Month: January 2015

Creative Writing

10 pm, Brooklyn, the tall glass building. Specifically the penthouse.

“So tell me Mark, what do you do for a living?”Mark was not interested in telling people what he did. In fact, he didn’t want to be where he was right now. However, Mark thought it would be impolite not to reply.  “I help people make problems go away.” Mark’s reply was in his usual clipped tone. A nerve on his chiseled jaw was twitching. A sign that he was annoyed and finding it hard to keep his cool. His dark eyes spoke volumes but only those who knew him really well could read what his eyes were saying. Mark was the master of disguise but he had not yet mastered the art of subtlety in his tone when asked about his profession.

Mark wished he could just blurt out that he was a contract killer, a hit man, but he didn’t think this would go down too well at this elite social gathering. Not really Mark’s usual scene, but needs must. The place was filled with beautiful people. These people had spent thousands on perfecting their exteriors. They had also probably spent thousands to buy themselves a place at such events – rubbing shoulders with the wealthy and powerful.

The hall was filled with expensive champagne and smoke. Smoke from cigars and cigarettes and other substances. The smell of the combination of smoke, alcohol and other substances made Mark’s throat feel raw. His nose was burning and his eye was twitching.  There were all sorts of paraphernalia strewn across the deep cream carpet and glossy furniture. The lights were  dimmed in certain parts of the room so it made it difficult to see exactly what was going on but Mark was used to working in the dark and had he had developed a skill of moving round a room unnoticed, like a light breeze skipping between branches and leaves.

A petite blonde with perfectly set long hair slunk up next to Mark.  “So, are you some kind of shrink?  Her voice tinkled like bells.  It was somehow unreal, a bit like a cartoon character. She looked as though she had walked off the cover of Vogue magazine. Her body perfectly sculpted. Mark didn’t think she worked out. He assumed her perfection was down to expensive surgery. Her lips a perfect pout, painted in a deep red and not one line or wrinkle on her face. Not even when she attempted to express emotion.

The blonde waited patiently for Mark’s reply. She was perched on the edge of her seat examining her perfectly manicured nails that were painted the same colour as her lips. “You could say that” Mark replied matter of factually.

Mark appreciated beauty, to be more precise beautiful women. This petite blonde bombshell oozed perfection and was every mans fantasy. She wore a shimmering black evening gown and a diamond encrusted necklace around her neck with matching ring and earrings. Mark didn’t have time for relationships but was open to one night stands. Things were far less complicated this way.

His life was not his and he had nothing to give. He had made the mistake of falling in love once but the relationship had ended before it had even started. He was not prepared to put the love of his life at risk. Mark had cut all ties with the people he cared about and loved many years ago.

The venue began to feel over crowded as more groups of beautiful people arrived. Mark smirked to himself as a thought crossed his mind, the room was full of plastic people who had all gone under the knife.

Mark was lost in his thoughts when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, this made his heart beat immediately shoot up, he knew what the buzzing was for and he was ready for it. Mark excused himself and headed toward the exit with confidence.

How rap music can affect young people.

Music is something that every person has their own opinion about. It is unique and personal to you. No one can tell you whether the music you like is right or wrong.  However, music can be very influential and powerful on individuals and groups of people.  Different people have different preferences and various types of music have many ways of impacting an individual. People use music to express themselves in ways that can’t be expressed through behaviour or art. You can usually tell how someone is feeling by the type of music he or she is listening to at the time. To me, music is a way of expressing thoughts or emotions about something or someone or about feelings and experiences. Music can be enjoyable and relaxing, it can make you feel happy,  motivated and energized, however it can also make you feel sad or maybe even angry and violent.

Imagine if you were living in a world without music. What does music mean to you? More to the point, what does rap music mean to you? The definition of rap is rhythm and poetry.  In my opinion, there is always rhythm but I don’t know about the poetry element. Words like “Hoe and Bitches” are used frequently by many rap artists which are not poetic. In fact, they are abusive, disrespectful and could be deemed dangerous as through the use of such language, oppressing women is being made to be seen as acceptable. There are many views and schools of thought that rap represents or broadcasts sexism. Many rap artists use offensive language that is often directed towards women.  In addition to this, rap music often contains lyrics that are violent and aggressive, and again, one could argue that through this music, violence and crime is acceptable and a way of life that is glorified and glamourised.

There are so many genres of music out there today but it seems that rap music is at the forefront and having the biggest impact on society at large, especially on teenagers.

A rapper that goes by the name of ‘Chief Keef’ also known as Keith Cozart made a violent claim which was that he would “Raise the murder rate up” when his Bang 3 mixtape was due to be released. “Chief Keef scares me,” Lupe Fiasco said in an interview. Lupe Fiasco had just announced his retirement whilst he was having a feud with Chief Keef on Twitter “Not him specifically, but just the culture that he represents … The murder rate in Chicago is skyrocketing and you see who’s doing it and perpetrating it, they all look like Chief Keef.”  So, even though it is not being explicitly stated, it is quite clear that Lupe Fiasco feels that Chief Keef’s music could be linked to inciting criminal behaviour amongst those who listen to his music and there are probably a large number of people who would share that view.

As a young child I listened to various genres of music. I am now 16 years of age and personally I feel there is growing concern over the explicit sexual content in pop music and the use of half-naked women in videos. Though many rap artists have an extraordinary amount of success, they are often criticised for their lyrics and videos which ooze with references to scantily clad women and sex.  However, the criticism does not appear to have had little or no impact on the success of rap music including those that are sexually explicit.

The lyrics sung or rapped by the artists can be about things going on in their own personal lives and people with similar issues can relate to what they hear.  Through this, individuals may feel that there is hope and ways to get out of situations they may find themselves in.  Whether the choices they may make and the actions they take are right or wrong is not for me to decide, but music may well have had some form of impact on this decision making process.

A lot of people come to the conclusion that rap music has a very big impact on the world. Listening to the lyrics, they usually revolve around sex and drugs and those are topics many parents don’t want their children being involved in. Many of the music videos made by rap artists explicitly display such topics in them. Studies show that people who are more into rap music may do drugs one time in their lives.  If these studies are correct, that could be millions of people using drugs even if it is only once.  Not a badge that I think many people would be proud to wear.  People have different views and opinions about rap.  Some say it influences violence – rival rap artists using offensive rap as a tool against each other have encouraged and influenced murders to take place and this also encourages people to commit acts of violence towards others.

Music can bring groups of people around the world together via concerts, shows and venues to show what their interests and likings are in music. Music can also unite or divide groups of people. I can personally relate to the effects that music has on its listeners and users because it’s a big part of my life. Every day I listen to the lyrics and sounds of different artists with contrasting ideas and opinions. The music I listen to changes my attitude and behaviour.  I also at times choose what I want to listen to based on how I am feeling at the time.  This shows how powerful music can be on us.

Rap music is listened to by millions of people across the world and it can have a negative impact on some people but on others, it may help them express themselves in a way that they could not using words. Rap songs have a way of getting you hooked on the repetitive lyrics so you listen to them over and over and eventually you memorise the lyrics and the way they rap/sing them.  This is part of the success of rap music.  Repetition and catchy beats are ingredients to creating a great pop tune.  Rap artists and their producers have mastered this.  Rap music will continue to be produced and put out in the world for people to listen to as people want to listen to it.  The sales figures speak for themselves so rap, whether you love it or hate it, looks like it is here to stay.

Dear Ms Samantha Taylor,

I have recently read your article on the digital age and its impact on teenagers. I note in your article that you state that teenagers in the modern day find it difficult to communicate face to face. I felt I needed to respond to this because your article made many references to individuals who tarnish the reputation of teenagers by stereotyping them. These are not representative of all teenagers and this is clearly not factually correct. You cannot tarnish all teenagers collectively with the same brush.

I feel the article has presented a very unbalanced and biased view of teenagers as reference has been made to comments made by high profile adults. However there are no references made to any supporters of a teenage population who are digitally competent.

To brand teenagers using terms like ‘Enslaved social inadequates’ and ‘Emoticon addled zombies’ or ‘Selfish and attention deficient young people’ is a very harsh way or portraying the younger generation. The reason I say this is because from a teenager’s point of view these statements are partially true in some cases however it is very rare that you find a teenager that is on their tablet or phone 24/7.  Many teens use social media to keep up with friends or current events, not to post images of themselves because they are bored. There are also valid reasons some teenagers are so dependent on technology. I say this because of some situations I have been in myself, such as if I am going to be late home from school I don’t want my mum to worry so I send her a text message or an IM (Instant message) on WhatsApp so that when she has a chance to look at her phone she can see what I have said, this enables her to respond in her own time. My mum is not allowed to use her mobile phone whilst she is at work but she can check her messages when she has a break.  This is also another way of speaking to your other parent.  I live with my mum and she has raised me as a single parent for 10 years. My parents still communicate however sometimes when things may not be good between them and I may want to see my dad, I can communicate with him directly rather than getting my mum involved or if I am unable to get through to my mum I am able to contact my dad.  The social construction of family has changed dramatically with more single parent family units and the rapid decline in extended family living arrangements.  With less time for parents to spend with their children due to financial and other strains, digital technology has become an accessible way for teens not to feel isolated and lonely.  I do not dispute that this can be potentially dangerous for vulnerable teens, but it is an important method of communication for not just teens but for a large percentage of the adult population too.

The article also refers to not being able to distinguish between true meaningful relationships and casual ‘fake’ ones.  Relationships mean different things to different people and how can someone objectively determine whether a relationship is genuine and meaningful or not?  To make friends with someone on Facebook for example that you don’t know personally in a different part of the world does not mean that the virtual relationship has no meaning.  We can all learn so much from what other people have to share – their experiences whether through word or pictures can be inspirational and encourage young people to achieve.  Looking at pictures of where people may have travelled to can motivate a young person to achieve educationally, to get that well paid job in order to be able to financially afford to visit the amazing places in our wonderful world.