Author: Lansey Cerisier

Lansey Cerisier

Pro. Dr. Hall

English 1101

12/10/18

 

 

Welcome to Graduation

Deep in a slumber I’m having such a great dream but it all stops. My eyes start to open but barley, I’m awaken to loud music. All I could hear is “Wake up Mr. West, Mr. West, Mr. Fresh Mr. by himself-he-so-impressed. Very confused from where all  the rucks is coming from I follow it. For it to come from my brothers room. From the beginning of this song we know who the famous artist is. Kanye West’s Graduation revolved around his earliest albums Late Registration and The College Dropout. “Good Morning” featured on his Graduation album described his personal thoughts and feelings towards a new path. Having the same feelings I played this song the day of my high school graduation and became legendary. Graduating from high school to begin college was the new path I was taking to adulthood. Worried and alone it was a new chapter beginning in my life. Transition isn’t always easy but things will work out.

 

    I guess this is my dissertation homie, this shit is basic

    Welcome to graduation

He finally accomplish becoming a rapper. Kanye actually being a college drop out to focus on his career became very famous due to his three album release. Through his lyrics and tone it draws people closer to his songs which mostly targets the black community but particularly the youth and the upcoming generations.

         From the streets of the league

         From an eight to a key

       But you graduate when you make it up outta the streets

      From the moments of pain
      Look how far we done came
     Haters sayin’ ya changed
    Now ya doin’ ya thang  

Growing up black in this world your skin tone is a threat. Looked upon as a “thug” and always in the streets hustling it feels like a trap. However making it to the league, music Industry, or becoming a dancer you become something and escape the lifestyle you had for a better one. The visuals of his album covers includes a bear that changed overtime to show his growth. Including in his Graduation video the bear represents Kanye. Throughout the video it showed other songs on the album such as ‘Stronger’, ‘Good Life’ and ‘Flashing Lights’. Certain parts of the video shows his struggle to get to his destination which is to be an icon in the rap industry. To receive a degree that illustrates dropout university and earning his rap degree after going through obstacles he faced.

Regular routines we face everyday as to waking up late, missing the train and finding any possible way to get where we have to be. Relating to all
these events I was late to my graduation. Connecting to Kanye journey obstacles as the train, the weather and people prevented him from accomplishing his goal in the video. However things work in mysterious way and a bad day you were just having become good. Kanye becoming the artist he is today his songs lyrically focused on real issues. Such as brutality, the government and change. Although that changed overtime with Kanye becoming Yeezus. The biggest controversy of today being the old Kanye and the new Kanye. The old Kanye rapped about change for people and people chasing after their dreams to become something. But referred to Yeezus as he calls himself isn’t himself anymore. He is seen to be ‘lost’ or needs to ‘get out’ related to one of the best movies. With many opinions on Kanye’s change hasn’t changed his fans that still listens to his music. They still may think the old Kanye is deep down somewhere in him and might make a come back. With his old albums we still have apart of the old Kanye that became what he hoped for. Particularly Graduation was a wake up call to himself and the world. Where he showed off his lyrical abilities and reminisce about his college days.

It being ten years since Graduation was released made a new era of hip hop and turned the rap industry. Kanye “Good Morning” is his goodbye to the chapter his closing to open a new one.

    Hustlers that’s if you’re still living, get on down

        Every time that we hear them

        Good Morning!

It’s a celebration of life and making it to the unpromised tomorrow. That we live everyday with no regrets and take every risk that comes our way. Kanye expressing these thoughts throughout his music makes what people call great music. Music with a message and meaning or to have people think way more on what they believe. His earliest albums changed music and made Kanye move to a new level musically and culturally.

Work Cited

• Genius, Kanye West, Graduation lyrics and track

https://genius.com/amp/albums/Kanye-west/Graduationlist

• Stanley, Sean. Revisiting Graduation When Kanye Set His Sights On Stadium

http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/37355/1/kanye-west-graduation-retrospective

 

Lansey Cerisier

Dr. Carrie Hall

English 1101

11/19/18

 

Why are you bugging out ? “You good”

 

There are kids fighting in distance, so much screaming and hollering. “BEAT THAT ASS SIS” or “NOBODY BETTER JUMP IN”. The typical events that happen in high school. After the fight is over a friend will usually ask their friend “you good?”and their respond back will be “yea I’m good”. It’s a weird way of asking someone if they’re okay but that’s just our way of talking. Born raised in Brooklyn, slang is like our second language. Throughout the streets you hear “you good” from adults, teens and old people. Particularly Flatbush where I’m from, we say it mostly everyday. Depending on your tone and face expression the way you say the phrase changes the meaning. New Yorkers tend to create new meanings from words they already use for example, the word mad describes someone’s emotions but New Yorkers also use it to describe an amount like “yo he’s mad tight”.

Why do people say “you good?” Instead of “okay?” my friends and I always say “you good” because I guess it’s more emphasis or we grew a habit of saying it. In many situations we use the phrase as a final thought

    Girl: Did you break the news?

    Best Friend: “Yes”, I can’t believe he’s cheating on me

   Girl: “You good?

   Best Friend: Hopefully

    It has the meaning of “Are you doing okay?” and how are you handling the news received. When having a heart to heart conversation our way of checking up on someone is asking “you good?”.

We wouldn’t really use this slang with everyone. If my boss was bugging out I wouldn’t say “you good?” I’ll probably get fired or maybe terminated. When it’s comes to adults, professors or bosses it shows a sign of disrespect. Now I know every kid wishes to talk to any adult figure like this but I do  agree it comes off rude. Our generation today expands the language of slang. You could say it’s a secret code us kids and teens use to communicate with each other. Slang is highly creative and shows that the English language is constantly evolving overtime. There’s so much more words that have been used constantly. Overtime words as dying, shade, the tea and wildin  have been used in different ways without us realizing we’re creating multiple meanings. As a new generation is born it adds new and creative slang to the culture.

Although this is said in my borough I always wanted to know who starting to say it from the jump. Maybe the phrase had one meaning and overtime we developed more. First place I heard it was Brooklyn but now a days not only do you hear it in New York but lots of other states. Down South “you good?” Is used more aggressive then how us New Yorkers use it in a sympathetic way. You may think did this phrase actually come from New York, well it did. People all over the world have admired, copied, and evolved their own version of the language. New York being it’s birthplace we put our spin and style to the phrase. By hearing the way I talk you’ll know off the bat I’m from B-R-O-O-K-L-Y-N. We talk loud, aggressive, sometimes sarcastic usually saying “You good?” In those tones speaking the way we do it’s our tradition you could say. I grew up with this phrase and not using it or having it in my vocabulary loses the purpose of using it. Being raised in Brooklyn I grew to love my home. I lived here all my life and grew a custom to the language and style. It all started in middle school and high school, we begin to use slang more and use it as shortcuts to get right to the point. From there our way of talking changed.

You know you’re not a real New Yorker if you never heard or used “you good” like are you living under a rock? We started all these crazy slang words that we say everyday. If this phrase was said to a stranger they’ll probably scrunch their face and look at you with confusion. It’s kinda funny really if you picture the scene in your head.

   Tourist: Walking and taking pictures of the famous red steps in Time Square all of sudden he falls.

    New Yorker: Yo man! “You good?”

    Tourist: Excuse me…

I mean come on, I would laugh too in my head just picturing their face and them thinking well why did he have to say it like that? It makes you eager on that the person meant either good or bad. As I said before slang is out second language, well for me the most. I say “you good” mostly all the time I might not notice it but I do. It’s apart of me and connecting to where I live my whole life. I go hard for my borough wouldn’t you ?! When you have seen Brooklyn and explore it you’ll make sure it’s represented right. Brooklyn is the best borough in my opinion. We bring life to dance , slang , and style. There’s beautiful street art in Williamsburg , a bridge to walk , many parks to visit and so much culture. Traveling to another borough suck as the Bronx I’ll feel out of place that I don’t belong there. Stand out as a sore thumb and wouldn’t blend in but in Brooklyn I fit right in. By the way we talk, dress, drag things to the max we are Brooklyn. Saying the phrase represents Brooklyn and the part I’m from Flatbush.

In many situations the phrase is said constantly but we can’t help but to say it. We may be judged by the way we talk but the sets us apart from everyone else. From first hand walking in my hood I just observe my surroundings. You could hear the loud noises from the cars and the conversations people hold. The choice of words they use and how they use it is why we have all these words. The way we express our emotions and use slang helps us to understand each other. There’s a better connection and vibe you’ll receive from one another.

My personality is shown more with how I talk and use this phrase. I could be sarcastic, worried, scared and a lot of emotions towards an event. “You good?” is self explanatory though it can be tricky if hor the person uses it. Over time a new word is created or a word is used constantly creating multiple meanings but do we know the origin of where it came from or why we say it everyday?

 

Work Cited

• Marer, Jennifer. “Here’s a List of Modern Slang Words that 2018 Teens Say.’’ 5 July.2018, entitymah.com
• Signore, John- Del. “ 100 Reasons Why Brooklyn Lives up To The Hype” 28 June.2011, gothamist.com
• Ferriss, Lucy. “Are You Good’’ 17 July.2012, chronicle.com
• Lankford, Kevin. “ Learning The Lingo: In NYC, You Good” Has At Least 8 Different Meanings’’ mymajicdc.com

“You Good? | Definition of You Good in English by Urban Dictionary. Urbandictionary.com/    definition/ “you good?’’