Thursday, December 16, 2010

My undercover artist

Soooooo.... when we first got this assingment I thought I wasnt going to enjoy it because I dont really search for new, undercover artists. My friends, people in my family, and others around me are usually the ones to find the new music and then I just start listening to it too. I guess that's why my library isnt really diverse or unique at all. Now that I think about it, it shows no distinct individuality and you cant tell the type of person I am by my library because the music is so common. But now that I've done this assignment I realized that I've really been missing out. There's so many artists out there that dont get recognition from the radio or tv. And they go unnoticed by a mojority of music listeners until artists get their big break, if they ever do. So I've also realized through this assingment that the best way to get music heard is via internet. There's no more efficient way to do it. Anyone in the world with access to internet can access the music that anyone puts out there.
Sooooo...now to the real point of this blog entry. I found an artist by the name of Kendrick Lamar. He is a guy from Compton, California. He started out when he was thirteen and has been developing his craft every since. His main goal now is to give people his real self through his music. He used to go by the name of "K Dot", but then he said he had an epiphany one morning and decided to give people his real self, starting with going by his real first name, Kendrick Lamar. He said "I just feel like it was time for the people to understand me and know who I am." And I can respect an artist like this. A person thats willing to uncover himself and peel back the layers of his life so that he can be heard. So when I listened to some of his music, I saw this goal throughout. In every one of the songs I heard by him, he put a piece of him like images of his childhood or his continued struggles as an artist in his lyrics. And it seems like he became more real through every song. I will definitely continue to search for more music by him and for  many more artists, that just havent gotten their break yet, but deserve at least for me to lend them my ear.

   

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Nick and Jay :)

Sooooooooo… Jay and Nick. Nick and Jay. Without a doubt I like Nick better and I think he’s a better character. By better I mean that he’s more genuine, truthful, and up front in the story. Though the mystery of Jay Gatsby is far more intriguing, I think the secrets he is holding back from Nick and Daisy are treacherous and will make him the villain of the book. That’s why I’m just going to play it safe and keep my hopes on Nick, because he seems like he’s a lot less likely to let me down or do something bad that will make me dislike him later on in the story. And as for the relationship between the two: FAKE!! All Gatsby wanted to do was get close to him so the he could have a better chance of getting back into Daisy’s life. He was doing nothing but using Nick. He invited him over to the parties, to lunch, and had someone cut his grass without charge. For example in chapter six Gatsby and Daisy practically ignored Nick for most of the time that they were together at Gatsby’s house. For some reason they both wanted him in their presence but he was obviously serving no purpose.  The book says on page 96, “They had forgotten me,…Gatsby didn’t know me at all”. After Gatsby got what he wanted all along, he didn’t need Nick anymore. Nick had already served his purpose with him. Gatsby has already made one malicious act against Nick by using him, what’s next?

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Let the Poems begin!

The ground hardens with ice,
The frigid cold chills my bones,
My hands, dry, callused, and rigid.
My teeth make a beat of their own

The trees are barren, without cover or
Shield from the unforgiving, unbiased cold
Babies, adults, the elderly, all victimized
By the frosty temperatures; it discriminates
Against none and is determined to destroy
The comfort of life

The wind smacks me as I exit my warm
Comforting home, I am shocked and startled
Though I thought I had a possibility at resisting
It with my sheep-made gloves, hat and coat
But I still stood no chance on winter’s
 Territory

The sky, so gray and hopeless, set the stage for
Another cheerless day, the joy of daily activities
Was ruined by the arctic weather and was
Never to return until the next rejuvenating spring

The atmosphere moistened as a took a long,
Careful trudge through malevolent patches of ice
As I look up to the still discouraging, bleak skies
A small gift lands on the tip of my noise

Tis’ the very first snowflake of the season
Sweeter than all the others, and unable to be  
Superseded by any other snowflake
A smile cracked across my face, and made
The rest of my body numb to the cold I was experienced

To me now the chilliness of the atmosphere
Was only in my mind, and its reigns on me
Were broken
My heart was filled with warmth as if I were
At home again and this pleasure soiled the horrific plan of winter to steal my happiness