This project explores the cultural and geographic influence of three historical music genres: rap, jazz, and rock. By analyzing terms associated with these genres within key influential cities, we aim to understand the unique identities and cultural significance that each genre has developed over time.
Word clouds were generated using search terms relevant to each music genre within the selected cities. The visual analysis of these word clouds provides insights into the most prevalent and associated terms within the digital space of Youtube for each genre.
The comparison seeks to uncover the digital footprint and public discourse surrounding each genre, reflecting their cultural and historical relevance in the associated cities.
- Python: Data manipulation and analysis.
- WordCloud: library for generating the word clouds.
- Pandas: for data organization and CSV file manipulations.
- Matplotlib: additional data visualization needs.
- Rap Music: Focusing on Detroit, Atlanta, and New York.
- Jazz Music: Concentrating on New Orleans, Chicago, and New York.
- Rock Music: Highlighting London, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
Through the visualization of word clouds, this lab attempts to focus on exploring the cultural and geographic landscapes of three historical music genres— rap, jazz, and rock-roll. By examining the prevalence and associations of these genres within key cities that have been influential in their development, I was able to conclude the impacts these locations have had on the growth of music. The word clouds serve as a visual census, indicating which terms are most associated with each genre in the digital space of YouTube.
The parameters used for this exploratory search are terms and locations that are significant to each genre. For rap, the cities of Detroit, Atlanta, and New York are chosen due to their contributions to the genre's evolution and prominence. Rap originated from the streets of New York where the rise of hip-hop culture was prominent in the 1970s. Rap became a powerful medium for social commentary and a voice for the marginalized. As the genre matured, cities like Detroit and Atlanta developed their own distinctive rap sounds and styles, influenced by their unique socio-economic backgrounds, local cultures, and musical traditions.
Similarly, New Orleans, Chicago, and New York are selected for jazz because of their historical importance and ongoing influence on jazz music. New Orleans is often considered the birthplace of jazz, a genre deeply rooted in the city's diverse culture, combining elements of blues, ragtime, and brass band marches. The city is also a melting pot of African, Caribbean, and European musical traditions, where jazz originally found its unique rhythm and form. In addition, the city also hosts a vibrant street music scene, spirited Mardi Gras parades, and lively funeral processions, which provide a perfect backdrop for the development of improvisational musical style. As the genre grew, the influences migrated towards the north during the Great Migration, with many jazz musicians moving to Chicago and New York, where the genre evolved further.
In terms of rock, cities like London, Seattle, and Los Angeles are key contributors to the genre due to their rich rock music heritage and significant contributions to the scene's growth. To elaborate, London was a fulcrum for the British Invasion of the 1960s, a movement that founded British rock bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones that profoundly influenced the global music scene. It became a hotspot for various rock sub-genres, from punk to glam rock, through the late 1900s. Seattle, on the other hand, was the birthplace of grunge in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden leading the movement with a cultural statement. The raw sound of grunge was a big shift in the style of music, encapsulating the disaffection of a generation. Lastly, Los Angeles has been a stable contributor to the American rock scene from the psychedelic rock of the 1960s to the heavy metal bands that lived within the states in the 1980s. The city's recording studios, live music venues, and music industry infrastructure has made the place an epicenter for rock musicians to collaborate and create.
The reason for making this comparison is to understand the cultural significance and the unique identity that each genre—rap, jazz, and rock-roll—has developed over time in association with these influential locations. As a huge music fanatic and regular concertgoer, I have acquired a deep-rooted interest in the ways that different cities have shaped the sounds and bands of these musical styles. My ongoing interest in these genres I believe fuels my motivation to execute this comparison. Exploring the current influential terms is a personal passion project that merges my love for music with my curiosity about music history and geography.
By comparing the word clouds generated from search terms related to each genre in these cities, we can gain insights into the current digital footprint and public conversations surrounding these genres. We can also discern the present-day digital presence that defines much of our cultural consumption and perception. The comparison of word clouds across these genres lies in distinct movements and historical contexts that can be gained through the enjoyment of different music genres. For instance, the rock genre's word cloud is anticipated to highlight cities like Seattle and terms tied to the grunge movement, highlighting the city's defining role in that subgenre. In contrast, the rap genre's word cloud, it is expected to prominently feature cities like Atlanta and Detroit, where both are known for their distinct rap subgenres: trap to gangster hip-hop. Jazz, with its storied past, is likely to have a word cloud densely populated with references to New Orleans and Chicago, cities pivotal to its genesis and maturation. These comparisons overall give us context to the genres we enjoy today, assisting our vested interests through the visualization of common terms. Youtube being a universal form of communication I believe can effectively capture the current state of a chosen music scene as many turn to digital media to express musical ambitions.
Comparing the word clouds reveals both differences and similarities among the three genres. In terms of similarities, all three-word clouds share a focus on location names, highlighting the significance of cities in shaping the historical contexts of a genre. The prominence of the term "Music" across all three signifies the universal language of music, despite genre differences. "Band" and "Live" are terms that appear in both the rock and jazz clouds, which may indicate a shared emphasis on live performance and group dynamics in these genres. This is probably true as all three genres acquire heavy influence within the performance industry. The differences in the word clouds can be attributed to the unique evolution of each genre within their respective states. Rock's focus seems to be terms involving live performance. On the other hand jazz's association with relaxation and nightlife prints more in terms that are associated with the development of the genre's culture. Lastly, rap's connection to urban culture and social media reflects not only its historical roots but also its current state.
In terms of observations, the rock word cloud shows a strong consistency of the term "Seattle," which is not a surprising insight given the city's association with the grunge movement. Terms like "Band," and "Music" suggest a genre that thrives on live performance and touring culture. The presence of "Angels" could hint at Los Angeles (often nicknamed the City of Angels), another influential city in the rock genre. Next, the jazz word cloud has a noticeably different formation in terms of the words. "New Orleans" stands out, which is fitting as it is considered the birthplace of jazz. The terms "Relax," "Soft," and "Piano" speak to the genre's reputation for smoother, more laid-back sounds that often feature the piano as a central instrument. Lastly, the rap word cloud on the other hand presents strikingly modern terms. Words like "Rapper," "Atlanta," "Detroit," and "New" are prominent, suggesting the genre's close ties to the current music scene and its urban roots. The inclusion of "Video" and "Instagram" indicates the importance of social media and video platforms in rap's dissemination and cultural relevance today.
The patterns observed could be due to several factors including the history of the genre, the cities' influence on the music, and the music industry's current state. For instance, the prevalence of certain cities within the word clouds highlights their importance as cultural hubs for the genre. Historically, the cities of Seattle, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Detroit have been instrumental in the development and evolution of rock, jazz, and rap, respectively. This historical context is evident in the prominence of these cities within the given word clouds. The cultural influence of each genre is also highlighted by the prevalence of certain terms: for rock and jazz, the prevalence of terms like "Band" and "Live" emphasizes the importance of live performance and the tradition of musicians playing together. In contrast, the rap word cloud includes modern terms like "Video" and "Instagram," indicating the genre's strong engagement with digital media and social platforms, where much of today's music discovery and artist-fan interaction occurs.
The characteristics of each genre are also a contributing factor to the patterns we observe in the word clouds. For example, rock and jazz have historically valued the album and touring cycle, thus terms like "Tour" and "Album" are significant among others. Rap's word cloud, with words like "Official" and "New," reflects a genre that is constantly innovating and releasing music, often accompanied by visually engaging content that resonates with a younger audience. The frequency of certain terms may be influenced by how content creators are currently discussing these genres on YouTube, which is reflected in the video titles and descriptions. This is particularly relevant for genres like rap, which have a strong presence on the platform and are often considered the face of new music trends and conversations. Lastly, demographic preferences and societal trends play a huge role in terms of identifying patterns. The word clouds indirectly reveal the demographics that engage with these genres on YouTube. Rap's alignment with urban and contemporary culture is evident through its association with current social media trends, while rock and jazz seem to draw on a blend of both contemporary and traditional notions, appealing to a potentially varied audience.
Improvements for future research could include a broader range of search terms, fewer cities for each genre, and more short descriptions for a more accurate search. Additionally, I believe using more sophisticated data analysis tools could provide deeper insights into the cultural significance of these music genres. I found myself being limited to certain fonts and shapes during the creation process. Upon analyzing the maps and data, I also believe that conducting the research over different time periods or at regular intervals could reveal how the discussion around each genre evolves. It would require more visualizations however would allow for the identification of trends and shifts in cultural significance or popularity over time. Cross-platform analysis could also be a valid improvement, from apps like Spotify and Apple Music, to analyze the music of upcoming artists in different contexts.
One thing that stood out that I found interesting from the rap word cloud was the prevalence of modern digital communication terms that are used among younger generations. From the research, I was expecting more words that came from historical subgenres like boom-bap or trap. However, it was cool to see the impact of the younger generation on music in a digital context, highlighting the different paces of development in terms of cultural evolution among music genres. Moreover, while I anticipated a stark contrast in terminology between the genres, the presence of cross-genre terminology among the word clouds suggested a more interconnected musical landscape than initially thought. The similarities ultimately signify the evolving landscape of musical fusion, with genres blending in ways that may not align with historical perspectives.