Winning Essays: 14-16 Years
First Place
How are the values of gangster rap affecting youth today? What values
are expressed in gangster rap songs?
There are many gangster rap stars nowadays, 50 Cent, The Game, Eminem to mention a few. The gospel these singers are preaching has had a large effect on youths today. One might ask, ‘’what is rap? ‘’ some say it’s a way to express yourself. Yes but is this a good way to do so?
The values of gangster rap have influenced youths in an astounding way. Most youths want to be what the songs say. They want to be just like the singer because they are their hero. This is because they feel it’s the fashion or as they call it, ‘the cool thing to do‘. Youths now care less about their school work, their families, communities and everything around them. Gangster rap has influenced their characters and behaviors. ‘You can still make money without education’ they say. In the gangster world they call them ‘Hustlers’. These people have no focus in their lives at all. Everything has no meaning and value to them.
Gangster rap has caused great dispute in the society. It has lead to a lacking discipline
amongst youths. Due to this, youths portray themselves as cheap, valueless people mainly the girls. For example the way they dress and the way they walk. They expose their bodies so much that one might think they are advertising themselves. And the way they walk makes the boys smile because to them it’s a chance to take advantage. This leads to teenage sex and at the end of the day is the cause of teenage pregnancies.
These gangster rap songs express values that are in a way not acceptable in the society. For example in the Christian community adultery is a sin. They preach ‘no sex before marriage’ but gangster rap promotes that people must satisfy their needs. Statements like,’ Girl turn around let me see your back’, stimulates the boys in wanting to explore the female’s backside. The video clips of these songs show half naked and in some cases totally naked women. This is not a good sight for the boys because it stimulates their feelings and they want to see it for themselves. This brings us back to teenage sex and we can talk about diseases. For example Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and AIDS.
Smoking and taking drugs is also a value expressed in gangster rap songs. Most singers appear on the Television smoking large cigars which produce thick, dark clouds of smoke when exhaled. They smoke in a way that seems prestigious and as if they are doing a good thing. This triggers the youth because it looks like a nice thing so they want to do it. Drugs have caused many problems amongst youth and their families. In some cases it has broken down families. And in other cases it has taken their lives. Youths are driven into doing crazy things like jumping off a high building due to the influence of the drugs.
Violence is another problem in our communities. This is because the youth believe that people will understand them if they break something. Some see it as a way to relieve their anger. The main causes of violence are drugs and alcohol. These stimulate the youth into acting like wild animals. They steal from poor defenseless females and they rob stores. They want to damage everything insight and they want people to fear them. These are some of the effects of drugs and alcohol on youths.
Gangster rap songs also encourage revenge and arrogance. Youths become arrogant due to drugs and they do not listen to anyone even their parents. Actually they do not want anyone telling them what to do or any help. Youths tend to become very upset and they want to revenge. This leads to gang fights and the use of dangerous weapons like guns and knives. They will fight until they kill each other. The next place for them after that is jail; they will have wasted their lives.
I think gangster rap has had a great influence on the youth and unfortunately it has been mostly in a bad way. Its values have damaged or poisoned the youth. Although this is true, I believe that your character is influenced by what you take in. If you expose yourself to bad things, you will end up doing that. I believe, ‘You are what you make yourself’.
I was born in Africa and lived there for ten years; my grandmother did not have television, so I did not see the rap songs on TV or on radio. I have experienced a big change since I came to live in the UK. I can honestly say I enjoy the rhythms of some of the songs and many young people enjoy watching TV but I hope this will never change my values that I was taught by my parents, grandparents and family. I feel that what the rap gangsters’ show does not make me or other young people better members of our society. When I was in Africa I could never have imagined that you can almost walk naked, but this is what the rap gangsters’ show as normal. As young people we are exposed to many things, but we can still grow up to be reasonable if we are given guidance but all those who love us. As an African child I want to contribute to give light to Africa wherever I am. The values that I received form family will make me a better person than the values given by rap gangsters.
By Thandeka Khupe – 16 YEARS
Second Place
The Effect of Gangster Rap on the Youth of Today
Gangster rap music brings forth values, which may be degrading to our lives. It is also a way of life that has helped many people realize their talents and be able to make something of their lives.
Gangster rap music is a way of expressing ones emotion, and the lyrics are written from within. I’d suggest that most of it is an expression of anger so the music is bound to be rough and ruthless, and the videos shoots potray the verses being said in the songs.
However this controversial (gangster rap) side of hip-hop can force elders to get real with young people on issues such as sex, violence, poverty, racism, and sexism. This may make it better for everyone to deal with these issues but also it may portray a wrong message to not only the youth but to everyone else.
Hip-hop as a whole, is an independent, unique, empowering international culture which has opened doors for many other things in life especially for the under class people. When separating Hip-hop and gangster rap you find that gangster rap is really the worst influential as it explores a violent nature, a wild and as they call it, the “free lifestyle” in humans, it deals with words from the mouth and not from the heart, with no real meaning unless it’s anger based, although some statements mentioned may true, but it’s anything but empowering and positive.
Gangster rap music was birthed out of a desire to manifest one's self in a society, therefore, this music culture teaches the youth indirectly, and that you can be who you want to be in the sense of not being what people want you to be. This however is correct to some extend, but it some how encourages the youth to believe that any job goes, just as long as you get paid.
Most of the gangster rap music is nothing but hateful, hurting, degrading, corrupt and in a way I find it to be encouraging our young minds to rebel against not all but most good, and uplifting ways of life. I believe that because of the message portrayed in gangster rap music, it sure plays a big part in the way the youth of today, think, behave and live their lives. I have seen how teens that spent more time watching and listening to music about sex, guns, drugs and violent behaviour tend to practice this in real life.
Rap superstars are seen to be role models to the youth, as it is, the artists themselves consider their lives to be a positive, and they do have good intentions most of the times, and they use their success to help out where they can like anyone who is able to, but we kids tend to follow what we want.
At times we don’t want to be behaved in a well mannered way so we do what we want and I don’t think anyone is to be blamed for all the actions we chose to take, and besides we do learn better from our mistakes.
Their way of living has in a sense “brainwashed” us into thinking that sex before marriage is okay (just don’t have kids); being rebellious towards your elders and the law is fine. When really it isn’t! I strongly believe that gangster rap has to take responsibility for the structure of crime and corruption in our communities today.
In rap videos, men hold the power and women don't and as a result, are subservient. This kind of behaviour makes it seems normal to act out of order, not to respect and take pride in your self, and with this being said it’s highly degrading to women. In all these situations it’s all about THE MONEY!
Parents have to realize that they are also resposibily of the things we watch and learn from TV, they cannot just stick their heads in the sand and expect us to only look at good stuff on the television. Parents need to know what we children are being exposed to. Corruption, sex, violence, and all unhealthy features of this gangster lifestyle are made commercial and this leads us to practice it.
Certainly, rap is not the only music that portrays negative stereotypes or can negatively impact behaviors, and not all rap music should be implicated.
I do feel that all rap music is getting a bad rap. When it shouldn’t really be like that. Yes, there are rap videos that are particularly violent or sexual, but people should look at what is more important, like whether or not these kids act out of disordered behaviors because of gangster rap music.
These are some of the questions people should ask themselves before blaming all the bad behaviours done by the youth on rap music. Maybe you should look at their family structure and the type of parenting kids get.
Because rappers just rap they don’t think, this causes war with every aspect of life, misconceptions are made, and we know that with any type of repeated media exposure of negativity, this will have a big impact on the targeted audience.
By Pholoso Masenya
Third Place
How are the values of gangsta rap affecting youth today? What values are expressed in gangsta rap songs
Rap first originated among black and Hispanic performers in New York as a form of street poetry, where people would gather in the street and listen in the Gangster rap focuses mostly on drugs, weapons, women and crime.
In my essay I will look at these values expressed in gangster rap and how they affect youth today.
The correct meaning to 1970’s. Rap started as a form of chanting, similar to that of historical African tribe. It was often improvised. gangster in the English dictionary means “a member of an organised gang of criminals”. It’s negative and has a bad view to it
My view on gangster rap goes either way positively or negatively. I say it depends on the rapper. You can have rappers who rap about positive things about life what they have achieved, how they succeeded to become a selling artist.
Then you have the others, rap about women degrading them giving them rude and insulting names, rapping about money drugs and weapons. Youth as young as 10 rap about these things, the effect is worrying.
If children on the street listen to this type of music, what might happen if they might copy? Might is not the word
Rappers promote drugs in their songs, rapping about how they take it and that its good for you, the rappers almost advertise drugs to the youths. The effect of this is that attitudes may change in favour of taking drugs or maybe just trying it.
This leads to health problems and behavioural problems, which could change, and the drugs could make you become violent then arguments occur probably at home.
The question is where do youths get money to buy the drugs and if youth haven’t got money youths could start stealing and then that becomes crime and police become involved.
A majority of gangster rappers rap about having a gun or using it or maybe having knives. This promotes children as young as 7 to buy a toy gun. If they aren’t taught the difference between the toy and the real one and told good and bad at home by their parents, youths could be influenced by rappers to go and get the real one.
Hoe how many times have you heard that in a rappers song I have countless of times these are names given to women in their videos who are seen dressed half naked. They are shown as objects and not by their personality. The women have low respect to no respect for women and themselves, they sell themselves out.
Girls seeing this in videos may think being treated that way is what men want.
Have you ever wanted to catch someone’s eye by wearing something a bit flashy revealing eye catchy, I know my friends have when trying to impress a guy they may get ideas from the TV about what to wear and what a guy may like since that female has got them all over her.
I’m sure you will agree with me its well know that swearing is a big part of that music, gangster rap swearing is used a lot as encouragement for youths to say the words when rapping along swear words include bitch hoes and nigger.
Nigger which was and often is offensive to those of colour but rappers find it's alright to use the word nigger even though it was a word to separate us.
But coming from the ghetto an environment rappers grew up in there weren't many prospects for the future for them.
But overall coming from a poor background to becoming millionaires achieving the American dream and living the life a comfortable place they can call their own. Having great success that they can buy any house car or accessory they want.
Role models for African community is mainly gangster rappers because you do find black lawyers doctors police men but they are not highlighted on TV.
A child coming home from school the first thing they do is turn the channel to MTV or MTV Base or channel U, music channels where they could find a number of gangster rappers rapping about the above values. If they were to switch to the news there would be a low representation of black lawyers and so on.
In large number of black families the youths are raised by single parents usually the mother, so with no father figure to look up to for guidance, they may be drawn to look at the gangster rappers who are dominant and popular.
Of course now rap promotes violence and misogyny. It was admired as a popular culture telling black kids to be proud and do something with their life and not idolize the drug dealers and ghetto heroes like nowadays. But rap is doing exactly what rap was originally trying to get away from.
By Sindiwe Mvubu