Music Is Part of our Lives

Inner city kids need more help from local radio stations to stop playing so much negative music. The true art of music is being abandoned for a quick dollar by local radio stations, while this bad practice of music is damaging the minds of our youth. We have a lot of inspiring singers, rappers, musician, and dancers so let's start to embrace the gift of true talent so or youth can hear words of wisdom, knowledge, love, and respect and I promise you it will help make the world a better place. Your signed petition will be greatly appreciated on informing local radio stations that we do care about the music our kids listen to. R&B/HipHop music is not just entertainment, it's exploiting African American/Latino adolescent girls and boys promoting unhealthy life styles. 

"African American/Latino girls and boys are not seeing enough positive images of who they are and what they can be," said Carolyn West, associate professor of psychology and the study of prevention of violence and sexual assault at the University of Washington. "Looking at the sexual,violent imagery really impacts on the functioning of teenage girls and boys."

As hip-hop turned into a global phenomenon it began to influence language, fashion and ways that youth interacted with each other.

"What's changed over time is the greater sexualization and violence of hip-hop. Initially, it started off as a revolutionary form of music. Now, large corporations produce images that sell, and there is a blatant link between hip-hop and pornography researchers say.

African American/Latino adolescent girls and boys are being bombarded with graphic sexual,violent images all the time. Black Entertainment Television, for example, plays more than 15 hours of music videos per day.

Rap music identifies young African American/Latino women in five sexual personas: Diva, a woman who trades sexual favors for luxury; Gold Digger, a woman who trades sexual favors for basic necessities and leaves men bankrupt; Freak, a sexual powerhouse; Gangster Bitch, a "tough" girl; and Baby Mama, a child's needy mother.

When young African American/Latino teenagers listen to lyrics and watch images that promote sexual conduct or violence, a big percentage take on the persona that is illustrated in the music and treat themselves as sexual or violent objects.

"It sets the foundation for future victimization and causes teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Nearly 50 percent of the people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the United States are black, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even though black people make up just 13 percent of the population and Hispanics/Latinos account for 18% of the AIDS in the united states.

"Hip-hop is only one part of the problem, but if we don't start addressing it, too many young people are not going to be able to function in society, and there will be higher rates of HIV and other STDs.

Parents need to intervene and monitor the type of music their children listen to. Parents need to talk with their children about the different images portrayed in music and why these images can create problems.