Custom «Modern Artists» Essay Paper Sample

Artists performing these days in the American society represent various genres including rap, salsa, K-Pop and R & B among others definitely having some connection to the music of the United States. The following is an exhaustive analysis of three main artists/music bands representing three different genres in the United States.

1. Robert Sylvester Kelly

Robert Sylvester Kelly whose stage name is commonly known as R. Kelly is an American song writer of the R & B genre. He arranges records and performs his music mainly in the R n B genre that has great influence cutting across ages in America. Rhythm and blues is the complete term for R n B. The recording style has been polished including rhythms backed by drum machine coupled with a jazz feeling occasioned by a saxophone-laced beat. There is generally a smooth texture in the pitches and sounds having a lush arrangement of vocals. There is also an increasing influence from electronic beats making use of beats inspired through dance and hip hop. All the same, the grip and roughness inherent in the original compositions has been smoothed out and reduced.

Rhythm and blues evolved from the traditional blues genre and R. Kelly seems to have picked out on that. The blues generally defined having blues in life. This was originally a style that was composed of singing and playing. It was a form of music that utilized 12bars, a bass line, a repeat and a rhyme lyrical scheme. The introduction of rhythm and drum beats has led to the establishment of the R & B genre. The blues definitely describe a sad and somber mood. They were originally African musical compositions emerging from the Mississippi Delta. The genre was developed by the African-American immigrant workers. The issues that were mainly addressed touched on the hardships faced during that time including love affairs that had faded. The same issues are being propagated by artists like R. Kelly.

The development of the blues led to the discovery of the modern R & B genre which Robert Kelly has hanged on in his music. R & B similarly addresses issues of hardships and love relationships. R & B has greatly influenced the American society in the way they deal with family and love issues amongst them. The instrumentation and singing has also continued with the use of the saxophone and the electric guitar as was in the case with the original blues.

2. Curtis James Jackson III (50 Cents)

Curtis James Jackson III is an American rap artist whose stage name is ‘50 Cent’. Along his career, he acts as a producer, investor, entrepreneur and an actor as well. His music touches on issues of life generally money, wealth and life issues. He became famous in 2003 with the release of Get Rich or Die Tryin’ album. He has also produced other albums and his music seems to be much welcome in the American society and especially among the youths and middle-age adults. The artist has Jamaican roots with a dark background in drug dealing at only twelve years of age in the 1980s. His turning point led him to the rap career which came along with a lot of challenges but he has successfully managed to rise up through the scenes.

The rap genre is basically a combined form of reggae and hip hop music. However, it predates the culture of hip hop through centuries. Generally, 50 Cent presents the rap over a beat but without any accompaniment. The pitch and sound present a rough texture. Rap was originally used to refer to the English African American dialect during the second half of the 20^th century. The music by 50 cent is also closely related to hip hop music. Rap is generally characterized with lines having four stressed beats. The beats are separated through other syllables that could be varying in number and that could incorporate other stressed syllables. In 50 cent’s songs, the accompanying strong beat overlap with the stressed beats of the verse. The intervening syllable rhythms are organized in a way that provides surprise and variety.

Curtis James Jackson III has developed his music from the historical gangster rap. It was among the most controversial musical forms amongst the youth. The gangster rap featured a macho swagger together with a blunt hunger. The American society has been influenced through rap music as sang by artists like 50 cent to depict betrayal, life bleakness in the streets, sense of looming death and the paranoia in urban settings generally. Rap gives a graphical account of harsh and tough inner scenario of the cities and towns. It comprises police brutality, random violence, poverty, crack epidemics and racism among other life issues in the urban setting. Gangster rap from which modern rap has taken its roots from featured violence mainly directed towards the female gender. Some other songs included gun play and killing of cops. Looking at 50 cent’s background, this is what most likely influenced his rap career. Gangster rap was much received in the suburban white teens in the postmodern America.

3. Jars of Clay

‘Jars of clay’ is a rock band from Nashville that mainly sings Christian gospel music. As expected, Jars of Clay’s instrumentations comprise mainly a very loud electric guitar accompanied with drums and a bass guitar as well. It is founded on a 4/4 beat making use of a verse-chorus form. The pitch and sound in the music usually has a rough texture. The rock genre however has diversified greatly. Rock genre developed during and after the second half of the twentieth century in both the United States and in the United Kingdom. It was developed from the 20^th century rock and roll genre that was greatly impacted by country music and rhythm and blues. Some of its elements are also borrowed from folk and blues genres. It has also included influences from classical, jazz and a variety of other sources of music.

Rock and roll was originally a bastard child of an American heterogeneous culture. This culture resulted from the changes that came along with the WWII. It was more specifically the demographic changes that saw the movement of the southern blacks and the whites towards the north. The term rock & roll expressed vulgarity making reference to sexual intercourse. However, Jars of Clay have used the beats and instrumentation in the Christian arena. It is usually characterized with swinging on the dance floor and causes excitement amongst the audience. Modern ‘rock and roll’ has gotten new definition. Jars of Clay have thus implemented a variety of changes though the electric guitar, the bass guitar and the drums still form a major part of contemporary rock music. The jagged edges of the rock music by Jars of Clay has also been smoothed and given a relatively soft texture. Although it mainly targeted the white American youths initially, it has been widely accepted in modern times including the religious settings and forums.