August 19/2016

Natalia Vergara
10B

Compare & Contrast Essay

Gansta rap is a style of rap music which made lots of headlines during the 90`s
because of the association with drugs, sex, and violence. Many artists were subject
to public outcry, and the same time public adulation, because of their music videos,
stories about their lifestyles, or the sometimes untimely, and often violent, end to
their lives. Lots of White youths began to adopt gangsta fashion, mannerisms, and
lifestyle. To what extent did White rap artists use element of language from Afro-
American rap artist? What did the content of their music videos share? How much
of this is the result of a shared cultural context and how much is borrowed from the
genre? These questions will be considered in a comparative textual analysis of two
videos Texts- “Ice Baby Ice” by Vanilla Ice, and “The way I am” by Eminem.

We can observe that in both songs the artists are using similar language in terms
that they are including Afro-American phrases in some parts of their songs. Vanilla
Ice use terms as `Yo`, `Lets kick it`, `My brand new invention`, `Light up my stage`,
`Wax a chump like a candle` among others. Analyzing this phrases, we can
determine that are par of Afro-American language because most of them had
relation with drug addiction and habits, others refers to them as unique rappers,
they out rap somebody on stage and tells that are the best performers on stage.
Eminem also use this type of language like `Aiyo`, `Zig Zags` `Wigger` who is also
referring to the Afro-American language, because its also talking about drugs and
other contexts about it. This is one significant similarity in their lyrics, because both
are implementing sort of the same language. The difference that this suggest is
that, Ice Baby is using it to be a like as an Afro-American rapper to be accepted by
the audience. As the use of Eminem it suggests that he maybe grew up on a place
that implement this words daily and that’s why he includes them. Eminem on his
song tells that he is not trying to be an imitator of Afro-American, he is a unique
person.

Eminem with his gesture try to express anger and impotence, while Vanilla Ice
expresses superiority. This is shown on Eminem videos when he is shouting his
facial expression are very rough, he clenches his eyes and the mouth is hardening
and he seem very angry singing the lyrics. Also he wields his fists all the time when
he is singing and also he shouts it. Vanilla Ice facial expression are very different,
he shows more haughtiness and free expression. This shows a significant
difference, because this is showing on the case of Eminem that he is trying to be
free and all the anger he accumulates, Vanilla only wants to show how he is, and
what he can do and how he is better than everyone else.

In the context of the rapper’s clothes, we can observe that both artists are using
similar types of it. Vanilla Ice uses wide shirts and baggy pants, doesn’t use shiny
colors, more like white, black and grey colors. The accessories that he wears are
piercings on his hears, necklaces that are very striking. Eminem has almost the
same clothes, he uses shirts and baggy pants in a sporty type, also uses some
necklaces and have piercings on his ears. This are the typically clothes that uses
rappers, especially clothes that use Afro-Americans. What I can tell about this is
that both artists are following generation of the rappers that always have wear that
type of clothes. This demonstrates that they have their own way of dressing, and
that type of clothes reflects like the patience they have, that they don’t care of
anything, that they are free, that they can do whatever they want, its showing like
free style the clothes that they are wearing.

Eminem is showing a more a family setting of his life, instead of Vanilla Ice that has
more informal places. The places that are shown on the Eminem video is about
himself, their family and the locations that he arrives daily in his life, he is trying to
show what he needs to pass through everyday and how they are pressing it him
with all the critics that people make from him. We can tell that is a more modern
type of way to make it, is of his original ideas. Instead Vanilla is showing an
informal location where are many people of low class on the streets with clothes
that are the type of Afro-American people and all the walls are surrounded by
graffiti. What we can tell about this is the Vanilla is trying to make a type of
scenario were he uses common things about Afro-American people, like por
example the graffiti, because this is like a type of vandalism that they make on the
streets that they live. So what we can get of these is that Vanilla wanted to have
also a scenario that its linked to them. So we can see that Eminem is very linked to
his family and his life, he appreciates and is worried about all what happens to
them, instead of Vanilla Ice that its only trying to make a scene like an Afro-
American type, so he doesn’t have a very good personality because he can’t
express who he really is.

Vanilla Ice in his video dance, Eminem doesn’t. We can observe that Vanilla Ice
along on his video has variety of movements with his body, he is doing like some
type of hip hop movements and he combines its with typical dance of Afro-
Americans. We can observe this by the moves he makes jumping that that is a
very hip hop style. In terms of Afro-Americans he makes some swags moves with
this hands and legs. Instead Eminem only is acting and representing actions that
goes along with his lyrics. He represents the events with his family, when he is
falling of the building, when he is being criticized by the people and when he is on
on the label company. What this can tell of both artists is that Vanilla tries to be
more as a common rapper and express how we can be better with his dancing an
all of his movements that he does, and that’s how Afro-Americans try to express
through their movements. Eminem seems to express only with the lyrics and
actions what he is trying to say, not with the dance.

To conclude, we can tell that this both white mans that got the Gansta style, can
have many similarities and differences in their types of songs, way of looking and
interpretation of the genre. Also they are associated with Afro-American culture,
because in some way they started rap and are known much as being part of this
type of things. So many artists’ white men that want to be part of the Gansta style
have taken Afro-American style and added to them. This doesn’t mean that every
white rapper wants to be or imitate an Afro-American, but even dough they don’t
want to do it in some parts unconsciously they added to it.