Rap Music Censorship Research Paper

On May 16, 2007 T.I. and 50 Cent, two of the most well-known and idolized rap artists, professed their thoughts on the controversial desire of urban leaders to omit the words, “‘b*tch,’ ‘ho,’ and the N-word,’” from hip-hop artist’s vocabulary during a press conference announcing the 2007 BET nominees (Mitchel). Fortunately, the controversial desire obviously failed in its push to omit certain words from the rap vocabulary, as rappers today frequently utilize the terms; however, language and phrases that seemingly express violence or illegal activity are still excessively censored on radio and sold albums. The censorship is promoted as a necessity to protect adolescents from becoming violent or rebellious due to rap music. The public, specifically

The ultimate purpose of censorship in music is to protect youth and juveniles from being influenced by the hostile language and drug-promoting nature professed by the lyrics of the rap/hip-hop genre. Parents blindly advocate the censorship in belief it protects their children from becoming delinquents and violent in consequence of hearing the f-word or any phrase that has any drug terms within the same sentence. Yet, censorship only provides the illusion of security and protection of adolescent listeners and unexpectedly counteracts against its instituted desire to reduce and prevent juvenile delinquency and violence. Which relates to the quote “The oppressed…tacitly adjust themselves to oppression, thereby become conditioned” (MLK Jr. 467). In the collection of essays titled Corrupt Originals: The Paradox of Censorship, explains how an act of censorship suffers a fatal flaw in linguistics in that, “the prohibition that separates what is banned from what is permitted also fuses them” (Holquist 17). This can be interpreted to that censored is without doubt promoted. Censorship only brings more attention to the censored subject. Paradox is evident in the censorship of drug phrases and violent terms in rap music today. By increasingly censoring terms and phrases that mention illegal narcotics and violence within the

For example, “Culture, Rap Music, ‘Bitch,’ and the Development of the Censorship Frame,” defines a censorship frame as, “mass media reports that culturally associate music and…perceptions of deviance.” (Schneider 38). This means that media today selectively targets and frames violence-promoting lyrics expressed in rap music. This causes the public to look “unfavorably” upon the messages of rap music and carry “negative public perceptions and discourse concerning rap music.” (Schneider 51). In consequence, the true purpose behind rap’s violent lyrics, as an eye opener to the bitterness of lower-class life and promotion of individual and communal empowerment and improvement, is ignored and focus on the potential dangers of rap music is promoted, thus causing an advocacy for censoring. The censorship frame distracts audiences from the positive and inspirational impacts of rap music. The censorship frame on rap music thus establishes a false stereotype against the genre and takes focus away from the genuine meaning behind the lyrics as a reflection of growing up as an African-American in