Rap. Simply Music, or Something More?

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Every major societal change in history has been met with resistance of some kind, and the adoption of rap music into the entertainment industry is no different. There are an innumerable amount of viewpoints on whether rap music is to be admonished for the objectification of and disrespect towards women or simply accepted as another expression of modern society. Even those these two opposing viewpoints are vastly different, there are opportunities for those who listen to this type of music to develop their intelligence on the various topics discussed in modern rap. There are many people who criticize rap music for its intolerance towards women and its effect on the youth of today, and those criticisms are warranted. Rap music has long had the “tendency to represent misogyny at its true best, capturing the essence of women in the oh-so-catchy rhymes of debased and objectified, crude animal forms” (Farooq 1). Rap music not only offers up ideas of disrespect towards women, but condones these actions! This music preaches using women as nothing more than objects of pleasure. In addition to the devaluing of society that misogynistic rap music promotes, the ideas presented in rap music are having a very negative effect on today’s youth. “Rap music and hip hop, with their particular emphasis on sex and demeaning depictions of women, were blamed for encouraging early sexual behaviour” (Rap Music Blamed 1). These lyrics are pushing sexuality onto children at a younger age each year. Everyone sees the pre-teen girls walking around the malls dressed up in mini-skirts and crop tops with more makeup than your average clown, drawing lewd stares from males of all ages. The over-sexualized attire and attitudes are the beginning of a self-destructiv... ... middle of paper ... ...hors the song he is exposed to, there will be a specific line in that song that speaks to him, that does not affect any other person exactly the same way. Each rap song, whether presenting the negative parts of society or celebrating the many wonderful things, has an affect on someone and provides a teachable moment. Works Cited "Rap Music Blamed for Teen Pregnancy." Daily Mail. N.p.. Web. 18 Jan 2014. . Farooq, Aisha. "Hip-hop, rap, and misogyny." Women's Views on Newa. N.p., 23 FEB 2013. Web. 18 Jan 2014. misogyny/>. Rihanna. A Girl Like Me. Rihanna. The Carter Administration, Ne-Yo, Carl Sturken, Et Al., 2006. Wikipedia. 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 Jan. 2014. .

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