Dance with the Devil
The text I chose was the song “Dance With the Devil” by Immortal Technique. In the song, Immortal Technique tells the semi-fictional tale of a young man and his self-destructive path. The listener follows “Billy Jacobs” along his gradual descent into corruption; from small time drug deals to rape and murder. In all, the story basically shows the twisted and corrupted paths that one could follow in an attempt to achieve the most sacred of all American ideals: The American Dream. In the second line of the song, the American Dream is identified as being the focus of Billys desires just like it is the focus of all Americans. However, just as reality shows, the American Dream is hopelessly out of reach for most Americans due to their social status, ethnicity, or location of birth.
In verse one, Immortal Technique identifies Billy as a poor black kid living in the ghetto. This combination obviously makes it virtually impossible for him to achieve the American Dream by normal or legal means. He then, like many Americans, turns to illicit activities to make quick cash and ultimately become rich. The songs somewhat dark tone makes it obvious that Immortal Technique is trying to convey a sad truth about our society: we have become overwhelmingly obsessed with chasing the American Dream to the point where we disregard the means by which we achieve it. Moreover, we have lost sight of moral integrity, and what truly is important in life.
In the last line of the hook, Immortal Technique says: “Theres no diversity because were all burning in the melting pot,” and then finishes with “White, brown, yellow, and black, color is not restricted,” as the final parting message. Here, the artist explains to the listener that you dont have to be in the same environment that Billy Jacobs was in to have the same devilish corruption. This message is incredibly relevant to the corruption we see in our current