Thursday, March 22, 2007


Why do you think many hip hop artists are associated with gun crime?


Well there are several answers to this question. Many hip hop artists believe they have to conform to the stereotype of an 'american gangster.'


Definition of a stereotypical gagster


"A member of an organized group of criminals; a racketeer."
"A member of a gang of delinquents."



Without necessarily commiting crime, they are promoting it to a certain extent purely by posing with offensive weapons.


Do you think that teenagers are influenced to commit crime by associating their favourite hip hop artist with gun crime?

3 comments:

Sarah said...

hey i think that to some extent by posing with items such as guns can almost market and promote them to young people as even though the approach isnt direct it can almost work in the same way as billboards and television adverts when celebrities are used to promote items ie cars and fragrances. However i do think most teenagers are aware of the dangers of guns but they are glamorised by being shown in music videos and on album covers as younger children growing up in society especially could be led to believe there not as dangerous as they actually are.

Steph said...

I have a balanced view to your question, in my opinion to an extent teenagers copy celebrities this could probably to them think they are showing a strong/ manly status. But on the other hand teenagers have their own mind so they are probably more influenced by gang leaders who are influenced my the urban celebrities.

Anonymous said...

many hip hop artists are associated with gun crime because they have come from a background where to be shot or shoot some 1, happens on a regular basis. rappers use experiences to write about.
there are just as many rappers which rhyme about positive topics, but the media does not focus on them and contributes to the stereotype of all rappers are gangstas.

most 'gangsta rappers' if u listn do not promote violence and warn of the dangers. 2pac is always associated with violence...typical gangsta image...but he was an activist and a poet aswell...most of his songs had deep inspirational meaning.