MUSIC
VIOLENCE
A
Research Paper Presented To
The
English Resource Center
School
Of Accountancy and Business
Asia
Pacific College
3
Humabon Place, Magallanes Makati City
In
Partial Fullfillment
Of
the Requirements for the Course
Reswrite
BM132- Research Writing
Ivan
S. Gusi
December
2013
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
Most
music today especially rap and heavy metal most of the lyrics contain
references to violence, sex, and/or drugs. These types of music have
been involved to music violence, they provoke violence in songs, they
tend to influence young listeners like a child, teenagers.
Many
argued that this is dangerous to children to hear we know that a
modern day teenager often faces violence, drugs, suicide, pregnancy,
and other aspects of this music. As we understood the music means we
ask ourselves does the child know the true meaning of these songs,
this can lead them to imitate what is said and done in that
particular type of song.
Many
kids are easily influenced so now is the time that a kid should know
what these mean. As artist wanted to be artistic they applied
violence to music that is shown or heard so the kids should be
informed and let them understood that these type of violence should
not be imitated and they should not tolerate that kind of actions.
(http://rense.com/general59/teens.htm)
The
effects of music violence. This provides entertainment and an outlet
to release any emotion. However, music preference differs depending
on the age, gender, culture etc. The choice of music can bring
positivity or negativity to the listener. Listening to heavy rock or
metal with explicit lyrics and references to drugs, sex, suicide,
profanity or Satanism somehow affects the mood and behavior. When
these lyrics are processed, memorized, and even taken deeply into the
heart, this promotes negativity leading to violence because some
people tend to imitate what shown or heard in the song.
In
people music violence is an extreme form of aggression, such as
assault, rape or murder that is represented in different types of
genre in music.Violence has many causes, including frustration,
exposure to violent media, violence in the home or neighborhood and a
tendency to see other people's actions as hostile even when they're
not. Certain situations also increase the risk of aggression, such as
drinking, insults and other provocations and environmental factors
like heat and overcrowding. As music violence became widespread and
influential to people they tend to imitate the actions that they hear
and saw in songs, this violence can lead to negative actions.
Children is one good example they don’t really know what it is they
just copy and do it to without knowing what it is.
Researchers
have long believed that the type of music we listen to says a lot
about who we are; opening up someone's CD case is like opening a
window into their mind. So what makes us choose the music that we do?
A study by Rentfrow and Gosling (2003) indicated that our
personality, self-view and even our level of intelligence can have a
potential impact on our music preferences. Our mood and level of
self-esteem has also been shown to influence our tastes. The
potential impact, and more notably, the dangers that different styles
can have on us, have gotten a lot of attention in the news and the
medical profession. Heavy metal, morethan any other genre, has
garnered the most scrutiny. Us, have gotten a lot of attention in the
news and the medical profession. Heavy metal, more than any other
genre, has garnered the most scrutiny.
Music
in today’s generation has been a widespread and influential. Music
today applies violence, Music violence had been a huge problem for
children and adults. Music today promotes violence and sexually
explicit contents that is argued dangerous for children because they
tend to imitate what is shown and what they hear.
The
purpose of this paper is to let the people know the effects of music
violence to mass media, youth, and children. This paper can help the
people know what action should they do to avoid violence to their
children. Music violence can lead a children or a teenager to
dangerous things, this paper helps people to understand the negative
effects of music violence as they explain to their children.
B.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This
study aims to answer this question:
1.
How does music violence on popular hip-hop artists affects or
influences people?
C.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Mass
Media. This research paper will be able to use this information
to help the mass media to understand the story behind those violent
lyrics that is used in the song. This can help them that the lyrics
does not mean to violate and there's a postive explanation behind
those lyrics used.
Youth.This
research would give them a brief through the topic and helps them to
understand why is this violent lyrics necessary to used in a song and
that those lyrics should not be taken literally.
D.
SCOPE AND DELIMINATION
Media:
A audience through the use of television, film, radio or written
forms of communication.
E.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This
research employs objectives since the researchers aims to get the
effects of music violence to people. This method is defined as a
process finishing the objectives that the topic is needing.
F.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Violence
- Is an extreme form of aggression, such as assault, rape or
murder. Violence has many causes, including frustration, exposure to
violent media, violence in the home or neighborhood and a tendency to
see other people's actions as hostile even when they're not. Certain
situations also increase the risk of aggression, such as drinking,
insults and other provocations and environmental factors like heat
and overcrowding.
Lyrics
– Are a set of words that make up a song consisting verses and
choruses.
Music-
is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements
are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its
associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and
the sonic qualities of timbre and texture.
CHAPTER
2
DISCUSSION
How
does music violence on popular hip-hop artists affects or influences
people?
I.
Types Of Music Violence
- Hip-hop
Hip
hop music or rap music is a music genre consisting of a
stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a
rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. On the other hand,
Gangsta (or gangster) rap is a subgenre of hip hop that
reflects the violent lifestyles of inner-city American black youths.
This kind of music posed a great deal of controversy and criticism
from media and even religious sector. The music’s theme is heavily
associated to drugs, racism, promiscuity, profanity, sex addiction,
alcoholism and violence. In 2007 it was reported in NY times that
Colorado police links violence to music. The increasing number of
homicide is suspected to have correlation to gangsters, rap music and
violence. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/03/us/03hiphop.html?_r=0 )
According
to the article by Dan Frosch entitled “Colorado Police Link Rise in
Violence to Music” The police were saying gangsta rap is
contributing to violence and reports of rising murder rate, there are
full of luring gang members and activity to nightclubs. The police
are saying that hip-hop should be abolished and it promotes violence
to people. Police were saying nightclubs is not safe, the one who
runs a local hip-hop promotions company, Dirty Limelight. The streets
wants to shut down hip-hop for good because of the negative actions
it promotes, they said that they don’t want it to survive.
To
take hip-hop violence to clubs is dangerous promoting negative kinds
of actions in a public place is influential to people especially to
kids like teenagers. Hip-hop is not bad actually it just depends on
the people listening to hip-hop or imitating the violence and taking
it literally.
II.
Effects of music violence
- TEENS
Being
a teen one is someone who is longing for attention and to be "cool".
getting drunk, high, or laid any day of the week is a must. they hang
out at the mall, movie theater, and any other place that other teens
can be found. when not at these teen gathering zones they are at home
watching movies and chatting to buddies if they are not at their home
they are at a "teen party" doing all of the above. their
relationships last 2-3 weeks and their sexual expeditions are far
from confidential. Teens are the stage of knowing new things and
easily influenced.
According
to Donald F. Roberts, Peter G. Christenson, and Douglas A. Gentile
Studies that use music videos on the other hand show an increased
tolerance in deviant behavior among both males and females. Music
videos add reinforcement to what is being heard with the use of
visuals. Now an extra sense is being used. Videos often exhibit
sexual innuendo, acts of aggression, and gender stereotypes. Studies
showed that men have a tolerable attitude as to what is violent and
what is too far in sexual advances. Women have less of a tolerance.
Studies have also found that heavy metal music and gansta rap
influence mens attitudes towards women and that increased exposure to
videos containing interpersonal violence against women tended to
increase men's acceptance of rape myths such as she was dressing like
she wanted it or she brought it on herself.
(https://www.psychology.iastate.edu/~dgentile/106027_08.pdf)
For
teens seeing these kinds of violence increases their aggression that
is why there are reports of abuse on women, rape, molested. Music
videos show an increases tolerance in deviant behavior among both
male and females, it increases sexual attraction to men and women
that’s why teens get raped and have kids. These is the stage that
you face your consequences alone because you are old enough to know
what is right and what is wrong.
- CHILDREN
Being
a child is a stage of being ignorant to all what is happening. This
where they just eat play go to school watch movies at home. In short
they are illiterate and starting to know things on earth.
(http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Medical_Students_and_Residents/Mentorship_Matters/DevelopMentor/The_Impact_of_Media_Violence_on_Children_and_Adolescents_Opportunities_for_Clinical_Interventions.aspx
)
According
to Eugene V. Beresin M.V entitled “The Impact of Media
Violence on Children and Adolescents: Opportunities for Clinical
Interventions”. How does
televised violence result in aggressive behavior? Some researchers
have demonstrated that very young children will imitate aggressive
acts on TV in their play with peers. Children
who are exposed to these kind of music are most likely to imitate the
language and the lyrics. In
general, violence on television and in movies often conveys a model
of conflict resolution, as
well as the lyricism that is portrayed. This mainly says that
when a children see’s something that is actually new to him or her
they will imitate what they saw on televisions.
For
children they should be guided and be guarded for what they watch on
television it is very dangerous when they see violence on television
because music violence is a widespread and they can easily see it by
just pressing the remote control, that is why parents should guide
there children in growing up.
III.
Hip-hop Violence & Effect on Listeners
Music
has always been a way to express a thought, a feeling, and/or an
opinion. It is way of life and for many, a way of living. A lot of
topics can and may be discussed in a song and may be expressed
through the lyrics written within the context of a song.
The
concept of music is to impart a message an individual has to his
peers. Aggression may be present as to the message may be of angst
and of hatred. A lot of people vent out in the form of music, and
that results to angry, hostile songs that contribute to a lot more
angst that is now present in society.
When
in despair, a lot of people tend to listen to songs that would very
well fit their mood and may result to music violence. In its essence
music violence is the type of music that would cause and inflate
aggression to a listener or to a person who can very much relate to
the lyrics being sung. These can affect a person’s perception and
the way he may think about the notion of life.
There
are many kinds of singers that bring the message across more than
others, songs that most people would relate to, to a greater degree.
Singers
that have influenced many people through their music and through
their life:
A.
Chris Brown
According
to Emily Longretta’s article
entitled “Chris Brown raps: Everybody sleep with my ex” in
Hollywood Life, Chris brown disses Rihanna in the song "I'm
Still". This song is where Chris Brown is featured in a song of
DJ Khaled’s. He doesn't necessarily name Rihanna in the song but
they have said that she has the right to be offended because she is
absolutely referenced in the song I'm still. Brown didn't
mention Rihanna's name, but listeners know whom he refers to. "Every
nigga
in the industry done fucked my bitch/
And all my niggas
said I told ya/Now all these rap niggas
wanna be political/ Nah, fuck
that I'm a real lyrical killer," he raps.
(hollywoodlife.com/2013/10/16/chris-brown-disses-rihanna-im-still-rap-verse/)
The
article writes how Rihanna was affected by the song, who, at that
time, still wasn’t over the break that happened between her and
Chris Brown, and the song with the lyrics dissing her.
The
article stated “So
much for staying civil! Chris
Brown has
seriously dissed Rihanna in
a new rap verse that has just been released. He even claims in the
song that she’s had sex with everyone in the industry!”
While
dissing your ex may be fine, the song has an equal effect to its
listeners about the angst Chris Brown still has on Rihanna that may
cause hatred to her by Chris’ fans. Though they live in the
limelight of all showbiz, the people still has no right as to the
judgment they may have on them. Chris Brown’s music encompasses
that saying bad things to the person you were once with is okay. This
kind of music and lyricism can be harmful to it's listeners, mainly
because of the improper and unsuitable message it conveys. It's
listeners/audiences, most especially younger ones, can be deeply
affected by this music violence. It constricts a certain mentality to
people that these cursing and blunt words are publicized, that's why
it's okay for people to say this or to act like this. Common
misconception of people. Even if it's publicized and people get
famous because of doing that type of music, doesn't mean it's
socially acceptable and morally appropriate. However, music violence
in rap industry is inevitable. There are boundaries and limitations
that has to be settled within the listeners. They are the ones who
are supposed to adjust, not the artists.
B.
Kendrick Lamar
It is evident in our society and in the music industry that competition among rappers and music artists is rampant and inevitable. People tend to compete with each other. It is a natural reflex of human beings. We are programmed to survive in any ways possible, and we are willing to do anything just to fit it. And in the case of music artists, being cocky, flashy, and egotistic is a natural defense mechanism. It can be explained by the constant struggle to be at the top and to be the best among the rest.
Based
on the article by Andrew Ryan entitled “Cocky Kendrick Lamar
trash-talks Drake and other rappers in new song”
<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/cocky-kendrick-lamar-trash-talks-drake-and-other-rappers-in-new-song/article13726885/>
, he quotes that:
“In
the seven-minute song, Lamar employs the N-word several times and
makes no secret of his intent to steal fans from some of the biggest
names in the rap industry.” He also added that “And is
Lamar cocky? The 26-year-old rapper, who was named Hottest MC by MTV
last year, displays solid swagger with the boastful verse: “I’m
Machiavelli’s offspring, I’m the king of New York/King of the
Coast, one hand, I juggle them both.”
Rap
industry is a tough environment. Competition is strong, rappers
trying to be the cockiest and who has more swagger. However, in
Kendrick Lamar's case, his violent lyricism and his blunt words
portrayed in his music is just to express himself and his hometown,
Compton, Los Angeles, California. Compton is a place where gang
competition is still active. Pirus and Crips are the gangs that are
highlighted in his music. Kendrick Lamar expresses his hate towards
this gang competition and wants to leave that town so much. In his
earlier albums, he deeply expresses his feelings about the town's
chaotic environment. He even added in the end of his music voice
recording of his niggas killing other gang members, or his brother
getting shot by someone. Again, this goes to show that his expression
of violence in his music is just the result of his hatred for his
environment.
Although
competition in the Rap industry has it's relevance to his violent
takes towards music, it is rather obvious and common to rappers to
actually be cocky and flashy. This is a normal thing, but what's not
normal is the effect of this violence in it's audience and listeners,
as they may imitate or adapt these portrayals and misinterpret them.
Many teenagers engage in this kind of genre, and more times than not,
they end up in jail, becoming delinquents, and drug-users. Basically,
the whole notion of music violence has a greater influence on it's
listeners psychologically.
C.
Lil Wayne
According
to the article “The
Downfall of Lil Wayne: A Good Rapper Making Bad Music”
written by Felix Clarke, he stated that:
“For
a period of about four years it was impossible to watch any
hip-hop/rap-related video on YouTube without a thousand comments in
the spirit of “This is better than Lil Wayne.” With the arrival
of the like/dislike bar came the ever-inventive “52 people listen
to Lil Wayne,” where the poster of the comment assumes their joke
will still be relevant in two hours when the dislike bar gains
another couple of thumbs down – it won’t be. Or for the
straight-talking among us there was always the eloquent simplicity of
“fuck lil GAYne.”
This
goes to show how people reacted on Lil Wayne's personality towards
music. As well all know him, his appearance is somewhat of a rebel
person, having a full body tattoo, and even his face has a tattoo,
piercings all over his body, is a drug addict and alcoholic. Lil
Wayne, in his music, expresses so much about Weed, Pussy, Sex, Booze,
Drugs, and Dicks. Basically, everything that is inappropriate in
television and the airwaves is included in almost every song of Lil
Wayne.
For
me, Lil Wayne is a rapper that kills the industry of hip-hop by
putting so much profanity in his music. I personally don't like Lil
Wayne as a rapper. His lyricism is way too inappropriate. However,
there are certain explanation why he is like that. Maybe he's a
rebel, maybe he's a delinquent, maybe he's just too high on drugs.
Basically, Lil Wayne is one of the epitome of music violence.
D.
Tyler The Creator
It
is criticized that Tyler The Creator is a racist. A racist is
described as believing that race accounts for differences in human
character or ability and that a particular race is superior to
others. Discrimination to others based on it's race.
In
the first article i read about which is "Tyler
The Creator's Most Racist Commercial In History" by Marc
Zannotti explains how Tyler The Creator express him being a racist in
this mountain dew commercial.A
new Mountain Dew commercial directed by Tyler The Creator has
been pulled from the airwaves and Internet after accusations of
racism. The ad was removed after political analyst Dr. Boyce
Watkins addressed the commercial as “arguably the most racist
commercial in history”, according to a post published
by yourblackworld.net.
Tyler
The Creator portrays racism not to other people but to himself, or to
his race. He depicts his race (black people) as higher than any other
race, including white people, asian, and every other racial profiles.
For me Tyler is a great hiphop artist but he should be aware of his actions, because his actions affects many people. We are all people we should not discriminate each other and it is best that we should be united and no one is left out. call him whatever but he is still a popular hiphop artist.
CHAPTER
3
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
This
paper attempted to determine the effects of music violence to people.
- Music violence in the hip-hop/rap industry is inevitable. There will always be explicit contents in it's music.
- People take these music violence literally
- Music violence affects children and teenager’s psychologically
CONCLUSION
Based
on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:
- It is difficult to children and teenagers to know the true meaning of music violence since there many things needed to be explained.
- In understanding music violence, listeners should not take these music violence literally it is just feelings they release in songs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
After
drawing the conclusions of the study, the researchers hereby make the
following suggestions/recommendations:
- In listening this music violence, it is better that one has an understanding towards music violence that they have a proper approach towards music violence to help the young listeners.
- They should design a research that explains that music violence is not really that bad and it has a proper reason why they put it in music.
REFERENCES:
- Internet
“Violence” http://www.apa.org/topics/violence/
“Music
and Violence”http://www.queendom.com/articles/articles.htm?a=42
“Colorado
Police Link Rise in Violence to Music” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/03/us/03hiphop.html?_r=1&
“Violent
Music Lyrics Increase Aggressive Thoughts and Feelings, According to
New Study” http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2003/05/violent-songs.aspx
“The
Effects of Violent Music on Children and Adolescents” https://www.psychology.iastate.edu/~dgentile/106027_08.pdf
“The
impact of media violence to children and adolescents” http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Medical_Students_and_Residents/Mentorship_Matters/DevelopMentor/The_Impact_of_Media_Violence_on_Children_and_Adolescents_Opportunities_for_Clinical_Interventions.aspx
“Chris
Brown raps: Everybody sleep with my ex” <hollywoodlife.com/2013/10/16/chris-brown-disses-rihanna-im-still-rap-verse/>
“Cocky
Kendrick Lamar trash-talks Drake and other rappers in new song” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/cocky-kendrick-lamar-trash-talks-drake-and-other-rappers-in-new-song/article13726885/
The Downfall of Lil Wayne: A Good Rapper Making Bad Music
<http://sabotagetimes.com/music/the-downfall-of-lil-wayne-a-good-rapper-making-bad-music>
<http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/tyler-the-creators-most-racist-commercial-in-history-dropped-by-mountain-dew/>
