Brandon Burgess, Adam Beason, Jesse Hodges, Jack Byrne

The Relevant Background Information is a great piece to add. I do not watch the show Sherlock
enough to understand much about it. It gives us great information to get us started and have a
little bit of knowledge to understand what is going on.
I love how you deeply described your artifacts and their relevance to the show. It is very
important to describe in depth about artifacts because most of them have a deeper or hidden
meaning that you do not see by just simply watching it in the show. It is very persistent of you to
do that on every description not only with artifacts but the other defined words.

The timing of the observations is awkward. It goes from 3 minutes to 5 minutes to 11. Consider
having it go in a specific order such as every 3 minutes or maybe every 5.
The relevant background information does not compare the new current Sherlock to the older
book series. As a dummy to this show I feel that I should know that this version of sherlock was
not the original. There are many differences between the BBC series and the book series.
I saw your use of PTSD and i am aware of what it means. Although I know what it means and
stands for i feel as if you could explain to the readers what it is. For example in parenthesis put
what it stands for.

Assignment one discourse Observation

Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 1

Observation one
Tuesday September 15, 2015
VH1 And Ya Dont Stop, 30 Years of Hip Hop pt.1
Note: This particular observation took place over the first 30 minutes of an hour long episode. In
order to provide a truly detailed account without overkill, I have chosen to only focus my observation
notes on this section of time; however, examples of the key vocabulary were gleaned from the episode
as a whole not restricted within the time period allotted. The specific timing of events listed here is
based on when they occur in the original episode instead of a fictional time of day (example: 3:27
stands for a span of event that begin at 3 minutes and 27 seconds into the observed action).
Relevant Background Information: It is the 1980s and many kids in the streets of New York city were
looking for an outlet to express their inner feelings. The Party scene was very much live and all people
needed was a new sound to groove to, thus, hip hop was born.
Figured World: A figured world is a large Social structure with rules and conventions for appropriate
behavior.
In the world of music, there are many different conventions that need to be followed so everything can
flow cohesively. Many beefs and hatred of one rapper towards another can really hurt the culture and the
Music. One of the biggest beefs in hip hop history entailed two artist from different sides of the united
states and these two rappers single handedly made one coast of the united states hate the other. I intend to
watch the documentary the message because it points out the significant moments in hip hop history. It
tries to explain how hip hop came to what we know it as today and why it transformed so drastically. Why
are so many young people trying to pursuit this industry now a day. People arent doing it because of
passion, but rather its a trending fashion. Many artists from the 80s and 90s joined this world because of
their love for music rather than people now doing it for ulterior motives. Concerts have changed from
people knowing and paying attention to the artist to kids just trying to hook up with one another. The
trend of acting like dope boys and thugs is a recent trend because rappers want to earn street cred as
well as love from their fans. The communities of practice that can be associated with hip hop are: the
wannabe dope dealers, the third eye/beast coast movement, the trill guys, and the females who are trying
to get the most attention as possible through ultimate feminism or extreme displays of masculinity.
Actors: a person that fills a specific role or function within a community. Actors can be viewed as
archetypal characters that serve a specific role in the community of practice.

Assignment one discourse Observation

Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 2

Grandmaster Flash: One of the original DJs in the hip hop culture. He designed the whole DJ set up with
the turntables and the mixing. Grandmaster Flash used to take local parks by storm with his unique new
sound.
Kurtis Blow: One of the first real MC rappers in hip hop history, Kurtis Blow had many hits which lead
him to be the first MC to ever be signed by a record label. Kurtis was one of the first rappers to ever take
a tour around the United States. Blow paved the way for many rappers to sign to record labels and reveal
their talents to the world.
Russell Simmons: Co founder of the infamous rap record label Def Jam, Russell Simmons is known to
be one of the greatest managers of all time. His younger brother Joseph Simmons had formed an up and
coming rap group called Run DMC. With the little money he had, Russell invested everything in his
brothers group and helped them rise to the top in not only the rap industry, but also the pop and rock and
roll industries respectively. Russell became an instant hit gathering more talent in the process. Russell
Simmons grew to be one of the biggest rap moguls in hip hop history
Artifacts: Physical objects, emotions, or ideas with cultural significance within a specific community.
Turntables: Without the turntables, none of this will be possible. Its known as the DJs best friend
because it allows them to create the sound of hip hop. Taking old records and creating the breaks in them
is what got people to fall in love with the sound. DJs used the turntables as pilot equipment to later get
use of different things such as sound boards and the electric keyboard.
Microphone: the microphone is a huge deal for the MC. It allows them to express their voices loud and
clear to the audience and get the party or event as live as possible. This is very significant because the
microphone is a tool given to just the MC and occasionally the DJ. This allows both parties to express
their creativity and imagination to a large mass of people allow them to expand the culture.
Boom box: A boom box is a large stereo system that allows people to listen to cassette tapes. As DJs and
MCs grew, more people who couldnt attend these events wanted to listen to what they had to say, thus
the Boom box was created. Many DJs and MCs would record their most popular songs and have them
sold in local music stores so people around the city could purchase them. This also helped expand hip hop
as a culture because now it wasnt limited to just one place. Kids would walk down the street with a huge
Boom box on their shoulders or in their hand.
Walkman: A Walkman was the first form of personal music listening. Before IPods and MP3s, Walkman
were individual cassette players that allowed you to listen to music without anyone else hearing. With hip
hop now containing explicit content was frowned upon and looked at as criminal to play publically on a
Boom box, Walkman created a happy medium that people can listen to their music publically without
anyone else hearing it.
Assignment one discourse Observation

Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 3

Anger: an emotion artifact that can be presented is the anger in which hip hop artist rapped with. With
social issues going on in New York City and around the world, groups like public enemy and N.W.A used
rap as a tool to let America know that there are issues with the stuff that goes on in our country. Racial
violence as well as poverty were explained to Americans across the nation letting them know that
everywhere isnt a party. People are actually struggling and we have the power to raise awareness.
Social Change: Socially, African Americans felt they were far less superior as a race in America. Many
Hip Hop artist wanted to change that by making music that reflected the success of African Americans.
Specifically, Public Enemy, a group who prided on social change in the late 1980s spoke about problems
that others were afraid to express. They took their opinions and used hip hop to generate this picture and
exploit truths that many white Americans didnt want to be recognized.
Communities of practice: The community are all of the people that share the same domain. The
community can consist of people who do or do not know one another and the community doesnt have
to be limited to a certain region. Members of the community build of one anothers ideas and research
to form opinions and further their quest in really trying to understand their domain.
DJ: The DJ is the one that creates the music. They create the breaks in the music which we know as the
beat. The DJ is the early form of a producer, who, in all actuality is the most important segment in the
process of making hip hop music.
MC: The MC or Master od Ceremony is the one who is actually attaining to the audience. The MC or
what we know them as today rappers, are the ones who rhyme words together to make an actual song.
At first, the MC was the back up to the DJ. Now People praise the MC more and dont give DJs or
producers the credit that they are due.
Managers: Managers are the ones who do all of the event bookings. They create gigs for the DJ and the
MC to make appearances at clubs and parties. They also schedule tours and get them deals for
endorsements if they blow up and become big.
Observation one: And Ya Dont Stop 30 Years Of Hip Hop Part 1
2:10mins- Two minutes into the video, Fab Five Freddy, one of the rap legend commentators, expresses
that power was such a symbol of uniqueness. When DJs had local parties and gathering in the parks they
needed power to enable use of their equipment. The concept of taking the power from the city made it a
scenario which it was the hoodlums in the park against the world. Hip Hop began from a lower class of
people who wanted to find a sense of pride that they can contribute a significant thing to this world.

Assignment one discourse Observation

Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 4

6:24mins- The next couple of minutes expressed the uniqueness of the DJ and how each Project in the
South Bronx had their own DJ and took pride in that DJ. The DJ of the project gained so much power in

the community because all of the fellow community members had faith and backed that DJ.
Grandwizzard Theodore expressed that if the community wasnt behind him, he probably wouldnt have
had the motivation to continue and be a pioneer in the hip hop culture.
11:00mins- They begin to speak about the Sugarhill gang and the controversy of their first rap record
rappers delight. The controversy is that Grandmaster Caz and the cold crush brothers actually wrote that
song for the Sugarhill gang. After the Sugarhill gang got a record deal with Sugarhill records and
recorded the song, it became an instant hit not only in the United states but around the world. The cold
crush brothers never received the credit that was due to them for writing that whole song. This would
prove to be a detrimental point in hip hop because it was the first real beef and dark side of the industry.
21:23mins- Run DMC came out with a purpose. Their purpose was to integrate rap with rock and roll. At
this point in rap history, hip hop was known as an African American form of music and many Caucasian
people really werent digging it. Run DMCs mission was to change that. Although they were rapping,
they utilized the guitar and the drums in ways that the rock and roll groups did it. After they were first put
on MTV in 1984, Run DMC finally got the exposer to white people that they wanted. This crossover
finally gave hip hop exposer to the other side of America and it helped elevate the genre of music as a
whole.
28:09- In the summer of 1989, film director Spike Lee wrote and directed a movie called Do The Right
Thing This movie sole purpose was to wake black America of the continuous racial violence that was
still present in America. Spike Lee turned to radical rap group Public Enemy to Create a record that can
be the official song to the movie. Public Enemy took that task by storm creating arguably the greatest hip
hop song of all time, Fight the Power. This song paved the way for hip hop being an outlet for political,
radical and social change.
Observation 2: And Ya Dont Stop 30 Years Of Hip Hop Part 2
2:07- Hip Hop Started to expand to the west coast in the late 1980s. Their interpretation on the west coast
was a more real life intake of rap. Gangs and illegal activity started to be more prevalent in the lyrics of
rappers and more images of street violence was put on screen in music videos. Many people in America
were not ready for this transition from having a great time rap to reality rap that depicted gangs and
violence.
4:33- Ice-T was one of the first if not the first rapper from the west coast to display his lifestyle on a
national level. Ice-T was a gangster and a pimp who just started to write down his daily experiences on
paper and create songs out of them. Ice-T was still doing this activity while rapping which made it real. In
his music video for his hot song colors, Ice-T brought women, cars, drugs and guns onto the set of his
shoot and the director allowed him to put all of these props in the video because it was real stuff. It really
depicted a day in the life of Ice-T
Assignment one discourse Observation
Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 5
8:55- N.W.A was a group from Compton, CA who took gangster rap and combined it with the Public
Enemy gist of getting people to realize the racial violence that was still around in American culture.
N.W.A wrote songs that insulted police and law enforcement informing them that they are not as powerful

as they think. Their music was loud and it woke people up on the east coast of what was going down on
the west coast. After the unlawful beating of Rodney King, N.W.A capitalized on the terrible time by
making records that blatantly targeted LAPD officers and Police officers around America. N.W.A was
feared by many and celebrated by many. They got their reputation of being the worlds most dangerous
group.
16:41- In the mid 1990s, west coast record label Death Row records had 3 solid artist featuring Snoop
Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac Shakur. The east coast was waiting for someone to break out and secure
their spot back on top of the hip hop game granted New York City was the mecca of rap culture. The east
got what they needed in an artist known as The Notorious B.I.G AKA Biggie Smalls who rose to
stardom thanks to the help of Sean Puffy Combs and Uptown records. Sean Combs would eventually
break off from Uptown records and took his star rapper with him forming Bad Boy records. An
established Tupac Shakur met Biggie Smalls in New York City and became a mentor figure to Biggie,
showing him the ropes and the ugly side of the business world. A shooting in New York City which left
Tupac wounded broke off the friendship between the two artist because Tupac did not trust Biggie
anymore. This Feuded an east coast vs west coast battle when in actuality it was just a misunderstanding
between two hip hop artist. Both of these artist would fall victim to murder because of this silly beef that
the street took seriously. It is sad to think we lost two of the best ever to touch a microphone because of
silly violence and Those two are truly missed in the hip hop community. The hip hop community was
halted after these two incidents and Gangsta rap was starting to fade away.
Observation 3: What is Beef? Hip Hop Documentary
10:32- N.W.A was an elite radical hip hop group out of Compton, California. Eric Easy-E Wright was
the first artist out of N.W.A to put out a record. Jerry Heller signed Easy-E to a record deal with Ruthless
records but didnt offer the rest of N.W.A a record deal the exact same time as he did Easy-E. It was a tour
in 1990 that sent N.W.A member Ice Cube over the edge because he felt that Easy-E was collecting all of
the funds and the rest of the N.W.A members were collecting pocket change for their equally as hard
work. After the tour, Ice Cube deciding to break off from Ruthless records and get paid what he felt he
was owed form the tour. N.W.A hated Ice Cube fro leaving the group, calling him a Benedict Arnold for
betraying them. N.W.A came out with tracks that dissed Cube and a beef was created. Ice Cube responded
with a single called No Vaseline that squashed the whole beef and starts the dismantle of N.W.A.
14:23- After the death of the Notorious B.I.G in 1997, there was no real hip hop music being produced in
New York City to the capacity as it was in years past. Jay Z was the front runner to take the throne as king
of New York while he was working on his album Hard Knock Life Vol. 2. Nasir Jones, a rapper known
as Nas from Queens, New York was an outstanding lyricist and felt he did not receive much love for his
album illmatic that had released in 1995 when Biggie was still alive. People thought that Nas was good,
but Biggie and Jay Z were great. This created
Assignment one discourse Observation
Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 6
a beef between Nas and Jay Z because of the vacant throne and because of Nass hard feelings of Jay Zs
stardom. Their beef would last four years with many songs made to dis one another. Ether by Nas and
Super Ugly by Jay Z would be their most famous dis records.

19:09- In the fall of 2005, The Game, a rapper out of Los Angeles, California, was discovered by G-Unit
founder and CEO Curtis 50 Cent Jackson. 50 Cent was mentoring The Game and was even allowing
him to tour with G- Unit in the summer of the following year. The Game started recording his first album
entitled The Documentary, Which had quite a few 50 Cent and G-Unit features. The Game then
betrayed G-Unit and 50 Cent because he felt that 50 had lied to him about his stardom and G-Unit
contract. This rap beef was short and sweet because, unlike 50 Cent, The Game didnt understand the
business side of rap and none of the contracts stated that The Game was guaranteed a spot in G-Unit and
the luxury of collecting G-Unit funds. A couple dis records were made but ultimately the beef was one
sided leaning toward 50 Cent and G-Units way.

Interview with Vic Bank$

Q: Tell me about the first time you heard the sound of hip hop/rap music?

A: I remember listening to hip hop in my dads car on the way to school and liking the beats and hooks of
the songs. The first album I think I heard was the blackout tape by Redman and Method Man. These two
guys would scream on the songs and it was a little scary at first because of their voices but then as I got
older I just realized it was their passion for the genre that was the reasoning for their screaming

Q: What was the first hip hop song that you feel in love with?

A: G-Unit Stunt 101 was my favorite song in 2nd grade. After that song I pretty much loved anything that
G-Unit put out as a group. I really loved their flow and their style in music videos. They were my first
inspiration to rap when I got older.

Q: When did you know that you wanted to take rapping seriously?

A: My senior year is when I finally realized I can go far with rap. Ive been writing lyrics since my
sophomore year of high school and people started telling me that my lyrics were good and meaningful. I
took advantage of that and started recording heavily my senior year of high school.

Q: As an artist, who do get your inspiration from? Discuss how that drives you to produce records?

A: I get my inspiration from past experiences in life. Ive gone through a lot in my 18 years on earth and I
use that to drive me in recording my music. I have aspirations and
Assignment one discourse Observation
Jesse Hodges, 2015, p. 7

goals in life that I want to accomplish and I want to talk about it through my music. I listen to records
produced by other rappers and I use that to create my own style of music using a little of their flow and
how they rapped in years pass.

Q: Do you have a specific purpose of rapping?

A: My purpose is to express my thoughts and feelings on todays society and the social issues that go on
in America and the world. I feel that I can speak out my opinion and speak for all of the people who are
shy to speak up about their own opinions.

Q: Explain how do you feel about the rap game changing so much in years past?

A: At first, rappers took rap seriously and used it as a tool to express themselves. As years progressed,
rappers started using hip hop to flaunt themselves and as a gateway to quick stardom. As for me, I like rap
because Ive got passion and Im not worried that its the trending fashion. I feel like rappers now a day
like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Kanye West and Joey Bada$$ actually have musical genius and care about
the art of hip hop but others who I want to remain nameless just do it because they can get rich quick.

Q: Do you have a self comparison to any rapper in the game now or in the past?

A: I dont have a self comparison but people tell me sometimes that I have flow like Nas because he was
very persistent in his flow and as a lyricist he put a lot of thought into his raps and I do the same thing.
Nas is one of my favorite rappers of all time and I listen to his music to get inspiration for my songs all of
the time.

Q: Reflect on if you feel that you get as much out of rap as you put in?

A: With the phase that I am at now, no I dont feel like I get as much out as I put in but if I continue to
perfect my craft then I feel like the outcome will pay off. I hope to takeoff in the next few years with this
and hopefully I get a break and someone listens to my music and sees something special in it. I love the
fact that I can do it for fun now and not have any worries but Im really hoping that someone listens hard
enough to see my raw talents.

Jack Byrne
Ashlyn Walden
UWRT 1104
September 29 2015
Assignment 1
250 Word Summary:
I will be observing my fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon as my figured world. The purpose of
this group is to build better men during their college careers and beyond. Many things can be
done with this as far as the purpose. In my early years that I am about to undertake I will get
friendly with the brothers and build bonds that will last a lifetime. Multiple activities can take

place with this figured world, Many times I will be at a business like event, other times it will be
philanthropy, studying, partying, etc. So there are many different ways I can look at this
fraternity. There are appropriate and inappropriate behaviors within the fraternity. I am
responsible to go to chapter every sunday night, do certain rituals, and hold myself accountable
to do well in school. Disregarding any of those or violating any of the national IFC rules would
be regarded as inappropriate. Loud volume is often accepted unless you are in a place where
such a thing would be inappropriate. Communication can be found in many ways, through
facebook, school advertisements of greek life, texting, connections, phone calls, etc. The
communities of practice within Fraternities are mainly about brotherhood and respecting one
another, it is important to me that I find a lot of friendships in my fraternity brothers and that I
enjoy my time as a SigEp.
Definitions/Examples that fit the category:
Literacy Practices: What happens constantly is each member communicating with one another,
be it on the facebook page or by text, thus resulting in reading and writing. This can make large
or small contributions, but without these practices the SigEp organization would not be. Being
able to communicate is imperative to any organization.
Artifacts: Important Artifacts consist of Symbols, because they show where a brother stands in
the fraternity. Computers, because they are used at every meeting to display or take notes.
Clothes, many fraternity men have to wear nice clothes to certain events because they are in
SigEp. Gavel, Used at every chapter by the president.
The Domain: The Commitment of SigEP is to form Balanced men with Sound Minds and Sound
Bodies. Every brother is valuable to someone who is new, they are an opportunity to learn more
about the organization and make close friendships. We learn how to perform different rituals and
what it means to be a brother of SigEp.
The Community/The Communities: Members in SigEp learn from each other on a daily basis,
it is what instills the lifelong bond that every brother shares with his friends. Through SigEp
people build relationships with businesses, other organizations and many more people, these are
very helpful in finding jobs after college. These relationships that we have make sharing
information with the entire fraternity go very easily through chapter and committee meetings.
The Practices of the Community: Having the off-Campus house is a great resource because it
allows the brothers to go somewhere where they can mingle with each other and watch sports
while getting away from their stressful academic life. The UNCC SigEp alumni own this and
rent it out to the current brothers, any brother can create a space for brothers to meet with them,
which is why having this community is very important to every member. The SigEp house is
experienced based because new members can not live in it.
Actors: Each member of the fraternity has their own role, stemming from the leaders of the
Eboard, Brother Mentors, and Committee members. There are 62 members in the fraternity and
every single one has something to contribute.
Figured World: Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity is a figured world because it is recognized as a
group and has its own purpose.

Interview Qs: Daniel Fellenzer

Q: How does a SigEp define Brotherhood?
A: A SigEp defines brotherhood by being the best you can be in having a sound body, sound
mind, and living by our motto of virtue, diligence, and brotherly love.
Q: Give an Example of what a SigEp does to contribute to society.
A: SigEp contributes thousands of dollars a year to various charitable organizations such as our
national philanthropy, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and the American Cancer Society in honor of
our brother Jack Bretz.
Q: Tell me what stands out to you about a SigEp versus other Fraternities?
A: They want you to be a student first, Fraternity man second.
Q: Tell me what you like about being a SigEp?
A: The bonds with the brothers that will last forever.
Q:What is acceptable behavior within a Fraternity?
A: 5. Just being yourself.

Observations:
1. (Chapter)
Sunday September 20th,
0:00: Chapter Begins at 7pm every sunday. Ryan Bennett, the President of the UNCC SigEp
Chapter opens chapter with Evan Moore, the VP of programming. Ryan asks all the members to
stand and bow their heads and we say a prayer.
5:00: The first order of business at chapter is going over the E-Boards reports, The E-board
Consists of Ryan Bennett (President), Colin Abercrombie (VP of Finance), Evan Moore (VP of
Programming), Alex Hafner (VP of Recruitment), Alex Rasch (VP of Communications), Zach
Chartraw (VP of Member Development), and Hobie Helbich (Chaplain). Each member of the Eboard goes through what they have done recently and what they plan on doing soon. Evan
discusses his plans on doing mixers and other events. Alex discusses a volunteer work activity
and asks for volunteers, Colin lets people know whether events can be done based on the money
flow, and Alex discusses other fraternities that want us to participate in their events. each
member of the E-board has a committee giving every member of the fraternity a chance to do
something and so there are no slackers in the fraternity.
20:00: The next phase of chapter is called New and Old Business, first Members discuss New
Business. During this time members discuss the planning of our Semi-Formal and we all vote on
the Date for it. Then we discuss a Monday Night Football event with a sorority that we decided
to do. Then we discuss to see if there is anything else we need to take care of, when we find that
there is nothing more we move on to old Business. This is when we talk about things that were
accomplished and brothers who were in charge of the events thanks the brothers that helped out.

last saturday, the 12th, Was our first home football game, Ethan Turners (Brother) Parents
volunteered to cook for the tailgate and they had a lot of great for thanks to the fraternity raising
$345 for supplies for the tailgate.

50:00: Closing, Ryan asks for everyones attention and van goes back up to the podium with him
and they read an excerpt. they then have all the brothers stand and bow their heads for a closing
prayer. after that we circle up and Sing our fraternity song. That ends Chapter, however many
people stay after to meet the committees and discuss what they can do in the coming week to
prepare for next meeting.

2. (Volunteership event)
Saturday September 26th.
0:00: Several members of SigEp are volunteering to help clean up after the Fight to End
Alzheimers Walk which was held at southpark mall in Charlotte. David Gonzalez (Brother)
drove me and 3 other Members to the location so that we could help out. The walk ended at
12pm, which is when we showed up to clean up. The Director met us and we talked for a little bit
then we got started.
5:00: The 7 of us were instructed to carry water bottles over to a tent and pick up all the leftover
garbage on the fields. We did this for an hour and it went by relatively fast because we had a lot
of hands. Afterward we needed to load up a budget truck with many supplies such as t shirts and
pinwheels. The people who were in charge were very grateful that we came to help out.
1:00:00: The next step we had to do was follow the budget truck to a storage facility where we
unloaded it and put everything in the storage complex. I talked to an older brother about the
importance of volunteer work within the fraternity and I was told it is is very important because
it allows us to show Nationals (The headquarters of SigEp) that we work hard and are not just
partying frat boys. After this the person in charge of the Alzheimers walk credited our
fraternities with 40 hours of Community Service (20 guys, 2 Hrs each) and was very
appreciative of our help.

3. (Sigma Meeting)
Sunday September 27th
0:00: Sigma Meetings are every Sunday at 5:30 (Tentative until we vote on a new time). These
are meetings that are Run by two Older brothers, Alex Hafner and Ethan Parham. All new
Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon go to Sigma Meetings. this is to develop an understanding of the
fraternity. Being that SigEp does not pledge, all of us are already brothers, we are just in the

Sigma stage of our brotherhood, which is basically the lowest on the totem pole. There are 15
guys in the Sigma Class, 9 of which are freshman.
5:00: Alex and Ethan take attendance, It is required that the sigmas can not miss a sigma class.
We then discuss a few things about the fraternity, Alex and Ethan have a powerpoint presentation
for us to take notes off of. Every Sigma must pass a Sigma test after 5 weeks to move on to Phi.
to prepare for this test we need to know the origination of the fraternity and other things such as
the greek alphabet and all the fraternities and sororities on our campus.
20:00: Alex and Ethan give us a fairly easy quiz on the E-Board and Standards Board, The
Standards board is made up of 5 men in the fraternity and these men have particular roles during
our rituals. Ethan Parham is the Guide, Michael Tran is the Guard, Nick Fucini is the Senior
Marshall, and Ryan Fertakos is the Junior Marshall. These brothers take part in the rituals by
doing particular jobs.
30:00: After the quiz we discuss new topics for our Sigma Class, each Sigma class has to do a
project that will benefit the fraternity as a whole, this year it appears we will be building a fire pit
in the backyard of the fraternity house. Afterward we are informed about our Brother Mentors,
each member of the Sigma class is given a mentor in the fraternity that they can talk to and
connect with, My brother mentor is Mattias Tillman, he gave me a book that is referred to as the
LROB this book is to learn more about brotherhood within the fraternity. The brother mentor is
not a Big, Bigs are chosen at the end of Sigma.
45:00: Alex and Ethan have us stand and circle up and we learn how to do the toast and then we
sing the fraternity song. after which we close the meeting and prepare for chapter which is right
after the Sigma meeting.

Adam Beason
9/29/15
UWRIT 1104

Background info for season 3 episode 12: Walter White and his drug addict sidekick made a deal
with a drug lord (Gustavo Fring) because they were having trouble selling their product the
infamous blue meth. So they make a business deal with these new people and as soon as they
start doing business with these thugs they immediately realize they made the wrong decision.
The man they work for uses gangsters as distributors and these specific distributors are the worst
of the worst. The gang members are brutal and mean to anyone and everyone whether they have
a reason to be or not. In the episodes leading up to this one they had a friend get brutally
murdered by an 11 year old boy on a bicycle. In the episode before this Jesse obtained the
information of which crew was responsible. This gang uses kids to do the dirty work because
they dont care for anyone but themselves. They claim to use kids because they are easily
manipulated and worth nothing.

Actors: Actors are people/characters amongst a figured world that bring the figured world
together through their interests and purposes.

Walter White: Walter White is a phenominal chemistry teacher at a small rural high
school. He is a struggling father who works hard to provide for his family and is barely bringing
enough in to make it by. He has always struggled and never had enough money to have him and
his family live comfortably. He soons gets cancer and realizes he is terminal. Knowing he doesnt
have long to live he puts his chemistry skills to the test so he can make methamphetamine. He
doesnt want to make this product but he sees it to be the fastest and easiest way to make money
before he leaves his family behind.

Jesse Pinkman: Jesse was a kid that always wanted to fit in and always wanted attention.
He turned to drugs, sex and more drugs throughout his life if he was presented with an issue.

Jesse was a high school drop out and school was where he met Walter. Walter had taught Jesse
before he dropped out of high school. Jesse is quite different in the sense that he only wants to
help Walter because he wants the money for himself. In the end the two team up to make the best
and purest meth ever made. Although the main reason Jesse cooks meth is because he is money
hungry he does show in many ways he does care for other people and he will protect the ones he
cares about.

Observation 1

Season 1 episode 1: 9 minutes into the first episode we see Walter White working a
second job washing cars. He does not make enough money to support his family so he is forced
to work another job. He is called to wash a car and while he is on his hands and knees washing
the car struggling he looked up and saw a student of his driving the car he was washing. The boy
looked down upon his teacher because this boy obviously had more money than his teacher and
it wasnt fair. This man is in his later years struggling to make ends meet for his family yet a
young boy already has it made. The scene cuts away and goes to the next one.

10 minutes and 40 seconds into the episode Walter walks into a cluster of people and
smiles covering their faces. Each one yelling out the word surprise. Its his birthday. Everybody is
socializing and then we meet the brother in law Hank. He is a DEA agent who is not above
gloating and talking about his profession at all. He shows everyone his sidearm and begins to
talk of his job a little. Hank makes a speach and at the end he says your heart is in the right
place. They toast and abrubtly the celebration comes to an end because Hank being the proud
agent he is wants everybody to watch the news. They change to Channel 3 and immediately you
see Hank. He is talking to a reporter about how he apprehended 3 individuals that were apart of a
meth lab. Walt tunes end. Images of the money are flashed on Channel 3. Millions and millions
were seized from the operation and you see Walter get closer to the tv. He is amazed by the
amount of cash sitting on the table. He tells Walt they got 700,000 dollars from this bust and with
every second Walt gets more and more amazed. its easy money Hank says describing the meth
distribution.

16 minutes and 20 seconds: Walter is back at the car wash doing hard labor once again
for a man of his age and he is struggling slightly. He stops and a cough comes over him. Its

getting worse and worse and then he passes out. The ambulance gets him and they take him to
the hospital. The whole way Walt tries to tell them that he is fine and he then tells them he doesnt
have the insurance for a trip to the hospital. The paramedics ask if he is a smoker ( which he is
not). They give him many tests and they tell him he has cancer. Lung cancer that is inoperable.
Best case with treatment he will live a couple more years.

19 minutes and 30 seconds:Walt walks in only to hear his wife having issues with paying
bills and struggling. Then she begins to ask about different purchases and it seems they are
having issues with financing. He neglects to tell her whats wrong because he fears they cant
afford treatment.

22 minutes and 40 seconds: Walts interested so he goes on a ride along with Hank just to
see what its all about. Hank and his partner go to bust the meth lab and Walter watches from the
car. To his amazement while he sees Hank busting in he sees a boy jumping out of the window.
The boy is familiar. Its an old drop out that Walter used to teach. Jesse Pinkman. He gets away
without anybody but Walter seeing. Jesse and Walter make eye contact and then he runs. Later
that night Walt goes to his house to talk to Jesse. His address was still in the filing system. He
makes some small talk about his production and his product. Jesse lost his partner in the bust and
Walter brings that to his attention. Walter knows the chemistry and Jesse knows the rest he asks
to partner up.

Observation 2

Season 3 episode 12: Ten minutes into this episode Jesse presents Walter with a bag of
their purest meth. Walter is shocked that Jesse would just pull a bag of meth out in public and
was wondering why he wasnt being cautious with it but he could see Jesse had a reason. Jesse
was mad and his anger was only getting stronger. Jesse begins to tell Walter how he got the meth.
The same crew that manipulated an 11 year old boy and made the boy shoot Combo their close
friend was selling and distributing their very own product. He had heard talk that the guys were
selling his product so Jesse went to see for himself so he bought some from the guys the day
before. Which meant that they were working with the murderers that they so deeply despised.
They had went long without knowing this because they worked under a man that provided them
with great services and they asked no questions as long as they got paid. Now that the two have

the information that they do things get a little hairy for the duo. Their boss ends up finding out all
about the tension that has gathered in the midst of business and he is extremely unpleased. He
orders Jesse and Pinkman to meet him at a construction yard way out of town to discuss the
issues. Both Jesse and Walter did not trust it but none the less all they did was discuss the issue
surprisingly. Then suddenly the gangsters arrive while they are discussing business. The boss
Gus Fring was not only wanting to discuss with Walter and Jesse but he wanted the thugs to
come to. Gus sat them both down and made them apologize and never snoop in either ones
business again. Not only that but they made a deal to never use kids in the operations again. So
things were on the up and up and it seemed that things were leveling out. Jesse still of course
wanted revenge but he was going to drop it because he feared for his life and for his partners.
Later that day Walter is watching the news with his family and sees where an 11 year old boy on
a bike is shot and killed. He turns the tv up and in the shot of the tv he sees a lifeless body. It was
the the boy that the gang members had been manipulating. To cut ties with the kids they used
they ended up killing the boy. Jesse found out and began to take actions into his own hands. Jesse
gets extremely high and emotional and begins to make one of the worst ideas he could possibly
think to do. He pulls up to the corner where the gang usually hangs out smokes some meth, cries
and pulls out a gun from under his seat. Jesse was sick of it all. He gets out of the car and goes to
the men. He points the gun at them to shoot them and before he can a familiar car runs right into
the two gang members. Its Walter. Walter runs over the two guys, Jesse gets in and they speed
off.

Background Info to observation 3: So throughout the series of Breaking Bad Many

people try to find out who cooks the blue meth. Day after day more dangers and more enemies
arise. Whether they want Walter and his cooking ability all to themselves or want to put a stop to
his cooking everybody wants him and his partner Jesse. Since they started they have blown up
drug lords run over gang members, let people overdosing drown in their own throw up and, done
even more obscure things to protect themselves and their family. No matter what the risks
Walter always shows that family comes first. Jesse as well. Thats why Jesse wanted out of it
all Jesse finally met a girl in a rehabilitation class that he really liked. As previously stated
things were never easy for these two and not only that but family was above it all for these guys.
People were always after them. Jesse was getting tired of it all and wanted out. Walter on the
other hand was not quite ready to stop his business just yet. So jesse went to the DEA and told
them about everything and in return he was granted full immunity. Walter was done and the cops
and gangsters and everyone else were closing in quick on him. In this observation you will notice

that the portion being observed is quite short but in saying that it has real true meaning behind
the piece that is being looked at. So what does a man do when he knows he is done for? Not only
are a lot of outside people finding out about the true Walter but along the way Skylar found out
the truth and started helping hide SOME of the money and so she was in danger just as much
with the DEA as everybody else.

Also know Walters brother in law is a DEA agent. Not only that but he is on to Walter and
Jesse in the episode before told all the information to Hank (the brother in law). So to pop this
case wide open all they needed was some hardcore evidence but this would be hard because
walter always covered his tracks. The only flaw was his money. Walter had so much that the
majority of the money he had had to be hidden. Jesse knew exactly where this money was being
his partner. Walter was on to him and hired goons to stop Jesse and so they all end up going to a
remote location where the money is and guns were brought A long gun fight took place and so
this is where the episode picks up.

Observation 3

Season 5 episode 14: 5 minutes and 30 seconds into this episode and the thugs that Walter
had hired were standing and waiting to see if they had any survivors. The smoke clears and they
walk toward the DEA vehicles and behind it the goons find a shot and injured Hank trying
desperately to get to a weapon. They obviously stop him before he can get to it. Walter tries to
stop them from putting a bullet through his brother in laws head and tries to reason with them
when they realize he is DEA. He gets them to listen and tells Hank to run and forget what he saw
and they agree they will never hurt him if he complies. Hank is enraged and pushes the buttons
of the men and he tells them to kill him. The men ask him one last time if he will take the deal
and Hank turns to them and says Go fuck yourselves. The leader points his gun and pulls the
trigger. Walter drops to his knees he never meant for anybody to die he had originally called the
squad of guys and thier guns off. All the vehicles involved in the gun fight are shot up and
undriveable so Walter takes the last bit of money he has and walks until he finds a man outside
standing by an old truck. Walter hands the man a mound of cash and he takes the car driving as
fast as he can back to his house. He knows that more DEA will be coming after him and he is
scared they may go for his family. He is a scared man that is horified for the future of his family
and their possible future if he is caught.

23 minutes and 30 seconds into the episode Hanks wife, Marie confronts Skylar her sister
at the car wash. (Hank told her the majority of whats going on and she suspects Skylar was apart
of it) Marie tells her they need to talk and Walter and Skylars son is standing there (he is
oblivious to the situation at hand) Skylar tries to blow off what she says and Marie gets a little
anxious and tells Skylar again in a more stern voice that they need to talk. They proceed to the
back office while her son Walter Jr. watches the car wash. At first Skylar tries to act oblivious to
the situation and in a sense plead the 5th. Marie had gotten a call from Hank before he died
saying that Walter was in custody. (Obviously this isnt true anymore and neither are aware of
what went on just earlier) She tells them how Jesse rated out Walter and how Walter is done for.
Skylar sits in shock and is completely silent. She has no idea what to say and she just sits and
takes in everything she is told. Marie begins to tell her to just come clean n everything so she
wont have it so bad (remember Marie just wants to help out her sister) She puts it to her very
stern and blunt that she needs to come clean and she is being so loud and talking so fast Skylar
can barely utter a word. She questions her love for her family and says many different strong
statements to follow. She asks Skylar to comply and Skylar in tears and shame nods to come
clean. Marie then brings her still oblivious son in so she can tell Walter Jr of the activities that
have been going on with his family. They bring him in and at first he can not believe his ears. His
dad a drug dealer. He tells them they are insane not only for what happened but for keeping it a
secret from him. His mom a sidekick to the whole thing. Skylar and Walt Jr. go and pick up
Holly White Walter infant child from daycare and drive back home with Walt Jr. still crying with
a mixture of anger and sadness for what his family did. He looks at his mother and says you are
just as bad as him.

30 minutes and 40 seconds into the show the camera cuts to distraught Walter White
running through his home gathering and packing clothes and essentials. Clearly he does not have
any intentions of returning ever again. Not only is he seen packing his stuff but also his families
things. He runs through the house like a mad man hurrying as fast as he can because he knows
just how little of a window he has before cops are on him and his family. He gathers the luggage
quickly into the hallway and the camera cuts away. Its his family they are turning onto his road.
They see the old beat up truck he purchased from that random man sitting in the driveway.
Skylar swings the car into the driveway blocking the unknown car in. Walter walks outside as
they park and throws the luggage in the back. His son tries to question him and Walter assures

his family not to worry just pack and make it quick. Skylar knows something is up because he
was supposedly in custody earlier this day. So where is Hank she thinks? He gets the family
inside to try and finish the packing he has already done and Skylar enters with the most caution
she has ever had. Walter Jr. keeps asking questions and Walter tells him to shut up and pack the
essentials. Skylar looks at him with the deepest concern looks him deep into his eyes and asks
where Hank is. She knows Hank would not just let Walter get away. Walter is stunned and tries
to work out an answer but it wont come out. All he can say is We are fine. She asks again. No
answer. Tears flood her eyes and she asks one last time. Walter goes to her and tells about all the
money he has for the family and says they can make a fresh start and basically blows off her
question. More tears come to her face and she realizes it. Hank is dead. She automatically
assumes he killed Hank and Walter can only utter out. i tried to save hime. The family is
stunned. Tears spread like a virus through the home and onto every face in the house. Walter
begins to pack again because he believes they dont know the danger that is about to come to the
family. Skylar slips out of sight into the kitchen and grabs the biggest knife she can. She coaxes
him to leave but yet stubborn Walt cant simply take no for an answer he reaches for them to
come with him and Skylar sliices his hand. The two then have a horrible altercation over the
possession of the knife and Walt Jr. calls the cops on his dad. Walter gets away leaving Walter Jr.
and Skylar crying. While they are in shock with tears covering their face Walter takes baby Holly
puts her in the truck slams it in reverse hitting Skylars car and drives off. Skylar runs and tries to
stop him but she is no match for a vehicle. He gets away with Holly.

38 minutes and 43 seconds: Walter is changing his daughters diaper in a random gas
station bathroom. As he is picking her up she speaks her first words. Momma Momma It was
then Walt realized what he had to do. He messed up when he took Holly. He knows he cant split
up his family anymore than he already has. You can see in his eyes he just wants whats best for
the family. He holds her tightly because he knows this is the end. He knows what to do now.

39 Minutes and 42 Seconds. The camera cuts to a hoard of cops and DEA agents issueing
out an amber alert for Holly in the White household. Cops looking for clues and waiting to see if
Walt will come back with her. Then it happens. The phone rings. The whole family and squad of
police officers turn to look at the phone in sure disbelief. Skylar picks up the phone. She puts it
on speaker and Walt begins. He goes on a rant acting like the bad guy and seems to take a
complete shift in character. He goes on and talks about how Skylar tried to stop him from making

meth and cleared his wifes name. He lied and twisted it all up to save her from the police so the
family wouldnt have to see their mom go to prison. He says I built this by myself. He throws
his ownself under the bus and destroys his whole relationship with everyone with that one phone
call to save them. He takes Holly to a nearby fire department and leaves and thats the last time he
ever sees anyone in his family again.

Practices of the Community: Practices of a community is when people have a common/similar

interests amongst a group. The group is organized to complete a shared goal of a topic everyone
is truly invested in. Everybody pitches in and everyone helps each other so they can succeed in
what they love.

Production of Methamphetamine: The main community inside the world of Breaking Bad
is the production of Meth. Everybody is deeply invested within the community. From the makers
of the drug (Walter, and Jesse) to the distributors and drug lords of the region. In this world
almost everyone you meet in this show has devoted a portion of time to turning Albuquerque
New Mexico into the Methamphetamine capital.

Helping Family: The whole reason Walter White started cooking Meth was for family. He
found out he was terminal and wanted to leave his family enough money so they could finally
live comfortably. He was involved in the crime ring all for them he risked his life all for them.
Not only that but Jesse also after a while began to share the same goal to protect family. Not his
literal family but his close friends, Walter, Walters family as well. They both show in many
situations that they would do absolutely anything for family. Even if it means breaking the law.

Summary: Throughout this intense series something crazy is always happening. To start off a
Chemistry teacher goes from teaching kids basic periodic table knowledge to becoming the most
well known Meth cook ever known. Everyone has their opinions of why he did the things he did
and everyone has their own specific views. In these 3 short episodes and these 3 short
observations the central mechanic behind it all is sacrifice. Not a random sacrifice but sacrifice
for family and loved ones. Throughout the seasons of Breaking Bad Walter White has proved
that he cares deeply for the ones around him. In the beginning we see Walter as a struggling
school teacher that is trying his absolute best to provide as much as he can for his family. He
works two jobs and from what we can tell its both physically and mentally demanding especially

for someone of his age. He, like many people was not gifted with money. He was simply a dad
trying to do his very best. In the first episode we see how he envys the young adolescent that has
it all. He is seen in the first episode on his knees scrubbing his tires struggling while the boy and
all of his money just looks down upon Walter. Its not Walters fault that he doesnt have money but
at the same time he wishes he had some so he could do more for his family. He truly cares for
them and thats exactly why I chose to observe these specific episodes. In the first episode as
previously stated his family somewhat struggles and they dont have a whole lot to their name. He
then finds out later in episode 1 about his terminal lung cancer. He already stated he doesnt have
insurance to cover a hospital visit and their is no way in hell it could cover something as
expensive as cancer treatments. So instead of being a burden on his family we see Walter show
his true colors and he shows just how far he will go to help his family. Family is everything to
him so he decides to use his Chemistry skills to help his family out financially. So he starts
cooking as we see in the first observation. In the second observation we see Walter in a conflict
with some gang members and he realizes the moment they kill the young boy that these people
are not to be trusted and he knew they were a threat to him and his family. So what does
someone do when they feel they are in danger? They fight back. He cares so deeply for his
family he risks his life to put these goons down. In the final observation the last example is more
subtle. Walter realizes near the end of the episode he has torn his family apart in trying to protect
them. He knows the best course of action is to take all the blame for the Meth lab and clear his
wifes name in hope that at least the rest of his family can live a normal life. He knew agents were
listening to the phone call so he cleared his wifes name and sacrificed his ownself to protect her.
In reality Walters heart was always in the right place. Maybe his actions were arguablly extreme
in some cases but when a man cares as much as Walter does there is NOTHING he wouldnt do to
insure the best for his family. Sometimes when you care so much you would go to any lengths to
protect and help the ones you love. In conclusion i would have to say within this figured world
when family is threatened there are no rules and no guidelines to follow. To these characters
helping family is the only rule.

Brandon Burgess
Figured World: A figured world is a formation that varies in size, but is made up
of a certain set of rules that describe what behavior is appropriate or normal to be
seen in that world.
Summary:
The figured world I am observing is Big Seans music career from the beginning of his
fame until now. The figured world that I chose is a type of business. He creates music
for his fans and gets paid from it when they buy CDs, or download it from online music
stores such as iTunes. The various activities that take place are studio sessions where
all of the recording takes place, concerts where fans come out to listen to him perform
his music live, and world tours that also take place so that fans across the globe get the
same chance to see him as we do in the U.S. It is appropriate for Big Sean to take
photographs with his fans after concerts. It is also appropriate for him to give out
autographs for his fans that ask for one. You should expect to see him on stage
performing in front of large crowds and maybe even getting a little nervous before a
big show. Some forms of communication that we can expect to see from him are
verbal, interviews, and over the phone. He may text, tweet or update a status on
Facebook. He uploads pictures on his Instagram account mainly of his life, but
occasionally includes a picture of him and a fan. He also communicates with a few
select people through his music. His famous song I Dont F*** With You is directed

towards an ex of his. A loud volume is not considered a distraction and is to be

expected in this career. It would be inappropriate for him to deny a fan a picture or an
autograph if they were to ask for one. The community of practice in this figured world
would be his team and family that support him fully. They all work together to support
him and help him become bigger to reach greater heights of fame. His fans would not
be a community of practice. Even though they are all interested in his music, they do
not learn from each other or teach anything new about his music or his life.
Domain: A domain is the subject that a group of people are all interested in. They commit
to that interest which in turn means they commit to that domain. Someone on the outside
could be interested in the subject but that doesnt automatically mean that they are
committed to the domain. Even though someone is interested in the same thing, if they do
not take to the time and effort to work together with people of the same interest and learn
from them and possibly teach them something new they cannot be a part of the community.
Seans family, friends, and producers share the same domain because they all want him to be
bigger and better than what he is. They work hard along with him to get his music just right,
promote it, and make sure that it sells. They are not doing it for themselves but actually for Sean
because they share the same interest of him becoming Finally Famous. One of Seans fans would
not be considered to share that domain. They are interested in his music and talent for their
entertainment purposes only. His fans do not work with him to produce his music or critique his
lyrics. If they do critique his lyrics it is highly unlikely he will ever see/hear the comments that
are being made.

Communities of Practice: The community is the area that the group not only works
together; but also learn from each other. If the people in the group arent teaching and
learning from each other then it is not considered a community. Employees at my job learn
something new each day. There is always someone who doesnt know how to do something
and someone that does will show them. There is both teaching and learning going on, and
we all share a common goal or interest; so my workplace is considered a community.
Seans community of practice are his recording studios and the stages that he performs on. His
life is all about music. While in the studio songs are recorded and played over and over again
until they are perfect. He may have 14 different versions of the same song and is getting
feedback on all of them from the other people in the community because they all share the same
common goal of making good music.

Practices of the Community: The practice is the activity that everyone in the group does
together. They teach one another and learn from each other, even if they are not together
every day. It is what really brings everyone together to feel like they are a part of something
bigger than just themselves; a community.
The practice that everyone does together is listening to Seans music and telling him what sounds
good, bad and what also could be better. They may suggest lyrics to use or punch lines for a
certain song but at the same time understand that he is the artist so if he does not agree then that
is perfectly fine. Still, everyone contributes to the music that he makes in one way or another so
this activity of giving feedback and making suggestions brings everyone together in the
community.

Artifacts: Artifacts are certain items that have a special meaning within a figured world
and the community. It can also be feelings or ideas that have specific meaning within the
community.
Seans studios: Sean starts out with a home studio while in high school but by the time he is
famous he has moved up to a professional quality studio and has professionals producing his
music for him.
Seans dry erase board: this board is significant because for each album it tells the order of the
songs that will be on the album. When making an album or a project you want to tell a story with
each song, but also you want the songs in order to tell a story of their own. This is very important
so that the order is not messed up and is perfect.
Actors: Actors in a community have a specific purpose or meaning that contributes to the
overall goal. Actors can vary in age, size and gender but no matter the variances they get
their job to help out the community which shares the same goals.
Seans Mother: She is a very influential woman to Sean because before he was famous she still
always supported him and the decisions he made. When he decided to drop out of school to
follow his dreams of being an artist she stood behind him. She knew that not every day would
you get a call from Kanye West telling you that youre going to be the next big thing.
Seans Father: His father was not always around for his mother but he was always around for
Sean. Whenever he needed help with something or advice on a subject, he was there to help. His
father gave him advice on his music, money and women. He told him not to make the same
mistakes that he made with Seans mother. He would put up money along with Seans mother to
fly him and his friend out to Chicago every week to record in a recording studio they were
introduced to by Kanye West.

The Observation:
Before Fame: Big Sean is seen freestyling at his high school with a group of friends. They hold
different rap battles each day after class lets out. He and his friends have a music group that they
put together called S.O.S. Every Friday they would go down to the radio station in Detroit,
Michigan and perform on air for their city. One Friday, one of the DJs mentioned to him that
Kanye West was right down the hall. He also suggested that Sean go say whats up to him.
When Sean saw Kanye he asked if he could freestyle for him. Kanye replied that he was in a rush
but Big Sean pleaded with him and finally Kanye said alright, you got 16 meaning 16 bars or
lines to rap. Big Sean rapped about 100 bars, which is the equivalent to a 2 to 3 minute song. He
was only allowed to keep going after the first 16 because Kanye and his entourage that he was
with liked Seans lyrics so much they decided to not stop him. Sean thanks Kanye after he tells
him how good his lyrics were. Kanye and his manager share a brief look with each other
indicating that they both thought the lyrics were good. Knowing that they could not leave such a
talented person empty-handed, they both invited Sean and his friend to Kanyes listening party
later that night. They told him it was at a secret location but he could come out and have a good
time. Sean was super excited as he thanked them while they left the recording studio. A few
moments later he realizes that he never got the actual address of the party. He runs around the
radio station asking everyone if anyone knew where the party was going to be held. All replied
its a secret location; how would we know? As Sean walks to his car to go home he is stopped
by a man he does not recognize. The man asks him arent you the dude that just rapped for
Kanye? Sean replied yes. The man asks him if he is going to the listening party but Sean tells
him that he does not have the address of the party. The man pulls a piece of paper out of his
pocket which has the address on it and gives it to Sean. Sean considers this man his guardian

angel. At the listening party Kanye introduces Big Sean to everyone that came out and lets them
all know that Sean had the courage to rap for him today. He tells them that even though he is one
of the toughest critics in the game, Sean can really rap. Sean feels excited to have all eyes on him
and to be cheered for. For the time, Sean and his friend enjoy the party. Later that night, Kanye
sits them down and tells them that they are not really looking for any new artist at the moment.
He does, however, want to hook them up with a few producers that he knows and says will help
them out more in the game. Sean still takes this as a blessing and thanks Kanye for it. He and his
friend return home after the party and discuss the nights events. A few days later Big Sean
received a phone call from a private number. When he answered he was surprised to find out that
Kanye West was on the other line. Kanye told him that they were ready to do something serious
with him and wanted to sign him and get a deal going. Sean talked about it with his mother and
she told him not every day do you have someone like Kanye West call you personally to tell you
that you are going to be the next big thing. After that conversation with his mother, Sean did not
go to school the next day. He gave up on the scholarships for college that he was trying to attain.
Finally he was introduced to the team that is known as G.O.O.D. Music. In October, Big Sean
was signed to G.O.O.D. Music. He knew from then on, he was Finally Famous.

Hall of Fame: Sean is starting his new album Hall of Fame but is having some trouble. He
knows that he wants to take it entirely to another plateau, or another level. He currently has 269
days until the projected release date for the album. He states a lot of ideas start as mumbles
literally mumbles. Sean is freestyling in his studio with his producer and getting feedback while
working on the new songs for his album. He is recording over and over again to get everything
perfect. He is now at a point where he has 310 days until the release date. It has been pushed
back because he is a perfectionist. He has his close friends, girlfriend, and producers in the studio

to get their feedback. He believes that he needs some time outside of his studio and decides to go
to his home studio for a bit so he can relax at home. He has 298 days left to finish the album.
Sean finds out that his mom has breast cancer and is going through a lot at home and decides to
make a song talking about it for his album. The song is to tell her that everything will be alright.
His mom is crying and describing how it started in her breast and spread to her spine and might
make her blind. It is as if her entire world is ablaze. In his studio, Sean has a huge dry erase
board with giant letters at the top that read **DO NOT ERASE**. This board contains his
track list, which is the order that the songs will go in on the album. He taps on the board as he
thinks about the order they will be in. 396 days until HoF (Hall of Fame). J. Cole and Big Sean
are in the studio talking about one of Seans songs that J. Cole had cried over. Sean adds some
lights to his studio to get himself into a better mood when recording so that he can be more
focused. Seans producer tells him that Common is next door, so Sean decides to invite him over
to get feedback from him since he looks up to Common. Sean is getting frustrated and decides to
give himself a break. He takes a trip to Paris to clear his mind and see things as he says will
allow you to be more creative. Another break is soon taken so that he can do interviews and
photoshoots for magazine covers. Sean is seen play fighting his dad after one of his concerts. His
father has been a big inspiration in his life and has offered him many tips on the subjects of
money, friends, and women. The album now has 446 days until its release date. Sean remembers
a small necklace he had as a little kid and how much it meant to him. He ends up making a song
called First Chain so that people can relate to something special that they had before. Sean
realizes towards the end of the album that there are not many people from Detroit that have a
platform to be heard. He feels that he has a responsibility to deliver information that needs
attention. With all the help that Sean gets from his friends, family, and producer, the album

finally drops and its a hit. He calls the album Hall of Fame because he wants to be remembered
and set in stone. Hall of Fame is not just a place, but also a state of mind.

Paradise: Sean walks into a building where a few workers are building his new studio. This is
signifying that he is moving up in his career; moving to a bigger and better studio to produce his
music. He thinks that this is going to be the perfect room to work in. Sean has new producers and
is in his studio freestyling to begin his new album Dark Sky Paradise. He is doing more
mumbling than actually producing words and does not really know what to rap about. Sean is
once again seen putting together the track list for the order of the new songs on his new album.
Jhene Aiko is a big influence for Sean and she tells him that some of his lyrics in a song are lame
and convinces him to make them better, which he does for her. Sean starts to write an extended
version for his song Paradise. He is in the studio just yelling off ideas with friends. Finally it
all comes together for the extended version of the song and everyone loves it. DJ Khaled is
speaking to Sean about the quality of his music and says that he likes them all. Sean then plays a
song for his mother to hear and she says that it is phenomenal. The song is One Man Can
Change the World and it is about his father and his life when he was younger. Seans father has
not always been in his mothers life but has always remained a part of Seans life. Sean is happy
with the album after all of the recording he went through and is thankful for the support of his
friends.

The Interview:
1. Describe how you became interested in producing music?

It all started when I was five, and I took piano lessons. Ive been in love with music ever since.
When I hit the 3rd grade I tried out for chorus. I was the youngest boy in there to make it after
tryouts. All of my friends made fun of me but I did not care. The following year I joined the
band. It was an extensive work load juggling the band and the chorus; but I made it work. When
I switched schools in the middle of the 7th grade. In the middle of the 7th grade I continued with
my musical escapades. By the time I got to high school I was writing lyrics in my composition
notebook. By Junior year I was freestyling on the bus with all of my associates and I met a nice
young fellow whose name was Brandon Burgess. When I met up with him it has been music ever
since. Staying up all night, making instrumentals, and the continuation of writing lyrics in my
composition notebook. By the end of my senior year I had a legitimate home studio. From high
school until now I have grown as a musical entrepreneur.

2. Tell me what stands out to you about Big Sean that doesn't with other artists.

Big Sean has his own style and lingo that he portrays with his music artistry. His image is like no
one others. Boii, Do it, Finally Famous and Lil B**** are a few examples of his lingo.
His favorite clothing styles are 10 Deep, Billionaire Boys Club, and Bape.

3. Tell me what you like about the story of Big Sean becoming Finally Famous!

The ambition! It teaches people that if you work hard enough you can make any of your wildest
dreams and fantasies come true. It tells you that no matter how many times people try to put you
down you always stand tall, trust in what you believe in, and have faith in your abilities. So dont
let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do. Unless its your mom!

4. How has Big Sean impacted your look on your own music?

In comparison, an opinion based assumption, Big Sean would be considered a better artist than
me; and not because of his strong lyricism but because he is Finally Famous! But, he has helped
me grow into a better artist by listening to strong metaphors and punch lines and onomatopoeias.

5.

Give me one song of Big Sean's that is important to you and why?

Once Bitten, Twice Shy because the lyrics really speak to me. If you listen to the song he says
I know we made mistakes before and I can relate to that, and I know a lot of other people can
relate to that as well. Because I mean, come one, we all make mistakes. We all go through the
best of times and the worst of times, and there is no turning back. So we just have to face reality
and let those mistakes teach you instead of break you; because in this world we rarely get second
chances. But we cant let those mistakes lay dormant in our minds and manifest. Let bygones be
bygones, and live and let go.