Kanye West was born June 8th, 1977 in Atlanta Georgia. His parents divorced when he was 3 and he lived with his mother in Chicago, Illinois. He dropped out of college due to poor grades and a desire to make it in the music industry. Kanye initially produced big hits for stars like jay-z, Talib Kweli, cam'ron, paul wall, Common and many others. He couldn't find a record deal because most labels saw him as a producer not a rapper. He eventually signed a deal and released his 1st cd entitled, The College Dropout. It contained hit songs like, All Falls Down, and Jesus Walks.
All Falls down in a very touching song about Kanye's view of life and how people are very self conscience. He uses some literary devices to make his point, in the first verse,"Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexus'" This a pun, he is saying that she can't afford a car so what she did was name her daughter a car. It is the closest thing she can get. In the second verse he says, "Prettiest people do the ugliest things." That is a overused saying, it is always said but it can also be considered a paradox because pretty and ugly are two opposite things. In the third and final verse West sums it all up and says that, "We all self conscious I'm just the first to admit it." This song is about the people in the world, everyone is self conscience but they act like everything is fine. The truth is everyone cares.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Dead Presidents II analysis
Dead Presidents II
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter was born December 4th, 1969, he is best known for his stage name, Jay-Z. He is the former CEO of Def Jame records and currently partly owns the New Jersey Nets, and owns the 40/40 club. Jay-Z has a net worth of 587 million dollars, the most for any rapper. He married Beyonce Knowles April 4, 2008. He has produced 11 articles in his career and he is on the verge of a 150 million dollar partnership with LiveNation. His First Album entitled "Reasonable Doubt" contained many big hits but Dead Presidents II was one of the biggest.
The song is about the Drug Dealing Underworld Jay-Z uses some good literary terms in this song but a lot of the song is pretty straight-forward, the most common term he uses is similes. There are 4 similes in this song. In the first verse he says, "By the ounce dough accumulate like snow." He is comparing him money piling up like snow piles up in a storm. The only other literary term in a paradox. He says "I was crazy straight." This contradicts itself because crazy means nuts or not all there, but straight means good mind, and having a good head on your shoulders. This first verse is Jay-Z reliving his life in the slums of Brooklyn where he grew up. He talks about how he has made it to the big show, they, "Don't shine they illuminate."
In the second verse Jay really breaks out the literary tricks, he uses a lot of metaphors and allusions and similes. "Roll like Monopoly" this is an obvious simile referring to the game monopoly and how he rolls. He also talks about white crystals, which is an allusion to Meth or Cocaine. Right after that line he uses a simile to compare the crystals to copycats. He is talking about how when he was dealing drugs there were a lot of people who would copy him and take his sales ect. Later in the verse he uses a metaphor, "I got a good life man, pounds and pence Nuff dollars make sense, while you ride the bench." He is comparing himselg being a big player to the other guy riding the bench and not "playing." This is all an allusion to a sport, it could be basketball, baseball, or football, it isn't very specific. But then he clears it up in the next line where he says, "got me swinging for the fence." This allusion is about baseball. "Eleven sixty to show, my doe flip like Tae-Kwon." This simile refers to his doe flipping, tae-kwon. Tae-Kwon is a martial art that involves flipping an jumping. "Heavy spenders like hit records: Roc-A-Fella." This simile refers to heavy spenders and hit records.
This song is filled with lyrical content and Jay-Z has a very sophisticated rhyme scheme, on the song rate chart this single scored a 94, which is the highest rating i have ever given a song. The song name is a allusion but I honestly don't know what it alludes to. I really like this song and i think i made a good decision picking it.
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter was born December 4th, 1969, he is best known for his stage name, Jay-Z. He is the former CEO of Def Jame records and currently partly owns the New Jersey Nets, and owns the 40/40 club. Jay-Z has a net worth of 587 million dollars, the most for any rapper. He married Beyonce Knowles April 4, 2008. He has produced 11 articles in his career and he is on the verge of a 150 million dollar partnership with LiveNation. His First Album entitled "Reasonable Doubt" contained many big hits but Dead Presidents II was one of the biggest.
The song is about the Drug Dealing Underworld Jay-Z uses some good literary terms in this song but a lot of the song is pretty straight-forward, the most common term he uses is similes. There are 4 similes in this song. In the first verse he says, "By the ounce dough accumulate like snow." He is comparing him money piling up like snow piles up in a storm. The only other literary term in a paradox. He says "I was crazy straight." This contradicts itself because crazy means nuts or not all there, but straight means good mind, and having a good head on your shoulders. This first verse is Jay-Z reliving his life in the slums of Brooklyn where he grew up. He talks about how he has made it to the big show, they, "Don't shine they illuminate."
In the second verse Jay really breaks out the literary tricks, he uses a lot of metaphors and allusions and similes. "Roll like Monopoly" this is an obvious simile referring to the game monopoly and how he rolls. He also talks about white crystals, which is an allusion to Meth or Cocaine. Right after that line he uses a simile to compare the crystals to copycats. He is talking about how when he was dealing drugs there were a lot of people who would copy him and take his sales ect. Later in the verse he uses a metaphor, "I got a good life man, pounds and pence Nuff dollars make sense, while you ride the bench." He is comparing himselg being a big player to the other guy riding the bench and not "playing." This is all an allusion to a sport, it could be basketball, baseball, or football, it isn't very specific. But then he clears it up in the next line where he says, "got me swinging for the fence." This allusion is about baseball. "Eleven sixty to show, my doe flip like Tae-Kwon." This simile refers to his doe flipping, tae-kwon. Tae-Kwon is a martial art that involves flipping an jumping. "Heavy spenders like hit records: Roc-A-Fella." This simile refers to heavy spenders and hit records.
This song is filled with lyrical content and Jay-Z has a very sophisticated rhyme scheme, on the song rate chart this single scored a 94, which is the highest rating i have ever given a song. The song name is a allusion but I honestly don't know what it alludes to. I really like this song and i think i made a good decision picking it.
No Matter What analysis
T.I is a southern rapper known for his swagger, cockiness and huge hits. The single No Matter What was a song that profiled T.I throughout his hard times. He accused of buying unliscensed weapons from an undercover officer. He is taking it all in stride and No Matter What is a song explaining how he does that. He uses a lot of slang, allusions and similes/metaphors to shown his point of view.
In the first verse he says, "believe me, pains a small thing to a giant." This is a metaphor comparing himself as a giant and pain unaffecting him. He is saying that he has so much stress but he, "smiles like it all fine." He is going through a lot and he asks how he does it. He makes a lot of allusions to God. He says God is the reason he is still here.
In the second verse he says that he "avoids insanity manage to conquer any obstacle making impossible possible." This is another reference to God. Another allusion he says that God allows him to avoid insanity whicle being locked up in "mi casa." And again when he says, "God'll take through hell just to get you to heaven." I don't agree with T.I here. I get the feeling that he is saying God is just taking me through Hell but I will get to heavin. T.I has been arrested multiple times and hasn't been the best person throughout the years. He is giving an excuse for his bad ways. The last poetic device he uses in the second verse is a simile,"But when life through punches counter and block it like a boxer do." He is comparing life throwing punches like a boxer. Which is a pretty good line.
In the last verse T.I is pretty straight forward, he uses a metaphor saying,"I will weather whatever stoem make it out without a bruise." He is comparing life to a storm and he will make it out just fine. This song is one of T.I softer songs and he really means what he is saying.
In the first verse he says, "believe me, pains a small thing to a giant." This is a metaphor comparing himself as a giant and pain unaffecting him. He is saying that he has so much stress but he, "smiles like it all fine." He is going through a lot and he asks how he does it. He makes a lot of allusions to God. He says God is the reason he is still here.
In the second verse he says that he "avoids insanity manage to conquer any obstacle making impossible possible." This is another reference to God. Another allusion he says that God allows him to avoid insanity whicle being locked up in "mi casa." And again when he says, "God'll take through hell just to get you to heaven." I don't agree with T.I here. I get the feeling that he is saying God is just taking me through Hell but I will get to heavin. T.I has been arrested multiple times and hasn't been the best person throughout the years. He is giving an excuse for his bad ways. The last poetic device he uses in the second verse is a simile,"But when life through punches counter and block it like a boxer do." He is comparing life throwing punches like a boxer. Which is a pretty good line.
In the last verse T.I is pretty straight forward, he uses a metaphor saying,"I will weather whatever stoem make it out without a bruise." He is comparing life to a storm and he will make it out just fine. This song is one of T.I softer songs and he really means what he is saying.
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