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How rap music affects society
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Hip Hop is seen as something inspiring, but most people see it as a way to speak out the truth about a problem. As in “Hip Hop planet” being able say the truth can sometimes worsen any situation because sometimes what we say can promote violence and whatever happens after is not in our control. The essay is about how hip hop has changed into speaking out the issues that need to be taken care of in order to maintain a proper society. McBride talked about how rappers use violent lyrics to degrade women and gays and because of this it shows how the music has evolved into something entirely different that no one would have ever expected to have changed. In James McBride's essay “Hip Hop Planet,” he argues that hip hop has a negative influence on American Culture despite people thinking of it as inspirational and how people live through different experiences in life despite of your race.
Rap music has been controversial and in the forefront of the american media now and in the 90’s. Without the frame of its social context and history rap music can not be understood. Numerous media groups, politicians, and general society are quick to place blame on rap for the growing trend in youth violence. “Keep in mind when brothas start flexing the verbal skillz, it always reflects what's going on politically, socially, and economically”-- Musician Davey D. In the 1990’s music defined the era of rap music socially ,politically, and historically.
In her essay “hip hop’s betrayal of black women,” Jennifer McLune implies that “(h)ip-hop owes its success to the ideology of women-hating” (193). She does not agree with Kevin Powell’s article that hip-hop does not mean to “offend” black women, but instead artists are only letting out their temper throughout their music. McLune feels infuriated that many artists in hip hop (including black men) rap about their community and downgrade their own women. In the hip-hop genre, sexism is mainly used, not only by black men but also by many other race hip-hop artists. Artists assume that women-hating in their rap songs will be accepted by women, but do not realize that it is affecting all women.
Some show African American women as strong to build them up and others show them as weak or needy exchanging sexual favors to obtain a particular lifestyle (Stephens & Few, 2007). Identities of African American woman are defined and perpetuated by those who have always held the power to create and distribute messages in the music business. Misogynistic views in hip hop are narrated by male Hip-Hop artists, but distributed for economic gain by record labels usually ran by wealthy Caucasian man —making the commodification of sexually scripted African American women highly profitable (Rebollo-Gil & Moras, 2012). The media has various methods of exposing the negative images of African American women such as mainstream rap to being heard on the radio, projected on television, downloaded on the Internet and consumed on YouTube. In the world of Hip-Hop and Rap, the sexual objectification of African American women is obvious, “bitch” and “hoe” are common labels used to describe women or to add insult to injury labels women call themselves.
Most people believe that “lyrics should appeal to us, not degrade us” (Glidden3). There is controversy surrounding “some artists accused of rapping sexually inflammatory lyrics” (Encyclopedia4). The actions of a few is causing people to put a bad label on rap in a whole. This bias opinion is becoming the cause of listeners to believe that rap lyrics “are setting a bad example for kids and teens” (Glidden2). I can understand where this may lead to critics to misapply such distaste to the rap form, but “there are rap artists who don’t use offensive language or portray women in a negative light” (Glidden1).
These days, mainstream rap music contains offensive verses about ladies and features normally half-naked ladies with agendas of getting more viewers. Hip-hop music has convinced society that this is how women should be treated by men and how men can embrace the ‘gangster’ image. Studies have shown that the rate of young boys acting violently in public expanded after these sorts of thug life has been shown in rap music
In Addition Today’s Rap Music is mostly about Money, Drugs, Women, violence and Sexual Conduct. The Music That You Listen Too Have An impact on you and your feelings and the way you act. There’s Some rap music that downgrades, women by calling them “tricks”and “ B’s” . And a that’s not right. That’s why some men call us out our name because they think it’s cool.
What seems to us now as excessive violence and misogyny in hip hop stems from a culture that has been consumed in a continuous battle against social and economic oppression since its early days. In the beginnings of hip hop, there was an explosion of defiance against the subjugation these artists had to experience on a daily basis. For many artists, rapping about guns and gang life was a reflection of daily life in the ghettos and inner-city housing projects. Not only did rap provide an outlet to voice the struggles of black youth, it also gave them a sense of pride. Before major hip hop groups such as NWA arrived on the scene, people would refuse to admit they were even from Compton.
Many songs in the rap genre have an air of violence or sexism against women. Some of the artists who create this music sing about having sex with women, the bodies of women, violence against women, or the inability of a woman to be on her own. Women who listen to this music may find themselves believing what is said, and gaining an implicit bias against other women or men. They might begin to consider other women as ‘sluts,’ ‘whores,’ or ‘gold diggers,’ and men as ‘sexist pigs’ or ‘perverts.’ Also, when women believe what is said about them in any type of media, they may start to become somewhat like the women described in that media.
¨If Hip Hop has the ability to corrupt minds, it also has the ability to uplift them.¨ Hip hop music, also called rap music, is a music genre developed in the United States by African Americans consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. Mainstream hip hop culture is also filled with misogyny and negative images of women. These artists are unaware that sexism has been forced onto them through the brainwashing from the media, which is controlled by a patriarchal society. Conversely, feminism is the belief that both genders should have equal power.
"Most people think its sex, money, and drugs but Hip-Hop is about lyrics, storytelling, and everybody having a different style. That's just another idea of beautiful, being yourself and creating music that represents you and what you like." -Rapsody. Hip-Hop started to be considered a culture down in 1973. Since then, general opinion hasn't changed much.
Recently, misogynistic behavior has been present in rap music. Misogyny in rap music has been more beneficial than harmful to men and women by providing them with opportunities for nourishment, allowing each of them to enhance their standards of living. Misogyny came from the general belief that women have to abide by and fulfill their roles. For a period of time, men were viewed as strong and dominant people. Women were seen as weak and incapable of handling a household.
Since rap music first appeared in the South Bronx of New York City in the early 1970s, it has been intertwined with American culture. Rap was popularized in mainstream music and media by young African Americans using it as a way of expression. Young people all throughout the country could identify with the rapper's use of rhymes to communicate the truth about their lives in the shape of a story. A style of political rap is used by modern day rappers. Where, the songs concentrate on current political events in society while affecting one's appearance, vocabulary, and manner of life.
The birth of hip hop took place in the Bronx, New York , during a time of poverty , Initially when Hip Hop first came about no one would have imagined how vastly and quickly it grew nor would they have predicted the influence on society it has today. This particular enriched and animated, genre of music went from the local backwoods of the projects to a multi millionaire industry. If you ask most people today their definition of Hip Hop , generally they would say a cool rhyming scheme with a hook and a catchy tune, which is not too far off. But it is much deeper than that .Hip hop is a form of expression like a factory , if you may .
Edwin Rahimi Research Paper From the underground streets of New York to the global stage, Hip Hop can be seen as one of the most influential genres of its time. As a style of music that ultimately originated from black street culture, much of its context can be pinpointed to the issues of political and social equality that are often kept in the dark. When Hip Hop emerged throughout the late 70s, new artists were experimenting with an advancement in technology and used various devices including turntables to create certain beats. As time went on, Hip Hop turned the page to more of a lyrical genre where artists ultimately began using words in their lyrics to convey a certain theme or message to the public eye.