Rap Music Spurs Violence
Rap lyrics can have as powerful an effect on people’s behavior as drugs and alcohol. A new study shows that fans of hip-hop and rap are more likely to drink, use drugs and engage in violent behavior.
There are two ingredients in hip-hop and rap music.
1. Lyrics that a spoken in rhyme.
2. Rhythms that pound the lyrics home.
This combination of message (words) and its form of delivery (pounding rhythm) is incredibly potent. I would even go so far as to say it can be dangerous. Because when the right combo of negative words and low frequency rhythm is used, a chemical change occurs in the brain.
Ironically these new findings were released only a few days after 32-year-old rapper Proof (i.e. Deshaun Holton), who was a friend of rap superstar Eminem, was gunned down inside a Detroit nightclub after reportedly shooting another man.
Unfortunately Proof's killing comes as no surprise. It’s as if these occasional life-robbing violent incidents are taken for granted in the rap world. Two of rap music’s biggest stars were gunned down in 1996 and 1997, respectively. You probably remember their names - Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace).
Previous findings already suggested that young people drink more alcohol, particularly malt liquor, because it’s promoted by rap stars.
The new research, reported in the current issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, surveyed 1,056 community college students aged 15-25.
What did they find.
That there is a "strong and significant association" between listening to those types of music and engaging in those activities. That’s according to study author Meng-Jinn Chen, a researcher at the Pacific Institute for Research & Education's Prevention Research Center, in Berkeley, California.
Other music can have similar negative influences. Here’s what else this large study found.
That fans of "techno" and reggae music were more likely to do drugs and drink alcohol than people who weren't fans of these types of music.
It goes without saying, that I don’t listen to rap songs. But I know that rap lyrics often glorify drinking, drug use and violence. In fact one study from the 1990s found that nearly half of all rap songs referred to alcohol. Incredible, when you think that the goal of a composer is to glorify drinking.
Reggae music, meanwhile, is often associated with marijuana use; techno music, heard in the urban dance-club scene, has long been linked to "party" drugs such as Ecstasy or crystal meth.
In all these cases, the music has lyrics. Yet again, we have confirmation that certain combinations of music and words are As Powerful as any drug.
If you are ready to get relief from health issues caused by stress, such as fatigue, moodiness, anger, listlessness and illness, then help yourself to positively charged words and music. They are incredible tools that uplift the mind, rather than drag it further into darkness and misery.
We’ve all experienced sitting at a stoplight and receiving a mind-deafening pounding from a boom-boom blasting vehicle. Just thinking about it induces stress.
Here’s your powerful alternative.
Imagine walking into a garden. Feel the gentle breeze carrying the pristine sounds of nature. Then hear the harp and strings and flutes and horns perform a blissful melody. Emerging from the mist of sound is a beautiful resonant voice. Your mind is bathed in stillness. Your heart delights in the fragrance of these sacred sounds. The moment is timeless. You feel at peace.
Bring these beautiful sounds into your life. See the magic unfold.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
There are two ingredients in hip-hop and rap music.
1. Lyrics that a spoken in rhyme.
2. Rhythms that pound the lyrics home.
This combination of message (words) and its form of delivery (pounding rhythm) is incredibly potent. I would even go so far as to say it can be dangerous. Because when the right combo of negative words and low frequency rhythm is used, a chemical change occurs in the brain.
Ironically these new findings were released only a few days after 32-year-old rapper Proof (i.e. Deshaun Holton), who was a friend of rap superstar Eminem, was gunned down inside a Detroit nightclub after reportedly shooting another man.
Unfortunately Proof's killing comes as no surprise. It’s as if these occasional life-robbing violent incidents are taken for granted in the rap world. Two of rap music’s biggest stars were gunned down in 1996 and 1997, respectively. You probably remember their names - Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace).
Previous findings already suggested that young people drink more alcohol, particularly malt liquor, because it’s promoted by rap stars.
The new research, reported in the current issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, surveyed 1,056 community college students aged 15-25.
What did they find.
That there is a "strong and significant association" between listening to those types of music and engaging in those activities. That’s according to study author Meng-Jinn Chen, a researcher at the Pacific Institute for Research & Education's Prevention Research Center, in Berkeley, California.
Other music can have similar negative influences. Here’s what else this large study found.
That fans of "techno" and reggae music were more likely to do drugs and drink alcohol than people who weren't fans of these types of music.
It goes without saying, that I don’t listen to rap songs. But I know that rap lyrics often glorify drinking, drug use and violence. In fact one study from the 1990s found that nearly half of all rap songs referred to alcohol. Incredible, when you think that the goal of a composer is to glorify drinking.
Reggae music, meanwhile, is often associated with marijuana use; techno music, heard in the urban dance-club scene, has long been linked to "party" drugs such as Ecstasy or crystal meth.
In all these cases, the music has lyrics. Yet again, we have confirmation that certain combinations of music and words are As Powerful as any drug.
If you are ready to get relief from health issues caused by stress, such as fatigue, moodiness, anger, listlessness and illness, then help yourself to positively charged words and music. They are incredible tools that uplift the mind, rather than drag it further into darkness and misery.
We’ve all experienced sitting at a stoplight and receiving a mind-deafening pounding from a boom-boom blasting vehicle. Just thinking about it induces stress.
Here’s your powerful alternative.
Imagine walking into a garden. Feel the gentle breeze carrying the pristine sounds of nature. Then hear the harp and strings and flutes and horns perform a blissful melody. Emerging from the mist of sound is a beautiful resonant voice. Your mind is bathed in stillness. Your heart delights in the fragrance of these sacred sounds. The moment is timeless. You feel at peace.
Bring these beautiful sounds into your life. See the magic unfold.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
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