Reflection

Writing has always been of interest to me. I write best when I’m writing about absorbing topics. Also writing under pressure sort of brings out good writing from me. When I write I try to be as truthful as possible and make the preferable audience understand those truths. In my opinion, writing the truth down on paper or typing it up can be a relief. Of course writing fictional stories doesn’t count but in those stories what happens appears to be the truth. I’m also more of a writer than a reader. I don’t really enjoy reading because I get bored easily. Writing isn’t also always enjoyable especially when you’re writing about something that’s totally pointless to you but has to be done. That’s the thing about English classes in school. We’re expected to be able to write about things that we have no interest in and read boring books that we’ll forget about when we leave the class. But in this specific class it was different. We had four units that didn’t require too much reading and only pushed students to enhance their writing skills. If only more English classes would be based off writing for the public about engaging worth knowing topics than essays on boring books.

In this class, I had my strengths and weaknesses when it came to writing. When the class first started, I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect and if I’ll be able to express my best writing. The first assignment was the toughest one for me. We were instructed to write about our educational experiences in the past and I had a hard time doing that. My experiences with education back then weren’t good and I’m in the process of moving on and forgetting about them. That’s why what I completed wasn’t my best. My writing was all over the place and even though I thought I was getting my point across I wasn’t being specific enough. I wasn’t really happy with the grade I received so I revised the assignment and tried to fill in the missing gaps to the ability of which I knew. I don’t like accepting less than what I know I’m capable of. For example, in my education essay I wrote, “I was determined and dedicated to prove to myself that I have what it takes to excel in my studies.” As mentioned before, my experiences with education in the past weren’t good and it took a while for me to realize that I was only setting myself up for failure and that I was better than what I was demonstrating. I was in twelfth grade and I was close to not graduating but I turned things around with the help of supportive people and my own effort. This is where truthful writing shows itself. I was being honest with myself and the audience. There’s just something about being honest in your writing that makes it more realistic.

My best work in this class was unit two’s assignment. We were required to write a pop culture analysis. This assignment was enjoyable for me because I learned more about the correlation of how society was back then to how it still is today. There was growth between the first assignment and this one. This growth was due to the fact that I found unit two more engaging. While I was doing the assignment I acquired more knowledge than what I previously knew about the song I chose. This made me realize that there’s always a deeper or better understanding to things the more you look into them. The remaining units were also opportunities for me to learn more about something I go through often and steps that could be taken to solve the problem. Also learn how to revise old writing into a new version with a different genre and audience. This class taught me that there’s always space for improvement especially in your own personal writing. When those improvements are made and you approve of your writing you’ll become more confident with your writing being shared to the public. This also brings the opportunity of getting to know people through their writing which is destined when taking this class.

Unit 4 Proposal

For this unit I will be revising unit 2 which was the pop culture analysis. For that unit I wrote an essay analyzing a song that had a deep meaning. I explained each verse and even explained the incident that sparked the lyrics of the song for the artist. For this unit I would like to complete a photo essay which will include photos and descriptions that represent parts of the song. I’m not sure of the audience I will be trying to reach but my goal is to make them see visuals of real life injustices that still happen today. And I want them to be able to understand through those visuals the deeper meaning behind the song. I will try including pictures of the incident that took place and pictures showing police brutality and gun violence so the audience can know exactly what they’re trying to comprehend while observing and reading my photo essay.

Education Essay (Revised)

I’m sitting alone at the dining table when all of a sudden I hear footsteps approaching my way. Both my parents walk in with familiar disappointed looks on their faces. Looks they would usually have when I would get in trouble with a teacher or come home with unacceptable grades. So I knew exactly why they looked that way and why they came. They wanted to know the specific reasons why I made the bad choices I made regarding school. More specifically, why I kept on making those choices over and over again. My parents have had several talks with me about education and how important it is to have one. They would go on and on about how education is required for a successful future. And how miserable life would be without one. Sometimes in the middle of those discussions I would think about all the people that are successful who didn’t go to college. I never brought this up to my parents though because I know exactly what they would say. They would tell me that I don’t have to be like them and I’m better off going to college. It’s not that I want to be like those people, it’s just that they shouldn’t be looked down upon just because college wasn’t for them. Just thoughts that always flew through my head when I thought about college and it’s so called guaranteed success if attended.

When the question of why I kept making bad decisions in school came up I completely froze. I had no idea of what to say. All I could see were my parents staring me straight in the face waiting for answers. The longer I took the more impatient they got. My dad then said, “I’m waiting for an answer.” I was very nervous and began to shake because of fear of being a disappointment to the family. But when I would make the choices to cut class, talk while the teacher was talking, not do any homework, not study for any exams I didn’t think that. I basically would just go to school and come back home without learning anything. It felt like a never ending cycle. I always thought that I just wasn’t interested in school at the time and also I didn’t have enough motivation especially from teachers. I didn’t have the guts to tell my parents any of that though because they’re so education strict that they would probably consider sending me away. “Can you open your mouth and talk,” said my mother. “Hurry up, you’re wasting time,” then followed my dad. At this point I just decided to tell them what I thought would be a good enough excuse. “My teachers don’t know how to do their jobs, they can barely even teach because of how disruptive the students are,” I said. “Aren’t you one of those disruptive students?” asked my dad. The room went silent meaning the answer was pretty obvious.

My father began talking about how I shouldn’t be giving him any excuses and that I should just own up to my bad behavior. My mother shook her head and walked away in disappointment. I felt really bad because I hated seeing that look on her face. It made me feel like I was letting her down and in all honesty I really was. Even when I had opportunities to excel I didn’t put in any effort to become a better student. This reminds me of all the times I would come home and know that I had homework that I was able to due but never actually did them. Also when I would go places with my friends after school instead of attending the after school hour session my teacher offered to make up work needed in order to pass. After hours of talking and me almost dozing off every once in awhile my father finally asked me if there was anything I had to say for myself. I said no but that wasn’t a good enough answer for him, it never was. I told him that I would do better in my academics and not hang with the wrong crowd. “You can and you will,” he said. He then got up and walked away. I continued sitting in the same spot just daydreaming and thinking about what to do with myself.

There must’ve been something different about that discussion with my parents or maybe it was the fact that I was officially sick and tired of being a disappointment. But a few days later, I sat down and thought long and hard about my next moves and the steps I needed to take to make them. I needed to make sure that I ended high school strong. I started off high school strong but then I started to slack and by the time I knew it, it was the end of my eleventh grade year and I was barely on track to graduate. I told myself that it’s not too late to get on track so I could graduate on time. I wanted to be a better student. Sometimes I think it was the fear of being embarrassed that made me want to turn everything around but as time went by I realized it was fear of not being able to pursue the career I desire. I realized that what I ended up doing from there on out were steps to determining how my future would turn out. I didn’t want to end up on the streets regretting my whole childhood because of the mistakes I made in high school. I was also sick and tired of being pushed from grade to grade. I use to think that I didn’t deserve to move on to the next grade but I did every time. I guess you could just say I was lucky. I wanted to know that I deserved moving on to a higher level of education. People would always tell me that it’s not good to work from behind meaning that I should’ve been on top of my game from the beginning and not wait until it’s almost too late to try and work my way up. But I honestly didn’t want to hear that, I just wanted to know that it wasn’t too late for me academic wise.

Twelfth grade ended up being my best year of high school. I was determined and dedicated to prove to myself that I have what it takes to excel in my studies. I worked harder than ever in all my classes and I managed to get good grades each marking period. I had a few teachers who supported me and made sure that I was always on task. There’s one specific teacher who stood out to me the most. My math teacher in tenth and eleventh grade who always offered me tutoring sessions even as I moved up a grade. He would always stop me in the hallway when he saw me to ask about my progress and just see how I was doing overall. I’m still til this day very thankful for his help towards my education. Before I knew it I was I was on track to graduate with the support I was receiving of course but most importantly my determination helped. I would stay after school any time teachers were available to get extra help and then I would go home and study for hours. Sometimes I fell asleep while catching up on work. So I was very relieved when my guidance counselor told me that I would be graduating with the rest of my peers who were on track. I was happy that I would be walking across the stage with my friends and declared a graduate. The rest of the marking periods went by and I was stress free. I had nothing to worry about academic wise. I eventually graduated and was thrilled to be leaving that school and never looking back.

Here I am eventually looking back on my previous years of schooling wondering what I could’ve done differently to be a better student. When I think back to all those times I would get into trouble I’m always clueless as to why. My excuse is always that I just wasn’t interested in school back then. But was that really the reason why I was so miserable? I don’t even know myself. I was such a moody and chaotic student ever since I even started attending school. I remember in elementary school when I use to get in trouble for behavior problems. Teachers use to send me out of their classes and into different classrooms. In middle school it was the same process but even worse. I surrounded myself with the wrong crowd and not having a care in the world. Then high school came by and I wanted to change but ended up getting lazy with the process and almost not graduating. I guess I was just young and had a lot of maturing to do and I also needed to figure out what I want to do in the future. Now that I’ve figured it out I see positive changes in my attitude towards education. I’m just glad that I was able to make it through those long twelve years of schooling and not give up on myself. I hope that in college I can be strong academic wise til the end so I can aspire a bright future.

Final Draft

Dear MTA Board Members,

For starters, I would like to thank you all for what you’re doing for public transportation and allowing there to even be an alternative for people to commute. But it’s honestly not enough. As a train rider, I’m speaking on behalf of myself and other passengers I witness who are also fed up with the MTA when I say that train delays have become major issues. Train delays take place during any time the subways are in service. They last from as short as five minutes to as long as forty five minutes based on my experiences. But I’m pretty sure that others have experienced worse. During service hours when a train all of a sudden stops moving, most people boarding the train start sucking their teeth or shaking their heads right before the conductor states, “we’re experiencing delays due to signal malfunctions, we’ll be moving shortly, thank you for your patience.” Do we really end up moving shortly though? No. Sometimes we do but often times we don’t and that is not okay. There is nothing more disappointing than hearing that the train is delayed when you have somewhere you really need to be. It also annoys some passengers that the MTA never explains what signal failures are, why they go wrong, and things that can be done to avoid them. They just stop the train, give an excuse about signals, and expect passengers to comply with it.

After doing research of my own, I found out that just like roads, railways have signals which are traffic light devices that inform train drivers if it’s safe to proceed. Signals are positioned at the beginning of each track and divided into sections to ensure that trains don’t collide. In a particular section, only one train should be in service. Sometimes these signals breakdown and the signal turns red causing train drivers to stop driving. Signals turn red because of problems with track circuits and axle counters. If anything goes wrong with these devices, its not safe for a train to proceed. And if one train doesn’t proceed, it will hold up the train behind it which will cause train traffic. These devices fail because the proper maintenance that tracks need to function efficiently is not being provided enough. On top of that, recent studies found out that “For all intents and purposes, the subway uses the same signaling system that was installed when the first subway line opened in 1904.” (Gordon 1). So basically, the subway uses the same century old technology, more specifically signaling system which is a key factor as to why trains experience delays. If passengers have to deal with the annoyance of train delays due to signal problems, they should at least know the reasons why these signals fail. The way the system operates hasn’t appropriately changed since it’s establishment. This results in trains being held in stations longer than intended. And if trains don’t proceed on their proper schedules, things could get hectic really quickly. Things such as electrical supply faults, track circuit failures, broken rail joints, blow signal lamps, or train stop faults which are referred to as these signal problems could all be prevented if more track work gets done.

A few suggestions gathered that may help prevent delays include meetings that should be held with railway engineers discussing steps that need to be taken to ensure that proper track maintenance takes place and engineers that actually live within the borough they work for should be the ones being hired. This way they can get to their job destinations quicker and develop solutions to technical problems quicker. New products to enhance track duration should also be open for discussion and development. Rumor has it that the subway fare is going up soon, if this is true people shouldn’t have to pay more for commutes that are twice as long than usual. It’s just simply unfair! Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Ife Ajayi

Draft

Dear MTA Board Members,

For starters, I would like to thank you all for what you’re doing for public transportation and allowing there to even be an alternative for people to commute. But it’s honestly not enough. As a train rider, I’m speaking on behalf of myself and other passengers I witness who are also fed up with the MTA when I say that train delays have become major issues. Train delays take place during any time the subways are in service. They last from as short as five minutes to as long as forty five minutes based on my experiences. But I’m pretty sure that others have experienced worse. During service hours when a train all of a sudden stops moving, most people boarding the train start sucking their teeth or shaking their heads right before the conductor states, “we’re experiencing delays due to signal malfunctions, we’ll be moving shortly, thank you for your patience.” Do we really end up moving shortly though? No. Sometimes we do but often times we don’t and that is not okay. There is nothing more disappointing than hearing that the train is delayed when you have somewhere you really need to be. It also annoys some passengers that the MTA never explains what signal failures are, why they go wrong, and things that can be done to avoid them. They just stop the train, give an excuse about signals, and expect passengers to comply with it.

I did some research of my own and found out that just like roads, railways have signals which are traffic light devices that inform train drivers if it’s safe to proceed. Signals are positioned at the beginning of each track divided into sections to ensure that trains don’t collide. In a particular section, only one train should be in service. Sometimes these signals breakdown and the signal turns red causing train drivers to stop driving. Signals turn red because of problems with track circuits and axle counters. If anything goes wrong with these devices, its not safe for a train to proceed. And if one train doesn’t proceed, it will hold up the train behind it which will cause train traffic. These devices fail because the proper maintenance that tracks need to function efficiently is not being provided enough. On top of that, the subway uses the same century old technology, more specifically signaling system that was installed years ago. If passengers have to deal with the annoyance of train delays due to signal problems, they should at least know the reasons why these signals fail. The way the system operates hasn’t appropriately changed since it’s establishment. This results in trains being held in stations longer than intended. And if trains don’t proceed on their proper schedules, things could get hectic really quickly. Things such as electrical supply faults, track circuit failures, broken rail joints, blow signal lamps, or train stop faults which are referred to as these signal problems could all be prevented if more track work gets done.

As a suggestion, meetings should be held with railway engineers discussing steps that need to be taken to ensure that proper track maintenance takes place and engineers that actually live within the borough they work for should be the ones being hired. This way they can get to their job destinations quicker and develop solutions to technical problems quicker. New products to enhance track duration should also be open for discussion and development. Rumor has it that the subway fare is going up soon, if this is true people shouldn’t have to pay more for commutes that are twice as long than usual. It’s just simply unfair! Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Ife Ajayi

So far for unit three, I’ve gathered a lot of research on a specific community problem that involves the MTA. To be specific, I found useful information that discusses why trains get delayed and how this problem could possibly be avoided. In my research, I came to a conclusion that signal malfunctions are a huge cause for train delays. With this information, I’ve decided to write an open letter to the board members of the MTA which will go more in depth regarding signal malfunctions and it’s affect on commutes. For better understanding, I read examples of letters written with similar issues so that I could have an idea of what to include in the letter. I started off the letter very briefly and to the point so the members could know that what they’re about to read is serious. Although I struggled with figuring out if I should include some information in the beginning of the letter or not I managed to make a list of what I wanted to include in the beginning, middle, and end of the letter eventually. This allowed me to see where information would sound the most appropriate in terms of the topic I chose. Even though I created this list, I still might have difficulty knowing what to add and what not to add in the letter. For example, I don’t want to be repetitive but maybe that’s what the board needs to see to actually realize that change needs to happen. On the other hand, maybe that’s just what the boards needs to see to not want to read anymore and throw the letter out. I wouldn’t know. But if it was me, I wouldn’t want to read something too repetitive so I’ve decided to add information from the beginning of the letter to the end but in different words. Lastly, for the conclusion of the letter, I’ve also decided to write mainly about the steps that could lead to solutions which for starters involves writing the letter to the board members. I’m not too sure if most of the information I found are steps to solutions or just simply solutions. Most of it just seems like possible solutions. This isn’t too much of a difficulty but it could become confusing because I’m not sure if were supposed to add steps to solutions as well as the solutions or just the steps.

It never fails for trains to all of a sudden stop moving out of nowhere during service hours. This is what is referred to as a delay. One of the main reasons for train delays is signal malfunctions. For most passengers, there is nothing more disappointing than hearing the conductor announce that the train is delayed due to failures with signals. It also annoys passengers that the MTA never explains what signal failures are, why they go wrong, and things that can be done to avoid them. They just stop the train, give an excuse about signals, and expect passengers to comply with it. These delays usually last for quite some time and result in people arriving to their destinations late. Even if people aren’t in a rush to get somewhere, it’s very unlikely that they wouldn’t have a problem with sitting or standing on a train that’s stranded and doesn’t seem to be moving soon.

Just like roads, railways have signals which are traffic light devices that inform train drivers if it’s safe to advance along the tracks. Signals are positioned at the beginning of each track divided into sections to ensure that trains don’t hit each other. In a particular section, only one train should be in service. Sometimes these systems breakdown and the signal turns red and that’s what train drivers see causing them to stop the train. Signals turn red because of problems with track circuits and axle counters. Track circuits are electrical devices used to determine which track sections are occupied by trains. Axle counters are devices that detect the passing of a train between two points on a track. If anything goes wrong with these devices, it’s not safe for a train to proceed. And if trains don’t proceed on their proper schedule, things could get hectic really quickly. And people shouldn’t have to continuously pay for commutes that are twice as long than usual.

If passengers have to deal with the annoyance of trains delays due to signal problems, they should at least know the reasons why these signals fail. The subway uses the same century old technology, more specifically signaling system that was installed years ago. The way the system operates hasn’t appropriately changed since it’s establishment. This results in trains being held in stations longer than intended. It shouldn’t take as long as it takes sometimes for trains to start moving again. The proper maintenance that track circuits and axle counters need to function efficiently is not being provided to the right extent. Things such as electrical supply faults, track circuit failures, broken rail joints, blown signal lamps, or train stop faults which are referred to as signal problems can be prevented if more track work gets done.

Other than train track issues, safety rules and changes to the signal system are also reasons for long lasting delays. The MTA made decisions that they thought would bring safety to workers and passengers but only brought misery. New rules for track work were adopted. These rules include extended safety zones and setup times. Train drivers are required to slow down at certain points and this affects neighboring trains because they start to get close to each other and have no choice but to stop so they don’t clash. This associates with the decision to increase the amount of space that is required between trains. The signals that were installed to make this happen slowed trains down even more than intended. It’s very important to protect workers and passengers but it would also be relieving if ways to avoid delays were in action.

Ever since the olden days especially when slavery existed, African Americans were seen as less than simply because of the color of our skin. Slaves were treated as if their lives didn’t matter by their inhumane white slaveholders. They were brutally beaten and many were even murdered. They suffered at the hands of people just like them, the only difference was their skin color. Even as an end was put to slavery, African Americans still face issues such as police brutality and gun violence. White police officers for the most part, have taken many lives due to these issues. A very eminent and influential individual in the music industry projects these issues through song as an eye opener for African Americans. On August 15, 2014 days after a tragic incident he released a song titled “Be Free.” In the song, J. Cole was responding to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri which took place on August 9, 2014. This song went viral just a few hours after he uploaded it on the SoundCloud platform where it was shared mainly through social media. J. Cole used his platform to voice thoughts and feelings on the issues of injustice that people of color sadly still face today.

Throughout the song, you can tell that J. Cole really felt hurt by the untimely death of one of his kind, a young African American who was fatally killed by a police officer in cold blood. On the day of the incident Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of cigars and pushing a Ferguson Market clerk away. Brown was accompanied by his friend Dorian Johnson and they both fled the market. Officer Wilson drove up to them and ordered them to move off the street. Wilson had to stop his car close to them. This caused a grapple between Brown and Wilson after the teen reached through the window of the police car. Wilson’s gun was fired twice during the struggle from the inside of the car, with one bullet hitting Brown’s right hand. Brown and Johnson started to run away when Johnson decided to hide behind a car. Wilson got out of the car and pursued Brown. Eventually, while facing Brown, Wilson fired his gun again and hit Brown with at least seven shots. Brown was unarmed and died on the street. Wilson knew that Brown didn’t have any weapons on him but still decided to shoot him callously. Some may argue that Brown was coming off as dangerous or intimidating and that the officer was protecting himself. The officer could’ve tried taking him down and handcuffing him instead of shooting him. And if Wilson had back up things might have went differently. Also it’s not like he just shot him once he shot him several times, it’s almost as if he was trying to prove something. Letting Brown or African Americans know that the white police officer always wins. As expected, Wilson was cleared of civil rights violations in the shooting. This led to violence such as fires and looting. Also protesters were seen throwing objects at police officers in riot gear because they believed justice wasn’t being served.

In the song Cole even included the eyewitness testimony that Johnson presented to the court to fill his audience in on what happened from the point of view of Brown’s friend. Hearing Johnson’s voice being backed by the beat of the song made it sound soothing in a way but still painful to listen to. Cole used Johnson’s account to expose how reckless policemen who possess guns could be. He basically backed up his song with evidence from an eyewitness of the murder who told the story from his firsthand perspective. Johnson was recalling the actions each person took during the incident without pausing to think about what to say next. He knew exactly what to say, when to say it, and it all sounded truthful. It made the song sound more realistic. It’s like a message inside of a message. Johnson’s message which was his testimony was inside of Cole message which was his song. Hearing Johnson’s voice explaining what happened so thoroughly should be enough to get the attention of tons of people and realizing that African Americans aren’t completely free from injustices and that changes have to be made. Cole’s song was just the topping to the situation. It helped spark the incident of a young man who was a victim of police gun violence far and wide.

The entire song “Be Free” has meaning behind it. From verse one where Cole states, “And I’m in denial. And it don’t take no x-ray to see right through my smile.” Which refers to him not being able to believe the extent to which police brutality has arrived and knowing that he’s a celebrity who has to maintain his platform, he is grieved by the way African Americans are being victimized by violence. To the hook where Cole states, “All we wanna do is break the chains off. All we wanna do is be free.” This is Cole speaking in figurative language reflecting on how African Americans back in the day faced similar hardships but were chained and under the circumstances of violence and how it seems as if we still have chains on but not literally. Also he believes that freedom incorporates being a person of color without being mistreated for no reason. Moving on to verse two where Cole states, “Can you tell me why. Every time I step outside I see my niggas die.” This is Cole mourning the fact that so many African Americans are being killed by cops. Then follows, “I’m letting you know. That there ain’t no gun they make that could kill my soul.” Cole demonstrates toughness in the face of these injustices when he says this. When Cole starts singing the bridge, you can tell that it was coming from his heart. It sounded as if he was tearing up while singing. The bridge is Cole basically wondering if society has isolated African Americans and that we shouldn’t back down when faced with injustices. Cole reaches out to people to take action, he doesn’t want them to act like it’s normal to be mistreated. In the end of the song, Cole just repeats the hook which as stated before talks about being released from chains and being free.

The culture of rap plays a major role on what teens choose to listen to and act on. In other words, teens usually listen to artists they feel they can relate to and they tend to mimic the lifestyle of those artists. In a textual analysis of the song “Be Free” the author states, “Rapper and the culture of rap has a very big impact on what teens choose to respond to. If a rapper used their platform to talk about an issue then the reader (teens) will pay more attention, and spread the word (mainly through social media). In another analysis the author states, “J. Cole, whose song “Be Free” ricocheted around the world in a matter of hours after he posted it on the Soundcloud Platform.” Both of these authors indicate that songs with deep meanings behind them will catch the attention of teens and go viral especially if released by a well liked artist. I agree that Cole’s song reached out to the youth especially African Americans because majority of his fan base are adolescents. This song was a great way to deliver a message that needed to be heard by uncountable ears.

“Be Free,” a message indeed. A message to open the eyes and ears of African Americans even further and realize that if we don’t try and stick together permanently as one unite nothing will change. African Americans won’t be free from injustices that have been happening before we were all even born and still continue to happen. We must come together and stand our ground. We shouldn’t comply with injustice but forbid it. Then and only then will we be free from chains indeed.

J. Cole – Be Free

The mentor article I chose caught my attention not only because I personally think Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers but because it conveyed a side of Jackson that was personal to him but expressed in his album Thriller. The author of this article went into depth about how the some of the songs on the album have harrowing, dark messages that couldn’t be masked by up-tempo beats. Jackson was very passionate about his music and he usually always seemed cheerful but he experienced a lot of distress throughout his career. But he was the type of person that didn’t let stress stop him from pleasing his fans and looking happy all the time. He also tried his best to avoid criticism from part of the world that demonstrated tons of hate towards him. In the article, the author states, “Particularly on Jackson’s own compositions, Thriller’s tense, nearly obsessive sound components lyrics that delineate a world that has put the twenty-four-year-old on the defensive.” This shows that Jackson was well aware of the hate he was receiving but in return he decided to express what he was feeling in song. So basically he wrote lyrics that made it seem as if people were out to get him and that he needs to be alert and cautious of his surroundings. In my writing, I would like to generate going into depth about specific messages the artist I chose was trying to convey. It would help if I could avoid going off topic and writing about things related to the topic instead of sticking to the topic. Also I think topics like police brutality and racial profiling would engage my audience especially if I’m basing it off of a well liked artist perspective.