Take rap for example. I'm a fan of rap music. I listen to a lot of music, but I'll admit to the fact that I enjoy quality rap. (Believe it or not, this is relevant)
Rap constantly intrigues me. Mostly because my community doesn't exactly produce much of it.... Quite frankly, a lot of rap music buds from parts of America that culturally function very differently than mine does. Coming from a sheltered, affluent, North Shore suburb doesn't leave a lot of room for cultural exposure.
Moreover, a lot of mainstream rappers are expected to have a lot of fancy things, and in this case- bigger is always better. Even though I enjoy some of their songs, their "success" is not the type I dream of attaining. Does that make them unsuccessful or am I just using a different scale?
I'm sure there are millions of Americans that think Big Sean or Lil' Wayne are living the American dream, but if I disagree does that make me crazy for not wanting "success"? Perhaps I was just never told that their type of success existed. Growing up, the recipe for success that was passed down to me always managed to contain the words "college", "job", and "married".
Let's look at it from my view shall we?
George Watsky is another artist I listen to, and he also happens to be one of my idols. He is a young man in his early 20's, and after competing in slam-def poetry competitions for much of his youth, he finally added beats under his poems and started to create amazing raps. But George Watsky's raps are not like Big Sean's. His songs are carefully crafted, and are real pieces of poetry, rather than an upbeat tune I'd put on a "Car Jams" mixtape. The funniest part is, George Watsky is hardly well known. He is one of the most talented individuals I've ever come across, but yet he lives a very modest life and does what he loves. To me, George Watsky is more successful than all the mainstream rappers combined, but that is just in my eyes. One set of eyes in a nation of 300 million. Watsky may be living my definition of the American dream, but clearly not for all of America.
... I do believe I just answered my own question.
*Just for kicks and giggles? Presenting: George Watsky*
WARNING: This video contains references not appropriate for persons under the age of 13
Rap constantly intrigues me. Mostly because my community doesn't exactly produce much of it.... Quite frankly, a lot of rap music buds from parts of America that culturally function very differently than mine does. Coming from a sheltered, affluent, North Shore suburb doesn't leave a lot of room for cultural exposure.
Moreover, a lot of mainstream rappers are expected to have a lot of fancy things, and in this case- bigger is always better. Even though I enjoy some of their songs, their "success" is not the type I dream of attaining. Does that make them unsuccessful or am I just using a different scale?
I'm sure there are millions of Americans that think Big Sean or Lil' Wayne are living the American dream, but if I disagree does that make me crazy for not wanting "success"? Perhaps I was just never told that their type of success existed. Growing up, the recipe for success that was passed down to me always managed to contain the words "college", "job", and "married".
Let's look at it from my view shall we?
George Watsky is another artist I listen to, and he also happens to be one of my idols. He is a young man in his early 20's, and after competing in slam-def poetry competitions for much of his youth, he finally added beats under his poems and started to create amazing raps. But George Watsky's raps are not like Big Sean's. His songs are carefully crafted, and are real pieces of poetry, rather than an upbeat tune I'd put on a "Car Jams" mixtape. The funniest part is, George Watsky is hardly well known. He is one of the most talented individuals I've ever come across, but yet he lives a very modest life and does what he loves. To me, George Watsky is more successful than all the mainstream rappers combined, but that is just in my eyes. One set of eyes in a nation of 300 million. Watsky may be living my definition of the American dream, but clearly not for all of America.
... I do believe I just answered my own question.
*Just for kicks and giggles? Presenting: George Watsky*
WARNING: This video contains references not appropriate for persons under the age of 13
As I was reading through the second paragraph, it occurred to me that there is no one definition of success that applies to every person. Success is something that can only truely be defined by you, based on what you want. Once you let someone else define success for you, it is almost as if you are being successful for them instead of yourself.
ReplyDeleteNow I will admit that I am not the best person to be arguing this point, because my idea of success for myself is very similar to that of the general public - college and a high-paying job, retirement - but that is how I have defined it for myself. Look at someone like Chris McCandless. I would think that he would say that he was more or less successful in his life, he managed to get out of someone else's idea of success and create his own idea, which was so radically different that most other peoples' ideas that it is often hard to see his perception of success as success at first. The point is, every individual person has their own idea of success and that is the one that counts, not someone else's.
I totally agree, but don't you think to some degree success is about how others perceive the successful person? I mean if you really think about it, you will probably never hear anyone say "man, with this new job I am totally a successful person!" But you might hear someone say "Man, with that new job, he really is a success!"
ReplyDeleteTo me, success has two working definitions. There is the one Paddy talks about, personal success, the goals one sets out for him or herself. And then I think there is a general meter that people measure other people on. And I think that's the one that is connected almost always to wealth, houses, cars, families, spouses, and the American dream.