Rap music influencing drugs among youth

  • The studies have found that the rap music has turned from anti-drug use to glorifying the use of drugs. The lyrics of drugs in rap songs has increased six more times than it was in back 90’s (lucy Cockroft, 2008). Many debates against the positive portrayal of drug use in rap songs have been held. Every one of them ended with the conclusion that the drug references in rap songs is one of the major factors in ruining the youth today.

    Rapping is a type of song in which the artist portrays his/her message by rhyming sentences and utters them vigorously. This type of the song is fast, where the lyrics are spoken according to beats and drops to make a flow and a rhythm. Some people confuse Rap with Hip Hop music. Rap is actually one of the acts performed in Hip Hop music. The other acts or performances are Grafiti, B-boying (breakdance) and DJing who is also known as the DJ. These all performances are when performed simultaneously, then it is said to be a Hip Hop song.

    Rap is way to older than Hip Hop. But it was not initially in connection with music. Rap was firstly used as a way of ceremonial speech in which rhyming poetry was spoken. As Del The Funcky Homosapien states: “I was born in ’72…back then what rapping meant, basically, was you trying to convey something – you’re trying to convince somebody. That’s what rapping is, it’s in the way you talk.”

    Later in early 70’s, a new form of music rose among people when DJ Kool founded rap music and is yet known as ‘THE FATHER’ of it. He went to normal parties and sang his own made rhyming lyrics with basic beats. His sister used to host his programs in little gatherings. Moreover his friends like La Rock contributed as he helped him manage his parties. Kool used the technique of playing the beat again and again which is now called looping and is used in almost every rap song. Kool later helped La Rock to become the first ever rapper in the history. This happened on august 11, 1973.

    Africans and black Americans mostly followed rap songs at the start. They showed their anger and hatred for whites in their songs. This hatred started when Americans moved Africans to America without their will. The Americans kept the blacks as their slaves. Therefore, black rappers and DJ’s started emerging in different shows humiliating the whites in their rap and claiming that they were treated as inferiors.  At the start, the record companies remained ignorant towards the rap music as it showed hatred for the whites. But later, when the rap song “King Tim 3” by the Fatback band was selected and commercialized, it became very famous and was rated in the top 30 songs of that time. This gave a huge start to rappers and DJ’s in the music industry. The recording companies started accepting their songs and a new trend in music was established.

    Different talents were seen in the streets. Instead of the music of that time, rap started emerging in pubs and clubs. This was the time when Eazy J, Snoop Dog, Ice Cube, and Dr Dre came in the music industry and got fame. They started the concept of gangster-ship in rap and formed their own Gangster Rap Band. They named it ‘the Niggers With Attitude’ or NWA.

    The NWA rappers gave rap a whole new shape which is still being followed. With help of rap songs, they introduced a new concept of “Thugs/Thug Life” among the people. Thug is a person who is involved in some kind of criminal activity or is a violent person. The artists of rap music started glorifying use of drugs and portrayed it in such a manner which supported the use of drugs. Lil Wayne one of the popular rappers, he in one of his songs says, “I’m an addict, I’m addicted to success. Thankfully there is no rehab for success.” and “I’m a pill poppin’ animal, syrup sippin’……I’m so high you couldn’t reach me with a fuckin” antenna.” Furthermore Kevin Hart and Ice Cube have a song named ‘SMOKE WEED WHILE DRIVING AROUNG LA’. Dr Denise Herd said, “Positive portrayals of drug use have increased overtime, and drug references increased overall.”

    It is factual that most of the rap songs are on cocaine or marijuana. Eminem, Ice-Cube, Lil Wayne are few top rappers of today. Every song of these artists is either on weed, coke, acid or tabs. In one of Eminem songs I’M SLIM SHADY, he says, “I got mushrooms, I got acid, I got tabs and aspirin tablets. I’m your brother when you need, some good weed to set you free.” Moreover these songs use code words for drugs which one may not know. For example using Kush instead of Marijuana in a song ‘love me’ by Lil Wayne. The one who is persistently listening to rap songs get familiar to these rap codes. Otherwise the rap terminologies are not understandable for normal minds.  Words like high, stoned, blunt or blunted are used. Now these words have same meaning (intoxicated) in Rap music whereas in reality their meanings are way too different from each other. What the Rappers usually do is that they pick up ordinary words and give them new meanings. Like for marijuana they use words like Pot, Cannabis, Budha, Chronic, Bud, Ganja, Purp, etc. And likewise for cocaine, words like Coke, Power, White girl, Piff, etc are used. As I have explained earlier, by listening repeatedly, one can get an idea of the meanings of slang used in Rap.

    In between 90’s, rap took a new phase in which rappers were called on stage, two at a time, and were asked to rap against each other (humiliating and abusing by rhyming poetry). The one who cracks better abusive rhyming poetry is victorious. These styles of rap are known as the Rap Battles. Eminem rose up and became notorious by performing Rap Battles. His song Slim Shady composed by the best DJ Dr Dre was his first ever song to get public and luckily, it gave him a huge push in his career of rapping. He is the first ever white rapper who gained that much fame. He was also given the title of The god of Rap Music.

    Through their rap and videos, they are trying to impose a new culture among the upcoming generation. And this is not only one nations problem, instead this trend is widespread the whole world. Unfortunately, it seems like their mission is to get accomplished. Yes under the influence of Rap songs and their videos, use of drugs among children is massively increasing throughout the world. It is becoming a serious issue for every country’s youth.  Drug use is not anymore the matter of an individual instead it is a nationwide problem.

    Rap not just only talks about the pleasure by taking drugs, instead it is now teaching youngsters  how to sell drugs and get money out of it. The rappers now portray their past experiences as drug dealers in their rhymes.  As the song  Fallin by Jay Z discussed above, shows how he was inspired by selling drugs and how easier it was to make money through it. Bob Marley, a well-known song-writer and a prominent Rock Star of his time had an aim of legalizing drugs especially marijuana. Bob had his own vision in which he supported drug use in accordance with his religious beliefs. He spread out his  vision through music and by writing songs.

    Ninety percent of the rappers are accused of selling drugs in some stage of their lives. The NWA member Jay Z was once interviewed and was asked about the business affairs to which he replied that he knew the budgets and the services of the business as he learnt them while working as a drug dealer before in his life. He admitted himself of being a drug dealer. In one of his songs he  says, “Got the two bricks new cars new whips. But niggas never learn till they end up in the news clip
    The irony of sellin' drugs is sort of like you using it. Guess it's two sides to what substance abuse is…Can't stop, won't stop addicted to this new shit. Brand new convertibles, I'm so roofless, Front row fight night, see how big my tube is. Fuck HD nigga, see how clear my view is?”

    Moreover, Jeezy /Jizzle have a scandal of being caught with kilos of cocaine from the Black Mafia Family. Ice-cube talked about his past days in an interview on  television. He told his fans that riding and smoking hash in the streets of LA was fun back in his adolescence. He wrote a song out of his past experience.

    Smoking in schools, colleges has become a routine. Male students apart, smoking is also fast spreading among female youth. There are students who don’t even feel shy smoking cigarettes in front of their teachers within the limits of campuses. Smoking also brings with it drugs, which has become a serious threat for the youth in most of the countries.

    Drug is a substance which is when consumed, it affects in a physiological manner. There are drugs which makes a user feel high, confident and extremely energetic. Whereas there are also the types of drugs which make the user feel low or depressed. There are different ways of taking drugs depending on the type of it. For example cocaine is sniffed, injected and smoked as well. Likewise marijuana has to be smoked; one cannot inject or sniff marijuana. Therefore there are different ways of consuming different types of drugs.

    Drugs are considered harmful for health. They alter the chemistry of a normal body. They are also said to leave side effects in our body. The one using drugs persistently gets addictive to it. Once you get addictive, it is much difficult to leave the particular drug.  The person consuming drugs become dependent to it. He drags himself towards the drugs knowing the negativities of it. It is a fact that every drug leaves its side effects and its regular use can cause addiction and dependency.

    Unlike the old times where drugs were used by aged people and were considered unhealthier, in 21st century youth remains top in abusing drugs. Young minds of today are very much inspired by the use of drugs. It is a fact that the teenage is the most crucial and risky stage where drugs are mostly abused. Today you can see that most of the drug addicts and starters are found to be young. The rehabilitation centers are seen with a majority of children and youngsters who end up taking drugs. Other than this, in an article about  drug use in Pakistan, it was written that the drug use is rapidly increasing with the majority of youngsters. It plays an important role in the four leading causes of death among the youth. The young minds are supposed to study, work hard, and indulge in healthier activities. Instead children these days are busy burning hash and smoking weed which is misleading our whole generation and giving them a wrong concept

    Now imagine a child  persistently listening to a song which only promotes and symbolizes drug use. Will it affect him? Yes it will. Denise Herd, a researcher  at the University Of California said “Positive portrayals of drug use have increased over time, and drug references increased over  all.” He further said “it is an alarming trend, as rap artists are the role models for the nation’s youth, especially in urban areas. Many of these young people are already at risk and need to get positive  messages from the media.” It is a fact that rap music glorifies the  use of drugs. And at the time when it is the most followed type of music  among the youth, one can imagine the reason of its popularity. Youth is incited by such songs and messages. The rap has now much influence on youth. Youth has opted  out the whole rap culture. If you look  the youth of today, you will find them on streets and cars rather than on  parks or playgrounds. Same  as in the videos of rap,  you can witness young faces cruising and burning hash and  weed, partying- listening to Hip Hop etc. It is a reality that now the only source for party or enjoyment for youngsters is to do drugs and run high. The rappers have transformed the youth into hustlers. Hustler is person who is clever at making money either by using a good or  a bad way, mainly bad way. Through their rap they are trying to explain easy ways of earning money through drugs. They  tell their own stories in a form of rhymes which appeal the young minds. The youth get attracted to the idea and get inspired.

    Snoop dog launched a rolling paper under his name which is yet sold in the market. Rolling paper is used in smoking tobacco, marijuana, hash or weed. The fans of snoop dog may get  his influence. No doubt those kids set the superstars as their role models.

    Children have baby minds and like  babies, their baby minds are quick learners. They grasp everything  they observe or see and act accordingly. Some researchers believe that things done or heard in childhood are never forgotten. What impact will  it leave on our children if we are still not keeping an eye on them? If such trends go unchecked and no barriers are made against the decline of our generation, we would soon reach a point of no return.

    In a survey in California, more than 1200 students participated of ages 15-25 and the title of the study was “Music, Substance Use and Aggression”. Questionnaires were also given to them about their music listening habits, use of drugs and alcohol etc. The result was that more than 70% of the students who were regularly listening to rap songs were indulge in abusing drugs, taking alcohol and showing aggressive behavior. Moreover most of the advertising companies use rappers when advertising alcohol. Why is it? Why do the advertising companies believe that by using rappers in the alcohol adds, they would get more sales than using any other artist (James Montgomery, 2006).

    The societies like ours which are known for their religious and social values, the educational institutions are fast becoming hub of fashion and westernization, yet neither parents nor teachers are bothered about this situation