How rap music can affect young people.

Music is something that every person has their own opinion about. It is unique and personal to you. No one can tell you whether the music you like is right or wrong.  However, music can be very influential and powerful on individuals and groups of people.  Different people have different preferences and various types of music have many ways of impacting an individual. People use music to express themselves in ways that can’t be expressed through behaviour or art. You can usually tell how someone is feeling by the type of music he or she is listening to at the time. To me, music is a way of expressing thoughts or emotions about something or someone or about feelings and experiences. Music can be enjoyable and relaxing, it can make you feel happy,  motivated and energized, however it can also make you feel sad or maybe even angry and violent.

Imagine if you were living in a world without music. What does music mean to you? More to the point, what does rap music mean to you? The definition of rap is rhythm and poetry.  In my opinion, there is always rhythm but I don’t know about the poetry element. Words like “Hoe and Bitches” are used frequently by many rap artists which are not poetic. In fact, they are abusive, disrespectful and could be deemed dangerous as through the use of such language, oppressing women is being made to be seen as acceptable. There are many views and schools of thought that rap represents or broadcasts sexism. Many rap artists use offensive language that is often directed towards women.  In addition to this, rap music often contains lyrics that are violent and aggressive, and again, one could argue that through this music, violence and crime is acceptable and a way of life that is glorified and glamourised.

There are so many genres of music out there today but it seems that rap music is at the forefront and having the biggest impact on society at large, especially on teenagers.

A rapper that goes by the name of ‘Chief Keef’ also known as Keith Cozart made a violent claim which was that he would “Raise the murder rate up” when his Bang 3 mixtape was due to be released. “Chief Keef scares me,” Lupe Fiasco said in an interview. Lupe Fiasco had just announced his retirement whilst he was having a feud with Chief Keef on Twitter “Not him specifically, but just the culture that he represents … The murder rate in Chicago is skyrocketing and you see who’s doing it and perpetrating it, they all look like Chief Keef.”  So, even though it is not being explicitly stated, it is quite clear that Lupe Fiasco feels that Chief Keef’s music could be linked to inciting criminal behaviour amongst those who listen to his music and there are probably a large number of people who would share that view.

As a young child I listened to various genres of music. I am now 16 years of age and personally I feel there is growing concern over the explicit sexual content in pop music and the use of half-naked women in videos. Though many rap artists have an extraordinary amount of success, they are often criticised for their lyrics and videos which ooze with references to scantily clad women and sex.  However, the criticism does not appear to have had little or no impact on the success of rap music including those that are sexually explicit.

The lyrics sung or rapped by the artists can be about things going on in their own personal lives and people with similar issues can relate to what they hear.  Through this, individuals may feel that there is hope and ways to get out of situations they may find themselves in.  Whether the choices they may make and the actions they take are right or wrong is not for me to decide, but music may well have had some form of impact on this decision making process.

A lot of people come to the conclusion that rap music has a very big impact on the world. Listening to the lyrics, they usually revolve around sex and drugs and those are topics many parents don’t want their children being involved in. Many of the music videos made by rap artists explicitly display such topics in them. Studies show that people who are more into rap music may do drugs one time in their lives.  If these studies are correct, that could be millions of people using drugs even if it is only once.  Not a badge that I think many people would be proud to wear.  People have different views and opinions about rap.  Some say it influences violence – rival rap artists using offensive rap as a tool against each other have encouraged and influenced murders to take place and this also encourages people to commit acts of violence towards others.

Music can bring groups of people around the world together via concerts, shows and venues to show what their interests and likings are in music. Music can also unite or divide groups of people. I can personally relate to the effects that music has on its listeners and users because it’s a big part of my life. Every day I listen to the lyrics and sounds of different artists with contrasting ideas and opinions. The music I listen to changes my attitude and behaviour.  I also at times choose what I want to listen to based on how I am feeling at the time.  This shows how powerful music can be on us.

Rap music is listened to by millions of people across the world and it can have a negative impact on some people but on others, it may help them express themselves in a way that they could not using words. Rap songs have a way of getting you hooked on the repetitive lyrics so you listen to them over and over and eventually you memorise the lyrics and the way they rap/sing them.  This is part of the success of rap music.  Repetition and catchy beats are ingredients to creating a great pop tune.  Rap artists and their producers have mastered this.  Rap music will continue to be produced and put out in the world for people to listen to as people want to listen to it.  The sales figures speak for themselves so rap, whether you love it or hate it, looks like it is here to stay.