By Sara Bharrat with photos by Jules Gibson
This week we asked the man/woman in the street: Do you listen to rap music? What sort of message does it send out?
‘I don’t listen to rap anymore. The major reason for this change is the explicit language being used by rappers now. These songs exploit women; they portray coloured women as promiscuous and without values. I know that when rap first emerged it was a way for young black people to express themselves but now it has lost its rhythm. The content of the modern songs is what I think has caused rap to lose its rhythm. Modern day rap isn’t sending a positive message out there. The messages being sent out by rap now encourages people in immoral acts. Rap has strayed from its original objective.’
Sinead David, student:
‘Modern rappers aren’t really my thing but I listen to Tupac. I also like Eminem but he uses too much indecent language sometimes and his songs disrespect women. Most of the rappers today claim to come from “the hood” and attempt to rap about their life there using those experiences to build a rough and tough image for publicity’s sake. Take the rapper 50 Cent for example he built his rough and tough image on the fact that he was shot a number of times without dying and that made him an idol. I think that old-school rap is indeed a form of art because back then it served a purpose and told a story but it has been damaged by modern-day rap. People who don’t really know about rap would say that it should be wiped away but wiping away the negative modern-day rap would mean wiping away the good old school stuff as well.’
‘I never thought rap was a form of art because there were never any formal musical skills involved. However, I would say that rap is just a form of expression. I’ve listened to people like Tupac and Jay-Z and I think there’s a message somewhere in their lyrics, but the language they use is inappropriate. Rapping now is all about material gains and everything that comes with being rich. It sells sex as something cheap and represents women in a degrading manner.’
Gloria Stephens, self-employed: ‘I can’t understand what they’re singing. The rap lyrics make no sense to me. I think it’s awful for English-speaking people to misuse the language so much. In my opinion, most of what children listen to and call music these days is just nonsense. The things they hear in these songs affect how they behave and how they speak as well. When older people try to speak to them about the music and how it’s changing their attitudes their standard reply is this is now the modern time. I have no problem with rap itself but I have a problem with the lyrics. If these rappers could sing about something educative instead of the ridiculous things they do then it would be just fine for anyone to listen to them.’
‘Rap sends a negative message about women. The word “Bitch” is constantly used in most rap songs these days and there’s no way that word can ever tell about something positive. The only thing good about rap is that it has a good beat to it but that’s about all it has now. I think that this genre of music promotes crime among youths because that’s all the rappers sing about; crime, guns and getting shot. The lyrics of one popular rap song says: “Get rich or die trying…” that in itself reflects the negative things that rap teaches our teenagers.’
Tineka Singh, auditor:
‘Music in general is an art. However, at present there are lewd lyrics, which form the content of rap music and it is those lewd lyrics that society remembers and not the sounds of the instruments, which go along with the words. It is these lewd lyrics that are currently being rejected by society because the song itself no longer has message or moral. Old-school rap always had a story to tell and the lyrics never degraded anyone or thing. Rap back then has a message; a moral and sentiment but rap today is totally useless to society.’
Theophilus Ferguson, self-employed:
‘I really like rap music but the music videos are full of pornography now and the lyrics have become freaky over the years. I listen to people like LL Cool Jay and Lil Wayne. I’ve listened to old-school rappers and back then the rapper had a real story, full of emotion to tell, but now rap has become contaminated.’
Tedwen Bobb, contractor:
Elizabeth Sunich, retired police officer: ‘I don’t like rap music. I am more into culture, especially Natural Black. Culture reaches the heart because it tells you something. Culture songs examine society as it is and tell the truth. Back in the days rap had the same values as culture but sadly, that has changed from then to now. Now rap tells nothing positive. It just gives instructions to people about how one should get all the best, expensive things in life and that one can survive a life of crime by becoming involved in crime.
There’s absolutely nothing positive about it anymore. If I had children listening to the nasty words rappers spout these days I’d sit them down and have a long talk with them about what they’re really listening to and try to limit their exposure to this dying form of expression that once came from the heart.’
‘Rap has evolved for the worst. The lyrics have become terrible over the years and alarmingly it is one of the genres of music that has a profound impact on youths. During their teenage years, youths try to copy their favourite celebrity and often they do exactly what the person does or sings about. Most rappers today don’t make good role models.
I listen to rap music because the upbeat soundtrack motivates me to get on the move. However, while there are people like me who can listen to rap and not take the words literally there are those who will listen to what the rapper sings and then go do what they heard. Jay-Z is one of the rappers who still sings about something structured. Most of his songs speak about his life.’
Wayne Jamaal Williams, technical institute student:
