Why I Chose This Topic

As an Asian-Canadian, I was disappointed to see the lack of Asian representation in this course. Our textbook highlights people of white, black, or Latino descent who made an impact on popular music of America during the mid-nineteenth century to 2013. To represent the presence of Asians within popular music in America, I decided to choose my own topic where I introduce K-pop group, BTS, & discuss what they have done to move popular music in a new direction.

Background Information

BTS (or Bangtan Boys) have seven members including leader & rapper RM (born Kim Namjoon, 1994), visual & vocalist Jin (born Kim Seokjin, 1992), rapper Suga (born Min Yoongi, 1993), rapper & sub-vocalist J-Hope (born Jung Hoseok, 1994), vocalist Jimin (born Park Jimin, 1995), vocalist V (born Kim Taehyung, 1995), & vocalist, sub-rapper, & maknae Jungkook (born Jeon Jeongguk, 1997).^[4] Their name is an acronym for 방탄소년단 (pronounced Bangtan Sonyeondan) or “Beyond the Scene,” which translates to “bulletproof boy scouts.”^[2] The group re-branded with a new logo & introduced another meaning to the acronym, BTS, which was “Beyond the Scene.”^[3] BTS debuted on June 13, 2013 with “No More Dream” on the album 2 Cool 4 Skool.^[4] Their label, Big Hit Entertainment, is a small Korean record label & management agency that was unknown until BTS’s first Korean Top 10 hit “I Need U.”^[2] Because BTS doesn’t have a distinct sound & tend to pull influences from several established genres, their presence has more of an impact on American popular music than their songs.

First Introduction of K-Pop to Popular Music in America

PSY (born Park Jae-Sang, 1977)^[13] initially introduced K-pop to popular music in America. His song “Gangnam Style” reached #2 on Billboard Hot 100.^[14] It still holds the record for highest ranking & most number of weeks on Billboard Hot 100 for a K-pop act.^[14] With his humorous music videos & the viral dances, PSY portrayed K-pop as a genre not to be taken seriously. It was simply a funny viral video that didn’t entice people to look into other K-pop artists or become fans.

BTS’s Emergence into American Popular Music

While BTS weren’t the first to introduce K-pop to popular music in America, I believe they are first K-pop act to gain respect, a significant fan base, & history-breaking accomplishments internationally, especially in America.

K-pop is known for discovering artists through auditions & having them train to perfect their appearance, dance, & musicality.^[15] Many people view the industry negatively because of this unnatural way of generating artists. Korean record labels tend to control of their acts, similar to how Berry Gordy Jr.’s controlled every aspect of Motown during the 1960s.^[9] 

Driven by an admiration for artists who expressed themselves through their music, Bang Si-Hyuk formed Big Hit Entertainment & went on to create BTS. ^[15] The freedom BTS are given set them up for success in other countries who don’t support the strict industry. They produce & write many of their songs, incorporating socially conscious lyrics that confront serious themes.^[15] Because of their label’s morals & involvement in the production of their music, BTS are one of the first K-pop acts to gain respect internationally.

BTS has gained a significant following from around the world. Their fans are called the ARMY, which is an acronym for “Adorable Representative M.C for Youth.”^[11] Many aspects of their music entice people to become fans including their ability to simultaneously sing/rap and dance, high production music videos, meaningful messages within their songs, & narratives that span across several of their albums.

Similar to how Radiohead albums, Ok Computer & Kid A, challenged their fans to decode words & images,^[9] BTS opens ARMY to interpretation & theorization of a connected plot within 7 albums. BTS’s interaction with their fan base also goes beyond their music. The group is ranked at #1 on Billboard Social 50, a position that has been held for 56 weeks due to their presence on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & Soundcloud.^[16] BTS also provides their fans with a way to get to know them more as people rather than celebrities. BTS uses V Live to share content from livestreams of performances to produced shows that reveal the members’ individual personalities. Their label has also produced their own content which showcases behind the scenes. Despite not knowing each other before, the relationships between members of BTS seen in this content is as sincere as their music. With their talent & willingness to be authentic with their audience, BTS keeps longtime fans interested & entices new fans to join the ARMY.

According to the Rolling Stone, 2017 was the year K-pop finally broke in the America.^[1] With their first American television appearance at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, they received the fan-voted award of Top Social Artist Award, making BTS the first K-pop act to receive a Billboard Music Award.^[10] That same year, they returned & made their American television performance debut at the2017 American Music Awards with their song “DNA,” from their album Love Yourself: Her.^[1]

This year, they proved to be even more successful. BTS won Top Social Artist Award again & performed “Fake Love”, from their newest album Love Yourself: Tear, for the first time at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.^[7] 

^{BTS became the first K-pop act to reach #1 on Billboard 200 with this album [5]},making Love Yourself: Tear the first foreign-language album to do so in over 12 years.^[12]  Additionally, “Fake Love” peaked at #10 on Billboard Hot 100.^[6]  The BTS World Tour: Love Yourself 2018, which includes 15 North American shows, is sold out & features their last 2 albums as well as the upcoming album Love Yourself: Answer.^[8] The tour’s latest announced show, in New York City at Citi Field, will make BTS the first K-pop act to perform a stadium show in the U.S.^[17] This growing list of accomplishments prove that BTS is not only making history with their emergence into the American popular music scene, but providing Asian representation.

New Direction of Popular Music

With BTS’s success in American popular music, they provide positive exposure of Asians within mainstream media. Our textbook shows that people of Asian descent didn’t have a significant impact on what popular music is today; however, I believe BTS are currently moving popular music in a new direction. They are redefining the image of K-pop by reducing the stigma behind the industry. Although PSY introduced K-pop to mainstream, BTS proved it to be a genre with artists who want to be respected & taken seriously. They are opening the door for not only other K-pop acts, but for all Asians by proving that we can be successful regardless if we speak a foreign language & don’t embody ideals of Western culture. 

Sources

[1] “10 K-Pop Artists to Watch in 2018.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/10-k-pop-artists-to-watch-in-2018-630096/.

[2] Benjamin, Jeff. “BBMA Winners BTS: 5 Things You Should Know About the K-Pop Sensations.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bbma-winners-bts-5-things-you-should-know-about-the-k-pop-sensations-119772/#!

[3] Bruner, Raisa. “K-Pop Band BTS Has Changed Its Name to ‘Beyond the Scene.’” Time, Time, 5 July 2017, time.com/4845531/bts-beyond-the-scene-change/.

[4] “BTS (Bangtan Boys) Members Profile (Updated!).” Kpop Profiles, 13 June 2018, kprofiles.com/bts-bangtan-boys-members-profile/.

[5] “BTS Chart History.” Billboard, Billboard, www.billboard.com/music/bts/chart-history/billboard-200.

[6] “BTS Chart History.” Billboard, Billboard, www.billboard.com/music/bts/chart-history/hot-100.

[7] “BTS Performs ‘Fake Love’ & Wins Top Social Artist at 2018 Billboard Music Awards | Billboard News.” Billboard, Billboard, 21 May 2018, www.billboard.com/video/bbnews52018bbma-bts-8456996.

[8] “BTS WORLD TOUR.” LOVE YOURSELF, bts.ibighit.com/btsworldtour/.

[9] Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. 4th ed., Cengage, 2013.

[10] Chiu, Allyson. “South Korean Boy Band BTS Makes History: First K-Pop Group to Top U.S. Billboard 200 Chart.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 May 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/29/south-korean-boy-band-bts-makes-history-as-first-k-pop-group-tops-u-s-billboard-200-chart/?utm_term=.c92a9dbf6975.

[11] Herman, Tamar. “Meet the Fans of BTS: Profiles of American ARMY.” Billboard, Billboard, 29 Sept. 2017, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7981702/meet-fans-bts-profiles-american-army.

[12] Kreps, Daniel. “On the Charts: BTS Become First K-Pop Act to Reach Number One.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/on-the-charts-bts-become-first-k-pop-act-to-reach-number-one-629174/.

[13] Murray, Lorraine. “PSY.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Dec. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/PSY.

[14] “PSY Chart History.” Billboard, Billboard, www.billboard.com/music/psy/chart-history/hot-100.

[15] Romano, Aja. “How K-Pop Became a Global Phenomenon.” Vox, Vox, 16 Feb. 2018, www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/16/16915672/what-is-kpop-history-explained.

[16] “Social 50.” Billboard, Billboard, www.billboard.com/charts/social-50.

[17]Staff, TIME. “BTS Announce First U.S. Stadium Show in New York City.” Time, Time, 9 Aug. 2018, time.com/5362005/k-pop-bts-stadium-show-us-love-yourself-tour/.

 

This course focuses on popular music in America. However, we live in Canada, and it should be noted that many Canadian artists were trendy but were never break out bands in America. These groups are essential to cover as they are apart of our history and helped Canada create a unique sound and style. One band that is genuinely Canadian is The Tragically Hip. Recently, they were listed as the 5th best Canadian band on CBC’s list of Top 100 Best Canadian Bands (CBC Staff, 2017). This band has a unique blend of rock, blues and folk sounds which help provide a platform for them to create uniques songs that appealed to many Canadians. Their songs also draw inspiration from unique historical events in Canada’s history, through their music they can help bring these stories into the spotlight and share them with younger generations. For my final blog post, I will discuss the band’s history, and up to the present day what they achieved, I will also consider the use of Canadian History in some of their songs.

The Tragically Hip or commonly referred to as The Hip is a Canadian rock band which was started in 1983 in Kingston, Ontario. The group was formed by five members, Bobby Baker (guitar), Gordon Downie (vocals), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass) (Bateman, 2012).The Hip got the name for the band from a segment on a children’s show. They started their career making mini albums and touring around Canada, in 1988 they signed with Records Canada where they recorded their first full album. The tile of the band’s first album was “Up to Here” (Bateman, 2012),

it features many notable songs such as Boots or Hearts and New Orleans is Sinking (Wilson, n.d.). Besides these songs the album also features a song titled 38 Years Old. One of my personal favorites it covers prison break that occurred in 1973. The song was changed slightly to help the flow and rhythm When Gord Downie sings about the 12 men who broke loose; this was adapted from the actual number which was 14. Gord also sings about a fictional rape and murder by one of the escapees, again this never happened but help makes the song darker, and draw the audience in.

With the release of The Hip’s first album, they quickly rose to popularity among Canadian audiences. They continued to produce more collections such as Road Apples, which also featured many hit songs such as Little Bones (Tragically Hip.com, n.d.). In 1992 the band released what would later be known as their most successful album, Fully Completely. With this album, the group quickly sky-rocketed to fame, and in 2007 the album was even certified diamond (CBC Staff, 2016).

Again, the album features many notable songs such as Courage and The Hundredth Meridian. Fully Completely features two other trendy songs related to Canadian history, they are Wheat Kings and Fifty Mission Cap.

The song Wheat Kings is a folk and blues style song which uses an acoustic style to help tell a story. The song centers around 16-year old  David Milgaard, who was wrongly convicted of murder. David was on a road trip with his friends when he stopped in Saskatoon to pick up another one. The same January morning in 1969 a woman was raped and murdered. A month later David was the primary suspect, and by May of the same year, he was convicted of murder. His mother believed from the start that he was innocent and would protest this for the next 22 years he spends in prison. Eventually, new evidence was discovered, and the case was reopened, by 1991 David was released from jail. The Hip, inspired by this story wrote a song about his story, they even invited him to one of their concerts where they performed the song (Hip Museum, n.d.).

The second song from Fully Completely that is written about unique Canadian history is Fifty Mission Cap. The song centers around the disappearance of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player Bill Bariko, who scored the game-winning goal in the 1951 Stanley Cup game. The summer after the season ended, Bill went on a fishing trip in northern Ontario, he was never seen again. 11 years after his mysterious disappearance his body was discovered by a pilot flying over the same route that he went on the trip. Ironically the same year the body was found was also the same amount of time it took for the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup again (Hip Museum, n.d.). This song is more styled in the genre of rock as it has heavy riffs, along with the commanding voice of Gord Downie, the band and Gord can tell the story of this hockey player. The inspiration for this song comes from a hockey card that Gord had, the back of the card shows the story of how he went missing after more research into Bill’s death The Hip wrote this song.

The three songs I discussed above are some of the fantastic songs the that The Hip has made over the years. The songs helped inspire a generation, and they were able to create a unique sound that is truly Canadian. The Tragically Hip have made 14 albums have won numerous Emmy’s, multiple golds and platinum record and in 2005 the band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (Lombardo, n.d.). The Tragically Hip seemed to be at the peak of stardom in Canada and nothing would be able to slow their success, but that changed in 2016.

In 2016 The Hip released what would be their last album “Man Machine Poem.” The album came just weeks after tragic news broke that lead singer Gord Downie came for word and publicly disclosed that he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a severe form of brain cancer (Harris, 2018). Gord was diagnosed with one of the more severe types of this cancer. The band announced that they would be disbanding as they would not be able to continue with Gord’s condition, they published one final tour to celebrate their legacy. The Tragically Hip performed their last concert on August 20, 2016, in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario (Barclay, 2017). After the tour had ended the band’s publicity was less, and there was not much information about the fate of Gord and the rest of the group. Finally, on October 17, 2017, It was announced that Gord Downie had passed away at the age of 53. All of Canada felt the loss of this great musician, his talents and his ability to tell stories through the songs he sang. Although it has been a year, Gord’s passing can still be felt he will always be remembered through the songs and the impact on Canadian music Gord and the Tragically Hip had. This is just one of the fantastic Canadian musical groups that had such a significant effect on Canada’s music industry.

Refrences

38 Years Old. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2018, from http://www.hipmuseum.com/38.html

Albums. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2018, from http://www.thehip.com/albums/

Barclay, M. (2017, August 14). Ahead by a year: Remembering the Hip’s last show. Retrieved September 7, 2018, from https://www.macleans.ca/culture/arts/ahead-by-a-year-remembering-the-hips-last-show/

Bateman, J. (2012, March 10). The Tragically Hip. Retrieved August 5, 2018, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tragically-hip-the/

E. (2016, June 14). The Tragically Hip’s 12 albums ranked. Retrieved August 6, 2018, from https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/11469/the-tragically-hip-s-12-albums-ranked

E. (2017, June 29). 100 best Canadian bands. Retrieved August 5, 2018, from https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/18779/galler-100-best-canadian-bands-ever

Harris, A. (2018, May 16). What we know about Gord Downie’s diagnosis, treatment and next steps. Retrieved August 8, 2018, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/things-about-gord-downies-diagnosis/article30127365/

Lombardo, G. (n.d.). The Tragically Hip. Retrieved August 6, 2018, from http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/the-tragically-hip/

Rudnick, N. (2016, August 19). The Tragically Hip: 10 Essential Songs. Retrieved August 7, 2018, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-tragically-hip-10-essential-songs-97420/fifty-mission-cap-1992-98073/

Wilson, M. (n.d.). Up to Here – The Tragically Hip | Songs, Reviews, Credits. Retrieved August 6, 2018, from https://www.allmusic.com/album/up-to-here-mw0000654156

Analysis of the K.O.D Album

Background:

Before J. Cole dropped his new album K.O.D he released a tweet leaving his fans intrigued and excited; I am one of them.

Jermaine Lamarr Cole, also known as J. Cole was born on January 28, 1985. Growing up, Cole’s life wasn’t easy. He and his family lived in a trailer in North Carolina where making ends meet was a daily challenge. After his mother’s second marriage had come to an end, she became a crack addict with her new boyfriend. When J. Cole was a teenager, he worked many part-time jobs and later ended up receiving a degree in communications after attending St John’s University in 2007.  It was Cole’s song “Lights Please” from his second mixtape, The Warm Up in 2009 that caught Mark Pitts attention. Although Jay Z did not want to listen to it, Pitts had an influence over him which later lead to J. Cole being signed to Roc Nation[1].

Influences on the K.O.D Album

Throughout the album J. Cole talks about different types of drugs in each song. In “Motiv8” he talks about success, in “ATM” he talks about money, and in “Once An Addict” he talks about his mother’s alcoholism[2].

The Album Name K.O.D has several meanings to it, one being “Kids On Drugs.”. Cole talks about how commercials on the television are constantly asking “are you okay?” and then recommended a type of drug to help you with your issue whether its anxiety, muscle pain, etc. Besides medicated drugs, there are also recreational drugs including pills, weed, alcohol. There are even more types of drugs beyond this that can be addicting like money, and love. The message from all of this is that growing up, everyone will experience at least one type of addiction.

Another meaning is “King OverDosed.” Cole explores how people are affected by overdosing on the drug they take and how the person can feel like they are on the top of the world, like a king.

Lastly, the last interpretation is “Kill Our Demons.” This is one of J. Cole’s goal, it’s a place he hopes everyone can eventually get to. In order to be at peace with ourselves we need to get all the negative energy our which includes killing our addictions. This album comes across as the primary meaning being about drugs, which partially it is. But it’s about how the drugs can affect us and can put us in a negative mental state that affects our daily lives[3].

Analysis of three songs

1. “1985”
2. “KOD”
3. “Window Pain”

“1985”

The purpose of this song is the analyze how you impact the world by what you say and do whether you are a famous icon or regular person. This is evident in Cole’s lyrics stating, “You havin’ fun and I respect that / But have you ever thought about your impact?” This is the rap game in itself is constantly evolving and changing to what pops and sells[4].

I chose this piece because it’s one of my personal favourite songs, because he talks about how there are mumble rappers dissing him, when in reality Cole doesn’t just follow to trend of trap drums but rather digs deep into the meanings of his music and how he portrays himself. The tempo of this song remains fairly constant with a noticeable backbeat, adding in different instruments as the song goes along. The focus of this song is not necessarily having diverse dynamics but is more message focused and just listening to what J. Cole is saying[5].

“K.O.D”

In this piece of music, it talks about all the different kinds of drugs and why you should not take them based on how they can negatively affect your life. He names off a selection of drugs but makes sure to state that love is the strongest drug displaying that why you chose to use a drug comes from multiple different reasons[4].

This song is also the name of the album which is why it is so powerful because it covers the mentioned topics above including, Kids On Drugs. One instrument that catches my attention right away is the small little bell that ties all the other instruments together. It is small but adds uniqueness in the music. The instruments are constantly changing with random sound effects being added in depending on what the lyrics state. You notice that in this song when Cole is rapping fast, all the extra instruments disappear so you can bring your attention to the lyrics. You see this again at the very end when they are listing off drugs and the music is low but sets the tone to how the artist wanted you to feel.

“Window Pain”

This song paints a clear picture of what it was like for Cole growing up having to watch gangs and drugs in his hometown. It talks about the violence not only he had to experience, but this little girl he met that watched her cousin get shot in the head. Although this sounds harsh and direct, that’s what the lifestyle was like for J. Cole. This song is not only discussing the violence, but the real message is to be grateful. Cole wants to teach us in this song that we need to appreciate the ones in our life and that when we lose our self, there is a way back[4].

I picked this song as one to analyze because in my opinion the message is so strong and the overall song dynamics is exciting to listen to. This song is intriguing right when it begins because of the little girl talking at the beginning. When the song starts of it sounds like horror music, which makes sense because J. Coles childhood wasn’t all sunshine. The beat eventually picks up creating a catchy vibe but leaving the screeching intro music in allowing the listener to feel J. Coles pain.

 

Sources:

1. “J. Cole Biography.” Biography. Accessed August 10, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/j-cole-5152017.
2. Kyle Eustice. “J. Cole Speaks: 15 “KOD” Revelations Uncovered.” HipHopDX. April 25, 2018. https://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.4056/title.j-cole-speaks-15-kod-revelations-uncovered#.
3. Vincent. “An overview of J. Cole’s new album: K.O.D.” E97. April 16,2018. http://est1997.com/music/overview-j-coles-new-album-k-o-d/.
4. Andres Tardio. “Choose Wisely: 12 Lessons From J. Cole’s New Album ‘KOD’.” Cassius. April 20, 2018. https://cassiuslife.com/59977/lessons-from-j-cole-kod/.

My life revolves around music. From a car ride to in the gym or even pregame routine, I turn to music. I am fan of all music but for some reason, rap is what puts me in the right state of mind. With my last blog post of Music 111, I am taking the opportunity to focus on rap and one of it’s hottest but most controversial artists. That artist is Tekashi 69, also known as 69 and 6ix9ine.

I insist you watch this video to give you a general concept about Tekashi 69.

 

Tekashi 69 was born Daniel Hernandez on May 8, 1996  in Brooklynn, New York [5].  His father passed away when Tekashi was 13 forcing him to find jobs to help his mother. He first began as a bus boy but as time went on he would have multiple hustles like slinging weed and opening a bodega. His love for music was inspired by heavy metal bands and RondoNumbaNine but I believe it was this life of crime and gang activity where he focus his sound [5].

Before we begin to listen and view a few of his music videos, I believe it is important for viewers to know what you are about to listen to if you have never heard of this artist.  Upon listening to 6ix9ine’s music, it is clear his inspiration is gangster rap with lyrics focussing on gang like activity and sex. He favours controversial beef with other artists and is usually the instigator in most of those altercations. He has also run into repeated issues with the law and is currently dealing with criminal charges. 6ix9ine takes a full-throated and hyper-aggressive musical approach to his craft and in addition to his colorful appearance and unique themed music videos, has propelled become one of the hottest rappers in the last couple years [2].

The First Hit

6ix 9ine’s first major hit was “GUNMO”. Released on October 8, 2017 and entered the Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at number 12 [5]. “GUNMO” hit gold status Jan 11, 2017 and then eventually reach platinum status March 5 [1]. Gold status means the track sold 500k units and platinum means it sold 1 million units. Another important stat to consider is that the “GUNMO” musical video currently sits over 250 million views on Youtube. However, at the time of the release, reportedly pled guilty to three felony counts of using a child in a sexual performance [2]. It is uncertain if the criminal charges had any affect on sales or the “popularity” the artist but it very impressive to reach platinum with your very first official release.

Though he has been claimed a “fake-ass blood” from a rapper named The Game, it’s clear he takes pride in being a “blood” [1]. The video displays 69 dressed in red and centered among an entourage of  Blood members, displaying hand gestures that of gang relations. After watching the official “GUNMO” music video, it is obvious the focal point is gang activity.

The Latest Hit

6ix9ine released a track named “FEFE” on July 22 featuring the current Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj. In a matter of two days, the video accumulated over 28 million views [3]. After 7 days, the video reached over 70 million views. On it’s debut, “FEFE” ranked number 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales and was ranked number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. By August 6, “FEFE”  turned Gold [6]. As you can see, “FEFE” was an instant hit and skyrocketed.

What makes the track unique is the timeline of the release. First off, the launch of “FEFE” occurred after 6ix9ine was released on a $150k bail for allegedly choking a teenager in a mall a few years back [4]. On the same day of the release, it was reported that 6ix9ine was kidnapped, pistol whipped and robbed. three robbers made off with over $750K in jewellery and up to $20K cash.

Conclusion

6ix9ine is one of the hottest rappers in the game today. Hs rainbow hair, hard-hitting aggressive lyrics, and criminal activity have brought a sort of publicity in which has amplified his stardom and it seems like it will continue to break records.

Bibliography

[1] 6IX9INE’S “GUMMO” GOES PLATINUM. Accessed August 9, 2018. http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2018/03/6ix9ine-gummo-platinum/.

[2] Kellman, Andy. 6ix9ine. Accessed August 9, 2018. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/6ix9ine-mn0003687460/biography.

[3] Miss2Bees. 2018. TEKASHI 6IX9INE’S ‘FEFE’ SURPASSES DRAKE’S ‘IN MY FEELINGS’ ON APPLE MUSIC CHARTS. July 26. Accessed August 9, 2018. http://thesource.com/2018/07/26/tekashi-fefe-drake/.

[4] Peters, Mitchell. 2018. 6ix9ine Drops New Song ‘FEFE’ Featuring Nicki Minaj: Listen. July 22. Accessed August 9, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8466460/tekashi-6ix9ine-drops-new-song-fefe-featuring-nicki-minaj-listen.

[5] Teka$hi69 (6ix9ine). Accessed August 9, 2018. https://everipedia.org/wiki/tekashi69-6ix9ine/.

[6] Zaynab. 2018. Tekashi 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj’s “FEFE” Single Is Certified Gold . August 6. Accessed August 9, 2018. https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/tekashi-6ix9ine-and-nicki-minajs-fefe-single-is-certified-gold-news.56725.html.