Palmer 1

Zuri Palmer
Instructor: Malcolm Campbell
English 1101
9 September, 2014
Evolution of a Born Sinner Analysis of a Hip-Hop album
Freedom or jail, clips inserted,
A babys bein born the same time a man is murdered
The beginning and the end
As far as rap goes
Its only natural,
I explain my plateau And also what defines my name
The lyrics above, heard for the first time on Nass album I Am, in 1999 briefly paints a
picture of a life in poverty, a situation that would eventually give birth, to the genre of rap music.
Rap music began in the 1960s and 1970s to be a voice for the minority in America; particularly
African-Americans who had become angry with societies mistreatment, impoverished living
conditions, and oppression towards them. Rap music has evolved significantly from its
beginnings until now but still keeps most of the same conventions. An MC, typically male, will
recite lyrics that rhyme over a beat that is typically heavy in the use of drums, bass, and

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something the listener can bob their head to. The use of a smooth chorus, with a female vocalist,
to reiterate the songs meaning or title is also typically used. The lyrics tell a story of the past
struggle and their rise to success. Rap music today will talk about problems they feel have risen
within their own industry and genre. Beats, originally used by MCs, ran the rap game at an
earlier time are starting to resurface in todays rap as well as these older MCs most memorable
lines. Constraints in the genre of rap music would be the artists dressing in a suit and tie. Just like
the style of music, a rappers style is very laid back, with a t-shirt and jeans, and some bling bling
accessories. Rap artists are also not usually married. Rap music would typically not tell a love
story but a story of lust and sexual desires.
J. Coles album Born Sinner I feel from beginning to end describes what the genre of rap
music is all about. It has the beats that make your head nod, the lyrics that can relate to someone
who comes from a not so perfect past where everything is not all goodie goodie and rainbow
cookies as well as telling a story of the rise to fame and the struggles they have now inherited
with that fame.
Intended Audience and Purpose
Coles Born Sinner album primary focus is to tell a story of the transition from
depression to happiness. Coles first line on the CD says Its way darker this time, this line
combined with the eerie beat that follows creates a darkening effect in the listeners mind. Cole
does use the story telling of humbling beginnings to help convey the darker message. He
discusses being the child in a household where the father figure is absent. How he watched his
mother do things out of respectable to character make enough income just to get by. Resenting

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the rich because they never seemed to give a damn about those in need. The album goes on to
insert skits and interludes from a gospel choir and preacher initiating hope. As the album
transitions so do the beats and lyrical content. Instead of telling a dark story lines of inspiration
emerge.
The intended audience for this album is youth in their teens and 20s who like new rap
music. Most of the audience will be able to relate to the discussed issues on the album. Where
the artist is from also has a big influence on the audience. Hip-hop has a divide between East and
West. Cole is from Fayetteville, North Carolina so he is going to be easier to relate to for youth
on the East based on common background. The audience who goes out to purchase this album
are going to expect a message behind the music and to be able to connect to the artist. The
audience is also going to want an upbeat sound and fluidity within the album. The songs will
need to relate to one another and have smooth transitions.
Why an Album? and Comparison to other Hip-Hop Albums
An album gives more room for a story of clear transition rather than just a song. The
artist can give as much detail as they want choose a separate mini story for each individual track
they choose to be on the album. Cole decided to release Born Sinner the same day as Yeezus
another rap album by Kanye West. Although both albums are of the same genre they could not
be more different. When compared to Yeezus, Born Sinner uses more old school sounds and
flow of lyrics while Yeezus steered away from traditional Hip-Hop sounds. Yeezus was a mix of
slower beats and auto-tune resulting in more singing of lyrics rather than just rapping. The beats
on Yeezus were more technical sounding like they came from a sound board and could not be
replicated by an instrument. But they are alike because they both discuss the changes within the

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industry of hip-hop that they are not fond of. Both Kanye and Cole discuss how they dont
appreciate how hip-hop has become more about making a name for ones self versus creating a
voice for millions. Both artists realize the influence they have on the generation on the rise and
want to make sure that it is a positive one to follow.
Switching the Genre: Album Movie Trailer
This rap album I feel would be a very effective movie trailer. Movie trailers highlight the
most riveting pieces of the film they predict will cause the biggest audience to come pay to view.
Artists do this by releasing singles. They choose what single to release based on what they think
will grab the attention of the listener and their album to sell. A movie trailer would provide a
clear visual for the album. The artist could pick actors and actresses who typically play a certain
role like the single mother, or distraught teen that movie goers would recognize and could
connect with the artists message. Some hip-hop artists have even set up their music videos to
look like movie trailers with an opening and ending credit as well as high packed action scenes.
Also artists like to present their message in a short amount of time. A movie trailer is brief but
long enough to where you can gain an understanding of what the movie content is going to be
about and if it applies to your interest.
To make this album into an effective movie trailer Cole would need to pick a location and
scenery to match the message. He would need to find actors or actresses as well as rewrite lyrics
into lines that would sounds like a speech rather than a rhyme. Making this album into a movie
trailer would also change the audience. The audience would not be primarily youth but those
interested in a drama themed film. Those people are typically middle aged women so some of the
profanity and explicitness of the album would need to be removed which could cause a decrease

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in the audience who enjoyed the album. For this album to become a movie trailer the laid back
feel of hip-hop would be lost and a new prim and proper view point would have to take place.