Rap Music and Society

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how rap music currently enjoys the status of mouthpiece for society's rebels and how, since the music of Elvis, various forms of music have pushed the boundaries of acceptability and decency in culture. It provides a short historical overview of this musical genre, followed by a consideration of its significance for society. It shows that, while it is true that some rap artists have broken rules and norms, not only in their music, but also in their lifestyles, it is also true that other rap musicians attempt to use their art to uplift society.

From the Paper:

"Rap artists such as Eminem (Marshall Mathers), Ice Tea, and others have reveled in the controversy raised by their explicit and violent lyrics. According to Fields, the results of social shortcomings are portrayed in the darkest and most explicit way possible by many rap artists. This serves not only as a window to the sad childhood worlds many of these artists come from, but also as an incentive to uphold and fight for conservative social values. Indeed, broken families where the father is absent, children illegitimate, and welfare the only income, more often than not make the world in which the average rapper grew up. The desperate alienation created by this situation finds its expression in violent rap lyrics (Fields)."

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