Why Is Rap Blamed For Gang Violence?
Gangs and Hip Hop music has always been affiliated in conversations about both. A lot of people believe that Hip Hop is completely responsible for the rise in gang violence since Hip Hop was founded. Some people believe that gang activity influences many Hip Hop artists. While Hip Hop lyrics and gang activity have been linked together over the years, they are not as closely related as some may think. WC and Snoop Dogg are two of the few artists who come out and state that they represent a gang.
A lot of the violent crimes that happen in the big cities are usually blamed on gang activity. The most significant gangs exist in large cities and usually include people of minority backgrounds. The majority of popular Rap musicians are of a minority background. Gang members generally listen to Rap more than any other genre. Rap music has been known to contain violent lyrics related to gang activity. It sounds like the two are directly associated, doesn’t it?
Gangs have been around long before Hip Hop music was even thought of. So, how would Hip Hop be responsible for gang activity at all? People may know that, but they believe that Rap is responsible for making gangs even more violent. I don’t believe that music is powerful enough to make somebody perform violent actions. However, I believe that gang activity has an influence on many Hip Hop artists.
Many of the musicians that are popular today were raised in areas where gangs are prominent. Many of them have either participated in gang activity, or witnessed it happening. Emcees have the tendency to portray their life story on an instrumental. Of course their music is going to sound violent if that is what they all grew up around.
People want something to blame violent acts on, so they always turn to Rap music. Hip Hop is just music. You listen to the music. You don’t act out exactly what you hear. Lyrics can get violent but it is always just an expression of emotion. The blame should never be placed on music. Country music talks about drinking a lot and the Country music fans usually like to have a beer or two. So, if Hip Hop is blamed for gang activity, why isn’t Country music blamed for alcoholism? I hope that analogy paints a clearer picture for all those that still don’t believe.
If you would like to learn more with reference to the Rap music genre, go to OH Hip Hop. OH Hip Hop has a mixture of features, like the Newest Hip Hop Music. It also has a full Hip Hop Clothing section.
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