MUSIC GENRES
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Date
Music Genres
This paper gives a critical analysis of Gangster and Country music genres. These have become some of the most popular musical genres in the contemporary society. Gangster rap music is believed to have originated in the United States of America (USA) in the mid 1980s. This was after its promotion by Ice-T and N.W.A. who made it the most lucrative hip hop subgenre. Since then, it has become popular with the urban population mainly because it reflects on the violent urban life demonstrated by many youths. On the other hand, Country music is believed to have originated in 1920s in the rural regions of southern USA (Darwidoff, N., 2007).
As already highlighted, Gangster rap music is reflective of the violent urban lifestyle of the inner city dwellers. It has become factious on the urban criminal activities. It involves the use of accompaniments like a drum machine, beat boxing and sampler. These enables it to produce melodious rhythms appropriate for subjects like crime, sex, racism, promiscuity, drug abuse, theft, street gang and homophobia. These are typically issues which are mainly concerned with the urban youths. Thus, explaining why it only thrives in towns in which such subversive conducts are cropping up.
Contrarily, Country music is associated with the rural population to whom it appeals most. It involves the use of instruments like banjo, harmonicas, fiddles and electric acoustic and guitars. They help in the dissemination of soft lyrics full of messages of love, unity, praise, poverty, industry, gender equity and liberation. These are issues which are of concern to all the people of all regardless of their age (Bill, C. M., 2009). Hence, the genre is associated with both the youths and the elderly. This implies that the two genres serve divergent interests of the diverse sections of the society. However, it is better to acknowledge that gang rap is not beneficial to the entire society. It negatively influences the youth to propagate vices like classism.
References
Bill, C. M. (2009) Country Music USA. Texas: University of Texas Press.
Darwidoff, N. (2007) In the Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music.
New York: Vintage Books.
