Rap
music lost original purpose, materialistic
Jason
Swieso
Rap music has had many contributions to society.
It has empowered people to get up and out of the ghettos and work hard. It
has shown Middle America the reality of what’s really going on in the
ghetto and has done so in many different ways.
Rap music, sadly, has recently changed to glorifying materialism. Rap has done
many positive and negative things in pop culture, but it seems like today’s
rap is dominated by the negative aspects. The majority of people today look
up to pop icons and try to imitate what they say and what they do. I believe
looking up to those pop icons has ruined the music industry and certainly has
corrupted the rap industry.
In the beginning, rap raised the consciousness of people and addressed the
need for social change in America. It was not pop music yet and it was not
a business — it was an art.
According to Greg Jones, writer of “Rap Fans Desire a More Positive Product,” in
this modern day, record executives
have taken control of the art form and made materialism the main priority.
Record executives are forcing their artists, to do so in order to make more
money.
Sadly, artists are not putting forth much effort to keep their artistic freedom.
The artists are more motivated to make money, not necessarily good music. Promoting
materialism is having negative effects on fans who listen to rap. The music
is teaching society it is important to have all the tangible things in the
world rather than things that have real meaning, like love. It also destroys
an art form that was created to make positive changes in America.
One of the negative effects of this materialistic expression is the influence
it has on young, uneducated people. Often, young and uneducated people believe
things they are taught without questioning them because they don’t know
any better. Rap is teaching our young people to express themselves in ways
that are tangible, that are not important to real life.
We should show our young people how to creatively express themselves on a deeper
level than what car they drive or what diamonds they wear. It is sad people
are so attached to things that they are not concerned with what life is really
about.
Another negative effect of this materialistic expression is that it is not
always real. Rap should not be for show or just done for the money. Rap music
today does not always account for how people are living as a whole.
Rap is a great and expressive form of art. If we let this materialistic expression
take over the true form, rap will never be the same. Rap should not be something
that is used to promote products and make money.
Jason Swieso is a sophomore music and communications major.
|
