Smith1

ZakSmith
Conrad
ERWCPeriod5
16October2015
RapMusic:IsitaThreattoSociety?
Whenpeoplethinkofrapmusictheirfirstthoughtsareaboutminoritiesincrimeinfested
neighborhoodslisteningtomusicaboutdrugs,sex,andviolence.Theythinkthatthismusic
makespeopleviolentormoreacceptingofviolence.Rapisaformofexpressionthatmany
peoplecanrelatetoinawaythatmakesthemfeelbetteroverfeelingviolent.Therehavealso
beenclaimsthatthereasonghettosorlowclassAfricanAmericancommunitieshavehighcrime
ratesareduetorapmusic.Thereisalsotheideatherapmusicdegradeswomenandformsbad
rolemodelsforyoungwomen.Howeveryouputitrapmusicisaliteraryartformandismore
thanjusttheomnipresent,grisly,bermachosoundtrack(Raphasthepotential)thatitisput
outtobe,anditisnotharmfultosociety.
Apopularbeliefheldbypeoplewhoopposerapmusicisthatitnegativelyaffectsthe
behaviorsofthosewholistentoit.Itisthoughtthatlisteningtorapmusicmakespeopleviolent,
however,studiesshowotherwise.InJenniferCopleysarticle,ViolentRapLyricsDoNot
AffectListenerBehaviororAttitudes,Copleyrevealsthat[studies]suggestthatlisteningto
rapmusicdoesnotcauseaggressiveordeviantbehavior.Whilethetopicofthemusicmaybe
violentitdoesntmeanthatwhenpeoplelistentoittheybecomeviolent.Onereasonpeople
thinkthatrapmakespeopleviolentisthattheyoftenseeatriskyouthlisteningtoit.Copleyalso
mentionsthatalthoughresearchhasfoundacorrelationbetweenpreferenceforheavymetalor


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rapmusicandbehavioralproblems,drugoralcoholuse,arrestsandsexualpromiscuity,these
behavioralproblemsusuallybeginbeforestudentsbeginlisteningtoraporheavymetal,which
indicatesthatthemusicdoesnotcausebehavioralproblemsoraddiction.Thismeansthat
peoplewiththesetendenciesaremoreinclinedtopreferrapmusicinsteadofthemusicmaking
peoplehavethesetendencies.Theworstpartaboutthismisconceptionisthatpeoplerelaterap
causingviolencetoallrapmusic.Notallrapisaboutviolenceorillegalthingsandevenwhen
thereisviolentrapnotallofitcondonesthisviolence.Whenrapisviolentitisbasedoffofthe
rappersexperienceswhicharenotalwaysgoodexperiences.Thebottomlineisthatrapdoesnot
makepeopleviolent,butitinsteadshowspeoplethetruthaboutviolence.
AnotherpopularmisconceptionisthatrapmusicisharmfultoAfricanAmerican
communities.
Americansperceivethepoorespeciallythoselivinginurbanghettosasbeing
likelytocommitviolentcrimes(CrimeRatesinPoorNeighborhoods),butisthereasonforthis
thatpeoplewholiveintheseareasalsotendtolistentorapmusic?Rapmusicisthemost
listenedtomusicinthesetypesofareassoitiseasytomakeaconnectionbetweenthetwo.
HoweverasDaltonHigginsstatesinhisarticleHiphopDefinesTodaysYouthCulture
Worldwide,
hiphopcultureisthepredominantglobalyouthsubcultureoftoday.Ifrapmusic
isthepopularyouthgenreworldwidethenalloftheworldwouldhavethecrimeratesofthese
ghettos.Perhapsthereareotherfactorsotherthanthetypeofmusictheylistentothatcancause
suchevents.Howeverinthiscaseitismostlikelythatthemusicappealstothesepeoplebecause
itwasinspiredbypovertyandlifeintheghettoandtheycanrelatetothesubjectbutnotinaway
thatmakesthemcommitmorecrimes.


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Therehavebeensomeproblems,however,withthesubjectofwomeninamajorityofthe
rapculture.Manysongshavelyricsthatrefertowomenasmanydifferentderogatorytermsand
alsodescribetheminaverysexualway.As
TracySharpleyWhiting,thedirectorofAfrican
AmericanandDiasporaStudiesandaprofessoratVanderbiltUniversity,describesdemeaning,
degradingandobjectifyingBlackwomen[as]undeniablyprofitablepastimes(RapMusic
Objectifies)thereisnodoubtthatwomenarenotbeingtreatedjustlyintherapindustry.Not
onlyisthisdisrespectfultowomenbutitalsocreatesbadrolemodelsforyoungwomenwho
happentoheartheseraplyricsorwatchtheserapvideos.Thismightsoundterribleatfirstbutif
youactuallylistentowhattheserappersaretalkingaboutitanewlightshinesuponthesubject.
Theserappersarenotsayingsuchdegradingthingsaboutallwomenornoteventheaverage
womantheserappersaretalkingaboutprostitutes.Womenwhoselltheirbodiesanddegrade
themselvesintheprocess.Thesewomenareoutintheworldalreadyandyetrapmusicisbeing
blamedforcreatingthisimage.Theserappersdonteventalkabouthowthesewomenshouldbe
rolemodelsoreventhattheylikethesewomensowhywouldpeopletrytocopythem?Snoop
DoggoftensaysinhissongsWedontlovethemhos,meaninghedoesntcareforthese
womenatall.Helaterrapsabouthowherespectsthewomeninhislifelikehismotherandhis
girlfriendsoheobviouslydoesntthinkallwomenareliketheseprostitutes.Sowhyblamerap
forcriticizingthesewomenthatdegradethemselveswhennobodyreallyshouldrespectthemin
thefirstplace.
Raphasmanyformsandtheviolentgenregangstarapisapopularonebutthatdoesnt
makeitabadthing.Rapcanrelatetomanypeopleslives,problems,andinnerthoughtsinaway
thatmakesthemlessviolent.Raphastouchedsomanypeopleinagoodwaythatitisdownright


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wrongtosayitisharmfultosociety.Inawayitisbeneficialtonotonlysocietybutthewhole
worldinthewaythatitgivespeopleanotherthingtoloveandsmileabout.Itspossiblethathigh
crimerateareasthatlistentorapcouldbemuchworseoffiftheydidnthavetheraptokeep
themgoingstrong.Rapisjustmusicanditdoesnthurtanybody.

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