American Icon #1: Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five
One of the original rap groups that created a new genre of music was Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. It all started when a young man from the Bronx, Joseph Saddler, A.K.A. DJ Grandmaster Flash, was studying electrical engineering , however; Saddler had a much deeper passion with music. As an adolescent Joseph played with his father's vinyl and as he messed around with the wiring he discovered his new instrument, the turn table. The earlier Hip-Hop and rap groups used to rhyme with soul, passion, poetry with a beat. He had started a revolution. Soon, all around the country, hip-hop groups sprouted out of the slums in American cities everywhere. Personally I love Eminem, although he had his terrible CD's with lyrics that had no value, he also has made some great hits that have provoked me to write rhymes as well. although it was a little to dense, violent, and sexual for a fourth grader I watched "8 mile", the story of Eminem, and from there I wanted to know where rap came from. The first name that popped up on Google was Grandmaster Flash, I dug deeper. When the Ipod mini had just come out my parents bought one for the family and I instantly downloaded every song in his personal library. I devoted my fourth grade summer to learning every one of his songs and I did. That next year I solely focused on finding other old school rap groups to follow. Although I had never been around him to see his true personality, Joseph Saddler, or Grandmaster Flash, inspired me to express my thoughts through writing and emotion from singing. The two intertwine when I write something that I put passion into, and when I hear songs that make me think. Grandmaster Flash was the original, and I guess what I originally fell in love with was the new way of conveying stories and thoughts through Hip-hop and rap music.
American Icon #2: Star Wars
If you know me well, you know I am a thinker, a religious thinker at that, and it all started when I watched the first Star Wars movie with my dad. George Lucas created a dream world for me. Light-sabers and droids had me hooked instantly like a moth to a light-bulb. I was fascinated by the creatures and thrilled by the fighting scenes when the movie suddenly ended. It couldn't be, so I had to watch another, and another, and another until I passed out, either because I was tired or my eyes wouldn't let me look at a screen for another twelve hours. Star Wars created a fantasy world for so many people. An honest to god revolution in film making that sparked some of the ideas of today's sci-fi movies. Anyway, I woke up the next morning thinking. I cannot recall exactly what i was thinking about, but I know I was thinking. To this day I still imagine myself in another world. I think constantly about my decisions on a minute by minute basis and it all started with Star Wars. I still am a big fan of Star Wars and always will be.
American Icon #3: Dr. Seuss
As a young lad, my mission was to save the truffula trees. My mom used to read "The Lorax" to me twice a day just to keep me quiet. The art welcomed me and the story caught my attention like nothing else in the world mattered, like time stopped, and all that was left was my mother, me, and the trufula trees. Dr. Seuss brightened the life of so many, young and old, the books were timeless. For instance: "Oh the Places You'll Go" has been given to me on three separate graduations and have meant something different to me each time I was given it and read it. For some reason his books resonated deep within me gave me a special feeling that his books were all directed towards me. I felt as though I could make meaning out of this book that no one else could. A certain ego came with the feeling as I interpreted every lesson in Dr. Seuss' repertoire, making every story personal to my life. He changed the way a story should be told and the simple lessons that should be apart of everyone's moral identity, but are usually forgotten. Dr. Seuss made my childhood worth while as well as taught me to think about the simple things in life that can make a huge difference.
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