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STUDENT NHD MEMOS

REVOLUTION, REACTION, REFORM--HOW DOES REVOLUTION CHANGE SOCIETY? Developments in music such as the hip-hop revolution leave a negative impact on our impressionable youth || MEMO I: TOPIC PROPOSAL......................................................due Thursday, April 5th
 * = [[image:celebrities-tupac-349633.jpg width="359" height="455" align="center"]] ||= How influential is music?

**Part 1. Identify and explain the problem** created by a revolution. Organize your description in an extended power paragraph and cite evidence from two credible sources. Create an annotation for each source. Post the annotations at the bottom of this page. Annotated Bibliography Guide **I’m interested in the Hip-Hop Revolution, and how people have reacted to the change and the anger over the "glorification of violence, sex, and crime" (Katel). Rap is a genre of music that has evolved and adapted to the changes in our world. But even still, "a 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that a significant number of Americans viewed hip hop as a bad influence on society" (Batchelor). Has the genre gone too far and has had a negative influence on society or is it another art form that exercises the right to freedom of speech? The debate is still relevant as the arguments on popular culture evolve and the true influence it has on society is still undetermined. **

**Part 2. Develop a research question** that customizes the essential question to your topic. The question should raise a controversy or conflict.
 * How influential is music? **

**Part 3. Develop a thesis statement** that answers the research question by recommending how society should address this issue or problem. MEMO 2: Explain the Revolution and the Controversy or Problem that has resulted.......April 10th.
 * A new system of music ratings should be put in place based on the amount of explicit content that gives greater insight to the true content on the music. **

** Date: April 10th ** ** To: Mrs. Sidor **  ** From: Maxwell Ribar **  ** Subject: MEMO 2: Concisely state the issue, controversy or problem **


 * “Hip-hop emerged in the Bronx in the early 1970s, when the first MCs chanted their raps, and the first DJs spun their vinyl disks, for neighborhood youths who wanted to groove to the music. Hip-hop's venues weren't velvet-roped clubs, or stadiums, but apartment building community rooms, playgrounds and street corners” (Katel). It began as a movement of free expression of ideas and beliefs through music. At first, this genre was widely ignored by radio stations. However, “Increasing mainstream attention was garnered by high record sales in the later 1990s, as the gangsta rap subgenre faded from its one-time prominence and a large variety of hip hop acts achieved success” (Hip-Hop in the 200s). As the hip-hop genre began to become more of an influence on society, societies also began to change. Crime began to increase in inner-cities and city governments were headed towards bankruptcy. City services such as trash collection and education systems were pushed to their limits, which especially negatively affected youth when rappers and other hip-hop artists were “marketing a stereotype of inner-city life that both titillated white kids and damaged black inner-city kids by making the thug a hero” (qtd in Debating Hip-Hop). Also, drug trafficking for substances such as crack cocaine severely increased. It wasn’t far-fetched to come to the conclusion that the music industry was becoming a heavy influence on young people. **


 * The hip-hop music industry almost depicted a type of lifestyle that people felt like they had to almost live by. The “gangsta” lifestyle became more common as hip-hop became more of a driving influence in societies. Even some of “hip-hop's fiercest critics, including black intellectuals and entertainers, argue that hip-hop presents a caricature of black America that damages how young black people view themselves and how they're viewed by others” (Katel). The debate is over this highly influential revolution has become a negative influence on society or it’s simply another way to exercise your right of free expression. As hip-hop and rap has steadily increased in popularity and sales, and we’ve even seen how “rap [has become] increasingly identified with graphic depictions of sex, misogyny and glorification of violence and drugs” (qtd. in Debating Hip-Hop). **

MEMO 3: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND..............................................due Friday, April 13th

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** Date: April 13th ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** To: Mrs: Sidor ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** From: Maxwell Ribar ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** Subject: MEMO 3: Concisely state the issue, controversy or problem **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** The “cultural phenomenon known as hip-hop has morphed from hard-driving dance numbers into sex- and violence-filled ‘gangsta rap’ — and a record-label goldmine” (Katel). What began as a fresh and new persona given to black America transformed into a billion-dollar empire right before our eyes. Although the rapidly growing genre has created a ‘visual culture’ for itself, which professor James E. Brunson defines as “reflections on the objects and imagery of hip-hop. It provides face-to-face encounters with stereotypes, caricatures, classificatory figures, search images, mappings of the visible body, and the social spaces in which it appears“ (Brunson). For example, we often tend to associate a man wearing sagging pants and gold chains with the hip-hop genre. Many argue that this is one of the many effects of the increasingly popular style of expression, and even portrays a negative image upon African-Americans. Some of hip-hop’s most renowned critics say that argue that ”hip-hop presents a caricature of black America that damages how young black people view themselves and how they're viewed by others” (Katel). **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** Modern hip-hop music is unlike most other genres, since their songs typically have one common theme -- the glorification of things like thugs, crime, drugs, and freelance prostitutes. This naturally leads many to associate African-Americans with the the genre, along with what the songs are often about, seeing as though African-Americans have always dominated the industry and many see their music as a reflection of black culture. Additionally, the behavior that rap promotes has influenced things such as crime rates and drug trafficking.Hip-hop also glorifies illegal activities and the ‘thug’ image that children can easily pick up on. Such an image is almost setting children up for a future of crime. In a U.S. Senate Hearing, it was said that we are facing, "an unavoidable conclusion that gangsta rap is negatively influencing our youth . . . this explains why so many of our children are out of control and why we have more blacks in jail than we have in college" (qtd. in Debating Hip-Hop). The small movement of hip-hop has turned into one of the most revolutionary forces of entertainment, and perhaps the most controversial. **

<span style="background-color: #3232c0; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 19px;">MEMO 4: STATE YOUR POSITION..............................................due Wednesday, April 18th

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** Date: April 18th ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** To: Mrs: Sidor ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** From: Maxwell Ribar ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** Subject: MEMO 4: State your position **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> With only our Parental Advisory System as our form of music ratings ("consists of a black and white label placed on music albums to indicate that a recording may contain strong language or references to sex, drugs, or violence"), I would recommend we create an additional system of music ratings based on the content of each album or song. For example, If we had ratings as simple as how we have movie or video game ratings, we could prevent extremely inappropriate material being accessible to children. Although the Parental Advisory System has been in affect since 1985, it may seem reliable, but "only 44% [of parents] felt that it did a good job of providing them with adequate information about violent content in music" (PCU). By creating an alternative system, we can set guidelines and standards for each rating, which would in fact give sufficient information about the content of the material. My ideal style of rating would be based on a numerical system from 1 to 5, 1 being the most appropriate for everyone, and 5 being the most explicit. This way, parents could easily see if their child is of appropriate age to listen to the music of any said rating. This system would ideally be put into effect by some sort of government program, which would set the guidelines and standards on the system. After that, it would be on the shoulders of the music industry to give themselves ratings for all music that would ideally be industry-wide. Music would be given a rating based on the content, including the amount of violence, crude language, drug use, and so on. With a wider variety of ratings, youths could easily be able to distinguish what music they would be allowed to buy, and so would parents and retailers. And with since purchasing music online is the leading method of buying music, parents could set guidelines on the accounts of their children, so they could buy music with certain ratings, just like how you can use a program like iTunes so that parents can keep children from buying explicit music -- the system would work in the same way. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> This system seems much more effective in comparison to "clean or explicit" system, since it actually gives insight to the content on the music. ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Of course, these " <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> attempts to label explicit or violent content are rooted in the belief that exposure to violent media content may negatively impact children in particular, or society in general" (Cornwell). With this system put in to place, our easily influenced youth ideally would be kept away from some of the most inappropriate music. Also, some artists whose music would fall into the most mature category, may even change the content on their music so it would be accessible to more of an audience, which would generally lessen the amount of questionable content. **

<span style="background-color: #3232c0; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 19px;">MEMO 5: ARGUMENT 1 .......................................................................due Monday, April 23rd

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** Date: April 23rd ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** To: Mrs: Sidor ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** From: Maxwell Ribar ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">** Subject: MEMO 5: Argument 1 **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">An article on iDebate discussed if it was right for the "government [to] censor lyrics of songs that are violent or expletive, for example 'gangsta' rap" (Ruane). One of the first arguments explained how gangsta rap, is just like any other form of entertainment, such as an opera or television program. This article stated that "violence and criminality are also endemic in other forms of entertainment, for example opera and classic films often contain large-scale killing and violence. Trying to link gangsta rap to crime is singling it out amongst entertainment forms for political reasons". I would not agree with the statement, because I believe there are many more factors that should be considered. For example, other forms of entertainment such as video games, movies, and television shows are given ratings based on content. By not giving music appropriate ratings, it creates a double standard with music compared to other forms of entertainment. This is why things such as gangsta rap is often the scapegoat for increased crime rates -- however, a study in 1995, "three scientists found that males who had been randomly assigned to view rap videos became more accepting of the use of violence in dealing with interpersonal problems. It has also been found that both genders exposed to violent rap videos were more likely to commit acts of domestic violence" (Barnes). Not only that, but according to the National Crime Statistics of 2008, "crime has fallen and not on a percentage base, the number of reported incidents of violent crime have diminished. This coupled with the falling sales of rap would suggest that there is a connection". It's clear that music easily captivates and influences society, so why shouldn't music have to have proper ratings like other forms of entertainment? **

<span style="background-color: #3232c0; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 19px;">MEMO 6: ARGUMENT 2 .................................................................due Wednesday, April 25th

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**Date: April 25th** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**To: Mrs: Sidor** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**From: Maxwell Ribar** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**Subject: MEMO 6: Argument 2**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Some may argue that having rating systems at all is a form of censorship in itself. For example, when Tipper Gore went on a campaign to add our current Parental Advisory System, it was argued that "putting 'Parental Advisory' stickers on CD cases could constitute censorship because it's blatant dissuading people from buying CDs" (Furritus). In other words, by simply saying that an album had explicit content, it's discouraging people from buying it. Well, if artists didn't want people to know their music was explicit, they wouldn't have made it that way. Attempts to give media different ratings, is only meant to be a "useful tool for parents who want to monitor entertainment. Children are far more impressionable than adults and far less able to distinguish fantasy (or satire) from reality. At the same time, adults can and [can] contemplate themes which children find disturbing" (Rabkin). The point of ratings systems are not to censor, but to help parents raise their children more effectively. Age-based rating systems for things such as music have proved effective in places such as Britain and Canada, seeing as they have these systems enforced by law. Rating systems are meant to protect, not censor or restrict rights by any means. **

<span style="background-color: #3232c0; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 19px;">MEMO 7: ARGUMENT 3 ...............................................................................due Friday, April 27th

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**Date: April 27th** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**To: Mrs: Sidor** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**From: Maxwell Ribar** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**Subject: MEMO 7: Argument 3**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Some may instantly turn down this rating system and claim that it a unjust system that goes against our freedom of speech. By putting a label on something as "highly explicit" surely would set some people off. The argument is that "any form of expression or communication which is available to us is included within the concept of 'speech' found in the First Amendment" (NPU). In other words, it's not right to set standards for what is appropriate for everyone to hear and what is not. However, it's more than just labeling something as "explicit or clean". The purpose of the system it to give greater understand of different content in music to not just parents, but everyone. Parents can still allow their children to listen to highly explicit material if they choose to, but giving more appropriate ratings to music is a simply a way of giving more of an effective warning to listeners. Just how we are used to movie ratings and video game ratings, this rating system would become just as normal. And who's to say that music isn't just as influential as movies an video games? Themes of "sexual promiscuity and excessive profanity in modern music (hip hop is specifically mentioned) have been said to affect the young psyche" (AMTI). In today's modern times, it's simply unfair to say all forms of media aren't equally influential. With this being said, a new system of music ratings wouldn't be "restricting rights", but protecting children from accepting dangerous influences. **

<span style="background-color: #3232c0; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 19px;">MEMO 8: SUMMARY AND CALL TO ACTION.................................................................................

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**Date: May 1st** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**To: Mrs: Sidor** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**From: Maxwell Ribar** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**Subject: MEMO 8: Summary and call to action**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Since its creation about 40 years ago, the hip-hop industry has been going strong as it has become a multi-billion dollar empire. The music industry in general has been one of our most strongest influences in out society today. With the promotion of gang violence, crime, drug use, and so on in today's music, it's easy to see how our children are affected as we watch them be exposed to the media around us. The bottom line is that we need to be more aware of what types of things are being put out in the open for everyone to see, and parents need to be more aware of what their children are listening to. For instance, I was sitting in a waiting room one day and overheard a boy who was probably around 10 years old talking to what must have been his mother. The boy was talking about how he liked the rapper Kid Cudi, and the mother asked him who he was and what songs that her son liked. Little did the mother know, Kid Cudi has multiple songs that are solely about smoking marijuana, and other illegal activities. Would she had been so passive if she was informed on the true content of the music? That's why my numerical rating system on music would prove itself useful. It gives not just parents, but everybody information on the amount of explicit material in certain music. This way, it's easier to monitor what your child is listening to, and with set standards, artists can change their music in order to appeal to a bigger audience. With all of these factors combined, children will be influenced much less in a negative manner by music, and our industry. The ultimate goal is not to censor by any means, but to help protect. "Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate" -- Anonymous.**


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 22px;">ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY **

//Batchelor, Bob. "Hip Hop in the 2000s." ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://popculture.abc-clio.com/>.//
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A source found on ABC-Clio (an online database) by Bob Batchelor, “ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">an Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. He is also a member of the Editorial Review Board of The Journal of Popular Culture and The Journal of American Culture”. This is a primary source with information about Hip Hop in the 2000s. It has different sections about the controversy in the hip-hop world as well as the influence of the hip-hop culture. Both sections could be potentially helpful during research since they also both relate to my topic. **

//Brunson III, James E. "Showing, Seeing: Hip-Hop, Visual Culture, and theShow-and-Tell Performance." Black History Bulletin 74.1 (2011): 6-12. EBSCO Eldercare. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com/>.//
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This is a primary source article about hip-hop culture and the effect it has had on our **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">society, especially focusing on the effect the genre has on youth. Author "James Edward Brunson III is the Assistant Vice President for the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Northern Illinois University. Brunson also teaches visual culture, and has presented at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, the North American Society for Sport History, the Cultural Studies Association, and the Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Conference. His most recent book is The Early Image of Black Baseball, 870-1890" (McFarland Press, 2009). **

//Barnes, Mark. "Has Gangsta Rap increased youth crime." Helium. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.helium.com/>.//
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This primary source article looks "at the correlation between the commercialization and rising success of Rap music and the perceived increase in youth violence", which is a useful source for supporting information. Helium is a website that allows credible people to write articles on different topics. **

//Cornwell, Nancy C. "Violence and the Media: Overview." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-Clio, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://issues.abc-clio.com/>.// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**This is a primary source by Nancy C. Cornwell, a professor at the Ithaca College who specializes in the First Amendment, Media La, and Video Production. She is also a member in the Department of Television and Radio. This is an article about the influence that violence in our social media affects our society at large. This can help explain how the violence and crime glorified in hip-hop culture affects our youth.**

//Harry, Dr. Witchel. "Censorship of Gangsta Rap." iDebate. N.p., 14 Feb. 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2012 <http://www.idebate.org/>// **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This is a source found on iDebate.org, a website where you can search topics and find arguments on certain issues. This specific article is about how music that glorifies violence against women be banned. It gives specific points and counterpoints for different aspects of the argument. The author, Dr. Harry Witchel, is a Senior Lecturer in Physiology at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. He has also made appearances on prime TV shows such as Big Brother, so he is a credible person to be writing this primary source. ** //Katel, Peter. "Debating Hip-Hop." CQ Researcher Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://library.cqpress.com/>.// //M, Andrew. "Effects of Music on Society." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.teenink.com>.//
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A source found on CQ Researcher (an online database) by Peter Katel, “a veteran journalist who previously served as Latin America bureau chief for Time magazine, in Mexico City, and as a Miami-based correspondent for Newsweek and The Miami Herald'sEl Nuevo Herald. He also worked as a reporter in New Mexico for 11 years and wrote for several non-governmental organizations, including International Social Service and The World Bank. He has won several awards, including the Interamerican Press Association's Bartolome Mitre Award. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico in University Studies”. This is a primary source about the current debates going on about hip-hop, and the affects it has on society, which directly relates to my topic. **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Teen Ink is a website that allows people from all over the world to share their ideas and opinions with others. This article has information from credible sources and discusses what kind of effects music has on our society. This is a primary source and gives supporting information for my memos. **

//Rabkin, Rhoda. "Do Kids Need Government Censors?" Hoover Institution Stanford University. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.hoover.org/>.// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**This is a primary source with information about the history of media censorship, and goes into detail about whether or not the government should regulate such censorship. This article is by author Rhoda Rabkin, who "holds a B.A. Degree with distinction from Cornell University (1975) and a doctorate in Government from Harvard University (1983). She has taught in her specialty, Latin American politics, at Harvard and Cornell, and she has also been Visiting Professor at the Institute of Political Science at the Catholic University of Chile. She is the author of a book (Cuban Politics: The Revolutionary Experiment, Praeger Publishers, 1990) and numerous articles in her field and on other foreign affairs and public policy topics".** //"Parental Advisory System." Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">**This is an original article on the Pop Culture Universe database. It explains the details of the Parental Advisory System that we currently rate our music with. This article uses facts and statistics that will support my thesis.**

//"Raw, Hardcore, and Mainstream: 1990s Rap and Hip Hop (Overview)."ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2012.<http://popculture.abc-clio.com/>// //Watkins, Ralph C. "FROM BLACK THEOLOGY AND BLACK POWER TO AFROCENTRIC THEOLOGYAND HIP HOP POWER. . ." lack Theology: An International Journal 8.3 (2010): 327-340. EBSCO Eldercare. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com/>.//
 * A source found on ABC-Clio (an online database) by Bob Batchelor, “an Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. He is also a member of the Editorial Review Board of The Journal of Popular Culture and The Journal of American Culture”. This is a primary source that discusses the influence of hip-hop, the record sales of the genre as it became more popular and the evolution of the ‘gangster’ lifestyle in the 1990s. The information in this article will be useful to my research.**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: medium;">This is a primary source article that gives information on the African American community and their beliefs and ideals concerning hip-hop and music. Author Ralph C. Watkins is Assistant Dean of the African-American Church Studies Program and Associate Professor of Society, Religion, and Africana Studies. He is currently working on his next book project, Hip-Hop Redemption: Finding God in the Music and the Message, to be released by Baker Academic Press in late 2011. **