Rap/Hip-Hop music: Bad influence on children?

Many a time, while playing RuneScape, have I seen usernames featuring love for "Wiz Khalifa", and "Eminem", and "Lil Wayne". Also many a time, i have seen debates over rap music, and whether it's "cool". Usually, when I chime in with my piece of the argument, how it's degrading to women, promotes breaking the law, glorifying the usage of drugs and alcohol, and hurting people you do not like, i'm usually berated, scolded, with sayings along the lines of them doing drugs because it's "fun", and that everyone listens to it, because it's "legit" music, it's "dope". Now personally, I do not understand the charm rap music has to teenagers, as I listen to two very opposite genres, Classical and Techno, so, would someone with a more educated response than those I hear in-game enlighten me as to why rap music could be good? Thank you.

 

I'm not a fan of rap either. I don't really understand the allure of it, but it has a very large fan base. That being said, I don't think it is a bad influence on children. I mean, it isn't a good influence, but I don't think it does much to influence kids.

 

I'm not sure how Lil wayne relates to Rap/hiphop but anyways.

I think the older artists are good for kids to listen to, when it was an art, and not mainstream trash.

Examples: Nas, Mobb Deep, Eminem, I.T, Mos Def, Tupac, Big L

Now yes, these people do have some violent lyrics, but they speak the truth and helps kids understand what actually goes on in the world.
Instead of parents / teachers trying to blind them. If you blind your kids they wont be prepared for the world when they're older.

A lot of it is just story telling, and them sharing their lives with the listener.
How they grew up, how they were raised, what things they've seen.

Bad music = Rapping about money / cars / jewels / girls.
Good music = Story telling threw complex rhyming schemes. About what life is truly like, and what happens in different areas of the world.

 

Thank you, Lym. I've taken a look at older artists, and in fact, it was more of an art. I do agree with you about how it prepares kids for what happens in the world, but many of them who do listen almost thrust themselves into that world voluntarily, as it makes them "cool". But I feel as though that's mostly with the more modern Rap.

 

Haven't seen a discussion on Rap/Hip Hop being a bad influence since like 01. Anyways...

Its not that rap is a bad influence, its the morons paid to say some bullshit that's the "thing" at the time.

Rap is a beauty, classifying rap as a bad influence is being ignorant...I'm pretty sure by whats been mentioned so far that you guys are thinking mainstream "artist", so you haven't heard underground rap or rap artist that simply do it to express life.

 

it is not the genre that is bad, but the content in a lot of mainstream rap.

seriously, we dont need kids listening to lil wayne talk about how he is young and has money. we need more ppl like immortal technique who talks about how fucked up the world and our value systems rly are.

 

I think it's a terrible influence. All they talk about is sex, drinking, drugs, gang banging, robbing people, and partying 24/7. Which is fine, talk about whatever you want. The problem is that the people listening to it are getting younger and younger. I head my 10 year old sister say "But how can I feel this good sober." the other day. That's ridiculous.

 

I agree with this part of your post a lot.

Anyways, at the OP the people that try to make the argument you are making in this topic is usually because you guys always consider all rap to only be about drugs, money, bitches, and cars. This is not true at all. Unfortunately a bunch of hipsters think it is cool to listen to shit that is only about those topics. However there is SO many rappers that can talk about those topics in a way that teaches you a lesson. Take Macklemore or Eminem for example, they can rap about drugs but their songs are a story about how they can overcome their addictions and get out of it. Too many people hear one word about drugs, bitches, money, cars, guns, and they they are oblivious to the true meaning of the song. People really need to STOP jumping to conclusions when they listen to rap and interpret the lyrics. I honester believe that if kids were to listen to the good rappers that have some type of meaning behind their lyrics could be a good influence on children. Also note that I am not claiming that you jump to conclusions or anything I mentioned earlier, but too many people do.
Here is a great example of a song that relates to drugs but has deep meaning, not in the form of a song so people can actually appreciate the lyrics.

Err... I thought that this was the music section, didn't even notice this was SFA until after I posted.

 

Most rap is entirely a reflection of what's going on around the world. I think some things could be a bad influence on children, but for the most part I think they take the "advice" in rap/hip-hop songs with a grain of salt.

Also, rap is a form of expression, they aren't exactly writing it to educate teenagers (not that I think they shouldn't.)

 

That artist your sister is listening to is Pink, sorry, rap isn't influencing your sister, that would be the radio.

 

Pop has more influence, then when you look at Lady GaGa lyrics, P!nk, Rihanna...

 

Anything on the main radio station in my area is a bad influence. It plays rap, hip-hop, pop, and what idiots like to call "alternative" even though it's not.

 

The rap artist rap about things they have never done and will never do, and the kids in the street here it and believe it and say "He did that and is famous and rich, so we should do the same."

What they don't realize is its all bs and the artist are in million dollar homes and not robbing and shooting anyone.

And i know there are a few exceptions like Boosie and such but they are very rare

 

Illuminati!.. Music is music. Kids decide how music influences them.

 

I'd like to agree with that and in the end I do believe that, but, unfortunately, kids are often easily influenced. Listening to music that promotes illegal activities at the age of 12 leaves too much decision making to that kid. I believe parents should make the final decision on whether they allow their kids to listen to that sort of music.

At 18, we're more mature and able to make informed decisions; at 12, we're dependent and unable to make informed decisions by ourselves.

 

Gang Starr's Guru.

 

Music has alot of influence on people
so i wud say yeah it is a bad one.

 

overall rap is bad influence cuz it influences kids to think being a gangsta is cool and fuckin bitches is cool lol

 

Stop saying its rap/hip hop thats a bad influence....Stop thinking mainstream bs is what its all about....

 

Rap/Hip-Hop itself isn't a bad influence. I by far listen to mostly metal music, but I do enjoy the occasional rap song. The only things I dislike about rap is it tends to have lyrics revolving entirely around money, girls, or guns. Rap with a message is nice.. also rap that doesn't promote stupidity is good rap.

It's the artists you have to blame, not the genre.