The Last One!!

Wow....it's the last blog.

Or the last one required for MED 381.

I wasn't sure how I felt about doing this blog at first; I wasn't sure what I would consistently find to write about that would be interesting.

I've really enjoyed it though. Some weeks it was harder than others to find a topic, but I started learning to look at sites like Rolling Stone, BET, or other music sites. I loved coming up with ideas to make these blogs interesting.

I might keep this blog up actually. It really depends on how busy I am, but I enjoy having something to write about and it gives me an excuse to look up music news. I guess excuse isn't the best word, more like an  incentive to keep updated with the entertainment world.

This is going to be a short and sweet blog post. I just wanted to wrap this blog up in case I do not continue writing it.

I hope you've enjoyed it!

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent” 

- Victor Hugo     

"Live for today. Plan for tomorrow. Party tonight."

Those words were tweeted by rapper/singer Drake on Nov. 6.

The problem with this phrase is the emphasis which so many entertainers place on the first and last part. A good example would be Drake's mentor - Lil Wayne - who was just recently released on Nov. 4 from his eight-month sentence at Riker's Island.

The article "Lil Wayne is Out of Prison. Now What?" had some interesting paths that Lil Wayne could take now that he is out of jail.

The positive paths that previous rappers have went down as they continue their path through hip hop have been turning into producers or actors and creating a name for themself outside of a performer. Jay Z, Diddy, and Ice Cube are all well-known for expanding their careers beyond the stage.

But, there are also rappers who have found a more tragic path, like 2Pac Shakur, who was breaking into film, but after being in prison, was plagued by unsavory characters and tragically ended up dying at a young age. T.I., arrested in 2007 for gun possession, was convicted and sentenced to jail. His life looked promising up to that point - he had been in the film "ATL" and had numerous albums out. He was even using his conviction in a positive manner by having a show on MTV where he helped kids learn about mistakes. However, just recently, he violated his probation by possessing narcotics.

Entertainers can take so many paths, good or bad, and the world will watch and judge regardless. But maybe if entertainers want to be known for being the best in hip hop, they should emphasize the middle part of Drake's tweet, "Plan for tomorrow," before they end up ruining their own lives.

Can Women Truly Break into Rap Without Using their Sexuality?

That's the question that popped into my mind when I started reading the editorial posted on AllHipHop.com entitled "Jasmine Mans Explains 'The Mis-Education of a Barbie Doll.'"


Jasmine Mans is a spoken word poet who released a poem entitled "Nicki Minaj" or referred to as "The Mis-Education of a Barbie Doll" - referring to Nicki Minaj's habit of calling herself Barbie. She targets Nicki Minaj in her poem and editorial, she says, "because I am a long time fan and follower of her work. I recognize and applaud her lyrical abilities and the affect she has on women older and younger than myself. If we, as an audience, do not hold up a mirror to our artists, then who will?"


Nicki Minaj has been one of the breakout artists of the year, winning such awards as the BET New Artist of 2010 and the Best Female Hip Hop Artist. She is also the first female artist to top the Rap Songs chart unaccompanied since 2002.


It is not hard to see where Jasmine Mans is going with her criticism of Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj is a role model for many young girls and Jasmine Mans is recognizing this fact. She says in her editorial that she wants Nicki Minaj to provide a less shallow basis for her lyrics. She also questions Nicki Minaj's use of calling herself "Barbie," saying, "How can we expect our male rappers to pay homage and respect to women when the voice that is representing us is tainted with sexual innuendos and “child’s play?”


While I agree that Nicki Minaj should have a less shallow base to her lyrics, I do not have an objection to her using Barbie as a nickname for herself. To me, Barbies can be looked at as more than an anti-feminist  plaything, based solely on looks and sex appeal. When I was a kid, the Barbie dolls of my play were pretty - yes - but they were also highly successful because of what they did. I think it is perfectly okay for Nicki Minaj to use the idea that, like Barbie, a woman can be beautiful and sexually appealing and also carry weight in her skills and personality beyond that.


As for Nicki Minaj's lyrics, I do agree that some are much too shallow. So far, Nicki Minaj has only released mixtapes, or been featured in songs with other artists or the Young Money family. Her debut album, Pink Friday, will not be released until November 22, 2010. I'm looking forward to listening to it and seeing if she has matured in her lyrics.


Nicki Minaj's past lyrics have sometimes bordered on the vulgarity that Lil Kim was famous for, using such lines as:


Maybe It's Time To Put This P**** On Ya Sideburns,
He Say I’m Bad, He Problly Right,
He Pressing Me Like Button Downs On A Friday Night
 -From "Bedrock," a Young Money song


As seen by those lyrics, she could be more into empowering women as opposed to speaking merely about sex.


Here's a link to Nicki Minaj's first single - Your Love.  And I hope you read the poem linked at the top (it's included at the end of the article). I found the flow to be quite beautiful and I appreciate where Jasmine Mans is going with her proclaimed dare to Nicki Minaj:


"I dare Nicki Minaj to be a PHENOMENAL WOMAN and not a phenomenal 'Barbie.'"
-Jasmine Mans