by Shaunicie Fielder
Music is one of the most diverse, fluid forms of communication known to man. Music has the power to transcend all barriers of time, space, and language. Some of the most popular music in the world is sung by people who barely understand the language. For many, music serves as a release or an escape for the shackles of everyday life. But for some, music has become a source of pain and strife. Rap and hip hop music have become two of the world's most popular forms of expression. Yet since their infancy, the two have come under fire for their harsh lyrics and violent imagery. Most notably in the Black community, there has been heated debate over this art form for its misogynistic portrayal of women and glamorization of illegal activity. Many artists have shunned criticism that they have received from the community and tried to pass the blame along to everyone from parents to record labels. There are many factors that influence the negative impact that rap and hip hop have had on the community, however the solution must begin and end with the artists that make the songs.
Rappers must take on a sense of personal and community responsibility when they make music. Although they may write songs about drugs and crime as a way to communicate a fantasy, the bulk of their listeners cannot make this distinction. Children are impressionable and absorb much of what they hear in songs. Music is one of the most important mediums for education because it facilitates learning. Even older people hear the excess being sung about and the glamour of the music videos and seek to attain them. These entertainers set trends and have a large influence on culture. They make millions of dollars selling their music to people and must be responsible to ensure that they are leaving positive impressions.
Some artists justify the toxic language that they use in their songs by performing service and giving back to the community. Rappers like Ludacris and TI have set up foundations that give back to the Atlanta community and help children. Yet for all the money, clothes, or books they give out, these material things can never make up for the psychological damage these rappers do to the community with their music. While their foundations might be preaching a message to "stay in school" their music is telling children to go out and sell drugs or engage in otherwise illegal behavior.
The treatment of women in today's music is also unacceptable. Women are degraded and characterized as inhuman. Black women especially bare the brunt of these negative lyrics. The perception of Black women as loose, promiscuous, and worthless is being perpetuated through these songs. Many places in the world that have never experienced Black women listen to this music and will treat Black female tourists accordingly. Black women traveling abroad frequently report being propositioned and sometimes attacked because of the assumptions generated by this music. Rap and hip hop are telling the world to devalue Black women.
Responsibility is the key to addressing this issue. Artists can no longer be guided by the top dollar alone. Their actions are detrimental to the community as a whole. Even people who do not listen to rap or hip hop are facing the consequences of the language used. It is time for blame shifting and finger pointing to end. Artists should own up to their part in the deconstruction of the Black community and change the messages that they communicate through their music.
Music is one of the most diverse, fluid forms of communication known to man. Music has the power to transcend all barriers of time, space, and language. Some of the most popular music in the world is sung by people who barely understand the language. For many, music serves as a release or an escape for the shackles of everyday life. But for some, music has become a source of pain and strife. Rap and hip hop music have become two of the world's most popular forms of expression. Yet since their infancy, the two have come under fire for their harsh lyrics and violent imagery. Most notably in the Black community, there has been heated debate over this art form for its misogynistic portrayal of women and glamorization of illegal activity. Many artists have shunned criticism that they have received from the community and tried to pass the blame along to everyone from parents to record labels. There are many factors that influence the negative impact that rap and hip hop have had on the community, however the solution must begin and end with the artists that make the songs.
Rappers must take on a sense of personal and community responsibility when they make music. Although they may write songs about drugs and crime as a way to communicate a fantasy, the bulk of their listeners cannot make this distinction. Children are impressionable and absorb much of what they hear in songs. Music is one of the most important mediums for education because it facilitates learning. Even older people hear the excess being sung about and the glamour of the music videos and seek to attain them. These entertainers set trends and have a large influence on culture. They make millions of dollars selling their music to people and must be responsible to ensure that they are leaving positive impressions.
Some artists justify the toxic language that they use in their songs by performing service and giving back to the community. Rappers like Ludacris and TI have set up foundations that give back to the Atlanta community and help children. Yet for all the money, clothes, or books they give out, these material things can never make up for the psychological damage these rappers do to the community with their music. While their foundations might be preaching a message to "stay in school" their music is telling children to go out and sell drugs or engage in otherwise illegal behavior.
The treatment of women in today's music is also unacceptable. Women are degraded and characterized as inhuman. Black women especially bare the brunt of these negative lyrics. The perception of Black women as loose, promiscuous, and worthless is being perpetuated through these songs. Many places in the world that have never experienced Black women listen to this music and will treat Black female tourists accordingly. Black women traveling abroad frequently report being propositioned and sometimes attacked because of the assumptions generated by this music. Rap and hip hop are telling the world to devalue Black women.
Responsibility is the key to addressing this issue. Artists can no longer be guided by the top dollar alone. Their actions are detrimental to the community as a whole. Even people who do not listen to rap or hip hop are facing the consequences of the language used. It is time for blame shifting and finger pointing to end. Artists should own up to their part in the deconstruction of the Black community and change the messages that they communicate through their music.
6 comments:
It goes without saying that Ms. Feilder is correct in her analysis of rap and hip hop in today's society. First, while artists should own up to their role in the language used in the songs, producers and record labels share in the problem. In today's world, the only way to succeed is by rapping, basketball or worse, drugs. For the millions of black young people who have no other positive outlet or role model to look up to, hip hop and rap artists fill that void. To that end, they should make a more concious effort to temper their language and change the "culture" of rap music. Secondly, the black female since slavery has been the victim of oppression, misogeny, jealous and envy. Consider Michelle Obama, Oprah or any other prominent black female. They are look at harshly and at times negatively by media. Why? Rap music and the language used. Using the b-word or calling women whores is no way to end the long cycle of oppression and objectivity in our society.
Lastly, if the artists really cared about the audience and wanted to take a stand, they would not promote and release certain songs. The culture of the music industry has become one of greed, competition and immorality. Additionally, if we continue to support the rappers, we are as much to blame as they are for the negative perpetuation in the messages of their music.
R. Tuzo
"They make millions of dollars selling their music to people and must be responsible to ensure that they are leaving positive impressions." That's just it, PEOPLE BUY IT! If people didn't want something, they wouldn't buy it. So the blame can not solely be on the artist anymore because they are giving us what we want. We are the one's supporting them. If they didn't sell, oh trust and believe their content would change, it's common sense. Our culture glorifies sex, drugs and money no matter how civilized it claims to be, no matter how sophisticated we want to label ourselves, no matter how upright we claim we are. Sex sells, drugs sell, and the pursuit of money sells. If I didn't want to get high, I wouldn't smoke weed and therefore the drug dealer would go out of business and resort to doing something else to survive. That's all rappers are, lyrical drug dealers and we are the doped out crackheads shooting up with their music. In the 80's Michael Jackson sold...now Soulja Boy sells...you tell me when Soulja Boy became the next Michael Jackson. Exactly, he didn't, society has changed from "back in the day" and music then is nothing like music now because people's values now, are nothing like people's values then. Plain and simple!
Rap/Hip hop as well as pop, r&b, and various genres of music add to misogynistic views of women as well as materialistic views in society. Artists do need to take responsibility for their part in adding to these negative views. It is also the responsibility of the parents who subject their children to this media and don’t instill certain values in them. Artists’ objectives are to please their fans, make money, and get high record sells. Unfortunately these misogynistic views are what sell. If that is what the public wants, then that is what the artists will promote. Consumers also play a part by supporting media that reflect these views, and they need to hold responsibility for that as well. The responsibility for these negative views and images should be shared by many.
Destinee Moore
Making one individual responsible for an entire culture is not fair. The music industry is a business, we must not forget. Just we go to work to make money, so do artist. Economically speaking, whatever sells the best will be made the most. Though it can be immoral, people still listen, support and buy the music. If we want to put an end to the negative influence of hip-hip we have to stop supporting it. If the music doesn’t sell, they artist will be forced to change.
I don’t think an artist wakes up and thinks, “I’m going to write a misogynistic song today!” but they still have bills to pay. I don’t agree with a lot of the lyrics on today’s music, so I don’t sing them. I don’t like what a lot of rappers represent, so, I don’t go to their concerts. It’s unrealistic to hold hip-hop artist completely responsible for the negative aspects of black culture, when we are endorsing them.
It is the personal actions that we as individuals make to bring about change. We can no longer wait on the artist to change their lyrics, honestly; I don’t think that will ever happen. It’s supply and demand. There’s a demand for the negative, immoral, misogynistic music that many have come to love-that-beat, so the artist will supply that need. I believe, that until the demand changes, hip-hop artist will continue to supply that type of music. So, the question pending is, will you choose not to go that Lil Wanye concert, or buy the new JayZ cd?
I, for one, am rather tired of the argument that rap and hip hop are the main causes of the ills of society! Artists either make music from experiences that they know or what is going to make them money. NOBODY IS FORCING BLACK CHILDREN TO BUY OR LISTEN TO EXPLICIT MUSIC! The problem stems from the home and the parents. If children grow up in a place where they are not taught that illegal acts are not right to follow, then children will continue to listen to the music and believe that by participating in illegal activities, that they too can one day make a better life for themselves.
I came from a home where my parents listened to all tpyes of rap and hip hop, yet I do not glamourize illegal activities because my parents instilled in me that life was not about quicking rich quick through a life of sex, drugs, and violence. They taught me that education was the key to a better life- I was not raised my music artists and music videos, yet I still knew what they were.
The other argument that has been very prevalent recently is society is that rap artists degrade women in their music videos through the display of scantily clad women. HAS ANYBODY EVER STOPPED TO THINK THAT THESE WOMEN ARE NOT BEING FORCED TO APPEAR IN MUSIC VIDEOS? It is not slavery nor human trafficing that is forcing these women to be in music videos- IT IS THEIR WILL! If Black women did not subject themselves to being readily degraded and stereotyped in videos, then rap artists would have to find other means by which to make a video. Women are not stupid- when they appear in music videos, they know that they are going to most likely be subjected to wearing little to no clothing, getting money thrown at them, or being called a "bitch" or a "hoe."
STOP PLACING THE BLAME ON MUSIC ARTISTS. THE BLAME NEEDS TO BE EVENLY DISPERED ON THE HOME, PARENTS, VIDEO GIRLS, AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE!
-Justine Burke
I agree that music is a form of relief for some people such as me, and that R&B and Hip Hop in particular can bring more agony than pleasure to a community. However, I wouldn’t put the blame entirely on the artists themselves. Yes, rappers do have a huge impact on their adolescent listeners. But, if parents do not lay out any forms of morals or rules for their children they are less likely to form their own decisions on sensitive topics such as this. Yes, a lot of Hip Hop and R&B does portray violence, sex, and drugs. However, a lot of it is educational as well. And to think… Some artists have “made it to the top” because of albums bought by our community. Sometimes, I feel that artists feel that music is the quickest way to become financially successful, and make a name for themselves. I mean, do you think they would be supported just as much by our community if they had pursued something pertaining another field?; such as lil’ Wayne who got a degree in Psychology. And additionally, the degrading of our Black women did not start in the music community; that depiction started way back in slavery time. It is just a shame that our choice of music these days includes that same depiction.
By: Farrah Shelly
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