Why Jay-Z's music still mattered on 9/11. RIHLA #1

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Eventhough the terroist attacks occured on 9/11 Jay-Z's album "The Blueprint" still was purchased and sold 420,000 copies in the first week. Music experts say that the kind of people that most likely bought Jay-Z's album was a group of young buyers who weren't struck by the terror of 9/11 terriorist attacks. Many hip-hop listeners use that type of music as a sountrack of their life. Eventhough "The Blueprint" hit the stores on 9.11.2001, I'm sure people will break out the album in rememberance of 9/11 and how great the album was.

1. What is the author's arguement on why the album sold so well during the week of 9/11?
-The author's argument on why the album was sold so well during the week of 9/11 is because he thinks that music sales were bought by a young group of hip-hop listeners and that teens and early 20s Jay-Z fans were already hyped about the album because they knew beforehand that it was going to be released that day. The other main idea is that the author stated that eventhough there was a tragedy taking place, people were still able to function and get their daily activites done, which is a symbol of the nation's ability to stick together during the darkest times in national history.

2. Do you agree with what the author says about young people and tragedies? Why or why not?
-I agree with the author, but I also disagree. I understand that many young adults may be blinded about the reality of what was happening to the twin towers and carrying on with their plan of the day, but I also think that a lot of young adults knew what was happening during the attacks. Many of them could've been just as worried as their parents or the public, and some of them could've had relatives working in the twin towers, or firemen and police officers that were at the scene and helping worrying about their safety. I don't think the author should've generalized that about young adults because not all of them were blinded about the tragedy.

3. Do you think it is important for those young people from 9/11 (who are now only a bit older than yourselves) to start reflecting critically on the EFFECTS that 9/11 has on today's world? Why or why not?
-I do think that young people from 9/11 should reflect critically on the effects of the attacks because it's reality. There is a war that is taking place currently because of the terrorist attacks. Also, since the young people from 9/11 are a bit older now than they were then, I think they will comprehend and understand the purpose and results of 9/11 and how serious it still is. Eventhough its been about 10 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, young people should still be informed about how serious the attacks were, what is going on now in the world and understand the consequences the United States can still endure in future because of them.

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