well lets just jump right in don’t even worry about the capital letter to begin this sentence. The music industry when ever scrutinized about their accountability for miss handling their role-model like status, many artist throw out the “it’s the parents responsibility to raise their children not mine” statement. In some ways I can understand that thought. I am not a parent, but I am planning on being one in the not so distant future. So with that said I am starting the process of raising my children now by way of trying to provide an environment that provides positive stimuli; be it music, food or air quality. You know the saying garbage in garbage out.
My speaking out about the negative influences on society by some in the music industry is my way of starting now to protect my future children. By shining a light on what can possible hurt them in the future. Notice I did not say by all that are in the music industry, because there are artist that are trying to make a conscious effort to be a positive roll model i.e. Bono of the group u2, Alicia Keys, India Ire, Mary-Mary, Gospel singers, Christian rappers, Trip Lee, Queen Latifah, Will smith, Lupe Fiasco.
God bless and keep us all
Brian Graves
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Tags: Alicia Keys, Bono of the group u2, Christian rappers, environment, Gospel singers, India Ire, Lupe Fiasco., Mary-Mary, Queen Latifah, roll model, Trip Lee, Will smith
I know that I give my opinion on the negative effects of music on today’s society, but it is important to get some statistical data to back up my thoughts so take a look at this information that I found on WebMD.
I am in no way calling out only rap music as the only cause of societies negativism. I know that there are other studies out there on the effects of rock music and every other type of music and as I find more I will post those.
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Does Rap Put Teens at Risk?
Study: Association Found Between Video Viewing Time and Risky Behaviors
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Health News
March 3, 2003 — Teens who spend more time watching the sex and violence depicted in the “reel” life of “gangsta” rap music videos are more likely to practice these behaviors in real life, suggests one of the first studies to specifically explore how rap videos influence emotional and physical health.
After studying 522 black girls between the ages of 14 and 18 from non-urban, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, researchers found that compared to those who never or rarely watched these videos, the girls who viewed these gangsta videos for at least 14 hours per week were far more likely to practice numerous destructive behaviors. Over the course of the one-year study, they were:
• Three times more likely to hit a teacher
• Over 2.5 times more likely to get arrested
• Twice as likely to have multiple sexual partners
• 1.5 times more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease, use drugs, or drink alcohol.
“What is particularly alarming about our findings is that we didn’t find an association with just violence or one or two risky behaviors,” says researcher Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD, of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. “We found an association with a string of these behaviors.”
His study, published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health, only involved black girls living in Birmingham, Ala. — all of whom were already sexually active. While the researchers surveyed viewing habits for various types of rap videos, gangsta rap was by far the most popular among the girls practicing these destructive behaviors.
“We wanted to focus on young, African American women, a population that is very vulnerable,” DiClemente tells WebMD. “In these videos, men hold the power and women don’t and as a result, are subservient. I’m not sure that the girls in our study were lashing out because of this, but more likely role-modeling the behaviors they see. The women in these videos are doing OK, they’re hanging around with a man who is powerful, affluent, going to nice clubs and wearing nice clothes. For these girls, they may not be a bad thing.”
His team is currently expanding its research to investigate how these and other rap videos may influence behaviors across other racial, gender and socioeconomic lines. Although gangsta rap videos depict tough inner-city “street” life, their largest viewing audience is white suburban youth, who have better access to cable television channels such as MTV and BET (Black Entertainment Television).
Of course, this isn’t the first time that rebellious music has been blamed for society’s ills. From Elvis to Columbine, the songs of music-obsessed youth have often been blamed for anti-social behavior. But rap — and in particular, the especially violent and sexually-explicit gangsta variety — has raised special concern.
“Most children between ages 2 and 18 spend upwards of seven hours a day ingesting some sort of media,” says Susan Buttross, MD, FAAP, chief of child development and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “We know that with any type of repeated media exposure, a desensitization can occur that makes these behaviors seem normal. So this finding doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Buttross, who was not involved in DiClemente’s study, is a member of the AAP’s committee on public education, which has written several policies warning about the effects the media has on children’s’ behavior. Her committee is currently updating its 2001 policy statement that found 75% of music videos involved sexual imagery, and more than half involved violence — usually against women. In 1996, the AAP issued another policy statement that was critical of rap music.
But others feel that rap is getting a bad rap. “Yes, there are rap videos that are particularly violent or sexual, but let’s look at what is more important in whether or not these kids act out of behaviors — their family structure and the type of parenting they get,” says Cheryl Keyes, PhD, associate professor of ethnomusicology at UCLA and author of Rap Music and Street Consciousness. “Parents need to get more involved in what their children are watching.”
No argument from DiClemente or Buttross.
“You cannot stick your head in the sand and expect your child will only look at good stuff,” says Buttross. “Parents need to know what their children are being exposed to. Certainly, rap is not the only music that portrays negative stereotypes or can negatively impact behaviors, and not all rap music should be implicated. But there have been nearly 1,000 studies that have looked at the effects that the media has on children’s behavior. And nearly all of them find there is a strong effect.”
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Tags: gangsta, music videos, rap, statistics, Study, teens
I am open to any and all opinions, I say just be able to back them up with facts and not rederik. I have provided the lyrics to the songs, so the readers can see for themselves. If my thoughts are off base, I am totally open to being shown the light.
I will not accept that the artist and the record executives that run the music industry don’t have a moral obligation to be conscious of what they are putting out in the world and the effect that it has on society especially young people.
This quote sums it up best for me.
“We say life and death are in the power of the tongue, but we don’t give that thing credit. I learned that words and images create thoughts. Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create decisions. Decisions create actions. Actions create habit, and habit creates character. Attaching that to the music industry that’s where the words and images are.
Dewight Stone radio host of Praise Mixdown,
EBONY Magazine, May 2011
title: Elevate Spirit Quest From Jeezy to Jesus
Edited by Margene A. Christian
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Tags: life and death are in the power of the tongue, lyrics, moral obligation, record executives, rederik
I think Kanye West speaks an unfortunate truth for those who pose and wear a Jesus peace but intentionally live in way that brings shame to Jesus and what He and Christianity stand for.
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I admit I from time to time find my self listening and bobbing my head to Kanye’s songs and other artist alike. But usually about half-way through the song I am feeling really bad about what I am exposing myself to. My spirit can’t take the negative speak, so I end up changing the station. I love the beats and admire the talent of the artists, but find that I hate, can’t, and don’t want to relate to virtually all of the lyrics of many artist today.
Case-In-Point
These lyrics may be of offensive nature to some readers be advised, the intent is to expose the negative social pills that are being fed to us via our favorite music artiest who in my opinion are not so worthy of the platform that they have.
Artist: Young Jezzy
Album: The Recession (2008) The Recession (2008)
Song: Put On [feat. Kanye West]
[Verse 3: Kanye West]
I feel like there’s still n!gg@s that owe me checks
I feel like there’s still b*tch%s that owe me sex
I feel like this but n!gg@s don’t know the stress
I lost the only girl in the world that know me best
I got the money and the fame and that don’t mean sh!t
I got the Jesus on a chain, man that don’t mean sh!t
Cause when the Jesus pieces can’t bring me peace
Sure I need just at least one of Russell’s nieces
On…I let my nightmares go
What ever happened to Jesus Walks -Rap written by Kanye West?
[Hook x2]
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don’t think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long
To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
(Jesus walks with them)
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
(Jesus walks with them)
Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know he hear me when my feet get weary
Cause we’re the almost nearly extinct
We rappers are role models we rap we don’t think
I ain’t here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I’m just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that’s the way I need Jesus My how the industry and lime lite changes people.
“Jesus Walks” KANYE WEST LYRICS
Brian Graves
God bless and keep us all
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Tags: Jesus pieces, Jesus Walks, Kanye West, music
I feel the main-stream music, and Television industry has given a platform only to certain artist who’s lyrics consist of mainly sex, drugs, money and oh yeah, shamelessly mocking Christianity while giving praise to themselves. Case in point; Rapper Jay-Z’s song “Empire State ” in which the lyrics harshly ridicule Christianity –“Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin, and Jesus can’t save you life starts when the church ends.”
In stark contrast to Jay-Z, and other secular artist, Trip Lee a pro-Christian rapper is widely unknown by the mainstream public due to a virtual blackout of any Christian artist on popular radio and television platforms. In my opinion Trip Lee is one of the best lyricist out there – “It’s not for show or lots of dough, I do this for His name To get it out, not to get mine exposed, don’t do this for the fame No time to flow bout shiny clothes, or shoes, or golden chains My mind is sold to the God who rose, His truth is on my brain
So while the average cats is backwards spitting battle raps Wrapped up in their habitat of blasting cats, I’m rapping ’bout the Master’s acts Most cats just can’t fathom that, that I don’t the spotlight
It’s not right, I’m not tight, I rep Him when I rock mics So don’t be looking at me, you see me just look on past me I’m nothing special, just a vessel, service makes me happy
Hook:
Hey if you looking for a Superstar I ain’t the one you searching for, I came to bring some worship, bro He’s perfect I’m just dirt below Hey if you looking for a Superstar Don’t look at me, you got me wrong, I been a sinner all along Let’s look at Him and not the songs” Artist-Rapper: Trip Lee
Question why is it that we are brain washed with so many negative, self-loathing, blasphemous, demonic-(oh no can’t say that), songs when there is much better out there? I cry fowl play. Where are all of the continuous artist? Forcibly hidden away from the masses, hummmm!
Life starts when the church ends? Come on really, really?
Oh no! You shouldn’t have given me a soup box, now I guess I gotta stand on it. More rants to come.
Brian Graves
God bless and keep us all
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Tags: Hail Mary, Jay-Z, music industry, secular artist, Television industry, Trip Lee
Does anybody out there ever wonder why there is such a cross over effect in our music today. In some aspect this is a great way to bring a sense of culture to the masses across all social and cultural barriers. But what about religious barriers. In today’s society we have been trained to leave religion out of the conversation so to speak. Food for thought, more to come soon.
God bless, and keep us all.
Brian Graves
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Tags: cross over, food for thought, music, religion, society
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