Chaparian, Abe. "Rap music: its images and youth," S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

 

OVERVIEW

 

Whether you like it or not, rap music is everywhere. Black music has always been a popular art form. These days, however, many blacks and whites alike are in fear that the message, particularly of mostly black inspired rap music, is dangerous to kids and society as a whole. It is the "first important cultural development in America in 25 years that the baby-boom generation didn’t pioneer." (Newsweek, 1990, p. 58.) Here is a sampling of what the current controversy is all about:

Here’s a murder rap to keep ya dancin’/with a crime record like Charles Manson...
—"Straight Outta Compton"—NWA

There’s a need to get alarmed—Again I said I was a timebomb...the radio’s scared of me ‘Cause I’m mad, plus I’m the enemy...
—"Don’t Believe the Hype"—Public Enemy

Word, yo, but who the f--- is heard:

It’s time you take a trip to the suburbs.

Let ‘em see a n---- invasion

Point blank, on a Caucasian

Cock the hammer and crack a smile:

Take me to your house, pal...

 

"Amerikka’s Most Wanted"—Ice Cube

 

Just what is the message in rap? Rap has a coded language and musical beats and sounds that keep outsiders outside. "From the start, rap developed its own vocabulary of words, sounds, and images, a complex set of codes that allowed fans to understand its meanings but confused everyone else." (Newsweek, 1993, p. 64.) For outsiders, rap is not easy to dissect, but it is easy to move to. "The command is dance, don’t understand; participate, don’t manipulate. Rap is a fortress protected by twin moats of talk and technology." (Costello and Wallace, 1990, p. 45.) For those on the inside, it is a way to promote community. For whites, it is a new window into a world that is too frightening to confront head-on. It provides a form of voyeuristic catharsis (of one’s own fears, anger, disillusionment). (Newsweek, 1993, March 19.) Bryan Turner, president and CEO of Priority Records, states that "white kids can live vicariously through these records...Gangsta rap sells ‘cause it’s like the movies. Growing up people want to be a tough guy (sic), and when they listen to gangsta rap it takes them there without being there." (Entertainment Weekly, 1993, p. 42.) As sales of rap show, white kids are major consumers of rap. For "homeboys" it is communication with each other—"the CNN that black kids never had" (Newsweek, 1990, March 19, p. 60.) It provides a means by which to express feelings and show that they can articulate relevant issues in their lives. Some suggest that even at its scariest, rap is a positive force in an environment filled with misery. After all, rapping about "smokin’ " someone is not the same as actually doing it." (Newsweek, 1990, March 19.)

 

Much of the concern is over gangsta rap, which, according to Russell Simmons (rap producer and founder of Def Jam Recordings) "is the worst thing your moms ever heard...just like rock and roll...the only reason it may be a little worse is ‘cause niggaz are doing it." (Entertainment Weekly, 1993, November 26, p. 42.)

 

So what is the responsibility of those who make rap? Rappers and athletes are role models for inner city youth. The question of accountability is not one that’s answered very clearly. You will find as many opinions as there are rappers themselves. For example, according to Dr. Dre, "My job is to make the best records I can. The role model should be in the home." (Entertainment Weekly, 1993, November 26, p. 42.) According to Sir Mix-A-Lot, however, Dre is a role model whether he chooses to be one or not. His sentiment is that "that’s the dumbest s--- I’ve ever heard...this is not ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ this is the 90s. Half of these kids don’t have parents. They have a parent that probably works 16 hours a week." (Entertainment Weekly, 1993, November 26, p. 42.) For 13 year-old Eugenia Harris, who lives in "the Hornets," the Henry Horner projects on Chicago’s west side, rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg is a definite role model. She states, "he grew up like us and says that we’re all in the same gang...to me he says you gotta take what’s yours." (Newsweek 1993, November 26, p. 62.) NWA’s thought on the matter may be projected through their lyrics:

Do I look like a mother f---in role model?

To a kid lookin’ up to me:

I say life ain’t nothin but b------ and money

 

—"Gangsta Gangsta"—Straight Outta Compton

 

Part of the rap mystique is just that—an image of being hard or of riches beyond one’s wildest imagination. But are some rappers going too far with the message, the image, and the graphic violence? The question is not new, and again, answers vary. Young MC feels that not to notice that impressionable kids listen to the music would be shirking his responsibility (Newsweek, 1990, March 19.)

 

Sociologist Elijah Anderson calls much of this type of music the "oppositional culture" of the streets. This culture has its own code of behavior, based on gangster bravado and respect, powerful forces in the inner city. Many who seem to be successful in the inner city are drug dealers and career criminals. They serve as role models to these kids. William Raspberry, a Washington Post columnist says about ghetto boys, they think that "having a reputation as someone who blows people away is much more important that having a reputation as someone who is smart." (Newsweek, 1993, November 29, p. 66.)

 

The bottom line is that this music and the graphic images displayed within sells records to a huge audience, primarily white. In the December 2, 1993 edition of the Los Angeles Times, it was reported that Snoop Doggy Dogg’s debut album, "Doggystyle," sold 803,000 copies in its first week, the highest ever for a debut album and the second highest for any album. According to Stephen Rodrick, most forms of hip hop have coexisted with gangsta rap. Gangsta rappers "fashion themselves as angry, gun-toting outlaws, appealing to both urban blacks and suburban white seeking vicarious thrills."

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

• What has been your experience with rap music?
• What are the positive and negative messages you see it portraying?
• How can it be used in youth ministry today?

 

IMPLICATIONS

 

Rap music is impacting the lives of our youth today. Thus, it is an important form of music to study and evaluate. Rap affects adolescent values and attitudes. As youth workers, it is important to deal with rap music in a manner to bring about positive change.

 

Note: The author used the following sources for this topic discussion:

• Adler, J., Foote, J., & Sawhill, R. (1990, March 19). "The rap attitude." Newsweek, pp. 56-59.
• Costello, M. & Wallace, F. (1990). Signifying rappers: Rap and race in the urban present. New York City: The Echo Press.
• Foote, J., Gates, D., Johnson, P., Murr, A., & Smith, V.E. (1990, March 19). "Decoding rap music." Newsweek, pp. 60-63.
• Leland, J. (1993, November 29). "Criminal records: Gangsta rap and the culture of violence." Newsweek, pp. 60-64.
• Morganthau, T. (1993, November 29). "The new frontier for civil rights." Newsweek, pp. 65-66.
• Seidenberg, R. (1993, November 26). "Number one with a bullet." Entertainment Weekly, p. 43.

Abe Chaparian cCYS

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