Rap music and Violence. What do yall think?
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Posted By: Ashley Henry on June 12, 2006 As a result of ‘stuntin’ in our community, educated teens are looking at violence as a way out of the ghetto. Many of them are looking to get rich quick, but in the process they are dying, not of natural causes, but by the hands of one another. Is it ridiculous to take rap music out of the music industry, or is it better to just run out and buy a bullet proof vest and call it a day? In this generation, the age of children going to jail for attempted murder, or being given the death penalty, is getting younger and younger. Is it okay to say that rap music is influencing them to do the things they do? Or is it okay to say that their bad behavior is due to the lack of discipline within the household? Hip-hop was created for the urban culture to show their creativity, but as the years go on violence grows within the rap industry. The hip-hop industry started in the 70’s with groups like Sugar Hill Gang, whose lyrics were, ‘Hip-hop the hibbit the bibbit to the hip hip hop and you won’t stop, rock it to the bang bang boogy up jumps the rhythm to the boogy the beat’. In the early 80’s there were groups like RUN DMC and Public Enemy who sent out positive messages. Hip-hop culture slowly began to go sour as new generations emerged. First it started with disrespecting females, by degrading them in their videos and lyrics. ‘Look at them girls with the daisy dukes on, I want you to look at them girls with the daisy dukes on EVERYBODY.’ Yes, sex does sell, and the music industries have been telling the young ladies that that’s the only way to get ahead in life, by exposing the body. In the 80’s a group who talked about the crime they see, street life and killing, emerged from out of LA; N.W.A(Niggas with Attitude) creating what is now called gangsta rap. Within a month everyone caught on and began to feel the vibe of the lyrics and the beat of the songs which started all the madness. ‘Young Black Male killed today from what seems like rivals between two neighborhoods. On today’s news at five’…ALSO ON TODAY’S NEWS… (MOTHER SPEAKING) ‘A stray bullet just came through my daughter’s window as she was watching T.V. (CRIES) Now I will never get to see my baby girl grow.’ These are the cries that people hear everyday. They turn on the news just to find out weather; they hear cries of a distraught mother. Statistics show that teens who spend more time watching the sex and violence depicted in the ‘real’ life of ‘gangsta’ rap music videos are more likely to practice these behaviors in real life. However, a local resident of Maryland protested in a debate about violence in the community. “That is not true because I grew up listening to rap music and watching the videos and I’m not out committing crimes. So you can’t say that rap music is the cause of teens doing the things that they do.” If you listen to the lyrics you would hear the hatred in the words they are rapping about… ‘Don’t make me kill no *bleep* *bleep* body in here, I’m a shoot three shots somebody then made me hot.’ These lyrics go to show that people are fighting over anything. Just because someone made them mad they want to ‘shoot three shots’ If people look at rap music and violence through the eyes of a rapper they will see where the rapper is coming from in their lyrics. Rap music doesn’t promote violence, but drugs and poverty often do. A person who happens to be poor sees something that they like, they may go out and steal from a person who does have it. Then there are drugs. “Say we have McDonalds, and Wendy’s and they are competing against each other to see who’s the best on the streets. McDonalds is getting all the business and Wendy’s begins to get jealous, so what is Wendy’s going to do? Steal from McDonalds or kill McDonalds?” An inspiring rapper stated this using McDonalds and Wendy’s as the hustlers on the street. Rap is what people would call street poetry. Just like Maya Angelou uses her life struggles in her poetry, rappers use their struggles in the poems they call hip-hop music. If they were to take Tupac’s music off of the shelves, should they take Maya Angelou books off the shelves as well? “Rap is just poems with music to it,” Tae, a poet from Crossland High School stated. “Rappers only write about what they’ve seen or what they’ve been through. For a person to go out and do something they heard someone say in a song or they saw on the videos they had to have had a weak mind,” she continued. A child’s mind is already set at the age of twelve and thirteen; they know right from wrong. It’s the responsibility of the parent to watch what their child is watching and listening to. If they allow their child to do and say the things they hear and watch on television they will repeat the behavior they see. Even though when the child leaves out of that parent’s house they’re going to see and hear everything the mother is trying to protect her child from anyway, seeing that the world is filled with hatred and crime. A child who is out committing crime (some people say) is seeking attention and love. When she/he finds something to fulfill the need then she/he will stop doing what they are doing because then they will remember that, ‘Young hustlers become old bums.’ A parent can not watch their child twenty-four seven, and rap music isn’t the main cause of violence. It’s the mind set of the child and how far he will let the music take him. When one sits and thinks about it, is it poverty (taking what you don’t have), and drugs (survival of the fittest). Or is it safe to say it’s just SOCIETY? Written By: Ashley S. Henry So what do you all think about my article??Any opinions on my opinion? If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Ashley Henry
From Suitland, MD Clark Atlanta University class of 2011 Member Since March 2006 |
Comments
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Most people know it has the affects upon people it is intended to.
Tuesday, June 13th 2006 at 8:57AM |
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I don't believe that rap music has that big of an influence on children to be responsible to violent acts commit today. Yes it has a small influence, just as well as movies and other forms demonstrating violence to these children. Children strongest influence is the home and the people who raise them. Regardless what behaviors they see on t.v, they see their mother's and fathers on an everyday bases and they have the most dominant impact on children. I grew up in the heart of north philly where the crime rate is growing faster each day, but coming from a strong family within that ghetto taught me to not be a follower and not commit such ignorant acts. Because i have great morals installed in me from the people that raised me, i know that i'm not supposed to jump when someone say so. I know the difference between right and wrong, regardless what i see on t.v or what music i listen to. I believe that's the real problem, children not knowing right from wrong. Think about it, babies are having babies these days and they are not mentally mature enough to actually sit down with their children and explain what's right and what's wrong. Most times they think it's cute themselves and exploit that on their children. We all saw at one point with our own eyes a young mother who laughs at their child when saying the "B" word.
Wednesday, June 14th 2006 at 6:21PM |
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^ I agree with you...But like I wrote in the article a child knows right from wrong once they hit that 10yr old mark. Like you said rap music don't have that big influence on children, if you want to blame someone I believe you should blame the parents. They should start learning how to put their foot down, some base in their voice and authority around the house hold.
Wednesday, June 14th 2006 at 11:04PM |
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