Effects of Rap Lyrics on Adolescents - Research Paper Example

Effects of Rap lyrics on adolescents: value, behavior, and life style The hip hop genre of music has a deep history of over 40 years and has come along way from being recognized only on the streets of Bronx and Brooklyn in New York City in the USA. Many people connect the hip hop culture with negative elements like gang violence, drugs, promiscuity and foul language. The genre is known less for its positive output to society, which in most instances, is lacking. This genre of music is most widespread among the youth, and it has influenced many aspects of the life of the average urban adolescent. It has affected all parts of the lifestyles of many touching areas such as language, fashion, education, political views and relationship with others. The artists have never been shy in their vivid narration of their everyday lives. It is also alarming that many young people look up to these music artists as role models. Many adolescents take their music lyrics very seriously and often imitate their mode of dressing, language and even try to ape their personality and overall demeanor. It is not alarming these days to see a fourteen-year-old boy or girl singing along to every word of a vulgar rap song. Taking a look at the life that these rap artists live, one will notice that they are not the ideal people to be influencing young people (Witchel 122). Many of them have regular brush ins with the law because of crimes such as illegal firearms possession, drug possession and use and violent misconduct. A large number of them have served a jail term, and many more are currently serving a sentence for crimes committed. In addition to this, they often have domestic issues ranging from divorces to failure to pay child support and other issues. These are the same people whom the adolescent wants to emulate. Such alarming information makes the society realize that it needs to be more aware of what hip hop is, and what the main agenda being passed on in the music is. It is important that individuals take the initiative because young people take this music very seriously, and it influences many aspects of their lives (McFerran 74).Unfortunately, many adolescents pick up more of the negative aspects of this music lifestyle. Most alarming of all is that hip hop portrays the theme of rebellion or resistance to authority. One negative aspect of hip hop is its deep association with violence. Many of the artists have been and still are involved in gangs. They walk around with their cliques, which usually consist of a few dangerous individuals whom they know well. These serve to intimidate any would-be aggressors and also protect him. Most of their entourages consist of a few armed individuals and many times the artists themselves are armed or possess dangerous firearms. They often glorify violence and the “thug life” in their songs. The “thug life” usually describes the fast and carefree life they live, which usually consists of promiscuity, violence, lawlessness, unhealthy habits such as excessive alcohol conception and smoking both cigarettes and marijuana (Richardson and Scott 178). These are alarmingly the same concepts that these hip hop musicians endlessly glorify in their songs.Again, these are the same songs, which the youth listen to every day. The outcome is that they grow up with a very negative outlook on life and they also pick up many of these habits along the way. It is very alarming that such content can freely be featured on the airwaves, in national TVs and the internet. It is regrettable to note that profanity is part and parcel of the hip hop genre. In almost every song one hear such words as “fuck”,”bitch”,”hoe.” It is alarming that such profane language has become part of the everyday society. The more vulgar the music album is, the more sales it will have. This goes to show that the youth are buying this music and listening to it. The language and manner of speech being depicted in these songs are being imitated by our youth, and it can be seen in how they carry themselves. This is evident in the manner they talk and interact with each other, and how they handle relationships with the opposite sex. The negative aspects of this music often out shadow the positives. Many young people of today freely use such words in their everyday conversation, and the vulgarity and profanity that dominates the conversations of young people is very disturbing (Richardson and Scott 188). The youth can access this music anywhere, and it is clear that listening to rap song influences adolescent in negative ways, and the society today is a portrayal of all the destructive elements that this music glorifies. One of the most negative habits that hip hop music glorifies is alcohol abuse and drug abuse. Many musicians themselves engage in frequent drinking binges and host parties with excessive alcohol and marijuana among other substances. The songs they sing glories this lifestyle of everyday drinking and smoking of cannabis. In fact, it is normal to witness such scenes in the recording studios where these artists make their music. On December 15th, 2004, rapper ODB (Ol Dirty Bastard) was found dead after taking what pathologist identified as a mixture of cocaine and prescription drug Tramadol. Earlier this year, on January 18th, musician ASAP Yams passed on after he was found unresponsive after taking a fatal concoction of opiates and benzodiazepine. The hip hop culture condones and glorifies the use of alcohol and drugs, and the lesson has not yet been learned, although there have been many casualties (McFerran 81). It is scary to know that these are the very habits that the music artists glorify. Listening to modern lyrics is a terrifying experience. One can hear the artists yelling out phrases such as “I am in love with the coco”. This is a rap song where an artist openly declares his love for cocaine! It is indeed very disturbing that musicians can glorify such vices as this and what is more alarming is the fact that such music can succeed to the point of selling millions of copies. The youths are buying this music and listening to them, as well as imitating what these musicians do or claim to do in their music. Therefore, if an artist sings a song about how he loves cocaine, the adolescent will buy this music, and sing these lyrics, and eventually be curious as to why the artist loves cocaine. Given the opportunity, the curious adolescent may even experiment with the substance. The sad reality of the matter is that these are the songs, which the youth are listening to, and these are the musicians whom they adore and try so hard to imitate. Unfortunately, these are the people influencing our children. How a person portrays themselves is how other people will judge them. The hip hop personalities have a certain dress code, which the youths in the society have incorporated. It is common seeing skimpily dressed ladies or men with pants sagging below the waist. In addition to these we also see many youths sporting dreadlocks or braiding their hair. Culture has incorporated many of these fashions that the popular musicians adorn. Youths are very quick in imitating their favorite musicians no matter how extreme or inappropriate the dressing may be. Many times these young people are not aware of public decency or respect for the public. Hip hop also promotes the accumulation of gaudy symbols of success and to get them fast. The hip hop lifestyle usually recognizes the use of flashy jewelry, rings, and watches. Many of these children also place a huge economic strain on themselves and their parents when they try to follow the hip hop fashion. Some of the artists adorn the latest and most expensive fashion accessories from recognized brands such as Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana.The young people who admire them also try imitating what their role models wear (Gullotta et al., 210). This is where one finds adolescents demanding more money from parents or even going to such lengths as stealing money from home so as to fit into a certain lifestyle, which they cannot afford. They eventually end up placing financial strain both on themselves. Hip hop is justifiably criticized for the many negative effects it has on the adolescents. One major aspect of this is portrayed in music lyrics where music artists show total disregard for any form of authority. This includes political leadership, the law enforcement, for instance, the police, and any other authoritative figure. Many song lyrics are full of statements that abuse the police and other legal structures (McWhorter 1). Quite a number of these artists are known to have regular brush ins with the law. Almost every week a musician is arrested for breaking the law, most with misdemeanors and quite a growing number of felons. It is also being portrayed in the society, at home and also in the school setting. One finds that indiscipline cases have become more rampant. The youths have become more carefree and have developed a negative attitude towards important basics such as education. Many also argue that this music promotes rebelliousness and lawlessness amongst the adolescents (Knockbloch-Westerwick, Musto, and Shaw 17). It is very clear that most adolescents have little respect for authority; one can witness this through how they interact with their parents, teachers, relatives and other figures of authority. Many young people totally disrespect their parents. They do not obey the instructions and teaching that their parents try to give. The levels of defiance in among the adolescents is attributable to this music, which seems not to put the basic social values and norms into much consideration (Knockbloch-Westerwick, Musto, and Shaw 21). Hip hop also promotes totally unsafe sexual habits among the youth. Most of the lyrics of these songs have sexual innuendo. These songs have vivid descriptions by these musicians of their sexual escapades, or they depict much immoral behavior. Promiscuity is more or less the norm and it is easily commendable in these songs for a man to have multiple sexual partners. It is very alarming to have unsafe sex in this modern day and age, where a host of STDs is prevalent. These artists treat sex as a very casual topic and boast freely of how they move around with different women. Such are the attitudes that the adolescents pick up from this music. It has been said that youngsters are engaging in sex at an earlier age than before. Some adolescents have been brainwashed to believe that promiscuity is a part of success. There are very many cases of these musicians having more than one child out of wedlock (Gullotta et al., 221). It is also common to hear of the many extra marital affairs they have, as well as mistresses. The youths have been misled and brainwashed by this music, and it can be seen by how they value their relationships. Unprotected teenage sex has become rampant in our society, and the young girls are becoming mothers at an early age. This music continues to mislead and misinform the adolescents in many aspects of their lives. Perhaps the most disturbing characteristic of the hip hop music is the promotion of aggression and violence. Many of the youth have either committed violent acts. Hip hop influences the youths by causing them to believe that it is acceptable to commit violent acts, whether with provocation or not. Hip hop musicians brag in songs of some of the violent acts that they have committed without fear (Baker 234). These are instances where an artist relates that he always carries a weapon wherever he goes. Many of these musicians have also fallen victim to this same violence, like the late Tupac Shakur, who was shot dead on September 13th, 1996. The same is true for the case of Christopher Wallace, who was also shot dead on March 9th, 1997. These are just a few casualties to violence, and it is very alarming that this music continues to promote such vices in society. Cases of school and children shooting others are still on the rise. The musicians do not understand that by narrating violence and aggression on their songs, they are influencing the very sensitive adolescents to pick up violent traits such as these (Baker 41). Many youth who have exhibited violent and aggressive behavior are said to have frequently listened to rap music. This clearly shows that one cannot underestimate the fact that this type of music affects adolescents in negative ways. One should understand that adolescents are prone to easy influence, and this is compounded by the fact that that they spend most of their time listening to these lyrics and often imitate what they hear. So it is clear that hip hop music is affecting the behavior patterns of the adolescents, as well as their values, and lifestyle. Hip hop music also portrays the concept of “easy money.” Many of these musicians narrate how they “came from nothing” showing that they were nobodies, and they became rich through illegal dealing such as dealing drugs, stealing, and corruption.It is very unfortunate that such vices are now glorified, and the youths constantly feed their mind with these twisted notions. It is a shame that society approves of such methods of earning wealth. These concepts mislead the youths to look down on education and instead think that they can make it in life through shortcuts. Hip hop music somehow seems to portray and glorify the darker side of society and the youth who listen to this music fill their minds with such negative concepts about life. Children who listen to these lyrics are affected negatively in the long-term and without the proper guidance of parents, could easily fall into such vices. Hip hop music has also been shown to portray women negatively. It is unfortunate how many of these lyrics seek to show young women as promiscuous and unfaithful. In many of these songs, the artists brag of escapades with women. Other times they recount how they had illicit affairs with other people’s girlfriends or even wives. It is unfortunate that such vices can be glorified through music. Often young ladies who listen to this music develop issues related to self-esteem, or they develop the mentality that it is permissible for them to be promiscuous. Such disrespect for women and negative views about them are even picked up by the young men who listen to these lyrics (The Brown University 3). In future, they end up abusing their girlfriends, cheating on them and mistreating them. It has already affected many of adolescents who openly demean women and mistreat them. These are some of the effects of hip hop music on the youth. They are being influenced in negative ways by this genre of music. Without proper guidance and supervision, it has been proven that this music is detrimental to the adolescent. Works Cited Baker, Geoffrey. “Preachers, gangsters, pranksters: MC solar and hip-hop as overt and covert revolt.” The Journal of Popular Culture, 44.0(2): 233-255, 2011. Print. Gullotta, Thomas P, Gerald R. Adams, Carol A. Markstrom, and Gerald R. Adams. The Adolescent Experience. San Diego, Calif: Academic Press, 2000. Print. Knockbloch-Westerwick, Silva, Musto, Paige, and Shaw, Katherine. “Rebellion in the top music chart: defiant messages in rap/hip-hop and rock music 1993 and 2003.” Journal of Media Psychology, 20.0(1): 15-25, 2008. Print. McFerran, Katrina. Adolescents, Music and Music Therapy: Methods and Techniques for Clinicians, Educators and Students. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2010. Print. McWhorter, John. “How hip-hop holds Blacks back violence, misogyny, and lawlessness are nothing to sing about.” City Journal Summer, 2003. Print. Richardson, Jeanita and Scott, Kim. “Rap music and its violent progeny: America’s culture of violence in context.” The Journal of Negro Education, 71.0(3): 175-192, 2002. Print. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter. “What’s New in Research: Influence of music on youth behaviors”, 3-4, 2006. Print. Witchel, Harry. You Are What You Hear: How Music and Territory Make Us Who We Are. New York: Algora Pub, 2010. Print. Read More