Nantucket Hip-hop music has been an integral part of the American culture since the sass. Hip-hop music, which encompasses rapping, disc Jockeying. Break dancing, and graffiti writing, has become so popular that American culture has adopted the music in mainstream fashion and modern language. The conflict on whether hip-hop music Is “art or poison” has been continuous. Some Americans support hip-hop as an essential art form, while others dispute that hip-hop has harmful effects on the American culture. The culture associated with the music has drastically changed.
The marketing executives frequently seek out the hip-hop artists for promotional purposes because of their widespread audience. In today’s culture, hip-hop music affects the youth population above all. Hip-hop music has negatively affected the American culture, primarily the youth, by promoting illegal activities, violent behavior, and sexual promiscuity. Young Americans are highly attracted to the illegal activities promoted by hip-hop music. Statistically, most young people purchase the music, and adopt the lifestyle portrayed In the lyrics.
Through television, music videos, and other usual media forms, hip-hop artists are portraying negative stereotypes and acing In a manner that promotes corruption. These negative messages condone the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Hip-hop artists such as Cash Money and most recently Rick Ross promotes usage and the sale of Illegal substances. Subsequently, the American youth Imitates these artists because the wealth, status. And lifestyle lure them in like a hypnotism spell. Acquiring the flashy lifestyle sometimes pays a price not only to the individuals seeking it, but the American society as well.
For example, a popular urban television show called “The Wire” mainly depicts the youth as drug dealers. In the television show, these young people get led toward more dangerous lifestyle starting with selling drugs on the corner. On a larger scale these drug activities continue to cater to the high percentage of drug addicts in America, consequently resulting in children entering foster care, and financial misery. High percentage In violence rose directly parallel to the rise In popularity of hip-hop music. When hip-hop music emerged in the sass, the
American people did not foresee the growth and influence the music would gain. First, during the popularization of Hip-Hop in the lateness’s, music artists such as Ice- T and Public Enemy used this “art” form to express their frustration with the American political system. Thus, this artist quickly turned the music into “poison” for the American culture resulting in rise in violence. Ice-T wanted to take a stance against the corrupt in American society, but ended up negatively adding to the situation, and driving the youth to murder white police officers.
Secondly, NNW Insignias With Attitude), another popular hip-hop group, comes to mind when examining violence in American hip-hop culture. Ana’s controversial lyrics consist of topics such as gang banging, drive-by shootings, and police confrontations. For Instance, two of the most admired hip-hop artists, Tuba Shaker and Christopher Wallace were killed In drive-by shootings, which Influenced gang activity, the source of a large percentage of violence in America. The Bloods and Crisps, two large gang groups, were linked to the murders of these music artists.
The American youth were annotation shown through hip-hop music is popular in the media, but the attention quickly shifts to the women. According to society’s traditional views, women are held as pure and virtuous character, but music artists acknowledge women to be sexually promiscuous. If you pick up a magazine, the first image seen will be provocatively dressed women on the front cover. Sexual promiscuity is celebrated in American culture. Most Hip-Hop music videos are required to have Mode girls” on set shaking their buttocks, portraying prostitutes, or stripers wearing less than nothing.
While these women are looked upon as sex symbols, the hip-hop lyrics also describe sexual actions that degrade women. For example, a popular r song, “Tip Drill” by Newly described and depicted humiliating acts. As Newly slides a credit card down a female’s buttocks, he raps these lyrics, “you looking good in them shorts but they look better on the floor”. The women are highly affected by the hip-hop music that they subject themselves to these degrading acts. This explicit and humiliating image was banded from daytime television to ensure young people did not get influenced y these images.
Another action was taken by society through an initiative called “taking back the music”. This initiative emphasizes the importance of eliminating detrimental images of women and focuses more on music content that view them in a positive light. Obviously, these initiatives did not work because the images have gotten worse and lyrics are more and more derogatory. Hip-hop music has negatively affected the American culture where as there will always be a high demand for drug dealers, crime rate increase, and demeaning lyrics and videos toward women.
Though hip-hop is definitely not the only cause, it does not help. If there are some minor changes in artists’ lyrics and stricter censorship regulations, subsequently, the American youth would not be subjected to such negative views. Also, if other hip-hop artists would follow suit the negative effects would improve. As long as artists realize they have a responsibility to their fans to advocate a positive outlook and good values; there is no doubt that there would be a decrease in usage and selling of drugs, violent crimes, and sexually explicit images of women.