Compare & Contrast Review

(1)

TYPE :

COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY

TITLE :

RAP VS POETRY

ORGANIZATION OF ESSAY

This essay have introductory paragraph which have 7 sentences, body paragraph 1 which have 9

sentences , body paragraph 2 which have 1 sentences of quotation , body paragraph 3 have 29

sentences , body paragraph 4 have 12 sentences , body paragraph 5 have 1 sentence of quotation,

have 12 sentences , body paragraph 6 have 3 sentences , and for the concluding paragraph , it

have 4 sentences.

For the compare and contrast essay, the author show the ability to compare which is emphasize

the similarities and for the contrast, the author emphasize the differences. But the author not

mentions a much contrast in this essay.

PARAGRAPH

Most of the paragraph in the essay, the author write the topic sentence . I can see the author

states the topic sentence that generally introduces the information that follow in the supporting

sentences in the paragraph. The author mention the similarity in the paragraph. The author also

explain what is the similarity between rap and poet. Lastly, the concluding paragraph , the author

summarize all the topic sentence and the similarity between poet and rap.

Introductory Paragraph

(

7

7 Sentences)

Sentences)

Present Situation : quotation

"When I first started rapping, me and a couple brothers

would all sit around my place free styling while

someone beat boxed.

Present Situation : opinion

I even used to tell all the girls that I was a poet.

They seemed to find it a little more touching than a

rapper" (Prince Paul, The Source 16)

Body Paragraph 1

The lyrics of rappers are very similar to the words of

Black poets.

Black poets. 2 Sentences)

2 Sentences)

It is argued as to whether or not rap is a viable form of

poetry.

The essay will (Essay outline)

Both discuss similar subjects, write in the same style

and use the same type of language in their writings.

When looking at a poem or reading rap lyrics,

distinguishing between the two can be difficult, if not

impossible.

Body Paragraph 1

(9 Sentences)

Compare : Similarity

(2)

(Topic sentence)

same subjects.

Example 1

For example the rap group NWA, and the poet Alice

Walker, both cover the topic of being from a minority

race.

Alice Walker states in one of her poems that "there is

no planet stranger than the one in from" (Walker,

"Note Passed To Superman" 18-19).

Body Paragraph 3

What Alice is saying is that the world is strange

because people judge others by their skin color.

because people judge others by their skin color. S

S

Contrast

The approach NWA takes is a more presumptuous one.

In the song "Fuck Tha Police", NWA says " Young

nigga got it bad cuz im brown / And not the other color

so police think / They have the authority to kill a

minority" (NWA "Fuck Tha Police" 3-5)

Compare : Similarity

Example 2

Another common subject between Black poets and

rappers is "ghetto life"

Nikki Giovani's poem called "For Saundra" is about

how she is going to write a poem about trees and blue

skies.

Body Paragraph 2

Then she realized that she was living in a "concrete

jungle".

jungle". Sentences

Sentences

)

Body Paragraph 2

(1 Sentences)

Present Situation : quotation

i wanted to write / a poem / that rhymes / but revolution

doesnt lend / itself to bebopping / then my neighbor /

who thinks i hate / asked -do u ever write / tree

poems-i lpoems-ike trees / so poems-i thought / poems-i'll wrpoems-ite a beautpoems-iful geen tree

i like trees / so i thought / i'll write a beautiful geen tree

poem / peeked from my window / to check the image /

noticed the school yard was covered / with asphalt / no

green - no trees grow / in Manhattan / then, well, i

thought the sky / ill do a big blue sky poem / but all the

clouds have winged / low since no-Dick was elected /

so i thought again / and it occurred to me / maybe i

shouldn't write / at all / but clean my gun / and check

my kerosene supply (Giovanni "For Saundra")

Body Paragraph 3

(29 Sentences)

What all this is about is simply the reality of the urban

ghettos.

Gangsters also write lyrics pertaining to ghetto life. In

the song "In Memory Of", Gangsters talks about life on

(3)

the streets and how it is always a hard time for a black

man trying to get by in society.

"If w

e don't build we'll be destroyed / that’s the

challenge we face in this race of poor and unemployed"

(Gangsters "In Memory Of" 11-12)

Compare : Similarity

Love and even more specifically, sex, are yet another

subject shared by both rappers and Black poets.

Example 3

Example 3ph 3

ph 3

The lyrics in the song "Brown Skin Woman" by KRS-1,

are discussing the love for the "brown woman" and

also sex with the "brown woman".

also sex with the "brown woman". (6

(6

Sentences)

Example 4

Haki Madhubuti also writes his poems about love and

sex.

In the poem "My Brothers", Haki is sending a message

to the other black males about how they should start to

love and respect the females of the black race.

"My brothers i will not tell you who to love or not love

"My brothers i will not tell you who to love or not love ii

will only say to you that Black women have not been

loved enough" (Madhubuti "My Brothers" 1-6).

Compare : Similarity

Example 5

Example 5ph

ph

Whether it be about sex, racism or life in the ghettos,

Black poets and Black rappers share the same views

and write about the same subjects.

Compare : Similarity

Example 6

Example 6ph

ph

The language used by Black rappers and Black poets is

a strong, short, to the point language.

Maya Angelou demonstrates this in her poem "Aint

That Bad".

Contrast

Contrast Body Paragraph 4

Body Paragraph 4

In the poem Maya uses a lot of repetition to get her

point across.

(7 Sentences)

"Now ain't they bad? / Now ain't they black?" (Angelou

"Aint That Bad?" 17-18).

Contrast

These lines are repeated several times in a row during

the poem and again at the end of the poem.

"The lyrics of NWA banned off most radio stations.

The videos banned from MTV. And for what? Telling it

like it is?" (NWA "Live From Compton").

Contrast

NWA has been criticized for having vulgar provocative

lyrics that simply tell the truth.

In the song "Fuck Tha Police", they discuss how white

police are always all over them for doing absolutely

nothing.

(4)

NWA then goes on to to say that an even worse

situation is the "black police showing off for the white

cop" (NWA "Fuck Tha Police" 20-21).

Body Paragraph 5

What they mean by this is that when a black and a

white cop are working together, the black one has to try

and show up the white cop by going to extremes.

This often results in the unnecessary death of black men

Compare : Similarity

Example 7

Example 7ph

ph

The language used by most rappers and now even

Black poets, is called ebonics.

It is also referred to as ghetto slang

They make such stupid decisions because it always

blows up in their face.

I think that they should use reverse psychology on the

people and say to go out and buy the stuff and see what

happens.

"Little shorties sedated thinkin' the way out is by sellin'

crack" (Grand Puba "Change Gonna Come" 11 ).

This line by Grand Puba is written in basic ebonics

Simply translated it says; kids are thinking that their

only way off the streets is to deal drugs.

Compare : Similarity

Example 8

Example 8ph

ph

The language used by Black rappers and Black poets is

a language that has a lot of power, strength and

emotion behind it.

Body Paragraph 4

(12 Sentences)

Compare : Similarity

(Topic sentence)

What rap artists and poets have most in common are

their messages

Compare : Similarity

Example 1

Example 1ph

ph

Their messages are of love, hate, racism, violence and

of what our world is going to become unless things are

changed.

A rap artist by the name of Grand Puba talks in his

song, Change Gonna Come", about how we need to

change the way we live and the way we treat each

other.

"Now lets deal on the real don't you get sick of this? /

The way we hate each other this shits ridiculous / Its

time we move on to the next phase / Cause theres too

many shorties gettin' boxed in a grave" (Grand Puba

"Change Gonna Come" 26-29).

Translated, these lyrics are saying that we have to

(5)

change the way we hate each other because it is ending

up hurting the children in the long run.

Contrast

Sania Sanchez, a black poet, takes a different approach

at getting her message across.

She uses a layout in her poems that separate words so

that the more important ones get noticed.

"Give us your hungry/ illiterates/ criminals/

--dropouts/ -- (in other words) -- your blacks -- and we

dropouts/ -- (in other words) -- your blacks -- and we

will let them fight -- in Vietnam" (Sanchez "the final

solution/ the leaders speak" 12-18).

The message she is sending is about discrimination and

racism.

The actual poem is about how many Black men were

sent to Vietnam to fight for a country that they were not

even accepted in.

Gangster’s "In Memory Of" and Nikki Giovanni's "For

Saundra" have a strong message about what is

happening in urban cities.

As discussed before Nikki Giovanni tells of how what

was once a nice place to live is now becoming a

"concrete jungle”.

Body Paragraph 5

(1 Sentences)

Present Situation : quotation

To all my brothers in the streets / I know u feel you

have to hustle cause your peeps gotta eat / Makin

moves right and exact; don't wanna see you layin' flat /

Don't wanna see ya catch a bullet black / If we don't

build we'll be destroyed / Thats a challenge we face in

the race of poor and unemployed (Gangsters "In

Memory Of").

Body Paragraph 6

(3 Sentences)

This song by Gangsters is about life on the streets and

what one must do to survive on the streets

Compare : Similarity

Example 2

Example 2ph

ph

The messages found in theses rap songs and poems are

important messages that must be listened to.

Compare : Similarity

Example 3

Example 3ph

ph

They speak about what is happening in society and

what we have to do to change it or in some cases stop

it.

Concluding Paragraph

(4 Sentences)

Summary of the essay

(Topic sentence)

In conclusion, the lyrics of rappers are very

(6)

comparable to the spoken words of Black poets

Example 1

Example 1ph

ph

There can be comparisons made in the style of writing,

the subjects, language and the messages behind the

writings.

Example 2

Example 2ph

ph

All of these similarities make rap a viable form of

poetry that is enjoyed and understood by young people

in today's society.

Contrast

Today's teenagers, in many cases, would, not read

poetry and comprehend the message, but, they would

listen to rap and be able to understand the idea the

artist is trying to get across.

THESIS STATEMENT

Topic :

The lyrics of rappers

Viewpoint :

are very similar to the words of Black poets.

Thesis Statement :

The lyrics of rappers are very similar to the words of Black poets.

The author expressed his thesis statement as an

The author expressed his thesis statement as an opinion. The author’s opinion tells the reader

opinion. The author’s opinion tells the reader

about there are similarities between the rap and Black poets.

TOPIC SENTENCES & SUPPORTING DETAILS

The lyrics of rappers are very similar to the words of Black poets.

The lyrics of rappers are

very comparable to the

spoken words of Black

poets

What rap artists and poets

have most in common are

their messages

Both Black rappers and

Black poets write about

the same subjects

(7)

Topic

Topic Sentence

Sentence

Supporting

Supporting Details

Details

Both Black rappers and Black poets write

about the same subjects

The author point out the supporting details by

giving example

For example the rap group NWA, and the poet

Alice Walker, both cover the topic of being

from a minority race.

Another common subject between Black poets

and rappers is "ghetto life"

The author point out the supporting details by

giving testimony

The lyrics of rappers are very similar to the

words of Black poets

are

Love and even more

specifically, sex, are yet another subject shared

by both rappers and Black poets

Whether it be about sex, racism or life in the

ghettos, Black poets and Black rappers share

the same views and write about the same

subjects.

The language used by Black rappers and Black

poets is a strong, short, to the point language

The language used by most rappers and now

even Black poets, is called ebonics

The language used by Black rappers and Black

poets is a language that has a lot of power,

strength and emotion behind it

The author point out the supporting details by

giving facts

The lyrics in the song "Brown Skin Woman" by

KRS-1, are discussing the love for the "brown

woman" and also sex with the "brown woman"

(8)

Haki Madhubuti also writes his poems about

love and sex.

What rap artists and poets have most in

common are their messages

The author point out the supporting details by

giving example

Their messages are of love, hate, racism,

violence and of what our world is going to

become unless things are changed

The author point out the supporting details by

giving testimony

The messages found in theses rap songs and

poems are important messages that must be

listened to

They speak about what is happening in society

and what we have to do to change it or in some

cases stop it

The lyrics of rappers are very comparable to

the spoken words of Black poets

The author point out the supporting details by

giving testimony

There can be comparisons made in the style of

writing, the subjects, language and the

messages behind the writings.

All of these similarities make rap a viable form

of poetry that is enjoyed and understood by

young people in today's society.

(9)

STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS

Strength

Weakness

Strength

Weakness



The author give a clear view about the

essay and the supporting details support

the topic sentence



There are no thesis statement in this

essay



There a few only contrast between rap

and poetry



The supporting details is not connected

each other which mean is not in the

same paragraph , it goes to the other

paragraph



There are many illegal word that been

using in this essay

(10)

Rap Vs Poetry

"When I first started rapping, me and a couple brothers would all sit around my place freestyling

while someone beat boxed. I even used to tell all the girls that I was a poet. They seemed to find

it a little more touching than a rapper" (Prince Paul, The Source 16) The lyrics of rappers are

very similar to the words of Black poets. It is argued as to whether or not rap is a viable form of

poetry. Both discuss similar subjects, write in the same style and use the same type of language

in their writings. When looking at a poem or reading rap lyrics, distinguishing between the two

can

be

difficult,

if

not

impossible.

can

be

difficult,

if

not

impossible.

Both Black rappers and Black poets write about the same subjects. For example the rap group

NWA, and the poet Alice Walker, both cover the topic of being from a minority race. Alice

Walker states in one of her poems that "there is no planet stranger than the one im from"

(Walker, "Note Passed To Superman" 18-19). What Alice is saying is that the world is strange

because people judge others by their skin color. The approach NWA takes is a more

presumptuous one. In the song "F

uck Tha Police",

NWA says " Young nigga got it bad cuz im

brown / And not the other color so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority"

(NWA "Fuck Tha Police" 3-5). Another common subect between Black poets and rappers is

"ghetto life". Nikki Giovani's poem called "For Saundra" is about how she is going to write a

poem about trees and blue skies. Then she realized that she was living in a "concrete jungle".

i wanted to write / a poem / that rhymes / but revolution doesnt lend / itself to bebopping / then

my neighbor / who thinks i hate / asked -do u ever write / tree poems- i like trees / so i thought /

i'll write a beautiful geen tree poem / peeked from my window / to check the image / noticed the

school yard was covered / with asphalt / no green - no trees grow / in Manhattan / then, well, i

thought the sky / ill do a big blue sky poem / but all the clouds have winged / low since no-Dick

was elected / so i thought again / and it occurred to me / maybe i shouldn't write / at all / but

clean my gun / and check my kerosene supply (Giovanni "For

Saundra")

clean my gun / and check my kerosene supply (Giovanni "For

Saundra")

What all this is about is simply the reality of the urban ghettos. Gangsters also write lyrics

pertaining to ghetto life. In the song "In Memory Of", Gangsters talks about life on the streets

and how it is always a hard time for a black man trying to get by in society. "If we don't build

we'll be destroyed /

we'll be destroyed / that’s

that’s the challenge we face in this race of poor and unemployed" (Gangsters

the challenge we face in this race of poor and unemployed" (Gangsters

"In Memory Of" 11-12). Love and even more specifically, sex, are yet another subject shared by

both rappers and Black poets. The lyrics in the song "Brown Skin Woman" by KRS-1, are

discussing the love for the "brown woman" and also sex with the "brown woman". Haki

Madhubuti also writes his poems about love and sex. In the poem "My Brothers", Haki is

sending a message to the other black males about how they should start to love and respect the

females of the black race. "My brothers i will not tell you who to love or not love i will only say

(11)

to you that Black women have not been loved enough" (Madhubuti "My Brothers" 1-6). Wether

it be about sex, racism or life in the ghettos, Black poets and Black rappers share the same views

and

write

about

the

same

subjects.

and

write

about

the

same

subjects.

The language used by Black rappers and Black poets is a strong, short, to the point language.

Maya Angelou demonstrates this in her poem "Aint That Bad". In the poem Maya uses a lot of

repetition to get her point across. "Now ain't they bad? / Now ain't they black?" (Angelou "Aint

That Bad?" 17-18). These lines are repeated several times in a row during the poem and again at

the end of the poem. "The lyrics of NWA banned off most radio stations. The videos banned

from MTV. And for what? Telling it like it is?" (NWA "Live From Compton"). NWA has been

criticized for having vulgar provocative lyrics that simply tell the truth. In the song "Fuck Tha

Police", they discuss how white police are always all over them for doing absolutely nothing.

NWA then goes on to to say that an even worse situation is the "black police showing off for the

white cop" (NWA "Fuck Tha Police" 20-21). What they mean by this is that when a black and a

white cop are working together, the black one has to try and show up the white cop by going to

extremes. This often results in the unnecessary death of black men. The language used by most

rappers and now even Black poets, is called ebonics. It is also referred to as ghetto slang. "Little

shorties sedated thinkin' the way out is by sellin' crack" (Grand Puba "Change Gonna Come" 11

). This line by Grand Puba is written in basic ebonics. Simply translated it says; kids are thinking

that their only way off the streets is to deal drugs. The language used by Black rappers and Black

poets is a language that has a lot of power, strength and emotion behind it.

What rap artists and poets have most in common are their messages. Their messages are of love,

hate, racism, violence and of what our world is going to become unless things are changed. A rap

artist by the name of Grand Puba talks in his song, Change Gonna Come", about how we need to

change the way we live and the way we treat each other. "Now lets deal on the real don't you get

sick of this? / The way we hate each other this shits ridiculous / Its time we move on to the next

phase / Cause theres too many shorties gettin' boxed in a grave" (Grand Puba "Change Gonna

Come" 26-29). Translated, these lyrics are saying that we have to change the way we hate each

other because it is ending up hurting the children in the long run. Sania Sanchez, a black poet,

takes a different approach at getting her message across. She uses a layout in her poems that

separate words so that the more important ones get noticed. "Give us your hungry/

--illiterates/ -- criminals/ -- dropouts/ -- (in other words) -- your blacks -- and we will let them fight

illiterates/ -- criminals/ -- dropouts/ -- (in other words) -- your blacks -- and we will let them fight

-- in Vietnam" (Sanchez "the final solution/ the leaders speak" 12-18). The message she is

sending is about discrimination and racism. The actual poem is about how many Black men were

sent to Vietnam to fight for a country that they were not even accepted in. Gangstarr's "In

Memory Of" and Nikki Giovanni's "For Saundra" have a strong message about what is

happening in urban cities. As discussed before Nikki Giovanni tells of how what was once a nice

place

to

live

is

now

becoming

a

"concrete

jungle".

(12)

To all my brothers in the streets / I know u feel you have to hustle cause your peeps gotta eat /

Makin moves right and exact; don't wanna see you layin' flat / Don't wanna see ya catch a bullet

black / If we don't build we'll be destroyed / Thats a challenge we face in the race of poor and

unemployed

(Gangsters

"In

Memory

Of")

unemployed

(Gangsters

"In

Memory

Of")

This song by Gangsters is about life on the streets and what one must do to survive on the streets.

The messages found in theses rap songs and poems are important messages that must be listened

to. They speak about what is happening in society and what we have to do to change it or in

some

cases

stop

it.

some

cases

stop

it.

In conclusion, the lyrics of rappers are very comparable to the spoken words of Black poets.

There can be comparisons made in the style of writing, the subjects, language and the messages

behind the writings. All of these similarities make rap a viable form of poetry that is enjoyed and

understood by young people in today's society. Today's teenagers, in many cases, would, not

read poetry and comprehend the message, but, they would listen to rap and be able to understand