Today’s rap music has changed dramatically since the sass’s. Rap music has become the most popular type of music in the U. S. Rap music can give people entertainment and can also tell a story in someone’s life.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, rap music is defined as, “a style of music associated with urban street gangs and characterized by violent, tough talking, often misogynistic lyrics” (Miffing, 2000). Rap music was formed In the mid-1970 among the youth In South Bronx and rap artists like, “Africa Bambina, Cool Here, and Grandmaster Flash. Dot the enormous popularity of Run DIM: rap had crossed over on the music charts and radio stations all over the world” (Toms, 2006, Pl).
Rap music was about having fun, being able to express what youth were feeling and a way to keep youth out of trouble. There are many youth that find rap music an exceptional source of entertainment.
According to Meagerly, “the lyrics In rap music can leave one relaxed or with vibrant beats. However, rap music has changed dramatically In the past 30 years.
Some would say that rap music Is the common entertainment to blame for lenience in today’s youth, because of the contents in its lyrics; degrading videos to women; and the over exposed feuding between rap artists. “The glorification of living a thug life, and all it is encompassed, became the means by which all rap artists were judged. By the sass’s rap artists like, D] Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, Curtis Blow and Biz Marker were no longer accepted in the rap music” (Toms, 2006, Pl).
Those rap artists were considered as roll models, because those rap artists relayed positive messages to their listeners (Toms, 2006, Pl “The majority of today’s AP culture involves a lot of explicit material and negatives” (Meagerly). According to Meagerly, This new form of rap music glorifies big money, degrading of women, drugs, alcohol, and guns. Many rap artist lyrics are explicit and degrading to women, while rap artist might be expressing what they have seen or the everyday struggles in life. In regard, rap artists are sending out a negative message to youth.
Among the many youth and negative lyrics In rap music, rap artists remain an Influence on youth education. Many youth are starting to come up without a decent education, because out are dropping out of school to pursue a rap careers (Toms, 2006, up). Youth want to become rap artist, so they can live a thug lifestyle, in order to have the lavish women, expensive cars, and money. Communities, generation and legacies are suffering because of the negative visualization that producers and record companies are promoting to rap artist, along with BET and MAT broadcasting their videos (Toms, 2006, up).
With the exceptions, there are extremely a good number of children that value, the importance off good education. Multiple Grammar award winner, Lauren Hill of “The Fugues” was an “A” student during her high school inure. Roseanne Shanty, a rap artist from the ass’s, went on to become a doctor, and Reawaken, of the Www-Tang Clan, became a master chef! However, that stats on children who drop out, sell drugs or end up In prison, is grossly disproportionate to more rap artist like Lauren Hill, Roseanne Shanty, and Reawaken that are supporters of education.
If more rap artists would stress the importance off good education, fewer children would drop out of school, leaving them with the pressures of society. According to Toms, “the record company executives arena interested in educating children. They are interested in sales and profit,” (2006). Most importantly rap music, should be serve as an educational tool for youth in America. Cheerier stated that, “this is not the first time that rebellious music has been blamed for society’s ills. From Elvis to Columbine, the songs of music obsessed youth have often been clammed for anti-social behavior,” (2003). With the negativity of music, music have played a roll in two separate incidents that have involved youth acting out, because of the explicit lyrics they are hearing.
“The first incident was a 16 year old junior high school student in Moses Lake, who shot his algebra teacher, after itching a video of a rock band. The second incident involved two teenage Columbine students, that went on a shooting spree after listening to Marylyn Mason’s music, that left twelve teachers and students dead and twenty one others injured in the attack” (Meagerly).
The lyrics and video’s in rap music focus on sexism, money, and drugs. A concern many have is the way rap artist express themselves about women and the glorification they have in women. “What people should take into account is the fact that we now live in a visual era and kids are affected by visual images more than anything else” (Toms, 2006, up). In videos, rap artist parade half naked women around wearing barley anything, fabulous cars, and expensive Jewelry. However, many young female youth want to be like the women in the videos.
According to a study that was done by researcher Ralph J Decremented, PhD, of Emory University’s Rollins Schools of Public Health, On 522 black teens between the ages of 14 to 18 that are exposed to rap videos at least 14 hours a week were far more likely to practice destructive behaviors. Over the course of one year, the teens were three times more likely to hit a teacher, over 2. Times more likely to get arrested, twice as likely have multiple sexual partners, and 1. 5 times to contact a sexually transmitted disease, use drugs, or drink alcohol (Cheerier, 2003).
Susan Buttress who was not involved in Decremented study, states that her committee, Pap’s on public education, “is currently updating its 2001 policy statement that found 75% of music videos involved sexual imagery, and more than half involved violence, usually against women” (Cheerier, 2003). With the overwhelming movement of rap music there are many youth looking up to rap artist as Role models. Youth are even starting to have the gangster look, like baggy pants, backward hats, chains and Jewelry.
It appears anyone can make plenty of money in the rap industry, as so often projected, they are going to take a shot at it. Moreover, if their attempts to get a record deal never materialize, they may decide to take it to the next level by becoming a drug dealer or by getting into the drug game in order to live the lavish life style that is so often projected in music videos. What they do not realize is that today’s rap stars might be tomorrow’s welfare recipient or prison inmate.
It has happened to numerous rap artist artists, who were highly regarded at one time (Toms, 2005, up).However, there might be some children that are inspiring to be like rap artist, then there are children that want to be like them, to have the expensive cars and money, the main streams today in rap music. Competition between rap artist and record companies have been feuding for many years. Competition between rival recording companies is natural, but when it came to the premier rap labels, Death Row Labels and Bad Boy Entertainment was one of the biggest rivals in rap music.
The rivalry went from nasty to vicious to deadly in a short time.Despite many denials and explanations issued by both companies, the antagonism between the labels was least partly fueled by their larger than life founders, Segue Knight of Death Row Labels and Puff Combs of Bad Boy Entertainment (Bruno, 2005). Two of the best rappers in the industry, Outpace Shaker of Death Row Labels and Christopher Wallace, as known as Notorious Big, of Bad Boy Entertainment were friends despite their recording label rival.
“In 1990 rap music popularity grew; by then the violent acts had started to turn real. Tales of beatings and public humiliations surfaced. Rap artist, Outpace Shaker ND Notorious Big started to slander one another. Eventually the feud escalated from a battle of words to a bloody war” (Bruno, 2005).
Outpace Shaker was shot on several occasions, but on September 7, 1996, Outpace Shaker was leaving the Mike Tyson-Bourbons Seldom prize fight and was fatally shot and killed. Six months after the death of Outpace Shaker, Christopher Wallace was shot and killed (Bruno, 2006).There are many people who think of rap artist as thugs, gang bangers, drug dealers, or Just committing violent crimes. “Since rap is more listen to and performed by African Americans there is this connection that individuals make.
Many might believe that African Americans who listen to rap music are black gangsters and promiscuous” (Meagerly, 2005). There have been many deaths of rap artists that have revolved around the lyrics and feuds rap artist have against one another. Even though rap music has sparked violence and crime, there is a positive side to rap music.
Rap music has received plenty of criticism for often containing explicit lyrics, alcohol use, drugs, and sexism. Many people believe that rap music have been a negative influence on youth, due to the explicit lyrics, alcohol use, drugs, and sexism. However, there is a positive side to rap music. “Many believe that music is therapeutic and a great source of entertainment” (Meagerly, 2005). Not only does rap music have a positive, but other music like classical music, pop music, and gospel music is positive. According to Meagerly, “Classical music is indeed a source of therapy and entertainment. Its instrumental rhythm can leave one either relaxed with yielding notes or thrilled with vibrant beats.
Beethoven’s Fifth symphony has upbeat notes that entertain all those who appreciate this genus of music. Gospel music is also therapeutic to many. Many look to this type of music when they feel as if they hit rock bottom and need guidance. The uplifting, hopeful and positive words ease their fears and worries.Pop music and Reggae music are also types that are very entertaining. These types of music mostly have up beat rhythms that make people who listen to it want to dance. Dancing is a form of entertainment; therefore Pop and Reggae music is entertaining” (n.D. ).
Rap music have focused on social economics that had an impact on those who have lived and experience the hardship, violence or even crime in rap artists lives. Rap music should be about educating our out to make the right choices in life, so today’s youth will not have to face the hardships of life.In an article by Toms, he state that, “It would make a enormous industry in which rap music is about, the glamour and images of what rap artist have seen or even lived as a youth” (2006).
Rap artists should stress the level of education for youth, so children would stay in school and not drop out, if they want to pursue a music career. By hearing rap artists like 50 Cent and The Game, many children would be less likely to drop out of school, this will allow youth the opportunity to escape the hardships of life.
In conclusion, rap music is not as it once was.The simple pleasures of listening to rap music have changed to explicit lyrics, sexism, and violence. The negative lyric in rap music has had a destructive impact on today’s youth; while women are continuously being exploited in rap videos; and rap artist are failing to be a positive role model for today’s youth. With the glorification of living a thug life, has become the standards for which rap artists were Judged. Along with the feuding between rap artists and record companies, its one of the main streams in today’s in rap music.
