Is rap "music" dumbing kids down?

We don't really need Rap music. Television has already done an exemplary job of dumbing down Americans.
It's very much apparent by some of the comments here at ATS.

We lag the rest the world when it comes to Education amongst other developed nations unfortunately.
This dawned on me first years ago while attending Engineering school in college and competing with International students. As College freshmen, they had already had the equivalent of two years of college level Calculus and Physics.

Whereas Most American students have only 1 year of Calc and Physics upon entering College which is the standard admissions prerequisite for most if not all Engineering schools.

The three-yearly OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, which compares the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in 70 countries around the world, ranked the United States 14th out of 34 OECD countries for reading skills, 17th for science and a below-average 25th for mathematics.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

One only needs to take a look at the origins of Rap music in the inner city.

Rap is an expression of the poverty and disdain that people face living amongst the depressed and impoverished.
Similar to the music created by their predecessors, slaves and later sharecroppers, called the Blues.

Rap = CRAP - period

Real Hip-Hop went underground, and is remerging in new grounds like in the UK, Europe, Middle-East and Asia. The message is the same, "Voice of the Voiceless, the Oppressed".

Listening to the regurgitated pop and other isht coming out of the mainstream is dumbing down the kids, crap like Jersey Shore, X-Factor is dumbing down the people...you can't put the finger on one thing and lay the blame there squarely.

The hip-hop on TV right now is a waste of time, it epitomises everything that Hip-Hop wasn't supposed to be. Hip-Hop is a culture, Rap is the medium with which it's expressed but that was a decade ago.

Now you have commercial mainstream isht where the rappers are singing along to something they don't even believe in, rapping about how they have money, cars and women, all the time promoting a selfish attitude and greedy desires.

Real Hip-Hop isn't mainstream, real rappers, like Immortal Technique, Lowkey, Akala, Logic Mc, Brother Ali etc are promoting the real Hip-Hop, off the commercial airwaves and with a real audience (because the "mainstream" is too scared to play music that may wake people up).

Eminem is an example (one of many), where artists have seen what the mainstream really is and pulled out, reinvented themselves and come out with real lyrics that make you think - commercially he is one of the only artists out of the US that is considered a true talent.

And that is what Hip-Hop is in a nutshell: spoken words, lyrics, stories that reflect back musically what is really going on around the world, what really matters so the listener can walk away and think deeply on what was said.

I consider this track to represent some of the best of the UK new generation Hip-Hop music but the sad part is, you won't see his music on TV or hear it on the radio any time soon:

Akala - Find No Enemy

why must I rob you of your humanity...To feel good about mine - Akala

Peace out famo

No. The "rap" you're talking about is the same to rap as the Jonas Brothers are to rock and roll. There is a lot of garbage rap out there, but there is also a lot of garbage in every other genre as well. I personally don't listen to much rap, however, I've got a few gigs of some very intelligent rappers on my itunes... The problem is that anybody with a computer can make a beat and "rap" to it, as opposed to picking up a guitar or hopping on a drum kit. You just have to know what you're looking for.

It's not JUST rap. It's ALL music genres played over MAIN STREAM media. Rap, Pop, Country, Rock, Christian music, Alternative, etc. All "attack" apart of the human behavioral complex in different ways. The glorifying of violence, sex drinking, materialism, drugs, cheating on your girlfriend/boyfriend, money, aggression against your parents.

We need to get off the focus on RAP music and address ALL the form of MEDIA music that is distracting all of us in different ways. You have to be close minded to believe RAP music is THE only music "dumbing down" society.

Behavioral modification is everywhere in all music, tv, movies etc. Not just RAP music.

Big Jedi

It's indeed really sad how the majority listens to rap when you could listen to musical brilliance such as this:

Immortal Technique on Obama, 9/11 truth & Corporate America

Here's a rapper with a good grasp on things.

youtu.be...

Immortal Technique on Obama, 9/11 truth & Corporate America

Just thought some of you need to hear this.

Those who rekon there is no positive message in Hip Hop

I listen to quite a bit of Rap, amongst many other genres. None of it mainstream, however. I could probably go on for hours posting positive rap for you, but I'll stop at just one...

Here's the lyrics for those who have a hard time hearing rap....
The Excorisist
The Holy Psychiatrist
Gemineye
BK to BC
5000 BC

Babylon pregnant with the child of the Antichrist
The scarlet women using sex & blood sacrifice
Whore of the apocalypse
Gave birth to Golem
Using fear and masonic mind control of control
The Pentagons the center shape of a pentagram
A five pointed star to summon the evil Elohim
Envoke the spirits, an armless Al' Dajjal
In the fallen demon, angel Raziel
Wish wherever the carcass
This shall be the eagle
They prey upon the mentally dead and dismembered people
Lack of money is the roots to all evil
When the towers of Babel hit the ground, man that was the preview
Hate the Muslims was the plan they used to deceive you
To cut us off from the root of our God and living peaceful
They persecuted, prosecuted, and slaughtered all the Prophets
And get your bloody hands out of the poor mans pockets
The same ones that seduced the righteous into the fire
The one who orchestrated the betrayal of the Messiah
You kindered your own flames, ain't no escaping the hell fire
The blood should be avenged from Able to Zachariah


[Shabazz The Disciple- Chorus]

I don't believe Bin Laden hit the towers
Then why the # they ain't find him yet with all this power
I don't believe that the Muslims killed Malcolm
Devils knew he had the answer, like Huey, they feared the outcome


[Gemineye- Chorus]

I Don't believe it was Osama or Islamic killers
Bush crashed the planes into his own masonic pillars
I don't believe the paparazzi killed Princess Di'
We turnin' the reach, so you can teach, the truth before the lies


[Gemineye- Verse]

They took the towers down with the help of demolition charges
Set by evil men who devil worship in lodges
Some yazza heads, we burn to chill in the human body
A system the government orchestrating the Illuminati
Full circle
Another dark painful cycle
With more force than Metatron and the Arch Angel Michael
The apocalypse of God is like a magical pill
Wake up, the whore sits once more on Capital Hill
Modern day Romans claim the worshiping of Ra is a rumor
Statue of Liberty made to reflect the ancient Goddess of Sumere
Knights Templar's, who built there new Jerusalem in Scotland
El the Pike, Scottish rike, luceferian doctrine
Scull and Bones, Freemasons & the Bilderburgs
Saucer down the chemical weapons that killed the curbs
CIA, Knights of Molta, and the Jesuit generals
Mind programmers of Mk ultra and molesters of genitals



[Shabazz The Disciple- Chorus]

I don't believe Bin Laden hit the towers
Then why the # they ain't find him yet with all this power
I don't believe that the Muslims killed Malcolm
Devils knew he had the answer, like Huey, they feared the outcome


[Gemineye- Chorus]

I Don't believe it was Osama or Islamic killers
Bush crashed the planes into his own masonic pillars
I don't believe the paparazzi killed Princess Di'
We turnin' the reach, so you can teach, the truth before the lies

I think rap has hurt the youth and society in general very much. Now, some say there is "good" rap that is not popular, and that may be, and I would guess not all rappers love crime, and glorify being a degenerate thug, but the sad thing is, the popular kind does. It shows and glorifies an image that is the thug, and loves crime, drugs, guns, killing, gang culture, demeaning women, anti-white racism, pushing an ideology of victimhood, and owedness, and a behavior that is not positive, and does not fit with a civilized society. It's glorified stupidity, and inability to spell and talk correctly, and has led many youths, especially blacks, to a life in prison, and for some reason, has made this way cool, and to be emulated by other races too, so we have a large youth element that is violent and filled with love of crime, with no care for others, and worship of money. It has hurt society very much, and made many areas unsafe for anyone, and accounts for about all the murders and drug gang activity. A world without rap would be a better world. And, rap itself has degenerated so bad, that it is simply horrible, no talent, full of vulgarities, even MTV has to edit out like every other word when they play a rap video, and this is what the children are absorbing, it's so bad, it sadly has become something embraced because anyone can do it, because it requires no talent, other than being able to somewhat rhyme, which it often doesn't, and just talk stupid about carrying a gun and shooting people and smoking dope, and having sex with the goal of getting rich.

It really gets old sometimes when we address the symptoms and never the problem. Rap started as a way to express the feeling of young African Americans growing up in this country. The message was simple. "We are getting dissed in this land of plenty."

Last time I checked, no one is forced to listen to rap, hip hop or country music. I find it hard to believe if a person listens to rap that's how they will interview for a job. Or if they go against the social contract its because they had a rap song on their mind.

Now skin heads often listen to head banger music right? Why isn't head banger music under indictment for crimes against music? The dumbing down of America has more to do with 30 years of Reaganomics than it does rap music. And its going to get a lot dumber if we give the keys back to the GOP.

You will normally find that mainstream rap artists talk nonsense and their lyrics have no meaning and are often influenced by the illuminati. However you will never hear real rap artists as their lyrics give power and meaning to so many people, and expose secrets and a certain group dont want these kind of songs to be heard.

Originally posted by LosLobos
Now skin heads often listen to head banger music right? Why isn't head banger music under indictment for crimes against music? The dumbing down of America has more to do with 30 years of Reaganomics than it does rap music. And its going to get a lot dumber if we give the keys back to the GOP.

If skinhead appealing music was all over the TV and radio, and gangs of skinheads were always in the news killing people, it would be a problem. But popular TV and radio will not play skinhead music, and the vast majority of murders and crimes are not done by skinheads, even most inter-racial crimes have a white victim. And skinhead music, or head banger music as you called it, does not glorify a lifestyle of crime love, thug life, inablity to properly spell and write, demean ho's, carry a gun, sell drugs, and woship money. It's just not the same at all. And while metal music does have some elements of extremism in their lyrics and imagery, it is fantasy, and fans know this, apart from a few nuts, but this style of music is not popular, and it does not project an image or "culture" that is real or embraced as real, like thuglife crimelove rap does, where it's fans seek to live out that message, causing mass crime and a degenerate youth. So, it's not really comparable, because rap has real and large effects, and it popular, while extreme metal is not, even amoung whites, it's a small group that even likes extreme metal, and then they know it's fantasy music expression, and just does not produce an image that has a real social effect like rap does.

It's not just rap music, it's society. Facebook, Myspace, twitter, drugs, immigration. It's all of these at the same time that is making our future scary. Kids are more worried about how many text messages they get in an hour, then the state of the country's well being.

reply to post by tom502


I'm not convinced we can indict all of rap based on a few songs. That's like indicting all great works of Art because of a few paintings. Rap is only in the spotlight because of Ashley Judd. Problem is, she was molested when she was a child. Is she going to blame rap music for that? The guy who molested her probably listened to country music or Elvis.

Its pretty apparent that the OP is a middle age Caucasian who hears 'rap' only at stop lights coming from the low rider in traffic next to him.

It is completely bogus to suggest that Rap is dumbing down our children, especially since Rap has been around for more than thirty years. What you lament is what all older generations lament, that the youth have made music in their own image.

It's like saying that Google is a perverted, trashy search engine, because every time I enter 'boobs' it shows pornography. You are bringing pre-conceived notions to an art form that is as vast and varied as the artists involved.

What's dumbing down our children is parental apathy coupled with an education that makes them consumers and button pushers with no critical thinking skills.

Don't like 'rap'? Don't listen to it.

No music can dumb a person down. If it that was fact it would have to be true in every case. It's not that music that is decreasing intelligence amongst the population, it's other factors. Education systems are failing and society is becoming vicious.

To be influenced by something is to allow yourself to be influenced by something. Mainstream music in general usually preaches materialistic views. Materialism is an easy concept to grasp if you've been exposed to it your entire life.

I blame everything that is wrong with the world today on the Black eyed peas.

Today's rap is completely commercialised and henceforth... crap, just like all the other commercialised music. It wasn't always this way. When rap existed on the outskirts, it really was considered a form of protest, political and sociological commentary.

When the 'white man' realised he could stop his children listening to rap, they tried to kill it with parental advisory stickers and in some cases, you could be arrested for owning/playing certain albums such as 2LiveCrews. When none of that really worked and only contributed to making rap more popular, the 'white man' bought it in order to control it. I pay no homage to many of the rappers you see on MTV today. They are just industry pawns.

Now that my rant is over. Let's listen to some real dope sheet from the rap gods, Eric B & Rakim!







IRM

It appears some posters have provided links with positive, intelligent rap music. Who knew?

I think listening to 'negative' music can certainly 'dumb a person down' as it were.
Conversely, (and sadly) I think if someones a dumbass to begin with, listening to Mozart isn't gonna turn them into a highbrow.