Rap Music = Crack Music ??

I'm taking a media studies course for one of my humanities classes this year , and we were assigned reading from this book about media and socialization in society as a whole . One thing that I noticed came up a few times was rap music being influential in a negative way . I took offense to this -- Why , out of all the genres of music , is rap music still pegged as a negative influence moreso than other types of music ? And more importantly .... what have we done to make it that way ? Are we too accepting of derogatory language in rap songs ? I've heard , say , country music with sexist lyrics too . So what's the difference ? What is the factor , or factors , that make it that way ?
I think that it stems wayyy back in history , from slavery to the development of American society that was extremely prejudiced and xenophobic . Back to the oppressed all over the world , the evolution of music , taking ownership of something . Something beautiful among hatred and oppression and colonialism . Expression . Then from ghettos all over the US , then the rise of ethno-centric music , the back to Africa movement .

-edit-

then I wrote this for class , which still isn't finished but it's a draft:

Rap Music: Racial Stereotypes Perpetuated by the Socially Marginalized

Since slavery times in the United States, white people have set modern, American society up in such a way that they have a better likelihood of being more affluent, have better education and job opportunities, and have an overall social dominance. This is where racism comes in: essentially, it is institutionalized prejudice. It is an entire system, government, society that caters to and favors one race over the others.

The development and evolution of rap music comes from a cultural differentiation of minorities from this Anglo-centric society. Hip-hop finds its cultural roots in the 1970s in New York City, spearheaded predominantly by African Americans and Latinos. DJs revolutionized and popularized this particular style of music. Rap music, a sub-sect of hip-hop culture, began as an alternative form of music and artistic expression for many inner city, poverty stricken youth. It became a way to express hardships that came from being surrounded by dangers such as violence, drugs and crime. It birthed an entire sub-culture of urban America.

Today, mainstream rap music has gone through various evolutions and remains a very diverse genre. However, with many people it still holds negative connotations. Since rap music arose from “the ghetto,” people tend to associate it with these stereotypes: violent criminals who are illiterate or uneducated, sexist, poor, and who abuse and sell drugs and alcohol. There is also the assumption of placing a high, almost idolizing value on money or material possessions.

These stereotypes, like all other stereotypes, are founded in some truth. There are countless rap artists and songs, not to mention videos, that portray these images and values. What many people don’t tend to realize is that there are many rap artists that do not hold those same values. And while they might talk about violence, they do it in a way that is mournful and pleading instead of simply condoning it. Or they make a political statement (like Nas or Immortal Technique). Or they recognize certain degrading assumptions and disown them. They shatter the stereotypes.

There has come to be a sort of self-oppression within rap music, where artists perpetuate stereotypes created by other (white) people. This has often been addressed as the “dumbing down” of rap music and lyrics. For example, rapping an entire verse about the combined value of one’s gold chain and sports car while surrounded by women and liquor. These artists like T-Pain and Lil’ Wayne (the self-proclaimed “Best Rapper Alive”) use their music to degrade themselves with songs like “I’m in Love with a Stripper” and “A Milli”. Instead, rap music should be all about its original intent—empowerment of the powerless. On Nas’ new album, for example, he addresses the conservative bias of Fox News and explores the power of the N word. The most passionate music is created from the midst of chaos, hardship and oppression. When one validates a prejudice, it legitimizes the stereotype and therefore is almost like giving the oppressor permission to oppress. It is not only the acceptance but self-degradation when one promotes and validates these stereotypes and prejudices.

In order to remedy this validation, more rap artists need to use the influence of their music to send a message of empowerment and positive expression to the masses. Their audience should also recognize that these preconceptions are deeply rooted in the past and illustrate a history of colonialism and racial oppression. Instead of perpetuating negative stereotypes, rap artists should create new, positive images and ideals that the masses can (and will) follow. People need to deem these degrading messages unacceptable and promote positive self-image and fight the legacy of oppression.