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Ryan King
Academic Writing and Research
9:25 MWF
Professor Deb Moore
Prevention of Violence with Teenagers
“We on the mission for bad bitches in trouble I hope the universe love you today cause
the energy we bringing sure to carry away.”- Kendrick Lamar (Kendrick Lamar. "The Art of
Peer Pressure."). Couple of lyrical lines of a song defines violence that’s associated with rap
music, and it’s only one song, from one album, performed by one artist. When people think
about teen violence, a first thought is school shootings. In reality, with society changing and
teens being exposed to more than ever, teens are involved in more violent acts than ever before.
Is rap to blame for these acts? Many say yes that rap plays a huge role in teen violence, and
others may disagree. Even though many believe rap is only music, rap music is a cause of
violence in teens. Teens are the majority of who are exposed to rap, and a key element is
violence be it sexual or physical, and so rap may only be music, but it is a major role of violence
in teens.
“Violent rap music may be defined by more than actually physical violence. This is noted
in the images of the welfare queen or the ‘‘hoochie mama’’ promoted in hip-hop and rap music.
The images of Black women in contemporary society have been linked to the popular culture.”
(Gourdine, 63-64). Calling a female a terrible name may not be actual physical violence, but this
a derogatory term and could lead to violence in the future. “Given the hours of exposure to real
and fictitious characters engaging in violent escapades and antisocial behavior, youth come to
believe violence is not only "normal" but also admirable.”(Scott, Paragraph 6). Scott writes about
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how our youth who expose themselves to gangsta rap, don’t just think violence in alright but
they desire to take part in these acts. Gourdine and Scott both write about the violence in rap
music, even though Gourdine’s violence he is speaking about is the derogatory language about
women. Both of them agree that there is violence, and Scott says that long exposure to this music
results in teens admiring to be a part of a violent culture. The basis of these authors’ statements is
that they agree that rap music leads to violence. Gourdine also gives the other side, saying that
rap is only music and it doesn’t cause any type of anger or violence in our teens. “The youths
expressed concern that there were different genres of hip hop and rap music and that one needed
to understand the history of those artists who fell into what they termed ‘conscious.’”(Page 58,
Paragraph 3). Some people would agree with the teens, saying if the youth says it doesn’t cause
violence then must not. Gourdine attempts to change the outlook on rap music by giving the
teens an open forum to discuss their thoughts on hip-hop and rap. (Page 58, Paragraph 2).
“What's the use unless we're shootin no one notices the youth it's just me against the
world baby” (Scott, and Shakur, 1993). A lyric from the late Tupac Shakur whose life was sadly
shortened from a terrible firefight for an argument with another rapper, and this one of the first
times a rapper was killed from a “beef.” Everyone witnessed this crime, and the rap community
was devastated due to this murder of a loved one. Tupac Shakur says in the lyric that nobody
notices the youth, and many young teens in the 1990’s never thought about this statement until
the late rapper passed away. “The percentage of songs mentioning violence increased from 27
per cent during 1979–1984 to 60 percent during 1994–1997.”(Herd, Paragraph 1). With the
increase of violence in music in the mid 1990’s was the death of Tupac Shakur a major role in
this? Many people would probably agree that his death was a key player in the rise of violence.
Youth violence is one of the top causes of death in our country, and the exposure of violence in
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music, TV, and the other types of entertainment play a critical role in the promotion of violence
in teens. (Herd, Paragraph 2). Scott attaches those few lyrics from Tupac about nobody noticing
the youth unless they’re committing a crime. Herd would agree more than likely that this song
and Tupac dying caused the increasing rate of violence in music, and in America’s youth who
admire the violence of rap. “However the concern about rap music is that it may affect attitudes
and behaviors regarding violence.” (Johnson, Page 2, Paragraph 2). Johnson and Herd both agree
that there is the problem where rap music is playing a key role in affecting the behavior toward
violence. Scott doesn’t necessarily agree with rap promoting violence, but with him writing in
Tupac’s lyrics he makes it obvious for the reader that Tupac is calling out for violence. Teens are
directly affected by the violence in these lyrics, because they respect and plan to model their
lives after great rappers such as, the famous slain rapper Tupac Shakur.
“Critics of rap music suggest that that it often portrays African Americans as in a ‘state of
war’ with other races, and that African Americans should be a ‘cop killer.’”(Ice Cube, Johnson,
Page 2, Paragraph 2). Ice Cube saying that young African Americans should be “cop killers”,
obviously is a call for a type of physical violence on people who serve our society proves a point
that rap is making a case for promoting violence. “Oppressive economic and social conditions,
the crack cocaine drug trade and ensuing drug war, and high levels of police brutality – within
urban ghettos that promote violent themes in rap music.”(Herd, Page 402, Paragraph 2). This is a
very common argument, and the rise in the levels of police brutality might be a reason why Ice
Cube says, young African Americans should be “cop killers.” Growing up in the urban life style
or the “Ghetto” could be another reason behind the loss of respect of authority and with women.
This doesn’t give a teenager the right to live like these older rappers though, and the violence
behind rap won’t change until it’s put to an end by society. “The depiction of women in rap
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music, columnist George Will suggested that the lyrics of one song, ‘celebrates the joys of sexual
injury to women.’”(Underclass Consciousness, 1992, P.14; Johnson, Page 2, Paragraph 2).
Celebrating the sexual injury to women, is terrible and as stated before not all violence is
physical but it can sexual as well. Rap uses these insulting lyrics toward women very often, and
it’s becoming more and more popular. “16% of rap songs have love/sexual violence” (Herd,
Table 4, Page 7). 16% of songs are using references toward some type of sexual violence; Herd
attaches this table to prove a point about the offensive violence toward women. Johnson and
Herd agree on the terms of sexual violence from rap music, and when young teens listen to this
music they react in a terrible way. “Teenagers who listened to sexually degrading music—most
common in rap and rap-metal music—were ‘more likely . . . to initiate intercourse and other
sexual activities’ than teenagers who didn’t.” (Youth in America." Touchstone: A Journal of
Mere Christianity, Paragraph 2). Teens who listened to the 16 % of the sexually violent music,
according the Touchstone journal were more likely to initiate sexual acts. “In 2004, students at a
profound black college protested the negative outlook of African American women.”(Gourdine,
Page 60, Paragraph 1). These protestors were fed up with the thought of women being treated
badly in these rap music videos, and they agreed with Johnson on eliminating the celebration the
sexual injuries from women. “After 1989, rap music was beginning to be produced large
companies and sexual violence started to play a major role into the rap industry.”(Herd, Page
402, Paragraph 3). When rap started being produced by major companies that was the start of the
downfall of respecting of women, and if this wouldn’t have happened many different things
would’ve taken place more than likely. Male teenagers wouldn’t have treated other females
badly, 16% of music wouldn’t be sexually violent, and more than likely would’ve rid a majority
of teen violence in our society.
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Rap music is not devil music or evil, but the majority of it corrupts teenagers who haven’t
experience hardships as many gangsta rappers have in the past. With music and our society
changing constantly nobody knows what will happen with the growth of teenagers in another
generation. Rap music escalating the way that it is there is no telling how this music will affect
the young children growing up in adulthood, and with the violence of teenagers growing more
and more ever day more teens will become extremely hurt physically and sexually. Rap music
does promote such a violence in our teens that nobody can predict where it will lead if continued
to grow. Teens and young adults are exposed to rap; listen to the violence in the music constantly
“media literacy programs focusing on rap music lyrics can promote critical thinking and
awareness that may diminish the harmful impact that lyrics have on listeners.”(Herd, Page 404,
Paragraph 3). These literacy programs may just be what teens need to decrease the violence in
and outside of school. Teenagers need the critical thinking and the background of this type of
music before taking part of purchasing and listening to rap, and all kinds of violent music. That
way society can take part in the prevention of anymore violence occurring with teenagers.
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Works Cited
Gourdine, Ruby M., and Brianna P. Lemmons. "Perceptions of Misogyny in Hip Hop and Rap:
What do the Youths Think?" Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment
21.1 (2011): 57-72. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.
Herd, Denise. "Changing Images of Violence in Rap Music Lyrics: 1979–1997." Journal of
Public Health Policy 30.4 (2009): 395-406. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.
Johnson, James D., and Mike S. Adams. "Differential Gender Effects of Exposure To Rap Music
on African American Adolescents' Acceptance of Teen Dating Violence." Sex Roles
33.7/8 (1995): 597-605. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
(Kendrick Lamar. "The Art of Peer Pressure." Rec. 22 Oct. 2012. Good Kid, m.A.A.d City.
Interscape Records, 2012. CD.).
Richardson, Jeanita W., and Kim A. Scott. "Rap Music and Its Violent Progeny: America's
Culture of Violence In Context." Journal of Negro Education 71.3 (2002): 175.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.
"Youth in America." Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity 19.9 (2006): 58. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.