“Telling a story about Hip-Hop built around any aspect of Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn”

Johnathan Tucker
ANT/BLS 3085
4th year (Real Estate)


“Telling a story about Hip-Hop built around any aspect of Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn”


Before last year I did not consider music from the south to be hip-hop. I consider the music to be noise on beats. There were a few exceptions like T.I. & Ludacris because I thought they had lyrical skills. I hated Crunk music with a passion. Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn in Chapter 2 - The Score (page 74) states “Atlanta also became the epicenter for the distinctive, though lyrically simple approach known as crunk. Defined as the Dirty South conjugation of word crank, the crunk movement was spearheaded primarily by Lil’ Jon and an array of mainly Atlanta-based artists like Yin Yang twins and Bone Crusher. Crunk’s appeal lay in its reliance upon methodical, bone-rattling, bottomed-out rhythms and elemental shouted chants. At a point when other regional artists were attempting to crate increasingly intricate R&B hooks to fasten their lyrics to, crunkists moved in the opposite direction, slowing the music down and literally yelling catch phrases.” Jelani Cobb’s describes the music perfectly. Well last summer I took a vacation out to Atlanta. I am a club head and like to party so I had to check out the club seen in the south. Let me tell you, the south gets it popping. The country folks know how to party. In New York in most spot people stand around in look and this is limited dancing depending where you go, it’s hit or miss. But for the most part I see people standing around at Hip-hop parties in NYC. But in Atlanta every place I went from the time I got there to the time I left the dance floor was full with everybody dancing. The first knight there I go to this stop in downtown Atlanta, I for get the name, but they played this song like three times that night. I felt left out. The entire spot was dancing in unity the dance looked fun and I actually like the song. The song was by an artist name Cupid called “Cupid shuffle” on the album Time for a Change. I had to learn this dance and by the time I left I did. When I came back home and try to put my friends on, they were not having it. But I had a new out look on music that came from the south because I see it’s about dancing to them and not the lyrical content. I think you have to be in it to appreciate or apart of the atmosphere. I don’t love the music but I don’t hate it.

"BLOGGING ON COBB 2 & 3"

Johnathan Tucker
ANT/BLS 3085
4th year (Real Estate)

"BLOGGING ON COBB 2 & 3"

There has been a dramatic change in what Hip-Hop started out as and what it is today. I think that Hip-Hop is heading in the wrong direction and drifting away for its roots. It has become too commercial and has no creativity. There is only a hand fool of artist that try to break from the mold and do something that is not popular like a Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, or even Kanye West. They are not afraid to try something different. Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn is a great book for Hip-Hop because it is a great read for people that love the music and for people that don’t know much about it. A passage that moved me from Jelani Cobb’s To the Break of Dawn was in Chapter 2 - The Score (page 73) where he talks about what Hip-Hop as become after thirty years. It states “Hip hop, in its third decade, unquestionable became a global phenomenon. The unparalleled influence of industry corporations on what was produced, heard, and understood as “hip hop” predictably produced a backlash-one which sought clear demarcation of “underground” versus “commercial” music. Looking at the divide within the music in this era it would be hard to believe that there was once a time when pop acts like Union Square or the Latin Quarter. On one level, the fetishization of the “underground” was like swearing allegiance to an imaginary homeland. The 50 cent who once declared himself king of the self-produced, street-corner sold mixtape was the same 50 cent who titled his debut Get Rich or Die Trying’, which sold multiple millions of units.” The commercialization of Hip-hop has taken the life out of Hip-hop and mad it something else, maybe pop music but call it what you want, but its not Hip-hop. It used to be about everyone having a voice and expressing there point of view but now it seems like this is only one point of view focusing on the same topics. Jelani Cobb’s makes reference to 50 Cents career and how proclaimed him-self the king of the self-produced because he sold mixtapes on the corner but I was a big 50 Cent fan before the fame and I am disappoint. After he made it he found that going commercial he can make a lot of money a decided to step away from the real and follow the formula instead of being creative. His early mixtapes are way better then his albums. The only album I really loved was Get Rich or Die Trying after that every track he put out was the same. I don’t need a magic ball to know what type of music 50 cents is going to put out. But its not just 50 cent it’s almost every artist. Everyone is not a gagster, drug dealer, or pimp. I think the fans need to hear some real life topics cause what on mainstream is not everyone’s realty. I am a true Hip-Hop fan and still love the music but I need to see some growth in topics and styles.