MUH 3025 Gangsta Rap

Critics of gang rap music argue that these artists simplify their messages as entertainment that gives a hint of violence for people to emulate. While some people have accused these genres of promoting violence some other people have said that they were simply that the artists could paint what they saw and felt and that in their world, violence was the norm. Studies have shown that violent music and lyrics have the potency to affect cognition and feelings thus encouraging violence. For example, Sun et al., (2019), discovered that people who are exposed to violent music lyrics have enhanced aggression thoughts and feelings.

Angst is largely fostered by both the lyrics and the music favored in these genres. Lyrics convey themes of irritation, defiance, and aggression, resonating with listeners who experience similar emotions. The music itself is aggressive, with very loud beats, strong, profound instruments, and harsh vocals which enhance these feelings. For instance, the loudness, distortion, and anger of punk bands such as the Sex Pistols give an impression of rebellion and discontent with the current state of affairs. These genres of music should be seen to cause such effects as they show how useful it is to let out some expression and how it can help to inform people of some issues. Instead of promoting violence, they bring entertainment, contemplation, and, even, therapy.

References

Sun, Y., Lu, X., Williams, M., & Thompson, W. F. (2019). Implicit violent imagery processing among fans and non-fans of music with violent themes. Royal Society Open Science, 6(3), 181580. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181580

Umar Rauf, R. M. binti, Rahman, N. A., Hamdan, F., & Arifin, A. (2023). Authenticity in Music. Randwick International of Social Science Journal, 4(3), 749–752. https://doi.org/10.47175/rissj.v4i3.773