| If you fancy yourself a rap fan, do you actually | | | | demeaning, impolite, and violent. |
| know what the lyrics in the songs you like are | | | | Some songs will include lyrics that detail drug use or |
| saying? Many people claim to be rap fans, yet don't | | | | talk about domestic violence. Some songs glorify the |
| know what the rapper is going on about. Rap can be | | | | murder of police officers. Others talk about murder |
| very fast-paced so it isn't surprising that it can be | | | | more generally, or encourage other illegal behavior. |
| hard to understand. | | | | The artist will say "it's just for fun, it's |
| Lyrics are easy to find. Generally they'll be on the | | | | entertainment," but often if you compare the lyrics |
| jacket of the CD, or in liner notes tucked inside. If | | | | with the lifestyle you can see a pretty good match. |
| not, you can almost always find lyrics online. Just run | | | | These same artists will also claim that the industry |
| a search using the name of the song. Then, play the | | | | compels them to write extreme songs. Shocking |
| song while reading the lyrics. That's the easiest way | | | | content helps rap music to sell. |
| to understand what is being said in the songs. | | | | Controversy is a great generator of PR, in fact. The |
| Commonly, parents worry about their children's | | | | more obnoxious lyrics are in a rap song, the more |
| musical choices. If you are a concerned parent, it is | | | | attention that song and artist are going to get. And |
| worth your while to scan the lyrics now and then. | | | | that in turn equates to more sales. Some will |
| You may be unpleasantly surprised to find that your | | | | purchase the music because it reflects their angry |
| child is listening to songs with lyrics that don't reflect | | | | take on life. Others will buy it just because they are |
| your values or ideals. You also can check CD labels on | | | | curious about the music that is causing so much of an |
| rap music. Many retailers will place a parental advisory | | | | uproar. |
| sticker on a CD that has questionable content. | | | | Don't assume that all rap artists follow that |
| This is why rap music is so very controversial in the | | | | attention-getting tactic though. Plenty of rappers are |
| entertainment industry. No other form of music | | | | looking to create top-notch music in their chosen |
| includes lyrics that are so blatantly objectionable. In | | | | medium, and have lyrics that are perfectly |
| many rap songs you'll hear content that is cruel, | | | | reasonable. |