... getting what they want. This is particularly troubling in young African-American girls, aged 14 - 18, who watch between six or seven hours of rap music videos a day in many cases. This specific demographic group is the most at-risk as they lack role models that can provide them the ... guidance to attain personal confidence and success in their lives, and instead, through rap music and videos, see sex and the ability to tolerate violence from a man as a means to a better life (Wingwood, DiClemente, Bernhardt, Harrington, ... videos lead in fact to a chain of deviant, often damaging beha...

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• Grade Level: High School

... on. Free Speech, Controversy, & A Guilty Conscience "My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge..."- "Criminal", from "The Marshall Mathers LP" An average rap artist wouldn't be able to grace the covers of VIBE, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Spin while on a national tour months before their major debut album is released ... LP" Even his harshest critics can't argue that his style and writing set him far apart from his peers. After all this is a life long rap fan who consumed thousands of songs and sorted them for reference, but who's never repeated another rapper's words (...

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... have their views heard and to vent about life on the streets (hiphopanonymous.net). Rose (as cited by Krohn et al. 1995) says, "Rap music is the central cultural vehicle for open social reflection on poverty, fear of adulthood, the desire for absent fathers, frustrations about black male sexism, ... listening habits were stable during the 12 months, and researchers found that those who were unemployed and under less parental supervision showed a greater exposure to rap music (The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 2003). At the 12 months follow up, Wingood et al. found...

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... with street parties in the Bronx during the seventies (Forward, 1997). In the early eighties, a New York University student named Rick Rubin began to sell rap records (1997). At the same time, a New Yorker called Tom Silverman was selling Afrika Bambaattaa records (1997). Several years later, Rubin, along with ... Russell Simmons, helped to create the single most successful white rap group of all time, the Beastie Boys (1997). All of them were Jewish (1997). Soon, a whole contingent of Jewish men, along with a few ... over a period of three years and a 1993 survey revealed that Jews hel...

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• Grade Level: High School

... gunshots in the background. It is also music that refers to women as "bitches," "whores" and sex-dispensing "hos"(Saunders B29). "Gangsta rap " has been criticized and debated over for its graphic sexual content, violent imagery and misogyny. When rappers were asked why they refer to women ... glorifies violence and demeans women. Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, served five months in a halfway house in 1993 for violating his probation for breaking another rap producers jaw in 1992. He was also convicted of hitting a New Orleans police officer in a hotel brawl and of slamming a TV talk-show ...

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... of different topics in their song. On the stereotypical side of these genres, Rock has been portrayed as a "white" genre of music while Rap has been portrayed as a "black" genre because of the fan base and races of artists of both genres. I totally disagree with this ... this genres were created by African-American musicians as a means to show their struggles, revolt, and acceptance in the U.S; surprising because of the stereotype that rap is a "black" genre. Speaking of which, both genres were created in the United States. Chuck Berry, said to be the pioneer of ... their societies. Both ...

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... affect on cultures and societies around the world. It affects how people dance, speak, and even the styles of clothing that are worn. As rap music has emerged from ghettos, it too has played an extremely important role in the lives of American youth today. Large numbers of "parental-advisory ... rewarded for stealing, beating, and dealing and consuming illegal drugs, exactly the opposite of what many parents teach their children while growing up. Gangsta" rap manipulates the youth For a youth, earning respect among peers is a crucial part of life. Everyone wants to feel accepted and rever...

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• Grade Level: High School

... Americans called the Sugar Hill Gang. Their hit single "Rapper's Delight" tore through the billboard charts, becoming the first rap song to make it to number one spot. With this breakthrough, the rap industry was born. More groups of "rappers" sprouted from everywhere in the 1980's, the most famous of which being ... 2 Live Crew, Public Enemy and Ice T. In the earlier years of rap music's development, rap was mainly listened to and produced by young African-Americans; yet in the mid 1990's more people of all races and socio-economic backgrounds began ... of themselves" and that the lyric...

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... the culture thy are from. The author hints on this when she writes "The larger point is that without critical dialogue with the creators of rap music and its genre, it is difficult if not impossible for outsiders, who are in many cases non-African American and not economically disadvantage, to ... even social statuses. In fact it is most artist sense of urgency to effect change of conditions threatening urban America. The article also ties in how rap music manifested in black America as a means for artist to show the traversing lines of language, culture, and the self with in. This was im...

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... world's problems will remain. A parallel can be drawn between the music of Manson and that of rappers. First, what does society see wrong with rap music? Sex is one concern. American society is petrified by any issue regarding sex and children, so a child listening to music that speaks of sex ... influence(ie. shoot). It is true that many rappers are involved with illegal activities, gang-related and otherwise. Is this because they rap? Of course not. Rappers rap about their lives. Their lives directly shape the music they make. Whether or not they rapped, they would still lead violent l...

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... see monkey do idea comes into play and that the African American youth watch the violence in music videos and repeatedly hear they violet lyrics in rap songs and this causes them to become violent. If young people think that it is ok for rappers to act out in criminal ways they will ... culture The heavy beat, incessant scratching, aggressive delivery and lyrical story line present a message of anger and frustration from urban existence."(613) Many of these rap artist have grown up in poverty and with the fear of being shot to death. Almost five percent of black males in urban America wi...

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... Negro spirituals. The negative connotation associated with both genres can be greatly attributed to the elements of sex, gambling, and drinking which are commonly associated with rap and blues. Blues music is very structured in its form. Songs are usually 12bars, 16 bars, or 8 bars. Each has a very specific set ... it came on, because his voice was so distinct. Although Tupac was loyal to the west coast, and his music had the sound of west coast rap, Tupac was actually originally from New York and was partially raised in Baltimore. So, technically Tupac was from the east coast, and origi...

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... it is just for a cameo. Marketing directors and advertisers know that they will get a lot of customers if they have a rapper endorsing their item. Rap has gotten so popular, that rappers aren't just rappers anymore. They are now actors, clothing designers, producers, spokespersons, and hosts of TV. Shows, you ... lines are designed by rappers, like Sean John (P.Diddy), Roca Wear (Jay-Z), Shady Limited (Eminem), and Phat Farm (Russell Simmons). In conclusion, Rap music isn't a fad that is going to go away like disco. Everybody loves the fake world that rappers portray and they love good ...

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... rules on gettin" tossed/ Popping rocks on the block was a past time/ Pack a 9 all the time" (qtd. in Pelley 3). What are these rap lyrics encouraging young people to do? They cause them to do negative things resulting in aggressive behavior. It encourages young people to be gangsters, curse, fight, and ... Some also feel that it describes life in the eyes of a black person. Venise Berry says that, "as a product of the black urban community, rap music is indisputably entangled with the struggle for black identity and legitimacy within mainstream society" (615). She feels that it indeed de...

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... and Grandmaster Flash were among the first to gain popularity. In 1982, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released the first popular politically based rap. Grandmaster's song "The Message" deals with life in the inner city, and the stress of being around violence and drugs. It ... Raps". The rhythms and the lyrics attracted a spectrum of listeners, from inner-city minorities to suburban upper-class whites. During the same era, as rap was rising in popularity, the infamous "PMRC hearings" occurred. Tennessee senator Al Gore's wife, Tipper, led the PMRC, or Parents' Music Resource Cen...

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... to incorporate his Jamaican style of dj which involved reciting improvised rhymes over the dub versions of his reggae records (Davey). Kool Herc separated rap music from other popular music and set the stage for further innovation. he is know for his massive stereo system speakers and his practice ... of extending obscure instrumental breaks that created an endless collage of peak dance named b-beats or breaks-beats (Rose). Afrika Bambaataa influence on rap's development is pivotal. He is often referred to as the God Father of Hip Hop, born and raised in the Bronx, he was a ... break da...

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... the World" debuted at No. 1 even as he was serving a prison sentence at the time. Although mainly hardcore and uncut, there do exist Rap artists that strive to set positive examples for their followers. Kurtis Blow rapped in a video for the March of Dimes' fundraising drive to battle birth ... of the horrors of cocaine. On Grandmaster Flash's hit "White Lines," he details how the drug can ruin a life, and shouts, "Don't do it!" Rap music, once only popular with blacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and other scattered eastern U.S. territories, has grown to become one...

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... creating a radical attitude and that ideology reflected in their music videos. Big baggy pants and shirts, snap backs and bandanas were covered all over rap videos and each particular item sent out a unique message to the impressionable youth. As well, the language they used in these videos gave us new ... steam in its ability to produce results when paired with existing clothing and apparel lines as well is in creating its own. A perfect example of Rap's ability to sell came in 1999 when Tommy Hilfiger reported a significant increase in annual sales after tailoring their line for "the ...

• Word Count: 1000
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... parks, young men and women battled through freestyle rhymes and dance moves. Whatever the time period, and whoever he MC may have been, Rap has incorporated, and included several of the "classical" musical characteristics present in most western music today. These characteristics have influenced the popularity ... to the listener's preferences. Harmony is a musical combination of tones or chords (Stewart, 1998). This style is not found in a lot of rap music; however, Bone Thugs in Harmony have mastered the art of combining harmony and spoken words. This group uses techniques of blending ...

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... messages of sex and violence into the minds of young adults leaving behind their sexist and repetitive influential messages. Music has a very powerful influence on our emotions, moods, and behavior. Rap music influences teenagers negatively by increasing violent attitudes and promoting sexual aggression against women. Very few people would argue the power of music. Mothers use it to rock their babies ... a gun that discharges in a case of self-defense, while Ice-T's song relates to the deliberate killing of cops at random. Which one advertises indiscriminate violence? When teenagers are...

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... streets was bound to rise. The real problems are outside the music, not within (Leland). The problem of urban violence is much bigger than rap. Rappers such as Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre, who have been publicly criticized for their lyrics, grew up in the ghetto, and ... be lying." Taneika Archer, another Long Beach teen said, "He tells it like it's supposed to be told" (Leland). When Tupac Shakur was murdered, anti-rap music activist C. Delores Tucker, said, "Mr.Shakur always talks about violence, and now it has come back to him." Many of Tupac's songs did contain violence ... charg...

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... gang activity that would overwhelm the Bronx for the next six years. Those teenagers called themselves the Savage Seven who included the future old school rap star Afrika Bambaataa; this group was one of the earliest and most important graffiti crews, and as they increased in number, they became the ... the toast also increased. Soon performers started to speak in sync with these break beat rhythms. There are four areas which Jamaican "toasting" and American rap music have in common. Both types of music depended on pre-recorded sounds, both needed a strong beat to which they either rapp...

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... minds and go on living life. Because the people born in this generation have experienced many of life's hardships much younger than past generations, rap and hip-hop music provide reassurance that troubles will pass. Listening to famous artists who have become successful reminisce about their struggles and difficult times ... no one cares what they do, they engage in activities which they think are fun, but are illegal, and they get themselves into trouble. Rap and hip-hop music circle around this behavior in a whirlwind, as it discusses these same problems and means of entertainment that...

• Word Count: 813
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... electric drum beats combined with digitally isolated sound bites from other musical recordings."(www.rap.com) Rap music has been categorized as, "A cultural evolution of the Black oral tradition and contemporary resistance rhetoric." (Smitherman,1997,p.21) Over time rap music has developed a lot of controversy in many ways, especially amongst parental units ... on the youth today. They talk about murder, rape, and assault as though they were okay. Almost everybody and everything that has to do with rap music is associated with drugs and alcohol. The ways that rappers address woman in the...

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... lyrical references strong enough can take over the subconscious causing people to act in ways they otherwise wouldn't. Mark S. Hamm and Jeff Ferrell's article, "Rap, Cops and Crime: Clarifying the Cop Killer' Controversy,"" speaks of rappers singing about everyday experiences. They see nothing wrong with rappers singing about violence ... glorifies violence and demeans women. Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, served five months in a halfway house in 1993 for violating his probation for breaking another rap producers jaw in 1992. He was also convicted of hitting a New Orleans police officer in ...

• Word Count: 913
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School