Do you feel that Rap lyrics have had a negative effect on young people?

Great, contentious, inflammatory question...

As a black man, I'm torn between defending the music/lyrics and being critical. For the record, most of the rap music - TODAY - is devoid of taste, talent, substance, style or content. The lyrics are cliched, the styles are cliched, you can't tell one L'il So-and-So from another. There was a time not too long ago when this genre was vibrant, creative and dare I say almost musical.

The lyrics are about boasting, pimping and preening, violence towards women, one another, other people and hedonistic consumerism/commercialism. To be fed a non-stop diet of this stuff and say it doesn't have an effect is borderline delusional.

Of course it has an deleterious effect, the positive/educational messages from artists like Public Enemy, EPMD, Digable Planets... etc are drowned out by or non existent with the onslaught of Gangsta Rap and Consumo-Rap. Before it was about 'self-respect', then it was about 'being a gansta' and now it's about 'pimpin and bling'. Yes it does have a negative effect when all you're getting is L'Il Wayne or whomever, or Chingy, or whatever poor-spelling no-talent thug-wannabe gets a record deal.

Explicit lyrics are one thing but what is the song really trying to say? Public Enemy's 'Who gives a **** about a goddamn grammy?' versus a NWA '**** da police'?

As far as people looking down at people, that's going to happen regardless of what musical stylings you prefer. Lots of people like country...lots of people don't like country and say disparaging things to country lovers. Taste is a personal thing regardless if it's rap, country or rock.

As for what other music has had a negative effect, the closest type would have been death metal/heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne was implicated/sued one of the two for a song Suicide Solution which parents claimed caused their son to take his own life. The themes of heavy metal/death metal are usually much darker than your average pop band. Consequently this type of music has been singled out for having a negative effect, a preoccupation with the occult, with death, with war, etc.

I think your question is veering towards the topics of censorship and taste. Before there was rap, rock was considered to have a negative effect on people, before rock, jazz was considered to have a negative effect. In all these cases, it was the power brokers seeing what power a style of music over those that were not in power and the consequent desire to maintain control and influence.

I have always felt that if music, video games, television, or movies has a negative effect on someone, then they were already messed up to begin with. I've listened to all kinds of music throughout my life, and I haven't killed anyone, sold any drugs, beat up a girl, or worshiped the devil. I guess my answer is No. I think what does have an effect on the young people of today is the rap artists who glamorize drugs, violence, and "ho's". Kids are looking for role models, and they choose these thugs to be it. Parents don't do anything about it, because they will be turned over to social services for disciplining their kids.

To answer your questions...

1) Contrary to popular belief, there are many hip hop/rap albums that don't have explicit lyrics (i.e. - Christian rap, some conscious rap, some old-school rap, etc.), but most of these kinds of albums never make it to mainstream status. But as for the more explicit brand of rap, if a child's parents don't instill the difference between fantasy and reality and an ethical and moral standard in them, then yes, this kind of music can be harmful. However, the same goes for other genres of music, as well as movies, video games, TV shows, etc. Nowadays, sex and profanity is everywhere, not just in music.

2) Yes, I feel that some people look down on those who like and listen to hip hop/rap music. Interestingly enough, I find that most people who say they don't like rap/hip hop and complain about rap's many vices don't realize that they're only seeing one dimension of hip hop. Most of them base their opinions on the kind of rap that the mainstream media force feeds us day in and day out. I'm here to tell you that not all rap/hip hop emphasizes materialism, misogyny or is filled with profanity (i.e. - conscious rap, Christian rap, etc.). There's still some good, quality hip hop out there for those that bother to look for it, but you definitely won't find it in the mainstream.

3) Yes, there are other types of music that have the same effects on young people, namely, some types of rock music. There are some kinds of rock music that have just as much sex, drugs and profanity as some rap music does, not to mention other rock spinoffs that promote satanism, hate, etc. But, similarly to rap, not all rock music falls into those categories. Just like rap, there are other branches of the rock genre that promote positive things too.

I think it's the voice of young people. And as with music throughout history, a lot of it is aimed at upsetting mom and dad.

Not all hip hop is misogynistic or wrapped in violence and deathworship tho. That's just the major label stuff that gets put on MTV. Indie hip hop is positive, creative, and smart. It doesn't sell as well as gats and bitches, so the major labels don't touch most of it.

I don't think so, I love rap music and it doesn't have an effect on me

It's definitely had a negative effect on society.

Definitely affects young, old, middle aged, etc. Lyrics stink and reflect ill gotten gains.

some but most of them are just tellin what there lives were like 50 cent does that a lot and emeinems lose your self an sing for the moment tell about what there lives were like so some can be but most of it......nah

Apart from incorrect grammar, obnoxious bass, do-rags (or however you spell it), references to drugs, references to sex, obsessive profanity.....

it's the best music ever!

how else would you be noticed at every intersection with your head stuck halfway out the window with 22 inch rims no no no im sorry... DUBS.... my bad homies....

we cool right?

:D

rap lyrics are real life