AndrewC


 * Has Rap music influenced violence?**

According to WebMD health news by [|Sid Kirchheimer] "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."

This theory suggests that kids/ teens who watch/ listen to rap music when they are young are more likely to try to imitate thees violent traits as adults. I can see the truth behind this when i go to my neighborhood parks kids will talk about how they "jumped" (jumped is slang for beat up) another kid just like lil Wayne or 50 cent (Modern Rapers). There are theories that are supported by tested scientists. Thees scientists will take two types of kids kids who do listen to rap, and kids who don't and the scientists watch their behaviors as they grow up. According to Web MD teenage girls who do listen to rap music are
 * 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.

I am not saying that all kids who listen to rap will go on to be violent just that statistics show rap does influence violence in modern day culture. Another thing that rap influences in young women is the idea of being a famous rappers groupie could be a could life. The rapper dresses you up in fancy clothes and takes you to high class social occasions. I believe that women shouldnt want to be seen as objects or trophy's and in order to bring that idea to an end we should try to send different messages in hip hop or whatever is the new cool music/show/culture.

Rap has influenced every social institution. If Rap music affects the violence in kids lives then it will send more kids to doing violent/ illegal felonies which will be dealt with by the judicial system. Rap videos show how the violence is cool, but if violence is cool then it leads to more crimes, and more felonies, by more kids. Sending them to to court houses where the judicial system is forced to be put into place. If there is so many crimes for felonies influenced by rap then it changes the whole judicial system and since the judicial system is linked to a lot of other types of things it changes the whole America's. Including since rap is influenced by the judicial system rap is changing itself through the judicial system. The US Scences stats that there are about 5 million black men in America between the ages of 20 and 39, African Americans are seven times more likely to go to prison or jail than whites, and since 2000 to 2004 the amount of African American high school dropouts has gone up by 7% (65%-72%). The US census also says the majority of listeners to hip hop rap music is African Americans and Latinos. Listing to rappers talk about crime and felonies could increase the popularity of going to jail and being hard core, or just lower the attitude that the law is important and that its okay to take what you want no matter what the law says. Rap endues political themes which can be see as a grasp for governmental control. Rappers have their own opinions on political and governmental policies and when they express thees opinions to the world it is taken very seriously by the millions of followers the rapper has. For example rolling stones gets an interview with Lil Wayne "How do you feel about Obama getting the nomination? (RS) It means a whole lot to me, being African-American and being 25 years of age, to live and breathe in this day and time and see history being made. Whether he wins it or not, this is history. I was just talking about that yesterday, in our lifetimes, we’re able to see a whole lot of history and it’s wonderful. (LW)" The US cencus amount of African American politician is six just six African Americans have made it into the us senate. While this may be a depressing demographic it does prove that it can be done espisally looking at Barack Obama who has made it all the way to the oval office. More and more teachers are starting to incorporate modern rap music into their classes. In my history class a full group page was assigned to hip hop which was mainly rap education. As well as in school education the lyrics of rap is being taken as a "street" education to some kids. Thees kids are taking the lessons taught in rap and applying it to their lives. Fortunately not all rap songs provoke violence, so in theory if the kid listens to enough variety's of rap including some of the more moralistic songs like "//I aint no joke// by Eric B or //i know// by Nas" then listening to rap as your education could prove somewhat strong suited personal education. If included with the skills that modern schools teach like science and math. The US Cencus states the high school graduation rate for white students is 78 percent, 72 percent for Asian students, 55 percent for African-American students, and 53 percent for Hispanic students. Then it says the majority of listeners to hip hop rap music is African Americans and Latinos. This shows us that the two racial demographics with the most downloads in hip hop music also have the lowest graduation rate. Rap music can inspire creativeness and intelligence like i have written about in the beginning of this article but it can also you bring a student down to a lower life style which can lead to not caring about grades or dropping out of high school all together. Tons of people buy rap music and download it. Rap is one of the biggest economic products out there and is pretty solid even in cases of large numbers of people downloading without paying for the music. Some other economic recourse's music produces are concert tickets, commercial/advertising, clothing lines, symbols, and autographs. Rap/ rap related products produce millions if not billions of dollars each year and thees rappers end up becoming not just famous for their rap but also famous for being so rich. Also once rappers become rich they start to rap about their "lavish lifestyle" and what happens is rap changes itself through the economic social institute. Rap lyrics talk allot about god and what the right beliefs are. Also rappers talk about their connection with god which can strengthen religions popularity. Since thees rappers are whats in and whats cool when they talk about their strong connection with "the lord" being religious becomes cool, popular. The song "//God love us// by Nas" talks about Nas's relationship with god and how god has helped him through tough times while still remaining gangster and hood. This is a perfect example of the gangster life including god. While god is **obliviously** not **only** involved in gangster life, the religious institutions includes a large hood population. Rap music has allot of influence in the domestic institution. Rap influences domestic violence but also the rapper lifestyle has become a main domestic choice. Gangster rap has become a way of life, it has not only become a life choice but generations have been born into the gangster rap era and probably will be set that way their whole lives. Thees babies born into the gangster rap lifestyle they grow up and have their own children raising them the same way they were raised. Rap has changed the world not just now but for centuries to come. The gangster rap lifestyle i speak of is what the artist's preach in their lyrics however the artist decides to form his song is actually shaping and modeling the world for years to come.
 * How has Rap music influenced other social institutions?**
 * Judicial**
 * Governmental**
 * Educational**
 * Economic**
 * Religious**
 * Domestic**

Ludacris a highly acclaimed rapper has contributed his efforts have more people get involved in the US census. His exact words were “I look at our communities now and I see many empty lots, closed clinics, dilapidated schools and an overall breakdown of social services for the poor and elderly,” he said. “It’s important that we all stand up and be counted so we can help create potential financial opportunities for our dying communities." Ludacris talks about how neighborhoods are growing more and more into poverty and a way to fix things is to contribute to US census surveys. Like I talk about in my Governmental paragraphs ludacris'es icon-ism is a big deal so when he publicly supports something it becomes more important to ludacrises wide fan base.
 * The United States Census**

www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi43.pdf www.webmd.html/baby/news/20030303/does-rap-put-teens-at-risk www.hiptics.html/2008/06/24/lil-wayne-talks-obama-and-tattoos/ RAP TIME LINE
 * __Recources__**

Samples of Rap

media type="file" key="07 Mean Mugging.mp3" width="240" height="20" Mean Mugging By Lil Wayne Mean Mugging Lyrics

media type="file" key="11 Man On The Moon (The Anthem).mp3" width="240" height="20" Man on the Moon By Kid Cudi Man on the Moon Lyrics