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Rap Artists: Music
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Reminiscent of breakthrough classic rap artists, PRE$$URE unloads an original style that pushes the boundaries of formulaic urban music to set a standard with Destined For Greatness. With his deep, daunting lyrics that float through Golden Bridges combined with his versatility on the album's most adventurous track, Polly-Olly, PRE$$URE paints portraits of everyday life and the affect everyday decisions can have. Through well-crafted metaphoric messages that hang closely to the hip harmonies supplied flawlessly on several tracks by T.C., Destined For Greatness puts PRE$$URE in a leadership role for pushing positives in today's culture. Without any explicit lyrics and focused on anti-violent solutions, Destined For Greatness is blessed spiritual experience for listeners of all ages.
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Rap is feeding upon itself and runs the risk of being destroyed economically. If it is not profitable for major labels to put out rap records, they will move along to other genres of music to exploit. Although independent labels appear to be closer to the streets, and therefore closer to understanding why and how records sell, it’s the money, connections, and power of the majors that help expand the rap music genre beyond its current marketplace. If the major labels move on to an area of music that they view as more profitable, such as Latin music or gospel, the reach of rap music will shrink as popular culture is blitzed less and less by rap music on the radio, in stores, and as part of everyday life. To someone, like myself, who is a strong proponent of independence in rap (supporting the “do for self” mentality of artists putting out their own records and owning their own destiny and careers), who ... does a fair share of negotiations with larger labels for artists in the rap marketplace, the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” aspect of this is apparent. If enough money isn’t secured up front in a deal to make an album and support the artist financially for a year or two, and additional money to compensate (by hiring outside companies) for areas where the label is weak, the artist runs the risk of going broke prior to ever seeing an album in the marketplace.
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Wendy Day, who founded Rap Coalition, has been an avid rap fan since the late 70s and brings a strong business background to the organization along with strength, commitment, and determination. With experience in media, advertising, marketing, and public relations, she has an irreverent take-no-prisoners attitude towards her role as organizer. The main priority is to continue to make this a strong and supportive organization with a unified goal: to support and protect rap artists, producers, and DJs! Rap Coalition is not-for-profit, and funded through its membership, its founder, and through donations from outside the music industry.
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Soft-core rap artists are about the same when it comes to subject matter. When these artists rap about drugs, they are usually saying that they quit or are writing to a woman that they’re quitting the drugs. If the rap is about money, then the rap’s lyrics might just be about spending money on a woman to buy her jewelry or cars. Take Nelly for example; he can be considered a hardcore artist or soft-core artist, but for the sake of it, I’ll classify him as a soft-core artist. In one of his music videos, he had given his girlfriend a silver necklace as a symbol of their love, hence showing that he spent his own money on jewelry for a woman.
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Rap entrepreneur Damon Dash got into the act by hustling the crowd to plug his upcoming reality series on BET. The network ... showcased its returning stable of popular talent -- AJ & Free from 106 & PARK, television's top music video countdown show; Mad Linx, host of RAP CITY; new Latina lovely Julissa, host of the afternoon teen show THE STUDENT CENTER; celebrity access duo Big Tigger and Melyssa Ford of BET STYLE; ex-NFL player Anthony "A.D." Dorsett, Jr. of sports feature MAAD SPORTS; high-tech video tracker Ray J from BET.COM COUNTOWN; Jeff Johnson, host of the recently-launched urban documentary series THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES; and spiritual duo Gerard Henry from LIFT EVERY VOICE and Gospel Music Hall-of-Famer Dr. Bobby Jones, host of BOBBY JONES GOSPEL, the longest-running show in BET 25-year history.
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Since the mid-1980s rap music has greatly influenced both black and white culture in North America. Much of the slang of hip-hop culture, including such terms as dis, fly, def, chill, and wack, have become standard parts of the vocabulary of a significant number of young people of various ethnic origins. Many rap enthusiasts assert that rap functions as a voice for a community without access to the mainstream media. According to advocates, rap serves to engender self-pride, self-help, and self-improvement, communicating a positive and fulfilling sense of black history that is largely absent from other American institutions. Political rap artists have spurred interest in the Black Muslim movement as articulated by minister Louis Farrakhan, generating much criticism from those who view Farrakhan as a racist. Gangsta rap has ... been severely criticized for lyrics that many people interpret as glorifying the most violent and misogynistic (woman-hating) imagery in the history of popular music.
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