Brandon mykal jones



“Not the same:” A content analysis of stereotypes on African Americans in Rap MusicBrandon JonesSOCI 4309 – Qualitative Research MethodsFinal Project: Unobtrusive Method/Content AnalysisDr. Rachel RomeroDepartment of SociologyA04267545INTRODUCTION It is estimated that almost 70 percent of today’s youth spend almost 6 to 10 hours a day watching rap videos on YouTube or BET and MTV. The relevance of this problem is more than academic or speculative. While it is clear that rap music generally is protected by the First Amendment, 6 rap lyrics sometimes constitute unprotected threats of violence (Calvert, Morehart, Papadelias 2014). Amendment 6, rap lyrics sometimes constitute unprotected threats of violence. In November 2013, for instance, two Pennsylvania men—twenty-two-year-old Rashee Beasley and nineteen-year-old Jamal Knox—were convicted of making terroristic threats based on a rap video that named two police officers who had previously arrested Beasley and Knox (Calvert, Morehart, Papadelias 2014). Although this is a corrupt occasion that happened through rap music, those men still chose to make that decision. The rap song or video may have influenced them but it didn’t make them take action. This is one bad incident out of maybe a million more incidents that may have occurred that were not so bad. The topic for my final research project is how African Americans are portrayed in rap music.? In more detail, I will explore how urban lifestyle is represented in rap music through social media, such as Instagram, twitter etc. and music videos, provided by mainstream industries such as BET and MTV.? Even though rap music doesn’t just consist of black artist and entertainers, African Americans represent a good amount of the rap industry.? How rappers talk, dress and appear to us on TV and social media is what society sees and judges them off of.? Majority of rap videos use young women to promote or show some type of social status.? The female body in rap videos are used in many ways, most of them are half naked and not being treated as society would agree with.? Majority of African American rappers use vague language in songs and videos, as well as disrespecting females and authority figures such as police officers.? However many of these same rappers that appear to be so called “thugs” or ignorant speakers in their music have 4 year degrees or some type of other education other than high school.? Since rap videos are a “main-stream” form of entertainment in modern society, analyzing how African American’s are depicted in rap videos and is important.? I want to research, and show that just because a African American rapper talks a certain way or talks about a certain situation in a different way doesn’t make he or she less intelligent than someone else neither does he or she make the next African American who is not a rapper.LITERATURE REVIEWThere is a developing body of research around the influences of music artist, and there produced media shaping opinions on the urban lifestyles. Specifically in dealing with the mass media of hip-hop and videos.? Also the type of stereotypes that hip-hop artist bring on themselves and others. ?Along with the influences that the videos and music itself brings to the teens.? The ways that females are depicted in rap videos are also a big issue in some parts of society as well.? In the music rap industry it has become almost an obligation to make visuals for artist to show a theme or story line in their music.? ?This is not only so that their fans can see how much money they make, or how many cars, and houses they have, but to show them why there rapping about they are rapping about or where they come from and why they express the type of emotion that they do in their music.? By rappers doing this they have brought a negative look upon themselves by degrading women in songs and videos, as well as using violence and disrespect.? With major rap artist having high reputations they are the “face” of the urban community to the society.? What they say or do influence listeners while those listeners shape the lives if the society, receiving a stereotype whether it is good or bad.? The following section will describe how urban lifestyle is represented in rap music, how rap videos influence listeners, and how rap music and videos perpetrate stereotypes on African Americans.??????????? Research on rap artist and there music has joined the larger scale discussions of how society view them and how they give others in the urban community a bad stereotype.? Researchers Guillermo Rebello-Gil and Amanda Moras (2012) state that the history of rap music embodies the complex character of a particular musical genre rooted in some of the most downtrodden urban communities in the East Coast of the United States. Djavadzadeh (2010) explains how from the late 1980s to early 1990s, rap music has made a huge contribution to the American society.? She goes in to depth and explains how rappers have used explicit language, and linked to drug usage, gang references, violence, sex, and degrading behaviors making it a social problem.? She concisely explains “Not only did rap music have many references to drug usage, it also degraded women greatly. Rappers lyrics would often refer to women as "tricks," "hoes," and even worse. Many women thought this extremely rude and sexist. The fact of the matter was rappers just spoke what they knew. The majority of rappers grew up in very low class societies, which were often known for degrading, and even pimping women” Djavadzadeh (2010).? Other researcher’s studies of rap videos state that a typical music video ... “features one or more men performing while beautiful, scantily clad young women dance and writhe lasciviously. Often the men dance, too, but the women always have fewer clothes on. The women are mostly just props. ...They appear for a fraction of a second, long enough to shake their butts a couple of times, then the camera moves on.”? Kistler & Lee (2010)? Both researchers explains the depiction “This description is particularly applicable for hip-hop music videos, and there has been an increasing concern that hip-hop culture as seen in music videos has become heavily influential on young people’s views of sexuality”? Kistler & Lee (2010). ??????????? Studying rap music in more depth you see how these stereotypes are dangerous and problematic to not only the artist but o the listeners as well.? ??Guillermo Rebello-Gil and Amanda Moras (2012) states that “there is no doubt that Hip Hop sells. The genre, however, is in crisis.? The growing acceptance and commercial appeal of this 30-year-old musical style and culture has led to the increased homogenization of the music and lyrics for the purposes of mass consumption. Hip Hop artists are also in crisis. Along with the recent catapulting of black Rappers and producers to nationwide celebrity status is the targeting of these same musicians by the police and other law enforcement agencies across the country. The New York Police Department, for example, has even gone so far to establish a Hip Hop task force. This unit, according to Clark, “often works in tandem with FBI agents to monitor the activities of rappers.”? In today’s rap industry if you want to be successful or get the recognition to be great you have to fall in to a certain spectrum and talk about the things that the young kids in the urban areas want to hear, but this is where the problem and stereotypes of all African American rappers come in.? Rap artists glorify violence in three main contexts: as a symbol of macho power, as a cure-all for disputes between blacks, and as a necessity for individual protection.? Popular rap songs are replete with black male bodies being riddled by bullets, plopping to the ground and dying. Individual male valor and honor often depend on the ability of the male speaker to quickly do away with his presumed (black) enemies without concern or regret.? The fact is that in gangsta rap, African American men “are defined and assume the identity of losers, victims that enthusiastically achieve their role as statistics, killers void of spiritual centers, rapists, and Fighters only against black life and possibilities.? This subgenre has a very troubling and disturbing paradox at its center: the most potent and grandiose displays of black masculinity are only possible through the vicious, graphic and constant portrayal of black males’ physical and spiritual demise. Interestingly enough, however, it is black women and black womanhood who are the most persecuted, attacked, and damaged by this music” (Guillermo Rebello-Gil and Amanda Moras 2012).??????????? Finally social research points heavily on rap videos and the influences and stereotypes that come along with them.? Rap music, and particularly its subgenre, "gangsta rap," is probably the most controversial form of popular music to find its way into mainstream popular culture in a long while — perhaps ever —but it is far from unique among contemporary musical genres in having been targeted for criticism.? During the last decade, coexisting genres of popular music, such as rock and heavy metal music (especially in the form of music videos), have been strongly criticized by watchdog groups and others says (Hansen 1995).? Mainstream media opponents have labeled gangsta rap as intensely violent, both sexually explicit and sexually violent, misogynistic, drug and gang oriented, and politically radical (Rule, 1994).? This leads to another issue with young teenagers wanting to imitate their favorite rap artist.? ?Thus, the major concerns about gangsta rap are really twofold: first that the music itself has deleterious behavioral effects on listeners because of its content, and second, that young people will seek to emulate popular rap artists who are held in very high esteem (Dotter, 1987).? Although gangsta rap has certainly received a great deal of bad press, it is only fair to point out that a number of arguments have been made in support of the music (Hansen 1995).? According to (Hansen 1995) to gangsta rapper. Ice Cube, youngsters in this country have already been sensitized to accept and even desire the kinds of violent entertainment exemplified by gangsta rap.Overall, rap music and videos fits into the new school way of artist to survive in the rap industry.? Researchers looking at the rap industry are particularly concerned with the influences that the artist have on the listeners.? Rappers are using violence and vulgar language, disrespecting women, not doing it because that’s the person they are but to fit in and be better than the next artist so that they can proclaim the money and fame.? These following research will further explain the reasons why this is happening and teens that listen to these artist to feel that they have to act like their favorite artist.? Rap music and videos play a major role in our young listeners reaching them through television, social media, and internet sources.? The music and visuals are obviously not going to stop but researchers want to help people to better understand the reasoning and meaning behind the art of rap music.DATA AND METHODSFor this research project I will analyze recent African American rap music and rap videos.? Mainly focusing on music and videos from 2014, and artist that have been mainstream for at least 5 years or more. I will study rappers such as Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz,, Ludacris, and JCole just to name a few.? First I will find 10 different African American rappers that have a 4 year degree or including the rappers I have named above.? Then I will research there latest music and analyze what they rap about and how there rap videos compare it to what people around the world has to say about them.? I will use BET, and MTV to look at recent videos.? I will Use YouTube to look for older videos of theirs that was popular at one time.? I will also use their Instagram and Twitter to see what type of social media they portray using their music.? This way I can look for patterns in personalities to help understand why they rap about the things they rap about.? I will use all of this research to collect all of my data I need to use.? Once the data is collected about their music I will use this to analyze the certain stereotypes that people form and why.? I will compare and contrast their rap videos with the particular songs to compare it to the type of person that the artist is behind the music.? Also along with this I will also explore a little about each rappers life to better help understand why they say the things they do in their songs.? With all of this I should have enough information to conclude why African Americans form these stereotypes and the lifestyles that African Americans in urban communities live.Because I am a huge “future” fan, who is a rap artist from the urban streets of Atlanta, Georgia, I studied a lot of his rap videos. Although he doesn’t have a college degree, and he talks about smoking weed, doing lean and molly in his songs, he also he promotes peace around the world. With all the current tragedies going on in the world he discusses it in one of his songs, and in one video he is wearing an “I can’t breathe” shirt. Future has a song called “where I come from”, where he raps about exactly “where he comes from.” He explains how he had little food and clothing growing up so it led to him robbing people. He also states in an interview with “Hot 97” he smokes weed and drinks lean to ease the pain from the streets. Not saying that this is the right thing to do at all but, it will help to understand where a artist comes from or been through to help better understand there music.I also watched a lot of artist do interviews to help better understand them from a different perspective. A popular radio station in New York City called “The Breakfast Club” held an interview with rap artist Kevin Gates. Gates, who comes off to be a thug or gang member because he has tattoos all over his body and face, uses foul language in his songs, as well as disrespecting women, and abusing all types of drugs. However Kevin Gates was incarcerated for almost 5 years, he found a way to receive his masters in psychology. Gates has an amazing vocabulary as well as great knowledge of the human mind. It is important that use this example because Gates is the ideal example of not judging a book by its cover. In this case it would be not to judge and artist off of his past, where he is from or how he looks.This where just two of many examples it is important to understand where rap artist come from and understand them personally before you group all African men or African Americans period. Although I don’t know any of these artist personally watching interviews and the visuals to go with their songs it helped me better understand them. Even for artist that I didn’t like at one point I studied there videos and it gave me a clear understanding of why and it made me gain more interest in them.DATA ANALYSISThe purpose of this study was to explore rap music and videos, to find all the stereotypes that have formed about African Americans and prove that we are not all the same. Because you listen to a particular artist who talks about drugs or violence doesn’t mean you do the same thing, and as far as the artist, just because he or she raps a certain way or talk about corrupt things doesn’t make him less educated than anyone else. To do this I listened to my favorite rap artist as well as artist I knew little about, or didn’t like at all. I watched personal interviews of them and videos that give certain songs visuals. The findings answer my research question “how are African Americans stereotyped in rap music?’To anyone who doesn’t listen to rap music on a daily basis or hear about an artist in the news or on social media, it would be hard to persuade them that they aren’t all the same or they aren’t bad guys. Upon completion of data collection and analysis three major themes arose. (1) the common rap artist uses violence in his music. Violence accrued in videos with fights happening as well as shootings. (2) Drug use; Drugs are talked about in almost every rapper I studied. Either they were the users or they grew up around it. (3) Degrading of women accrued in a lot of my findings as well. If it wasn’t a women in the video with just a bra and panties on, there was a women in the song being called a “whore” or “Bitch”.Theme 1: Violent videos and lyrics The majority of the songs made by the artist I collected data from used violent language or was just violent in the videos. Most rappers talk about how where they come from is more of a violent place which made them violent and talk abou tit in their music so listeners can know where they come from. Other forms of violence was the violence between them and other artist; which is called “beef”. Artist go through “beef” with other astist mainly for territorial reasons. If an artist is from a place, and in that same place there is another mainstream artist that wants to be on that artist same level he will start this so called “beef” to use that artist to blow up. Mainly from this theme violence was just in the area where the artist comes from. Many of these rap artist listeners come from dangerous places as well, which makes it easier for them to relate, But this cause a major violence problem in urban areas. Theme 2: Drug Use in songs and videosMost Rap artist that I researched were big drug users. The main drug was Marijuana, and lean, which is a medicine with promethazine and codeine mixed up in a soda. Most artist say that they use these drugs because it separates them from reality and puts them in a zone where they can rap fluently. Majority of these artist have been drug users before they became popular rap artist, and the use of these drugs have increased over time along with the tolerance. With these drugs being talked about in their songs, it brings a lot of attention from police officers who know there music. A lot of artist have these drugs with them on their tour buses and it has landed many artist in prison such as Lil Wayne, lil boosie, Migos etc. This also leads to their fans to want to try these drugs so that they can be like their favorite artist, usually younger teens, who are there main listeners. Again this indirect promotion causes a listener to do these horrific drugs, maybe not so much to be like them but a lot to do with curiosity.Theme 3: Degrading of women The degrading of women in rap music and videos is a major issue in society. Many people hate the fact that rappers call women out of their names or have women in their videos showing off skin to get more views. Even though a lot of artist do this without purpose on degrading the female species they still do it, and like the other 2 themes it creates this mayhem, that persuades other males to do the same. Not all rappers do this to be disrespectful, it had almost became a norm in society to refer to a women in a rap song as a whore or a slut but not mean any disrespect at all. A lot of these artist have girlfriends and wives as well, and it is very interesting to hear them talk this way, knowing that there love one will hear it. Most artist say that there music is just music and they love women.The promotions of these themes are all very cruel but from a rap artist point of view, if you want to stay relevant in the rap industry you have to talk about these issues. This is very sad that it has come to this. Rap music hads changed so much over time. It used to be that people raped about what they really mean or relevant issues. Now an artist can talk about drugs or degrade a women but not has ever touched any drug and has a wife that they have been with for years.ConclusionThis study was designed to analyze rap music and its videos, to show someone whom is not African American that not all African American are the same because of what Rap artist are putting out. Also not every rap artist is a thug or gangster because he has tattoos all over his or her body. This study shows that many rap artist raps are based off of where they come from, what they have been through, and how they got to the place they are now. Granted many of these artist do still use drugs and degrade women they are promoting it indirectly and don’t mean to come off that way. At the end of the day we all have job to do. To many of these artist this is their job and this is what they have to do to stay employed.Not all Rappers are the same and they don’t all talk abou the same things. Although they make a lot of money, and there fame puts them on a huge pedestal they do somewhat represent us but they don’t make us. We make our own choices. We can be a 4.0 student and listen to a rap artist that talks about bad things but that doesn’t make you a bad person or a less educated it’s just your preference; it doesn’t make you the same as them.REFERENCESClay Calvert, Emma Morehart and Sarah PapadeliasRap Music and the True Threats Quagmire: When Does One Man’s Lyric Become Another’sCrime?Dotter, D. (1987). Growing up is hard to do: Rock and roll performers as culturalheroes.? Sociological Spectrum, 7(1), 25-44.Djavadzadeh, Tanya (2010) “Houston Rap Music-Changes Influences, Southside” Journal of theAmerican Studies AssociationGuillermo and Amanda Moras (2010) “Black Women and Black Men in Hip Hop Music:Misogyny, Violence and the Negotiation of (White-Owned) Space.” Journal of PoplarCulture doi 10.1111/ j.1540-5931.2011.00898Hansen, Christine Hall (1995) “Predicting Cognitive and behavioral Effects of GangstaRap”Basic and applied social psychology dx.10.1207/s15324834basp1601&2_3Michelle E Kestler and Moon J. Lee (2010) “Does Exposure to Sexual Hip-Hop Music VideosInfluence the Sexual Attitudes of College Students.” Mass Communication and Society13:67-86. Doi 10.1080/15205430902865336 ................
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