Tracy Chapman was born March 30, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her love of music started early, at the age of three. Chapman’s first instrument was a ukulele; she also sings and plays the guitar. Her music falls within in the folk music genre. Tracy Chapman is an avid reader and fan of poetry.
Tracy came onto the music scene in the 1980s. Her music is a form of political and social activism. Her folksongs are described as radical; her lyrics condemn racism and sexism and list grievances of disadvantaged groups. Chapman uses folk idioms such as music as a social documentary. In 1989, Chapman won “Best Contemporary Folk Album” at the Grammy’s.
Chapman’s debut album “Tracy Chapman” (1988) was completely different from her pop and rap-music counterparts. Some of her most popular songs include “Fast Car,” “Subcity,” and “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.” These songs amongst others are a call to arms for revolutionary change.
Feminism can manifest in different forms. It’s up to an artist’s creativity to include a message in their work. Chapman’s “Fast Car” held double-meanings while Cardi B’s “WAP” was simply meant to entertain. Chapman’s work is “conventional” feminism; she directly calls out oppressive systems and their impact on society. Cardi B’s work is feminism in action. Her entertainment style defies oppressive systems altogether through language and performance. Both artists use their work as effective forms of rebellion.
Bibliography
Negro Spirituals as a Tool for Survival https://youtu.be/TfvLZjofEXA Without spirituals, enslaved people would have bottled up all their emotions and grievances and kept it to
About Tracy Tracy Chapman was born March 30, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her love of music started early, at the age of three. Chapman’s first
