Success and Liberation

Success

Clipse, I'm Good, Rap, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXIAaKN3bT4
Drake, Fear Success, Rap, 2009(explicit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI8FoS7K3a8
Money, Pink Floyd, Rock, 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhX5W7JoWI
Biggie Smalls, Mo Money Mo Problems, 1997(explicit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twkh0YiInPM
J. Cole, Til' Infinity, Rap, 2009(explicit)

Liberation

Nas, The World is Yours, Rap, 1994(explicit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_srvHOu75vM
Rebelution, Courage to Grow, Reggae, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5PESJgUHx4
Bob Marley, Get up Stand up, Reggae, 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuMlHdxiIZ8
Led Zeppelin, Ramble On, Rock, 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3HemKGDavw
Common, Be, Rap, 2005

Finding songs about liberation and success is split between many genres. Funny thing was that I found many more songs about success in hip-hop/rap and more songs about liberation in rock and reggae. In the United States, the people in and outside the music industry tend to take Liberation and freedom for granted. When it comes to the Hindu aims, success and liberation in the American pop culture do not hold the same concept.

First we may see liberation as being able to do what you want, while in Hindu aims, it is the road to Moksha. Moksha is the ultimate sign of liberation as it may take many lifetimes for someone to achieve separation from the cycle of rebirth. Success is also seen differently between the American culture and Hinduism. To many people here in the United States being successful means being wealthy, having what you want, and being known(famous).  Ironically in Hinduism, liberation and success can be somewhat associated with each other because if you achieve liberation, you have reached your goal in life which then makes you successful.

 Like I said before, being successful means to be wealthy or famous which don’t actually tend to make a person happy. In Hinduism both roads come together in the end while in the American pop culture, both roads aren’t even associated with each other. I even believe the American pop culture exploits the American public into being more materialistic. This may give certain people limited happiness but it still doesn’t mean you spiritually successful (like it says in the Hindu aims). With so materials and good, people tend to forgot about self-realization which is so key in the Hindu aim.   

In the end, liberation is taken for granted while success is based on how much money you have in your pocket. Materials and objects can also be seen as a way to show off how wealthy you are thus making you “successful”.

RLS 311 Pop Culture/Hinduism Assignment 1

Pleasure Songs

J. Cole, "In the Morning", Hip-Hop, 2010(R-rated)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e37zRkmZys
Rolling Stones "(I can get no)Satisfaction" Rock, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7cHPy04s8
Drake "Show me a Good Time" 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6q5RlduNLg
Led Zepplin "Whole lotta love" Rock, 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_-k8A9aAlE&feature=related
Miguel "Sure Thing" Hip-Hop, 2010

Duty/Community Service

Bob Marley"One Love" 1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdB-8eLEW8g

Black Eyed Peas,"Where is the Love" Hip Hop, 2003

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
John Lennon, "Imagine" Rock, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoC86l3SQL4

Michael Jackson, "Earth Song" Pop, 1995.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAi3VTSdTxU
Rebelution "Bright side of Life" Reggae, 2009

This first blog assignment is about the two Hindu aims: Pleasure and Duty/Community Service. As I began looking into the two, I realized that Duty/Community is the most desirable by Hindus. Although both aims are very important, not only does your “duty” take more effort but it also shows your community that you are willing to time off your day to help others. On the other hand, pleasure is much easier to achieve and more enjoyable. It just takes more will to achieve your duty and some people even spend their whole life serving their community knowing that in the end, they are doing what’s most important.

Even when I began searching for songs regarding the two aims, pleasure was the easiest to the find. I believe there are more songs about pleasure because it is the easiest to achieve. I also think there are fewer things (songs, items, etc.) regarding duty/community service because it requires a person to take his or her time off to help someone else thus making it undesirable for many people.

     What surprised me the most was how much harder it was to find a song regarding duty/community service compared to songs about pleasure. I never realized how pleasure oriented this country’s music was. In Hinduism, they ask Hindus to seek their pleasure intelligently unlike the message many pop artists do today. What I also found interesting was that many pleasure songs talked about achieving his or her pleasure by whatever means regardless of what other people think. It’s as if they sing about what they desire without thinking of the consequences that can lie due to over-pleasuring oneself.

 In American Pop Music, pleasure is the number one emphasis for artists today. Not only is it easier to talk about in this culture but it is also what the American public tends to want. I also believe that in this country, we tend to be more selfish than other people thus explaining why Americans might be uninterested in songs regarding duty/community service. While on the other hand, pleasure is something that will always be looked for, requested, and desirable by the American public.