The Dark History of Violence in Rap Music

Name Institutional Affiliations Date History of Violence in Rap Music Rap music is a great genre that involves vocal delivery incorporating rhythmic speech, rhyme, and street vernacular. It is a genre whose origin dates back to the 1970s and spells black history as the major people that introduced rap styles within the music industry. However, it is imperative to note that the association of the rap genre with the black community plays a significant role in defining the violent nature of rap as facts will support this assumption within this essay. Rap began in block parties in New York City in the early 1970s with DJs isolating percussion breaks of soul, disco songs, and funk, and extending them to provide a certain rhythm while MCs embraced talking between music introducing the rapping nature of music that kept the target audiences fully entertained and crazy. It is in 1979 with the introduction of “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gangs and “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow in early 1980 that the African American community proved their potential in introducing a new taste within the music industry. Unfortunately, such an origin might be the major reason behind the violent nature of rap music from many racists' perception though even the message within such rap might play a significant role in defining the genre's violent nature. It is imperative to start with the message within rap music to ascertain whether they have any connection with the urge to become or remain violent while singing and after singing such songs. Paying close attention to "A Nigga Witta Gun" by Dr. Dre one can assume the probability of violence urge just by a simple analysis of the music's title. While looking back at the Second and the Fourteenth Amendment within the American Constitution, it is open that gun access is an open right for American citizens. However, the problem with such a right remains depicted in the uncontrolled gun culture that takes over most American behaviors and is worsened by any form of an entertaining piece of rap music being among the most in