Introduction
In the 1970 s, this genre of music came into existence taking America by storm. It emerged from the South Bronx of New York with mostly Black Americans and Latinos. Hip-hop was influenced by the daily situations that the African Americans and Latinos faced in a daily situation. Their life as a community that was overlooked by the whites was the major reason for the upcoming of the music genre (Price, 2006). Soon after attracting the audience from the white population, other white artists started to venture into the music. Popular white artists like Eminem are among the first to join in singing this type of music. The lyrics that artists used in singing such songs were a barrier to many white artists. To date still few of the white artists sing hip-hop music. The earlier versions of this genre were characterized by rapping with no or less smooth flow of the lyrics. New trends brought in the smooth lyrics for the songs and changes the type of words that they used. This genre of music was full of creativity and had a message that was to pass across to its listeners. It contains rapping, and a mixture of ethnicity, technology, art, and urban life. In its progress into the 21st century the genre that was to provide a forum for expressing one’s creativity and everyday struggles, it has turned out to be a negative influence on the cultural and moral degradation of the young generation (Spenc, 2011). This genre of music portrays a style of how one dresses, carries themselves, speaks, and their relation to the outside world. Most youths consider the hip-hop lifestyle as the urban way of life. The videos they watch and the lyrics they hear have corrupted the morals of society in ways no one expected. Dressing styles, violence, vulgar language, alcohol, and other drug and substance abuse, lack of respect to the elderly, theft, sexual demoralization, pornography, and the continued spread of HIV/ AIDS are among the many negative effects that Hip-Hop music has developed in the youths of the present generation. The current generation is rooted in the virtues that they have adapted from hip-hop music. Teenagers behave contrary to the expectations of society because they want to emulate the rappers they see in hip-hop music. Most youths want to live a life free of pressure from their parents, guardians, and any other adult figure responsible for them. Since they are the age listening mostly to the radio, they get ideas from the music they listen to. The effects however have not only affected the young generation but also the wider society as a whole. This paper thus discusses the negative effects that hip-hop has created in modern society.
Most people attribute hip-hop to be a major reason for many growths in the music industry. Despite this, the music genre has had many negative impacts on society. Spenc (2011) suggests that the moral corruption of the current youths is attributed to hip-hop music. The evolution of the music to include stories about gangs, violence, inclusion of sexual scenes and illegal activities has contributed to the demoralization of the young generation. Pinckney (2007) lists some of the major negative effects that hip hop has caused in the present generation. Disrespect to their elders, drug, and substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, poor dressing styles, violence, vulgar language, theft, sexual demoralization, pornography among the youths. The negative effects that hip-hop has created among the youths have also been reflected in society. Many practices that society regarded as not moral are in the present age considered normal. An example is, women and girls can be seen walking in bikinis in the public, a trend that the indigenous society condemned. Youths want to feel free and tend to hang to anything that will make them feel free. Most hip-hop songs spread the message of disrespect to the parents and guardians as a way of being free. What they see and hear makes more than what they are told. Thus, they will strive to emulate the message they get from the songs. This is another major reason for the increased criminal activities and juvenile centers. They only realize the extent of the mistake they have done after they find themselves in very bad situations in which, they cannot be helped. This has also been a reason why most youths have been disrespectful to their parents.
Patton (2009) reports, most drug addicts were influenced by seeing people of an age similar to them doing it in the media. Hip-hop music has had a major part in the continued drug and substance abuse in the world. Youths think that the lifestyle that they see in the hip-hop music they hear is fun. They tend to compare the lifestyle that they live and the lifestyle they see in hip-hop music. Patton (2009) comments that a large number of students he has interviewed concerning their reason for doing drugs is attributed to how ‘cool’ they see their age mates seem in hip hop music. A number of hip-hop music also spreads the message of selling drugs as a way of getting easy money. This has had a major impact on the number of cases reported where students have been arrested selling drugs. Talented youths have lost their dreams of achieving the best in life by using drugs as stimulants for their performance. Increased cases have been reported where youths have been caught as drug traffickers. They adopt this culture of using drugs and emulation of how artists use drugs before their performance. Without knowing the outcomes, most of them become addicts and later die or are institutionalized for rehabilitation (Pinckney, 2007). Even with a large number of incidences regarding these vices, hip-hop artists are still seen performing while doing drugs. Other songs also carry the message of using drugs for better performance. The use of marijuana, cocaine and even abuse of prescribed drugs from the hospitals has been related to the culture adopted from hip-hop. More and more youths involve themselves in the same practice with the hope of being able to attain a lifestyle that they see in the music videos and read in the magazines about popular artists.
HIV/AIDS came into existence with a great wave among the human population. The first means of transmission is through sex. Hip-hop music attracts teenagers with the explicit content that it contains. Most hip-hop music videos show suggestive dances with women that stick to the mind of the young generation. This creates an urge among the youths to indulge in sexual activities without even knowing the negative consequences. Youths end up involving themselves in sexual activities with a partner they might not even know. After realizing that he or she has contracted the virus, they still do want to satisfy the urge that over time they have created within them. Another way that the spread of HIV/AIDS is spread among the youth is when they start sharing piercing objects. Drug addicts share needles and other piercing objects to save on the expenses of buying extra things. Little do they know the danger that one is exposing him or herself to. A survey of American youths shows that a very high percentage contracted HIV/AIDS at an age less than 18. They all confess that the messages they adapted from the music they listen to were a major factor in their situations (Hackman, 2009). Homosexuality and lesbianism the recent years have been on the rise. Most research on youths have shown that a large number of youths indulged in these practices with an influence from music, hip-hop.
Hip-hop music is also attributed to be the major cause of the changes in the trends of fashion that most youths and kidswear. The music videos have girls that wear suggestive dresses. These fashions attract more the young generation who think that the style of dressing is a fashion in the market. The trend of sagging for men’s trousers is also a style that was adopted from the hip-hop music genre. Its influence was first felt in the United States among teenagers but over the years, it has spread its impact in the whole world. Most critiqued artists like Lady Gaga and Rihanna lead in the changes that have occurred in the youth fashions. The youths of the present generation are carried along with the fashion that they deem fit for their age. Most hip-hop songs carry the message of violence. Teenagers grow with the mentality that if popular artists resolve matters through violence, then they can also do the same. The increase in number of illegal firearms that teenagers possess has also increased. Most of them think that possessing a pistol gives them power over others (Donalso, 2007). A number of incidents have also been reported where youths have injured their fellow youths and some have even lost their lives. This is majorly blamed on the negativity that youths have gained from listening to hip-hop music. This most of them carry with them even to their old age. This has been a major reason for the increased number of teenagers sent to juvenile systems and correctional facilities. The lyric that most hip-hop music has is vulgar and abusive. Teenagers grow with the mentality that vulgar language is a trend that shows how they belong.
Theft and criminal activities have been on the rise over time relating to drug and substance abuse. Most teenagers who take part in drug abuse end up involving themselves in criminal activities. This is a major attraction to many teenagers, as they tend to view it as a way to earn easy money. The message that most hip-hop music carries contains pornographic images that most youths think to be going with the fashion. This has been a major reason for the increased pornographic cases that have been reported. Hip-hop music also uses women as its dancers. The way that they portray the women in the music has also contributed to the lack of respect that most women receive. This is related to the increased gender inequality that most governments are trying to fight. The present young generation continues to lose their place in society with the consistent behaviors that they have adapted from hip-hop music. Dressing styles, violence, vulgar language, alcohol, and other drug and substance abuse, lack of respect to the elderly, theft, sexual demoralization, pornography, and the continued spread of HIV/ AIDS are the habits that hip-hop music has influenced in the present generation. The social norms and cultures are on the verge of being forgotten and replaced with the negative habits that have been adopted from hip-hop music by the youths.
Conclusion
The current generation of youths is rooted in the virtues that they have adapted from hip-hop music. Teenagers behave contrary to the expectations of society because they want to emulate the rappers they see in hip-hop music. Many practices that society regarded as not moral are in the present age considered normal. An example is, women and girls can be seen walking in bikinis in the public, a trend that the indigenous society condemned. Youths want to feel free and tend to hang to anything that will make them feel free. Most youths want to live a life free of pressure from their parents, guardians, and any other adult figure responsible for them. Since they are the age listening mostly to the radio, they get ideas from the music they listen to. The effects however have not only affected the young generation but also the wider society as a whole. This paper thus discusses the negative effects that hip-hop has created in modern society.
This genre of music came into existence taking America by storm. It emerged from the South Bronx of New York with mostly Black Americans and Latinos. Hip-hop was influenced by the daily situations that the African Americans and Latinos faced in a daily situation. In its progress into the 21st century the genre that was to provide a forum for expressing one’s creativity and everyday struggles, it has turned out to be a negative influence on the cultural and moral degradation of the young generation. The videos they watch and the lyrics they hear have corrupted the morals of society in ways no one expected. Dressing styles, violence, vulgar language, alcohol, and other drug and substance abuse, lack of respect to the elderly, theft, sexual demoralization, pornography, and the continued spread of HIV/ AIDS are among the many negative effects that Hip-Hop music has developed in the youths of the present generation. The lifestyle that it portrays acts as a great attraction to the youths. It has influenced many into believing what they think the artists stand for. Its effects in society are widespread and still affect a great number of individuals with the greatest number being the youths. Society norms and cultures are on the verge of being forgotten and replaced with the negative habits that have been adopted from hip-hop music by the youths.
References
Donalso, M. B. (2007). Hip Hop in American Cinema. New York: Peter Lang Publishers.
Hackman, A. (2009). The Effects of the Images of Women of Color in Mainstream Hip Hop. Ann Arbor: UMI.
Patton, E. O. (2009). Under the Influence. New York: Paramount Market Publishers.
Pinckney, C. (2007). The Influence of Hip-hop Culture on the Perceptions. Ann Arbor: Walden University Press.
Price, E. G. (2006). Hip Hop Culture. California: Price, Emmet Press.
Spenc, L. K. (2011). Stare in the Darkness: The Limits of Hip-hop and Black Politics. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
Description of Sources
Spenc, L. K. (2011). Stare in the Darkness: The Limits of Hip-hop and Black Politics.