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The effect of rap music on youth
Negative impacts of rap music on youth
The effect of rap music on youth
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Is today “Gangster rap” and rappers corrupting society, introducing drugs and provoking violence? In the mid-1980s Gangster rap came to be depicting images of violence, guns, gangs, drugs, and sexism. By the 1990s rap music became a major part of the industry and topped the charts. As people began to want different things; different music was created and that contributed to the variety of music that we have today. This is one of the many things that makes America different but is severely under looked by everyone. The way it effects your emotion can either get the blood pumping with a quick adrenaline boost or can cause severe depression. It can be a positive or negative mental change, physical, and psychological change. Violent song lyrics increase negative emotions and thoughts that can lead to aggression, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 84, No. 5) [1]. Western Connecticut state university student Eliana Tropeano did a study examining the effects of watching violent rap videos. Tropeanos’ experiment found that videos containing violent lyrics, and degrading behaviors made the individual feel and conduct themselves in a more aggressive manner. The effects of how music provokes violence has been examined by many, this is due to the amount of people listening to music every day. Research has proven that exposure to such violence through the media heightens the youths chances of having similar aggressive thoughts and behaviors. In 1986 N.W.A released their first debut album introducing more explicit lyrics and violent destructive images in their videos such as “F—Tha Police”. This pushed other west coast rappers to begin u... ... middle of paper ... ...Journal of Undergraduate Psychological Research2006, Vol .http://library.wcsu.edu/dspace/bitstream/0/35/1/ ‘Molly’ Drug Glamorized by Stars, Spreading Fast Among Young People http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=4569665 Peter Anderson“BURSTEIN EMPHASIZES DANGER OF “MOLLY”http://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=burstein-emphasizes-danger-molly Aku, Timmhotep. “5 Drugs That Have Hip-Hop Breaking Bad.” Theroot.com. The Root, 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. . Amal Saleeby Malek “Violence is Language: Is rap Music Causing Violence in America.” http://www.ndu.edu.lb/academics/faculty_research/fh/amal~malek/amalek.pdf Rebecca Janoff “Drug use increasingly glamorized in rap music, according to new study of 2-decade trends”http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/mba-dui033108.php
Is music powerful enough to incite antisocial and violent behavior? According Johnson, Jackson and Gatto’s study on the deleterious effects of exposure to rap music, subjects in the violent exposure conditions (rap music) expressed greater acceptance of violence. Subjects in the violent exposure condition also reported a higher probability that they would engage in violence (Johnson). Music plays an i...
This article is titled “Rap music is harmful to African American communities” and is written by E. Faye Williams. Williams is a chairwoman of the National Congress of Black Women (NCBW). The national congress of black women is a non-profit organization dedicated to the educational, political, economic, and cultural development of African American women and their families. Williams’s article “Rap music is harmful to African American communities” makes her qualified and a credible source to be writing on this question: If rap music and other media is harming the African American community? In her article, she states her side of the argument of how rap music and media are indeed harming the African American community, using the context, and reasoning,
Hip-hop can demolish citizen. For instance violence in some songs cause the youth to starts fights and also kill citizens. On the other hand, gangs and street thugs are a few examples. However teenagers kills, steals, vandalize, and etc. Therefore, hip hop has produce an negative impact in the world today. It has promoted an unhealthy lifestyle. This is due to attitudes and behaviors of American Youth. In addition, it teaches African American youth to use profanity. Furthermore, american youth does not have no role model when listening to hip-hop.
Drugs have been influencing the ideas, culture, and music of America for ages. Illicit narcotics have left the Union in a state of immense debt. Anti-drug policies have been dumping billions upon billions of dollars in prevention, punishment, and rehabilitation. From the roaring twenties, to the prohibition, drugs have always been fought (Bailey). Most times, the drugs start off as medicines and end up being harmful (Morris). Perhaps, the most prominent and influential eras of drug use in America are the two decades of the 60’s and twenty years later, the 80’s. It may very well be that these two decades molded America into what it is now.
Music can be reflection of our life experience. Each genre of music invokes different emotions and reactions in it's listeners. Rap has become a very popular genre in today's society. Is today “Gangster rap” and rappers exploiting society, introducing drugs and instigating violence? In the mid-1980s Gangster rap came to be portray images of violence, guns, gangs, drugs, and sexism. By the 1990s rap music became a major part of the industry and topped the charts. As people begin to operate different things; different music was engendered and that contributed to the variety of music that we have today. This is one of the many things that makes America different but is astringently under looked by everyone. There are many types of different raps
...mages of Violence in Rap Music Lyrics: 1979-1997” Journal of Public Health Policy, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Dec., 2009), pp. 395-406
A race issue that occurs within the rap and hip-hop musical genre is the racial stereotypes associated with the musical form. According to Brandt, and Viki rap music and hip- hop music are known for fomenting crime violence, and the continuing formation of negative perceptions revolving around the African-American race (p.362). Many individuals believe that rap and hip-hop music and the culture that forms it is the particular reason for the degradation of the African-American community and the stereotypes that surround that specific ethnic group. An example is a two thousand and seven song produced by artist Nas entitled the N-word. The particular title of the song sparked major debates within not only the African-American community thus the Caucasian communities as well. Debates included topics such as the significance and worth of freedom of speech compared with the need to take a stand against messages that denigrate African-Americans. This specific label turned into an outrage and came to the point where conservative white individuals stood in front of the record label expressing their feelings. These individuals made a point that it is because artists like Nas that there is an increase in gang and street violence within communities. Rap and hip-hop music only depicts a simple-minded image of black men as sex crazed, criminals, or “gangsters”. As said above, community concerns have arisen over time over the use of the N-word, or the fact that many rappers vocalize about white superiority and privilege. Of course rap music did not develop these specific stereotypes, however these stereotypes are being used; and quite successfully in rap and hip-hop which spreads them and keeps the idea that people of color are lazy, all crimin...
Since the 1970s, our society has been negatively influenced by rap. If you were to stroll by the streets more than half the teenagers in sight are likely to be hearing this music. However, allowing teens with developing brains is extremely dangerous. This is because rap can affect a child’s cognitive development. Not only does rap contain derogatory terms and explicit content, it also exposes kids to things like dropping out of school, incarceration, homophobia and prostitution. It can be very offending to women, as well. After all, it materializes women. Our next generation is being affected by this; do we really want our country to become even more violent?
These articles depict the controversies of the hip hop industry and how that makes it difficult for one to succeed. Many of these complications and disputes may be invisible to the population, but these articles take the time to reveal them.
This is because during the 90’s, rappers such as Tupac Shakur helped ignite rap music into a mainstream genre. This, however, did not come without some controversy. In Carl S. Taylor’s article about hip-hop and youth culture he spoke about the initial outrage of Americans when songs such as “I get around” became popular. This song, and others like it, were scrutinized because they contained vulgar language and promoted immoral behavior. However, at the time of the article Taylor had no definitive evidence of the music actually impacting people’s behavior. Almost exactly 15 years after Carl Taylor’s article was published, a writer by the name of Gretchen Cundiff wrote a scholarly journal entitled, “The influence of rap/hip-hop music: Analysis on audience perceptions of misogynistic lyrics and the issue of domestic violence.” During her research, she analyzed the lyrics of 20 rap/hip-hop songs included in Billboard’s year-end “Hot 100” singles list ranging from 2000-2010. Of the 20 songs, 40 percent were coded for the use of some sort of physical violence in their lyrics, and another 15 percent were coded for referencing rape/sexual assault. This proves not only that the lyrics in hip-hop songs are vulgar, but also that people are still enjoying it anyways. These facts, however, do not provide proof that the music is actually affecting culture. Just because someone listens
Rap has been around since 1973, when Kool DJ Herc introduced this new mash of jazz, soul, gospel, and reggae. This culture has been focused around African Americans, and since has served as a voice for the underrepresented, that is spreading violence, alcohol, and drugs. In this genre the most popular and successful boast about who has murdered more foes as breezily as other artists sing about love. Rap music tells stories of drugs, violence, and alcohol. The youth of America is constantly exposed to this kind of music, and our teenagers are being desensitized to the effects of these stories.
Have you ever wondered what was making that horrible racket coming from a teen’s car. The odds are that it would be some type of rap song, yet the beat was too loud for you to hear the lyrics. Based off what the mass knows about rap music, you were lucky to not hear the lyrics right, wrong. Rap lyrics have many senses of great poetry and life lessons that should be heard. At least some of rap songs relate to struggles, deaths they have suffered, or even respect of women that many do not believe that rappers would ever do. Rap music is becoming increasingly meaningful for not only adults but for older youth as well to comprehend about respect and an improved understanding of life with struggles and oppressions.
McWhorter, John. “Rap Music Harms the Black Community.”Popular Culture. Ed. John Woodward. Farmington Hills, MI: Thompson Gale, 2005. 53-59.
Watkins, Boyce. "Dr. Boyce: Does Hip Hop Influence Young People? Just Ask Adolph Hitler or Any Good Psychologist." Kulture Kritic. KultureKritic.com, 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 04 May 2014
Music, a popular outlet amongst the teen community for exploring emotions and blowing off steam. Times have changed, and the way music and lyrics are perceived has developed in a violent fashion. According to new studies, that have occurred, violent music lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and feelings. I chose this topic because music is such an influential part of our lives that it often dictates the mood we seize to exist in. If violent thoughts occur, what can come of it?