Month: April 2019

The song I pick was “Im not racist” by Joyner Lucas. I don’t have pity for you black niggas, that’s the way I feel Screamin’ “Black Lives Matter” All the black guys rather be deadbeats than pay your bills Yellin’ “nigga this” and “nigga that” Call everybody “nigga” and get a nigga mad As soon as I say “nigga” then everyone react And wanna swing at me and call me racist ’cause I ain’t black. Joyner talks states that he is not a racist but then talks how he is frustrated about if a white man say something then it would but other black can say it to each other with out it being a problem.  Joyner Lucas then have a black guy explain what he has to go through when it comes to racism like getting stop by the cops for no reason and the different treatment in certain places and situations.

In the article “Sejeong’s Flower Path is a Much-Needed Healing Song This Season”, Qing wrote “In the present, a grown-up Sejeong goes about her routine alone, dressing and tying her shoelaces by herself, taking her own height (and cheating by tiptoeing), making her own toast. These scenes are processed to emphasize cool colors in comparison to the warmer sepia tones of the scenes of the past. These points of contrast bring out a lingering sense of loneliness that comes with growing up and gaining independence.” In other words, in the music video, the screen was split into two parallels comparing Sejeong (the singer) when she was a child and as grown up. As an audience, you could see how the music video showed Sejeong having her mother do all these things for her but now that she’s growing up she becomes more independent but feels lonely at the same time which is what the warmer colors represent. The scenes from the music video made me sad but touched at the same time because it perfectly described my current situation. Sejeong was raised by her mother alone and the song represented how she only wants good things for her mom and promise to let her only walk on “flower paths”. The song talks about regret and hopefulness which is how I feel towards my mom because she sacrificed so much for me that I hope in the future I will be the one protecting her and walking on the crooked and broken roads for her.

In the 2016 summer flick, Suicide Squad, a band of super villains is utilized to go on a suicide mission to save the city that despises them. The song, “Sucker For Pain” from the movie soundtrack that captures the dark overtones of the movie. The song features a collaboration of rappers along with the singers from Imagine Dragons and X Ambassadors. In one of Lil Wayne’s verses of the song, he raps, “Like I chewed a chunk of charcoal. Naked in the North Pole. That’s why my heart cold, full of sorrow, the lost soul.” (Suicide Squad) An online analysis of this verse states, “Lil Wayne says how emotionless he has become towards this society. A chunk of charcoal has no taste or nutritional value. Guess he sees the modern society as a chunk of charcoal-burnt up and black and dirty. And he has become to heartless because of all that.” (JustRandomThings) However, I took the verse to be a holiday reference. Typically, when someone is on Santa’s naughty list they are said to receive a chunk of charcoal in their stocking instead of a gift. This would relate to the main characters being supervillains. Moreover, Lil Wayne references the North Pole which ties into the holiday theme of the verse. Moreover, Lil Wayne mentions being nude in the North Pole as it would be a painful way to die. This ties into other scenarios he mentions which are are elaborate, fanciful, and painful ways to die.

 

Works Cited

 

“Listen to ‘Sucker For Pain’ from Suicide Squad Soundtrack (Lyrics Review).” JustRandomThings, 24 June 2016, justrandomthings.com/2016/06/24/listen-sucker-pain-suicide-squad-soundtrack-lyrics-review/.

 

“Sucker For Pain.” Suicide Squad: The Album Soundtrack, Atlantic.

Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande’s newest album has gotten a lot of buzz. The album comes after a storm hit her personal life and after 6 months of her last album. A lot of people have been praising this album because of how it was put together in such short notice and it has stayed at #1 on the Billboard charts for weeks. But not everyone agrees that this is a great album. Jonny Coleman from The Hollywood Reporter said, “But, the whole thing feels like a cheap champagne hangover. Sweetener, her previous album, came out less than six months ago. And it’s hard not to read Thank U, Next as a set of leftovers from these same 2018 sessions, or an unnecessary sequel to Sweetener’s shining brightness.” This critic shades Ariana’s comment about making this album with a bottle of Pink Veuve Clicquot by her side. He obviously loved her last album Sweetener since he said it shines brightly but he can’t seem to say the same for this one. Well, I couldn’t disagree more. I definitely don’t believe this was “an unnecessary sequel.” If anything, I believe it was necessary because if you listen very closely to the songs in the album, they each speak of personal things partaking in her life. This was her way of expressing herself and answering everyone’s question of “Is Ariana okay?” I also don’t agree that the songs for Thank U, Next are “leftovers.” The songs and the vibe from both albums are completely different. If any of the songs from Thank U, Next were on Sweetener it wouldn’t make sense because they are two different sounds. Sweetener is a very pop album while Thank U, Next shows her love for R&B. At the end of the day, if I made an album like this while drinking Champagne and have it remain at #1 for weeks, I would be more than proud. Let’s see you do it, Jonny.

Hey everyone, your music paper deadline  has been rescheduled until after the break (rough drafts due April 30, Final Drafts due May 2.) However, a few of you are pretty far along! If you’d like to get them off your hands, you’re free to turn them in at any time. We will not be spending much time actually discussing this unit after the break.

For Thursday (3 parts):

1. Please write and post a paragraph on OpenLab in which you respond to a quote from another article on the artwork you are going to write about. Find a quote you can really converse with! Something you don’t just blandly agree with, but can add to in some way– either by disagreeing or by adding your own opinion in some way. Remember to INTRODUCE, SUMMARIZE  and ANALYZE  your quote! Topic: Writing about Art!
2. On the same post, please take a picture of and post your “soapstone worksheet” (this Tuesday’s homework.) This is easily done by clicking “add media”
3. Please read and annotate the article on “This is America” you picked up at the end of Tuesday’s class. You don’t have to write about it, but you will need to be able to explain it to people who have not read it. So read closely. If you missed class, please print out, read and annotate THIS ARTICLE. 

 

                                Lucki (you called me)

The opioid crisis is one that, unfortunately, too many people can relate to. (insert statistic here). A lot of people say that music plays a big influence in such an epidemic. This is due to the various references to drugs that a majority of rap artists use. Such an influence spans outside the “hood”, especially nowadays. Kids from suburban, or kids who didn’t necessarily grow up in a bad neighborhood, might be listening to the same artist that a kid living in the Bronx, or in the projects is listening to. And both are hearing the same words as each other. People love to give the argument that drugs are being depicted in a false manner, that drugs are being glorified. But, not all artists are the same. Lucki (formerly known as Lucki Eck$), is a rapper from Chicago. I personally have been a fan of Lucki for a few years now, but his music is starting to “blow up” for the lack of a better term. Like a lot of artists today, he is known for his references to controlled substances. Now, I can you rolled your eyes, but its not in the way you might think. Lucki talks about the dark side of the pills he takes, the drink he sips, how its all killing him slowly. And he knows it. But he’s in the hands of the drug, and seems to have little to no control of his needs. Lucki also talks about his personal problems with depression. About how he uses drugs to “block out” all of the bad things that are going on in his life. The drugs help him forget. I think the point Lucki is trying to make is that all of these people around him are fake, “smiling when they losing”. But, even though people call him an addict, and label him as one, he is more genuine than most. This is because Lucki expresses his raw emotions, what life, and drugs, and depression, and withdrawal are doing to him, how its affecting Him. He may conceal his depression, but doesn’t ignore that fact that it still exists.

Lyrics:

I’m gonna move along, because you’re clueless
My little brother genius and a nuisance
Got your hoe surprised, I really do this
He be off them percs, like in his music
I’m really off this so that’s confusing
All these niggas smiling when they losing
We was smoking dope behind Obama crib
Hiding in the summer new tape shit
I’m xannin’ like back to the basics
That xan really blockin’ out that fake shit
When that sip drought, stomach rip and pout
How could I be worried about what they say
When that seal crack it feel like payday
How you findin’ trouble on your vacay
You called me a addict and that’s okay
I just split this pint with my big bro zay
I ain’t really thinking about you no way
You called me an addict and that’s okay

Topic: Kendrick Lamar_HUMBLE

Kendrick Lamar (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most skillful and successful hip-hop artists of his generation. Raised in Compton, California, Lamar embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot, releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He began to gain recognition in 2010, after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated.
One of his music video is particularly interesting as it includes many captivating scenes and words. That particular video was released in 2017 and got a lot of attention. In addition of being a very well-sounding song, it also includes messages. Through this song, the singer addresses Americans, but more precisely Black people, women, corrupt people and more directly to those taking part to that racial segregation of profiling. The purpose of this song was to highlight what black people are still going through and how it affects the way they live and the way they act. The content was expressed in a lyrical and explicit way to the audience.
From the music video, it is clear that the artist put a lot of work to make things look exactly the way he exposes it. Scenes throughout the video have meanings and are meant to send messages to the audience. In introduction, we can see Kendrick standing still dressed like a pope. This scene represent the “awakening”, stating that none can consider one ethnicity to be superior to another, that’s not “Christian”. Suddenly, from a pope driving the word of God, Kendrick turned into a different personality where many girls are sitting next to him counting money. This scene represents how media takes advantage of the hard work of other. The masks on their faces means that they are under cover.
Next, a scene shows him in the middle of a diner table covered in red with wine and bread on it, and others people sitting along. This scene depicts the famous diner Jesus had before being crucified. This scene has been interpreted in many music videos by other artists.
Another scene shows Kendrick in front of a group of men their heads on fire, and other streets guys in the background. He then mentioned “Dreamers”, to illustrate how racist people think, their selfish manners when they feel like someone is taking over. Their head are on fire due to their dreams they can’t reach and are forced the live like the guys in the far background. On another scene with a little bit of controversy, he says that he is “tired of Photoshop” and displays a girl in two screens (natural  and “photoshopped”), where the girl seems to look better natural! That scene cause a bit of controversy from the feminists, but the meaning of the scene was tricky as he mentioned Richard Pryor who actively fought against racism and the fact that some people change their appearance just to fit in the society.
A well known scene form an old commercial was also illustrated, where he exchanges a jar from the back of a car to another man inside an other car. The original commercial scene was made by two white men and he shows that the same scene among black Americans can be interpreted as a criminal activity.
The same action is judged different when done by someone of a different race. Next, he then appears in a house with gun lasers pointing at him. That scene shows media attack towards African-Americans and says it’s even worse than alcohol abuse. By “Be humble! Sit down”, Kendrick illustrate what African- American have been told. He then appears in the middle of bold head black men face down (oppressed), saying “be humble, sit down”, with him in the middle signifies that he is the voice! The following scene shows him between a group of black people in high status face up and him wearing white, to says he will keep the battle going.
This music video is very entertaining, but the main idea behind this video was mostly about showing the audience that racist people are brainwashing the masses so they can think negative about African American. Considering the actual situation, such oppression does not help at all, it makes some people stop caring and just do what they are mostly considered to be doing. Bad things.