Friday, October 3, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Crowd goes crazy for hip hop at park concert
J Me and Ye Lay perform together at a hip concert.
WITH a glimmer of sunlight poking through the clouds, hip hop fans gathered for an outdoor performance at Mhyaw Sin Island, Kandawgyi Park on July 20, to listen to their favourite hip hop artists showcase their talents.
Unsurprisingly, baggy pants and big shirts proved the fashion of the day for the audience of more than 3000 fans who were packed into the makeshift tent organisers had constructed for the gig. More spilled out onto the elevated embankments to watch as Myanmar’s best home grown talents performed, including Sai Sai Kham Hlaing, J Me and Ye Lay.
To warm up the crowd young actress-cum-singer Pyae Phoo Khine took to the stage first, performing a few songs from her upcoming album. But the crowd really got excited when J Me stepped up to perform his song Minn Ma Kyite Tae Hip Hop (Hip Hop you dislike). At this point the crowd became an amorphous mass howling with delight, jumping up and down with arms everywhere thrusting in the air.
J Me, wearing a black hoodie and jeans really played the crowd and together with popular disc jockey Thaw Thaw, they performed Naung Phyit Naung Shin (Solve the problem later) and Lwint Myaw (Float around).
From the reaction of the audience it would seem that J Me was the highlight of the afternoon. Fans won’t have long to wait for more from this talented performer as J Me is currently preparing his next album and will also perform soon at a fundraising hip hop concert.
Before finishing his set J Me invited Ye Lay on to the stage to sing a few more tracks.
Ye Lay, wearing a white shirt, hit the stage with his usual hip hop songs, the audience screaming along to the lyrics.
Next in line to perform was heart-throb Sai Sai Kham Hlaing, who rattled through a string of well-known tunes that had his fans — mostly teenage girls — in raptures.
As he launched into love song Miserable Diary the heavens opened — perhaps a weather god, jealous of Sai Sai’s popularity with the ladies — and drenched everybody not underneath the main tent.
The hip hop star ended the day with his most famous tune, Phote Hlike Phote Hlike, which prompted many squeals of delight but sadly wasn’t the same without regular guest Thiri Swe.
The crowd was also somewhat confused by the finishing time: The show wound up at 6:15, 45 minutes earlier than advertised. Still, most people appeared satisfied with the efforts of three of the country’s biggest hip hop icons.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
U OTTAMA
U Ottama
U Ottama (1880-1939) was an Arakanese monk, author and one of the leaders for Burmese Independence. He is considered one of the national heroes of modern Myanmar.Contents 1 Early life 2 Education 3 Anti-Colonial activism 4 Death 5 Legacy 6 External links
Early lifeHe was born Paw Tun Aung, son of Mra Tha Oo, in Rupa, a district of Sittwe in western Burma. Paw Tun Aung assumed the religious name Ottama when he entered the Buddhist monkhood.
EducationAshin Ottama studied in Calcutta for three years, until he passed the vernacular. He then travelled around India, and to France and Egypt.
In January, 1907 he went to Japan, where he taught Pali and Sanskrit at the Academy of Buddhist Science in Tokyo. He then travelled to Korea, Manchuria, Port Arthur, China, Annam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. In Saigon, he met with an exiled former Burmese prince, Myin Kun (who led a rebellion along with Prince Myin Khondaing in 1866, and assassinated the heir to the Burmese Crown, Crown Price Kanaung).
Anti-Colonial activismUpon his return to British Burma, U Ottama started his political activities, usually in the form of giving anti-colonial speeches. In 1921, he was arrested for one of his speeches, and sentenced for 18 months in prison. He was one of the first in British Burma to be imprisoned as a result of making a political speech, followed by a long line of nationalists such as Aung San and U Nu. According to academics, between 1921 and 1927, U Ottama spent more time in prison than outside.
While Ashin Ottama did not hold any post in any organization, he encouraged and participated in many peaceful demonstrations and strikes against British rule. An admirer of Gandhi, he did not advocate use of violence.
He represented the Indian National Congress at the funeral of Dr Sun Yat-Sen in June 1929. The only time he held a post was as leader of the All India Hindu Mahasabhas in 1935.
DeathU Ottama was imprisoned in the late 1930s for his nationalist political activities. In protest of recent political events, U Ottama went on a hunger strike, which the British colonial government ignored. Finally, he died in prison in 1939.
LegacyU Ottama is seen as both the first true martyr of Burmese nationalism and father of the modern Arakanese nationalist movement. U Ottama is seen as the first of Myanmar's long list of political monks, who had stood up for the Burmese people in times of strife, either under colonial, democratic, socialist or military rule. His monastery in Sittwe, the Shwe Zedi Monastery, continues to be an important focal point in the Burmese political movement - the recent August-September 2007 riots were sparked when monks at the Shwe Zedi monastery began to march to the Sittwe Prison demanding the release of an activist.
Early lifeHe was born Paw Tun Aung, son of Mra Tha Oo, in Rupa, a district of Sittwe in western Burma. Paw Tun Aung assumed the religious name Ottama when he entered the Buddhist monkhood.
EducationAshin Ottama studied in Calcutta for three years, until he passed the vernacular. He then travelled around India, and to France and Egypt.
In January, 1907 he went to Japan, where he taught Pali and Sanskrit at the Academy of Buddhist Science in Tokyo. He then travelled to Korea, Manchuria, Port Arthur, China, Annam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. In Saigon, he met with an exiled former Burmese prince, Myin Kun (who led a rebellion along with Prince Myin Khondaing in 1866, and assassinated the heir to the Burmese Crown, Crown Price Kanaung).
Anti-Colonial activismUpon his return to British Burma, U Ottama started his political activities, usually in the form of giving anti-colonial speeches. In 1921, he was arrested for one of his speeches, and sentenced for 18 months in prison. He was one of the first in British Burma to be imprisoned as a result of making a political speech, followed by a long line of nationalists such as Aung San and U Nu. According to academics, between 1921 and 1927, U Ottama spent more time in prison than outside.
While Ashin Ottama did not hold any post in any organization, he encouraged and participated in many peaceful demonstrations and strikes against British rule. An admirer of Gandhi, he did not advocate use of violence.
He represented the Indian National Congress at the funeral of Dr Sun Yat-Sen in June 1929. The only time he held a post was as leader of the All India Hindu Mahasabhas in 1935.
DeathU Ottama was imprisoned in the late 1930s for his nationalist political activities. In protest of recent political events, U Ottama went on a hunger strike, which the British colonial government ignored. Finally, he died in prison in 1939.
LegacyU Ottama is seen as both the first true martyr of Burmese nationalism and father of the modern Arakanese nationalist movement. U Ottama is seen as the first of Myanmar's long list of political monks, who had stood up for the Burmese people in times of strife, either under colonial, democratic, socialist or military rule. His monastery in Sittwe, the Shwe Zedi Monastery, continues to be an important focal point in the Burmese political movement - the recent August-September 2007 riots were sparked when monks at the Shwe Zedi monastery began to march to the Sittwe Prison demanding the release of an activist.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Art of Defiance
Despite a censorship crackdown, Burma's underground artists are determined to get their message out.
In a simple studio tucked into the shadows of a wealthy Rangoon neighborhood, a leading member of Burma's underground political art movement lights a Red Ruby cigarette, smoke curling into the hollows of his cheeks. Thein Soe (not his real name) is 61 years old and probably weighs less than 100 pounds. The paintings spread across the studio walls, desk and floor could bring a prison sentence in this military dictatorship, where freedom of expression has not existed for 46 years, since the military took power in a coup. "It's very difficult to show our inner sense, our expression," says Soe. "There are many censors for art here."
Things took a turn for the worse in September, when an uprising of monks and civilians was crushed by the military. Poets, bloggers and comedians have been targeted in the last few months for their political commentary. Arrests are more frequent. Despite the crackdown, Burma's underground political art movement is growing. In secret, artists buy and sell portraits of the detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and share ideas and inspiration. Young artists are also joining the fold. For lack of traditional materials, several youths have turned to installation and performance art to speak their minds. One young man recently walked a busy street with a birdcage on his head before dropping it and fleeing. "We paint what we suffer and what we feel," says Soe, speaking for a group of a dozen or so master artists. "It's very dangerous for us."
Across town Rangoon's latest music sensation, emcee J-Me, also deals with daily censorship of his work. Spoon-deep in a bowl of pasta at a trendy café, J-Me is proof that Burma's xenophobic government is no match for the globalization of popular culture. Officially, U.S. sanctions prevent American exports to Burma, but hip-hop is difficult to stop at the borders. "It's a big thing for us," says J-Me, who is dressed in baggy shorts and a T-shirt, with a fake diamond bling watch and a crucifix around his neck. "It may not be a big thing for everyone outside, but we've created the Myanmar Hip-Hop Association. Not the sissy-ass songs that you dance to on TRL [a pop hits show on MTV], you know what I'm sayin'? The real Wu-Tang stuff."
Burmese hip-hop may be slightly old-school in style and struggling to define itself, but it's sweeping the nation nevertheless. Teashop stereos that were locked into '80s hair metal for two decades are now thumping a different beat. The rapping of J-Me and his friends is revolutionary in that unlike other musicians who sing in refined, polite Burmese, these emcees rap in the slang of the streets.
For the hip-hoppers, of course, political lyrics are out of the question. "Hip-hop just started here," says J-Me's fellow emcee Bigg-Y. "If we go and rap about politics, they'll stop us." Rapper G-Tone was arrested two months ago when he revealed a tattoo on his back that included images of folded palms and prayer beads. G-Tone insists the design was inspired by the Joker hip-hop clothing line, but the police thought it was a symbol for September's monk-led Saffron Revolution. They let him go but banned him from performing for a year. Censors are paying particular attention to lyrics after September's uprisings. "They watch my lyrics with a big magnifying glass," J-Me says.
The government mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar, ran an editorial in January denouncing the Western influences changing the face of Burma. It warned the youth to "stay away from decadent costumes, words incompatible with Myanmar [Burmese] custom, and behaviors that lack modesty." The booty girls in Burmese hip-hop videos, which are bought and sold in pirated copies on the streets of Rangoon, dance with their midriffs and miniskirts digitally blurred.
The U.S. Embassy in Rangoon has helped Burma's artists. In December the embassy sponsored an art exhibit that featured Burmese and American painters. Diplomats, local artists and members of the public came. (The same exhibit will be shown later this year in San Francisco, where it will feature politically themed paintings that would not be tolerated by the censorship board in Burma.) Although the scope of U.S. Embassy projects is limited inside Burma, the Embassy carries on cultural exchange programs that feature American art and music. "We have good relations with the people of this country," says the U.S. chargé d'affaires for Burma, Shari Villarosa. "We want to have a full, open relationship with this country."
Last winter, Villarosa hosted a hip-hop show on the grounds of her private residence in Rangoon. The American hip-hop group Timeless Voices of America performed, as part of the State Department's Rhythm Road program, which sponsors American music abroad. J-Me and some of his friends rapped alongside. "Basically, we don't censor art in the United States," Villarosa says. "This is a means of communication for the artists with the people. They have something to say, and we're interested in what they have to say."
Even with government censors looking over their shoulders, Burma's artists have found ways of getting their message through. Some political art pieces are made in private and sent out of the country to be displayed in international galleries. Other pieces are just subtle enough to escape censorship. One artist recently made a clay sculpture of a lock and key—"the key that will be used to unlock Burma's future," he says. He plans to tell the censors it signifies men and women. But the consequences of being found out are serious. In January a poet was sent to jail for a hidden message in a love poem he printed in a Rangoon daily newspaper. The message read: "Gen. Than Shwe is crazy with power."
Every painting displayed in a gallery or shop in Burma must first pass the scrutiny of the ministry of information's censorship board. Any sign of discontent or disloyalty to the government, or an unseemly political message can shut down the gallery and land the artist in jail. Musicians have to explain their lyrics to the censorship board before they can record. Policemen attend concerts to make sure nothing unsavory slips out onstage. The censors' scrutiny is especially severe after September's Saffron Revolution. Many artists, however, remained determined. "Artists have a responsibility to their people and country to express what happens," says one artist in Rangoon whose brother was jailed for 11 years and whose uncle died behind bars, both for their political poetry. "We are not angry; we are sad. All of these years have been wasted time."
In a simple studio tucked into the shadows of a wealthy Rangoon neighborhood, a leading member of Burma's underground political art movement lights a Red Ruby cigarette, smoke curling into the hollows of his cheeks. Thein Soe (not his real name) is 61 years old and probably weighs less than 100 pounds. The paintings spread across the studio walls, desk and floor could bring a prison sentence in this military dictatorship, where freedom of expression has not existed for 46 years, since the military took power in a coup. "It's very difficult to show our inner sense, our expression," says Soe. "There are many censors for art here."
Things took a turn for the worse in September, when an uprising of monks and civilians was crushed by the military. Poets, bloggers and comedians have been targeted in the last few months for their political commentary. Arrests are more frequent. Despite the crackdown, Burma's underground political art movement is growing. In secret, artists buy and sell portraits of the detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and share ideas and inspiration. Young artists are also joining the fold. For lack of traditional materials, several youths have turned to installation and performance art to speak their minds. One young man recently walked a busy street with a birdcage on his head before dropping it and fleeing. "We paint what we suffer and what we feel," says Soe, speaking for a group of a dozen or so master artists. "It's very dangerous for us."
Across town Rangoon's latest music sensation, emcee J-Me, also deals with daily censorship of his work. Spoon-deep in a bowl of pasta at a trendy café, J-Me is proof that Burma's xenophobic government is no match for the globalization of popular culture. Officially, U.S. sanctions prevent American exports to Burma, but hip-hop is difficult to stop at the borders. "It's a big thing for us," says J-Me, who is dressed in baggy shorts and a T-shirt, with a fake diamond bling watch and a crucifix around his neck. "It may not be a big thing for everyone outside, but we've created the Myanmar Hip-Hop Association. Not the sissy-ass songs that you dance to on TRL [a pop hits show on MTV], you know what I'm sayin'? The real Wu-Tang stuff."
Burmese hip-hop may be slightly old-school in style and struggling to define itself, but it's sweeping the nation nevertheless. Teashop stereos that were locked into '80s hair metal for two decades are now thumping a different beat. The rapping of J-Me and his friends is revolutionary in that unlike other musicians who sing in refined, polite Burmese, these emcees rap in the slang of the streets.
For the hip-hoppers, of course, political lyrics are out of the question. "Hip-hop just started here," says J-Me's fellow emcee Bigg-Y. "If we go and rap about politics, they'll stop us." Rapper G-Tone was arrested two months ago when he revealed a tattoo on his back that included images of folded palms and prayer beads. G-Tone insists the design was inspired by the Joker hip-hop clothing line, but the police thought it was a symbol for September's monk-led Saffron Revolution. They let him go but banned him from performing for a year. Censors are paying particular attention to lyrics after September's uprisings. "They watch my lyrics with a big magnifying glass," J-Me says.
The government mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar, ran an editorial in January denouncing the Western influences changing the face of Burma. It warned the youth to "stay away from decadent costumes, words incompatible with Myanmar [Burmese] custom, and behaviors that lack modesty." The booty girls in Burmese hip-hop videos, which are bought and sold in pirated copies on the streets of Rangoon, dance with their midriffs and miniskirts digitally blurred.
The U.S. Embassy in Rangoon has helped Burma's artists. In December the embassy sponsored an art exhibit that featured Burmese and American painters. Diplomats, local artists and members of the public came. (The same exhibit will be shown later this year in San Francisco, where it will feature politically themed paintings that would not be tolerated by the censorship board in Burma.) Although the scope of U.S. Embassy projects is limited inside Burma, the Embassy carries on cultural exchange programs that feature American art and music. "We have good relations with the people of this country," says the U.S. chargé d'affaires for Burma, Shari Villarosa. "We want to have a full, open relationship with this country."
Last winter, Villarosa hosted a hip-hop show on the grounds of her private residence in Rangoon. The American hip-hop group Timeless Voices of America performed, as part of the State Department's Rhythm Road program, which sponsors American music abroad. J-Me and some of his friends rapped alongside. "Basically, we don't censor art in the United States," Villarosa says. "This is a means of communication for the artists with the people. They have something to say, and we're interested in what they have to say."
Even with government censors looking over their shoulders, Burma's artists have found ways of getting their message through. Some political art pieces are made in private and sent out of the country to be displayed in international galleries. Other pieces are just subtle enough to escape censorship. One artist recently made a clay sculpture of a lock and key—"the key that will be used to unlock Burma's future," he says. He plans to tell the censors it signifies men and women. But the consequences of being found out are serious. In January a poet was sent to jail for a hidden message in a love poem he printed in a Rangoon daily newspaper. The message read: "Gen. Than Shwe is crazy with power."
Every painting displayed in a gallery or shop in Burma must first pass the scrutiny of the ministry of information's censorship board. Any sign of discontent or disloyalty to the government, or an unseemly political message can shut down the gallery and land the artist in jail. Musicians have to explain their lyrics to the censorship board before they can record. Policemen attend concerts to make sure nothing unsavory slips out onstage. The censors' scrutiny is especially severe after September's Saffron Revolution. Many artists, however, remained determined. "Artists have a responsibility to their people and country to express what happens," says one artist in Rangoon whose brother was jailed for 11 years and whose uncle died behind bars, both for their political poetry. "We are not angry; we are sad. All of these years have been wasted time."
50 Cent: “Young Buck Is No Longer In G-Unit”
50 Cent has made it clear about the status of Young Buck, one of his artists who has had a shaky relationship with the company for several months. 50 Cent revealed today that the Tennessee rapper was no longer in G-Unit the group, but would still record for the label.
“You can look at it and see that’s Game [former G-Unit rapper] all the way. I was giving him a chance, giving him the benefit of the doubt [to remain with the group]. You can take this as an official notice right here – pretty much you can say: Young Buck is no longer in the group G-Unit, but signed to G-Unit [Records] as a solo artist,” 50 Cent told DJ Envy, a co-host on the Hot 97 Morning Show with Miss Jones.
Most recently, Young Buck revealed that he had not collected any royalty income as an artist on G-Unit Records, a subsidiary of Interscope. Those reports were quickly dispelled by Sha Money XL, manager of Young Buck, who said the rapper was “waving the G-Unit flag strong.”
“There has been a new rumor going around that 50 Cent has not paid Young Buck any royalties,” Sha Money XL told AllHipHop.com. “I, as Buck’s manager and as former President of G-Unit Records, want to make it clear: that is false. Young Buck has cleared over $10 million dollars working under 50 Cent’s and my guidance.”
Young Buck, born David Darnell Brown, was expected to appear on Shoot to Kill, the follow up to G-Unit’s 2003 debut album titled Beg For Mercy.
Young Buck once was to lead the charge for 50 Cent’s G-Unit Sout imprint. Instead, the rapper started Cashville Records and signed rap vet C-Bo and The Outlawz, who were a part of Tupac’s inner circle of emcees.
But has also started David Brown clothing to supplement his rap offerings.
50 Cent and The Game initially parted ways, because the Compton upstart wouldn’t assume beefs with Nas and Fat Joe that the rest of G-Unit had declared.
“You can look at it and see that’s Game [former G-Unit rapper] all the way. I was giving him a chance, giving him the benefit of the doubt [to remain with the group]. You can take this as an official notice right here – pretty much you can say: Young Buck is no longer in the group G-Unit, but signed to G-Unit [Records] as a solo artist,” 50 Cent told DJ Envy, a co-host on the Hot 97 Morning Show with Miss Jones.
Most recently, Young Buck revealed that he had not collected any royalty income as an artist on G-Unit Records, a subsidiary of Interscope. Those reports were quickly dispelled by Sha Money XL, manager of Young Buck, who said the rapper was “waving the G-Unit flag strong.”
“There has been a new rumor going around that 50 Cent has not paid Young Buck any royalties,” Sha Money XL told AllHipHop.com. “I, as Buck’s manager and as former President of G-Unit Records, want to make it clear: that is false. Young Buck has cleared over $10 million dollars working under 50 Cent’s and my guidance.”
Young Buck, born David Darnell Brown, was expected to appear on Shoot to Kill, the follow up to G-Unit’s 2003 debut album titled Beg For Mercy.
Young Buck once was to lead the charge for 50 Cent’s G-Unit Sout imprint. Instead, the rapper started Cashville Records and signed rap vet C-Bo and The Outlawz, who were a part of Tupac’s inner circle of emcees.
But has also started David Brown clothing to supplement his rap offerings.
50 Cent and The Game initially parted ways, because the Compton upstart wouldn’t assume beefs with Nas and Fat Joe that the rest of G-Unit had declared.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
free burma's political prisoners now
For decades the people of Burma have suffered from socio-economic hardship and severe oppression of political and civil rights by its brutal military regime. A fuel price hike in August 2007 has sparked protests that are the largest and most sustained in Burma since 1988. The price hike has had a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the Burmese people, many of whom live under the poverty line and struggle for daily survival. The popular uprising in August and September 2007 was an expression of long felt desperation and strong will for change among the Burmese people, but once again the military regime showed its repressive and dictatorial nature by brutally killing and arresting the peaceful protesters. There are over 7,000 people detained during and after the protests. Among those detainees were 13 leaders of ‘the 88 Generation Students’ who previously served long jail sentences, surviving torture and solitary confinement. The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), which monitors prison conditions in many conflict settings, has not been able to visit Burmese prisons since late 2005 because authorities have prevented visits in accordance with the ICRC’s usual procedures that include carrying out private interviews with detainees, is still unable to visit the detainees.
The despair of the Burmese people, as well as the regime’s violent way of silencing all political opposition, were already known to the international community, following the popular uprising in 1988. When the people of Burma once more took to the streets in September 2007 and the regime again crushed their aspirations for change with brutal violence, Governments around the world, as well as different UN agencies, unanimously condemned the violent actions of the Burmese regime.
Nevertheless, the Burmese military regime has not yet shown the will to engage in meaningful dialogue for national reconciliation, and effective measures to pressure the generals into cooperation remain to be found.
Therefore, we need support from members of the international community and people all over the world by calling the Burma’s military regime for immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.
The despair of the Burmese people, as well as the regime’s violent way of silencing all political opposition, were already known to the international community, following the popular uprising in 1988. When the people of Burma once more took to the streets in September 2007 and the regime again crushed their aspirations for change with brutal violence, Governments around the world, as well as different UN agencies, unanimously condemned the violent actions of the Burmese regime.
Nevertheless, the Burmese military regime has not yet shown the will to engage in meaningful dialogue for national reconciliation, and effective measures to pressure the generals into cooperation remain to be found.
Therefore, we need support from members of the international community and people all over the world by calling the Burma’s military regime for immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The difference of hip hop and rap
Rap vs. Hip-Hop - What's the Difference?
rap is a kind of music, whereas hip-hop is a lifestyle — one that includes rap, break dancing, DJing, and graffiti art. Rap pioneer and sage KRS-One says simply, "Rap is something you do, but hip-hop is something you live."
Others, however, insist that hip-hop is a musical style distinct from rap, for very specific reasons: mainly hip-hop has a particular beat and uses scratching and "breaks" (samples). They claim rapping over a soul or heavy metal track could never be hip-hop. In other words, these folks say all hip-hop is rap, but not all rap is hip-hop.
Unfortunately for us label-hungry knowledge junkies looking for a quick fix, we'll never arrive at a firm answer. Designations such as "rap" and "hip-hop" are never set in stone, but are free to flow and evolve, kind of like the songs themselves. Of course, some hip-hoppers just enjoy the scene and leave it at that. In the words of the ever-eloquent Biggie Smalls: "Birthdays was the worst days. Now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay."
rap is a kind of music, whereas hip-hop is a lifestyle — one that includes rap, break dancing, DJing, and graffiti art. Rap pioneer and sage KRS-One says simply, "Rap is something you do, but hip-hop is something you live."
Others, however, insist that hip-hop is a musical style distinct from rap, for very specific reasons: mainly hip-hop has a particular beat and uses scratching and "breaks" (samples). They claim rapping over a soul or heavy metal track could never be hip-hop. In other words, these folks say all hip-hop is rap, but not all rap is hip-hop.
Unfortunately for us label-hungry knowledge junkies looking for a quick fix, we'll never arrive at a firm answer. Designations such as "rap" and "hip-hop" are never set in stone, but are free to flow and evolve, kind of like the songs themselves. Of course, some hip-hoppers just enjoy the scene and leave it at that. In the words of the ever-eloquent Biggie Smalls: "Birthdays was the worst days. Now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay."
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
how to write a rap song
How to Write a Rap Song
This article will show you how to create the standard rap song and how to add your own style to it. Start with the fundamentals, then shape your creation into a masterpiece.
[edit] StepsThink about the topic of your rap so you do not blindly write a whacky unwanted song.
Create a low tone (Bass Synth, etc). The bass line should be in the same key as the melody so that there are no 'sour notes' and the beat is easy to listen to. The bass line should not be as lengthened as the melody line but should work with it and fit together.
Structure the song. A popular song structure would be: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus, middle 8 (AKA breakdown), chorus, outro. The intro usually consists of all the parts playing, the verse would be just the bass and the drum beat, then the chorus should be all parts playing, the middle 8 (breakdown) should be anything of your choice but must distinguish itself from the rest of the song and the outro is simply the beat just playing on until the song ends.
Write lyrics. Rap about anything but remember to write to the beat and make sure that your 'flow' is not whack! Just make sure that the lyrics match or just associate with the name of the song. Put your heart into it, be in love with the song when recording it or writing it. Just keep talking and babbling.
Listen to your inner rapper to figure out what works best. If you are not sure what to say, remember that the point is to get beyond your mind/memory. Make up sounds and let new language emerge. Try focusing on famous musical artists you respect/love ones/Jah/your heart and see if that affects what comes out. Focus on rhythm and feeling... Let go, flow and appreciate...
Keep in mind, what you're going to rap about and keep writing everything that runs through it on something, if your on a bus, paper or your hand will work just fine, a book would be nice too. Then read everything later and keep the BEST material.
Try to rhyme at least once a sentence, make sure not to repeat words , unless it's a verse, or at least sounds cool. Keep a constant tone, if you want to have fun with different voices then dub it over later. People can tell when you're changing your voice and it's lame at best.
You don't need to buy Pro Tools to get started. There's plenty of free audio editors, such as Audacity that provide a free way to make music. If you happen to have an apple mac computer, those come with Garageband, which will allow you to record right out of the box!
[edit] TipsTo write a rap song the best thing to do is write from your heart and things that you have experienced in your life and would like sharing with the outside world. Writing a rap song is about writing your feelings and expressing yourself.
The hook should be something infectious and catchy. The hook is basically the chorus. Like most of those songs listed, listen to the way the artist works with the beat to create a hook and do the same with your beat.
Add flavor to the beats by including drum fills (e.g. before chorus or verse, add additional bass and melody lines and make the song shine).
When creating a bass line: the bass could play a note on every kick of the drum beat.
A hi-hat can be good, because it keeps the song flowing and keeps the pace, but it's optional.
If you don't have access to studio equipment, the following cheap packages can help with your quest: FL Studio, MTV Music Generator, and Hip Hop Ejay.
Don't show up to a battle in bad looking clothes or shoes ,etc because that just makes you more vulnerable to beng a target for dissing.It may seem bizarre, but even if you have a good flow,if you have an easily targetable appearance or qualtiy, it can cost you the battle.
[edit] WarningsDon't rap about personal things that are not true. While some people might take a "I can rap about anything I want to!" attitude, it's best to really look at things before just spitting out false trash. Trying to beef up your image without doing the "work" is almost universally known as posing.
Also keep in mind that just because popular rappers write about that stuff, doesn't make your raps any more or less "rap" by writing or not writing about similar things. Remember that creativity and vision are often valued more by fans than image alone.
Don't listen to experts, listen to your heart...
It's always ok to have the knowledge to rap about anything, but remember you'll lose respect and word will go out on the streets if you don't keep it real.
If your rap lyrics suggest someone who you're really not, then refrain from such lyrics. For example, don't just take it all the way and say that you were born in the hood, if you really weren't.The more you expose your false lyrics, the less respect you will gain. By just keeping the content simple, you can impress many more people.
Be careful, try not to make the rhythm of the song faster then you can rap, you could end up rapping out gibberish!
This article will show you how to create the standard rap song and how to add your own style to it. Start with the fundamentals, then shape your creation into a masterpiece.
[edit] StepsThink about the topic of your rap so you do not blindly write a whacky unwanted song.
Create a low tone (Bass Synth, etc). The bass line should be in the same key as the melody so that there are no 'sour notes' and the beat is easy to listen to. The bass line should not be as lengthened as the melody line but should work with it and fit together.
Structure the song. A popular song structure would be: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus, middle 8 (AKA breakdown), chorus, outro. The intro usually consists of all the parts playing, the verse would be just the bass and the drum beat, then the chorus should be all parts playing, the middle 8 (breakdown) should be anything of your choice but must distinguish itself from the rest of the song and the outro is simply the beat just playing on until the song ends.
Write lyrics. Rap about anything but remember to write to the beat and make sure that your 'flow' is not whack! Just make sure that the lyrics match or just associate with the name of the song. Put your heart into it, be in love with the song when recording it or writing it. Just keep talking and babbling.
Listen to your inner rapper to figure out what works best. If you are not sure what to say, remember that the point is to get beyond your mind/memory. Make up sounds and let new language emerge. Try focusing on famous musical artists you respect/love ones/Jah/your heart and see if that affects what comes out. Focus on rhythm and feeling... Let go, flow and appreciate...
Keep in mind, what you're going to rap about and keep writing everything that runs through it on something, if your on a bus, paper or your hand will work just fine, a book would be nice too. Then read everything later and keep the BEST material.
Try to rhyme at least once a sentence, make sure not to repeat words , unless it's a verse, or at least sounds cool. Keep a constant tone, if you want to have fun with different voices then dub it over later. People can tell when you're changing your voice and it's lame at best.
You don't need to buy Pro Tools to get started. There's plenty of free audio editors, such as Audacity that provide a free way to make music. If you happen to have an apple mac computer, those come with Garageband, which will allow you to record right out of the box!
[edit] TipsTo write a rap song the best thing to do is write from your heart and things that you have experienced in your life and would like sharing with the outside world. Writing a rap song is about writing your feelings and expressing yourself.
The hook should be something infectious and catchy. The hook is basically the chorus. Like most of those songs listed, listen to the way the artist works with the beat to create a hook and do the same with your beat.
Add flavor to the beats by including drum fills (e.g. before chorus or verse, add additional bass and melody lines and make the song shine).
When creating a bass line: the bass could play a note on every kick of the drum beat.
A hi-hat can be good, because it keeps the song flowing and keeps the pace, but it's optional.
If you don't have access to studio equipment, the following cheap packages can help with your quest: FL Studio, MTV Music Generator, and Hip Hop Ejay.
Don't show up to a battle in bad looking clothes or shoes ,etc because that just makes you more vulnerable to beng a target for dissing.It may seem bizarre, but even if you have a good flow,if you have an easily targetable appearance or qualtiy, it can cost you the battle.
[edit] WarningsDon't rap about personal things that are not true. While some people might take a "I can rap about anything I want to!" attitude, it's best to really look at things before just spitting out false trash. Trying to beef up your image without doing the "work" is almost universally known as posing.
Also keep in mind that just because popular rappers write about that stuff, doesn't make your raps any more or less "rap" by writing or not writing about similar things. Remember that creativity and vision are often valued more by fans than image alone.
Don't listen to experts, listen to your heart...
It's always ok to have the knowledge to rap about anything, but remember you'll lose respect and word will go out on the streets if you don't keep it real.
If your rap lyrics suggest someone who you're really not, then refrain from such lyrics. For example, don't just take it all the way and say that you were born in the hood, if you really weren't.The more you expose your false lyrics, the less respect you will gain. By just keeping the content simple, you can impress many more people.
Be careful, try not to make the rhythm of the song faster then you can rap, you could end up rapping out gibberish!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Is Rap Music The Cause Of Violence
Is Rap Music The Cause Of Violence?
Is Rap Music the Cause of Violence? Since the late 1980's rap music has been called the Anti Christ in our culture, because of it's so-called influence in people's life. People swear up and down that the music is why people, specially the youth resort to violent crimes. I think by saying this they are trying to cover up the real truth by giving simple answers. Rap is defined as a style of popular music consisting of improvised rhymes performed to a rhythmic accompaniment. The first rap song was made in the late 70's, the songs were seven to eight minutes long and was mostly used in small clubs to dance to. It didn't really become popular until the early 80's. Over the years it has become mainstream music, everyone is listening to it. In the last four years rap made up 60% of music bought in stores in the United States. In 1989 a local group called N.W.A.(Niggaz Wit Attitudes) came from out of L.A. and changed rap, which was the start of Gangsta Rap. In their lyrics they talked about crime, street violence and killing. Once they were a huge hit, it caught on, and really that's when all this madness started. Everyone started rapping Gangsta style. More and more people started rapping about police brutality and killing people and with that crime rose to high levels. In my opinion it's not the artists or the record company's fault that crime rose. It's not their responsibility to look after every person who listens to their music. In all these years of rap though there are three people who took the most criticism from the public. Dr. Dre was one, after N.W.A. broke up he went on to do his own thing, and after he released The Chronic he became a star. He took rap to a higher level where it never been before and I think that scared a lot of people. He was rapping about drive by's, having sex with hundreds of women, drinking alcohol all day and so on. By this time the crime rate was sky high and a lot of people where looking for easy answers. It was mostly those few who just didn't like rap from the start that spoke out and tried to ban it. Most rappers loved the style Dr. Dre created, and so they tried to take the style and create something of their own. Along with Dr. Dre he helped a rising star Snoop Doggy Dog to become a big star by guest staring on his The Chronic album. Snoop released Doggy Style and it was a hit. His style similar to Dr. Dre made it a hit. It was his best-selling album to date. Congress tried every way they could to keep youth from listening to this music because they felt it was making them commit crimes. Snoop was charged not to long after his release for murder which he soon was found not guilty. They made a label for CD's and tapes that said Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics which actually in my opinion didn't do too much. This way parents could be aware of the type of music their kids listen to and could choose if they would like to allow them to listen to it. If you sit down and think about it, when you buy a CD you by it because you want to listen to it, you don't really pay attention to that little label. Besides you see little kids no older then 11 walking around listening to Lil' Kim, Tupac, and all other rap artists cussing up a storm . . . what's with that? Why didn't the parents say anything about that, they have control over their children, yet critics and congress blame the rappers. The third man to take the most heat and who still continues to is Tupac Shakur. They say he was the best rapper alive and the most successful which I also believe is true. He has been in trouble with the law and public since his first album to even now after his death. He was arrested for numerous charges such as battery, attempted murder, and rape. In 1994 two 17-year-olds shot some police officers and said they did because they heard it in Tupac's music. Critics blamed him from the start with his to raunchy lyrics. Why blame him he didn't tell them to go shoot police officers? For the past three years, C. Delores Tucker has been talking and protesting rap lyrics saying that they are harmful to the spirit of black youth. She also filed a $10 million dollar lawsuit against the estate of Tupac Shakur claiming that his songs surrounding her in two songs on the 1996 album All Eyez On Me make slander remarks. She went into a court and said that the pain she suffered from those songs has affected her sex life with her husband. What kind of since does that make? Just another person trying to bad mouth rap music for they're own personal gain. Congress says they are concerned about children's exposure to music with adult content, but really can't do too much because they have to respect the first amendment which says we have Freedom of Speech. In two states they have announced plans to possibly ban minors from attending concerts or buy things that could contain objectionable materials. I'm not going to say that some youth won't listen to some rap music and get the wrong idea, but that also can happen with other types of music such as Alternative music which artists like Hole, Marilyn Manson, and the group Korn are big stars. If you notice Korn is the group that the Trench Coat Mafia listened to before they decided to go shoot up a school. In the beginning the president, and all other high profile people said they should put a stop to all this music referring to Korn and Marilyn Manson. This was last year how many times have you heard about that now. Sen. Joe Liebermann, and Raymond Kuntz, a Burlington, N.D., man said his 15-year-old son killed himself after listening to the controversial rock group Marilyn Manson. Bands like that are noted for explicit lyrics and concerts, how many times have you heard about stopping them. They don't put that much power in trying to ban Rock or Alternative music, but will use all their energy to stop a form of music that sells more then half of the United States music. John Woods, co-founder of a grassroots anti-censorship organization said in a statement that most attacks on the music industry are fueled by politicians and groups such as the Christian Coalition and the American Family Association. Later he also said Quite simply, the federal government, state governments and local governments are very skillfully using the controversy created by religious organizations in an effort to completely render the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to be a relic from the past in the interest of gaining greater control over society as a whole. I for one agree with that statement. Dave Marvin, a spokesman for state Sen. Dale Shugars, said the Michigan Republican is working on a bill to be sent to the state Legislature in July. The bill would fine site owners who permit minors unless accompanied by an adult to attend concerts or buy music that has offensive acts or speech. The manager of Pearl Jam, L-7, Rage Against the Machine, and rappers like JayZ, Ice Cube, Master P, and Russell Simons recently said that they will boycott any state that passes a law such as that. It's up to the artists to provide a much-needed spine for the industry by using their celebrities' status to effectively draw the line in the sand to tell the would-be censors to stuff it if they are offended because we have a First Amendment guaranteeing our freedom of expression, Woods said. One man they asked off the street said Why do I hate rap? Well I guess the number 1 reason I hate rap is the lack of talent that a rapper needs. All the music is synthetic, made on machines. Another thing I don't get about rap is that many rappers use the Gangsta rap theme. Then when a rapper gets killed, it's a shock! They only rap about what they know! Yes, have someone murdered is horrible, but if they rap about it and they say how they were brought up in it, is it really a shock? Lately a lot of questions have been asked to anyone trying to take up for rap music. Does rap music promote violence? The most common answer was yes, and the murder of Tupac Shakur and Notoruis B.I.G. proves it. Those were some sad deaths but you can't blame just rap alone for that happening. Tupac didn't kill Biggie, and Biggie didn't kill Tupac some dumb people who had nothing else to do did. When you think about it, doesn't radio, movies, and television promote violence also, so you can't try to ban one thing of violence and not another. There was another question that was Should rap music be censored? Some answers were yes, but most were no. They couldn't do it anyway it would be against the first amendment. Another was Does rap music make a positive contribution to society? No one answered that question but I think I will. Yes it does, rap isn't just a money making thing to me it not only helps us relate to people who have gone through things we have, but it shows people who don't know the things that really goes on. Also rap artists don't just make albums and stay in there own worlds they also give lots of money to charities and sponsor programs that help inner city youth so violence can stop between young people. Does rap promote violence, gangs and drug use? Yes it does, but there was violence, gangs, and drug use before rap even came along, so you can't pin that on rap, it's something that has always been around and don't see it going anywhere. Is rap music degrading to women? In a way yes it is, I don't think any rapper would call there own mothers bitches, and hoes but out of know where women rappers are coming out of their shell and they are doing the same thing, So really everyone is degrading each other so it balances out. You can't blame rap for everything that goes on, I'm thinking if they could find a way to blame rap for every death they would. Even though they swear up and down that rap is like the worst thing, it has done a lot for the music industry and youth in general. Before rap all kids knew was that you had to know how to sing to become a big music star, but now for those who actually have talent for rapping they can dream of becoming a rapper. You would be surprised at how much more violence would be going on if rap wasn't here. Youth would be out in the street selling drugs and killing people all the time, now half of them are working on demo tapes and their talent so they can have a career of there own. Also rap helps out inner city youth so they can get off the street and play sports and go to camp, it's like for every bad thing you say about how rap is bad and how it should be banned, there is another positive thing that can get thrown right back into your face that would blow your mind and actually make you want to say hey rap is doing more for us then what the public really tells us. It would be the truth. You don't ever hear about how LL COOL J started a camp for youth in Brooklyn, or how Puff Daddy donated 10 million dollars to Biggie's children. No you hear about how someone got shot and the killer was listening to Tupac right before he did it. People it's time to wake up, even though I can't force you to change your mind on any subject I'm hoping I gave you some type of information that will make you just think before you speak about rap music.
Is Rap Music the Cause of Violence? Since the late 1980's rap music has been called the Anti Christ in our culture, because of it's so-called influence in people's life. People swear up and down that the music is why people, specially the youth resort to violent crimes. I think by saying this they are trying to cover up the real truth by giving simple answers. Rap is defined as a style of popular music consisting of improvised rhymes performed to a rhythmic accompaniment. The first rap song was made in the late 70's, the songs were seven to eight minutes long and was mostly used in small clubs to dance to. It didn't really become popular until the early 80's. Over the years it has become mainstream music, everyone is listening to it. In the last four years rap made up 60% of music bought in stores in the United States. In 1989 a local group called N.W.A.(Niggaz Wit Attitudes) came from out of L.A. and changed rap, which was the start of Gangsta Rap. In their lyrics they talked about crime, street violence and killing. Once they were a huge hit, it caught on, and really that's when all this madness started. Everyone started rapping Gangsta style. More and more people started rapping about police brutality and killing people and with that crime rose to high levels. In my opinion it's not the artists or the record company's fault that crime rose. It's not their responsibility to look after every person who listens to their music. In all these years of rap though there are three people who took the most criticism from the public. Dr. Dre was one, after N.W.A. broke up he went on to do his own thing, and after he released The Chronic he became a star. He took rap to a higher level where it never been before and I think that scared a lot of people. He was rapping about drive by's, having sex with hundreds of women, drinking alcohol all day and so on. By this time the crime rate was sky high and a lot of people where looking for easy answers. It was mostly those few who just didn't like rap from the start that spoke out and tried to ban it. Most rappers loved the style Dr. Dre created, and so they tried to take the style and create something of their own. Along with Dr. Dre he helped a rising star Snoop Doggy Dog to become a big star by guest staring on his The Chronic album. Snoop released Doggy Style and it was a hit. His style similar to Dr. Dre made it a hit. It was his best-selling album to date. Congress tried every way they could to keep youth from listening to this music because they felt it was making them commit crimes. Snoop was charged not to long after his release for murder which he soon was found not guilty. They made a label for CD's and tapes that said Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics which actually in my opinion didn't do too much. This way parents could be aware of the type of music their kids listen to and could choose if they would like to allow them to listen to it. If you sit down and think about it, when you buy a CD you by it because you want to listen to it, you don't really pay attention to that little label. Besides you see little kids no older then 11 walking around listening to Lil' Kim, Tupac, and all other rap artists cussing up a storm . . . what's with that? Why didn't the parents say anything about that, they have control over their children, yet critics and congress blame the rappers. The third man to take the most heat and who still continues to is Tupac Shakur. They say he was the best rapper alive and the most successful which I also believe is true. He has been in trouble with the law and public since his first album to even now after his death. He was arrested for numerous charges such as battery, attempted murder, and rape. In 1994 two 17-year-olds shot some police officers and said they did because they heard it in Tupac's music. Critics blamed him from the start with his to raunchy lyrics. Why blame him he didn't tell them to go shoot police officers? For the past three years, C. Delores Tucker has been talking and protesting rap lyrics saying that they are harmful to the spirit of black youth. She also filed a $10 million dollar lawsuit against the estate of Tupac Shakur claiming that his songs surrounding her in two songs on the 1996 album All Eyez On Me make slander remarks. She went into a court and said that the pain she suffered from those songs has affected her sex life with her husband. What kind of since does that make? Just another person trying to bad mouth rap music for they're own personal gain. Congress says they are concerned about children's exposure to music with adult content, but really can't do too much because they have to respect the first amendment which says we have Freedom of Speech. In two states they have announced plans to possibly ban minors from attending concerts or buy things that could contain objectionable materials. I'm not going to say that some youth won't listen to some rap music and get the wrong idea, but that also can happen with other types of music such as Alternative music which artists like Hole, Marilyn Manson, and the group Korn are big stars. If you notice Korn is the group that the Trench Coat Mafia listened to before they decided to go shoot up a school. In the beginning the president, and all other high profile people said they should put a stop to all this music referring to Korn and Marilyn Manson. This was last year how many times have you heard about that now. Sen. Joe Liebermann, and Raymond Kuntz, a Burlington, N.D., man said his 15-year-old son killed himself after listening to the controversial rock group Marilyn Manson. Bands like that are noted for explicit lyrics and concerts, how many times have you heard about stopping them. They don't put that much power in trying to ban Rock or Alternative music, but will use all their energy to stop a form of music that sells more then half of the United States music. John Woods, co-founder of a grassroots anti-censorship organization said in a statement that most attacks on the music industry are fueled by politicians and groups such as the Christian Coalition and the American Family Association. Later he also said Quite simply, the federal government, state governments and local governments are very skillfully using the controversy created by religious organizations in an effort to completely render the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to be a relic from the past in the interest of gaining greater control over society as a whole. I for one agree with that statement. Dave Marvin, a spokesman for state Sen. Dale Shugars, said the Michigan Republican is working on a bill to be sent to the state Legislature in July. The bill would fine site owners who permit minors unless accompanied by an adult to attend concerts or buy music that has offensive acts or speech. The manager of Pearl Jam, L-7, Rage Against the Machine, and rappers like JayZ, Ice Cube, Master P, and Russell Simons recently said that they will boycott any state that passes a law such as that. It's up to the artists to provide a much-needed spine for the industry by using their celebrities' status to effectively draw the line in the sand to tell the would-be censors to stuff it if they are offended because we have a First Amendment guaranteeing our freedom of expression, Woods said. One man they asked off the street said Why do I hate rap? Well I guess the number 1 reason I hate rap is the lack of talent that a rapper needs. All the music is synthetic, made on machines. Another thing I don't get about rap is that many rappers use the Gangsta rap theme. Then when a rapper gets killed, it's a shock! They only rap about what they know! Yes, have someone murdered is horrible, but if they rap about it and they say how they were brought up in it, is it really a shock? Lately a lot of questions have been asked to anyone trying to take up for rap music. Does rap music promote violence? The most common answer was yes, and the murder of Tupac Shakur and Notoruis B.I.G. proves it. Those were some sad deaths but you can't blame just rap alone for that happening. Tupac didn't kill Biggie, and Biggie didn't kill Tupac some dumb people who had nothing else to do did. When you think about it, doesn't radio, movies, and television promote violence also, so you can't try to ban one thing of violence and not another. There was another question that was Should rap music be censored? Some answers were yes, but most were no. They couldn't do it anyway it would be against the first amendment. Another was Does rap music make a positive contribution to society? No one answered that question but I think I will. Yes it does, rap isn't just a money making thing to me it not only helps us relate to people who have gone through things we have, but it shows people who don't know the things that really goes on. Also rap artists don't just make albums and stay in there own worlds they also give lots of money to charities and sponsor programs that help inner city youth so violence can stop between young people. Does rap promote violence, gangs and drug use? Yes it does, but there was violence, gangs, and drug use before rap even came along, so you can't pin that on rap, it's something that has always been around and don't see it going anywhere. Is rap music degrading to women? In a way yes it is, I don't think any rapper would call there own mothers bitches, and hoes but out of know where women rappers are coming out of their shell and they are doing the same thing, So really everyone is degrading each other so it balances out. You can't blame rap for everything that goes on, I'm thinking if they could find a way to blame rap for every death they would. Even though they swear up and down that rap is like the worst thing, it has done a lot for the music industry and youth in general. Before rap all kids knew was that you had to know how to sing to become a big music star, but now for those who actually have talent for rapping they can dream of becoming a rapper. You would be surprised at how much more violence would be going on if rap wasn't here. Youth would be out in the street selling drugs and killing people all the time, now half of them are working on demo tapes and their talent so they can have a career of there own. Also rap helps out inner city youth so they can get off the street and play sports and go to camp, it's like for every bad thing you say about how rap is bad and how it should be banned, there is another positive thing that can get thrown right back into your face that would blow your mind and actually make you want to say hey rap is doing more for us then what the public really tells us. It would be the truth. You don't ever hear about how LL COOL J started a camp for youth in Brooklyn, or how Puff Daddy donated 10 million dollars to Biggie's children. No you hear about how someone got shot and the killer was listening to Tupac right before he did it. People it's time to wake up, even though I can't force you to change your mind on any subject I'm hoping I gave you some type of information that will make you just think before you speak about rap music.
How To Freestyle Rap
How to Freestyle Rap
Can you think of several different words that rhyme with "stitches"? If so, you could be the next great freestyle rapper. All it takes is a lot of practice and a great vocabulary. So step up to the mic and let's see what you've got! [edit] StepsYou need to listen to a lot of rap and hip-hop music so that you can learn from others. Study other rappers' skills until you can form your own style. This is also good to find some solid beats that you may want to try rapping over. Listen to other rapper's freestyles. Go to youtube, and watch videos of freestyle battles or download songs of rappers freestyling. Listen to how they do it, and finding the cadence of your voice before trying to rap in time to music. Write. The more you write raps and rhymes, the more raps and rhymes you ultimately know. This way, when you are freestyling and you say the word you intend to rhyme with something else, you can think of something quickly because you have used these rhymes before. For example, if you are going to use the word Veracious for the first time, it would be very difficult to think of a rhyme for it off the top of your head. (Side note - Don't just repeat whole verses, or even whole bars or lines for that matter, this is called spitting a "Pre-written verse", and defeats the purpose of freestyling in the first place.)But you need to build a name. So spitt a couple pre-written verses so you can get your street cred up. so just incase you spitt something garbage you have your history prooving your actually good. A good example is cassidy. he rapped pre-written raps a couple of times but the down fall of doing it he did the same verse a couple of times. Have a back-up line. This is like the fire extinguisher sitting in the red box that's mounted on the wall of rap. It's to be used only in emergencies. This is a line, or a phrase that you use when you can't think of anything else just so you can buy yourself some time to go back out on a tangent. The better you get at freestyling the smaller this phrase will become. Really good freestylers will use a one syllable filler line like "Yo" while less talented freestylers will use lines that are longer like "Matter of fact". Your Back-UP, or "Filler" line, will be something that you just start saying without realizing it. Begin with the downbeat. The vast majority of rap music is written with a traditional four-four time signature, also known as Common Time. This means that every measure will have a strong downbeat at the beginning: ONE-two-three-four-ONE-two-three-four. In most rap songs, the rappers allow the beat to come in at the beginning and fade out at the end without rapping over it. Use these "blank" spaces to try out your own raps. Do this in the privacy of your own home first, because chances are, you will sound like exactly what you are: a novice rapper with no skills. Stop thinking. Just spit and go with your gut feelings, and just let yourself fall into it. If you think too much about your next line you are going trip up and stumble over it. Just let your mind flow freely from one thought to the next. Practice and writing will help you learn how to do this. come up with a good, solid,different, non-biten punch line that will make the listeners go crazy. useing similies are for beginners for a punchline artist. like when cassidy says"goin platinum like sisqo hair." the next level is metaphores or in other word "word play".like when jay-z said"young niggas dat blasphemy no religion". a line that you won't have to explain but at the same time people would have to think about. another thing that makes the croud go crazy is a one liner. lil wayne displays that in alot of his songs. ex"dese niggas can't see me im on my casper shit, im above average."or"i see she wearin dem jeans dat show her butt crack, ma girls can't wear dat, why, dats wear my stash at." in other words a line dat will forever be remebered as yours, and will be repeated. Agood way to see if you made that impact with your lies is to look at people myspace page names. if it was something good they will put it as their name. Once you feel relatively comfortable, invite some people to watch and critique your skills. Have them hold up various items and see if you can incorporate them in your raps. Note: Your mother is ok, just don't be too profane and don't let anyone in the streets know your mom is helping you with your skills. Play Games. The great part about this is that you don't always have to have friends who rap to play certain games. There are several games you can play. Use your creativity to come up with your own if you want, but heres two games. The first one is Pick a Topic/Item, and what you do is you have a friend just pick a topic, or an item in the room, or even just a random word and say it out loud. Then you start freestyling and trying to rap about that topic, item or use that word. This forces you to keep on your toes because your friends are the ones leading the direction your freestyle goes. Another game that is quite effective is not a game at all really. It's called Cyphering, you need a friend(s) who raps to do this one, and what you do in it, is get at least one friend who raps and one of you just start freestyling about whatever. When you "Lose the flow", or your time expires, (However you guys/girls choose to do it) your friend takes over and does his/hers until he/she "Loses the flow" or their time expires, and then you pick it back up. The key to this exercise is to start freestyling as soon as they stop. Try to run with the same topic or rhyme scheme. Here's another one. Try rapping nonstop for a few hours. Start with a single topic in your surroundings and branch out to either narrate in verse or describe objects or people. People around you may get annoyed, but it's really fun! Hook it up. Get some up-and-coming producers (they're everywhere) to provide you with some killer beats to work with. This will impress people more than using beats from other songs that many people have already rapped over. However if you want to compete as a freestyle MC in battles you won't get to choose your beats, you'll have to rap over whatever instrumental the DJ plays, so get used to rap over all type of different beats and try to develope a style that is as versatile as you can. Get some exposure. If you have connections with a radio show, see if you can get on to display your skills. Otherwise, show up at some rap battle events and try your hand. Hopefully, you won't get booed off the stage. Practice inside your head while doing your every day things, walking down the streets, in the bus or train, riding a bicycle... it's even better if you carry some instrumental beats on your discman or mp3 player to inspire you.
[edit] TipsThis is Naz-T talking to you, Freestyle Rap known as Freetyling or Off the Top rhyming is as much as an art as it is a skill. The ability to "spit" or "kick" a rhyme at a moments notice without any premeditated or prepared rhymes is a skill that every Emcee should possess. Try to impose as much verbal assault as you can Don't give up, if you mess up, thats alright just get back to it like nothing happened if it is truly off the tip then it is expected rarely. Do not get into a rap battle if you cannot freestyle. Hint: Practice at home or with your friends.
[edit] WarningsEveryone has seen "Nycks vs ENJ" and "Math vs Dose" (Youtube those for the vids). There is nothing wrong with dissin, Freestyling is supposed to be a fun time for all, and yes, things get heated. Respect a persons space. Don't get in someones face, and spit at them and expect to walk away ok. Because 9 times out of 10, you are going to get punched. Don't drop names. It's as simple as that. You drop a name, you are going to start trouble. Unless you are with friends who can take a diss. Name Dropping will get you stomped. Freestyle battles are meant to be a fun thing, in which the "disses" are not to be taken seriously or personally. Don't make things to personal, talk about things that are visible, like some ugly shoes, and stay relevant
Can you think of several different words that rhyme with "stitches"? If so, you could be the next great freestyle rapper. All it takes is a lot of practice and a great vocabulary. So step up to the mic and let's see what you've got! [edit] StepsYou need to listen to a lot of rap and hip-hop music so that you can learn from others. Study other rappers' skills until you can form your own style. This is also good to find some solid beats that you may want to try rapping over. Listen to other rapper's freestyles. Go to youtube, and watch videos of freestyle battles or download songs of rappers freestyling. Listen to how they do it, and finding the cadence of your voice before trying to rap in time to music. Write. The more you write raps and rhymes, the more raps and rhymes you ultimately know. This way, when you are freestyling and you say the word you intend to rhyme with something else, you can think of something quickly because you have used these rhymes before. For example, if you are going to use the word Veracious for the first time, it would be very difficult to think of a rhyme for it off the top of your head. (Side note - Don't just repeat whole verses, or even whole bars or lines for that matter, this is called spitting a "Pre-written verse", and defeats the purpose of freestyling in the first place.)But you need to build a name. So spitt a couple pre-written verses so you can get your street cred up. so just incase you spitt something garbage you have your history prooving your actually good. A good example is cassidy. he rapped pre-written raps a couple of times but the down fall of doing it he did the same verse a couple of times. Have a back-up line. This is like the fire extinguisher sitting in the red box that's mounted on the wall of rap. It's to be used only in emergencies. This is a line, or a phrase that you use when you can't think of anything else just so you can buy yourself some time to go back out on a tangent. The better you get at freestyling the smaller this phrase will become. Really good freestylers will use a one syllable filler line like "Yo" while less talented freestylers will use lines that are longer like "Matter of fact". Your Back-UP, or "Filler" line, will be something that you just start saying without realizing it. Begin with the downbeat. The vast majority of rap music is written with a traditional four-four time signature, also known as Common Time. This means that every measure will have a strong downbeat at the beginning: ONE-two-three-four-ONE-two-three-four. In most rap songs, the rappers allow the beat to come in at the beginning and fade out at the end without rapping over it. Use these "blank" spaces to try out your own raps. Do this in the privacy of your own home first, because chances are, you will sound like exactly what you are: a novice rapper with no skills. Stop thinking. Just spit and go with your gut feelings, and just let yourself fall into it. If you think too much about your next line you are going trip up and stumble over it. Just let your mind flow freely from one thought to the next. Practice and writing will help you learn how to do this. come up with a good, solid,different, non-biten punch line that will make the listeners go crazy. useing similies are for beginners for a punchline artist. like when cassidy says"goin platinum like sisqo hair." the next level is metaphores or in other word "word play".like when jay-z said"young niggas dat blasphemy no religion". a line that you won't have to explain but at the same time people would have to think about. another thing that makes the croud go crazy is a one liner. lil wayne displays that in alot of his songs. ex"dese niggas can't see me im on my casper shit, im above average."or"i see she wearin dem jeans dat show her butt crack, ma girls can't wear dat, why, dats wear my stash at." in other words a line dat will forever be remebered as yours, and will be repeated. Agood way to see if you made that impact with your lies is to look at people myspace page names. if it was something good they will put it as their name. Once you feel relatively comfortable, invite some people to watch and critique your skills. Have them hold up various items and see if you can incorporate them in your raps. Note: Your mother is ok, just don't be too profane and don't let anyone in the streets know your mom is helping you with your skills. Play Games. The great part about this is that you don't always have to have friends who rap to play certain games. There are several games you can play. Use your creativity to come up with your own if you want, but heres two games. The first one is Pick a Topic/Item, and what you do is you have a friend just pick a topic, or an item in the room, or even just a random word and say it out loud. Then you start freestyling and trying to rap about that topic, item or use that word. This forces you to keep on your toes because your friends are the ones leading the direction your freestyle goes. Another game that is quite effective is not a game at all really. It's called Cyphering, you need a friend(s) who raps to do this one, and what you do in it, is get at least one friend who raps and one of you just start freestyling about whatever. When you "Lose the flow", or your time expires, (However you guys/girls choose to do it) your friend takes over and does his/hers until he/she "Loses the flow" or their time expires, and then you pick it back up. The key to this exercise is to start freestyling as soon as they stop. Try to run with the same topic or rhyme scheme. Here's another one. Try rapping nonstop for a few hours. Start with a single topic in your surroundings and branch out to either narrate in verse or describe objects or people. People around you may get annoyed, but it's really fun! Hook it up. Get some up-and-coming producers (they're everywhere) to provide you with some killer beats to work with. This will impress people more than using beats from other songs that many people have already rapped over. However if you want to compete as a freestyle MC in battles you won't get to choose your beats, you'll have to rap over whatever instrumental the DJ plays, so get used to rap over all type of different beats and try to develope a style that is as versatile as you can. Get some exposure. If you have connections with a radio show, see if you can get on to display your skills. Otherwise, show up at some rap battle events and try your hand. Hopefully, you won't get booed off the stage. Practice inside your head while doing your every day things, walking down the streets, in the bus or train, riding a bicycle... it's even better if you carry some instrumental beats on your discman or mp3 player to inspire you.
[edit] TipsThis is Naz-T talking to you, Freestyle Rap known as Freetyling or Off the Top rhyming is as much as an art as it is a skill. The ability to "spit" or "kick" a rhyme at a moments notice without any premeditated or prepared rhymes is a skill that every Emcee should possess. Try to impose as much verbal assault as you can Don't give up, if you mess up, thats alright just get back to it like nothing happened if it is truly off the tip then it is expected rarely. Do not get into a rap battle if you cannot freestyle. Hint: Practice at home or with your friends.
[edit] WarningsEveryone has seen "Nycks vs ENJ" and "Math vs Dose" (Youtube those for the vids). There is nothing wrong with dissin, Freestyling is supposed to be a fun time for all, and yes, things get heated. Respect a persons space. Don't get in someones face, and spit at them and expect to walk away ok. Because 9 times out of 10, you are going to get punched. Don't drop names. It's as simple as that. You drop a name, you are going to start trouble. Unless you are with friends who can take a diss. Name Dropping will get you stomped. Freestyle battles are meant to be a fun thing, in which the "disses" are not to be taken seriously or personally. Don't make things to personal, talk about things that are visible, like some ugly shoes, and stay relevant
Sunday, June 22, 2008
History Of Hip Hop Music
History of hip hop music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Hip hop music, people individually and separately vocalize over beats, instrumental tracks, usually consisting of repeated phrases. Hip-hop is considered an important development in the history of music because, for the first time, non-tonal aspects of speech, its emphasis and lyricism, are the most identifiable aspects of vocalizations. Also, syncopation and abstract rhythms are being used in ways never before. In addition, technological manipulation of sound is being used as never before. Hip-hop began as an idea during the 1970s, became a mainstream genre during the 1980s, and an internationally popular genre during the 1990s and 2000s. It is usually divided into three periods: Roots, Old School, and Golden Age. Most agree that the "golden age" ended during the 1990s. The current period is not yet named, though it is commonly referred to as New school hip hop. The following is an objective look at how hip-hop has developed.
Roots of Hip-Hop (1973-1978)
Main article: Roots of hip hop
In the early 1970s, many Black radio stations switched to playing disco. There was a backlash against disco by many in the African-American community. Hip hop arose during the 1970s, from block parties in New York City. These popular parties were usually accompanied by music, especially funk, disco and soul. The early DJs at the began isolating the percussion breaks to hit songs — realizing that these were the most danceable and entertaining parts — and extending them, using an audio mixer and two records. At the time, this technique was common in Jamaica, and was known as dub music. It spread via the substantial Jamaican immigrant community in New York City, especially the godfather of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc. The use of extended percussion breaks led to the development of mixing and scratching techniques, and later to the popularization of remixes.
Hip hop is a culture that consists of four elements: DJing, Emceeing, graffiti, and breakdancing. Hip hop has blended with popular culture and its influences can now be seen all over the world. Old school hip hop is the very first hip hop music to come out of the block parties of New York City in the 1970s and early 1980s. It began in the early 1970s in New York with the advent of breakbeat DJing, in which DJs including DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash extended the breaks of funk records, creating a more "danceable" sound.
Old School Hip Hop (1979-1985)
Main article: Old school hip hop
As hip hop's popularity grew, performers began speaking "rapping" in sync with the beats, and became known as MCs or emcees. The Herculoids, made up of Herc, Coke La Rock, and Clark Kent, were the earliest to gain major fame. But teams of emcees sprang up throughout the country. Frequently, these were collaborations between former gang members, such as Afrika Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation (now a large, international organization). The Herculoids and other early performers focused on introducing themselves and others in the audience (the origin of the still common practice of "shouting out" on hip hop records). These early emcee teams often emceed for hours at a time, with some improvisation and a simple four-count beat, along with a basic chorus to allow the performer to gather his thoughts (such as "one, two, three, y'all, to the beat, y'all"). Later, the MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic approach, incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme, in an effort at differentiating themselves and entertaining the audience. These early raps incorporated similar rhyming lyrics from African American culture (see roots of hip hop music), such as the the dozens. During the early 1970s, b-boying more popularly known as breaking arose during block parties, as b-boys and b-girls got in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style. The style was documented for release to a world wide audience for the first time in Beat Street but it could be argued that Flashdance offered the first glimpse to a worldwide audience. It was also prominently featured a year earlier in both Style Wars and Wildstyle, but whether these would be considered worldwide releases could be argued.
Next Generation (1986-1997)
Main article: Golden age hip hop
Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell (1986), one of the most important golden age hip hop releases and the breakthrough album for hip-hop
Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell (1986), one of the most important golden age hip hop releases and the breakthrough album for hip-hop
Popularization
The new age of hip hop began with the popularity of Run-D.M.C.'s album Raising Hell in 1986.[1] It was based in New York City, and featured rappers and groups who advanced the wordplay, delivery, and subject matter of rap. Most of these artists were signed (at least initially) to smaller, independent East Coast labels, such as Def Jam Recordings, which became the first independent hip hop record label in 1984[citation needed]. Some of most commonly lauded rappers of the golden age of hip hop are Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap from Cold Chillin' Records, and Rakim of the influential duo Eric B & Rakim, whose album Paid in Full (1987, 4th & Broadway) is considered an important album of the hip-hop repertory.
Ice-T had been a sporadically political rapper ever since his 1984 single "Killers". In 1988, Public Enemy released It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which focused on politics from start to finish. The same year, Boogie Down Productions released By All Means Necessary, which consolidated the political presence in the genre. Both records pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers. Meanwhile, Public Enemy's Bomb Squad production team, and those of other artists, pioneered new techniques in sampling that resulted in denser, multi-layered sonic collages on albums such as It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet. That year, duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) also won rap's first Grammy Award. However the duo was not present to collect their award as it was announced that the presentation of the award would not be televised resulting in a wide scale protest of the Grammy Awards by rap artists.
In 1988 and 1989, artists from the Native Tongues Posse released the first conscious hip hop albums, with jazz-based samples and diverse, quirky and often political lyrics covering a diverse range of topics (see jazz rap) and strongly influenced by the Afrocentric messages of Bambaataa's Zulu Nation. This would pioneer the way for A Tribe Called Quest's 1991 release, The Low End Theory, which has been acclaimed by critics and fans as one of the greatest jazz-rap albums ever, if not one of the best hip hop albums. Allmusic's John Bush described it as "one of the closest and most brilliant fusions of jazz atmosphere and hip hop attitude ever recorded."
Stylization
A number of new hip hop styles and subgenres began appearing as the genre gained popularity. Hip hop was combined with rock music, reggae, techno and other musical styles during this period. Also, the mid-1980s saw the rise of the first major black female group, Salt-N-Pepa, who hit the charts with singles like "The Show Stoppa" in 1985.
Alternative rap and jazz rap, as well as a new (if short-lived) era of positivity in hip hop, and would set the standard for all alternative rap albums to come.
While Run DMC laid the groundwork for East Coast rap, Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" was one of the first electro tracks. Based on a sample from German electronic group Kraftwerk (Trans-Europe Express), "Planet Rock" inspired countless groups, based in New Jersey, New York City and Detroit, among other places, to make electronic dance music (called electro) that strongly influenced techno and house music, and especially the burgeoning electro music scene in northern England, the Midlands and London.
"Planet Rock" influenced hip hop outside of New York as well, such as Latin hip hop (also Latin freestyle or freestyle), Expose and The Cover Girls, as well as Los Angeles-based electro hop performers like the World Class Wreckin' Cru and Egyptian Lover.
Another important Hip Hop variant is Miami Bass, popularized by artists such as 2 Live Crew, J.J. Fad, DJ Magic Mike, and DJ Laz. The music is characterized by bassheavy rhythms and overt sexual references in its lyrics. The genere is experiencing a renaissance, as its elements are being reused in Brazilian ghetto funk as well as Baltimore Club Music.
Gangsta Mentality
Ice T's seminal "6n' Da Mornin'" (1986) was one of the first nationally successful West Coast hip hop singles, and is often said to be the beginning of gangsta rap. In 1988, rap group N.W.A. released Straight Outta Compton. This album helped to popularize the style of "gangsta rap", which would become massively popular from the '90s to the present. It also influenced countless rappers of the genre, including Notorious B.I.G, Puff Daddy, Eazy E, Dr. Dre, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupac Shakur.
Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992), a seminal album that redefined West Coast hip hop
In the 1990s, gangsta rap became mainstream, beginning in 1992, with the release of Dr. Dre's The Chronic. This album established a style called G-funk, which relied heavily on samples from '70s funk songs and slow-paced, lazy drawl-laden rhymes. G-funk soon came to dominate West Coast hip hop. Though G-Funk was the most popular variety of hip hop in the early 1990s, New York's hip hop scene did not disappear, and remained an integral part of the industry.
The west coast hip hop scene during the early to mid '90s also saw hip hop legend Tupac Shakur rise to fame who as an actor and most notably spending his time in prison became the west coasts biggest figure.His widely acclaimed Me Against the World and greatly influential All Eyez on Me still had a profound impact on hip hop throughout the 1990s. His death, along with that of Notorious B.I.G., saw a halt in the rap game and a push to eliminate violent themes from hip hop music.
The End of An Era
While many argue that we are still in the golden age of hip-hop music, most would say that overall quality of popular rap music has gone down since some point in the 1990s. There are many points in time which are referred to as benchmarks ending the era. Some believe it was day when Tupac Shakur was shot and later died in 1996, others say it was the day The Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in 1997, and some say it was these and other events (such as the main stream success and behavior of The Notorious B.I.G.'s hype man Puff Daddy) which led to its demise some time later. Others point out the state of hip hop luminaries Public Enemy as proof that hip hop had fallen off. Others say the record industry's unfair treatment of musicians is proof that hip-hop is an ailing movement. Others point out the fact that A Tribe Called Quest's last album was released in 1998. The phrase "Hip Hop Is Dead" has been thrown around by many artists since Nas's album of the same name.
New School (1998-Present)
Main article: New school hip hop
Internationalization
By the mid to late 1990s, hip hop music was the among the most popular genres in not only the United States, but the whole of the world. Some argue the extreme popularity of hip-hop around the world has strengthened it as a movement, while others see as the end of hip-hop as an American entity. Its extreme popularity also sparked extreme egotism in the rapper's character during this period, referred to as "Jiggy/bling" rap music, sometimes consider pop rap ('Jiggy' refers to the Will Smith song Gettin' Jiggy With It, Bling refers to jewelry).
Excess Success
In the later half of the 1990s, the anmreid grow more popular among hip hop fans for wildly popular acts such as OutKast, No Limit and Cash Money Records. In the 1990s and into the following decade, elements of hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music; neo soul, for example, combined hip hop and soul music and produced some major stars in the middle of the decade.
The Future of Hip hop
While there is no sign of the end of hip hop,it does seem that,as it has before, the style of hip-hop vocalizations is changing.While there is no sign of the end of sampling,it does seem that more hip hop artists are using live bands and self-produced samples The recent displeasure with Hip Hop has led to organization such as the one at Spelman College and Hip Hop historians such as Nathan Davis to speak out against the imagery that is being promoted. Pointing to the continuous use of the "n"word,and the derogatory way in which women have been portrayed.
History Of Arakan(Rakhine)
The natives of Arakan trace their history as far back as 2666 B.C., and give a lineal succession of 227 native princes down to modern times. According to them, their empire had at one period far wider limits, and extended over Ava, part of China, and a portion of Bengal. This extension of their empire is not, however, corroborated by known facts in history. According to recorded history, a kingdom called Dhanyawadi arose in the Arakan region in the 1st century AD. The famous Mahamuni Buddha (located in Mandalay) was cast in Dhanyawady in around 150 AD. The kingdom of Waithali (Rakhine: Wai-tha-li) was the successor to Dhanyawady from the 3rd century AD.
Arakan reached the zenith of its power in the Bay of Bengal during the Waithali (Vesali), Lemro and Mrauk U periods, but the country steadily declined from the seventeenth century onwards. Chittagong, which was part of Arakan, was invaded and occupied by the Mughal Empire in 1666. Internal instability and dethroning of kings was very common. The Portuguese, during the era of their greatness in Asia, gained a temporary establishment in Arakan; but on December 28th 1784 the province was finally conquered by the Burmese.
The famous Mahamuni Buddha image was taken as a war trophy by King Mindon to his capital of Amarapura (The image was relocated to Mandalay in 1853 when he relocated the capital to Mandalay). The Burmese, after conquering Arakan, came directly into contact with British interests in east India. Burmese seizures of Arakan's neighbouring states of Assam and Manipur and the assault on Shinmaphyu Isle, which was a British outpost in Bengal was the instigating causes of the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824 to 26). Under the Treaty of Yandabo (1826), Burma ceded Arakan and Tenasserim to British India. Arakan was thus one of the first Burmese territories to be ceded to the British. The British made Akyab capital of Arakan, and retained the traditional divisions of the country into the districts of Akyab, Kyaukpyu and Sandoway (Ramree) with a district officer in charge of each. Akyab district originally included the Arakan Hill Tracts, which were detached 1865 and made into a separate district (and which is now Chin State).
With independence and the formation of the Union of Burma (now Myanmar) in 1948, the three districts became Arakan Division, on equal footing with the majority Burmese administrative divisions.
From the 1950s, there was a growing movement for secession and restoration of Rakhine independence. In part to appease this sentiment, in 1974, the Burmese government of Ne Win constituted Rakhine State from Arakan Division giving at least nominal acknowledgment of the majority Rakhine ethnic group.
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