Essay on Comparing Jazz and Hip-hop - 1457 Words

Comparing Jazz and Hip-hop Throughout the history of this country, the music of African-Americans has remained a strong influence upon our society and culture. Beginning with the music carried over from Africa with the slaves, up until now, with the new styles created by urban youth today, African-Americans have retained certain elements within their music which makes it unique from any other musical form. Some of the musical forms which were created from, and/or were strongly influenced by afro-centric musical characteristics are: Hymnals, Gospel, Spirituals, Ragtime, the blues, and RB. While many of these musical forms are still popular today amongst Blacks and Non-Blacks, jazz and hip-hop are arguably the two most widespread and†¦show more content†¦These instruments usually ended up in pawn shops at cheap rates ideal for poor blacks. What is most unique about jazz is its combination of the African characteristics of polyrhythm, polyphony, improvisation, and the vocal tone given to instruments, wit h the harmony and arrangement of white marching band music. Other afrocentric qualities which can be heard in the music are: call and response, upbeat rhythm, repetition, falsetto, and guttural sounds. Some of the instruments used to achieve this sound were the coronet, piccolo, alto horn, tuba, trombone, clarinet, piano, and later, the saxophone, along with the bass, snare drum, and cymbal (Blesh, 160). An example of some of these characteristics is shown is the song, Deed I Do, sung by Lena Horne. In this song, you can hear remnants of white band music, as well as the polyphony of various instruments, demonstrating the afrocentric qualities. It Dont Mean A Thing is a perfect example of all of the characteristics mentioned above. Polyrhythm is heard in the background, along with polyphony, and the vocal tone attributed to wind instruments. Not to mention, improvisation is an intricate part of the song. As a matter of fact, the majority of the song is improvised with guttural and fa lsetto sounds by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. AnotherShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Hip Hop Music1182 Words   |  5 Pages Rhetorical Analysis of Hip-Hop Music Sharon Rhetorical Analysis of hip-hop music among Black Americans in ‘From the margins to the mainstream: the political power of hip-hop’ by Katina R. Stapleton Thesis: the paper’s focus on hip-hop as a music genre that has changed the lives of the black Americans Introduction In this article, the speaker must be an expert in politics, ethnicity and the music industry. 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