Rap and R&B
Music, primarily Rap and R&B, has been an important factor in my life and influential to my intellectual identity. There are many stereotypes surrounding rap, such as beliefs that rap is only about drugs, violence, sex, etc., and therefore has a negative influence on listeners. However, that is far from true. Rappers rap mostly about their own life experiences, as does many artists. Though life experiences differ for everyone, the majority of African Americans have witnessed or experienced drugs, guns, and violent culture. And since not all, but a large percentage of rappers are African American, this is why the rap genre is heavily saturated with such content. It is easy to only hear the explicit language and references to drugs and violence that some rap songs entail on the surface. But if you listen more critically, you will discover deeper meaning and messages in rap about hardships, growing up impoverished and in the hood, struggles caused by institutionalized racism and being black in America, and so much more. This is the part of rap that I know and love.
I resonate with a lot of rap songs and artists; and rap has had a positive influence on my life. Some artists that have positively influenced my identity include Drake, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and my favorite artist, J. Cole. J. Cole raps about very heavy topics such as drug and alcohol addiction, mental health, poverty, and living in and getting out of the hood. These are all factors of my life having lived in East Oakland, California, coming from a broken low-income household and living from paycheck to paycheck, seeing firsthand what drugs and alcohol can do to a person and to a family — to my family — , and losing people due to gun violence. I listen to J. Cole and remember that there are people who have experienced what I have experienced and have broken the cycle and made it out.
My favorite J. Cole song, and the rap song that has possibly influenced my intellectual identity the most, is his 2014 track “Love Yourz”.
In the chorus of “Love Yourz”, J. Cole states, “No such thing as a life that's better than yours, No such thing as a life that’s better than yours (Love yourz), No such thing as a life that's better than yours, no such thing no such thing”. In this, he tells us that we should learn to love our lives and stop worrying about if someone else’s life is better than ours, because there’s no such thing. I have a hard time with this. In my hardest times of struggle and grief, it is hard to remember that I was dealt these cards for a reason. I find myself comparing my life to other people’s lives that are seemingly “easier”, and wishing I could trade places. In the second verse, Cole states,
“Think being broke was better
Now I don’t mean that phrase with no disrespect
To all my n****s out there living in debt
Cashing minimal checks
Turn on the TV see a n***a Rolex
And fantasize about a life with no stress
I mean this shit sincerely
And that’s a n***a who was once in your shoes
Living with nothin’ to lose
I hope one day you hear me
Always gon’ be a bigger house somewhere, but n***a feel me
‘Long as the people in that motherfucker love you dearly
Always gon’ be a whip that’s better than the one you got
Always gon’ be some clothes that’s fresher than the one’s you rock
Always gon’ be a bitch that’s badder out there on the tours
But you ain’t never gon’ be happy till you love yours” (Genius).
He shows that as someone who has experienced being broke and not, even when you have more things in life, there will always be someone with more than you. If you live your life trying to keep up with someone else, you will never be happy. J. Cole reminds me that there’s beauty in the struggle and everything will work out one way or another, I just have to accept and love the life I have been given.
Another musical piece that has greatly influenced me, as well as my generation, is Kendrick Lamar’s album “To Pimp a Butterfly”. “To Pimp a Butterfly” touches on heavy topics such as racism, materialism, fame, the industry, and self-love. The title itself holds much meaning. I interpret it as being stuck in a cacoon but eventually breaking free and shining in your true light. The word pimp suggests the control of someone or something, so I believe it is a paradox of a free and beautiful creature, the butterfly, being controlled. This can be compared to people being controlled by systems of oppression and not being able to spread their wings.
From the album, the song that has had the most impact on me is “Alright”. “Alright” has become an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. In the chorus, Kendrick says,
“N***a we gon’ be alright, N***a we gon’ be alright, N***a we gon’ be alright, We gon’ be alright. Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon’ be alright” (Genius).
This gives hope to the Black American community, encouraging us to fight for our rights, lives, and to end police brutality, assuring us that we gon’ be alright. As a Black person and an activist, this song hits right at home for me and evokes many emotions because of the deep meaning it holds and the purpose it serves. I along with so many others advocate for the movement day in and day out. Sometimes, it gets discouraging seeing that people are seeing it as a “trend” when this is our lives. It gets discouraging that there hasn’t been much change, that history keeps repeating itself, and officers who have literally killed innocent people in cold blood are not convicted. But, as Kendrick states in “Alright”, “Alls my life I has to fight, n***a. Alls my life I, Hard times like, yah! Bad trips like, yah!” No one said that it would be an easy road, but we have to keep fighting as we have all our lives. We needed a reminder that we gon’ be alright, and Kendrick gave that to us.
R&B has always been an emotional outlet for me. It’s soulful melodies and chill jazz-infused tones are very calming and I love the vibes. Anyone who knows me knows I especially love Alicia Keys, Jhene Aiko, and Miguel. These artists among others were and are a large part of my childhood and adolescence. Their music gives me emotional strength, and I turn to it daily. One R&B song in particular that I feel is quite representative of me and my values is “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys; which I grew up listening to. In the chorus, Keys sings,
“Some people want it all
But I don’t want nothing at all
If it ain’t you, baby
If I ain’t got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain’t got you, yeah” (Genius).
Growing up with financial hardships and still trying to make ends meet to this day, life has never been about material things for me. My love for someone has never been about material things. My family may not have showered me with expensive gifts because they weren’t able to, but I love them all the more. Because it’s not about that to me. It’s about them being present and supporting me the best way they can. In the song, I’m sure Alicia Keys was referring to a lover, but I think that the message is the same for family members and people as it related to my life, that “everything” really means nothing if I don’t have them.
In conclusion, I have come to realize that with all the changes and challenges in my life, music is a constant that allows me to escape, tune in to my emotions, or even hype me up with motivation. Below is a playlist of R&B and rap songs that have influenced my life and intellectual identity.
Works Cited
“J. Cole — Love Yourz.” Genius, 9 Dec. 2014, genius.com/J-cole-love-yourz-lyrics.
“Alicia Keys — If I Ain’t Got You.” Genius, 17 Feb. 2004, genius.com/Alicia-keys-if-i-aint-got-you-lyrics.
“Kendrick Lamar — Alright.” Genius, 15 Mar. 2015, genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics.
“Trap$oul, a Playlist by Aliyah Perry on Spotify.” Spotify, open.spotify.com/playlist/0BFfAtTGLzDm5kOhAmfwsG?si=H8dJMI91Slme6VuB8QJQqw.
