Music is the binding structure for the society as it mimics the standard beliefs of people. A community fond of listening to a certain music is likely to emulate the values portrayed by the lyricist. It is right to say that the creators of music play a fundamental role in instilling virtues and also vices to the society as a whole. Celebrities are universally recognized due to their works of art that they produce. Claiming that they have no influence is misguided and totally wrong. I believe that music has a significant role in escalating violence in individual towns and cities. I am interested in this issue because this is a critical subject in Baltimore. I remember growing up I barely heard of people dying so much. I knew it was out there, but I did not think too much about it. Now that I am older and I have access to social media and local news, I now watch the violence rise across the city. I am certain that someone living in the midst of this daily would have a mental impact on his or her way of thinking. I am sure those out there would lose hope considering those who just want to do well.
I will concentrate on the music videos in the region that are comprised of aggressive hip-hop music. Firstly, the individuals’ needs dictate the kind of music the community will want to hear. In a poverty stricken environment, survival based content will be more appreciated and loved. If the youths of a particular city are fond of drugs and violence, the more aggressive the music is, the better reception it will get. So the distribution of music is based on the functioning of the different regions. According to the Department of Legislative Services of Maryland (2016), Baltimore had a poverty level of 13.5% in 2014. Additionally, the area inhabited by the poor is close to half of the whole city. This creates poverty and desperation as an essential aspect for the residents of the city. Music, therefore, is based on poverty and the struggles of drugs and robbery.
Secondly, sexual violence is praised in the popular hip hop videos aired all around the city. According to (Cundiff, 2013), contemporary hip hop music videos have glorified violence against women including rape, torture, and abuse. They also portray women as objects of sexual pleasure based on degradation and objectification. Young adults in the city are more likely to consume the notion of women as sexual objects escalating the level of sexual aggression. In addition to this, the abuse of women is celebrated in rap/hip-hop songs promoting models of masculinity that sustain and encourage prejudice.
Distribution of music videos is solely done by the digital platforms available. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the vast arrays of social platforms that are used to disperse these rap videos. In the city, 95% of the population have access to these social media platforms with their personal computers or smartphones. Internet connectivity is vastly available hence the vast web of exposure to these music videos. The most active members are between the ages of 16 and 30 years of age. Gang warfare that comprises of the youth is the leading cause of violence-related murders in the City. Mid last year, the number of gang-related deaths totaled to 114 which is more than the killings of most other cities in the country. The internet does not discriminate who can access such videos. Therefore, it is assumed that all individuals in the community are exposed to these violent scenes in hip-hop music.
In conclusion, Baltimore has struggled with violence that has witnessed change over the years that is based on ethnicity, beliefs, and culture. Hip hop music which forms a big section of the culture has escalated the love for violence that cuts across all ages. This videos influence and promote the participation of young people to acts that are both inhumane and unacceptable.
References
Cundiff, G. (2013). The Influence of Rap and Hip-Hop Music: An Analysis on Audience Perceptions of Misogynistic Lyrics. Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communication., 2-4.
Huston, W. T. (2016, June 6). After bloodiest year, Baltimore murder rate still rising . Retrieved from Breitbart: <http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/06/bloodiest-year-baltimore-murder-rate-rising/>
