By looking at various musical compositions that represent various historical periods, one can explore the development of a country or a city. In particular, it is possible to compare several hip-hop compositions such as Posse on Broadway by Sir Mix-a-Lot, Joe Metro by Blue Scholars, and The Town by Macklemore.
To a great extent, they present various images of Seattle. In particular, they can portray some unappealing sides of this city as well as its beauty. It should be noted that this city is one of the places where hip-hop culture began its development (Abe unpaged). Many of them strived to depict urban life, and their compositions can indicate how Seattle evolved with time passing.
There are several similarities that can be identified. First of all, various performers show that in this city, there are certain neighborhoods that are profoundly affected by poverty, drug abuse, and crime. For example, in the song, Sir Mix-a-Lot speaks about streets where a person can see “nothing but thugs” (Sir Mix-a-Lot, unpaged).
Moreover, the performer mentions that drug abuse is a widespread phenomenon in this area. A very similar theme is explored in the song Joe Metro performed by Blue Scholars. In particular, they compare certain parts of Seattle to a “straight warzone” (Blue Scholars unpaged). Therefore, one can say that these musicians show that there are hidden and not very appealing aspects of Seattle.
Similarly, Macklemore speaks about people who are reduced to poverty (Macklemore unpaged). Overall, these performers focus on the hardships that people can encounter. This is one of the similar aspects that can be identified.
Nevertheless, there are some distinctions that should not be overlooked. First of all, one can argue that the city has become more multicultural in these years. For instance, Blue Scholars note that in the streets of Seattle, people can see Native Americans who were previously almost excluded from urban life (Blue Scholars unpaged). It is important to mention that Macklemore also stresses the beauty of the city and the impression that it produces on a person.
It is possible to argue that these performers offer a very interesting image of Seattle. The listeners can notice that the culture of this city incorporates different customs, traditions, and styles. Moreover, it is represented by people who belong to various racial or ethnic groups.
Additionally, these songs indicate how Seattle changed during the last decade. For example, it is possible to see that this city has been affected by economic problems. Moreover, many of its neighborhoods could become extremely impoverished. Nevertheless, in spite of these difficulties, the city gradually overcomes these difficulties. This is the main aspect that can be identified.
Certainly, it is not possible to say that musical or literary works can accurately depict the transformation of an urban area. Such performers as Macklemore and Sir Mix-a-Lot present their subjective perceptions. They are not interested in evidence or data that can highlight the transformation of Seattle. Nevertheless, their comments are very thought-provoking.
To a great extent, this discussion shows that Seattle produces an indelible impression on many performers. They can focus on various aspects such as culture, entertainment, poverty, crime, and many others. The comparison of different musical compositions shows that Seattle still struggles with various social problems. The city has the strength to overcome its problems.
Works Cited
Abe, Daubi. “Going Way Back”, The Stranger. 2006. Web.
Blue Scholars. “Joe Metro”. YouTube. 2007. Web.
Maclemore. “The Town”. YouTube. 2009. Web.
Sir Mix-a-Lot. “Posse on Broadway”. YouTube. 2012. Web.