Sunday, April 26, 2009

Encyclopedia Britannica definition of gangster rap

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica definition of gangster rap, the top four images associated with the genre are violence, drugs, materialism and sexual promiscuity.


Gangster Rappers as Defining the Hip-Hop Social Group
Although gangster rap only represented a small percentage of the hip-hop culture at the time, all hip-hop and rap music was instantly stereotyped negatively as being “gangter-like”. Why? Well, this gangster version of hip-hop was the highest selling and most recognized form of hip-hop music among the majority class. Hip-Hop’s Rejection of Inferior Social Group Status
A large number of hip-hop artists have used their musical lyrics to reject the inferior social status placed upon them by the majority class.

By examining these hip-hop and gangster rap lyrics as text, I will show ways in which the lyrics attempt to reconstruct the stereotyped gangster rap identity by examining different views of violence, drugs, materialism and sexual promiscuity. Violence
That the hip-hop culture represents gangster-like violence is perhaps the biggest disputed claim amongst hip-hop artists. In order to disprove this claim, many hip-hop artists have pointed to the violence that exists within the majority social group, and how it leads to violence all over the world.
In “Violence”, 2 Pac demonstrates his belief that violence was prevalent long before gangster rap existed:

Here, the poet questions the existence of violence in a country that allows firearms and violent movies.

Drugs
Another common disputed stereotype of hip-hop artists is their use and distribution of illegal drugs. In attempts to redefine this negative characteristic, many hip-hop artists have pointed at the majority social group as the facilitator of drug abuse.

Mr. President, there's drugs in our residence
People gotta go create their own job
People sell crack cause they broke


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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Steps to Playing Comfortably for a Crowd

Most people are not comfortable performing in front people. When I say of performing, such as an instrument, or singing, or acting, I mean more than just knowing how to do well at your chosen craft, I mean doing it well and in front of people. It’s the “in front of people” part that gets us every time. How many of us sing like a bird in the shower but then when people are watching we can’t carry a note. Here are three steps to start you on the road to comfort (never complete) when called on to shine.

1. Don’t neglect to practice. Whether you sing or play an instrument practice is the key to being relaxed. The more familiar you are with what you are performing, the less anxiety you will have about messing up.

2. Don’t back up. Piano teaches pass this on all the time. If you mess up in the middle, or any place in your piece, don’t back up and repeat the offending passage. Keep going. Chances are your audience didn’t even notice.

3. Try not to be critical of your technical skill. Focus more on your overall performance. How does it sound as a whole? If you’re a pianist and you worry during your piece about your fingering then you’re ignoring the song and how it sounds. Worry about technicalities when you practice. Which should be often.

With time playing in front of and for other people will come much easier. You'll be a natural. So use every opportunity to show your stuff!


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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Pump Up the Crowd

What can be more fun than hanging out with friend at the club? Some people who have the obsession to be the DJ might answer “to entertain the crowd”. Becoming a DJ gives a challenge and unbeatable experiences. We have to face the crowd that has various characters and have to unite all of them with the mix music that we play. Becoming DJ means that we are the leader of the crowd so that we have to be able to give them our best mix performance.

To be the home DJ on the club seems like a fun job, but it need a struggle for the new comer DJ to be the home DJ. Some club usually gives some times for the new comer to perform, but to have the opportunity is also not an easy thing. Detroit is known as the techno community, the electronicstage.org tries to be them medium for the people who want to show their detroit techno mixes. They give a space for the people to introduce themselves and their work.

The website is seems to be the gathering medium for detroit techno fans. This website is not only introducing new DJs, but also as the library for people who want to check their favorite DJ’s performance. There, we can get electro releases, the event schedules and articles.



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3 Steps to play comfortably in a Crowd

Most people do not feel comfortable against the conduct of individuals. When I carry out, as an instrument or sing or act, I mean more than just how to do well in the craft of your choice, I mean to do it right and in front of other people. It is the "front of the people we party all the time. How many of us like a bird singing in the shower, but then when people are seeing that they can not carry a note. Here are three steps to start you on the path of comfort (not complete) when asked to shine.

1. Do not forget to practice. If you sing or play an instrument practice is the key to being relaxed. Which is more familiar with what is being done, will have less anxiety about messing up.

2. No backup. Teaches piano in this way all the time. If clutter in the middle, or anywhere in your piece, not a backup of the crime and repeat the step. Forward. It is likely that your audience does not even notice.

3. Try not to be critical of his technical skill. Focus more on their overall performance. How the sound as a whole? If you are a pianist who during his concern about his piece then you're typing to ignore the song and how it sounds. Worry about technical issues when the practice. What should be often.

With time playing in front of people and get much easier. You will be a natural person. So use every opportunity to show your stuff!


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