Nature

Nature is my great motivator

Trees spreading sweet pine on the breeze

Sneeze! Sometimes I forgot pollen makes me wheeze.

Hat her? I could never hate our creator

Streams running flowing over and under various greens

True, true beauty in that flowing blue, blue

You all can enjoy it to

Dreams are made of these scenes

Tall figures that dominate all

Scratching clouds, unique trails never matching

Attaching to each other huddling like a hatchling

Fall? True kings are an indestructible wall

The mountains.
Nature.

Dear Bethlehem Central High School

Dear Bethlehem Central High school,

I would like to apologize for the following misunderstandings:

I’m sorry that spending five hours in school and then three at a required tutor isn’t enough for YOU

I’m sorry that I misunderstood that the reason of school was not learning but filling out a time sheet for YOU

I especially would like to apologize for thinking the purpose of education

Is to inspire imagination

And create an atmosphere for creation

In which children experience inspiration

Because of passionate people who care for the salvation

Of a misguided youth

I’m sorry that I thought I should get to leave highschool with my graduating class without spending time in summer school instead of enjoying life

I’m sorry that I wasted so much time lounging around in a hospital bed with a needle in my arm instead of enjoying life

I’m so sorry that I have a fear of needles as insane as that is

And I have to keep this needle in my arm as inane as it is

Something is coming like a train it is

Pain

It is

Mental pain

That is

I’m sorry that my body has chosen this inconvenient time to try and make its self turn inside out

I’m sorry that this has worn on my mind and that I’m not up to also having my mind turned inside out

I’m so fucking sorry that I think that I should pass after investing more time than anyone

 But oh not on the right days

Thanks for clearing that up

With Love

Jimy

E and C Come Home

Way back in 2008

Growing up in behem wasn’t great always surrounded by hate

That is till I met you guys

Straight shootin dudes who opened my eyes

Realized were now as free as the skies

Tight as brothers skatin behm cops always hatin

Cant grind? only choice is mistake makin

Taken back I feel guilty as fuck

It sucks Im the one who showed you drugs

Now wannabe thugs just because

Gettin caught up in the drug game

Just some kids takin a hit

No fuckin harm can come of this shit

That’s we liked to think

Before we went over the brink

No turnin back now

How? Just what youd say to me

Always talkin about dyin at 23

Yo C

Please change your thoughts man

Please change your actions damn

I wouldn'nt say this to you

If I didn’t know it was true

But dying early isn’t for you dude

E I gotta bring this up too

We were the dynamic duo nuthin could fuck up

word up makin money like it’s a fuckin stick up

But it’s up If I step back and take a close up

I was a terrible influence man

Understand, I’m sorry

Yeah for what I did

But because my help was so invalid

Coulda stopped you from doin all them hard drugs

To afraid of own addictions to budge

Now I can’t take it back I hope its not to late for you

Now I still think back to when we were like glue

Now if I could  bring you back before you were new

Now just ask for help you two arent alone

Now ask for help so we can take you home

Take you home take you home

Take, Take me home
Cause I don't remember

Take, Take me home
Cause I don't remember  

Critique 4: Chapter 4

                This chapter of The Hip-hop Wars was another I enjoyed because of how it linked social issues to other larger causes. This is similar to what chapter 3 did however chapter 4 speaks much more broadly about American culture as opposed to just black culture, so I am able to understand and relate to it more. While I found most Tricia Rose’s points thought provoking the one I had an issue with was her first which was that black people have a long standing association with violence and sexual deviancy. While this may be true in some circles at this point in time it is only extremist that still link rap and black people as one cause of corruption of youth and this is because rap does not equate to being the same as black people as a whole. I don’t think her point is completely invalid I just think she makes it sound more important a factor than her other mentioned issues. I found her discussion on the emergence of youth culture and its marketability to be far more convincing. How emerging youth culture also related to the change in family values and how the same changes in values were related to the distribution of wealth were also interesting points. It helps that Rose can tie all these points together so well and really helps her prove her point that hip-hop must be a progressive movement that draws on true American values such as equality and justice.

Critique 3: Chapter 3

                Chapter 3 was possibly the most interesting chapter of The Hip-hop Wars I’ve read. Two particular topics that interested me were the sentiments surrounding the no snitching attitude and the anti-educational attitude. Both issues I believe I was partially aware of before reading the chapter however Rose goes into their origins and reasons and by doing so she forces you to realize that rap is not hurting black culture so much as the people themselves are. Rap merely reflects an attitude of, as Geoffery Canada put it, “Just have our community. Do anything you want, and we will either deal with it ourselves or we will simply ignore it.” This attitude towards crime perpetuates the attitude that crime is ok. You can say it is up to the parents and leaders of the community to prevent the music from doing this however the issue lies in the anti educational attitude. Anything about mainstream culture is enemy to many children who also embrace the anti snitching ideals. Because of this any guidance from school or parents is found to not be helpful to these kids but rather makes them feel even more attacked. This is important as combined with the no snitching attitude these two common youth ideals create a recipe for neighborhoods full of drop outs and eventually as a result of lack of education and employment you get gangs. I found it interesting that Rose was able to root all these societal woes that are blamed on rap music to a larger cultural view that is flawed. It is a view that must be changed if improvement is ever to be an option.  

Critique 2: Chapter 7

                I enjoyed reading chapter 7 of Tricia Rose’s The Hip-hop Wars as it swayed my opinion slightly on Rap’s relationship with sexism and women. I was very much in favor of freedom of expression (one of the issues tackled in the chapter) but reading the chapter has made me realize while rappers should be allowed to demean women, if this is how they wish to express themselves, it doesn’t mean they should or that it is ok. The chapter also made me realize that censoring indecent words doesn’t change the overall message that it sends youth; youth that admire rappers above all else. I disagreed slightly however, that rap can’t contain sexist lyrics as a way to show a true issue of sexism in our culture. While the chapter argues sexism should be tackled at the root by rap I believe this in part has happened through rap displaying how sexist our culture is. The problem really arises in that not enough rappers are socially conscious enough to make it clear to their fans that they can rap these lyrics and still have a great deal of respect for women.  This issue goes back to the disconnect between how rappers act in their personas and in reality. Tricia Rose has made me think a lot of social issues related to rap are cause by this difference in personalities.

Imitation 6 Home

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "Home" ft. Phil Collins is rap from the 2002 and was written by the group after a long period of struggle following the deaths of Easy-E (the groups greatest supporter and backer) and member Wish Bone's uncle Charlie (who they all say acted as the best father figure they had). The song expresses feelings of sorrow for their loss but also appreciation how they have helper them all through hard times. The song is a confession of what the Bone Thugs have gone through. The song often speaks generally but going through troubles we all have and is easy to relate to because of this. The rhyme scheme is interesting as it is aa b c dd e fffff all at the end. I like this rhyme scheme as Layzie Bone is able to make it flow really well even though most of the words do not technically rhyme. He also uses repetition of the phrase "out here" emphasizing how he views his old neighborhood. This repetition also helps contribute to how smooth everything flows. Layzie also uses a lot of poetic language straying from the literal meaning of his sentences at times. The line, "But see brain so cloudy" is  an example as it refers to drug use and how it prevents many people from being functioning members of society; this isn't mentioned in the line explicitly however.
They say everything happin' for a reason
Can you tell me why these niggas bleedin'
Needin' general assistance?
Out here needin' public housing
Out here tryna make ends meet
Tryna get on their feet
But see brain so cloudy
And I know what you don't know
You better get on your mission and get down for your dough
See the real niggas ready out here taken control
See I'm screamin' out Mo'
With my pockets on swoll

Imitation 4: Express Yourself

N.W.A.'s Express Yourself is a rap about  freedom of expression and censorship. While the song more widely criticizes not speaking out and not expressing yourself it was specifically targeting an issue at the time. N.W.A. were upset that radio stations censored the music they worked hard to create or would outright refuse to play their songs because of what they sometimes rapped about. In protest they wrote the song encouraging other artists to rap and sing their true feelings. The rhyme scheme is not consistent and they often rhyme words that don't truly rhyme making it questionable. Despite this the scheme is often aa bb. Occasionally Dre makes use of in line rhyming, especially in the final verse. Aside from rhyming he uses other techniques to make the song poetic. Dre uses a lot of similes to describe both himself (such as comparing himself to a meditating Buddhist) and to describe rappers he's not a fan of (describing them as a "tortoise, full of rigor mortise"). The song is low on other poetic terms and as thus is quite straight forward having a very literal meaning that one should be honest in their creative works. The one criticism I have of this is how Dre sings out against recreational marijuana use. He said this about a year before creating The Chronic, an album almost exclusively about using marijuana for recreation and income. This makes Dre guilty of what he complains about in this song. I feel this is an important criticism but despite it I think the message N.W.A. wanted to send is still a good one. This is what makes me sad as I want to agree with Dre but it seems he may not agree with himself.   

Imitation 3: The Bottle

Gil Scott-Heron’s The Bottle is a powerful piece of spoken word that addresses the issue of alcohol abuse. Scott-Heron wrote this in a time when black ghettos (which had previously had a great deal of community) were slowly being destroyed without being replaced. As a result many African Americans found themselves facing even more trouble with finances and with just trying to find a place to live as their opportunities were limited. This sparked a rise in drug abuse as an escape from a system that didn’t want them. Scott-Heron addresses the issue of one of the oldest forms of drug abuse by telling stories of alcoholics he had known ranging from his father, to a girl he knew and eventually to him. There is an emphasis on “the bottle” which refers to a bottle of alcohol. He creates this emphasis using repetition at the end of many of his lines as opposed to rhymes. Despite this there is a good deal of both in line rhyming and end line rhyming. Still Scott-Heron relies heavily on the repetition however; he emphasizes how when you are “…livin in the bottle” all one care cares about is getting drunk. That’s why the poem has this feel that it’s all about the bottle. The poem is very narrative containing three different stories that help stress how many people with alcohol abuse issues Scott-Heron knew (even touching on his own abuse with it). He also makes use of metaphor such as referring to the US government as the “dollar eagle”. It is this sort of language that makes his poetry more dramatic and impactful. When his wording is so poetic it makes you take what he has to say more seriously even when he’s claiming to be an alcoholic in the poem.

Critique 1: Chapter 1 of The Hip Hop Wars

In chapter 1 of Tricia Rose's The Hip Hop Wars she discusses hip hop's relation to violence and how it stereotypes African Americans. Rose notes a fact in this chapter that is important since it is a fact I feel many critics and listeners of rap (those who did not grow up in a ghetto) fail to realize; rappers are frequently telling exaggerated tales in order to get a point across about social problems. It's a fact I myself was not aware of before reading and after also reading about how middle class white people (my demographic) where the primary consumers of rap I realized how important this point was. It shows how many people, critics who blame rap and consumers who enjoy, don't understand the point many gangsta rappers are trying to make and also explains why many of them stereotype black people they way they do. At times I found her views somewhat alarmist and she was often quick to pour all the blame on a broken system (and Ronald Reagan) , which can not be the only accountable factor for social problems. The community is partially to blame. Newer mainstream rappers who capitalize on violence instead of trying to send a message represent this. This chapter has caused me to gain concern over the direction rap has gone in and is going, now for a new reason. It has caused me to gain a higher awareness of the message certain rappers are trying to send about social problems and more awareness for how some rappers capitalize on it in a negative way. The chapter was insightful as it made me realize how better education about rap would mean better understanding of social problems in the black ghettos most gangsta rappers come from.

Imitation 2: Give Peace a Chance John Lennon

John Lennon's song Give Peace a Chance was a pro peace song originally written and played during Yoko Ono and Lennon's Bed-In honeymoon in 1969. A reporter asked Lennon the purpose of staying in bed and Lennon put it simply saying, "All we are saying is give peace a chance". He liked the phrase so much that he wrote a song around it, using it as the chorus. Lennon uses the repetition of the phrase to force a message he felt needed to be recognized. That war wasn't the answer, not Vietnam or anywhere else. There is internal rhyming in just about every line except the chorus and the final verse of the song. Despite this Lennon sends a clear message in the last verse. Lennon isn't singing the song alone but with his wife and many other pro peace protesters who he recognizes. This emphasizes the tone of the song which can only be described as togetherness. He's surrounded by people he loves and just wants everyone else to be as well. He uses lyrical poetry to try and get people to understand his message. The last way he does this is to have to the song repeat until the tape runs out. He wants the message to go out to just give peace chance.

Imitation 1: Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

Mother to Son is an interesting poem that Langston Hughes wrote from the perspective of a mother talking to her son. I find this poem interesting as I believe it reflects Hughes respect for his mother and the advice she gave. The poems stark and somewhat cynical description of life reflects the struggles Hughes most likely suffered during his life up to that point and may reflect how he realized that his mother's harsh advice at times was for his own good. He uses a great deal of repetition to emphasize key points the most important of which being this truth in his mother's advice shown by the line "And life for me ain't been no crystal stair. " For this reason I feel it is a confession. There is very little if any rhyming (although certain words could rhyme if pronounced in certain dialects) in the poem however Hughes heavy use of other devices such as metaphor, which he uses to compare a flight of crystal stairs to one that is broken and splintered. He also uses it again to compare a dark time in a persons' life to literal darkness. I like this poem because of it's metaphorical nature as well as how it's a narrative. What makes it most unique is how he frames it as a mother telling a story. The fact that Hughes is writing from another person's perspective (especially one so different than his own) and the fact that he goes so far as to copy her diction is what impresses me most about this poem.

Langston Hughes and the Racial Mountain

Langston Hughes piece "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain" is a strong piece about racial and cultural identity. Race played an important role in the creation of many important genres and fields of art. Jazz and Blues have deep roots to songs that were sung by impoverished second class citizens, people who were at one point held against their will. That kind of emotion is the kind that can only be found in music like the blues. It couldn't be felt exactly the same by anyone else. Likewise however race is not an impassable wall. The proof is in the number of talented white jazz musicians who would come along much later. It is not that blacks are the only people who can play such soulful music, however the cultural background that the pioneers of it came from made them the only ones who could truly create and define the genre. In that same vein even a white man could know suffering, he could still relate to the blues even if he didn't have the years of prejudice and suffering. Hughes is adamant about his fellow black people being proud of their arts but I think it is important to remember that it is not their race or skin tone that is important, it's their life. It's their past. It's everything about who people are not just the color of their skin. Hughes put it perfectly when he said "No great poet has ever been afraid of being himself."