).…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This article is a response to Kevin Powell’s article “Notes of a Hip Hop Head”. In his article, Kevin states “just as it was unfair to demonize men of color in the 60’s solely as wild-eyed radicals when what they wanted, amidst their fury, was a little freedom and a little power, today it is wrong to categorically dismiss hip-hop without…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although Morgan addresses the negatives to hip-hop music and rap, she also highlights what she appreciates and admires about it. The things she values in this style of music is that it offers a rare opportunity for black men to voice their despair, and she values the fact that its popularity provides a channel for a strong voice commenting on their communities. Morgan argues that listeners should hear these sexist and angry lyrics as a sign that large-scale changes that are necessary in the opportunities available to black men.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The reason that Morgan argues for Black women to support hip-hop is that Morgan sees hip-hop as "instrumental in exposing black men's pain, [and] it brings the healing sistas need right to the surface" (2000: 77). Hip-hop exposes the sexist beliefs that some Black men have about Black women, and it exposes the fact that there are Black women that enforce those sexist beliefs that Black men have. Morgan argues that Black male rappers are not at fault when they are angry at Black women who are interested in them only for their money. Black men do not create these images of Black women from thin air, but from their lived experiences. As a Black feminist, Morgan is arguing that we must listen to Black men's expression of their experiences because they are valid experiences and Black men are experts on their experiences.…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hip Hop as a musical genre has gone through much change not only in the content of the music, but the message conveyed and how many would say it has in some ways defined black culture in the last 20 years. A significant amount of hip hop music nowadays is geared towards painting this unrealistic image of hyper-materialism, sexism, and violence that ultimately assists in dragging black culture down, and the people as a whole. You look at hip hop artists like 50 Cent and Lil Wayne who is reinforcing this thuggish persona, making music revolved around money and drugs and it paints a bleak picture for young blacks. These young impressionable youth view this way of life as the “norm”, and the ghetto pathology seen as an authentic part of black culture, even though it does nothing more than demean a multitude of black people.…

    • 1331 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    This article, written by Shanara R. Reid, discusses the over-sexualization of women in rap/hip hop songs and music videos, and the possible social causes of this. It has become apparent nowadays that women are heavily degraded in all kinds of media in order to appeal to the male viewing audience. Scantily clad women partaking in provocative dance routines and actions has become a norm of music videos. Machismo ideals that stress the extreme superiority of men over women and encourage the representation of women almost as an item prevail among lyrics. African-American women are especially susceptible to this kind of treatment, and many, including the author of this journal article, believe that more should be done by these women to protect the good name of their own class of people.…

    • 629 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A part of the learned mainstream American culture is sexism and misogyny. Hip-hop culture is frequently condemned for its misogynistic exploitation of women, but this misogyny has its roots in the culture in which we live. Hip-hop but can be explored and used as a valuable tool in examining gender relations. It brings to surface the issues that face many young people, such as discrimination, peer relations, and self-worth, that can be considered in order to bring about change in the misogynistic aspects of hip-hop culture and American culture, in general. For young people that do not hold sexist ideals, mainstream hip-hop may influence them to do so…

    • 1655 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip-hop can destroy other citizens. For instance, violence in some songs cause the youth to starts fights and also kill themselves. On the other hand, gangs and street thugs are a few examples. However, teenagers are starting to kills, steals, vandalize. Therefore, hip-hop culture and movement has an negative impact on contemporary African American identities based on how they represent themselves. This is due to the fact it promotes an unhealthy lifestyle towards attitudes and behaviors of American Youth. In addition, it teaches African American youth to use profanity. Furthermore, American youth do not have a role model when listening to hip-hop.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Wars Analysis

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the essay ”Hip-Hop wars”, Tricia Rose focuses on the debate in hip-hop about sexism and discrimination. Sexism in hip-hop can be divided into two groups. People in the first group use hip-hop’s sexism as a way to strengthen the image that black people are strange and subordinate, and facilitate anti-feminist situations. People in the other group are liberals who like hip-hop, they concern about sexism because hip-hop heavily relies on it. The images that degradation of black women is strongly rooted in white conservatism and black religious. It encourages black women to counter the mainstream culture and find their own values in the society. The essay “R.E.S.P.E.C.T-But Not the Kind Aretha Franklin Had in Mind” implies that the mainstream…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Satire

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Media often paints a different picture than as seen by the eye. Often heard on the headlines are the bad and the ugly never the good. One picture that is often skewed by the media is that of hip hop. It is often heard that this genre is a negative influence on children, as the message put out by these rappers is not appropriate for today’s youth. The lifestyle is too violent and the lyrics are too harsh. All this is skewed in the wrong direction. As the hip hop genre is impactful and helpful for the youth of the world.…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Planet Analysis

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In James McBride article “Hip Hop Planet”, he introduces the reader to many issues that are affecting society, including violence, social class, and racism. McBride ensures that he includes hip-hop’s history, in order to explain that the musical genre began as an attempt to avoid or prevent teen gang involvement. Additionally, social class is present in hip hop culture because many of the artist's success determined by the resources that they have when beginning their career as a DJ. Lastly, race is revealed to play a large role in hip hop culture due to the fact that many rappers include lyrics about racial injustices, as well as tension between people of different cultures. Although McBride introduces different arguments throughout his essay,…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hip hop is one of the most controversial and beloved genres of music amongst the youth and working class culture of the 20th century (Aldridge et al. 2016). Even though it is popularized as just a form of music, some would argue that it is a lifestyle that transcends borders. It is an art form that has been driven through the social, economic, and cultural realities that individuals face on a daily basis while sampling jazz, rock, blues, and soul to compose a breed of its own (Aldridge et al. 2016, Rice 2003). The imbedded realities within hip hop create a social consciousness that reflect the ideologies of the Civil Rights Movement and serves as a positive outlet that lets the youth express their frustrations while pushing towards a solution…

    • 2367 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays