Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Extra Credit Online Journal (Hip Hop and its Lyrics)
To what extent should hip hop culture hold hip-hop artists accountable for their lyrics? Would censuring/condemning artists for their lyrics promoting rape, misogynistic themes, and violence be a violation of free speech?
Do these lyrics have a pervasive element, damaging youths’ perceptions of the world?
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There is no easy way to determine when hip-hop artist are accountable for their lyrics. I say this because it is an accepted art amongst our nation, and like other arts you can’t put a limit on their artistry. Hip-hop artist should be responsible enough to understand that they are a contributing factor to how younger generations of society are being brought up and guided because of how popular hip-hop culture today is. Censuring artists for their lyrics, promoting rape, misogynistic themes, and violence would be a violation of freedom of speech, but as I stated before they should take a look at their own "art" before publishing it. Although it is not solely the responsibility of these artists to be looking at their lyrics it is also the record company’s responsibility as well. But today everyone is so money driven that no one really cares about what these artist say as long as it comes out catchy, with a good beat, and sell sells sells! Revenue is the number one priority for every top Hip-hop artist of today’s generation I guarantee. I feel that these lyrics do have a persuasive effect on youth’s perceptions of the world because rap culture is so popular, everyone want to be considered cool or popular so why not do what the trending things are. Whether it is consuming drugs, criminal activities, date rape, violence as long as it makes you cool, kids usually with lower self-esteem or misguided life styles will follow this seemingly yellow brick road to a “cooler” lifestyle. This is such a controversial issue because these artists are making what today generations deems to be acceptable and good music although it seems to mainly discuss overindulgences in drugs, sex, and potentially harmful situations to be in. An example of a song that was just released by Tyga that is named “Molly” has the following lyrics.
ReplyDelete“That green, yeah, I got it
I show up in the party
Like “where the fuck that molly?”
OD, we’re OGs
We don’t fuck with no police.”
Now if you didn’t know a molly is a pill, and artist portray it as not just any pill… It is THE pill to be on, it’s similar to how old-school rappers portrayed reefer. This is the type of thing that children are listening to on regular bases. It may not matter to some but think of the younger ones who want to be that cool kid, who don’t have much of a guide in their life listening to this song, what perspective that puts in their head. I feel as if hip-hop has been a damaged art style because of the ways it portrays the things it does, to me it’s not really hip-hop although to the larger community this is hip-hop. Like Rahiel said on the video, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne are the leaders of hip-hop because of their popularity and this is shaping and creating the images of young African Americans for themselves and how other portrays them. Although they may not really be this way this is the image received by many because these are the only African Americans they pay attention to.
A one-year study conducted by Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD, of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health found that girls exposed to rap music and videos for at least 14 hours per week were three times more likely to hit a teacher, 2.5 times more likely to get arrested, twice as likely to have multiple sexual partners and 1.5 times more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease, use drugs or drink alcohol. In addition, research conducted by North Carolina State University found that college students who listen to rap music have higher levels of sexism.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1970's within New York City's South Bronx neighborhood, rap music was born; as a way for people to express their frustrations about social issues such as racism, crime, drug abuse and unemployment. Rap music originally had a mission of uplifting the urban youth through music but as it became more mainstream, it started to move away slowly from that goal. However, not all rap has become negative.
Hip-Hop artist should be held responsible for every single lyric that they publish, rather positively or negatively. The nauseating rapper, Rick Ross, said, “"Put Molly all up in her champagne, she ain't even know it, I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it.” He blissfully exposed his manner, and respect of the endorsement of women, women deserves respect from the media. These selfish artists are drugging the society with irrational thoughts, and experiences promoting the degradation of women, and simply making it a culture, as well a as a lifestyle. Videos portray women as nothing more than pieces of meat and encourage sexist language such as bitch, slut, etc., all of that is used quite often. Young women get this idea that that's the kind of girls’ men like; wherein it encourages more girls to act like the vixens they see on rap videos, modestly leading it to the breakup of family values, morals and a lost sense.
There shouldn't be a valid explanation as to why condemning artists for their lyrics promoting rape, destruction, and violence be a violation of free speech. Rape is prohibited, so why influence it? Contradictory much, but maybe this world is fortifying inconsistency.
Whether we know it on a conscious level or not we are being affected by the media...even people that think they are above it or that think that they can beat it, are at some level being affected. It is not only about the way we look but also the food we eat, the way we spend our time, the need to earn money, the way we speak, the things we buy. The media can also have a positive effect on people and not always a negative effect, in the end it’s all about choices and what concept people choose to subscribe to them.
Since the 1980s Hip Hop represents the means of poetically expressing yourself. But it seems these days rappers and any mainstream artist say anything to get their CD's off the shelf. As an artist one has the freewill to speak whatever comes to mind but also it's the artist's responsibility to know what their saying and how it will effect the community. The artist has the ultimate responsibility.
ReplyDeleteAs artist society should let them preform their art honestly. If what work their doing isn't respectable or responsibly censored then they aren't in their true form as a artist. Instead of trying to change the lyrics, because the lyrics are just a branch growing from the tree of the initial problem, encourage the community that that artist emerges from to be more real. Not only positive all the time because the world isn't positive all the time there is both good and bad. So to rap just about the good isn't being honest nor real. We live in misguided society. Tupac once said "I am society's child, this is how they made me, and now I'm saying what's on my mind and they don't want that. This is what you made me America." Society sculpts and shapes us as human beings into creatures that learn by listening, watching and imitating what we've seen it's cool to us or we're fascinated with it. We have to change as a society first and then we can progress together as a whole. We must not condemn the artist because for all we know his misguidance could be overwhelming his sense of right and wrong. We must show love and respect and speak to the artist as not only an artist but an individual
By no means am I condoning Rick Ross' derogatory message “"Put Molly all up in her champagne, she ain't even know it, I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it.” As a man who was born and nourished by a single mother he should have enough respect to not promote date rape. Hip Hop is not the place for rape culture and the creation of hip hop wasn't meant for the bashing of women. I agree with Ptah's statement completely, censuring artists for their lyrics, promoting rape, misogynistic themes, and violence would be a violation of freedom of speech, but there's a tipping point where an artist should be responsible for their lyrics because it does influence the young minds of our generation. Hip Hop is fighting the battle between the true lyricist and the money hungry "rappers", can you even call them rappers? Would Tupac be content with how the rap game is growing and what it's turning into? There are still true rappers who rap to promote a real honest message weather it be how they grind or make money to feed their families to if women should call each other bitches to how life was growing up in the gangbanging city of Los Angeles.
Rappers today talk about violence in their neighborhood, selling drugs to buy cars and clothing, and talk about how much women they sleep with. The rappers that incorporate these themes have a lot of mainstream credibility so rappers usually continue with these subjects. But since these subjects are very lucrative for rappers and labels they will continue using it until another movement comes along that the majority of Hip Hop listeners want. For example in the early to mid-90s there was a big East Coast vs. West Coast feud and record labels encouraged the feud to happen. Now record labels don’t encourage it because the Hip Hop community has seen that violence escalate and don’t want it ever happen again. It’s only a matter of time until the Hip Hop community starts cracking down on such misogynistic themes. But rap cannot change until the people that embrace it change, for example there was a creative discussion over twitter about hip hop and its current state and two respected artist Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli took part in it. Talib Kweli said that the community needs to stop and see that rap is just a twisted reflection. Lupe Fiasco said that we need to condemn lyrics that talk about violence. This point brought up by these artists is something that the ghetto communities and youth need so that it will spark conversation about what we listen to.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to rap and censuring themes that are explicit, that unfortunately is a violation of free speech. Personally these styles get boring after a while so some rappers put different perspective in their work. For example instead of rapping about selling crack some rappers talk about how there addicted and they can’t stop. Instead of rapping about how they killed someone some talk about the physiological phase of that action and the repercussions of the action. Censuring artist on these topics will also not solve the problem of these crimes and killings in the ghettos; also it would only be stopping the creative process. But it isn’t violating the freedom of speech if we censure women being degraded in rap. Songs that talk about having sex with women, getting women pregnant, and drugging women is a form of oppression to women in the world. And speech about oppressing a specific group does violate basic human rights and should not be tolerated.
There is also another factor to why rap music is so violent and it is record companies and fame. Two young artists that have recently seen mainstream recognition, Tyga and Wale; they talk about stereotypical themes about drugs, sex, and money. But a few years ago these artist styles were different. Tyga did not have any explicit language or reference in his debut and first few mixtapes. Wale was a more conscious rapper and respected women a lot in his beginning years. Wale went from rapping this:
They say love is the slowest form of suicide.
The fluid on my eye falling while I do the rhyme
I try to be the guy, you think about
Every night when your eyelids cover eyes
Cause I'm going "I'm" rather than on "us" to this. – The Grown Up
To this:
Took her to the room make her bust it wide open
Killed that pussy, died with his eyes open
Killed that pussy, died with his eyes open
Killed that pussy, died with his eyes open – The One Eye kitten Song
This transition from one style to another changed after these artists got signed to their respected labels. For Wale he was forced to change his style because he was dropped from his label for having an unsuccessful debut album. Tyga literally changed his style in just a year when he got signed to Young Money. There are countless artists who have changed their style one way or another to appeal to mainstream so it’s not just rappers fault but the listeners.
When it comes to changing the theme of current rap music it’s a two way street. Artist need to tone down there lyrics and the community needs to stop and see that rap is representing the values and daily life of struggling Americans and what they strive for.
It’s no coincidence why hip hop appeals to young people. Ambition over adversity is enough to grasp an impressionable conscious. Hip hop is a platform for art and mainstream artists are a telltale in the realm of hip hop. Their stature comes with admiration and a strong following. Most cases to which such is looked up to– the desire for what’s real. The yearn to relate.
ReplyDeleteHowever extensions of exploitations aren’t sources of empowerment, yet at times misguided interpretations act as blueprints for behavior. Young people, especially, install a faith into those of their liking thus why distort them by disregarding a woman’s value or give them the perception of something they’re not. Fragile minds soak up the tendencies of the popular. The genre possesses controversial wordplay which easily can shape the perceptions of receptive minds. Hip hop, as all music, has the power to “produce certain kinds of social realities” and even outcomes depending on the type of “balance” that is allotted.
Chastisement for wanting to have creative freedom and individuality isn’t something which I’d ever propose yet it comes a time whereas innovative puns are no longer funny. Being a true artist in such a raw industry means being aware of the ideologies portrayed.
All artists should sustain a certain sensitivity especially when transitioning contentious matter into lyrical genius. One can’t expect disrespect to be taken lightly, especially within the urban community indulgencing in it. Response for unethical promotion is dire; on the other hand it should never have to get to that point.
Talib Kweli best touched on reaction to ignorance. Why condemn an artist and censure their right. Everyone from executives to record labels and ultimately the fan base should grasp the attention of these broken artists; broken from the epitome of what music is all about. There is no reason which facilitating lyrical feel good and story telling has to venture off into violations of Freedom of Speech. Letting the lazy notion of ‘getting away with something’ slip and consume an artist alters their influential destiny. Within hip hop culture there needs be no bias. Each rapper should be “called to task on the same level”. Meaning be unique, speak the real yet do so while possessing entire accountability to verses. Demeaning rhymes do expressions no justice.
Song lyrics have no more the lure than a rated R movie or violent video game yet an immature mindset is naturally tainted. Fierce competition or perhaps simply lack of talent can fabricate the test in waters. Delicate themes are bound to be toyed with. The route chosen to display subject matter takes deep consideration. Artists have great audiences to tend to. Discretion comes with the title held by those on a pedestal and when all else fails society should be there to catch them. In order for an arguable aspect to be challenged or a change to be made within the representation of a people one must look not to a lyric yet to the poet. Once liability is established we can collaboratively work towards critiquing uninvited presentations.
----- Uneeeek
It's hard to discuss at what extent hip-hop artist should be accountable for their lyrics because back in the day people did not used to have bad contents in songs, mostly the lyrics where about love and breaks up but not about having sex and about drugs. As our generation started increasing and more people start to hear about "drugs" and about "sex contents" they start to think its okay to hear this stuff,that what they hear is normal because its expressing how they feel. This is very hard because its a new trend that everyone is now focusing on all these bad lyrics in songs.Yes every artist should be able to express how they feel in their lyrics but at least change some words and really listen to their songs especially some of their lyrics because some of that stuff is very offense to people and they dont know. All they know is that their song sounds cool and they want everyone to enjoy it and buy it on itunes or on another song website,but they can write some songs that are even better with different lyrics and everyone will still like it.They need to not think of their fame but to think of how one line of lyrics can offend some people if not some than much more.
ReplyDeleteno censuring/condemning artists for their lyrics promoting rape, misogynistic themes, and violence be a violation of free speech because some artist dont think while they are writting their songs.Artist think of things that people enjoy hearing about including "sex" and "drugs" but what artist dont know is that how some parts of their lyrics can mean a differnt meaning to someone else. Some of the lyrics out in this world are not as cool as they seem once you actually hear and interprete them. You should be able to express how you feel about the songs/lyrics out in this world because its all over and everyone listens to them. If everyone would actually speak up about how they really feel about some of the music/lyrics on how they dont like to hear some of those cruel words, artist will see that fans dont like that junk and would appreciate more songs that dont have all that sexual content and drug use or even signs of rape because its not good for people because they get influenced and that is what causes this world to be how it is. which conmes to these lyrics have a pervasive element, damaging youths’ perceptions of the world because they get to hear these things and look up to their favorite artist and see they think its okay because they put them in their song so it makes youths think its okay also.Some people who hear bad songs with lyrics that have bad contents possibly end up doing thingsa in songs because an artist they look up to put it in their song so they go by what they put and think its natural to have raping in songs, having sex young, doing drugs and killing people can really influence their minds especially because youoths minds are still growing and not mature yet which can cause them to do these things because they think its okay to do so,which in reality its not.
There are some people that views hip-hop culture is hip-hop culture and some view as hip-hop culture has rape culture as well in it. Majority of women were offended based off of what both rick ross and lil wayne's lyrics stated about rape culture. During the controversial talk, they talked about how Rick Ross and lil wayne are at their tipping point. They need to know their boundaries with their own lyrics. Rick Ross then apologizes that he never meant anything about raping so he apologize to the people that perceived it in that kind of way. Talib Kweli then states that back when Biggie was alive, he had raping lyrics in his music history and so did Eminem as well. In a way it does persuade people to think that raping is okay, its basically a subliminal message that's sent out into the human brain to think that raping is okay and should be allowed. Just knowing,seeing, and hearing those raping lyrics in Ross's and Wayne's lyrics, it makes people think that's okay. People viewed that Rick Ross and Lil wayne ruined hip hop culture, but then Talib Kweli defends that statement and explains that us artist are just expressing ourselves just like how Tupac and Biggie did back in the days. Theres no difference, but for me i think theres a big difference from the hip-hop cultures in the 90's to our generation now. From "The Fugees", "Biggie", & "Tupac" then to "Rick Ross" & "Lil Wayne" now. Its a big difference in hip-hop culture, each generation it changes and changes. What will the next generation of hip-hop culture holds for us next?
ReplyDeleteMariana Ponce
ReplyDeleteToday on the radio we hear mainstream music. Rappers rapping about drugs, having sex with women and bad actions they've done . People find it catchy so they continue with the subject of rape culture. Yet they don't take a second to think about what others reaction provoke. Hip hop artist should most definitely be held responsible for their lyrics because they must realize what they're presenting to the younger generations. It's bad enough hearing ten years talk about women's body parts and sex at a young age. Although being aware of what sex at a young age isn't a bad thing. Children are too young to be hearing all of this . As Talib stated lyrics don't encourage others to actually attempt something, but it may be seen different to younger children. The fact that they're so gullible pursues them to do what they hear.
Censuring or condemning artists for their lyrics promoting rape, misogynistic themes, and violence would be a violation of free speech unfortunately but they should take the time to look over that they've written because it may affect others later on as well as themselves. The way the put out their lyrics is how people see them.
The lyrics of rap are damaging the youths perceptions on the world because they way they're representing it. As Talib said , "nobody is evil but they're misguided."
artists today take no responsibility for their songs, they should be fully responsible for what they sing because its their voice talking to kids who are foolish and cant thing for themselves. since kids haven't fully developed their consequence part of their brains they have no idea that they are being targeted to think that calling women insulting names and doing drugs are ok. its not and it hurts people, and therefore i conclude why in america the prisons are being filled to maximum capacity. kids are thinking bad things are ok and then they go to jail for it. they regret it for the rest of their lives too. i think that there are many other subject to talk about in their songs so they should be persecuted for the singers actions as well as the song writers and who ever else is involved in putting the horrible music out into the public. the music is very persuasive to children who dont know any better. it tells them whats right is wrong and whats wrong it cool. it damaging the youth point of view on the world.
ReplyDeleteEvery artist should be held accountable for their lyrics, because we cannot do anything about without violating their rights of Freedom of Speech. If an artist says a line that promotes gun use and killing, he/she should be aware that kids listen to their music also and it should influence the young to use guns and kill people. For example the song “All Gold Everything” James Trinidad said in a line, “Pop a Molly, I’m Sweating” almost all teen now, know about this song and are saying this line. More than half of the people might be curious enough to actually try a molly and if it would make them sweat. It is very true that kid’s brain are not yet fully developed, therefore whatever they will see or hear, they will learn it. Most rappers are role model to kids, kids who live their lives under poverty hoping to escape it one day, look at music as their inspiration to be someone better. If rappers sends of the wrong image, the kids that grew up looking up to them will grow up in a bad way too.In my bias opinion I believe rappers should be censure and also be fined for trying to poison the minds of the young. Rap and Hip-Hop are the ways to express oneself without having to put violence into it or any type of way that is against the law. Music was once a way for people to inspire other by showing the struggles they went through, rappers use to show that the kids in the ghetto right now can also make it out by making the right choices. Now rappers like Rick Ross destroyed what Rap and Hip-Hop stood for. Music has changed, before it was about promoting violence for power and stardom, now it is about sex, money, and drugs, future generations cannot hear good Rap or Hip Hop music promoting success and life. Rappers like Tupac and Biggie may have rapped about violence, but they are also the people that wanted past, future, and present generations to realize the pollution of the world, and use music to not change the world but use words coming out of their mouth to spark the brains of the people who could change the world, but now Pac and Biggie are gone and so has real Rap and Hip Hop. The minds of the young will continue to get poisoned as long as rappers or artist are not taking full responsibility of the words they are saying, and the actions they are promoting. If these artist do not take full responsibility for it then I wish the government would just pass an act or something to help end music the empowers bad actions, even though it is violating the right of free-speech. Our future is more important than one person.
ReplyDeleteKevin Mercado
I personally enjoy hip hop. To say that all hip hop is the same would be absurd. Not all hip hop is the same and not all hip hop talks about rape and other offensive things like that. hip hop should be a genre of music that tells stories through beats, rhymes and soul it should gets a person to think and to vibe with it. On the other hand mainstream hip hop artists give hip hop a bad rep. hip hop artist now a days do mostly talk about drugs women and money and that is what they allow play on the radio as if a few slurred words were going to stop the young people listening to it know what they are saying and the message they are sending. It would not be a violation of freedom of speech because they can say it and think it to themselves but once they put it in the music people start to think this way and act a certain way than they would if they hadn't heard the music in the first place. It is degrading to women and they use them as a symbol of their power that they can get any girl and this and that. hip hop should be more carefully watched over and they shouldn't allow them to send those types of messages to young people. they promote the use of drugs and alcohol and those things make it feel like its okay to young people because its in a song and everybody is doing it when in reality its not okay.
ReplyDeleteI believe should not oblige to their lyrics. I know there is freedom of speech and etc but i'm not saying it because of that. People are trying to make a living, those who listen to explicit music; are they really listening? Or are they just listening to that song, "it sounds good, man that beat is nice, man the hook is stuck in my head", as a young child i never really listened to the lyrics. People don't really realize what they are listening to. Yes some people do get a hold of the meaning of what they are listening and can get attached. But isn't that just another form of adapting? We have images on tv, computers, real life situations. Some is this world deals with it, so freedom of speech through lyrics and putting that stuff out there really shouldn't make a big difference.
ReplyDeleteOsi Nwachukwu
ReplyDeleteI believe music artists cannot be held accountable for their lyrics because if they were to held accountable for their lyrics, the music industry would have banned those type of artists. censoring and condeming artists of their lyrics is depriving them of their freedom of speech because they may be using those words to send a message to a certain audience. I believe younger kids that are unaware of the lyrics they listen to due to only hearing the beat and/or flow of a certain rapper. Once one is able to realize the lyrics to their "favorite song" include mysogenistic themes, they should be able to pick and choose if that is what they would want to listen to.
I believe hip-hop artists should be held accountable for their lyrics. I think some artists didn't grow up as fortunate as others which lead to the lyrics varying in the "intensity" or profanity in their lyrics. They have control over what they talk about in their songs so why not make them positive?
ReplyDeleteArtists such as Lil Wayne don't necessarily have a reason to rap about rape and denounce women with the sexual comments although in a way, rap is about what is on your mind. In Lil Wayne's case, if rape and sex is on his mind I feel he is semi-entitled to rap about it. Not everyone will want to hear about it, but for a select group of people who might be able to relate to it, the lyrics have potential for being inspiration despite the negativity.
The youth today are 100% damaged due to the hip-hop world. The difference between the way people dance now and the way they used to has significantly changed. I feel this is highly influenced on the music people listen to. The music from the 80's wasn't all about sex. Today it is hard to find a song that is not related or that doesn't mention sex.
Everyone is entitled to their right to rap about what comes to their mind but this does not mean we should not hold them accountable.
Tianna Dillman
ReplyDeleteIn the recent years hip-hop has swept the US. Although many artists have found great success with their rapping music, some seam to abuse it. Not only have I noticed an increase of curse words in rap songs but a significant increase of the use of offensive topics. Rappers these days are rapping about rape and sex like it is nothing. Both are to be taken very seriously. Sex should be an act that isn't abused but used in the way that god created it to be used in. Along with the misuse of sexual topics, rape and drugs has also become a huge topic of rappers.
I believe rappers should be held accountable for their lyrics no matter what. I don't mean that they should be negatively be held accountable, but that they should be able to face the fact that there is a high chance that they are negatively effecting some people.
The twist that music puts on everything is that it is an art. An art is some form of expression. The things people can and want to express shouldn't be judged. We are all entitled to our opinions and understanding of things. Fact from opinion can be separated but creativity can be the joining force in a sense that everyone has different thoughts.