Mid Term Assignment: What I Am

Going beyond the limits was never so hard for this new face. Abe Yi, a student from Lehigh University, serves as a stepping stone for minorities who has a burning passion for their hip hop. Growing up in Central New Jersey, Abe lived in an urban environment surrounded by the white and black population. Being different as a Korean-American, Abe grew up to be amused by the art of ‘freestyling’ that was commonly practiced by his friends. As this young prodigy started to write and freestyle at the age of 12, he started to expose himself more and more to hip hop and lyrics. Knowing little as a child, his game started to shine when he came out with his first single in this first year of high school. With an amateur recording program and a cheap karaoke microphone, he spent time just spitting whatever was in his head every day after school. Gaining praises and encouragement from people who heard his ‘on-the-spot endless sessions,’ Abe continued to motivate himself to use this talent as a way to express himself and to continue what he enjoyed. Once he attended Lehigh, he met other artists, recording artists, and DJ’s that continued to support him to break the boundaries as a Korean-American rapper. Taking over mics at big parties in Lehigh and Rutgers University, Abe continues to unintentionally spread his name out to the youth by doing what he enjoys: freestyling.
This piece called What I Am is a strong self-expression for the new generations of hip hop. He starts his piece off by introducing what hip hop is to him. By getting personal from the start, he finds a way to connect with the viewers and listeners, allowing them to be in his shoes. He gradually talks from what hip hop is to him, to talking about the oppositions the hip hop generation faces in the society. From explicit lyrics to obscene lifestyles, Abe tries to say how these two small factors don’t make up hip hop. By introducing the antagonism in his piece, he alerts and informs the viewers how the generation faces oppositions and threats in the music and non-music society. Then, by shifting to encouraging the audience to take actions, Abe is able to fully gather his audience and motivate them to represent our generation of hip hop. In his final closing, he once again expresses what hip hop is to him and the significance of music in his life. In his last rhyme, he comes out strongly how he will face any obstacles in his way. The power, feeling, and the passion he puts in his performances only feeds the power in his presentation. His ability to capture himself in his own performance allures the audience to ‘feel’ his lyrics. He speaks with power and from his heart and is able to move the audience.
What I Am is a strong connection to modern hip hop. Back in the time, hip hop and rap was new and popular and praised. As it grew and gained popularity as time passed, hip hop was a genre that was unique and rhythmic. However, nowadays this genre faces many threats and obstacles as more and more people find hip hop to be too explicit. Abe sets the differences apart and tries to explain what hip hop means to him. He tries to explain how it is a genre of self-expression and words of power. His lyrical style follows after modern artists like Lupe Fiasco.
Abe went through a lot growing up as a lyricist. Encountering racial barriers, misjudgments, and false misconceptions, Abe had a lot on his shoulders. However, instead of being discouraged by all the hindrance he stumbled upon, he looked at it from a different perspective. He couldn’t wait to see the faces of any audience once he spit the first bar. Abe’s motivation, support, drive, and his talents define the potential in this young emcee. Setting himself apart from most Korean-Americans, he found what he is passionate for and no one is stopping him. We all wait to see what he has for us (our generation) as this upcoming artist in 2009.