Effects of Gangsta Rap Essay Example

"Obviously rap music is too violent. It serves as a musical accompaniment to the entire underclass culture of violence," says the author of "See No Evil", David Klinghoffer, in an article in the National Review. This extremely narrow minded philosophy has neglected to discover what rap music really is and what it means to its millions of buyers, who are mostly of upper-class status. Rap is not only music, it is also a black cultural expression that prioritizes black voices from urban America, and it is a form of rhymed storytelling accompanied by highly rhythmic, electronically based music. Rap music is a form of art or expression like any other type of music. Rap music in itself is not violent. Rap music of today is merely a reflection of the violence that many urban dwellers deal with daily in America. The art of gangsta rap reflects life as the rapper knows it and he or she in no way invites anyone to recreate his or her lives. Condemning gangsta rap music is an empty attempt by politicians and older generation individuals who are unable and unwilling to tackle the true problems that grip urban American cities.
Gangsta rap brings together a mixture of some of the most complex social, cultural, and political issues in contemporary American society. Rap bloomed in the depths of the ghetto, which is a place characterized by violence, poverty, and crime. Although rap currently reflects a diversity of opinions, lifestyles, and feelings, rap responds directly and indirectly to the trials and tribulations of life at the bottom and for the most part remains true to the ugly reality of the streets. For most young black people rap music is the only way to escape from the pain of the world in which they live. It paints an ugly picture but when they hear that the rapper has also experienced this pain it makes it much easier to deal with and it gives a sense of hope that one day they may make it too.
Young listeners love rappers such as Snoop Dog or Gucci Mane. They like