A recent BBC report rated Toronto as one of the top 10 cities to live in the world. I personally agree that Toronto is a world class city, but the violence that has occurred this summer is one we would all like to forget. The evening news was filled with stories of countless drive-by shootings, gang-related violence and random acts of violence. Most of the people involved were young males in their late teens and early 20's. There has been discussion within the community on how to solve the problem with gun violence and fighting in-between gangs, but not much progress has been made. Others like to blame our problems on the United States and their relaxed gun laws. In Canada, it is very difficult to own a gun, so many gangs resort to smuggling guns in from the United States.
I do not have a solution to this issue, but I believe that there are factors that contribute to this problem. I believe one of those factors is the rap music industry. Although, this opinion may sound like it is coming from left-field, let me further clarify.
In high-school, the friends whom you have share a common interest in Music would typically become your crew. I would remember seeing different groups like the rockers, goths, desis's who listened to Bollywood music and hip-hoppers. The group of hip-hoppers would present themselves similar to rappers who produce rap music. From the way they dress to the way they talk. I am not stating here that rap music is a direct cause of violence in Toronto, but the culture it presents through it's lyrics does influence youths. I am also not saying all rap music is bad, but it seems like the popular artists among the youth are the ones that boast about pimping, drinking and violence. Will eliminating rap music solve all our problems ? Probably not, but I do think it deserves some of the blame.
2 comments:
Music can't be blamed for everything. My two cents, or fifty.
I did not say that rap music is a direct cause of gun violence, rather the culture that sorrounds the rap music industry plays a role in developing todays youth.
I don't think a kid after listenting to a 50 cent CD will get motivated into violence. The problem is that the music industry (not just rap, I chose rap since it was the most likely to get on peoples nerve) has a huge influence on our youth. Unfortunatly, music artists today have become the role model for kids. If kids idolize these people growing up, they will eventually have an influence. Yes, there are youths who can make wise decisions, but at the same time, there are others who can easily be influenced.
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