Academic Master

English

How Rap Music can Affect Society Today

For many years Rap music has been associated with both good and bad influence on the society. A lot of controversies have existed on the manner in which the music has been affecting the lives of the listeners. Rap music has been influencing the listeners to do a lot of bad things compared to the good things that they can learn from the music. Though it enables the youths to take about the things that affect them, it also has a lot of negatives effects to society, especially the youths. A lot of people also believe that Rap has led to many negative aspects in the society and this is why they continue to oppose it.

The music genre that found a lot of fame in the 1980s and 1990s is believed to have been used to propagate certain agenda in the society. It is the reason why Rap is regarded as a form of music that is causing more harm than good to the society. The following are the main negative effects that the music genre has caused in the society (Cross, 1993).

Rap and violence

This type of music is always associated with violence. When one looks at the lyrics used in this music genre, one will always find an element of violence. They do not criticize the war. In fact, most of the rappers encourage the use of guns. It is the reason why most youths who listen to this type of music are always violent. The type of music that one listens to can greatly affect the type of behavior they have. A violent society is one that cannot develop in any way because people are always fighting. A person that is addicted to Rap music cannot engage in any good argument. They do not have the best argument skills that can make them be heard. They end up causing fights in every argument they have. People who listen to this type of music mainly feel that violence is the best to solve the problems they have. Apart from the lyrics they get from the rappers, they also emulate the kind of lifestyle that they rappers have. There are many rappers who have died as a result of violence (Fernando, 1994). Most of the rappers have a lifestyle full of violence and since their fans always want to emulate them, the fans end up having a lifestyle that is violent in nature. The main people who are affected by this kind of music are the youths. They end up following into the lifestyle of the rappers and this makes them be violent.

Rap music and drugs

Rap music is also known to be a major factor that leads to the use of drugs. The first way in which this genre contributes to the use of drugs is the lyrics they use. In most of the cases, rappers will praise certain drugs and this makes youths to be interested in knowing the drugs. Most of the drug addicts started by following what is said in the music they listen to. Drugs have a lot of negative effects on the development of any society. In most of the cases, it reduces the workforce in a society. A society that does not have enough workforces is always not able to produce any goods they can use locally or export to other countries. Another way that Rap music has been affecting the lives of people in the society through drugs is through the rappers. Most of the rappers are known to use drugs. Youths view the rappers as idols and this makes them emulate every behavior they have. Unlike the message in the music, the rappers have a greater influence on the type of behavior that people can have. For example, a rapper that praises a given drug in his or her song might not affect the society to the same extent as a rapper who uses the drugs. Youths learn about drugs through the people they emulate in the society. Most of the people who use the drugs learned about them through the icons in the society. Youths believe that what the rappers do is the right thing and they should always emulate them. Many drugs that are prohibited in many countries have been praised by different rappers in their songs making the listeners be curious. Curiosity makes them try using the drugs and in turn, they end up getting addicted (Hager, 1984).

Rap music and crime

Rap music is also associated with the various criminal activities that people engage in. most of the rappers talk about criminal activities or even praise criminals who exist in the society. This makes their audience to feel that crime is part of society and that there is nothing wrong with carrying out criminal activities. The emergence of criminal gangs is always associated with Rap music. Some of the rappers also engage in crime to make money. From the beginning, the most famous rappers have been talking about ‘gangster life’ and this has great influence on the audience. Most of the listeners feel that whatever the rappers say is always right and that they should go ahead and practice them. Most parents report that their children start showing such traits once they start listening to such music. It is also the reason why most of the parents are always against their children listening to such music. Crime is one of the things that different countries have been fighting for a long duration. The fact that most of the youths love Rap music makes it very difficult to completely stop people from carrying out criminal activities. The only way that one can remove the vice from the society is by ensuring that the rappers do not sing about crimes and other related activities (Jones, 1994).

Rap music and sexism

Rap has also been used by sexists to drive their agenda. Most of the rappers do not respect women and this is why they are always involved in assault cases frequently. The rappers are always trending for the wrong reasons. The female rappers are also not treated the same way the society treats the male rappers. The words used by rappers to describe women are what the society views as vulgar words. Sexism is also evident in the teams that the rappers hire. Most of them do not hire women and this is a practice that is not good for the current society. In short, Rap fails to acknowledge the place of women in the society (Nelson, 1991).

Rap music has been associated with a lot of negative aspects of the society. The only way that governments can ensure that they stop this practice is by ensuring that the rappers only produce what is good for the audience. The rappers are mainly viewed by the youths as icons and the kind of music they produce has great influence on the behavior of the youths. The rappers should be encouraged to be good examples to the youths so that we can have a society that is not a result of bad influence from the rappers. Music can be used as a great instrument to improve the behavior of people in the society. Music should be used as the tool for change and not a way in which undesirable behavior is taught to the youths (Small, 1992).

Works cited

Cross B. It’s Not About a Salary. . . Rap Race + Resistance in Los Angeles. New York: Verso, 1993.

Fernando S. The New Beats: Exploring the Music Culture and Attitudes f Hip-Hop. New York: Anchor Books, Double-day, 1994.

Hager S. The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Graffiti. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984.

Jones K. Say It Loud! The story of Rap music. Brook-field, Conn.: The Millbrook Press, 1994.

Nelson H. Bring the Noise: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture. New York: Harmony Books, 1991.

Small M. Break It Down: The Inside Story from the New Leaders of Rap. New York: A Citadel Press Book, 1992.

SEARCH

Top-right-side-AD-min
WHY US?

Calculate Your Order




Standard price

$310

SAVE ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!

$263.5

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Pop-up Message