Many of these findings are consistent with the idea that rap music has been profoundly affected by commercial forces and the marketing of alcoholic beverages. The findings also showed that alcohol use in rap music was much more likely to result in positive than negative consequences. In addition, there were significant increases in references to alcohol to signify glamour and wealth, and using alcohol with drugs and for recreational purposes. There were also significant increases in songs mentioning champagne and liquor (mainly expensive brand names) when comparing songs released after 1994 with those from previous years. From 1979 to 1997, songs with references to alcohol increased fivefold (from 8 to 44%) those exhibiting positive attitudes rose from 43% to 73% and brand name mentions increased from 46% to 71%. Song lyrics were coded for music genres, alcohol beverage types and brand names, drinking behaviors, drinking contexts, intoxication, attitudes towards alcohol and consequences of drinking. A sample of 341 rap music song lyrics released from 1979 to 1997 were selected using Billboard and Gavin rating charts. This paper explores the role of changing images of drinking and alcoholic beverage use in rap music from its beginnings in the United States in the late 1970s to the late 1990s. The discussion suggests that violence in rap music has increased in response to the complex interplay of changing social conditions such as the elevated levels of youth violence in the 1980s and changing commercial practices within the music industry.Ĭhanges in the prevalence of alcohol use in rap song lyrics, 1979-97. Additional analyses revealed that genre, specifically gangster rap, is the most powerful predictor of the increased number of violent references in songs.
In addition, portrayals of violence in later songs are viewed in a more positive light as shown by their increased association with glamor, wealth, masculinity, and personal prowess. The percentage of songs mentioning violence increased from 27 per cent during 1979-1984 to 60 per cent during 1994-1997. The results indicate that there has been a dramatic and sustained increase in the level of violence in rap music. This article explores the role of changing images of violence in rap music lyrics from the 1970s to the 1990s. Rap music has been at the center of concern about the potential harmful effects of violent media on youth social behavior. The songs are coded according to whether they contain positive, mixed…Ĭhanging images of violence in Rap music lyrics: 1979-1997. Drawing on communication and cultural studies theory, this article provides a content analysis of 69 rap songs mentioning the club drug ecstasy. Trends in ecstasy use in America during the past decade were reflected in mainstream, American rap-music lyrics between 19. Whats the Rap about Ecstasy? Popular Music Lyrics and Drug Trends among American Youthĭiamond, Sarah Bermudez, Rey Schensul, Jean Students must be able to formulate their own concept of independence to… Using a feminist lens and a constructivist approach as the theoretical framework, we used rap lyrics and videos to help college students explore mass media's representation of the "independent" Black woman and the concept of "independence" in general. Rap Music Literacy: A Case Study of Millennial Audience Reception to Rap Lyrics Depicting Independent Women