The Other Wes Moore Blog 2 (Chapter 4 - Chapter 6)
The creation of music has been a part of everyone’s life in some way or another since the dawn of time, whether it was used to escape from the outside world or to listen to it for fun. At some point in our lives, music has made an impact on our world. Like how it had an impact on the author's and the other Wes More’s lives. Music was a way for both of them to escape from all the problems they were dealing with, and being able to listen to music did just that. For this week’s blog post, we are going to be answering the question: What music played a special role in the other Wes Moore’s life? What role does music play in your life? In the art of music, there is so much nuance that can be seen and understood about every genre that is out there in this world. But what makes music so special is the personalization that can be done to it. This very aspect can change the way we view and listen to music on an every-day basis.
However, the kind of music that was special to the other Wes Moore’s life was hip-hop, but more especially was DJing. This genre of music became very popular during the years that the other Wes Moore was a young child. And having had a difficult upbringing and childhood living in Baltimore, the hip-hop scene had a major impact at this time in history. In addition, the book goes into detail and explains how he was about to make a “side hustle” by going around town and DJing. Moreover, as we go into the beginning of chapter four, we are able to see Wes and Tony having a heated conversation because Tony was able to catch on to the little things that Wes was doing to be able to cover what he was actually doing. Tony explicitly told Wes not to get into the streets and do things that he knew were not good for Wes. But Wes chose to do things the way he wanted to and not take the advice that Tony had given him or the advice his mother had already given him. And in this chapter, Tony would also question how Wes was able to have so much money at one time because it became alarming to see how much money a young child like Wes had at one time. Another thing that we are shown in this chapter is that when Wes was questioned about his money, he had to come up with a story that was made to be believable to Tony and his mother. Once his mother found out the real truth about everything that Wes was doing, things started to go south. And when his mother found his drugs that he was storing, she would take them from the box and throw them into the toilet to show her son that what he was doing was not okay to do at all and in her house. One thing that can be said is that there are many similar themes that can be seen in hip-hop and young children getting themselves into drugs because, from a young age, many children are getting influenced either through music or their peers around them doing things they shouldn't be doing. And it causes them to think and understand that what they are doing is okay to do when, in reality, there are consequences to their actions, and it is the responsibility of the parents or adults in their lives to show that doing drugs or selling them is not the right path in life. That is what we see in the earlier chapters of the book, where Tony was preventing Wes from getting into drugs because he knew in that exact moment that Wes wasn't going to listen and do whatever he wanted to do.
Furthermore, when choosing a prompt to write for this week’s blog, the one I found to be the most interesting was to speak about music. Music has played a major role in ways that I can’t even comprehend, and it also plays into who I am today. Some of my earliest memories of listening to music are from the times when my parents or grandparents would have music playing in the background in the house. Having that foundation at such a young age laid the building blocks for all of the music I listen to today. Being born at a time when the radio was one of the main ways to be able to listen to music, it has definitely shaped what was popular in the early 2000s until listening to the radio faded out around 2012, when streaming services became popular. But one thing that can be seen between myself and the other Wes Moore is a deep pride in music and being able to relate to it in ways that we couldn't find elsewhere. And as I grew older, I started to like other genres than what I was used to, and that was the moment where I was able to see and hear music from a different perspective. One thing to know about me is that there is never a time or day when I am not listening to music that I enjoy, whether it is K-pop, Japanese music, Reggaeton, Bachata, Salsa, Pop, Rock, Indie, and so many more. I am always listening to music! As I am thinking and writing about it now, I think the reason I have such a deep passion for music comes from my parents, because growing up, I would always hear music in Spanish or music that came out during the years before I was born. I also think another aspect of why I love music so much is that, as a Latina living in the United States, music is a way I and so many others find community around us or our peers because of commonality and the comfort that it gives us. Having the opportunity to be able to hear that kind of music is something so special to me because it can feel at times that the music of today is not like what was produced back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but what I think is that times are changing and different kinds of music have become more popular than ever before in history. And people are becoming more aware of the things that are said in music. However, whenever I get asked what my favorite song is, I can never come up with an answer because the kinds of songs that I listen to are the kinds of songs that are listened to based on the kind of mood and emotion that I am currently feeling. But there are millions of songs that I have on repeat no matter the day, since they are the type of songs that never get old. Some of the songs that I am listening to right now are:
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To conclude this week’s blog, it is important that music comes in shapes and forms, and there is no “right” way to listen to music. Everyone has their own personal taste and music that brings them comfort and helps them cope with the crazy world that we live in. And it was also a way for the other Wes Moore to be able to navigate his world as well.
Sources:
1. @Spinach_Guy. “Patrick Bateman American Psycho Gif - Patrick Bateman American Psycho Mood - Discover & Share Gifs.” Tenor, Tenor, 28 Mar. 2021, tenor.com/view/patrick-bateman-american-psycho-mood-listening-to-music-headphones-gif-20933203.
2. McCord, Chase. “17 the Other Wes Moore Ideas: Wes Moore, Moore, Moores.” Pinterest, 28 Apr. 2015, www.pinterest.com/mccordch14/the-other-wes-moore/.
3. @SHIZUKU. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood All Openings 1-5 [Full Version]. YouTube, YouTube, 26 Oct. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND5FmgDeduk.
4. JYP, director. Stray Kids “락 (樂) (LALALALA)” M/V. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Nov. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBDkYofMUs4.
5. A Tribe Called Quest, director. A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation (Official HD Video). YouTube, YouTube, 5 Dec. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHRnvjCkTsw.
6. Tame Impala. Let It Happen. YouTube, YouTube, 24 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMRhx71bGo4.
I have to say that I love how you write your blogs, they look very complete and organized. Now I agree with you that everyone has their own taste in music but one thing without a doubt is that for the majority music is important and helps everyone to face in the world that each one lives.
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