In the Neo-Classical approach, there are three persuasive factors or proofs that can be revealed in any text, which are ethos, pathos, and logos. According to the article “Nixon’s Address” by Hill, “To persuade is not the function of rhetoric but to investigate the persuasive factors inherent in the particular case…” (p.160, note 4). These three intertwined persuasive factors; logical, psychological, and characterological can be defined as :
Ethos : appeal to character.
Pathos : appeal to emotion.
Logos : appeal to reason.
ETHOS (trust in the speakers character): Ethos can also be defined as “the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations” (dictionary.com).
In the song “Hussle and Motivate” by Nipsey Hussle, listeners put trust in the character of the speaker and his authenticity of the content which he is rapping. Ethos looks for good sense and knowledge, good morals, and good will with the audiences best interest in mind. This can sometimes be hard to find in some of Nipsey Hussle’s songs because his content has a lot to do with gang life and gang culture, and how he has come up in the music industry. In the song “Hussle and Motivate” he says :
“I just respected the game, now my name all in the news
Trippin’ on all of my moves, quote me on this, got a lot more to prove”
He respected the rap game and came up in the industry as a honest man, from selling mix tapes in the back of his car to signing with major record labels and eventually becoming a GRAMMY award winner. The community truly manifested in his beliefs and aspirations by supporting his music, store, and work as an activist. Numerous murals were made of Nipsey Hussle in a positive light highlighting his good sense, good will and good morals and values.
PATHOS (emotion about the subject under discussion): Pathos is usually amongst the easiest of the three proofs because it appeals to readers or listeners emotions.
Pathos is seen as one of the easiest persuasive factors or proofs to identify because it has to do with emotions, and us as listeners are full of emotion especially when listening to songs. The lyrics that stuck out to me in this song were :
“Take you in back of the buildings, make you expose your rage
Take you across the tracks, make you explode a face
Now you official now, but you got a soul to save“
The first line identifies Nipsey Hussle’s affiliation with the Rollin 60’s Crip gang. To be a gang member you ultimately have to be “jumped in” to prove your loyalty, courage and character. The second and third line explain another initiation ritual which is to kill someone “make you explode a face” and having to live and deal with that, trying to save your own soul with an action that will be in your consciousness forever. The gang life is a chosen one and most do not sympathize with that, but it does evoke emotion whether it be anger, sadness, or frustration that gang culture is such a big problem in cities like Los Angles.
LOGOS (appeal to reason): Logos can be harder to find in songs since they do not always state facts, data, or charts, but it does contain logical proofs. There is much research around the different societal classes and their successes in life. The history we are taught in school is emphasized on success being seen as a white male, while “African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons across the country at more than five times the rate of whites, and at least ten times the rate in five states” (Nellis, Ashley). This statement is seen in Nipsey Hussle’s verse :
“Judge a young ni**a by they address”
This suggests the harsh reality that where you live is a representation of who you are and can easily be judged by where you live. Nipsey is proud to say he is from Slauson and Crenshaw in Los Angeles, but to the justice system he is another statistic of a gang banging, black man who was destined to be locked up and eventually killed. Unfortunately, this is the reality of Nipsey’s life, though he was able to conquer great things by being an activist and giving back to the community, and winning prestigious awards, the gang life caught up to him.
Long live Nipsey Hussle
The Marathon continues…
3/31/2019
Works Cited
Greenstone, M., Looney, A., Patashnik, J., & Yu, M. (2016, November 18). Thirteen Economic Facts about Social Mobility and the Role of Education. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/thirteen-economic-facts-about-social-mobility-and-the-role-of-education/
Nellis, A. (2016, June 14). The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons. Retrieved from https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/
Christina's Blog 
Great post Christina! I feel like you really engaged with Aristotle’s three artistic proofs. Ethos, pathos, and logos are subjective and can be found in all forms of rhetoric (depending how the individuals sees and depicts the text). You supported your claim with evidence from the artist songs and speeches. One suggestion would be quoting the text when it comes to the artistic proofs definitions and what they do. Overall, great post it was a great read!
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