Essay about J.cole PDF

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Essay about J.cole...

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Katherine Carcamo 10/20/17 ENC 1101 Professor Fuller Project 1 “Neighbors” by J.Cole African American hip-hop recording artist and record producer, J. Cole have become an active voice in the music industry for his social insight and reflection of America. Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling almost 400,000 copies, the successful album 4 Your Eyez Only reached certified platinum less than four months later after it was released. One of his major hits, and music video “Neighbors”, reflects the racial relations in society and the mentality of the elite class. The music video sonically creates thick drumlines and old retro scenes that create a broad narrative to an audience of young African Americans. The purpose of the song is based on the storming invasion of the Sheltuh, the social foundation and Cole’s studio that was raided by officer’s due to a reported concern from the white community. The audience can relate to the racial inequality that’s recognized as de facto segregation. The music video is crafted in the suburbs of a pretty wealthy neighborhood in North Carolina as Cole is leaned back in a turquoise truck on a bright day. The artist is examined by his bold black dread locks and baggy clothes that is part of his signature look. Visually, the complex video transitions into a dark night in the streets as the artist is riding a plain bicycle. It allows viewers to see that his lifestyle is not luxurious with expensive cars like most celebrities. The lyrics of the police raiding his place is based on a true story and the rapper had nothing to hide from when they intensely investigated the home. Cole’s first line of the song is “I guess the

neighbors think I’m sellin’ dope” provides speculation for the vast investigation of the Sheltuh. The investigation consisted of a team of around 15 SWAT officers, demolishing the front door and searched the whole house and while nobody was home. There is actual footage of this raided event online since the artist had security cameras installed in the home. The music video presents Cole making gestures with his hands for expression and nods his head as an act of agreement. This influences the audience as it demonstrates a feeling of comprehension as he is rapping. Viewers can the setting is established in a general neighborhood and urban streets illuminated with drugstores. In the song, Cole lyrically repeats “don’t follow me” to reference the people whom judged him based on his race. Preferably the individuals that reported the unusual activity seen. He wants to maintain his innocence and this clearly shows how he felt targeted for a crime he never committed. In modern American, minority groups, specifically African Americans are commonly accused for committing false crimes. Minority groups can relate to that phrase in the song because they ‘re often victims of being falsely accused of something just for their skin color. Cole also references Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American male that was murdered by neighborhood watch coordinator, George Zimmerman. “For a Trayvon kinda fate” shows the outcome of the situation Martin faced when he faced an encounter with Zimmerman. Since the neighborhood was a gated community, it correlates to how Cole was raided in an area that was dominantly owned by Caucasians. It shows a comparison of the two cases all caused by racial inequality minority groups face. Additionally, the context of the song is understood by the rapper’s narrative lyrics that are constructed into a colorful music video. Since the Sheltuh is now part of the artist’s past, the vivid retro filters and hues in the music video depict the setting

as old school. After all, the social awareness for this song demonstrates racial inequality continues to be a serious issue that is often blinded from the majority. Majority groups in Modern America are against the song due to various reasons concerning the community. Economical standpoints and social status in a neighborhood can influence the safety and activities associated with the area. Since the Sheltuh resided in a predominantly owned white neighborhood, evidence from the Neighborhood-level Case Study (NNCS) collected important data for the intention of the neighbors calling the police initially. They stated African Americans are five times more likely to engage in violent crimes located in predominantly white communities. This provides statistical reasoning for the purpose the phone call was made initially. Racist people who envy African Americans may find the song also disturbing due to the J.Coles skin color and how odd it was to see a black man in a white neighborhood. Racist people often find themselves superior and prejudice is presented through the social actions and speculation they take control of. The speculation of the neighbors thinking J.Cole was selling drugs is a fine example of prejudice. The individuals that reported the call to the police had no physical evidence of any drugs partaken inside nor outside the home. The outcomes of the racist actions were measured from dominantly form superiority and speculation.

Additionally, J.Cole verbally states a phrase that seems vague and confuses the audience in the song. "My sixteen should've came with a coffin" is controversial because it's uncommon to see a young teen already deceased. Due to the artist's environmental development and racial background, the conditions he grew up with implies his childhood was so arduous that he could've died when he was just 16 years old. In the discourse community of young African Americans, environmental conditions such as crime, education, health, and poverty are the

influences of survival that a major concern for youth. According to the State of Working American (SWA), among racial and ethnic groups, African American have the highest poverty rates. Therefore, factors like these are major factors of life expectancies for African Americans. Lyrically, the phrase also means that a "16” also refers to the number of bars in a verse. The dual connection of that phrase remarks the creativity and context of the song along with his personal experiences. In music theory, a bar is a measure and each measure contains four to five counts. In rap music, the rhymes and street vernacular makes the unique tone and creativity the artist incorporates into a narrative....