For the fans! | Tihei Harawira | TEDxManukau
The speaker delivers an energetic freestyle, asserting that life's struggle is the defining force, not wealth, and that overcoming adversity is key to success. He credits Jasmine for the opportunity to freestyle at Public Toy and dedicates his music to the youth struggling in their communities. The central argument is that resilience derived from personal struggle outweighs superficial success.
## Speakers & Context
- Unnamed artist/rapper.
- Performed a freestyle at an event (implied location: Public Toy).
- Acknowledges receiving support from fans, comparable to actors or athletes.
## Theses & Positions
- Life's essence is defined by *The Struggle*, which is more fundamental than material wealth.
- Success is determined by *how you live it* and *what you make of it*, rather than what is acquired.
- The music aims to connect with and empower the youth who feel misunderstood, particularly when outside their home environment.
- The reality faced by the youth is a global phenomenon, not one that can be dismissed as mere pity.
- The path to overcoming hardship is confronting fears and adversity until a point of fundamental change.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **The Struggle:** Defined as the core reality of life, suggesting it is a universal and unavoidable experience.
- **The Game:** Defined as the way one lives life; the concept is *relatable*, not something fake.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Freestyling/Rhyming:** The primary performance mechanism used to convey the message and maintain audience engagement.
- **Building Hyp Tone:** The act of developing or escalating energy and mood to build momentum during the performance.
- **Consequence of Failure:** When common sense is lacking, the result is committing robbery, breaking the law, or other negative actions.
## Timeline & Sequence
- Mention of the speaker's history of rapping: **over nearly 20** years, for **23 years**.
- A specific time reference for a future aspiration: **one to 100**.
## Named Entities
- **Jasmine** — Individual whose idea facilitated the freestyle opportunity at Public Toy.
- **D Diller** — Beat maker who passed away 10 years prior to the performance, from lung cancer.
## Numbers & Data
- Years rapping: **over nearly 20** years, and for **23 years**.
- Potential scope of impact: **1 to 100**.
## Examples & Cases
- **Origin of Materialism Critique:** The speaker stated that staying poor and broke is preferable to being rich because *"where I come from man could if he know the flip side."*
- **Musical Influence:** Mentions D Diller, who continued making beats even on his deathbed.
- **Youth Observation:** Describes the youth who "don't really understand" or who are "misguided," noting that when they are outside the home, they are suffering.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **DJ Yo** — Individual addressed by the speaker during the opening.
- **Microphone** — Instrument used for the performance.
## References Cited
- None specified.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Poverty vs. Wealth:** Choosing poverty/being broke because it offers a truer understanding of life's realities compared to a "rich life."
- **Ignoring the Struggle vs. Confronting it:** The alternative to enduring the struggle is falling into criminal behavior ("commit the robbery, go to jail, break the law").
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The audience/critics often fail to appreciate the actual struggles of the youth.
- People sometimes think the struggle is *"containable"* when it is, in fact, *attainable* for everyone.
## Methodology
- Using personal narrative and high-energy rhythmic speech (freestyle) to convey philosophy.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The central takeaway is that survival and overcoming adversity ("I surviv by my PS") are what determine one's destiny.
- The ultimate call to action is to maintain resilience and spirit to achieve something significant (implied breakthrough/success).
## Implications & Consequences
- Resilience is a survival mechanism necessary for achieving success ("if you know the trueu stat and if you know the meaning looking into my eyes man I'm telling you the reason why I made it out because I surviv by my PS").
- The environment outside the home is where the true test of character takes place.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"It's what you make of it and how you kick it"*
- *"I don't care I'm not a racist man so don't judge a book by cover"*
- *"The name of the game is just how you live it it's not what you get out of life it's what you make of it"*
- *"I'mma struggle up that's how spit on the microphone"*
- *"I can't ORD a rich life cuz where I come from man could if he know the flip side"*
- *"The struggle ain't a Pity unless she know the TR"*
- *"if you ain't United but the struggle"*
- *"I've been in the same position as the condition just to St out"*
- *"I'm telling you the reason why I made it out because I surviv by my PS"*