" (Blow, Kurtis) The entire movement revolved around a new way to dress, dance, talk and even walk. "The way they danced, dressed, walked, and talked was unique, as opposed to most of the disco artists and fans of the time, which were not as in touch with the urban streets of America." (Blow, Kurtis) Hip-hop represented the new generation of blacks suffering in urban poverty. The passion and truth generated

American Musical Genres: Rhythm and Blues Rhythm and Blues, or R&B, is an American musical genre largely attributed to the African-American community. Originating in the 1940s, the term was first used by record companies to describe recordings "marketed predominantly to urban African-Americans," at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz-based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming increasingly popular (Palmer 5). Though the genre has evolved dramatically since its inception, certain

While this was progressive for its age, the current opinion is generally that references such as the word "nigger" in the lyrics of the play make it unsuitable for current tastes. The show does however remain important in its pioneering of the new form of musical drama. Oklahoma Like Show Boat, Oklahoma! was a pioneer of the musical in its time. This 1943 production was the first musical play created by

Review: Chicago (2002) The long-running and successful theatre piece Chicago was moved to the big screen in 2002 with a lavish and high-budget production that indulged in the work's color, flash and musical excess. This would widely be considered one of the most successful film adaptations of a stage musical to yet be released. Indeed, it would receive wide critical acclaim, winning the Best Picture Oscar that year and experiencing considerable

Genre: The Conventions of Connection" by Leo Braudy is a bold and well-written article which acknowledges how too often in film theory and criticism, genre films are dismissed as fluff and all-together one-dimensional pieces of art. Braudy makes a strong case for genre films explaining how they actually represent intricate subversions or indictments of reality and he uses specific examples from westerns or musicals to support his case. Braudy acknowledges that

West Side Story, filmed in 1961, was one of the most ground-breaking works not only in terms of subject and genre, but also in terms of the boundaries it broke with its musical scores and choreography. Indeed, the film's dance sequences often form part of its plot. Its musical scores depict the deep distrust and underlying violence in the uneasy truces between the street gangs whose members form the basic