Tuesday, November 27, 2012
123rd Street Rap
Life on a daily basis is chaotic. "Automatic bullets bounce off stoop steps".(lines 6-7) saying guns are being shot at houses, drive-bys maybe."It's about time to pay all my debts"(lines 8-9), people getting back at him for the things he has done. Probably something illegal, but the law seems too scared to get involved or maybe they aren't informed because people are to scared to say anything for fear of their life. "Church bells bong for drunken mourners" (line 10-11). Those who drink, drink to numb the pain of those lost to bullets or criminal behavior, or drank to forget the evil going on around them. "Baby men growing on all the corners" (line 12-13), saying guys grew up dealing, hustling with drugs which typically sold in corners. "Money that ain't mine" (lines 14-15), is obviously stolen or 'borrowed' money from someone who doesn't know it. I'm thinking he either robbed a bank or stole from his mother. "Sun that don't shine, Trees that don't grow" (lines 16-19). Gives a visual description on how gloomy and dark the environment is. "Ceilings starting to crumble" (lines 24-25), gives off the impression that he is poor, maybe drug dealing is the only way to get money to provide a roof over their heads, an unstable roof. "Abuelas close eyes and pray, While they watch the children play" (lines 26-29), is contradicting because how can someone watch children if they have their eyes closed? I think what it is trying to get across is that even the children are in danger because of how wild that place is. "Not much I can say, Except day turns to night, And I can't tell what's wrong from what's right"( lines 30-35). This is daily routine, it is part of his life now, he has seen it since he was young. He is so used to seeing all this that he doesn't know if it is that bad anymore. This person has tried to defeat all this bad influence but is now giving up. They don't see why they should be good anymore if nothing is being good to them.
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I think lines 26-29 really put the topper on the cake. These kids are growing up in a place where they can be gunned down in their front yard. Their grandmothers can't help them because what can they do? These drug dealers rule the neighborhood and no one can fight them off. It also seemed like a stereotypical rap to me, but then again it wasn't. You usually hear men flaunting these things but this author is opening the reader to the cold hard truth.
ReplyDeleteI think this poem is very direct and open. I liked it, it was like a heartache story. This poem sounds like a story of a town or city that is rundown and in poverty. There is a lot of violence, and blindness of these people who live there. It sounds like he wants to get out and find another better way of life for himself. The children there have to grow up quick to survive, they don't even have a childhood.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this poem! I could really hear the sounds of it like the bullets and the grandmothers crying. It really reminded me of my hometown Los Angeles. When I read this I could definelty see a city like Los Angeles with all of those things happening. Especially the grandmothers worried about their kids in a dangerous place like that.
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