The Effects of Hip Hop/Rap Music on the Younger Generation Today

The Effects of hip hop/rap Music on The Younger Generation Today
The dynamic era of hip hop emerged in the 1970s through the streets of Bronx, New York City. Now twenty five years old and still counting, the world of hip hop is at a new level. Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, and Plies are just some of today’s biggest icons in the world of hip hop. Having record hitting tracks that jump off the charts, these rappers are definitely the image the younger generation looks up to. Though, having these amazing tracks, these same iconic figures are said to be the cause of our teenagers heading down the road of destruction. The effects of these lyrics on the teenage society are said to provoke violence, foul language, and enhanced sexual behavior. To begin, the effect of hip hop or rap music on the younger generation today has encouraged youth to become more violent and aggressive. Ever since the rise of rap music, teens have been turning to music to help solve their problems. However, this music cannot be helpful but very destructive. Encouraging raging acts of violence, these lyrics influence and damage the minds of children, teens and young adults. For instance, rapper Plies states, “Don't tell me shit about what them niggas said, Them niggas just raping, Fuck niggas be bluffing, Killers make shit happen,” in his track called Naan Nigga. The breakdown of these lyrics: It does not matter what another individual states about one, if a person is “real” one must make violent actions to prove your point in life. The effect of teens listening to music like this is shown in and out of school. More and more students are being arrested and taken to juvenile detention centers due to fighting or bringing weapons to school. For example, my junior year, a student brought a knife to school to threaten another student. During their verbal altercation in the courtyard, the student carrying the knife kept repeating, “Nigga I’m real, I’ll slit yo throat from ear to ear for talking shit,” while swaying the knife from left to right. In my opinion, this raging act of violence was definitely influence by the anger of music that is being listened to.
Another effect from rap music is the usage of foul language. Hip hop music often carries with it a swagger, and way of expression that represents an aggressive culture. Rap lyrics in particular, most often carry the same type of theme and language, and mostly degrading to women and other things. Either way, it introduces teenagers who would have never been exposed to such grammar as the way of life and how to speak slang. From my own experience, I have definitely realized that rap music is not only targeting teens, but also children. For example, my six year old cousin was written up in school for rapping a Nikki Minaj song called “I Beez in the Trap” during school. She kept repeating the first three lines of the song, “Bitches aint shit and they ain’t saying nothing. A hundred mothafuckas can’t tell me nothing. I beez in the trap, be-beez in the trap.” Not understanding these lyrics at all, my cousin was only repeating what was seen and heard on the television and radio. For teens and even younger children listening to hip-hop music and watching hip-hop videos day and night, committing the lyrics to memory, the music's language is adopted to one’s way of expression. Finally, the effect of hip hop or rap music influences enhanced sexual behavior. Watching various music videos with sexy bikini models flaunting and moving all lower bodily assets (hip, thighs, and buttocks) to every beat would not only entice an adult man, but also a teenage boy wanting all the same situations himself. Also, teenage girls who watch these same hip-hop video images take on the viewpoints they present of women as their own image. Whether that image is of women being used as objects or to be desired by many. This sexual mindset is believed to lead to increasing unplanned pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases among teens. All in all, hip hop music today has a major effect on teenagers. Lyrics containing violence, foul language, and enhanced sexual behaviors definitely encourages the younger generation to portray the same image. Although, it is not the youth’s fault, it is the content that the music contains. Rap music should not be prohibited, but one must be mindful and watch one’s actions.