Is Rap To BLame?
...so the female audience began to take a part in rap, among the first were Salt-n-Pepa, Queen Latifah, and Li'l Kim. Today rap music has become very popular, using new rhythms and beats. Parents fear that there children who listen to rap will turn them to use drugs, resort to violence, and have sex. Rappers don't deny that their music talks openly about the harsh topics of life but they argue that their fans should be able distinguish between fantasy and reality, right and wrong. A major reason rap music carries bad messages is that the big labels encourage rap artists to write songs that way. "Rap music is controlled by big companies and they determine who will be the next rapper," Kim says. "For example, if a big company has two rappers and the first one raps about violence, drugs and girls, and the second rapper is rapping about world peace, the record company will sign the first rapper in an instant because that's what sells. And the record company will give him a lot of advertising. Rap unfortunately became a business and if you're not what the labels are looking for, then you won't get signed." (http://www.ebayc.org/nexgeneration/magazine/06/looking-glass/other-side-of-rap.html). When rap originated its lyrics did not refer to sex, drugs, and violence but rather what the rappers were feeling inside at that time and their view of issues in society. But "it ain't all the record producers' fault," Byndloss says, "'cause we're the ones buying that music. They saw where the market was at and we started buying all the gangsta rap and then they said, forget everything else, we're flowing with this now." (http://www.ebayc.org/nexgeneration/magazine/06/looking-glass/other-side-of-rap.html). Teenagers look up to rappers as their idols and try to be like them in every way possible. This may lead teens to believe that its the norm for anyone to go out and commit a violent act and use illegal substances. After Dr. Dre's album "The Chronic" came out, everyone thought it was ok to smoke weed. When people saw rappers wear "iced out chains" people went out and bought them. Not only is it the music choice of many teens it has also influenced their life. Such things include the way they dress, walk, talk, choices they make, and even the way they view life. In my opinion its not rap that creates such a violent society but the way your parents brought you up and the environment you were brought up in. When you listen to rappers lyrics you should be able to distinguish what is right to do and what is wrong. Your parents should be responsible for teaching you this as a kid growing up. It is your responsibility to listen to them and to make the right choices. When you get older and are faced with choices to make on your own, you take the knowledge you were grown up with and decide to make the right choice or the wrong choice. Some decide to do drugs just because your friends do and that's your choice, knowing its the wrong thing to do. No one forces you to do anything. This is none other than the kids fault. Some parents blame rap for their kids wrongdoing but if that's the case why let your kids continue listening to it? They made a label for CD's and tapes that said Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics which actually in my opinion didn't do too much. This way parents would be aware of the explicit lyrics their children are listening to and wether or not they wanted them to listen to it. When you think about it, you buy an album just to listen to it not paying any attention to the parental advisory sticker. Besides you see little kids no older then 11 walking around listening to Eminem, G Unit, and all other rap artists cussing up a storm. Why didn't the parents say anything about that, they have control over their children, yet critics and congress blame the rappers. When I was younger I was careless about what was going on. Now, listening to rap, I can see all the hardships that people go through. A lot of people think that rap is all about drugs, sex, and violen...