Gives Urban America a Public Voice
The general purpose of music is for the artist to express themself through the form of melody and/or written word. If this view of music is accepted for all other forms (genres) of music, then why isn't it accepted for rap music?
The difference is that rap artists have different scenarios happening in their lives than say country artists or rock groups. Society doesn't like publicizing what is happening in these parts of the nation; therefore, rap music is repulsive to them. Not to say there is a double standard, but an interesting viewpoint that often goes unnoticed is that country artists (or any other musicians) can sing about a family member dying in any form or fashion and nobody looks down upon the genre, but when a rap artist brings up losing a brother to gang violence it is not accepted as easily.
The sad part about this is that many of these rap artists truly did grow up under these circumstances. They endured gang violence or drug abuse and all of these other things they rap about. That truly was their life and what they went through, but when they put it in music it is almost as if society is rejecting it. In many cases, rappers are able to get public attention for things happening in their part of society when they aren't receiving the necessary news coverage or government help. Rap music is their way of making the rest of America aware of the sad reality of things happening in these parts of the nation.
The difference is that rap artists have different scenarios happening in their lives than say country artists or rock groups. Society doesn't like publicizing what is happening in these parts of the nation; therefore, rap music is repulsive to them. Not to say there is a double standard, but an interesting viewpoint that often goes unnoticed is that country artists (or any other musicians) can sing about a family member dying in any form or fashion and nobody looks down upon the genre, but when a rap artist brings up losing a brother to gang violence it is not accepted as easily.
The sad part about this is that many of these rap artists truly did grow up under these circumstances. They endured gang violence or drug abuse and all of these other things they rap about. That truly was their life and what they went through, but when they put it in music it is almost as if society is rejecting it. In many cases, rappers are able to get public attention for things happening in their part of society when they aren't receiving the necessary news coverage or government help. Rap music is their way of making the rest of America aware of the sad reality of things happening in these parts of the nation.