Table of Contents
An introduction
Rap Music: Problematic Issues
Medications
Crime and violence
Hatred or contempt for women
In conclusion,
This is the beginning
Many people love rap music, including me. According to professionals and studies, it is now one of the most popular genres of music. It is a very popular genre of music, but it has a significant influence on youth. Rap music has been known for its problematic past and proponents of anti-social behavior such as using or selling drugs, promoting violent crimes and writing misogynistic songs. Recent years have seen these topics become a concern because of the intense lyrics and music videos by rappers. As many experts and researchers point out, rap music’s negative influence has led to a number of problems.
Rap Music Drugs: Problematic Issues These drugs are mentioned in almost all rap songs. According to a study of drug references in hip-hop, 77% of the top rap songs from 2005-2008 included a reference to drug use. It is evident in the lyrics that these references are increasing. NAV’s Biebs is Travis Scott’s. NAV uses the example of NAV saying, “I just pour an 8 into a liter. Throw some Jolly Ranchers, make this sweeter. Versace your clothes, I’m with a White Ho, And she’s snorting three lines such as Adidas. Gota black girl rolling out Molly. Gota white bitch sucking up snow.” It is worrying that these drugs are being glorified so much. Rappers have also been dying from overdoses. Lil Peep died of an overdose from xanax/fentanyl in November 2017. This is especially concerning because youth are often exposed to such references every day and are easy to influence. A study conducted by the Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation with 1200 participants in California between the ages of 15 and 25 revealed that 70% of those listening to Rap also admitted to having used drugs. The article How Hip Hop and Rap Music are Affecting Young People was published by the Institute. This shows that rappers glorifying the use and abuse of drugs can have a detrimental effect on people. The study was conducted by the Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation with 1200 participants from California, aged 15-25. This topic is often referenced in many songs. Juice WRLD sings Armed and Dangerous. In this song, he declares that he doesn’t require a bodyguard to protect him because he carries his gun and that he will cut off the body of anyone he shoots at. This is worrying because it promotes violence. Young people, who are easy to influence, might consider that shooting, stabbing, and fighting others acceptable ways of handling conflict. Western Connecticut State University’s research found that people who listen heavily to rap music are more likely be aggressive. Researchers also found that participants were influenced by violent lyrics by their financial and social backgrounds. This confirms the fact that violence-praising lyrics can have a negative impact on people, making them more aggressive and violent. This shows that violent lyrics can have a variety of influences on a person’s behavior.
MisogynyMisogyny is a common concern in the rap music genre. Rap music videos and songs often depict women as lower-status than men or sexual objects. Rap songs are full of rappers rapping about women’s bodies and having sex with them. Fefe from 6ix9ine has a notable example of such lyrics. In Fefe he says “Got her super soaker Hit that, She Fefe,” Genius states that a Fefe could be either a pretty, artificial vagina or sex toy. These lyrics suggest that he has sex only with a girl. 6ix9ine refers to the girl having sex as a Fefe, which is a metaphor that suggests that the girl is only a sexual object. Rap songs almost always refer negatively to women, such as bitches and hoes. The article Alleviating the Effects Of Misogyny Hip Hop Music and Rap was published in February 2018. It states that 18 of 25 Billboard top 25 rap songs were reported to have used derogatory terms for women. This is a significant number considering the fact that not all of the top 25 rap songs were analyzed. Music videos often show women wearing little or no clothing or showing their breasts and buttocks. Taste by Tyga. Drip Too Hard by Lil Baby. Gunna. And Pick Up the Phone from Young Thug. These music videos feature women dancing in the background wearing revealing or garish clothes. These elements all contribute to devaluing women. They make them look like sexual objects, social unequals, or change how they see women. Derek Brown, a former member of gang, wrote about how rap music influenced his life. He said that he listened to N.W.A. “I remember listening to N.W.A. Fischer and Greitemeyer did a study titled Impact of Music Lyrics and Music Videos – Children and Youth. The results showed that men who listened and perceived misogynistic lyrics as more hostile than women. Ellen Nikodym wrote that misogynistic lyrics in rap songs can cause self-objectification among women. This was especially true for African-American women. These reports prove that rap can have a negative impact on listeners in multiple ways.
ConclusionRap artists often use drugs, violence, or women to reference in their music. It is easy to see why. There is a distinction between rapping on these topics to share a story with listeners or to make money, or to be famous. These are growing issues and should be solved. These references are not necessary for rappers to create great songs. Songs such as God’s Plan, This Is America and 1-800-273-8255 are great examples of songs that don’t mention these topics. I don’t mean to say we shouldn’t listen to rap or not boycott it. But we must stop praising rappers that rap about these subjects. Rappers should recognize that their lyrics can have an impact on all age groups, genders, and races.
