There is More to Rap Music Than Just Violent Lyrics Essay

There is More to Rap Music Than Just Violent Lyrics ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to show that there is more to rap and hip hop lyrics than what most people take them for. It cannot be disputed that violence is a major theme in this genre of music, but the lyrics of artists who have been able to stay in the game for a long time show that overtime the subject of their song matter varies with their experiences and success. Two artists who are very well respected in the rap industry and who have been around for awhile, Nas and Jay-Z both show a wide variety of topics in their music and that with success their music went from violent tales to songs that are more fun, more positive and more concerned with material things. Using a†¦show more content†¦Jay-Z explains in one song#8230;I never prayed to God, a Pray to Gotti. The desire for material things is something very common to those that are listening. Jay-Z, coming from the same back round writes songs on things he knows and surrounds him. Besides the hunger another su bject that is very common to this subculture is violence. It is not a coincidence that violence is a subject matter prevalent in both the music and the subculture. Like Donna Gaines, Nas and Jay-Z acts as sociologists reporting what they see. Nas writes on the graphic violence that he is accustomed to#8230;Straight up *censored* is real and any day could be your last in the jungle get murdered on the humble, gunsll blast, niggaz tumble the corners is the hot spot, full of mad criminals who dont care guzzling beers#8230; Donna Gaines writes that she has observed that the burnouts drink in front of a 7-11, Nas also explains that criminals hang out on the corner. Both Donna and Nas write about what they observe. It is true that violence is a major theme in this music, but that is because the artists are writing about the real issues that are present in the subculture whom they are part of. If Jay-Z and Nas continued to write song lyrics covering the same things in their first album in their later ones, than it could be argued there is too much nonsense and violence in lyrics. However, that is notShow MoreRelatedEssay about Rap Music and Teen Violence 944 Words   |  4 PagesMusic can be a reflection of our life experiences. Each genre of music invokes different emotions and reactions in its listeners. Rap has become a very popular genre of music. As its popularity has increased, some people have questioned whether it can trigger violence in teens. While some rap songs do have violent lyrics, there is no direct evidence that rap music provokes violence in teenagers. Rap music has African roots just like jazz, the blues and rock ‘n’ roll. 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