Little Brother example essay topic

Little Brother: The Listening Describing this CD in three words would be personal, stylish, and free. Not "free" like it comes with your purchase of fifty dollars or more at Best Buy but "free" as in no boundaries or limitations. When I first put this album in my CD player and pressed play I was completely entranced by the sounds that followed. That was back in 2003 and still to this day you might catch me blasting songs in the morning or humming their tunes to sleep at night. If I try to put my finger on why this ONE album can last so long with a person as picky with music as me it would come down to how well the two rappers, Phonte and Big Pooh, convey every aspect of their lives into their lyrics. Not only can they describe fully the pressures of having a growing family and a low paying job, but also let loose stories about groupie love, haters getting put in their place, and partying until daybreak; all this with clever wordplay that puts them in a class of their own!

I wouldn't call them underground hip-hop because they don't make a conscious effort to be different. They " re not considered mainstream because their focus isn't just on making music to be rich. They " re just an alternative, and it is refreshing to hear someone strive to be the best at what they do artistically, not by how well they can market themselves. At a business level, we all know the importance the actual beat plays with finicky listeners. Even the songs with sub-par lyrics and rhyme schemes can still become a hit when a famous producer is behind the scenes.

Luckily, production is another criteria Little Brother controls so well. Their producer, and third member of the group, is named 9th Wonder for more than just the cool moniker: he represents his own unique sound not yet overused and exploited by the masses. With a pension for taking old school samples and churning out beats unbelievably hypnotic and hard-hitting, 9th lays the backdrop perfectly for each and every bit of musical art on Little Brothers' first major release. Taking a different direction than sampling producers like Kanye West and Just Blaze, he has been steadily gaining fame ever since he produced the song "Threats" on Jay-Z's final record, "The Black Album".

Because each member is experienced in this game we call music, and because each artist can come together to provide the best of their talent without overpowering one another, we are blessed with "The Listening": the eclectic mix of new age rhymes, powerful tunes, and southern living all captured in music form. Phonte, the young man with baby mama drama and money problems, keeps you grounded with real to life lyrics and laugh out loud moments like", and deep down you know that I'm right. Man, I'm bout to kick some Trick Daddy next poetry night". His rapping equal, Big Pooh, with his deep relationship w / an unknown woman and big man bravado, uses every possible moment to show off his own skill, whether he's representing his hometown of Virginia or playfully singing (he's better than most rappers here too) love ballads to his producer's far-too-truthful ability to make any rapper hot.

9th Wonder, never truly heard unless you count his complex beats, carefully manipulates each instrumental until it fully matches the two rappers' tone, completing the sound and magic that is Little Brother: North Carolina's hometown heroes who have come to save the future of hip-hop music..