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hope in rap

hope in rap The three-year anniversary of Notorious B.I.G's murder is fast approaching and many people still rave about his music. What made him so special was the connection he had with his listeners. He found many ways to incorporate his life stories into his music that relates to every other "thug" growing up in the streets from New York City to Los Angeles. The perfect example of this is his double CD, "Life after Death" where most of his songs are about death and how people deal with it. Its quite ironic how he sort of predicted his own death in the album but by doing so, it helped his fans and family deal with his death better. To understand his songs, you have to understand the life he grew up in. Raised in the ghettos of New York City, he like many others had difficult time surviving. In order to survive he took up drug dealing and other illegal activities to support his daughter and his wife. Yea we all know drug dealing is not the way to go, but you have to understand the environment he grew up in. Most of his friends were either dead or in jail and it was either dealing drugs or letting his family die. Even though he sold drugs, he knew he would have to stop to look after his child and he was given that opportunity when he began rapping. Now that you understand his childhood, you can understand his music much clearly. His music isn't about killing cops or raping a girl, but of hope for people like him out they're selling drugs to survive. He gives the clear message of hope to everyone who makes the effort and realizes that drugs isn't the way to go and to never give up on life and to live life to the fullest. The best example of this is in his song, "Sky's The Limit" featuring 112. He starts of the song saying how poor he used to be and how he had only two pairs of jeans and so he led the life of stealing and robbing people just to eat a meal a day but then portrays the life of being a rap star and how he never gave up because he knew he was "lame". The chorus of the song has 112 singing, "Sky is the limit and you know that you keep on Sky is the limit and you know that you can have what you want, pressing what you want Sky is the limit and you know that you keep on Sky is the limit and you know that you can have what you want, be what you want, have what you want, be what you want" This chorus gives hope to the other struggling people to have faith and not to give up on life because anything you want, you can have. It just takes the effort to be proud. This is what Notorious was special at doing. He could deliver the message better then any other person out there, because he is a prime example to all the people that they do have a future. Although he does talk about being rich and leading a good life now that he has the money, he also realized the problems of having money. In his song, "Mo Money Mo Problems" he talks about how money brings the downs as well as the ups. In the intro of the song, Puff Daddy says how money makes you the perfect target of everyone who is envious and jealous of what you have gained and that if you're not careful of what you do, you can end up "D.O.A". And most people believe this is what caused Biggie's death. Biggie in the song says, "I don't know what, they want from me It's like the more money we come across The more problems we see." He warns people to be careful of their newfound riches and to play it cool, and not to show up people. This song shows that even though he made a lot of money, he knew who he was and he wasn't gonna let the money get to his head. Like many "thugs" in the city, numerous people told his that he would amount to nothing. In his song, "Juicy", he dedicates the song to those who doubted him during his lifetime. He says, "Yeah, this album is dedicated to all the teachers that told me I'd never amount to nothin', to all the people that lived above the buildings that I was hustlin' in front of that called the police on me when I was just tryin' to make some money to feed my daughters, and all the n***az in the struggle, you know what I'm sayin"? He knows he has succeeded in life and he is proud to prove the teachers who was supposed to push him but who put him down instead wrong. Like everyone out there, he has a lot of pride and loves his family more then anything and he was willing to do anything for them. Also in this song, he talks about reading "Word Up Magazine" and having posters of other artist such as Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up on his walls. And for him to be at the same status as those artists makes him proud of whom he has fought to become when he raps, "I made the change from a common thief to up close and personal with Robin Leach". He is also proud to have his entire family and friends living a better life. He says he's happy to see his mother driving a nice car and having a nice coat remembering the days when they used to live in a "one room shack" and to see his friends living life without fear. Many people who are living in those "one room shacks" can relate to Biggie and his dreams. Everyone looks up to him because they see that Biggie was able to fight the street life and become rich and successful from the very same place they're at right now. Unlike most rap artist of the 90's Notorious B.I.G. is more then a thug rapping about killing cops and doing drugs. Sure he does have songs on this album that talks about drugs but isn't that what people expect when picking up his CD in a store? The REAL reason people actually buy the CD is because of the positive message he sends to everyone who thinks they have no hope in escaping the street life. He deliverers a clear message to everyone living in the slums everywhere to look up and fight and win what is rightfully theirs. This is why everyone still remembers Biggie. He gave everyone hope and when the death of his anniversary comes up, many people will blast his music and know everyone no matter their social or economic status has a chance to live a life full of happiness. Bibliography:

Word Count: 1185