Listening to Rap: Cultures of Crime, Cultures of Resistance - Literature review Example

Rap Music Introduction Rap music refers to music genre consisting of a blend of stylized rhythmic music together with rapping, a rhyming and rhythmic speech which is chanted. Rap music started by 1970s in New York City among black Americans especially the youth. Rap music has many effects on teenagers and young generation since its launch in 1970s. When people hear of rap music, majority think of violence, gangster mentality as people associate rap music with ghetto life. Rap music has its own trait on how it uses slang words and dressing code. These traits are exposing parents to conflicts with their teens since most of the parents are objecting the characters of their children from rap music. Rap music prints an image of the current situation in the urban streets. Mostly, teens want to be referred as cool people as it is their top priority at their age. This paper will seek to establish whether rap music is a total disaster to the teens or there are positive impacts. It will also seek to establish ways of minimizing the negative effects on teens. It is evident that a majority of Americas youth are exposed to rap genre of music which has a lot of explicit language. Since the rise of rap music, teens have adored it as well as using it for solving their problems. However, rap music tends to be very destructive especially when parents and caretakers are not keen on what the kids listen and for how long. The content of such music may prove to be very destructive to the youths’ minds and academic focus. Youths are the major target of rappers as they promote their music. Youths are in love with rap music and media; presenting a selling opportunity to rappers. This promotes addiction of rap music and its negative impacts. Rap musing gives the youth a sense of belonging since the genre is customized to youths and their habits (Tanner et al 670). Teenagers who pick rappers to be their role models tend to acquire bad influence from such rappers and do what the rapper does. Most of present successful and famous rappers started their career of singing on selling of drugs, getting in collision with law as well as the school of hard knocks. According to a number of researches done on the effects of rap music on teens and young generation, the findings mostly indicate that listening to rap music tend to cause deviant behavior and unnecessary aggressiveness. A study conducted to evaluate teens who listen to rap music perception of violence and crime shows that such teens are more receptive to violent actions especially against the female folk. In addition, teens who watch both violent and nonviolent rap music videos tend to acquire materialistic characteristics and potentials to possess things through crime and lack commitment to success through academic pursuit. Another research depicts that teenage females, through watching of rap videos showing women in sexuality roles, are more likely to advocate for violence against females in relationships and dating game (Sealey et al 348). A research further shows that teens who listen to rap music with lyrics teaching on sexuality report a faster progress on their sexual life than unexposed ones (LaMarre et al 161). Frequent images on sexual actions in rap videos depicting man and women in a sexual intercourse is another negative effect of rap music, this promotes promiscuity among the youth. Women are viewed as sex objects therefore, influencing the fans to borrow such ideas therefore promoting moral decay. Teens who watch rap videos are likely to have several sex partners and hence sexually transmitted diseases. Generally, viewing of rap videaos tends to increase the acceptance of violence and crime rather than just listening on its own. Research has established that, there is a relationship between rap music and problems on teens‘behaviours, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual promiscuity and arrests by the police. This may not be a reality since such problems are prime to any youth regardless whether one is exposed to rap music and videos or not. However, the research suggests that youth are at risk if they prefer rap music since the problems will be taken to a higher level (Sealey et al 341). On top, research has shown that most students perform poorly after exposure to rap music and their grades go down. However, another research states that students actually improve on their academic performance and abilities after exposure to rap music. When they watch political rap videos, they are likely to support liberal candidates. Listening to rap music by teens has not shown a notable increase of suicidal cases or adversity in low self-esteem. Oppositely, teens and students listening to non-violent rap music experience more stress and depressions than the ones listening to violent rap music (Tanner et al 671). This is because the ones listening to violent music are likely to face out their tempers while watching or listening. Rap music tends to create discrimination and racism. People exposed to violent rap lyrics are more inclined to score it as offensive are dangerous if they are prior informed that it is a rap song rather than when they are told that, it is country music one. Rap music has an entirely new vocabulary and language that teens cannot get in class or any course work material. Profanity and abusive language tend to be a requisite menu of almost all rap songs (LaMarre et al 161). Parents have a battle with rap music and the impact it has on their children. Many naughty and offensive words are used in rap music and when tens borrow and use such words, the parents are depicted as failures on their parenting responsibilities. Frequent mentioning of guns, robbery, shootings and revenge on rap music spoils the minds of teens. Songs inciting violence against both male and female are popular with rap music, students who listen to rap music are like to hit their teachers as well as they get arrested by the police. Violence as depicted in rap music gives teens the perception that use of violence can solve problems at times of crisis and conflicts. Rap music promotes substance abuse among teens, as they are likely to pick such characters from the videos and lyrics. A research by Denise Herd indicates that 77 percent of rap music talks about alcohol and drug abuse. Such musicians and songwriters hold drugs, intoxication very high, and with a lot of prestige. Most of the rappers adore drugs as well as alcohol (Tanner et al 672). A further research shows that black American teenage girls who watch rap music for long times in a week are likely to use drugs and drink alcohol more than those who do not watch such videos. On the other hand, rap music is a source of employment and income to youth including the rappers since they perform music for their living (Sealey et al 350). Other beneficiaries are producers, managers, DJs, promoters’ engineers, and bodyguards. Without the music, such people could be jobless and families suffer economic instability. Their children could not afford school fees and other necessary life basics therefore increasing social evils. Many rappers talk of poverty and how they rose to fame; this inspires youths and other people in general to focus on fame and beat all challenges on their path to prosperity. For example, when a rapper sings about his struggles during childhood and education, other teens faced with the same challenge are more likely to get hope and inspiration from such a song. Conclusion In France, hip-hop and rap music are the current music styles embraced by every youth and teens. Generally, there is no consistent link of evidence that rap music without videos greatly influence attitudes and behaviours. Those who are not well versed with rap music tend to think that all rap songs are based on violence, misogynist themes, or crime. Contrary, rap music tackles wide topics from political campaigns to peace campaigns that are positive elements, therefore, it is not good to generalize and categorize all rap music as harmful to the youth. In some extend, rap music provides the youths with a platform to express their views and feelings artistically. It is an urban story telling style that makes youth very vocal and gets the attention they desire. Academically, youths have a chance to identify similes, rhyme schemes, and metaphors that are poetic elements learned in their academic course work. When rap is well used, can teach and reach students without any negative impact on them. References LaMarre, Heather L., Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, and Gregory J. Hoplamazian. "Does The Music Matter? Examining Differential Effects Of Music Genre On Support For Ethnic Groups." Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 56 (1), 2012, pp.150-167. Sealey-Ruiz, Yolanda, and Perry Greene. "Embracing Urban Youth Culture In The Context Of Education." Urban Review, 43(3), 2011, pp.339-357. Tanner, Julian, Mark Asbridge, and Scot Wortley. "Listening To Rap: Cultures Of Crime, Cultures Of Resistance." Social Forces, 88(2), 2009, pp.693-722. Read More