Many people will probably say rap does not influence them, but sometimes it’s hard see that it doesn’t.
There are different forms of rap. You have your gangster/party rappers like Gucci mane, Waka flocka, Lil Wayne, and Drake, who rap about either gang affiliation or just getting money and hoes.
You have your lyricists such as J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, and Wale, who use more creativity and metaphors in their lyrics to make stuff have a deeper meaning, as opposed to saying it just to be saying it.
Then you have your soul rappers such as Lupe Fiasco, or Common, who tend to rap about social issues over what’s considered “cool”.
Most people who are into rap go for the first two categories more often than not.
Think about the times you were in elementary through high school, in college, or even adulthood. How many people, especially African American have you seen wearing or doing something stereotypical that a rapper would do?
Things like wearing fitted caps, long chains, sagging pants, constant cursing, using the term “nigga”, selling drugs, etc.
Are these actions more the person or do they come from the influence of the rap they listen to?
When we say influence, it’s not limited to actions that will get you thrown in jail, like stealing, fighting, or shooting.
Rap could possibly influence the clothes you wear, the way you speak, or how you treat people.
Now some might say that the youths in high-crime neighborhoods or the projects would do these things and get in trouble whether rap existed or not. This is probably true.
However, this article is more for the people who grew up in pretty decent situations and still desire to act like what they hear on a rap song. Along with girls who see dancers in music videos and tend to want to mimic them for guys.
“If it’s not too outrageous, sometimes you’ll do or say something from a song just to be funny,” said Gaven Allen, a WPU student. “People do look up to rappers, so in a way they should watch what they say, but you’re still your own person, you have to know what’s right and wrong. It really depends on how you look at it.”
What about non-black youths? They seem to listen to rap just as frequently as black students nowadays.
Some whites will even use the term “nigga” themselves. Some people find that inappropriate, and some say that the N word has become a universal term for all.
Are whites influenced by rap too?
“It definitely doesn’t influence me,” said WPU student Callie Yohn. “I like lyricists like Kendrick Lamar, but I’d say I’m still pretty white. I like listening to songs with a purpose.”
So as you read this article, what do you think about yourself? Are you influenced by rap music?
