Deribe

Naod Deribe
Ms. Morton
UWRT 1102 024
04/19/2016
Violent Song Lyrics: Just Lyrics, or More?
Most of the songs popular to adolescents today contain violent lyrics talking about
dangerous actions such as killing, sex abuse, drugs, vandalism, and other violent actions. Even
though these songs contain lyrics regarding violent actions, they do not show the true purpose of
the song. Depending on the listener, these lyrics can be influential to them. For example, violent
song lyrics can affect adolescents psychologically in negative and positive ways. These lyrics
may be horrible if said in a normal conversation, but the difference between a normal
conversation and a song, is the beat behind it to move the words from their basic definitions.
Violent song lyrics affect adolescents by making them more aggressive. The vulgar
language used in these lyrics or in everyday speech is usually provoked by emotion. According
to the American Psychological Association, a study was done at a university in Iowa consisting
of over 500 students regarding violent songs. The researchers played a series of hard rap and
rock songs from artist of the older generation such as Run DMC, Cypress Hill, and the Beastie
Boys. After these songs were played, the professors made the test subjects play a series of word
association games that showed a correlation between how vulgar the lyrics were and how
aggressive the words associated with them were throughout the game. By using songs from the
older generation, it shows the start of this style of expression of music through violent images
giving this experiment more significance. By the end of this experiment, the conductors came to

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the conclusion that violent music lyrics increase hostility and aggression (American Psychology
Association).
Although violent song lyrics can influence adolescents to become more aggressive,
aggression is not necessarily a negative attribute. Back when I played football, we would always
be in the school gym lifting weights. Even though the school did not condone offensive or
violent music, my coach broke that rule and played it whenever we were at practice or at
workouts. He did that because those songs containing violent lyrics usually had hard beats
behind them, which hyped us up and made us ready to workout. Also, in the season before every
game we would play upbeat violent music to get us ready before a game. The game of football
was made to be violent; therefore we were hyped up with loud violent songs to build up our
aggression in order to have a good performance in the game. With that said, aggression can be
positive if it is used to play in a certain sport because then it will help performance.
Other than aggression, these songs can help influence the moods of adolescent listeners.
Regardless if the lyrics are violent or not, it will still affect the adolescent in some way.
According to the novel, The Effects of Violent Music on Children by Douglas Gentile, a survey
was conducted on middle and junior high school student. From the survey, it was shown that
music was the number one media type listened to in relation to the mood the participants rather
than any other media type, regardless of the outlandish lyrics. This source proves that songs have
the power to be more appealing to their listeners depending on the mood of the music and
person. For example, a sad song about a significant other leaving can be slow or fast paced
depending on the artist singing/rapping the song. According to the source, a study was conducted
to show that even infants could differentiate between sad music and uplifting music (Roberts F,
Donald. Pages 153-170). From the examples given by the source, it proves that songs can build a

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connection to adolescents through the moods they are feeling regardless of the lyrics in the song.
For example, the song Fuck that Bitch by Young Dro can connect to someone who has been
through a bad break up, or has some sort of problem with another individual. By these harsh
lyrics, one person can feel motivated to surpass a problem due to the connection they get from
the song and what they are feeling.
Untold stories, scarring experiences, and other personal problems that are not commonly
viewed, are another reason why violent song lyrics affect adolescents. In context these words
used in songs make for very inappropriate conversation, but when aided with a beat and stories
that illustrate flashbacks of the artists thoughts and feelings it can be influential to the adolescent
lyrics. NWA was a rap group that erupted in the 80s made up the rappers Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and
Eazy E. They were notorious for their violent and offensive lyrics, often these lyrics would
criticize the police, which would often result in the groups arrest. Though NWAs lyrics often
dealt with the theme of violence, they still had a strong and steady fan base that would be
influenced by their stories told in their songs. At each one of their shows there would be
maximum security there due to the riots the groups music would bring about from their fans. In
an interview by Joy Daily, former NWA rapper Ice Cube talks about their Detroit concert in 1989
that got completely shut down. The venue holders restricted the rap group from performing their
song Fuck the Police due to its violent lyrics that was offensive toward the police department.
Ice Cube said he had to break his vow of silence and had to share the untold story and expose the
police for their brutal actions towards the group and African Americans in general. At the show,
the venue went quiet then Ice Cube took the microphone and yelled Hey yo Dre, I got
something to say! Then Cube said after he said that lyric the crowd already knew what song was
going to be played and caused uproar along with mosh pits. In to the middle of the live

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performance of the song, the crew flees out the back of the stage to their hotel rooms to escape
the cops, then they are cornered by them all and are charged (Daily).
Through Ice Cubes experience with NWA and police conflict, it shows the effect of
violent song lyrics on adolescents by educating them about their personal experiences with the
police and why they wrote such offensive songs. This shows how violent songs can serve as way
to project the voice of others through sounds and words, regardless if they are offensive or not.
Even though people such as the police can take their lyrics in an offensive manner and will
restrict them from giving them a bad name, it also provokes inquiry for the other people. For
example, their music was exposed to a wide variety of races meaning every race heard their
music. With their harsh lyrics bashing the police because of their extreme brutality, it can show a
story of the suffering of their people in the eyes of the police. Music like this can help start a
movement against a problem due to their violent lyrics that paint a story with so much emotion.
This trend of meaningful, but violent, lyrics has been practiced up to this day by popular
rappers. Future is an Atlanta born rapper who is very popular to adolescents this year and in past
years. In accordance to my past experiences, I noticed at every party, gathering, or celebratory
event, Futures music would always be played due to his popularity. The lyrics used in his music
are violent because they talk about excessive drug abuse, especially the use of codeine. In an
interview with Clique, a British radio show, Future talks about why he uses those inappropriate
lyrics. In the interview, Future is asked if he really does all the drugs he talks about in his music
and he responds saying that he actually doesnt. Futures reason for putting those violent lyrics in
his songs is because there are adolescents that can relate to doing those drugs who will connect
to his music. He also says that for the people who are not into doing drugs, he still makes music
with these lyrics so he can send the non-drug listeners into their own metaphorical high with his

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outlandish lyrics (Clique. Clique x Future). This approach at reaching the adolescents through
violent lyrics is similar to NWAs approach. NWAs approach was to reveal untold stories and
show their listeners a new way to vent about the problems going on. Futures approach shows as
a transition from expressing feelings to appealing to specific audiences through violent song
lyrics. This trend followed by these rappers shows positive and negative effects of violent song
lyrics on adolescents. The positive effects of these lyrics benefit the rapper and the adolescents
who do plenty of drugs. It shows the young listeners something common to their lifestyle making
it relatable to the songs. Future benefits from these lyrics because he builds his fan base upon his
own style of writing violent lyrics. Negative effects come from the other percent of listeners who
do not relate to the music and are vulnerable to be influenced by the lyrics. This trend shows that
violent song lyrics affect adolescents in positive and negative ways.
Futures interview shows that there is a connection between lyrics and the listeners
regardless if the lyrics are violent. This can be proven by a study recorded on an online novel
called the Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth, showing
that 17% of male and 25% of female adolescents like their favorite songs solely due to the fact
that the lyrics reflect their feelings. Also Dr. Knobloch-Westerwick has researched and came to
the conclusion that young listeners may not understand all the details in the lyrics, they will
obtain a general idea of message they bring. These sources illustrate that lyrics can affect
adolescents by allowing them to reflect to the stories told in the songs aside from the literal
details of the harsh lyrics that is said in the songs (Impact of Music). When I was younger
around the age of 14, I would always play loud rap music with very questionable lyrics. I
remember whenever I was in the car with my father he would always turn off the radio because
he did not want me to be influenced by the harsh stories depicted from the literal meanings of the

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lyrics. What he didnt understand was the story behind the lyrics and the interesting beats that
made those stories come to life. From this anecdote of my childhood, it shows that it is possible
for people of the older generation can easily misinterpret the lyrics of songs, but they can work
as a mirror that reflects the thoughts and feelings of the adolescents that look through the songs
and listen to what the artist is trying to say, and not what is actually said.
In conclusion, violent song lyrics do affect adolescents in positive and negative ways.
There is a correlation between violent lyrics and feelings of adolescent listeners that be either
comforting depending on their mood or influential depending on their beliefs.

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Works Cited
Roberts F, Donald. Christenson G, Peter. Gentile A, Douglas. The Effects of Violent
Music on Children Media Violence and Children: A Complete Guide for Parents and
Professionals Gentile. Westport, CT. 2003. 02 April 2016

Joy Daily. Ice Cube talks about the Fuck The Police scene in Straight Outta
Compton & leaving N.W.A. Online Video Clip. Joy Daily. 14 August 2016. 02
April 2016.

"Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth." Impact of
Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth. American
Academy of Pediatrics, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Clique. "Clique x Future". Online video clip. Dailymotion.

15 January, 2016. Thursday, 31 March, 2016.

American

Psychological

Association.

"Violent

music

lyrics

increase aggressive thoughts and feelings, according to new

study; Even humorous violent songs increase hostile feelings."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 May 2003. 02 April, 2016.

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