Hip Hop High

Posted on April 2nd, 2008 - By Bossip Staff

Categories: Bolitics, News, Snoop Dogg

Posted by Bossip Staff

snoop smoking

According to a study, Hip Hop songs are glorifying the use of drugs.

“Rap music is glamorizing drug use, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, who found a sixfold increase in drug references in songs over the past two decades.

“This is an alarming trend, as rap artists are role models for the nation’s youth, especially in urban areas. Many of these young people are already at risk and need to get positive messages from the media,” [study author] Herd said.

She and her colleagues analyzed 341 lyrics from the most popular rap songs between 1979 and 1997. During that time, references to drugs increased sixfold, and there was an increase in songs featuring positive attitudes toward drugs and the consequences of drug use, and an increase in references of drug use to signify glamour, wealth and sociability. In addition, there was a significant change in the types of drugs mentioned in rap songs.”

We do remember Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines”….There may be some truth here. However, the same comparison could be made for glamorization of prescription drug use on television. That’s got to be up by at least tenfold since 1979. Hip hop is always the scapegoat for some bullsh*t.

Source

  • vjhe

    Duh!!!

  • Lauren

    1st i luv snoop

  • http://www.GOTSTRONG.com I ride a bicycle…..wanna join me ?

    No Shyt !!!

  • NIKKI UNDERWOOD

    Drugs are okay with me…

  • yo!
  • http://braibrai@yahoo.com ms braided beauty

    I love snoop… i dont do drugs but if he does thats his thing and i aint mad at him for that!

  • http://braibrai@yahoo.com ms braided beauty

    better than being a drunk!

  • autumn

    WHY DO THEY HAVE TO SAY IT’S RAP…..ROCK N ROLL, HARD ROCK ALL GLORIFY DRUGS….THEY CRACKS ME UP ALWAYS BLAMING RAP…RAP THIS RAP THAT…..UGGGGGGGGG…RAP AIN’T MADE NOBODY DO NO DAMM DRUGS….PEER PRESSURE IS WHAT IT’S CALLED….

  • k2kboss

    MAN snoop is the man. he doesnt heart anybody but his body. he doesnt tell no one to smoke just that he does. has anybody heard about him workn with Wiz Khalifa myspace.com/wizkhalifa

  • EnameL

    dam we never miss a minute loook at the posting times…3:12pm straight through 3:20pm

  • elle

    That’s because a lot of these rappers aren’t book smart enough to rap about anything else.

    And if they are they’re selling out for record sales.

    I remember when rap really dealt with serious issues.

    White Line wasn’t glorifying drugs.

    but now Snow Man was HOT.

  • CURIOUS843

    Who cares what music/movies glorify. Nobody should be doing shyt b/c a song says so or a rapper does it. Be your own person and make your own decision. If u are a parent – be your child role model instead of looking for a celebrity to do that.

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    Man Rick James was singing about smoking weed a long time ago. Entertainers should not be held accountable for what kids do, their parents need to step up to the plate and take some responsibility for their kids actions

  • Kamee’

    Have they analyzed the lyrics of Rock Music!?!….. just saying.

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    People are going to do drugs because thats what the do, not because of some song

  • pm

    I guess my mind is not that weak because hiphop has never made me want to do anything.

  • elle

    Entertainers cannot be blamed for the foolishness going on in America.

    This country has been addicted to drugs before proabition.

    Rememeber cocaine use to be legal.

  • Lauren

    They act like a Snoop Dog album comes with a nickel bag and a vanilla dutch….this is ridiculous how about the University of California research some damn medicine? how about a cure for cancer? these people have nothing better to do?

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    PUFF PUFF PASS N*GGA…

    anyways, people always love to blame everything on hip hop and black people…

  • elle

    opps: prohibition

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @Lauren.. Preach sista preach!!!!!

    But a nickel bag is gonna fill up a dutch… LOL…

  • elle

    So what rock group has these nuts doing Crystal Meth?

  • LANSKI

    What up Lauren?

    What do you know about a vanilla dutch?

    How about this, it exposes “some” kids to a lifestyle that other wise would never have been exposed to them.

  • Lauren

    @ Sweet Cheeks, lol!! Puff Puff Pass, hey did I give myself away when I said vanilla dutch? LMAO!

    You know they love to blame stuff on black people, sometimes it seems as though thats what we are here for but we are STILL here, so bring it on!

  • toy

    I can name at least 10 mainstream movies from the late 70s and early 80s that glorify smoking, so these researchers are really full of it.

  • Lauren

    @ Lanksi, I’ve experienced some things in my youthful dayz….lol

    But the kids do not have to experience it if the parent does not allow it, when I was young I never knew who the “LATEST” rapper or whatever was because my parents sheltered me from that, my brothers also. How are you going to blame something like rap music for the development of your child, isn’t something wrong with that?

  • LANSKI

    I agree with you sweet cheecks but its the culture that surrounds the drugs (weed isn’t really a drug )but I’m sayin’.

    You know those kids in the burbs knew nothing of blunts or dutchs until they heard it in a song, c’mon.

  • SleeezyE

    I LOVE hip hop, BUT if you randomly selected 20 rap songs, 20 alternative songs and 20 rock/metal songs…I can almost guarantee you’ll hear AT LEAST 25% more drug references in a rap song. You are what you eat……listen to, watch, read, etc.

    You can say what you want, but our music is poisoning a whole generation.

  • Lauren

    White folks introduced it to everybody…..

  • SleeezyE

    @ me….you’re right.

  • Chucky

    Hip Hop is simply the new Rock and Roll. It’s rebellious, reckless and counter culture (except for Will Smith). In the old days, critics said the same about the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Marley, Jimmy Hendrix, etc…

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy … i agree with you.. parents should take responsibility for their kids. They should stop blaming songs and videos, if thats the case moniter what your kid does instead of letting them run all over the place doing whatever… I grew up around drugs, pimps and murderers and i am none of the above b/c of what my parents instilled in me, plus i saw that and like keyshia coles mama said.. oh no! i dont want to go that route (her kids) said that! smoke on snoop if thats what you like… play on playa cause i love your music!

  • http://sydnilux.blogspot.com Sydni Lux

    Think about it, how many records would they sell with lyrics saying, weed is bad, don’t do drugs?

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @SleeezyE.. u guys should expand your music selections.. I listen to a little of everything, and Rock N Roll songs are explict with drug usage as well..

  • Bozo D. Clown

    And this is news because…?

  • LANSKI

    I like you Lauren, I like your style. Everything you’re saying is true but the music reinforces the action, which makes it a culture.

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @Chucky…. THANK U!!!!! THANK U!!!!! THANK U!!!!!

    I thought I was the only one who though that…

    AND THANK U AGAIN!!!!!!!

  • Lauren

    @ Chucky, I love your Will Smith comment, that was funny….but you’re right! So why is it that “Doctors” and “Researchers” single out Rap music? have they done a study on other types of music? Maybe the type of music that the Columbine Killers listened to before they shot up the school? All of the violence in there?

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @ ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy … i agree with you.. parents should take responsibility for their kids. They should stop blaming songs and videos, if thats the case moniter what your kid does instead of letting them run all over the place doing whatever… I grew up around drugs, pimps and murderers and i am none of the above b/c of what my parents instilled in me, plus i saw that and like keyshia coles mama said.. oh no! i dont want to go that route (her kids) said that! smoke on snoop if thats what you like… play on playa cause i love your music!

    _____________________________________________________

    Exactly

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @LANSKI… and we know that because we were kids once too…

    what goes around comes back around though… that goes with everything..

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @ Chucky

    Exactly

  • NotoriousOne

    Again, parents need to be more mindful of the ish their kids are watching on TV. There is waaaay too much technology for parents to have excuses as to why their kids were watching MTV & BET & VH1.

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    We all know they like to blame black folk for everything.. but who does more drugs than rock stars? and we all talk about how sleazy flavs girls are but all i see them do is fuss and argue… have you seen those skanks on rock of love with all that lesbo kissing, fake boobs and drinking so much alcohol they pass out and fussing and fighting also! but the white folks never talk bad about that show!

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    everyone is talking about “teaching your kids” and blah blah blah… but a a child is gonna be a child.. A child is gonna be “sneaky” and do ish.. There is NO going around it.. U just have to pray that you instilled the best values into your child, and hopefully they grow up with a little common sense.. a person can be smart, but if they lack common sense, then they really aint ish..

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @ ms braided beauty… I co-sign that one girl!!! That show is crazy… Even Bad Girls Club is crazy…

  • LANSKI

    Exactly Sweet Cheeks, I was a bad little kid smoking what I wanted doing what I wanted when I got in the house (smelling like urb and mouth wash) it was a different story. But music influenced everything we did or at least told us we were right.

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @ Lauren… what is ur race??? ur beautiful!! and i love ur hair!!!

  • elle

    @ ms braided beauty

    didn’t u know white people are great, they’re just having fun and being reckless

    black people are the bad seeds, u didn’t know that….?

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @LANSKI… Heck yea it influenced us… We wanted to be cool too!!!! LOL… Im just saying it doesnt come directly from Rap/Hip Hop.. Ya feel me???

  • LANSKI

    You’re welcome Lauren. But the music is like the soundtrack for peer pressure.

  • NotoriousOne

    @ SWEET CHEEKS…

    “but a a child is gonna be a child.. A child is gonna be “sneaky” and do ish..”

    And you’re right. I was like that. But I knew NOT to cross that line. You actually wanna encourage kids to be inquisitive and make decisions in life but at the same time you wanna let ‘em know that certain things are NOT acceptable.

    Personally, I believe formative behavior starts at a very young age (2 or so) but a lot of people just ignore it or chalk it up to the child being young.

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy… like i told you my big cuz.. the one who hung out with Frank Lucas and a lot of O G s he smoked weed every day and never went to jail until he started drinking alcohol, thats the true killer there and it has messed up alot of folks careers but i never seem weed mess up like alcohol. i dont push drugs on anyone but alcohol has taken many folks down! be there for your kids and teach them the right things to do and for the white folks who talk bad about rap… DONT LISTEN TO IT!

  • Lauren

    @ Sweet Cheeks I’m 100% Black gurl! lol thanks !

  • LANSKI

    I feel you. ITS THE COOL, its always has been the cool, and if the music is influencing the cool, then its indirectly influencing the kids. That’s how you get a kid who comes from a good home but is doing 5 to 10 in a state prison, the cool.

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @NotoriousOne… I agree with you, you just hit home with that one… I can tell you I have a 4 year old little boy, and he is a complete handful.. And at times I think “he’s just a baby..” but then im like “ooh hell naw, he’s 4 years old, he knows EXACTLY what he’s doing..” Thats a BIG PROBLEM we have as parents… Sweeping it under the rug…

    But like you said, he knows not to cross that line with me or his father… Now we just gotta teach him he cant cross that line with any adults… Its a HUGE learning experience… Thats all!!! U live, U learn, and then you get Luvs…. LOL!!!!!!

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @SWEET CHEEKS

    everyone is talking about “teaching your kids” and blah blah blah… but a a child is gonna be a child.. A child is gonna be “sneaky” and do ish.. There is NO going around it.. U just have to pray that you instilled the best values into your child, and hopefully they grow up with a little common sense.. a person can be smart, but if they lack common sense, then they really aint ish..

    _____________________________________________________

    Correct me if I’m wrong but isnt “teaching your kids” the same as “instilling the best values into your child”? Yeah kids will be sneaky but as a parent you have to know your kids and know what they are capable of doing. Basically you have to be 10 steps ahead of them.

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @Lanski… Which isnt cool at all huh??? LOL!!!!

  • LANSKI

    I’m out.

    Hit me up at lanski7@gmail.com

    Peace.

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    @ ELLE… I know my friend.. white folks call their skankism.. just having fun .. but when blacks do it it is ghetto trash… why it cant be white trash/ why it has to be ghetto trash…. i dont like it when white folks use the word ghetto like i dont like the n word, b/c they use it in a derogatory way and im from the ghetto north chi-town stand up.. cabrini green all day long but i aint nobodys trash.. very well educated with 2 degrees to boot!

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    @M_Daddy… “Correct me if I’m wrong but isnt “teaching your kids” the same as “instilling the best values into your child”?”

    yea, ur right about that one((mustv’e been talkin out the side of my neck-lol))… but its a HUGE CHALLENGE trying to stay 10 steps ahead of them.. The world moves very quickly now a days…

  • sxyQblondie

    UMMMMM DOES ANYONE EVER WANT TO DISCUSS THIS HARD ROCK CRAP? AND HOW THEM FOOLS RUN AROUND ON CRYSTAL METH, ACID, PCP, COCAINE, OPIUM, AND GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT THE HELL ELSE? OR HOW ALOT OF THEIR MESSAGES CAUSE FOLKS TO GO JUMP OFF BRIDGES, OR KILL THEMSELVES AND OTHERS? THE LITTLE HIDDEN SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES IN A LOT OF THAT CRAP?? DO THEY EVER WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT? DONT GET ME WRONG, I DONT PROMOTE DRUG USE, IM DRUG FREE. BUT IF YOU RAISE YOUR CHILD UP PROPERLY, THEY KNOW TO LET MORE THAN A DAMNED SONG INFLUENCE THEM TO DO THINGS. THESE PEOPLE NEED TO GET THE F&*K OUTTA HERE, NOT NOW BUT RIGHT NOW!!

  • LANSKI

    LOL @ Lauren.

    . . .not Cool at all.

    okay I’m out.

    Peace.

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @ ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy… like i told you my big cuz.. the one who hung out with Frank Lucas and a lot of O G s he smoked weed every day and never went to jail until he started drinking alcohol, thats the true killer there and it has messed up alot of folks careers but i never seem weed mess up like alcohol. i dont push drugs on anyone but alcohol has taken many folks down! be there for your kids and teach them the right things to do and for the white folks who talk bad about rap… DONT LISTEN TO IT!

    _____________________________________________________

    Ypu are definately on point

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy .. i agree with you you have to instill in your kids and hope they take what you taught them into their minds and keep it and do the right thing.. of course you cant moniter 24 hrs.. but lets all pray for the kids!!

  • LANSKI

    Peace, Sweet Cheeks.

    *out*

  • Lauren

    Bye Lanski baby!

  • SWEET CHEEKS

    alrighty!!!! my work day is over!!! I hope you all have a FABULOUS evening!!!!!!!

    Bye everybody!!!

  • Lauren

    Nighty Night Sweet Cheeks!

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @SWEET CHEEKS

    @M_Daddy… “Correct me if I’m wrong but isnt “teaching your kids” the same as “instilling the best values into your child”?”

    yea, ur right about that one((mustv’e been talkin out the side of my neck-lol))… but its a HUGE CHALLENGE trying to stay 10 steps ahead of them.. The world moves very quickly now a days…

    _____________________________________________________

    Yes indeed, I have 4 boys and I’m on them like flys on sh&* except when they are at school and I’m at work. I tell them just because I’m not physically there I still can see what their doing. Out of the 4 only 1 trys to test me but he cant fade me. The funny thing is he reminds me of myself when I was his age, thats another reason he cant get over.

  • Lauren

    @ M_Daddy: Does your boys like the rap music?

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @ ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy .. i agree with you you have to instill in your kids and hope they take what you taught them into their minds and keep it and do the right thing.. of course you cant moniter 24 hrs.. but lets all pray for the kids!!

    _____________________________________________________

    And not only your kids you have to reach out to your kids friends as well.

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @Lauren

    @ M_Daddy: Does your boys like the rap music?

    _____________________________________________________

    My boys like all kinds of music. I walked in there room one day and they had Earth Wind and Fire on. But see that comes from them being around me alot. Most of rap music they listen to is Bay Area rap. Hyphy music, they so busy “going dumb” they probably dont pay attention to what the artist is saynig half of the time

  • Earth Sign

    I look at it like this. Rappers has some infuence over people/kids. Whether you like it or not rap does in my opinion assist in the influence of other people to use drugs in a way. It is the most powerful music in the world. More than country, rock whatever. However, it starts in the home, and if the parents dont speak to children or at least communicate the negative affects of drugs, then they are more apt to use them. Put down the blunts people, I did and i feel great, and im more productive in life.

  • STREETS

    I agree @ mdaddy also. BUT kids are not going to listen to their parents 24/7? Did you growing up? Or was there times when you let your “friends” get into your head. People that are 35 yrs old still walk around getting influenced. I know it’s the parents to blame, but when some video hoe is bent over shaking it on every channel you turn it to then what. more than just parents need to take responsibility. Theres only so much Nickelodeon you can make them watch

  • Encyclopedia Brown

    The media controls everything, not economists, not political scientists, the MEDIA!! So yes, Hip Hop music is influencing people to use drugs.

    Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go spark one while listenin to leaked tracks of The Carter III

  • Amazed

    Were can I apply to conduct this type of research? I can get paid to tell people obvious sh*t and say I “researched” all day long.

  • Jani

    Well hip hoppers these days don’t have anything great to say accept for how much money one has, how much bling and guns and how many women they have and the cars, rented homes which club the frequent crap like that any wonder that it is once again being blamed for promoting drugs. I don’t think its Hip Hop per say i think its the rapper and the audience that entertains it endorse it, if the listening public refused such trash it would not come out, we as the consumer have a lot of power if we don’t endorse filth, filth doesn’t come our way.

  • bree

    ok so what about rock/heavy metal?..always blaming rap music for the downfall of society while velvet revolver has stock in rehab

  • DIAMONDCHEERS

    Who cares what music/movies glorify. Nobody should be doing shyt b/c a song says so or a rapper does it. Be your own person and make your own decision. If u are a parent – be your child role model instead of looking for a celebrity to do that.

    —————————————————-

    co sign

  • DIAMONDCHEERS

    @ j2

    lmao co sign

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @STREETS

    I agree @ mdaddy also. BUT kids are not going to listen to their parents 24/7? Did you growing up? Or was there times when you let your “friends” get into your head. People that are 35 yrs old still walk around getting influenced. I know it’s the parents to blame, but when some video hoe is bent over shaking it on every channel you turn it to then what. more than just parents need to take responsibility. Theres only so much Nickelodeon you can make them watch

    _____________________________________________________

    Good point and I always tell my family and friends that have kids to remember what they were doing at their childs age. See its totally different now in this day and age. I’m 35 now and my mother was a single parent so of course I did the fool, but in 2008 the parents are involved with alot of things the kids are doing or at least I am with mine.

  • STREETS

    Yea rock & heavy metal is a problem too. That’s white parents responsiblity. I know it’s wrong,but we have rap to worry about & girls like bootz & bucky . Although I do see blk kids wear all that ed hardy mess that they don’t even know what it means OR that half of the designers does not even like blk ppl. but hey gotta strt somewhere.

  • Darkest Nubian

    Hip Hop may not be solely responsible but it does play a huge part in the popularity of certain drugs in the urban neighborhoods. UGK put sippin on Syrup on the map. Atlantans knew hardley anything about it, but since UGK were the underground Kings every adolecent wanted to try it once they heard the song. It seems as if the only drugs in the rap game that are not presidented are Crack and heroine. Cocaine, Syrup, extacy and every new drug is ok, and thats actually disturbing because our kids love these rappers. When they hear of T.I poppin extacy they dont think it will do any harm to them because TI does it.

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @ STREETS

    I try to reach out to the other kids in the neighborhood as well. You will be surprised at how far it goes.

  • victory is mine

    they act like references to drugs haven’t been going on in music before hip-hop…most of the music from the 60′s referred to one drug or another…especially lsd…hell jefferson airplane wrote a song called white rabbit which is clearly about lsd…”one pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small”…

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    @Darkest Nubian

    When they hear of T.I poppin extacy they dont think it will do any harm to them because TI does it.

    _____________________________________________________

    and the funny thing is we dont even know if Ti really pops X

  • http://www.raiders.com BROTHER M-DADDY OAKLANDS FINEST (ALL SHADES OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL)

    What about the song “Lucy in the sky with Diamonds” and “Puff the Magic Dragon”?

  • Negrodamus Believes

    Negrodamus believes this is another case of white people disliking the fact that a lot of black people are getting RICH off of glamorizing drugs…

    It’s okay when their beloved Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are hung in their children’s bedroom even though their the walking example of heroin and alcohol abuse.

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    @ my daughter told me mom its a different time then when you were a kid…. she said we do things different from you.. i said ” hold em up gym shoe” just a phrase.. but i said you arent doing anything different then us the only thing is we snuck around and hope like hell we didnt get caught,, this generation is just out in the open with their jive,, same thing different time!

  • fallon

    Duh! We knew that.

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    yeah ok right .. i know that too!!!!

  • http://onedroprule.org/about1720.html Nita

    I thought White Lines was anti-drug.

    And rap glorifies dealing, not actual drug use (unless it’s weed..which is not rock). Maybe there isn’t a difference, except that there is.

  • Elizabeth

    nobody makes anybody do anything….ultimately it is your choice and ur choice alone!!!!!!!!

  • http://braibrai@yashoo.com ms braided beauty

    @ m daddy … I think you are raising your sons right and it seems you are being a good role model for them… all we can do is teach them right and show then the way and hope and pray they listen.. you cant strap them down in the basement and feed them out of a cage.. fortunetly my mom and step-dad raised me with good standards but i had a chance to do a lot of crap but i always remembered how my mom was struggling to take care of us by her self without my dad around…keep it up boo!

  • Ignornace is contagious

    Oh please,

    Why is it everytime someone tries to hold anything urban responsible, people find it necessary to change the discussion?

    Rap DOES glorify drug use

  • http://apollo13@yahoo.com alicia w

    nobody said it didnt, but all i am saying is teach your kids at home and they wont give a damn who does it… more power to them, rock does the same thing… and they glorify rock music… dont let the music lead you just listen to it and enjoy it or turn the hell away from it.

  • valenne

    but this is exactly the same thing with rappers using woman as sexual object in their videos? it’s just like trying to know who is first, the chicken or the egg??

    (that is a french thing, i don’t know if we say that here lol)

  • http://apollo13@yahoo.com alicia w

    ROCK MUSIC ALWAYS HAS DIGNIFIED DRUG USE AND LSD AND METH AND WHITE FOLKS LOVE THEIR DIRTY DRAWERS… GET WITH THE TRUTH… I DONT BLAME THEM UPHOLD RAP MUSIC.. AT LEAST THEY AINT OUT THERE KILLING SOMEONE!

  • todavia

    I remember White Lines being a anti-drug song. There are lines in that song about drugs ruining your life and it not being anyone else’s fault but your own and the infamous line “So don’t do it!”

  • k2kboss

    always stay high snoop!!!

  • ewwwwww

    DUH!i wonder wht smart ass figured that out! rap, rock, and obviously some pop (Robin Thicke) glorify drugs… so the point is?

  • Misty Knight&my friend Sandra Rose

    ^^^^^^

    Just like Jay said in Blue Magic about Oliver North and Reagan sponsoring the drug game

    and this “research” in a bunch of crap! what music has all these white kids getting high off thier parents medicine cabinets? Prozac Nation indeed, this country has a history of being addicts, since the early 1900′s when everybody was high off Opium (mainly white woman) and you could purchase heroin,morphine,and hypodermic needles in the local Sears&Roebucks cataloge! always been a nation full of crackheads always will!

    and thats all I have to say about that…..

  • Wu

    I do not believe the researchers were blaming hip-hop because we simply talk about drugs in lyrics, what they’re saying is the rap artists are saying it is OKAY to do drugs. Which it isn’t. It really isn’t. Not in America it ain’t. The validity of drug use is what they’re pointing out.

    And why not research that? The media is what is killing the future generations. Even with the strictest parents, it is inevitable for anyone, not just a child, but ANYONE, to be fully exposed to sex, drugs, and the glorification of wealth, glamor, and fame.

    We’ve stopped fighting for positive shows and positive artists. Now it seems as if we’re fighting for “a break”. Give me “a break”. Let us use explicit language on TV. Let us portray African American women in a negative light with the show “Flavor of Love” so “they” can be entertained. Let the public hear these uncensored lyrics, so there can fluster an uproar, because there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

    It’s so OBVIOUS, BUT no one that is making money, ESPECIALLY the ones that are making money from these things, are going to admit that it is wrong and take responsibility. No, because they’re deep into that lifestyle and it is feeding them and their families.

    With all of that being said, our whole outlook on drugs and alcohol is ridiculous, in general, and THAT you cannot solely blame on hip-hop. Blame that heavily on the government. There’s some sick people out there in the world that don’t give two cents about anything or anybody but themselves and that fast gratification.

    I’m done.

  • lovely and amazing

    Folk, Punk, and Metal invented the drug-glorication song and “heroin chic”.

    Who is in rehab?

    Who is overdosing?

    Drug addiction needs to be addressed, but this research scapegoats hip-hop.

  • lovely and amazing

    @ todavia

    You are right. White Lines was an anti-drug song.

    _______________________________________________

    BTW-

    Hip hop has destroyed and does destroy the lives of youth. It is a poor guide and guiding force in the lives of youth. It is. Hip hop bankrupts its positive artists and influences and makes greedy ruthless violent criminals out of the rest. Rarely is a balanced, humane, and financially secure hip hop artist permitted to exist.

    Still, research should be well rounded and not scapegoat one music for the increase in drug addiction.

    I thought the increase in drug addiction over the last two decades was due to the meth, oxycontin, and vicodin epidemic explosions among middle and upper class white youth who may like hip hop but they love alternative (and alternative musicians seem to have the lead in drug addiction).

  • philly meek!

    yeah the same way the europeans was on thats hit

    when they stole land….rock and roll artist

    snorted and shot up half thier fortune…oh and of

    course just life as it is and people MAKING THIER

    OWN DECISIONS WITH OR WITHOUT MUSIC.

  • ARTOFWAR

    You all are right, your all are wrong. Follow the money people, and it will lead you to the answer. It is no longer about morals. It is no longer about drugs. It is not even about the music. It is no longer about parental guidance, or lack of. Fore it is unrealistic, to believe that you can shelter your kids form the machine. That machine is all around them, and follows them wherever they may go. No people, you are all missing the true culprit. You are all unable to see the forest, because you are all to focused on the tree in front of you. The machine, the big picture, the culprit. The machine, the master of all the ills that plaques this society. This machine goes by the name of—- CAPITOLISM. The mechanics of this machine rules all. The clothes, the music, the drugs, street or prescription.

    The cars, the shoes, the mansions, the boats, the planes, the jewelry, your mind.

    What they tell you to want, what they tell you not to want, what they tell you is hot, what they tell you is not, what they tell you to drink, what they tell you to eat, what they tell you is beautiful, what they tell you is ugly. The machine people. You have all been had from the very start, and most of you don’t even know. That was the plan, and it worked beautifully, yet ugly. Unfortunately it worked to well, and it is much to late to

    stop this machine know. It has taken on a life of its own. The machine is huge, and its hungry as hell. Hell, all of you earn a living from this machine. It feeds you, while it poisons you.. Geed, the lust of money, the lust for material things. It is the American dream, it is the American nightmare. The need for more, and more, and more, is the fuel that gasses this machine. Without the drugs, without the sexual exploitation, without the gambling, without the addictions, and the revenue that these things create. The machine the animal, would starve to death.

    Unfortunately, the very same foods that feeds this machine. This American animal out of control. This beast that has us all by the throats, the food that it feeds on, will be the very thing that kills her. So my fellow Americans, try to think past the programming. Step back form the tree, the one that is blocking your view of the whole forest. Fly above it, and you will see the whole of the forest, for what it really is. The addictions, the sexual exploitations. The messages in the music, the messages in our movies. The messages on the billboards we drive by. The messages in our television commercials. The massages in the places we shop, even the massages in the places we go to pray. They are all intricate components to the machine. However these components, are just the symptoms of the cancer within.

    The cancer itself, is out of control capitalism, and it is malignant. Sadly or not, given enough time, this cancerous animal will cannibalize itself. It will not be able to support its ever growing hunger. It will run out of food. This machine will stop. Until then, we all will dance to its seductive rhythm, like a teenager on ecstasy. We will all dance. It is to late, to stop the music now.

    Isn’t that something? The only thing that can kill capitalism, is not communism.

    No, the only thing that will kill capitalism, is capitalism itself. Wow, I bet John Smith never saw that one coming. E.

  • MissPrisCris

    When I was little there were probably a handful of songs that I remember making references to drugs. And of those, I usually didn’t realize they were talking about drugs, because it was done with some discretion. Now, I hear my little cousins talking about “I smoke, I drank..I’m off patron and purp I can’t think.” That’s sad…rappers need to realize how much they influence the kids..whether they want to admit it or not.

  • Champaign

    The problem is stupid ass people like many bloggin on this site. Parents should be their chilldrens role model, but when the parent is dumber than the kid what are you teaching them? There’s nothing wrong with drugs. White people do it. How ignorant can you be? Let white people worry about them and we need to concentrate and take responsibility for ourselves. Rap does negatively influence the youth. Rappers who do attempt to convey a positive message don’t sell. People, parents included, don’t want to purchase positive music. They glorify drugs, thugs, pimps, and hoes. And that’s what we are breeding. A generation that has no respect for themselves. Until blacks decide enough is enough we will never prosper as a group. They will always allow a few to make it through while the rest are wallowing in despair; thinking they are making it cause they invest in the frivolness that benefits white society. Black people are so damn backwards ain’t gonna be nothing a black president can do for us.

  • I’m Just Me

    IT is absolutely true. Times have changed since 1979 and I cannot say solely for the better at all. :(

  • Jani

    We are responsible for letting our children know that what they see in music video’s, sitcoms, reality TV, video games, is not real, depending on your neighbourhood we all have to encourage our children to not let where they are right now (today) will not be where they will be in 20, 30 years time. They are so many people that rise from the hood or bad situations to become something and a high percentage of successful people come from a struggle of some kind because it is what drives them to make change. So throwing blame does not change a situation it just high lights, its the WHAT NEXT is what is important and its the lets start a change that should be discussed more than constantly just high lighting issues with no solution.

  • Wu

    Highlighting means awareness. Awareness means enlightenment. And enlightenment will lead to root causes. You can’t just change something without knowing and understanding the root causes. And it isn’t solely hip-hop, no, but there is more than one place where we can start change.

  • Jennifer

    Don’t blame the rappers. Blame the media moguls who won’t give record deals or really promote the rappers who do send positive messages like Common, Mosdef and Talib Kweli. They aren’t as high profile as other rappers because the people don’t like their music as much, they aren’t as popular because with the people because the people don’t really get a choice in what they are listening to, they don’t really get a diverse range of music. Instead radio stations stay playin that music that glorifies drugs and talks about money, cars, jewelry and hoes. Why? Because from the radio stations, to the music labels and so on all of our media is controlled by 4 or 5 rich white men and they know that that rappers who are telling people to read a book and open their eyes aren’t half as profitable as the rappers who are out there saying how cool it is to buy chains, be fly, have the hottest cars, shoes, gear…etc. Conscious rap is not marketable and so it doesnt get promoted and conscious rappers don’t get record deals or radio play.

  • Jani

    i’m sorry rapper do hav some responsibility don’t totally takem out of it, they have the most influence , the young people could casreless that its the fat cat giving out orders all they see is a rapper dripped in bling, big house, fast cars. Like i keep saying we as consumers have power if we didn’t endorse rubbish music it wouldn’t be put out but time and again the number one song tell us nothing and fills us with nothing, if the people voting for a example soulja boy vote for common guess what he would number one and more people would be exposed to such type of music

  • Anywhoo

    White Lines was anti drug.

    I don’t care what they “sing” about in Rock or Heavy Metal. We as a people should not be using drugs (even weed), alcohol, tobacco, etc. Remember, we were kidnapped to this country and their ways are not our ways.

  • ziorene

    there was also a study done on other types of music and it found that reference to drugs IN COUNTRY MUSIC IS ALSO VERY HIGH bout everybody is on drugs over 70% of addicts have regular 9-5 and health insurance so why wouldn’t music reflect that its a sad part of life but its part of life for many

  • Erica

    I think a lot of people in our “community” are really missing the point. Black people in the United States are way behind in so many areas and we can’t afford to keep having our youth worshiping and emulating the things that they learn from music and television. And no one can deny that the black youth doesn’t look towards common forms of entertainment for “things to do,” or “ways to be.” It’s called emulating. Also, the truth is that black youth really don’t have positive influences in real life and I say most because that isn’t true for all black youth. That’s why the black youth in this country is more sensitive to these negative influences and we just can’t afford to lose any more of the future to the things that entertainment glorifies. It messes with the priorities of black people.

    Some of you guys keep mentioning rock and roll and what not, but let’s look at the state of white people (the main listener of rock) in comparison to the black community (the black youth mostly listens to rap). Black people are suffering more than white people in regards to influences. So, rock music isn’t negatively affecting white people like rap is negatively affecting blacks. So, that whole argument needs to stop.

    If you recall during the Columbine tragedy, rock music that was depressing and dark was taking a bad rap because they felt it was negatively affecting the kids and you have to admit, it was. So, we can’t sit here and pretend as if only rap is under the microscope, that’s not true. When the time arises for something to be put under the microscope, it always is. For us as black people, we are always under the microscope ’cause are in this continuous path of negativity and we aren’t doing anything about it except of denying that we have a problem with our youth and negative influences.

  • Erica

    No one is blaming hip hop! No one is blaming the rappers either! And if they are, that is not fair. Where in the report did they say they are blaming hip hop? Let’s stop pushing ideas and reports away and start listening. Also, no one wants to give up that lifestyle in order to support more positive influences. No one wants to stop supporting these negative rap videos, etc. because that’s not in their best interests entertainment wise. So, essentially, it’s like we don’t care enough to say, “You know what, I really do need to think about what I’m supporting more or what I am letting my 8 year old brother hear.” No one wants to do that. Yet, by doing that, you could be deterring a kid from feeling as if it is respectable to smoke a joint instead of going to work or school (just an example.) And let’s admit it, the majority of our youth are so misled about what brings “coolness” or “respect,” … acceptance. And that’s where parents and other positive influences come in. Someone needs to be there to BALANCE things; to show what is really the priority, what is really going to make life a lot more secured and stable. However, most black youths don’t have someone to pull the plug on negative influences and say, “Hey, this homework” or whatever is what is really important right now. I know more kids that don’t have this than do.

  • Erica

    No one is being “cheesy,” or what some would call “corny” with their kids. A lot of the parents think it is “cute” when their kid repeats something vulgar or negative from a rap track. They don’t say, “Hey, don’t say that, that’s in appropriate,” nah, they laugh (with friends) and may even say something like, “That’s my baby, ain’t he cute,” or whatever.

    So, the parents aren’t separating what is conducive to a positive future in education, business and family structure and what is negative.

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