Thread: Rap's Influence on Today's Youth

  1. #16
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    Originally posted by UnregdRegd
    Rap too often has become the genre of dispair. Why is there so little idealistic rap out there about how guns, gangs, drugs, violence, and misogyny can be put behind us as society progresses? The worst of this genre completely embraces the stereotypical "gangsta" image, treating women as "ho's" who should obey their "pimps," glorifying indifference or even violence towards fellow human beings, and so on.

    I admit that Eminem and some of the rappers have quite a bit of musical talent, but they still rap of dispair.
    Sure, it's not the happiest music on the block, but who cares? It is what it is. And seriously... cry me a river. If your average joe can't figure out that what rap stars say isn't the way things are or the way things should be, then we've got bigger problems than music, don't you think?

  2. #17
    Registered User Scourfish's Avatar
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    Originally posted by ober5861
    If you don't appreciate Rap or Country, it's because you haven't listened to enough of it, been in the mood for it, or understood it.... IMHO.

    I'm sorry, but I've heard enough when the most romantic part of a song involves a tale of getting a girl liquored up and taking her on the hood of a car (or a bling as that ghetto matchbox car commercial has called it.)

    Originally posted by Govtcheez
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  3. #18
    Registered User Xei's Avatar
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    OMG, don't even get me started... dammit, I can't help myself.

    Okay, I know that it doesn't hurt me but ... actually it does hurt me, it raises my blood pressure levels. Anyways, I HATE seeing these clothing brands that these 'talented artists'(argueably), rappers, introduce. Earlier, in high school and on public transportation buses, I saw teenagers (about the age of 16 - 20) wearing these absolutely huge baggy sweatpants, whose crotch was at the knees, huge jackets, which were too large to be anything but functional, tukes or bandanas and huge gold jewellery everywhere(summer time BTW, if it was winter they wouldn't bother wearing the tuke... because their dumb). It looks rediculous, and if they said "I didn't get this idea from MTV!" then their full of $$$$.

    Then they walk over to their friends, who are also dressed in such a rediculous fashion, and say things like:

    -"Oh, this punk-ass nigger we gotta... we gotta kick his ass, he's at the other school, there'll be a bunch of them, we gota go! come on!"

    -"Hey, brother... [more gossip about who should die] or [drugs in general]"


    I think that it more than a coincidence when the majority of black students(yes, there are white, iraqi, pakistani, iran nationalities, too... but it is most common in ... ) in the high school dress and talk exactly the way that MTV's 'sluts and gansters' dress and talk.

    Another thing which I would like to point out is that most of the people who dress like that are often violent and deal drugs (or at least hang out with someone who does). Now I know some of you might argue that wealth magically appears towards lucky people and we should not consider the way that they dress or talk or act into how they acquired their wealth or else we're just being biased! But it is DEFINATELY more than 'legally-gained' when the the 17 year-old from iran, who doesn't go to class(does, but rarely), who just weight-lifts all day and gets into fights, who normally takes the bus or a ride from another 'gangster-friend' comes to school one day with a Mercedes CLK-230.

    I have also noticed irrational violent behavior by such people. At my school students would just walk out in front of cars neglecting things like "Cars take time to stop" because they are brain-dead. But then when the cars slam on their brakes and honk their horn the student ('gangster impression') stands in front of the car, give them the finger and yells "You want to fight, mother-fscker! Yea, that's what I thought". I hate it when they do things like that, they deserve to be hit by a vehicle without question. But then again all you liberal people out there would say "Drivers of cars should know better! No matter what! They provoked the students anger by not stopping for them!" but then again people who think like that should be slapped in the face.

    Also, teen-immigrants from places like africa tend to be influenced by this 'rap'. Am I biased? No, just observant. In my city there are many immigrants recently of certain tribal people or whatever you want to call them (some of them have strange cuts on their faces, as if it was religous). I have noticed that many of the adult population,excluding illegal activity such as 'Driving their cars without licenses', of this group of immigrants works very hard (for the little that most of them came here with - (if you doubt that they came here with little I have had direct experience with whole GROUPS of them)) and I can be proud to say that they are a part of the society. However, many of the teenagers seem to be influenced by this MTV crap.

    I would like to point out that I was not trying to say that all black people, or african, or iraqi or iran or white etc.. all dress like the rappers and try to deal drugs etc.. I am just pointing out that since most rappers have a dark skin-color it seems as though the people who are influenced by such music also share similar attributes. (I am just saying that out of the entire 'ganster' population most of them likely share the same attributes of those rappers that they like the most/listen to)

    Now not all people who like rap are going to go out and get guns and shoot the kids they don't like, but I am just trying to point out that the message that 'rap' transmits is quite irrational and causes quite a lot of young people to do stupid things. A lot of rap endorses the behavior of treating women like objects, dealing drugs and physically harming those who oppose you.
    Last edited by Xei; 12-05-2003 at 01:52 PM.
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  4. #19
    Senior Member joshdick's Avatar
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    Xei, you're not entirely wrong, but you're not completely right either. I think that everyone should treat rap fairly as they would any other genre of music. Yes, there is a branch of commercial rap that's all about slappin' hoes and gats and weed and forty ouncers, and this sub par branch of rap is supported by stupid, impressionable youth who feel the need to emulate the stupidity of sell-outs by dressing ridiculously and acting like a 'gangsta.'

    Rap is by no means the only genre of music with this problem, though. Rock music is currently plauged emo music among several other branches of sub par rock. Emo kids all want to dress and act the same. They have this mentality about artists of "They hate everything just like me, so they really speak to me."

    Also, the existence of a sub par commercial sub-group within a genre does not deny the existence of any high quality artists in that genre. There's good rock, country, and rap; and there's some really awful rock, country, and rap. Personally, I enjoy rock and rap, but not country. I still realize, though, that there exists talented artists and immature sellouts in each genre.

    My biggest point is this: You should be fair in your criticisms of rap or any other genre.
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  5. #20
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    Actually, the kids that listen to the rock music that "hates everything" tend to be very smart as I have noticed. Most of them get good grades and are very intelligent.

    I have noticed a group of normal people all step over something dropped on the ground and I watch as a group of "gangster" types step in it, not even knowing it was there.

    On many occasions I have noticed the "gangsters" yell very loudly to eachother even though it is normal talk, so it gets very loud when you are near a group of these people.

    I am not racist, I have black friends and the ones that don't listen to rap are smart.

    I used to listen to rap when my friends did but quickly realised I liked rock a lot more(not the punk rock stuff, the good stuff ). I noticed that rap wasn't very good, but the fact that anyone with time could write lyrics like they do, choose a subject and put rhyme. I am not saying that the rap artists don't have any talent, but anyone can really do it. I would know, I go to high school and I would be that most of the "gangsters" or people that listen to rap make raps, and they are often good.

  6. #21
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    Heh, funny 'clip'. Well, i guess some of you've seen the hit wizard. That's what a lot of rap's like. Fact is, so is rock, and pop. I mean, band like Linkin Park use the word 'cancer' 'hypocrite' etc., awfully lot.
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  7. #22
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    As I remember Linkin Park doesn't talkabout cappin niggas and shootin up and the like or rollin in da Gs.

  8. #23
    Registered User axon's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Glirk Dient
    As I remember Linkin Park doesn't talkabout cappin niggas and shootin up and the like or rollin in da Gs.
    that might be true...but their second album is almost an exact copy of the first.....sorry I just had to get it out there. I'm not a big Linkinpark fan but I was listening to their new cd in my buddies car and I could've sworn it was the old one....so we pop in the old one, and both sound freagin the same....its not that its the same style but the beats are very similar....sorry this does not partain to the discussion.

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  9. #24
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    Originally posted by axon
    that might be true...but their second album is almost an exact copy of the first.....sorry I just had to get it out there. I'm not a big Linkinpark fan but I was listening to their new cd in my buddies car and I could've sworn it was the old one....so we pop in the old one, and both sound freagin the same....its not that its the same style but the beats are very similar....sorry this does not partain to the discussion.
    Yeah i noticed that too.

    And Glirk, read my post better.
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  10. #25
    >>its not that its the same style but the beats are very similar

    Thats so weird, considering they're both made by the same band. Seriously; Pop in any two consecutive albums from any artist and you'l notice something. Yup, it appears that the same group of people with the same instruments tend to produce music that is rather simular in areas.

    Anyhow, on to the topic at hand. Someone earlier pointed out that if people really are influenced by music, then we have bigger problems. Very true. I listen to rap, but I havn't 'busted a cap' in anyone lately. To imply that something is bad because it could influence people is irrational and unresponsible. Yes, some people have minds so small that they're radically affected by media, but its not the medias fault. Is it the cars fault when someone gets drunk and drives off the road? No, i didn't think so.

    Our constant attempts to idiot-proof the world is simply conditioning some peoples already dismal intelects into further degeneration.

    So um... ya... I'm done. [/soap box]
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  11. #26
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    *sigh*

    Not a one-liner.

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