Hip-Hop Songs to Listen to when Writing Your Papers

Hip hop culture is the phrase commonly used to refer to the culture of art, music, and physical and visual aesthetic which makes up hip hop (and to a lesser extent rap). Several stylistic elements including using the beat of the music in creative ways, and new types of dancing. The classroom is the ideal place to look into hip hop as something which can help with education through various means: it gives students an opportunity to connect with the culture surrounding hip hop, which can give them an added push when writing college papers, it can give them more to think about when writing, and it can actively help them to learn.

List of Songs

1. Cole – School Daze

This song is extremely relatable for anybody who is currently studying or in school. A song by a rapper who went to college, it is about his school experience as a whole, and what he did there. The song itself might be relatable to many students who are less interesting in learning about writing a college paper than they are about having fun with their friends, because it talks about that very thing.

At the time I thought this shit was so whack

But what I wouldn’t give to go back

1. Cole makes the point throughout his song that, while it doesn’t seem like much point at the time, school is something which is good and necessary. His words and lyrics are being used in the song to encourage students to stay in school, because you can’t go back.

D12 – Revelation

Overall, this song does not deal with good themes, but it still a song with some merit when it comes to education. The way in which the song itself is constructed, with its polysyllabic rhythms and flowing lyrics, is something which teach students a lot about how words work.

Since my friend was this new dude, in this high school

Losing his noodle learn that people don’t like you

The lyrics in this song in themselves are not the best for being positive about the work itself, but they are good for showing how words themselves can blend together, particularly when the singers and rapper are intertwining different lines as they have here.

Akala – Get Educated

As a singer-songwriter, and in his own persona, Akala is someone who has always stressed how important it is to get an education, particularly if (like him) your home life is not ideal. Rather than coming at the problem of education, and writing a good paper in college from the perspective that most people would expect, Akala points out that most of the people in charge of the establishment would prefer you to be stupid; it therefore becomes a rebellion to get a good education.

Why doesn’t he play his role and just act retarded

‘Cause when you’re born single parent poor that’s your place

Forget what they told you in school, get educated

I ain’t sayin’ play by the rules, get educated

There are so many fantastic lyrics in that song it’s impossible to quote them all – Akala pushes the need to get educated throughout his song, as that is power to him. The song itself could show good writing skills through the lyrics, because they are well-balanced.

Nas – I Can

This is an amazing and uplifting song about how anybody can do it if they put their minds to it, which is something that a lot of people need to hear when it comes to education. The thought that they can do it, and that people like Nas know they can do it, is something which can be intensely motivating for students to hear. Nas has produced a song which makes you smile.

I know I can\I know I can

The lyrics show how well-written they are when the lines overlap like they do here. Overall, the song is uplifting, and shows how words can be put together in a unique way.

Apathy – School

This song is interesting, taking on three different subjects in the same tune. One verse talks about – arguably – the main character, Jeff. The next focuses on him bullying another person called Jay, and the final verse has Jay passing on that bullying by committing crimes himself. From an essay writing point of view, this song is useful in teaching how to construct body paragraphs so that they each handle a separate topic while still being connected to each other and the overall narrative

You know, in school

Everyone tries their best to learn good habits

The overall theme is school, and how it can teach you what your role is in society – these lines show this clearly.

In Conclusion

    Despite having many resources to help them, many students still prefer to use services such as essayzoo.org to order papers and essays. While hip hop may not be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to teaching students about writing, there are many ways to incorporate it into lessons. This article had a very few examples of types of songs which could be used.