Name:
Tutor:
Course:
Date:
Hip Hop Song Analysis
My favorite hip-hop
song is “Flawless” by Beyonce Knowles. It has become the most played song on my
iPad ever since its release in 2014. The best feature that I like about the
song is that it has two parts which are “Bow Down” and “Flawless”. On the first
part, we are introduced to a Nigerian author known as Chimamanda Ngozi who
speaks on the empowerment of women and why they should rise above male egotism
and chauvinistic tendencies. I really like this part because it rebukes
objectification of women and glorifies the power of femininity. Owing to the
fact that I am passionate about music, another reason which has made me endear
the song is the positive reception it has received from critics based on the
clarity and thoughtfulness of the lyrics written by Beyonce in collaboration
with Chauncey Hollis, Teriud Nash and Raymond DeAndre Martin. The production of
the song was done by Reel Music alongside Boots.
The lyrics
of the song are excellent. This is exemplified in the first part of the song
where Beyonce expresses the pressure all women globally are under in an attempt
to match the expectations of being a woman. She reiterates that a woman should
not be pressurized to feel perfect and only focus on getting married but rather
live her life fully. She coins this claim by saying “I took some time to
live my life/ But don’t think I’m just his little wife.” (Beyonce
Knowles). The introduction of Chimamanda’s speech, which
she delivered at TEDxEuston conference in 2013, also gives meaning to the whole
song making it more convincing to the listeners as well as empowering the
younger generation to aim for more out of life. This is supported by the
commentary made by Carolyn Kellog, a writer at Los Angeles Times, who praised the inclusion of the speech terming
it as an astonishing move by Beyonce. The beat is also very well structured to
blend well with Beyonce’s vocal register. It can be considered as trap
influenced with incorporated clattering beat. The last feature that transforms
the beat into a hit single is the dirty groove aspect, which makes it more
alluring and catchy to the listener.
I like all the songs done by Beyonce. Firstly,
the singer is well endowed with an amazing voice and an excellent vocal
register. She is aware of her talent thus, she is very confident in delivering
and performing the songs. Besides the fact that she produces quality music, I
like the fact that she is a very aggressive businessperson who has mastered her
craft. She has a great team of producers, writers, promoters, designers and musicians
who have dedicated their expertise to creating a dynamic and powerful brand for
the singer. Thirdly, her songs do not contain any vulgarity as compared to
other songs produced by various artists on the same genre. She focuses on a
appealing to women and men of all ages thus creating a very strong image for
herself and her band. She maintains a fierce demeanor in all her music videos,
which makes all women want to aspire to be like her. She is a great artist and
works with a very competent team and lastly, her talent is to be reckoned with.
Works Cited
Beyonce Knowles. “Flawless.” Beyonce. Hit-Boy, 2014.
Name:
Tutor:
Course:
Date:
Question A
Los
Angeles has been ranked as being one of the most unsafe cities in
the United States.
According to the data collected from UCR, the rate of violent crimes has significantly
reduced from 1985 until present. The highest rate was in 1991 with an
approximated 2525 violent crimes committed in this year. The lowest rate was in
2012 with only 481 crimes committed.
Baltimore
experienced a much higher crime rate in 1985 as compared to Los Angeles. In 1985, 2009.9 crimes were
committed with robbery being the most frequent crime. The lowest crime rate was
in 2012 with an approximated 1,405 crimes committed throughout the year. In
this year, the robbery rate was the lowest with aggravated assault being the
highest.
Fig 1: Crime rate in Baltimore
Fig 2: Crime rate in Baltimore
Fig 3: Crime rate in Los Angeles
Fig 4: Crime rate in Los Angeles
Question B
The crime pattern
in Baltimore since
1985 has been inconsistent. This is because there is lack of a pattern. For
instance, violent crime rates in 1986, 1987 and 1988 increased and decreased
with a fluctuation being observed in 1987. The same was observed in 1993 and
1994. This is different for LOS Angeles because the trend is more consistent. The
only fluctuation observed is from 1986 and 1987.
Question C
The consistent
crime reduction rate in Los Angeles
is because the population is comprised of lesser gang members. This is because
most of the perpetrators have aged out, in jail, dead or medically restricted. Due
to this occurrence has created a dramatic change within this landscape thus
making it safer for the residents in this setting. As for Baltimore, the main reason why the pattern is
the way it is primarily because law enforcement is described as being
inefficient in reducing the crime rate.
Question D
The patterns are
different because of the reduction of crime perpetrators as compared to other cities
within the United States.
Baltimore has more criminals and ineffective
crime reduction measures as compared to Los
Angeles.
Name:
Tutor:
Course:
Date:
Hrafnkel’s Saga
The
Hrankel’s saga is Scandinavian in origin. It elaborates on the struggles and
issues that were faced by farmers and chieftains in Iceland during the 10th
century. The main character in this narration is Hrafnkel who is portrayed as
obedient and dedicated worshipper of the community’s deity, god Freyr. In the
saga, he opts to denounce his religion after the temple where he worships is
destroyed (Peters 57). This event greatly affects
him, as he feels humiliated and defeated hence coming to the sudden realization
that mastering power over one’s life is not derived from favors granted from
deities but by the nurtured relationships between a master and his subordinates,
which inspires ultimate loyalty. Ultimately, the saga presents an account of
the journey of life through which lessons are learnt such as the basis of true
power. One of the events that occur that create controversy is the killing of
Einar by Hrafnkel. Based on the narration, a couple of reasons justify this
killing while others support that the act was unjustified. This paper delves in
addressing these reasons in order to establish a conclusive verdict on whether
Hrafnkel was guilty.
According to
Iceland’s
law and culture, the word of a man is his bond. This translates to the reality
that whatever was pronounced or promised should be fulfilled to the letter.
When Hrafnkel employed a sheepherder named Einar, he gave clear instructions
about the horses the employee could ride. In his instructions, he reiterated
that if Einar rode his most prized horse, Freyfaxi, he would be killed (Peters 43). This pronunciation, according to Iceland
civilized law, was validated by the importance accorded to a man who kept his
word. Additionally, when giving instructions, Hrafnkel explained to Einar that
when a warning is stated then blame should not result after the consequences
are reinforced (Pálsson 59). Thus, if he rode
Freyfaxi, he would be killed and the blame would be on him for failing to obey
the commands of his master. Based on this account, it is clear that Hrafnkel
was justified because he was fulfilling his word as his command was disobeyed
by Einar.
The action
of killing Einar was to set an example to the rest of his township members as
well as his other servants. He wanted to illustrate to them the consequences of
people not following his orders and command. His actions were to also reinforce
his value for his religion. According to him, only god Frey and himself would
ride the horse. Einar violating the command stated by his master was an act of
disrespect and sacrilegious to him hence warranting the act of murder (Peters 44). To further support this, he told Einar
before killing him that nothing good can be seen or happen to a people who
cannot keep their words or vows (43). By breaking the command stated by his
master, Einar illustrated that he was no worthy of trust.
Hrafnkel’s
actions can also be considered as unethical and morally wrong based on the
amends he makes after killing Einar. Firstly, the act of killing was illegal
according to the Scandinavian law (Pálsson 60).
This is validated by the fact that the chieftains wanted support from their
other members in filing a lawsuit against Hrafnkel for committing murder. This
is observed when Thorkel, a brother to Chieftain Thormod sought support in
presenting their case and fighting for justice for Einar (Peters 49). Their actions elaborated in this part of
the sage suggest that Hrafnkel was legally guilty for killing Einar. To further
enlighten the guilt weighing on Hranfnkel, he expresses how he considers killing
Einar far much worse than what he has done in the past (Peters
45). In a conversation with Thorbjon, Einar’s father, he offers
compensation for this crime. He assures Thorbjon that he will take care of him
all his remaining days by sustaining him with milk and meat. He will also
extend his generosity towards his daughters and sons thus setting them well for
their future. His need to compensate for this killing illustrates that he knew
his actions were grave and required making amends to avoid the consequences
that would ultimately result.
In
conclusion, it valid to state that Hrafnkel was not guilty to kill Einar. This
is because he had already stated the consequences of riding Freyfaxi as well as
given adequate instruction of usage of other horses. Additionally, Hrafnkel was
faced with a dilemma, whereby if he failed to fulfill out his warning then he
would be perceived as a weak master hence the other slaves would also feel
inclined to break their vows. Carrying out the punishment would serve as a reinforcement
of his authority, validate him as a master, and set an example (Pálsson 67). As for the opposing reason, the fact
that Hrafnkel felt obligated to take care of Einar’s family after killing Einar
casts the notion that he knew he had committed an atrocity. Offering them food
and a proper life was a way for him to compensate for the loss as well as
console himself on his actions. Thus, owing to the fact that the justification
of the murder outweighs the opposing reasons, Hrafnkel acted in accordance of
the law and civilization of his community. This was through backing up his
words and maintaining his stand concerning the entire situation.
Works Cited
Pálsson, Hermann,.
Hrafnkel’s Saga And Other Icelandic Stories. Harmondsworth: Penguin,
1971. Print.
Peters, Thomas
J. Thriving On Chaos. New York: Knopf, 1987. Print.