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Rap Music Op-Ed

 

“Rap and hip-hop music are immoral and dangerous and you should stay away from it.” Many people can relate to this sentiment, as they have been told this or any other variation of this type of idea. This is because rap has a bad reputation of being associated with gangs, criminals, as well as such negative aspects as misogyny and drugs. Even though it is true that there are several rap songs that involve glorification of crimes, drugs, and promiscuity, not all rap songs are like that. Just because a few rap songs have talked about these negative things does not mean that all rap songs are like that. For most of the artists, rap is a way to express their emotions and for them to tell their life’s story to others.

Rap music allows the artists to tell their story and these stories can serve as inspiration for those that listen to such music. For instance, it has to be noted that many of the rap artists come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They come from poverty-stricken areas and communities and they are able to rise up in social class through their artistic endeavors. This is where they use their rap music to tell their stories of struggling as well as growing up in problematic neighborhoods that have been wrought with violence, crime, and drug usages. When young people who belong to the same social class and group listen to such music and listen to the inspirational lyrics, it helps to empower such youth. It has been noted that many people who have been part of the hip-hop culture as well as those who have pioneered various elements of the hip-hop culture have found that the have been empowered because hip-hop gives them the ability to voice their reality as well as for them to find a meaningful identity amongst their group of peers (Travis 139). This type of empowerment has resulted in many reinventions of different people as per their culture.

Rap music is something that is also used by many young rappers as a way to see their own identity as well as a way for them to express their ideas, all of which greatly help them in maintaining their positive mental health and wellbeing (Armstrong and Ricard 423). African American youth have reported that rap music, both listening to it as well as performing it, has allowed them to reduce interpersonal as well as emotional distress that they tend to face. Rap music has also been found to help alleviate various other types of mental health issues in African American youth as well. Educators and counselors around the US have been working to find out ways in which they can help African American youth get to terms with their various mental health issues through rap and hip-hop music. Research has also shown that rap and hip-hop music can be “integrated into individual counseling interactions with Black male clients to discuss the social injustices (e.g., hypercriminalization) they face. Literature examining the history of hip-hop culture and how rap music has been used therapeutically with Black males” (Washington 97). This is why it is important to consider rap music as being something that can be quite beneficial as well and is not as negative as many people make it out to be.

One of the biggest reasons why rap music can be helpful for such youth is because of how the lyrics in most of the rap songs are about the life struggles that the artists have had to face in their lives. This is something that the rap artist is able to articulate in his or her life and the youth are able to relate to the same struggles as well. It provides the youth with hope and a way to express their own emotions and life stories as well. The rap artists serve as role models in this regard and they are able to inspire the youth to struggle harder and for them to not get trapped into the world of drugs and violence. The lyrics do contain references to violence and drugs but they are used in a negative sense, not in terms of glamorizing of these aspects but more in terms of demonizing them. The youth listening to them are inspired to stay away from violence and drugs and to achieve their dreams through music and other legal avenues.

Thus, in conclusion, it can be said that just like it would be unwise to judge a book by its cover, it would also be unwise to judge a genre based on some of the songs within that genre. If one were to look at any genre of songs, one would find a few songs that would be glamorizing drugs, violence, crime, and death. However, this does not mean that the whole genre overall is bad. In the same manner, rap is not an immoral and dangerous genre; only some songs within that genre are. Rap has been noted to be quite helpful in inspiring people to write about their lives and life stories and also to help the African American youth find their identity and voice and to improve their mental health.

 

 

Annotated Bibliography

 

Armstrong, Shanice N., and Richard J. Ricard. “Integrating rap music into counseling with adolescents in a disciplinary alternative education program.” Journal of Creativity in Mental Health 11.3-4 (2016): 423-435.

 

 

Travis, Raphael. “Rap music and the empowerment of today’s youth: Evidence in everyday music listening, music therapy, and commercial rap music.” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 30.2 (2013): 139-167.

 

Washington, Ahmad Rashad. “Integrating hip‐hop culture and rap music into social justice counseling with Black males.” Journal of Counseling & Development 96.1 (2018): 97-105.