A collection of blog posts written for Writing for the Web, a course in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing Program. These writings are formatted and published to Spine Online, Algonquin College’s website for the Professional Writing Program. Please find the link to the full blog posts after each photo.

Bob Marley: Reggae’s Political Poster Child

Reggae is a unique genre of music. It is 60 years young and hails specifically from Jamaica. Within its up-tempo rhythms and signature four-beat pace live lyrics that “give voice to the oppressed.”  Reggae music has always had a political undertone; it is baked into the genre by design. So naturally their biggest star, Bob Marley, is reggae’s political poster child.

Read the rest here.

Why R&B Needs Kehlani

Rhythm and blues, also known as R&B, is a rich genre of music that has its roots dating back to the 1940s. Since then, it has undergone many facelifts. The current sound of R&B borrows a lot from hip-hop, while its pioneers are mostly soul music. From Marvin Gaye to Brandy to Frank Ocean, R&B has seen its fair share of superstars. But when we talk about modern R&B, there is someone who’s left out of the conversation—it’s time to end that.

Read the rest here.

Is Rap Music…Not Music? Here’s Why It Is

Rap music is complex, unique and gets your head bopping. However, some believe rap is the lowest form of music. Ben Shapiro, an enthusiast of extreme right-wing ideologies, even qualified rap as not music at all. What a shame. We lose a rich genre when we classify rap as non-music. It is sonically unique and studded with complex literary devices. It doesn’t deserve slander nor the branding.

Read the rest here.