Celebrities have become important figures in the society today more than in any other time in history. Of these, movie stars and singers are some of the most influential people in the world today. Their actions and words are the standards which millions of youths around the globe live and act by. Lil Wayne is one such celebrity whose rap and hip hop music is a reason for living for millions of his fans around the globe. With increased accessibility to media and internet access, news of the lifestyle of the celebrity reaches his fans in real time. In as much as the celebrity has unwavering following in America and the rest of the world, there are several accounts of controversial moves by the hip hop idol that I disagree with.
As a conservative mind, I believe in a society whose moral values are intact and sound. Productions of Lil Wayne do not in any way define morality. The artist is so controversial in his diction for the lyrics that make his rap. The lyrics are nothing but a campaign to derail the society from the moral roadmap. Vulgarities and misguiding phrases are the order of the day for the hip hop artist. His music centers on encouraging the youth who make a greater percentage of his fans to engage in sex, drugs and all sorts of activities defying the true spirit of societal values. As mentioned before, the celebrity has a large following and influence on the lovers of his music. It is predictable that with this kind of music, morality and societal values may be extinct and unheard-of in the near future.
Furthermore, the artist performs actions that are not in line with the requirements of the government and the call for patriotism. In the recent past, Lil Wayne has encountered backlashes over what appears to be an act of defiance to the nation he calls home. The rapper stomped on the American flag in the video of one of his songs, God Bless Amerika. The artist is seen in the video footage stepping on the American flag as it falls down behind him. This is seriously unpatriotic and places patriotism to the country at risk. Given the rapper’s popularity with youths, this could go deeper than merely stepping on the flag. It could occasion unrest and general disrespect among a vast portion of the youth. Further acts of disrespect to the nation by the artist include crude reference to civil rights martyr, Emmet Till.
Other than his music, the artist leads a lifestyle that may not be sustainable in the long run. Like other hip hop artists, the rapper impresses upon his fans a lifestyle that is too lavish and impractical to maintain. His ardent followers and fans labor to live the same kind of life the artist portrays on the camera. Many end up living miserably as they do not have the finances and societies they reside within do not accept the new norms of hip hop. Whereas there may be nothing wrong with tattooing, the artist has practically defaced his body. As a conservative, this is akin to not being appreciative of the beauty of God’s work. In a way, the rapper lives in direct contradiction of what the society expects.
