Lyrics to Popular Music Harmful to Teens? Many teens in this era listen to a variety of different music, for example: Hip-Hop, R&B, Heavy Rock, Dubstep, Pop, and Country. For many songs, artists tries their best to express their feelings through so the listeners to understand the feeling of the song. Many song lyrics can be interpreted into different meanings causes the listeners to either be against the artist or they are on the same page as the artist.
In this case, most song lyrics could interfere teens and change their development in their lives when they listen to a genre called “Rap. Many rap lyrics have highly inappropriate wordings that can lead to many issues for teens, especially gang related activities, sex life, and drug and alcohol usage. In our generation, teens are beginning to join gangs because it seem “cool” and they believe that they can actually fit into society. On October 29, 2015, a movie released called “Straight Outta Compton” was based on a true story. This movie relates to a group called “NWA” or “Ni**az With Attitudes” and the members are Dr. D, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, MC Ren and Eazy E.
Back in the day, many people rely on them since their songs have many meanings behind their songs and it could be worse and it could also be good too. In the movie, Ice Cube was on the bus heading home school and this black kid started to yell out gang words called them “ni**as” and also was flashing gang signs. After the guys in the car saw that, they started to drive in front of the bus so it could stop and they knocked the bus door and the bus driver had no choice but to open the door. One of the gang members decides to go all the way to the back toward the boy and pointed at the boy.
The boy ended up being terrified. Ice Cube still manages to write songs about these things even if it happened to him. After watching the movie, many viewers cannot help but notice the engage in the criminal behaviors, dress like gang members in areas that were infested by ruffians and the police suspect them with a no good life style (Gangsta Rap’s Grim Legacy for Comptons Everywhere). 1990’s popular rappers like Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur died and left many people believing that they both have some lyrics that stated they would murder a rival (Music’s Effect on Teenagers).
Even if these songs do not promote gang violence, but they described the gang mentality accurately (Music’s Effect of Teenagers). In most popular songs, “Hot Ni**ga” is one of the great examples for having lyrics that are related to gang activities. In his song, the lyrics. “Grimey savage, that’s what we are. Grimey shooters dressed in G-Star. GS9, I go so hard, but GS for my gun squad (Hot N**ga-Bobby Shmurda). And b*tch if it’s a problem we gon’ gun bawl. Shots poppin’ out the AR”. Behind these meaning of the lyrics, Shmurda is in a gang called “Grimey Savage Crip”.
Most of his crew member wear clothing line “G-Star” that was imported from the Dutch, since they really like fashionable products like Versace and Gucci. If anyone messes with his gang members or have a problem with them, they are just going to come after them, and start a chaos. He is loyal to his members and they are like family to him. This also has changed teens fashion senses in society. For example, most males would wear t-shirts and bandanas (that would represent their gang colors), saggy pants, Timberlands, tattoos, grillz, and snapbacks.
Females would attend wearing crop tops, body jewelries, jeans, bandanas, tattoos, and shoes (any kind that is fashionable). Many rap music also has sexual contents in some of the lyrics and their music videos. According to researchers, 13 of teens said that they have listened to sexually explicit lyrics and 2/3 of them said that they listen to degrading lyrics about sex (The Impact of Rap and Hip-Hop Music On American Youth). Researchers tested that some students said they felt unhappy and they also felt more fear, anxious, and aggressive.
Other students also have shown no effects when they show a combination of sex and violences (Pop Music at the Core of Youth Culture). In songs like “International Love” and “Earned It” shown us some features of sex related lyrics and videos. In “International Love”, the lyrics “En Colombia the women got everything done, but they’re some of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. In Brazil they’re freaky with big ol’ boobs. And their thongs, blue, yellow, and green” (International Love-Pitbull). In these lyrics, women appeared to be sex objects. Most men do not care about girl’s personality or anything, but only their physical appearances.
As you can see in the music video, there were two girls that were around Pitbull and he want viewers to see that if you become famous or have money, this is what life is basically about. In “Earned It”, the lyrics “Cause girl, you’re perfect. You’re always worth it and you deserve it. The way you work it cause girl, you earned it, yeah girl, you earned it, yeah” (Earned It- the Weeknd). The song was originated for “50 Shades of Grey” which was released on Valentine’s Day 2015. In these lyrics, going back 50 Shades of Grey, Anastasia tried to impress Christian in a sexual way.
This help her gain some future accesses to resources at his disposal. In the Weeknd’s point of view, the girl got to do something in order to satisfy his wants. If she does it correctly, then she earned the privilege to have sex with him. In the music video, the Weeknd pretended to be that one guy that enters the strip club and see those strippers having a private show for him. Later in the video, a girl that was all strapped up and wanted to attract the Weeknd. But back to 50 Shades of Grey, Christian likes kinky sex and so he made Anastasia go into a private bedroom and be all strapped up.
Back to “International Love”, in the lyrics, it said that “in Romania she pulled me to the side and told Pit you can have me and my sister” (International LovePitbull). Many famous people would get a lot of things offered to them by fans. In these lyrics, the girl who was in Romania said the she will offer sex for Pitbull and she will bring her sister along. Since the ladies are represented as sex objects there are some lack of female rappers and we need more of them, this could change their ideas of females (Music’s Effect on Teenagers). In most of rap music videos, they show a lot of the artists doing drugs or drinking alcohol.
Many major rappers have some sort of relationship with alcohol advertisers (The Impact of Rap and Hip-Hop on American Youth). After watching these type of music videos, it gives teens attention and motivates them that it is safe to do these things. Most of the rappers take marijuana, xanax, meth, cocaine, molly and ecstasy. “Young, Wild, Free” and “High for This” would be great examples for this topic. In “Young, Wild, Free”, the verse “so what we get drunk? So what we smoke weed? We’re just having fun. We don’t care who sees. So what we go out? That’s how it’s supposed to be.
Living young and wild and free” (Young, Wild, Free-Wiz Khalifa). In the music video, we can see that Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg are promoting themselves and giving ideas to viewers that it is okay to do drugs and have some alcohol inserted into your body when you are young and still in high school. They’re also promoting teens to try and live like their lives, becoming famous and rich in order for them have the same lifestyle as theirs. Another song that would show it would be “High for This. ” In the lyrics, “open your hand, take a glass. Don’t be scared, I’m right here. Even though, you don’t roll.
Trust me girl, you want to be high for this” (High for This-the Weeknd). In the music video, there was a couple that went to a hotel room. Then, the guy puts some drugs like ecstasy in her water. Later on, which caused her to be weak and loss of strength, made it easier for the guy to do sexual things with her. This is why teen girls should be careful where they are and their surroundings because it is hard to trust people these days. In the Weeknd’s point of view, he was trying to convince that she would try out doing drugs and this would be only her “once in her life” moment and it’s okay if she doesn’t know how to roll a blunt.
Other people believe that these lyrics have nothing bad and listening to any genre can help teens with their lives. Studies have shown that most teens listen about 2 12 hours of music every day. This enhances their mood, help them study and provide an outlet for creativity and emotion when they play, write, and sing. When teens cannot get along with the adults’ discipline technique, they usually turn on their music and just ignore their surroundings. This shown to have helped teens do well in school since they get better grades and have a high IQ in their young adulthoods.
Music also can positively affect the area of the brain for attention, updating events in memories and making predictions. This helped us by having a better reasoning and problem-solving skills and better at math and language performances (Can Music Affect Teen in a positive Way? ). Music can teach teenagers about their own cultures and other cultures around the world (Positive Effects of Music on Teens). Many believe that listening to rap music is not a bad influence for them. They believe that technology is changing their children’s life since they are on their phones 24/7.
On our phones, we would be on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many more. According to 2012 Nielsen Music Report had confirmed that 64% of the teens in the U. S listen their music through YouTube (Can Music After Teens in a Positive Way? ). Teens uses their phone to text their friends or families or even watch highly inappropriate things like internet porn. Mr. Douglas Gentile, a child psychologist and an associate professor at lowa State University, said that his own teen child texts about 9,000 messages in one month.
Another parent, Mrs. Patti Rowlson, a mother of two in Ever said that her family had a discuss about this topic at her home but it does not affect her family at all. Since kids have laptops/computers, iPods with WiFi. She believes that parents are not having control over the screen time anymore since teens are sneaky about using their technologies (Are Texting and Facebook Worse for Teens Than TV). In conclusion, many teens listen to songs that aren’t a good influence to them. The lyrics of most songs contain various of ad things, like gang related, sex related and drugs and alcohol usages. Although some may say that there is some good sides to different genres, kids should know that it is not ideal to listen to rap music until they are at a certain point of maturity or age. The government should put some warnings, like what they have for movies since they have Rated PG 17 or R. They should do the same thing for songs and also have some parents go through some “Terms of Condition” for the music.
