Please take out your notebooks.

I hear Brenda's got a babyBut, Brenda's barely got a brainA damn shameThe girl can hardly spell her name(That's not our problem, that's up to Brenda's family)Well let me show ya how it affects the whole communityNow Brenda really never knew her moms and her dad was ajunkyWent in death to his arms, it's sadCause I bet Brenda doesn't even knowJust cause your in the ghetto doesn't mean ya can't growBut oh, that's a thought, my own revelationDo whatever it takes to resist the temptationBrenda got herself a boyfriendHer boyfriend was her cousin, now lets watch the joy endShe tried to hide her pregnancy, from her familyWho didn't really care to see, or give a damn if sheWent out and had a church of kidsAs long as when the check came they got first dibsNow Brenda's belly is gettin biggerBut no one seems to notice any change in her figureShe's 12 years old and she's having a babyIn love with the molester, who's sexing her crazyAnd yet she thinks that he'll be with her foreverAnd dreams of a world with the two of them are together,whatever

He left her and she had the baby solo, she had it on thebathroom floorAnd didn't know so, she didn't know, what to throw away andwhat to keepShe wrapped the baby up and threw him in the trash heepI guess she thought she'd get awayWouldn't hear the criesShe didn't realizeHow much the the little baby had her eyesNow the baby's in the trash heep ballingMomma can't help her, but it hurts to hear her callingBrenda wants to run awayMomma say, you makin' me lose pay, the social workers hereeverydayNow Brenda's gotta make her own wayCan't go to her family, they won't let her stayNo money no babysitter, she couldn't keep a jobShe tried to sell crack, but end up getting robbedSo now what's next, there ain't nothing left to sellSo she sees sex as a way of leaving hellIt's paying the rent, so she really can't complainProstitute, found slain, and Brenda's her name, she's got a baby

[Intro: News Excerpts] [Verse 1 - Jay-Z] People was poor before the hurricane came But the down pour poured is like when Mary J. sang Every day it rains, so every day the pain But ignored them, and showed em the risk was to blame For life is a chain, cause and effected Niggas off the chain because they affected It's a dirty game so whatever is effective From weed to selling kane, gotta put that in effect Wouldn't you loot, if you didn't have the loot? Baby needed food and you stuck on the roof Helicopter swooped down just to get a scoop Through his telescopic lens but he didn't scoop you The next five days, no help ensued They called you a refugee because you seek refuge The commander-in-chief just flew by Did he stop? No, he had a couple seats Just proved jet blue he's not Jet flew by the spot What if he ran out of jet fuel and just dropped hu,That woulda been something to watch Helicopters doing fly-bys to take a couple of shots Couple of portraits then ignored 'em He'd be just another bush surrounded by a couple orchids Poor kids just 'cause they were poor kids Left 'em on they porches same old story in New Orleans Silly rappers, because we got a couple Porches MTV stopped by to film our fortresses We forget the unfortunate 

Sure I ponied up a mill, but I didn't give my time So in reality I didn't give a dime, or a damn I just put my monies in the hands of the same people that left my people stranded Nothin' but a bandit Left them folks abandoned Damn, that money that we gave was just a band-aid Can't say we better off than we was before In synopsis this is my minority report Can't say we better off than we was before In synopsis this is my minority report 

[Verse 2 - Ne-Yo] So many times I'm, covering my eyes Peeking through my fingers Tryin' to hide my, frustration at the way that we treat (Seems like we don't even care) Turn on the TV, seein' the pain Sayin' such a shame Then tryin' to go on with my life Of that, I too, am guilty (Seems like we don't even care) So we send a lil' money, tell 'em it's alright To be able to sleep at night You will pay that price While some of these folks' lost their whole life (Seems like we don't even care) Now it wasn't on the nightly news no more Suddenly it didn't matter to you no more In the end almost nothing changed What the hell, what was that for? (Seems like we don't even care) 

[Outro: News Excerpts] 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fxLI0xvI9k

Yo, We at warWe at war with terrorism, racism, and most of all we at war with ourselves(Jesus Walks)God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down(Jesus Walks with me) with me, with me, with me [fades]

You know what the Midwest is?Young & RestlessWhere restless N***** might snatch your necklaceAnd next these N***** might jack your LexusSomebody tell these N***** who Kanye West isI walk through the valley of the shadow of death isTop floor the view alone will leave you breathless Uhhhh!Try to catch it Uhhhh! It's kinda hard hardGetting choked by the detectives yeah yeah now check the methodThey be asking us questions, harass and arrest usSaying "we eat pieces of s*** like you for breakfast"Huh? Yall eat pieces of s***? What's the basis?We ain't going nowhere but got suits and casesA truck full of crap rental car from AvisMy momma used to say only Jesus can save usWell momma I know I act a foolBut I'll be gone 'til November I got packs to move I Hope

[Hook x2](Jesus Walks)God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down(Jesus Walks with me)The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now(Jesus Walks)And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs(Jesus Walks with me)I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long

To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers(Jesus walks with them)To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah(Jesus walks with them)Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearlyI know he hear me when my feet get wearyCause we're the almost nearly extinctWe rappers are role models we rap we don't thinkI ain't here to argue about his facial featuresOr here to convert atheists into believersI'm just trying to say the way school need teachersThe way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way I need JesusSo here go my single dog radio needs thisThey say you can rap about anything except for JesusThat means guns, sex, lies, video tapesBut if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?Well let this take away from my spinsWhich will probably take away from my endsThen I hope this take away from my sinsAnd bring the day that I'm dreaming aboutNext time I'm in the club everybody screaming out

(Jesus Walks)God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down(Jesus Walks)The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now(Jesus Walks)And I don't think there's nothing I can do now to right my wrongs(Jesus walks with me... fades)I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long

One tri, one tri

One tribe, one time, one planet, one race

It's all one blood, don't care about your face

The color of your eye or the tone of your skin

Don't care where you are, don't care where you been

 

'Cause where we gonna go is where we wanna be

The place where the little language is unity

And the continent is called Pangaea

And the main ideas are connected like a spear

 

No propaganda, they tried to upper hand us

'Cause man, I'm loving this peace

Man, man, I'm loving this peace

Man, man, I'm loving this peace

 

I don't need no leader that's gonna force feed

A concept that make me think I need to

Fear my brother and fear my sister

And shoot my neighbor or my big missile

 

If I had an enemy to, if I had an enemy to

If I had an enemy then my enemy is gonna try

To come and kill me 'cause I'm his enemy

 

There's one tribe y'all, one tribe y'all

One tribe y'all, we are one people

Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil

Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya

Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil

That evil that they feed ya, remember that we're one people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LlGNAX_PQw

When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straightI told my mom tears rushing down my faceShe's like "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-k tripping, "Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn't she?Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.I remember doing the math like, "Yeah, I'm good at little league"A preconceived idea of what it all meantFor those that liked the same sexHad the characteristicsThe right wing conservatives think it's a decisionAnd you can be cured with some treatment and religionMan-made rewiring of a predispositionPlaying God, aw nah here we goAmerica the brave still fears what we don't knowAnd God loves all his children, is somehow forgottenBut we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years agoI don't knowAnd I can't changeEven if I triedEven if I wanted toI can't changeEven if I tryEven if I wanted toMy loveShe keeps me warmIf I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates meHave you read the YouTube comments lately?"Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the dailyWe become so numb to what we're sayingA culture founded from oppressionYet we don't have acceptance for 'emCall each other faggots behind the keys of a message board

A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores itGay is synonymous with the lesser

It's the same hate that's caused wars from religionGender to skin color, the complexion of your pigmentThe same fight that led people to walk outs and sit insIt's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!Live on and be yourselfWhen I was at church they taught me something elseIf you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointedThat holy water that you soak in has been poisonedWhen everyone else is more comfortable remaining voicelessRather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolenI might not be the same, but that's not importantNo freedom till we're equal, damn right I support it(I don't know)And I can't changeEven if I triedEven if I wanted toMy loveShe keeps me warmWe press play, don't press pauseProgress, march onWith the veil over our eyesWe turn our back on the causeTill the day that my uncles can be united by lawWhen kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heartA world so hateful some would rather die than be who they areAnd a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it allBut it's a damn good place to startNo law is gonna change usWe have to change usWhatever God you believe inWe come from the same oneStrip away the fearUnderneath it's all the same loveAbout time that we raised up

ListenLittle lady, this is just the worst way to spend your birthdayIt’s 30 degrees, ThursdayYou work late, you was with a perv making dirty fake love in his MercedesLady the word 'rape' sums up events that take place every nightYou wanna get up but you know your legs will ache if you tryThen you remember that your punter went crazy last nightYou drag yourself to the mirror to check your face then you cryForget the visit to the clinic you was booked in forYou’ll make a trip to the Whittington were they'll look at your jawThey’ll be inquisitive and ask about your business for sureThey’ll know you’re fibbing if you tell them you got hit by a doorBut young womanThe pimp see's you as nothing but a dumb hookerMedical attention could be fatal'cause the **** wouldn't ever let a doctor near someone that’s getting dough for him'cause next you got poxy authorities sticking their noses in (Chorus)She's just under the upper handGoes mad for a couple gramsAnd she don't wanna go outside, tonight.'cos in the pipe she'll fly to the motherland andSell love to another manIt's too cold outside, for angels to fly,For angels to fly. Little lady, your mind you've made upyour injuries you can't hide with make-upYou need some medical advice, you make upA little lie to say justIn case the doc opens his eyes and don't decide to play dumbWith any luck you'll see the same dude who stitched your top lipLast year when your pimp just lost itHe wouldn't recognize you if you stared him in the face anyway'cos all the heroin is making you ageBut you're a heroine for taking the strain of being a prostitute and punching bagThe funds you have left go where you’re from using MoneyGramMother had to get you out the motherland to studyThat was all she struggled to have a single daughter with the upper handBut little does she know you're never coming backShe put you in her brother's hand only for him to formulate another planHe’s the f****** cause of your appalling state the summer,Fancy that you came to London to get pimped by your Uncle, damn.

Little lady, your trembling with fearYour skinny frame kinda resembles a deerYou’re sitting facing the detective, oh dearThe meddling nurse couldn't just leave it,She’s only gone and made it much worse calling police in,She’ll never know the gravity of the damage she's causedYou’re causing scandal going mad in the ward nowThe coppers trying to calm you, telling you he won't let no one harm youThe same question he keeps trying to ask you, who you working for?He’s talking to you like you're worth more than a dirty whoreYou’re having a conversation you could be murdered forYou’re learning more about exactly why you need to help bring him or her to courtIt’s kicking knowledge you ain't ever heard beforeJust before he leaves, he reassures you that he knows that it's hardHe underlines a mobile number you can phone on his cardBegs you to use itHe’s useless if you're gonna be stupid'cos an answer hasn't come from your bruised lips, you’re on your ownYou’ve gotta go and give your pimp what you oweYou reach your door and then it dawns that you've been followed homeBefore you turn around you feel a cold blade on your throatAnd then a voice says 'where you been b****? I wanna know.'No prizes for guessing who it is, resistance would be foolishnessYou open the front door, he boots you inThere’s something new in him, he's silent now that fills you with terrorGet your alibi straight, you could be killed for an errorHe towers over you; the 6 inch knife catches the sunlightAt this point your life flashes before your eyesYour handbags dropped and all the contents are all over the floorDespite the mess there's only one thing that's caught his eyeAnd in the moment of rage, he brutally murders his nieceAnd dumps her body in the boot of his Merc in the street.Little lady left this earth in the worst wayAll because she got a card on her 13th birthdayWe're all under the upper handAnd go mad for a couple gramsAnd we don't wanna go outside, tonight.'Cos in the pipe she'll fly to the motherland andSell love to another manIt’s too cold outside, for angels to fly. For angels to flyFly fly for angels to flyTo fly to fly,Angels to die

Time to analyze! Now take one of these songs and analyze it using your music critical

analysis sheet. Here is an example for Minority Report, by Jay Z

Literal Description: Minority Report talks about when Hurricane Katrina hit, people took pictures, and reported on the story, but didn’t help. Jay Z talks about how he gave money, but not time, and so he feels as if he may as well have done nothing. It talks about how poor people are largely ignored, and when they are no longer on the news, the problem no longer exists to the public.

Analysis: The song does not benefit the dominant class, it actually critiques it, making them look self serving, greedy, and shallow. The author is a part of the dominant class – he has money and influence. He talks about how he did the people affected by Katrina wrong as well by giving money and thinking that was enough. The values presented are those of community and brotherhood. The author has disdain for people of wealth and their treatment of the poor. The media, the president, and other influential people have the power – the victims have none.

Conclusion: People in power know that the lower class is being marginalized, but are not doing much to change the pattern – though this song shows some remorse coming from people of the upper class for past behaviors, and common practices.