Music Influence

Jazara Morales
Professor Mcglone
WSC 001
December 10, 2013

Lately, there has been a lot of commotion about the assumption that specific kinds of music are wrongly influencing the younger generation, mainly focusing on Hip Hop artists such as Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and Eminem. Some people are even going so far as to blaming Hip Hop for the most horrific and violent events of our time. Researchers, parents and other adults of the generation before claim that this music has a negative effect on their children. I disagree with this accusation and in the remainder of this essay; I will argue my reasoning for thinking what I do. I strongly believe that your emotions and your mood influence your music choice at that given time. If I am happy, I will not be listening to a break up ballad with it’s sad and depressing lyrics. I will be listening to some Pop catchy tune with a quicker tempo. In opposition, if I am sad, I find myself listening to R&B music, something with a dragging tempo. If I'm Angry at my parents or feeling bewildered and confused, like nothing is working out the way I want it to and never will. That will be when you will hear me listening to heavier music with angry, detrimental lyrics, because in that moment I connect to the words and I'm not alone. While listening to such music you feel empowered because someone has went through the same thing you have. Sadly, many parents don't even have a clue about what is occurring in their teenager's lives. They ask them about petty things such as how school went or what they were able to learn in class that day and they receive the same exact answer "fine" or "ok". Suddenly, when a tragedy happens no one ever wants to feel responsible for anything of that sort. A teenage shoot out, why would any parent want to put the blame on them? Why not blame the media, an untouchable force, or God? For who can even decide if who and what the media really covers is legit? Experiencing violent thoughts is a reality for many teens and adults. People seem to think that Gangster rap music such as Meek Mills song Burn effect them negatively and as a result cause these thoughts. In my opinion, violent music will not cause such thoughts or ideas, but it may bring them out if they were already being contemplated. No one can blame a certain song for the reason behind why they broke the law or committed a murder. The lyrics may cause you to consider these actions but at the end of the day we as human beings are responsible for everything we do. The artists who make any “angry” songs are using the music as their own vessel of emotion. Artists are human as well and so they need their own outlet of anger or any other feeling just as we do. For instance, here are some lyrics from the song Kim by Eminem “Sit up front (We just can't leave Hailie alone, what if she wakes up). We'll be right back, well I will, you'll be in the trunk” This quote clearly displays Eminem's hostility to his now current ex-wife Kim. Pertaining to the song, teenagers identify with the fact that Eminem was cheated on not the way he wants to put Kim in the trunk of his car. In a Stanford study it states, “by pointing to rap as the cause of violence, politicians attempt to erase from the consciousness of their constituents the history of oppression that has given birth to hip-hop culture” (Blanchard). The government may attempt to blame the world's troubles on Hip Hop, but we all know what some of the real issues are. Either way, hip-hop does not negatively influence anyone, it is up to the listener to make the right decisions because you are your own keeper and you hold responsibility for your own actions.