Hiya!
I'm writing an essay on Rap music and why it is not as bad as what people think.
I would appreciate it if anyone with an interest would spare a few minutes and give me their views, positive or negative on which I could use to improve my essay.
Thank you.
Maya.
The attack on rap music is not the first attempt at sanitizing music. In the 1920’s the ‘sinful label’ was placed on jazz then religion led the ‘50s attempt to ban rock ‘n’ roll to the early 80’s where Ozzy Osborne records were burnt, just about any music which appeals to younger listeners has been persecuted.
In the world of music, the censorship effect by adults seems to repeat every generation. In 1956, this singer was called ‘unfit for a family audience.’ In 1970 this star met with the president of the United States in the oval office. Today, Elvis Presley is considered to be the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It wasn’t that long ago The Rolling Stones were considered dangerous, now they are on the cover of TIME Magazine with the headline ‘Rock rolls on!’
Rap does not pull the trigger!
‘Since when is offensive language a reason for being unpopular?’ Madonna once wrote.
‘I like the fact that Eminem is brash and angry and politically incorrect. At least he has an opinion. He’s stirring things up, he’s making peoples blood boil, he’s reflecting on what’s going on in society right now. This is what art is supposed to do.’
Often when people hear about rap music the paint a picture in their heads of black men cussing, guns, drugs, lost of gold, diamonds and girls dressed up to look like prostitutes.
Parents, teachers and adults generally put an image in children’s heads that rap is bad and should not be listened to.
But what people don’t know is that rap isn’t just music but it is a culture where people can demonstrate their talent and tell people who they are. Their music represents their area and their people; it’s no different from a farmer in Wales singing about his cows and chickens.
So what does rap do to get such a negative image?
The popular thing to say is that rap music glorifies or glamorizes violence. Actually the only thing rappers are guilty of mentioning it. It is up to the listener to discover what is being said and the issues brought up. This is not very hard, as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies have shown. Children go and see them and as yet I have not seem them in their dozens walking around with rifles shooting every poor by-stander. Any individual with even little intelligence knows the difference between fiction and reality.
However, rap has several redeeming qualities. It educates people about life in the ghetto and it’s a way to release anger. It might even be keeping your son or daughter off the streets from doing something illegal because kids can release their anger through listening to rap or rapping. Studies in Canada have shown as rap’s popularity has increased during the late 90’s, youth crime rates in Canada have significantly dropped.
So where did rap come from?
Rap evolved on the streets of American cities in the 1980’s and is characteristic by a rhythmic delivery of spoken lyrics against a strong bass beat. It moved to the mainstream in the late 1980’s and 1990’s when acts like Run DMC and Beastie Boys won success.
But with the arrival of Eminem the debate on Rap took to another level.
His stage show consists of him wielding a chainsaw and pretending to take ecstasy and his lyrics have been accused of being homophobic and sexist.
As far as being homophobic, Eminem says he is not, he never claimed to be homophobic either. Eminem earlier told MTV’s Kurt Loder ‘Faggot to me doesn’t necessarily mean gay people. Faggot is like taking away your manhood…you’re a sissy a coward. When I started saying faggot on records I started getting people saying ‘Do you have something against Gay people? And I thought it was funny ‘cos I don’t.’
Further confounding the controversy was the fact Eminem performed a duet with Elton John at the Grammy’s earlier this year. As we all know Elton John is gay has championed many gay causes.
John told the Los Angeles times that the rapper suggested the idea of a duet.
So could we have taken Eminem’s lyrics the wrong way? Should we have seen he’s view of words first?
Our world is not perfect. We are in a world filled with sex, drugs, racism and violence. Yet the majority of children still have the sense to differ right from wrong.
There is no evidence that Eminem and other rappers have caused an increase in this anti-social behaviour. Fine they get in trouble with the law, but there are role models from every part of the entertainment business who have flaws and get in difficulty with police including actors, athletes and other musicians.
So maybe we should take Eminem’s words to heart. ‘Kid’s are a lot smarter than we think. My younger fans have a sense of humour and can determine right from wrong.’
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