From a blog called Violent Rhymes: Essential Hostility and Violence in Rap Music

I was just listening to Pandora radio and it played, in succession, the Mamas and the Papas doing "Creeque Alley,"  then the Byrds doing "Turn, turn, turn" and finally Linda Ronstadt doing "Different Drum" ( first song I ever heard of hers and sad to hear she can't sing anymore due to Parkinson's).

One of the aspects of these different songs is how articulate/poetic/witty the lyrics are.

There were also songs from the same era like "Eve of Destruction," a lot of the Rolling Stones material where posturing and potential violence were always there, and plenty of negativistic overtones in other people's music as well.

I was wondering why so many psychologists I have spoken to regard Rap music as particular harmful to young people, particularly in terms of its connections to violence and drug abuse--to say nothing of the behavior of the rappers themselves in real life.

Following is an interesting article from a blog called "Violent Rhymes" on the topic

Literature Review

                Our culture is constantly bombarded with messages from the media. They tell us how to dress, what to eat, how to look, and how to treat each other. Are these messages appropriate for our youth? Rap music has a huge impact on our society with its violent lyrics and misogynistic themes. The well known rapper, Eminem, recently had a smash hit in which he said, “I’mma tie her to the bed, and set this house on fire!” What are the messages rap music is sending out?

Rap Music: An Overview

            Rap is one of the most controversial music genres in our culture and around the world, which is surprising because it is a fairly new genre, only about 25 years old. There has been a lot of talk about regulating the lyrics in rap music, because of the violent and explicit themes of the songs. A part of this controversy comes from the behavior of rap musicians outside of their music. Many rap artists have been “accused of such things as assault, drug dealing, illegal weapons possession, money laundering, and murder.” (Beaver, 2010, p. 108)

            There are many terms used in rap music which will be beneficial to the understanding of this genre. In rap the word ‘lyrics’ usually refers to not only the subject matter of the songs, but also to its written construction. The ‘style’ of a rap song includes both the tonal quality of the vocals and level of originality in presentation and delivery. Finally, the flow is the rappers sense of timing and rhythm. The flow of rap music is what makes it different from all other genres of music. (Salaam, 1995)

            In Mtume ya Salaam’s article entitled “The Aesthetics of Rap” he explains how there have been four periods of rap development.

The first period – when the early hip-hop D.J.’s perfected their craft in parks and house parties – is the hardest to pinpoint, in terms of both exact time period and primary … The second period, often referred to by rap fans as “The Old School,” hip-hop/rap recordings began to be released through independent record labels in and around the New York area … The third period, the period that proved to be the most creative and progressive in rap music so far lasted from 1983 to approximately 1989 … The fourth and current period began after 1989 when major labels’ overt commercial concerns and the taste and ‘morals’ (or lack their of) of the general public began to shape the creative climate of the rap music world. (Salaam, 1995, p. 305)

            Rap music has caused an uproar in the music industry, because of its foul language and sexual content. The question continues to rise whether music lyrics, specifically rap, should be regulated.  Many current rap records contain the “Parental Advisory Explicit Content” sticker because of the great amount of sexual imagery, misogyny, profanity, violence and drug use. (Schneider, 2010)

Rap Music: Misogynistic Themes

            One of the most disturbing aspects of rap music is its violent references to women. Over the years rappers have changed their focus from making music to making money and they have realized that sex and violence sells. It is seen that the most used forms of violence in rap are assault, rape and murder. Research shows that physical aggression is used to control the female and in “male-female interaction.” (Armstrong, 2001, p. 102)

            That same research shows that 22 percent of rap music deals with violent and misogynistic lyrics. However, one album stands above the rest in this area. Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” is packed with these themes and is the fastest selling rap album in history. In this record alone, 78 percent of its content is considered violent and misogynistic. More than that, 82 percent of his lyrics involved female murders, where rap music in general only has 31 percent in that area. Out of the 11 songs on the album, nine of them depict murders of women. (Armstrong, 2001)

            While we see misogynistic themes expressed in rap music, we also see it throughout all genres of music. These ideas are not new to the music culture. Misogynistic imagery is seen in country music with “musicians lamenting about how some ‘no good women kicked him out, sold his truck, took his money, and slept with his best friend’ to rock-in-rollers screaming about their latest groupie sexual content.” (Adams & Fuller, 2006, p. 940) This idea has found a place in the music industry.

Rap Music: Effects on Youth

            This music has a great effect on our youth today.  Many studies have been done on this very topic. The results show time and time again that there is an association between violence among youths and exposure to media violence, including rap. One interesting fact in these studies is that males without religious foundations were more accepting of these violent thoughts and actions than those without a religious upbringing. (Tropeano, 2006)

            This music promotes violent actions. Every time a song is sold with lyrics that are violent toward women or violent in any way it helps desensitize its listeners. It adds the idea that violence and violence against women is acceptable. In a strong way this music promotes violence. This idea is further enhanced when a rapper is said to be popular in the music industry. The youth may view these actions as a positive thing and a means to be famous. (Adams & Fuller, 2006)

            On the other side of the spectrum, some say that rap music the product of a sub-culture. Rap music promotes violence as a way to create a masculine identity and gain respect from one’s peers. It shows that this is the way this culture is raised. (Kubrin, 2005)

            The evolution of the rap genre is very apparent though its lyrics. The first rap hit “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang was a popular song in both the rap culture and the pop culture. The song was a crossover hit, because it not only had the rap characteristics, but had the musicality of the popular music of that period. (Lena, 2006)  However one can see the change of this genre when looking at one of the most popular rapper’s of today. Eminem “is the most provocative and controversial musical performer at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century” because of his heavily sexual and violent lyrics. (Stephens, 2005, p. 21) When we see these to artists side-by-side we see the difference in content and it is not hard to see the transformation of this genre.

            While discussion on ending this genre has been had not all agree with that proposition. Some conclude we should tap into this genre and promote good things we want our youth to have, such as self-determination and empowerment. (Richardson & Scott, 2002)

            Music, once a form of pure entertainment, has recently evolved into one of our most consumed forms of media. With all this evidence on its meanings and effects on young people, maybe we should rethink the kind of music we allow our children to listen to.