Rap And Violence Essays (2187 words) - African-American Culture

Rap And Violence _______________________________ _______________________________ Since the late 1980's rap music has been called the Anti Christ in our culture, because of it's so-called influence in people's life. People swear up and down that the music is why people, specially the youth resort to violent crimes. I think by saying this they are trying to cover up the real truth by giving simple answers. Rap is defined as a style of popular music consisting of improvised rhymes performed to a rhythmic accompaniment. The first rap song was made in the late 70's, the songs were seven to eight minutes long and was mostly used in small clubs to dance to. It didn't really become popular until the early 80's. Over the years it has become mainstream music, everyone is listening to it. In the last four years rap made up 60% of music bought in stores in the United States. In 1989 a local group called N.W.A.(Niggaz Wit Attitudes) came from out of L.A. and changed rap, which was the start of Gangsta Rap. In the ir lyrics they talked about crime, street violence and killing. Once they were a huge hit, it caught on, and really that's when all this madness started. Everyone started rapping Gangsta style. More and more people started rapping about police brutality and killing people and with that crime rose to high levels. In my opinion it's not the artists or the record company's fault that crime rose. It's not their responsibility to look after every person who listens to their music. In all these years of rap though there are three people who took the most criticism from the public. Dr. Dre was one, after N.W.A. broke up he went on to do his own thing, and after he released The Chronic he became a star. He took rap to a higher level where it never been before and I think that scared a lot of people. He was rapping about drive by's, having sex with hundreds of women, drinking alcohol all day and so on. By this time the crime rate was sky high and a lot of people where looking for easy answer s. It was mostly those few who just didn't like rap from the start that spoke out and tried to ban it. Most rappers loved the style Dr. Dre created, and so they tried to take the style and create something of their own. Along with Dr. Dre he helped a rising star Snoop Doggy Dog to become a big star by guest staring on his The Chronic album. Snoop released Doggy Style and it was a hit. His style similar to Dr. Dre made it a hit. It was his best-selling album to date. Congress tried every way they could to keep youth from listening to this music because they felt it was making them commit crimes. Snoop was charged not to long after his release for murder which he soon was found not guilty. They made a label for CD's and tapes that said Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics which actually in my opinion didn't do too much. This way parents could be aware of the type of music their kids listen to and could choose if they would like to allow them to listen to it. If you sit down and think abo ut it, when you buy a CD you by it because you want to listen to it, you don't really pay attention to that little label. Besides you see little kids no older then 11 walking around listening to Lil' Kim, Tupac, and all other rap artists cussing up a storm . . . what's with that? Why didn't the parents say anything about that, they have control over their children, yet critics and congress blame the rappers. The third man to take the most heat and who still continues to is Tupac Shakur. They say he was the best rapper alive and the most successful which I also believe is true. He has been in trouble with the law and public since his first album to even now after his death. He was arrested for numerous charges such as battery, attempted murder, and rape. In 1994 two 17-year-olds