What effects does rap have on teen’s language and behavior? Rap is a popular type of music in today’s society. Rap is influenced and inspired by other types of music. Its influences are closely related to each other. Rap music has derived from various types of music. In a world in which people are constantly confronted with violent acts such as rape, assault, murder, school shootings, and other violence. Rap has many different effects on teen’s language and behavior. Some negative some positive. When most people think of rap music today they immediately think of the gangster mentality, drug dealing, fighting, smoking, and killing. Rap paints a picture to a child of what is going on in the streets. It has a much bigger influence on teens because children who live in poverty strictened areas already have an idea of what that life is really like. Lots of times it comes down to children wanting to be considered "cool". If you are a teenager, being cool probably is a top priority to you. Lots of times you will find that teens are relating with one particular emotion that is expressed in the music. Some teens feel that way because their parents don’t take the time out to listen to them or the problems they have. When parents connect with their teen, it makes them feel complete and they will normally begin to open up more to their parents. Many teens feel like rap and hip-hop relates to their life or lifestyle. As a teen some music I listen to does relate to part of the way people live or real life situations. There are many things in rap and hip-hop lyrics that drive teens to act the way they act and use the language they use. The way they dress, the things they say, the language, the sexual comments they make, and who rap or sings the song. Teens see videos where the women are dressed in short skirts with sports bras, and men wearing pants hanging off their butt, big gold and silver chains, and big t-shirts with bad writing on them. When they keep seeing that it makes them want to go out and wear what they seen the rappers where. In some music teens hear about how to kill and rob people. If you constantly hear the same stuff it will provoke you to go out and do the things you keep hearing. It also comes down to the language they use. Most of the time all rap songs have cursing in them. By watching and listening to the music you can catch on to the words they say, and you think it’s cool so you repeat what the song says. It changes teen’s attitudes and the way they behave. Also when the boys see men in rap videos mistreat the women they do what they see. If they see them using vulgar language then they would do the same. When they see a female they only react to them to what they seen or heard on a rap video. Some kids may not have grew up in a big happy family so the only thing they can relate to is rap music, because they feel it relates to what they been through. Rap can also affect teen’s grades in school. By them listening to it the music can sit heavily on their brain. They can go from good grades to bad grades, and sometimes it’s noticeable. Teens like certain particular rappers, because the way they rap or what they say. Some feel that the lyrics are real and it helps calm them down or get their day started. For example, some teens like Lil Boosie, Lil Webbie, and Lil Wayne. They may feel like they know their life by listening to the things they say. So in other words those the rappers are hustlers, ballers, and gangsters in some teen’s eyes. That’s something they can relate to. As a teen I do feel like rap is something that influences the things we do today. Some rap music is not that bad, but the music about killing, smoking, using vulgar language, and sexual content can really affect a teen’s life. They may feel like what they doing is right but in reality it’s wrong. Not all rap music is negative. There are a few songs that are positive and influence teens to do the right thing. It just depends on who the rapper is. Positive lyrics talk about the things you should do in order to be something in life. In order to listen to positive rap music you also should be a positive person. To me rap doesn’t mean you have to do or say what you see them do just follow your own mind. Rap doesn’t influence my life because it makes me want to do better than what I see or hear in a song. Only time it really effects teens are when they want to be effected by the lyrics. Teens hear vulgar language when their in the mall, outside, school, and even household. So rap is not the only place they hear that type of language from. As I mentioned before rap music effects the ones who want to be effected.