Works Cited

Lozon, Jeffrey, and Moshe Bensimon. "Music misuse: A review of the personal and
collective roles of 'problem music'." Aggression and Violent Behavior 19.3
(2014): 207+. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
This article discusses the influence of music in terms of behavior and thought,
especially those that are negative. Though not entirely focused on rap music, these ideas
will be helpful for my research in that it will provide a brief outline for the oppression rap
was originally meant to express, then moves on to the oppressing it does in modern music
and potentially creating more oppressors through widespread, popular songs. Rap,
specifically gangsta rap, has been perceived as promoting physical and sexual aggression,
misogynistic behavior, substance abuse, gang culture, and extreme political view. This
quote is an example of both the oppression that rappers often choose to express through
song and the ways that artists oppress through their music.

Naerland, Torgeir Uberg. "Rhythm, rhyme and reason: hip hop expressivity as political
discourse." Popular Music Oct. 2014: 473-491. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Nov.
2014.
This article is interesting in that it was written by a Norwegian author about
Norwegian hip-hop. There is a lot to unpack and process within the twenty pages, but the
ultimate argument is that rap is a powerful tool in the realm of politics and society. The
author writes that music is an expressive form that potentially involves an articulation of
specific identity positions as well as lifestyles, and as will be brought to attention in this
case study, explicit political critique and commentary, which is very significant when
examining the oppressive viewpoints in a song. The author writes about artists using their

music as political anthems, which is certainly interesting in the idea of being freed
from oppression in addition to freeing of oppressors. The article argues that rap is
intentional and rational in several aspects, but most significantly its impact on society and
societal issues.

"Past Winners Search." The GRAMMYs. The Recording Academy, n.d. Web. 05 Nov.
2014.

2003: Lose Yourself Eminem

2004: Jesus Walks Kanye West
2005: Diamonds from Sierra Leone Kanye West
2006: Money Maker Ludacris
2007: Good Life Kanye West
2008: Lollipop Lil Wayne
2009: Run This Town Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna
2010: Empire State of Mind Alicia Keys and Jay-Z
2011: All of the Lights Kanye West
2012: N****s in Paris Jay-Z and Kanye West
2013: Thrift Shop Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Above are the Grammy winners for Best Rap Song from the past ten years.

These are the songs that I will use my test and analyze their content, the progression of
content, and their positions on oppressors and the oppressed.
Scott, Jonathan. "Sublimating Hiphop: rap music in white America." Socialism and
Democracy 18.2 (2004): 135-155. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
This article is potentially one of the most engaging that I read. Again with a lot to
unpack within twenty-three pages, this article discusses a great deal about oppression,
especially racial oppression, yet through the example of white rapper Eminem. An
interesting point of view is taken here, debating the idea that while the African American
population has been deeply oppressed throughout history, there are also impoverished
and underserved white youth as well. While keeping white privilege in mind, which is
also addressed in this article, one must begin to examine who and what rap music is

supposed to serve. hiphop has made "black" into a political color for a whole new
generation of African Americans, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, women, and white youth. It
has re-affirmed cultural resistance as an available option of the oppressednot beyond
or above us, but within us, at our own fingertips, and at the pace of our own hearts.
Freire, Paulo. "Excerpts from Pedagogy of Freedom." Freire. University of Kentucky,
n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Though only excerpted portions from the work and its four chapters, this article
provides a brief summary of each chapter through the use of quotes. I initially thought
this would be helpful as the freedom aspect connects to the main point of my essay,
freeing of the oppressed and the oppressors. Reading through the quotes again, Im not
sure that I will be able to use them quite as well because they are all in the realm of
teaching, though I truly appreciate the sentiment. I particularly enjoyed the following:
Intellectuals who memorize everything, reading for hours on end, slaves to the text,
fearful of taking a risk, speaking as if they were reciting from memory, fail to make any
concrete connections between what they have read and what is happening in the world,
the country, or the local community. They repeat what has been read with precision but
rarely teach anything of personal value, (13).

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 2000. Web. 13 Nov.
2014.
This is the source that I will be using as my primary lens. Focusing mainly on the
first chapter, which discusses justifications and contradictions of the oppressed and how
freedom is not a gift, not a self-achievement, but a mutual process. Self-deprecation is
another facet of chapter one that I would like to further examine, prompted mainly by this

thought: Self-depreciation is another characteristic of the oppressed, which derives from

their internalization of the opinion the oppressors hold of them. Though chapter two
may seem less helpful, I would like to explore some connections that could be made to
rap music and culture, potentially in the ways that artists project messages they deem
most significant. This can be connected through Freire by this quote: It follows logically
from the banking notion of consciousness that the educators role is to regulate the way
the world enters into the students. While chapters three and four are more complex in
terms of theory, they seem to provide supporting lenses through which to study the case
of rap music.
Smith, M. K. (1997, 2002) Paulo Freire and informal education, the encyclopaedia of
informal education. Web. 13 Nov. 2014
This article provides another very basic foundation on Freires life, significance,
and legacies, as well as critiques of his work. Discussing Freires particular significance
in the areas of dialogue, praxis, conscientization, lived experience, and Christian-rooted
metaphors, this article gives an overview of Freires most significant and practiced ideas.
A quote I found compelling, especially in relation to my topic was, Paulo Freire argued
for informed action and as such provided a useful counter-balance to those who want to
diminish theory. This website also provides numerous related links in the notes,
allowing for easier retrieval of additional Freire information. This article was used less
for the actual writing of the piece and more for a better understanding of the background
of Freire himself.