Rap's Early Days and Teenage Innocence: How are both connected?

    In Ben's teen years, we saw that most of the rap/hip-hop listened to at the time was pretty tame, just like his and his friends' lives, especially since it was still an emerging genre. Like their lives, nothing too serious was going on in the lyrics. It was mainly just people showing off, as Benji and his friends occasionally did, and playfully dissing other artists, with little to no thought of it. One thing this reminded me of was Benji's BB gun fight with his friends, which was supposed to be a lighthearted playful fight. He then mentions, as Ben, that he lost some of his friends to gun violence later on. Rap later became a more intense genre, and became notoriously known for violence, after its tame beginnings. The innocence that was once there was now lost to the world.

    It's interesting to compare the two because they both have an influence on each other, one more than the other. Rap was something that Benji and his friends would listen to often as teenagers, so its emergence and early days were like the emergence of their freedom, independence, and rebellion into their young adult years. I would say that the two have a direct impact on each other. 

    I think that music taste really does define your personality, at least to some degree. Whether we realize it or not, music is an expression of our innermost feelings and things that we try to hide from other people, and so it doesn't surprise me that Benji and his friends changed and grew up alongside their favorite genre at the time. 

Comments

  1. Chloe JungMay 27, 2023 at 10:27 AM

    It's interesting how you mention the BB gun fight as an innocent beginning to more violence in their futures. I agree that much of this book and its pop culture references could allude to some bigger messaging or indication of later change. Maybe the nostalgia in this novel is Ben longing for more innocent times or him reflecting on the roots of his and his friends' lives.

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  2. Arya ThirodiraMay 30, 2023 at 3:50 PM

    I like how you established the relationship between song lyrics and the intricacies of teenage dynamics. Although they don’t seem super connected, Benji and his friends’ love for music kind of makes their dynamics somewhat based off of it. It’s interesting how you mentioned that music defines your personality. I didn’t think about it too much before but music really is just an expression of your identity and personality. In the same way, I think that your personality can be affected by what you listen to. In Benji’s case, it seems that it makes him more free and rebellious. Interesting post!

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