opera tag
The street and the ghetto: these are sources of inspiration for many artists. In the ghetto, a black person has to confront his community and gain respect, and on the other hand, face the white world, where he is invisible. In response to his social, economic, cultural invisibility, he creates his own identity through hip-hop culture, which includes rap music. Rap speaks of the daily life in the ghetto; and it has attitude. It throws light on shadowy areas it would be better not to know about; and on people who some would prefer to remain invisible and mute. Rap is a film camera that shows reality as it is: naked and raw. It tells the story of the ghetto in the first person, and recounts what’s happening in the city, in the family, in the mind. Unlike the spirit of ‘rock’ – the adult anti-establishment activity – rap is a declaration of existence, a war-like statement in the face of richer, whiter and more advantaged peers. All the important elements: break dance, smurf (the hat that takes it name from the Smurfs), DJs that make music by mixing existing records, the MC (master of ceremonies) with their microphones, graffiti, battles (battle of words), the beat box done with the mouth, slam (a kind of improvisatory oral poetry), the sweatshirt hood, the oversized trousers, the high basketball shoes, and then a language, with new sounds and expressions as well as a particular walk… Rap music is seen as being aggressive and violent. But have you ever really listened to it? Those who have suffered injustices are those who explain it best. We should listen to them.
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The street and the ghetto: these are sources of inspiration for many artists. In the ghetto, a black person has to confront his community and gain respect, and on the other hand, face the white world, where he is invisible. In response to his social, economic, cultural invisibility, he creates his own identity through hip-hop culture, which includes rap music. Rap speaks of the daily life in the ghetto; and it has attitude. It throws light on shadowy areas it would be better not to know about; and on people who some would prefer to remain invisible and mute. Rap is a film camera that shows reality as it is: naked and raw. It tells the story of the ghetto in the first person, and recounts what’s happening in the city, in the family, in the mind. Unlike the spirit of ‘rock’ – the adult anti-establishment activity – rap is a declaration of existence, a war-like statement in the face of richer, whiter and more advantaged peers. All the important elements: break dance, smurf (the hat that takes it name from the Smurfs), DJs that make music by mixing existing records, the MC (master of ceremonies) with their microphones, graffiti, battles (battle of words), the beat box done with the mouth, slam (a kind of improvisatory oral poetry), the sweatshirt hood, the oversized trousers, the high basketball shoes, and then a language, with new sounds and expressions as well as a particular walk… Rap music is seen as being aggressive and violent. But have you ever really listened to it? Those who have suffered injustices are those who explain it best. We should listen to them.
