Focus Description

In this blog, I will be focusing on the idea of masculinity that is produced by Rap artists and how it appears to those who idealize it. In many of the modern Rap songs that are released and even those within the last 10-15 years, there has been an image of a womanizing, drug-using, aggressive, violent and outspoken male. For those who idealize music such as this are getting the message that this is the definition of what masculinity truly is. This message is drilled into everyone's mind after the countless times it is played on the local Top 40 Radio Station and after the countless time the video is played, with half naked women in the club/mansion, expensive car, while they Rap Artist is flaunting cash and jewelry. Usually, I would blow this off as meaningless dribble on the television because I am old enough to turn the channel and not be influenced. But when I look at my 9 year old brother trying to emulate the "stylish" clothes and the attitude that these artists carry with them, I am bothered. I do not want to focus on the effects that these images have on young men especially black men, but I would like to focus on how these images are created such as through lyrics and videos. Each song speaks about some aspect of what I mentioned: oversexualized, drug references, agression toward women/ objectification of women, or violence.

Though in most songs there were only specific lyrics that were offensive and maybe not the entire song, people listen to these songs without really noticing the problems that occur in the lyrics. I had a hard time coming up with song and that is moreso because I have become conditioned to think that these songs are okay. And I am sure I am not the only one. In art forms, it is the common people, those who perform and those who adore it, who define it and all of the aspects that are involved. And masculinity is involved. The images of the Rap artists are translated to what a "real man" should be like and those who adore this music really watch those images and take what they like from it. There has always been a desire for men to be rebels, and this is something like that. Rap stars are making their own rules for how they want to carry themselves and though it is negative, for them it is fun.