'Be nice or leave!' - Why is rap so violent?: Why is rap so violent?

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, Free University of Berlin (John-F.-Kennedy-Institut), 8 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This paper will focus on t... Read more

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, Free University of Berlin (John-F.-Kennedy-Institut), 8 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This paper will focus on the depictions of and the reasons given for crime and violence in rap music. This seems to be relevant because a certain glorification of rap seems to endure in mainstream society, which also goes hand in hand with this music's belittlement. In the 1980s, few people would have thought that rap would be the major force it is today. The music is still, for the most part, rather simply crafted, not all lyrics are expressions of streetwise genius but maybe that is its strength: reducing everything to the minimum, cleansing the music from all unnecessary components. This minimalism is also visible in its content. The depicted experiences are mostly on a very basic existential level, crime and violence abound. Real life conflicts are not only reflected in the music, they are sometimes even initiated by words spoken on a record. Less