Music Degrading to Women Essay Example

It is common to hear hip-hop and rap music played on local radio stations these days, but have you ever really taken the time to listen to some of the lyrics? You might be shocked at what is really being said behind those catchy rhythms. Lots of hip-hop and rap songs that are sung by men contain inappropriate lyrics that show no value for women. There is a good chance that you might not even notice these derogatory lyrics because our culture is so accustomed to hearing songs that contain profanity and ones that have no respect for women. When did it become OK in our society to degrade females in music? Exploitation of women has become an accepted part in the music industry, for both the artists and the public. These explicit lyrics commonly lead other men to think that treating women disrespectfully is tolerable. Why is this? Because hip-hop and rap music promotes the degradation of women. The hip-hop culture in the United States can be traced back to the streets of New York City in 1970. At first, people would read off poetry to different beats of percussion. Over the next few years this form of poetry progressed to have a more musical beat provided by a DJ. Soon, this form of music was commonly known as rap, and in 1979 it began to enter the American mainstream of music. Now, it is a popular genre of music that tops the charts and is being performed in many different styles around the world. Even though rap is extremely well known, it has developed a reputation by some people as being explicit, violent, and disrespectful. Since the beginning of rap music, artists have used derogatory lyrics about women. Today, these degrading lyrics have become more brutal, and more common to hear. Rap music is defitintely the most influential and powerful part of the hip-hop culture, and the fact that it is encouraging the disrespect for women is concerning. Men that constantly listen to this music may feel that it is acceptable to treat women like rappers