College Essay on Female Rap-Help?

College Essays
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<p>I was thinking about writing my common app essay on how female rappers, or “femcees,” have given me a lot of confidence to pursue goals and just socially to be able to let things bounce off of me. The main premise would be the fact that unlike male rappers, female rappers are largely marginalized and/or objectified by the hip hop community but even against this adversity, their lyrical themes are often about taking control, empowering themselves and gaining respect against adversity. I thought I could relate this to my own goals and achievements by explaining how this music, while often looked at as explicit, helped to empower me to overlook obstacles and adversity to achieve what I wanted to do in high school. </p>

<p>I think the positives are that it would give me a chance to show humor, it would help me talk about myself organically and I don’t think it’d be cliched. The negatives are that I’m afraid the topic might come off as crass or uncultured. I am also a little nervous about how to incorporate the idea of sexual liberation in female rap lyrics gave me the strength to pursue goals in academic pursuits without making the reader feel uncomfortable. I know it’s probably frowned on to bring up something like that but I would be acknowledging the explicitness of the lyrics rather than identifying with them and I thought that it’d give me a chance to show off some humor while still tying the essay back to growth as a person. Thoughts?</p>

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<p>Bump!!!</p>

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<p>First off, remember this isn’t supposed to be a position paper or overly analytical. It’s supposed to be about you, more than them. You’re not there to defend the lyrics, sub-culture, rage, imagery, etc. Or delve into the beat, structure, or personal history of the musicians. Etc.</p>

<p>When kids try to explain how music or lit influenced them, they often fall into the pothole of writing a hs paper. Not all hs kids have the depth of insight to really identify, in a meaningful way, exactly what influenced them or pushed them forward. They fall into cliched thoughts. It’s also tricky to say that a song about injustices and the desire to overcome them serves as an example that motivated you. These are songs, not sagas of triumph. The context is getting attention and making money. Popular musicians are not often seen as role models.</p>

<p>There has been some adult writing lately, trying to justify rap as empowering. It’s getting some argument. You’d have to be careful.</p>

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<p>I am writing about how knitting affects women’s lives and how it arouses my interest in gender inequality/issues. I think your idea is pretty cool. But remember to show YOU through those female rappers instead of simply about them. Good luck!</p>