Monday, August 4, 2014

This is me

The first stop on our journey of myself starts with where I'm from.  
 I chose this song first and foremost because I was born in Philadelphia. There were days when I was chillin out, maxin, relaxin all cool, but I never shot bball outside of the school (not really into sports). I definitely remember there were some people that starting making trouble in my neighborhood also. Unlike Will Smith though, I moved because my father's job relocated and we ended up here in Indiana. Similar to the show, it was a bit of an adjustment but we made the best of it. 



This next song gets a little more personal but I think it does a good job of describing me, these lyrics in particular.
"All the pain and the truth
I wear like a battle wound
So ashamed, so confused
I was broken and bruised

Now I'm a warrior
Now I've got thicker skin
I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me again"



I had some bad experiences in my childhood that, in the long run, made me who I am today. I know that if I made it through all that stuff then I can make it through anything. 




This provides a nice segue to my next song "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea

   


I love this song first because the beat, the lyrics, and Iggy's voice mixed together just take me to another world. This song can seem arrogant but I see it as her proclaiming herself. I can relate to this song because I sometimes feel the same way especially in these lyrics:
I said, "Baby, I do this, I thought that you knew this."
Can't stand no haters and honest, the truth is


I just can't worry 'bout no haters, gotta stay on my grind


I'm at a stage in my life where I have decided to just be me and not care what people think. If people accept me as I am, that's great. If they don't then I don't need to be around them. The last line really sticks out to me because there have been people who have tried to put me down but I disregard them and keep doing what I feel is right. I think I'm doing pretty good seeing as I got into IU as a direct admit to the Kelley School of Business receiving $7,200 in scholarships every year. I'm not trying to be arrogant, just like Iggy I just want everyone to know what I'm capable of and what I can do because I "gotta stay on my grind".




Stop the track, lemme state facts:
I told you, gimme a minute and I'll be right back
Fifty million round the world and they say that I couldn't get it;
I done got so sick and filthy with Benjis, I can't spend it
How you gon' be talking shit? You act like I just got up in it;
Been the number one diva in this game for a minute!
I know you read the paper - the one that they call a queen,
Every radio round the world know me cause that's where I be (first!)

The first verse of this song explains what it's all about. I love this song because she knows what she's worth. I think this is a good conclusion to my life story. I started in Philly, went through some stuff and came out of it. Even though people doubted me or treated me badly I rose out of it and now I'm a fancy diva!
Posted by at

3 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 5, 2014 at 12:40 PM

    Aliya,

    First of all, your voice shines so brightly through your writing which I love. I can picture you saying all of this as I am reading it. While reading your post, I kept circling back to your comment in class ("I am a strong independent black woman that don't need no man"). After reading your blog and getting to know you outside of class, I can see that that's true! You don't "worry 'bout no haters" and you "stay on [your] grind" which I applaud you for.

    Maggie Katzman

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownAugust 5, 2014 at 12:54 PM

    Aliya,

    I liked your choice of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." It sounds like you can relate to that pretty well with your own experiences moving from your home to a completely new place.

    "Warrior" was also a good choice. We all go through painful times, and when we finally make it out of them, we realize how they have shaped us. They give us a new perspective of the world and help us empathize with others who are troubled. Everyone has issues, and we have to realize that we never know what someone else is going through. People have problems to different extents, but everyone's struggles are hard enough for them.

    I completely agree with you being who you are and not caring what others think. Over the years, I have learned to do that exact same thing. People will judge you and people will disapprove of you. But eventually you just have to do what makes you happy and present yourself how you truly want others to see you.

    Finally, I love your last song choice. "Diva" is one of my friend's favorite songs. Beyonce reminds every girl that she is fabulous and majestic just the way she is.

    Nice blog!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownAugust 5, 2014 at 2:32 PM

    Hi Aliya!

    I think that it's really cool that you picked "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" to be one of your songs, especially since you're originally from Philly. I think it makes the song seem so much more authentic because you're from there, and you connect to it. Also, I really enjoyed your interpretation of "Warrior." I think it's awesome that you can find such a strong parallel to your own life in this song.

    As for "Fancy," when you were talking about getting into Kelley and your scholarship, it made me think of something my dad likes to say. He has always that a person should never apologize for success. It's amazing that you are achieving so much, and it is definitely okay to take pride in your accomplishments! Lastly, I really enjoyed your response to Diva. I could tell today in class that this song really means a lot to you.

    Great song choices!

    ~Abbey

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)