Cardi B at the 2017 BET Awards Author: Kenzie Bryant Date of Publication: September 29, 2017 Category: Celebrity Popular culture has such an immense impact on our society, so I decided to focus my first blog post on a significant achievement made in the entertainment industry: Cardi B has become the first solo female rapper to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in nearly two decades. Kenzie Bryant describes this accomplishment to musical audiences of all genres in order to emphasize its importance as a historic breakthrough. Rap artists, specifically female rap artists, have not been able to obtain this number one spot for years. Controversy surrounding the “unfair” appreciation for female rap artists has unraveled and lingered for a long time. Cardi B’s success with her hit single, “Bodak Yellow,” has eased these debates.
Kenzie Bryant uses informal diction in the article to help create a casual and reverent tone. Standard language and vocabulary, such as “little” as opposed to “minuscule,” or “good” as opposed to “exceptional” were visible throughout the piece. Many contractions, such as “it’s” and “aren’t” were substantially visible as well. These generic words and contractions elevated the casualness of the article because the language was not complex or elegant, and was easy to read. The article was written in a way where it felt like it could have been a discussion, which also greatly mirrored this tone. Bryant honored Cardi B’s achievement and evidently had respect for her, which induced a reverent tone. She added comments such as “Cardi B bested them all,” “One Bronxite to rule them all,” or “The rush to welcome Ms. B to the club of female all-stars was, well, swift. As it should be,” to show her admiration for the artist. Bryant did not have a profound emotional attachment to the subject, for her primary job was to simply cover the story; however, hints of pleasure or satisfaction due to the news was apparent. These feelings were revealed when she stated, “And, finally, something got "Despacito" out of all our heads.” Including the “finally” in the statement showed that Bryant was relieved that the attention surrounding Luis Fonsi’s chart-topping hit, “Despacito,” was dying down. Bryant utilizes multiple rhetorical devices in the article to better convey her message. Appeals to logos and ethos were used hand in hand throughout the piece. For example, when discussing how Taylor Swift, the former number one spot holder, sent Cardi B flowers for dethroning her (logos), Bryant inserted a photo of Cardi holding the bouquet these flowers from her Instagram (ethos). Bryant also mentioned that other female rappers, including Missy Elliott and Nicki Minaj congratulated her (logos), which was reassured through a photo of Cardi B confirming this on her twitter (ethos). Proving that Cardi B was receiving praise from other respectable artists reflects the significance of this accomplishment. Metaphors were also utilized in the article. Bryant included a metaphor which compared a “warbling dove exploring her dark side” to Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift’s newest single,“Look What You Made Me Do,” was considered her way of showing the world her edgier side. Bryant used this metaphor to demonstrate this new phase in Taylor’s musical career and to show its connection to her record-breaking single - the same single Cardi was able to knock off the top of Billboard. This metaphor was able to further validate Cardi’s achievement. Hyperboles were also spotted in the article. When thanking Cardi B for stealing the spotlight from Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” Bryant added, “There aren’t enough flowers in the world to thank a person for that service.” The author was implying that there was widespread, long-lasting popularity surrounding “Despacito” through the use of this hyperbole. Stressing the song’s dominance in music allows the reader to see how important the news about Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” is. The success of a single from a solo female rapper, like that of Cardi B’s, has not been seen from an artist since Lauryn Hill in 1998. This ground-breaking record has stunned many, which has prompted the creation of this article. The purpose of Kenzie Bryant’s piece was to explain and demonstrate the impact of Cardi B’s single “Bodak Yellow.” This was directly expressed in the beginning of the article when the author announced the news of the single reaching number one on Billboard, calling it a “historic coup.” Bryant mentioning all of the praise and the support Cardi was receiving because of her success underlined the purpose as well. Artists, such as Taylor Swift, Missy Elliot, and Nicki Minaj -all prestigious veterans in the industry- congratulated an artist who was considered a rookie. By including the stunning effects of “Bodak Yellow” on the charts and the remarkable reactions it has received from other respectable artists, the author was able to show how meaningful this song is to music. This news especially hits home to rap music, and the struggles females have faced to obtain their place in this genre. This article reassures hope to other female rap artists fighting to make their mark in the business. Encouraging the development of more female artists in a male-dominated industry can lead to increased diversity and gender equality.
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