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A Rhetorical Analysis Of Crooked Smile By J. Cole

778 Words4 Pages

Music all over the world has been shaping generations for many years now. The rock n roll of the 70’s and 80’s, pop and hip-hop of the 90’s and early 2000’s and finally, many different popular genres of the generation we now live in. Music provides a means of expression for all types of individuals. Some music even goes against the social norm and tries to bring attention to social injustices. The song “Crooked Smile” by rapper J. Cole tackles the issue of unrealistic expectations of women with the songs exceptional lyrics, broad metaphors, and positive tone. In this essay, I will talk about how J. Cole goes about empowering women through exceptional lyrics, broad metaphors, and positive tone.
Incorporated throughout the entire song are exceptional lyrics. The song is about flaws, a “Crooked smile” for example, and how those flaws do not limit any …show more content…

There is no doubt that there is great value assigned to external beauty. For some how they look physically is simply an expression and celebration of their internal beauty, but often those who are physically attractive are emotionally unattractive. As mentioned before, the title of the song has broader meaning. “Crooked Smile” is a metaphor for any imperfection. This happens to be Cole’s flaw; he has accepted the imperfection and embraces the attention that he receives from it. For another person, a “crooked smile” could be weight, height, or hair color. Anything that makes an individual feel insecure. Women especially voice these insecurities that are flaws by the public eye, when in fact they are what makes every woman unique in their own way. Uplifting lyrics, “I can tell you ain’t laughed in a while, but I wanna see that crooked smile” help embrace imperfections and let women know that its all right to smile about things. Every woman deserves pure happiness no matter what they do or do not

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