New York You Make It Happen

            

                My group had quite a few songs to choose from, so we decided to analyze the song "Rule" by Nas. Yet, another rap song having to do with 9/11 interested me as well, so I decided to talk a little bit about it here. An American rap group comprised of three men named Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch, and Adam Horovitz wrote the song "An Open Letter To NYC", a song that gave off a sentimental and unifying vibe, as the rappers themselves are all from New York City. The songs main theme is acknowledging the diversity within New York, how they make what the city itself is, and how they can unify in order to stand strong after the events of 9/11.

             The chorus repeats several times throughout the song, "Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten/From the Battery to the top of Manhattan/Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin/Black, White, New York you make it happen", not only pointing out areas of New York like some of its boroughs and parts of Manhattan, but the plethora of ethnicities and races within them emphasizing just how diverse this city can be. They also go on to acknowledge impressive figures who's home is New York, like Mike Tyson, Arthur Miller and more to not only make its citizens feel pride, but they also reference, "Brownstones, water towers, trees, skyscrapers" to have them be able to relate to the song as they should be familiar with these prominent landmarks that appear almost everywhere in the place in which they live.

              Throughout the rest of the song, the boys mentioned what their lives are like, among others in the city of New York, but the strongest message in the song is that of the last lines in the last verse of the song, saying "I see you're still strong after all that's gone on/Lifelong, we dedicate this son/Just a little something to show some respect/To the city that blends and mends and tests/Since 9-11 we're still livin'/And lovin' life we've been given/Ain't nothing gonna take that away from us/We lookin' pretty and gritty 'cause in the city we trust/Dear New York I know a lot has changed/Two towers down but you're still in the game/Home to the many, rejecting no-one/Accepting peoples of all places, wherever they're from". This group of rappers truly meant to dedicate this song to New York and its people, to show respect for how strong they have been in the wake of this truly tragic event. With the "melting pot" that it is, whoever lives there faces the challenges of living in a society rich made of such rich cultures, but no matter what they appreciate it for what it is when they all combine. Although the scene of 9/11, having so many lives lost and the towers gone makes it tougher than ever to survive there, but against all odds this home is still willing to accept everyone, and make a difference with them. 

Works Cited:

"Beastie Boys (Ft. Mix Master Mike)-An Open Letter to NYC." Genius, 15 June 2004, genius.com/Beastie-boys-an-open-letter-to-nyc-lyrics