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Editorial: Is Popular Hip-Hop Hurting American Society?

I think it is safe to say that anyone observant in America has noticed that we have strayed farther and farther from being a well-educated and mindful society. The views of a large percentage of our nation's youth seem to have strayed farther from consideration of others and closer to careless self-enjoyment. But what is to blame for such a shift in interest and motivation? Certainly there are a number of things that could be attributed to the devolving ethics of our society, but most often blamed is the entertainment industry and its predominant target audience -- young teens.

The first step to entering such a discussion is to recognize the existence of a problem. The "problem" here is referred to under the assumption that the reader possesses the traditional ethics of American society -- that is, the generalized values that this country was founded on -- the Ten Commandments. Now, before you think I am turning this into a religious issue, realize that the the Ten Commandments are in no way religion-specific. They are an artifact of ancient history and they have played a significant role in the establishment of the laws of our country, which means regardless of your religious persuasion, you are affected by them daily. Most Americans, and I stress most, are able to apply their instructions to everyday life as a set of standards by which to live, standards that help us to successfully govern our actions and motives and to make us "better" people. If you do not agree that such standards are something by which society should be governed, then you already disagree with my argument. But with the exception of the more creationistic commandments, I find that the remaining instructions serve as a good example of the way humans in general should strive to live. When the constitution was signed, the Commandments were hanging on the wall in the very room in which our forefathers built our nation.

Fast-forward to today. Now, we turn on our television sets and radios and we hear poetic slaughter of the very values and ethics by which our country strives to conduct itself. Life is simplified to a question of kill or be killed and women are degraded to a mass of flesh with a set of reproductive organs and a authority-defining material influence. Drug usage is glorified and races are separated -- and regardless of age, humans are force-fed the details of this new optional outlook on society by not only the entertainment industry, but the very people living around us.

American entertainers have always taken advantage of the US capitalist society by trying things never before done in order to steal a portion of the spotlight, but never have they been so aggressive. Just decades ago, American entertainers would never have dreamed of using such severe methods of shock value to sell records or turn heads, but today, we have already gone above and beyond the definition of desperation. A new industry has overtaken the old: An industry where producers and entertainers will do just about anything to make a quick buck, regardless of the possible reprecussions.

Of course, we have made infinitely significant advancements as a society concerning the acceptance of different races over the past couple of decades -- blacks now are given, for the most part, the same consideration as whites in the workplace (quotas and economic plans exist to help level the playing field for those still trapped by the walls of poverty and lack of education), and many other races have a per-capita income comparable to that of white middle-class Americans. For example, black middle-class families, on average, make 80% of the income of white middle-class families. But even as we have come so far in improving racial relations, another wall has been erected just under our noses, one that separates an even larger minority (in fact, the largest of them all) from the standards by which humans are to be viewed -- a systematic desensitization of the competence of women.

Take a look at artists like Eminem and ICP; even such female-targeted middle-grounders as Nelly and Ja Rule. All refer to women as nothing more than a simple possession -- almost never do they refer to women in any context other than that of authoritative and material gain. One of the most popular mainstream rap songs of today, Livin' It Up by Ja Rule, makes a mindlessly repetitive contribution in the chorus to the objectification of females:

Yeah, yeah, yeah
We all my...
Yeah
C'mon, c'mon, uh
To all my bitches that be givin' it up, uh
To all my ****** that be livin' it up, we say...
To all my bitches that be givin' it up, ah
C'mon

And although many would argue that the extraction of such lyrics from their intended context invalidates the argument against their authors, I would say that these people are also missing a very important point. The target audience of popular rap music is predominantly composed of young teens from the ages of 12 to adults the age of 21 -- and although these listeners may be young enough as it is, we cannot forget the children of even younger age who find interest in such entertainment. Rap artists who are confronted with such pressing questions regarding the effect of their music on society all generally offer one all-encompassing explanation:

- The music they produce is based on personal experiences from their troubled childhoods
- It is not meant to glorify drugs, violence, and feminine incompetence, but rather to make the listener aware of the existence of such properties in a life of poverty.
- Their music thus holds a deeper meaning, one that glorifies the escape from such a restricted lifestyle to a rich and leisurely one, and they are living proof of the result of ambition and determination.

This explanation is valid, but it does not take into account a few very important things: Do the majority of rap listeners understand these underlying themes? Do the members of the younger demographic and the less-educated listeners possess the capacity to recognize such intentions? And, finally, does it even matter whether people are aware of the supposed intent of the artist when they are constantly barraged with such themes as female objectification, remorseless violence, and glorified substance abuse?

Certainly you've heard the girl in your school nonchalantly chanting the lyrics to her favorite rap song, playfully standardizing such terms as "bitches" and "hos". Have you ever given it a second thought?

The beats are infecting and the rhymes are intriguing, but the problem arises when we look at the conflict in communication. Although such language is now considered commonplace and even unoffensive by many, the words used still retain a specific standardized defined meaning. As many times as the word "bitch" is repeated carelessly in the bridge of a popular rap song, it still retains its original connotation and descriptive effect. As many times as Beanie Sigel describes his recipe for perfect cocaine, it still remains a recipe for pococurante acceptance. And as many times as Eminem murders his significant other, it still remains a not-so-distant outlet for the listener's anger...

My point is that perhaps the problem does not lie with the artist's intent, but rather with the effect of his/her words. I can safely assure you that the guy sitting next to you on the bus pumping his favorite mix CD is not giving much thought to the true purpose of each poem; he's just listening because he likes the music. No matter how many times a rap artist produces a song with the intent of grabbing the public's attention and sending an anti-poverty message throughout the nation, the majority of the people are still going to overlook the deeper meaning and take refuge in the shallow comfort of the humorous lyrics and infectious beat. And even those who do understand the truth about the music will still be injected with a daily dose of apathy and indifference toward all things civil and morally correct -- the syringe is filled with a heavy amount of carefree lyrical rebellion.

Is this music influencing society? Well, it may not be the source of all influence, but it certainly plays a part. A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania concludes:

1. Heavy metal and rap listeners would have more psychosocial adjustment problems (substance abuse, psychiatric problems, justice system contact, etc.) than non-listeners, and
2. Listening to heavy metal and rap music is another sign of adjustment problems and listeners have other precipitating factors (e.g. more disturbed family history) that account for increased adjustment difficulties.

Is this the safehaven for all troubled children? Perhaps, but doubtlessly many rap listeners refuse to credit their reasons for their choice of music to their childhood experiences.

A similar argument suggests that such music targets kids who are already troubled by similarly unfortunate lifestyles, but that would not explain the hundreds of thousands of middle-class suburban veterans who indulge in the music along with the nation's troubled souls. Perhaps my longtime friend John, a black man, put it best when he said "Many black people have grown up in a place where they can't find freedom outside of a life of crime. But the rest of society hasn't had to live this way, and they misinterpret many rap songs to be condoning violence and drugs -- that's not usually the intent."

So, then, what is to be done? Certainly we cannot censor such music, for an act of that nature would be unconstitutional. It would be simple if we could persuade all parents to better educate their children, but as humans we know that this is not a possible feat. Although implicit responsibility lies with the parents, do these artists and record company officials have no responsibility and duty to their nation? It is a controversial matter, to be sure, but it must be addressed when human nature suggests that you reflect the blame whenever possible.