Viewpoints: No Link Between Rap and Violence?

This viewpoint was the opposite opinion on the issue between rap and violence in youth. Before the studies were done to research the affects of kids listening to rap, there was background information. This information included the fact that heavy metal and rap were similar but had different listeners from different races and cultures. Rap was more recognized by the urban African Americans and heavy metal was mostly found as being listened to by middle/working-class of whites. What i found most interesting was that the characteristics of rap that were being criticized were the same as the heavy metal characteristics except for the fact that the listeners and the producers of the songs were different. I found it interesting that rap was given more criticism just because of society's views on the blacks. I think that there is definitely still more prejudice against the blacks and that's why there the music is such an issue. The studies that were established concerning the types of music and the cultures showed that the races did link with the type of music that were perceived to be "their culture's" music, but the criminals and negative behavior showed no link between the music and the violence. They believed that the negative behavior came before the the music and the music just was a contributor. Music was not the cause. I believe this to extent. I think that music is a big contributor to the actions taken by the listeners but I don't think that it is the main cause. There has to be another reason that the kids would listen to the lyrics in the music in the first place. My personal experience is that I have listened to hardcore rap before but I would never do some of the things that they say to do in the songs.

Tatum, Becky L. "Studies Have Not Established a Link Between Rap Music and Youth Violence." Opposing Viewpoints: Media Violence. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 10 Feb. 2010 .

Viewpoints: Linked Rise in Violence to Music (Ny Times)

The article in the New York time looks at the situation objectively. In Colorado, police linked music and violence together because the crime rate skyrocketed when the hip hop night club came into the town. The police insisted that the gangster rap music was affecting the attitude of the people in the town towards women and violence. They think that the music brings a want for the actual gangster activities in the night clubs. This angered many people in the city because they thought otherwise. They thought that they were being racists against the kind of music. A local rapper said, " When two cowboys got into an argument at the saloon, went outside and had a draw, no body blamed the music that was playing in the saloon." When I read this i thought that he had a point. There is violence in any culture but i also think that there is a difference between having violence in your own culture, and spreading the negative culture to other innocent societies. At the end of the article is does state that the authorities found that after they spoke about the gang rap violence link, there had been a drop of attendance to the rapper events, dropping to 200 from 700. When people realize that what their listening to is vulgar and unattractive, many will stop wanting to live that thug life or even listen to the music. I find it so interesting that many times, the messages aren't even listened to by the listeners but they are desensitized by the lyrics without even realizing it. When the people do realize this then they decide to move away from it.

Viewpoints: Words can Hurt (music and violence)

In this article, I read about different opinions on the topic of music and violence. One man, who is a DJ on the popular hip-hop radio station in Petersberg, stated his opinion very clearly," (It's) like cancer, or like crack going into neighborhoods...Gangsta rap has been destructive as the Klan". What he is saying makes a huge statement, to me it is a little extreme but it gets the point across that rap doesn't have a good message but the music spreads quickly. Much of what is said in this article revolves around blaming the record companies because the artists aren't educated enough to know how to make a better image for his or her self. This is because production is for profit and if the audience like violence they will get violence because it brings in money. Many video games and movies also depict violence and it mirrors the affects that rap has. In the article is talks about a discussion that went on between a few rappers and producers. One rapper talked about how it wasn't bad because it was a way of reality for those in the hood. Near the end of the conversation though, it was put into realization that the rappers are just reiterating the stories instead of trying to tell the listeners how to get out of the situations that go on in the normal hoodlum society. I think that this is very true that even though reality of the hood is there and interesting to hear about, it doesn't give any right to have listeners follow in their footsteps and learn negative ways from them. Instead, they should have rap about how to get out of the situations or at least be less explicit in telling their stories. A quote that I found very true and interesting is "Hurt's film outlines the way hip-hop culture pushes male artists and fans into presenting 'hyper masculine' image into the world;requiring them to show toughness, domination of others, wealth, and widespread success with women". This quote I found interesting because it shows how music impacts the mind of the listeners. Even if the song isn't made to control the minds of all of their listeners, to an extent, the song manipulates or twists a person's perception of how they should be viewed in society.


Deggans, Eric. "WORDS CAN HURT." The St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, FL). (Feb 20, 2007): 1E. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 9 Feb. 2010 .

View Points: Are Lyrics Violent?

In the story I read about the school shooting that was triggered possibly by the music the boy was listening to. This story reiterated that music has A huge impact on the listeners. In this particular genre, the negative behavior expressed "glamorizes violence" and makes the listeners think that violence and offensive behavior is okay. In the story, the 13 year old boy was a normal respectable kid who sang at church and got good grades. That Christmas, he bought Tupac and Bone Thugs ~N~ Harmony. His parents had no idea who these artists were but they didn't think anything of it. This boy, being an avid listener to the rap and gangster music, started to change the way he acted at school according to his fellow students, flashing gang signs in the hallways. He started signing the lyrics at school which consisted of words such as, " cockin the 9 and ready to aim/Pullin the Trigger/To blow out your brains/Bones got a gang/Man we crept and we came,"(Crept and we came by Bone Thugs). These violent images began to stick in the minds of many students, and is still being listened to every day. According to the investigation, "Several students verified that the theme and message of this music is that killing and being on death row are cool". With the glamorization of violence, the students have desensitized themselves into thinking that violence and offensive language is not as offensive as before rap was created because everyone listens to it and because the famous people sing it, it is okay to do. Listeners look up to their favorite artists and if the artists are saying its okay to be offensive and violent, then the listeners will be offensive and violent. I really think this is a great example of how music impacts its listeners and how society has focused a lot more on the music and telling a story with the music instead of just playing with it and making people happy just by the music aspect. The lyrics in a song always tell a story and rap brings a painful reality to its listeners of what the artists dealt with growing up or just bring a certain reality to those who dont understand. Because most of the growing fan base hasn't experienced the artists' lives though, the listeners could twist the meanings subconciously and make it into something they think is cool because it is different from what their life experiences are.

Pelley, Debbie. "Violent Song Lyrics Encourage Aggressive Behavior in Children." At Issue: Violent Children. Ed. Bryan J. Grapes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 8 Feb. 2010 .

Literature response: Sonny's Blues

This short story is about a man and his brother Sonny. It took place in a time of segregation and hatred towards the Blacks. It was discovered in the story that Sonny was a man of music and he used his music escape from the life of darkness around him. Sonny always wanted to be a musician but no one, including the narrator understood why. Years past and the boys drifted apart. After many years of not associating with each other, the narrator hears about his brother and decided to write him. He got a response and they wind up reunited. Upon this reunion, new curiosities about Sonny arise in the narrator's head. He wonders what Sonny had been thinking about and how he had been living. He was scared because Sonny was a dope addict and got into a lot of trouble. Sonny was also a kind of kid who had a certain wall that hid his vulnerability inside. The narrator knew that his brother was like his dad in many ways, including the privacy aspect. He also found out that his dad had a brother, this brother was a musician. He loved playing his guitar and it made him feel at peace. The night he died though, his music died. His guitar was run over by a car. He and the narrator's mother talked about the situation with his dad and his dad's brother and his mother told him that he shouldn't leave his brother alone. When the narrator and Sonny were in the empty kitchen, Sonny revealed that he wanted to be a musician. He wanted to be a jazz musician. The narrator told Sonny that a musician was a hard paying job and he thought of jazz musicians as " good time people", which was what his his dad called it. Sonny told the narrator that it was what he wanted to do and even though it is going to take time he was willing to practice because it was the only thing that truely made him happy. There was a piano where Sonny was staying and he took use of it every day. He was so passionate about his music and it made him happy to be able to improvise the records that he played. When Isabel's family found out Sonny was working with white folks on music, they scolded him and there was silence. The silence was "louder than the sound of all the music ever played since time began," (126). As Sonny got more upset, his music became less frequent and twisted. Another point in the story where music present was when the two sisters and brother started singing, the narrator says, " The music seemed to soothe a poison out of them,"(129). As the lady was singing sonny talked about how, when he heard music, it maked him feel "sort of warm and cool and the same time." He had a good feeling inside of him when he listened to music. It calmed him down. This story shows how music can have an impact on a person's life. When some one is feeling upset or hurt, music can calm him or her down and make them forget about the world around them while they create their music.

Where I'm at Now..

At this point in my research, I've looked at the different types of music and how music came into the American life. I found it very interesting that people didn't appreciate music until later in the 20th century. I thought that music was always around, but really the music was originally pushed aside. The impact of music on today's world does not reflect on the past because of the difference in interests of people today verses people from back then. Also, I thought it was really interesting that every form of music are just moderation upon moderation of jazz. I don't know how pop music generated from jazz. The development of music was progressed by people who went against the common norm and invented a new way of expression.

Primary Source: Music in America by Antonin Dvorak

Antonin Dvorak believes that music has been lacking in American and underestimated in importance to a nation. He believes that music is the weakest of the arts because it has only started to form. In 1894, when this document was dated, music had just taken coarse in the classical world. Popular music had not come to mind yet. Dvorak said, " The great American republic alone, and its national government as well as in many other states, suffers art and music to go without encouragement". When Dvorak says this, he is saying that the reason why the arts is a weak part of the nation is because the government does not help raise music in the public eye. He is contrasting between how government protects the economy and education, but not expression. Dvorak believes that some people are meant to be scholars and others, artists. He believes that if artists are not privileged to do what they are call to do, which is perform, then the government is being unjust. Another discouragement that Dvorak talks about is that his students don't get the willingness of the American publishers to create sounds new to the nation. The problem with American music at this time was that all the music was so narrowly classical, that anything that was outside of the box was rejected. Through all the discouragement though, Dvorak brought hope. He uses the example of England and how their music industry and encouragement for students grew. He stated, "A single institute can make such a change, just as a single genius can bestow an art upon his country that before was lying in unheeded slumber". He is showing that one person can make a difference and that difference is the start of the development of appreciation of music in America. When others argue to Dvorak about how it is not popular in America to have music, he counters that saying that there is so much music appreciation because every concert hall is always filled for every concert. The states cannot speak for the whole nation when saying it's not popular because the outcomes of the concerts show otherwise, making the government look stupid for even trying to argue that statement of music not being popular. He comments about how he realizes that music is not as big in the states and in other countries but he believes that this is only because the government makes music out to be boring and not needed. Those people who are afraid to fight for what they want keep the norms of the society and no room to make the change for the better. He states, " It only rests with the leaders of the people to make the right beginnings." He is saying that encouragement of music will not just come, people have to fight for it. With this quote, I related Dvorak with MLK and Cesar Chavez, who i read about earlier today. They all have a common idea: change won't happen unless someone steps up and fights for the change. I find it interesting to see what the difference musicians made in order to bring music into the popular norms of America. Musicians had to work for their rights of expression, just like the Blacks and Hispanics have to work for their rights as citizens.