Jermain – Project Proposal

My research question was: What is the impact of words in rap music(or Other art forms), and what are their effects on society?

My message is: Understanding Controversial Language. Words used in the art should be interpreted differently, not taken at face value.

I aim to educate people who misinterpret music or art and help them understand powerful language. I want to teach them not to take violent language at face value and how to decipher powerful messages painted in obscure language.

I plan to give a speech about my experience with rap music, specifically about how I misunderstood it while growing up. As a black kid, I was afraid of being stereotyped for listening to rap music. I believed that it promoted violence and negative messaging toward black people. However, I now understand that I was wrong. I was part of the problem limiting creative expression. I want to express my journey through a powerful speech & poem that uses “Words” to their full creative potential. If I feel ambitious, I may even turn it into a song.

Although I haven’t found a mentor text yet, I’m considering adapting a poem and making it my own. I am mainly focused on my grand closing. Although I would like to write a song, I understand it may be too challenging to accomplish within a limited timeframe. Therefore, if I decide to write a song, I will look for a second mentor text to assist me in case my poem is not good enough as a foundation for a song. The only other concern I have is editing my video essay and the difficulties that come with video editing.

Working Titles

• Taboo Tongue
• Taboo’s Of the Tongue
• War of Words
• Weight of words
• Weighted Words
• Battle of expression
• War on expression words as weaponry