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The argument concerning whether music can be authentic or inauthentic has been debated for many years. In Ralph Ellison's essay "The Charlie Christian Story," he argues that there is true music and imitative music. In his essay he states that, "true jazz is an art of individual assertion within and against the group." Although Ellison talks about jazz, I believe that the word jazz can be replaced with the word music to make the statement more general and explain authenticity in different genres of music.
For example in rap music there are various examples of authenticity and imitation. The artist Tupac Shakur and the artist Christopher Wallace, also known as the Notorious B.I.G or Biggy Smalls, are examples of rappers who deliver authentic music. Tupac revolutionized the rap industry by discussing deeper, more influential, topics than what many rappers today talk about. One of his most famous songs Changes, which came out in 1998, after he died, talks mainly about racism and......

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Approximate Word Count: 754
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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