In Defense of Rap

May 2023 (522 Words, 3 Minutes)

I’ve heard many people say that rap is bad or harmful for those that listen to it. They cite various reasons, such as a lack of meaning or misogyny, for why this is. But many of these reasons are invalid or exaggerated, and I’ll argue for why.

A Lack of Meaning

One of the main arguments for rap being bad is a lack of meaning in the songs. The lyrics of many rap songs don’t communicate anything useful, they say. While this may be true much of the time, even classical music doesn’t convey much of a meaning. It just sounds good, and this is what music is meant to be: a great experience for the ears. EDM and most video game music follow in a similar vain. They don’t have words, but sound great without communicating much of a meaning. The same should go for rap; enjoy the beat and rhythm, and don’t focus on looking for meaning. Also, not all rap is without meaning. There are many rappers who want to communicate a message through their music. Brodha V and Logic are great examples of this (check out the songs Aathma Raama and Man I Is). In summary, rap should be enjoyed more for its flow and rhythm rather than meaning, and a lack of meaning should not be generalized to all rap.

Misogyny and Bragging

Another main argument against rap is the presence of misogyny and flexing in the songs. While it can’t be denied that these messages are present in some songs, it cannot be generalized to all rap music. There is such a diversity of songs that don’t have these meanings, and assuming that all rap has them unfairly discredits the genre. Additionally, with flexing in particular, it is important to consider the rapper’s background. Many rappers come from a place of poverty and violence in their childhood, and want to communicate that they have ascended into a place of prosperity. It is perfectly understandable that they might want to include this theme in their songs; it might even be uplifting to listeners in the same position. One last thing: while misogyny is inherently a bad thing, it does not mean that rap music will make someone misogynistic. A listener’s treatment of women is their own responsibility, and their enjoyment of rap music cannot be held liable if they exhibit misogyny.

No Effort

Another argument, one which is made within the music industry itself, is that rap music takes no effort. This is based on ignorance of the craft. Rap music of course requires effort. It takes time and effort to write a song to a beat; it takes time and effort to rap it until perfection. It is easy to write a rap song and to record it, but hard to polish and perfect it. For mumble rap, I agree that it takes little effort. But to reiterate, it is important not to generalize. Mumble rap is a subgenre of rap and not the representation of the entirety of it as a genre. In conclusion, rap, like many other genres, requires time and effort to produce, with few exceptions.

Think of the Youth

Yet another common argument against rap is its negative influence on youth, citing that it can encourage drug use, violence, and obscenity. It is important to encourage that these themes in rap music do not invalidate environmental factors in a person’s life. Factors such as single parenting, drug use, people youth engage with, or depression will have a much bigger impact on their predisposal to these behaviors than rap music. Personal responsibility also cannot be taken out of the question. If a young person chooses to curse, that is their decision. They can choose to or not. There may be cursing in rap music, but just like with misogyny, it can’t be held liable for them cursing or engaging in other harmful behaviors.

The Conclusion

At the end of the day, rap is just another genre of music. People can choose to engage with it or not. I’m just here to give my input about flawed arguments that unfairly give the genre a bad reputation. Thanks for reading.