Music continues to beone of the most recognisable and influential elements of society. For hundreds of years, music has brought people together and evoked emotions and feelings. No matter where you go in the world, people connect and interact with music. Music can have both positive and negative effects on the human mind. I grew up listening to two amazing bands the Eagles and Journey. It was during my stay in America that I explored rap music, and understood its true essence.
Rap music, in-spite of the negativity and controversy that often surrounds it, can have a positive influence on listeners and expand their consciousness. Rap music has had a reputation of being a form of music that represents violence, sexual content, as well as celebrating gangs, and consumption of drugs and alcohol. Another notion prevalent in society associated with rap music is the frequent, strong profanity used in the lyrics.But this is an expression of the rappers anger towards injustice and inequality- in context of the entire song.Rap music is entertainment and should not be treated any differently than any other form of entertainment. With sold-out concerts, millions of followers on social media and thousands of songs sold and downloaded monthly, there is no doubt these artists are influencers.
Origins of RAP
Hip Hop is predominantly was a black cultural trend started in the United States in the 1970s. A lot of the Hip Hop stars credit DJ Kool Herc (born Clive Campbell) as the founder of Hip Hop. DJ Kool was a Jamaican-American who had his early life in the Bronx, New York City.
Rap music began in the early 1970s in the United States as a mix of disco and funk at clubs. The DJs would generally speak over or after the songs and incorporate the crowd to get a better reaction from the music. Soon the spoken lyrics were rhymed throughout the songs which energized the audience. The music first had a disco oriented vibe that allowed all who listened to get involved. The Sugarhill Gang were the founding fathers of rap and became popular because their style and beat had never been heard before. As the 1980s began, rap became more of a personalised style that strayed from disco and changed to have more of a hip hop feel. Run-DMC was the first rap group to really hit on a mainstream platform in this different style.
In 1986 a new group named NWA came onto the scene and they exploded, achieving platinum album status when they sold over 3.5 million albums of their first release. However, they used an aggressive “thug/gangster” style which generally involved songs about gangs, black social movements, drug wars and police violence which were all relevant issues. Take for instance, Ice-T’s song “Cop Killer” was banned by several radio stations due to its aggressive lyrics about police officers.
The bottom line is that all rap music is not degenerate. Consideration should be taken when analyzing the message that the music is presenting. One of these positive effects is that it has been used as a great unifier of diverse populations around the world. It started as a subculture among African American communities in America but it is now a phenomenon of global culture. Today it isn’t only restricted to African American communities, as non-black communities comprise seventy five percent of the global hip hop audience. The fact that hip hop has crossed the cultural divide demonstrates its ability to unify millions of youth worldwide.
A study from Emory University in Georgia discovered that teens between the ages of 14-18 who listened to rap music for roughly around 14 hours a week were three times more likely to get in a fight with a teacher, 2.5 times more likely to find themselves getting arrested, and 1.5 times more likely to take part in illegal activities such as underage drinking and experimentation with drugs. But even good kids can “flare up”.
Rap music is greatly misunderstood. The media often portrays rap music as negative and focuses on rap music more when it is related to something undesirable.
Many media stories identify rap music as a catalyst in problems such as teen pregnancy, crime or some other negative social issue that existed long before rap music became prevalent. There is rap music that is positive and can serve the purpose of improving social consciousness by increasing awareness of some of the issues.
Social issues
Rap is channel for people to speak freely about their view on political or social issues and by doing so, it engages teenagers to become concerned and aware of these issues. This is important in making the youth aware of the world around them and the conditions they face in society, enabling individuals to discuss ways in which they can make a positive change within society.Thanks to the advancements of social media which allowed fans to connect with their favourite artistes, such as Kanye West, Drake and Eminem, in a way they never could before.
There is some rap music that is created with the intention of sending a positive message to its audience. There are songs that denounce violence and call for peace. The vast majority of rap artistes are from the inner city where sub-par social conditions and inequality can be seen the most. Many times, when a rapper writes a song that speaks of violence, drug use or other criminal activity, it is because it is something that they have seen in their living environment and therefore are in a good position to give a detailed account of how life is there.
Many rappers rap about poverty and their struggles in inner-city America while growing up. Once they achieve success, they talk about overcoming obstacles and rising to the top. This message can give hope to many youths across the world who live in similar circumstances.
For example, when a rapper raps about his challenged childhood or about succeeding despite living with a drug-addicted parent, a teenager in a similar situation may believe that he, too, can get through his struggles.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) is a 21-time Grammy winner and a pioneer in the music industry. His lyrical prowess and storytelling abilities make him one of the greatest wordsmiths in the industry. In his song “So Ambitious”, Jay-Z encourages listeners to not let obstacles stop them from reaching their goals.Jay-Z had trouble getting signed to a recording label so he created his own recording label.
Kingdoms are built, not born, but they aren’t built alone. They require a team- to make palaces out of stones. Roc-A-Fella Records was Jay-Z’s first kingdom, and he made sure to vocalize the knights of his roundtable.
“Nobody will fall because everyone will be each other’s crutches,”. This empowers true teamwork. As Jay-Z said “Be goal oriented. Set clear, actionable goals for yourself. Once you have achieved them, set new ones. Achieving your first goal will motivate you to climb the next mountain.Do what you do and do it well. Do it better than you can imagine yourself doing it. Make a decision never to quit”.
