Jarybel Correa
Professor Tougaw
English 301W

As a child born into a Hispanic and catholic household, my music interest varied throughout my entire life. I was born in Manhattan, New York, on December 20th, 2000. Being the middle child of four, music was put into my perspective from my older sisters. They introduced me at a young age to different genres of music. Our parents were very religious, and growing up in a catholic household, it was difficult for us to listen to music that was not related to the church. My family and I would go to church every Sunday; in addition to that, I attended catholic school every week and also participated in a youth group at our church. I learned many gospel songs in English and Spanish because my godmother was part of the chorus/band at the church. In 2007, my parents split, and so did my family. Eventually, this affected the religious aspect of my life; soon enough, religion seemed to slip away from my daily life. However, only a few years ago, this part of my life was reintroduced to me. I would have to say that this part of my life, is one that I look back at and appreciate the most; it has made me the person I am today and heavily embeds in my persona. However, I do not really listen to gospel music anymore, even though it is still a part of my life.

As I got older, I listened to various artists such as The Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, T.L.C., etc. The only way I was introduced to these artists was because of my older sisters; I always wanted to be around them and listen to the same things they listened to. If it weren’t for them, I would have never been introduced to this type of music. However, my Father also brought a significant influence on music. He grew up in Queens, New York, during the ’80s, and this was such an influential time in history when it comes to music. He introduced me to old school music, as he likes to call it. As I reached my teen years, music became a massive part of my everyday life. Music gave me the motivation to get out of bed and start my day.
My music taste varies; I enjoy listening to all genres of music. Mostly, Bachata, Merengue tipico, Hip Hop, Rap, Pop, and salsa. Music has always been a massive part of my life; to me, it is a form of expression; on days when I want to feel happy, I listen to more uplifting music such as Merengue Tipico, which is a genre of music that originated in the Dominican Republic. It is very similar to merengue; however it has a faster pace when dancing, I usually listen to Tipico whenever I want to feel uplifted and happy. On days when I want to feel relaxed and chill ill listen to rap or hip hop. Some of my favorite artists include The Notorious B.I.G. and Post Malone. As you can already probably tell, my music taste is very diverse; I enjoy all types of music and enjoy being introduced to new genres and artists. I will introduce you to my top 3 favorite artists and why they have impacted my life.

The Notorious B.I.G

Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G., was one of the most influential rappers. Born on May 21st, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents, his father left him and his mother Voletta when he was just two years old. Growing up in Bedford Stuyvesant, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, Smalls was exposed to many street life at such a young age during the crack-cocaine epidemic in the ’80s and ’90s. He was lyrically gifted from such a young age. Smalls music spoke about the qualities of a life of crime and spoke about the downside of it all in his songs “Suicidal Thoughts” and “Everyday Struggle.” His music was also very influential; the lyrics in one of his most famous songs, “Juicy,” gave hope to struggling people. It helped people to have a positive outlook, and even people who do not come from money can make it in life. Immediately at the beginning of the song, he calls out everyone who doubted him. He continues to express his story of coming from nothing and dreaming big to his success. Biggie Smalls is one of my favorite artists because of his smooth lyrical flow. When he raps, he tells a story, one that is very pleasing to hear. I would say that his music motivates me to be productive and continue dreaming big. Unfortunately, he was another artist that was taken way too soon, but his impact on the music world is forever imprinted.

Selena

Selena Quintanilla is one of the most influential Latin artists ever. Before her tragic death at the age of 23, she released very well-known hits and set fashion and makeup trends. Everything about Selena and her music was revolutionary. Selena took apart barriers of language, genre, and identity throughout her entire career. She overcame male-dominated musical genres. Selena was a Mexican American singer who came from a very conservative family and had difficulty being accepted by audiences both in the U.S. and Mexico. However, her unique style of music took contemporary sounds of the 90’s and Mexican genres and combined them to create award-winning albums. Selena was an inspiration to many new Latina artists such as Karol G and Selena Gomez. Selena was the first female artist who was proud of her heritage and being Latina for many people. Her music celebrated life, love, and family. I first learned Selena’s famous song “Como la Flor” when I was just five years old. This track included a dynamic and vocal performance over a cumbia beat. “Como la flor” is one of my favorite songs, which talks about heartbreak and romance. Selenas music is very influential because it describes me as a person and the different parts of my life. She was not afraid to be proud of her heritage and created a path for future Latina female artists.

Post Malone

Post Malone is one of my favorite artists of all time. Although I was introduced to him not too long ago, his music has impacted me in the short time that I have gotten to know his music. His music caught my attention because of his unique vocal style and pop, hip hop, rock, and folk combination. I remember first listening to Post Malone on a long drive back from Montauk with my boyfriend. We drove on the road listening to his single “Stay” with the windows rolled down. This was a moment that I will never forget, a time where I was fully content in life. His music has ever since had this effect on me, and I am sure it did too for many other people. I will be seeing him live this year, and I am so very excited.

Conclusion
These are only a few of my favorite artists who each bring different genres to the table. Each of these artists has been influential to my life when I feel like I cannot achieve my goals; their music is my escape from reality. My taste in music varies; I have so many other genres that I listen to almost every day, such as meringue tipico, as I mentioned before, country, and rock. The music itself is a universal language that has brought me to connect with others on a different level. My appreciation for these artists and all types of music is indescribable.