NegativeEffectsofListeningtoMainstreamHipHop

Running head: NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LISTENING TO MAINSTREAMHIP-HOP 1
Negative Effects of Listening to Mainstream Hip-Hop
Tim Beardslee
Grand Valley State University

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HIP HOP 2
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Author’s Note
I was first introduced to mainstream Hip-Hop through Rap in elementary school through
seeing stories of Rapper Marshall “Eminem” Mathers on the news, appearing in court for
mischievous things he was doing. My fourth grade classmates told me they listened to Eminem,
but my parents did not approve. One day at Border’s Book Store, I picked up an edited version
of “The Eminem Show,” and asked my dad if I could get it. He told me no, and that even though
it was edited, the explicit themes, words, and other questionable content could still be
determined. I followed my dad’s rules of not listening to Rap until I discovered Yahoo! Music
Videos. Anyone with internet access could watch as many music videos of as many different
genres as they wanted for free, as long as they watched a commercial first. I eventually watched
the “Lose Yourself,” music video, by Eminem. This was an extremely inspiring song and I felt
energy radiating from me after I watched the music video; there were a few words that were
edited, but they didn’t seem too significant. I was shocked that my dad wouldn’t let me listen to
this type of music and wanted to explore more of Mainstream Hip-Hop, so I did. I ended up
watching varieties of Hip-Hop/Rap videos, some of which began to visibly degrade women in
their actions and lyrics in the songs; my young mind didn’t understand a lot of the inappropriate
and explicit words and themes until years later though. In 5th grade, my friend’s dad would make
me CDs of Hip-Hop/Rap song I would pick out, many of which were not edited. After a short
time, I didn’t feel satisfied listening to the edited versions of songs because the swear words
brought about such an intense energy in me, and I saw them as harmless. Not too long after, I
picked up on some of the mannerisms in the songs and began swearing uncontrollably at school
when there was no authority around and so did my friends. I ended up getting my first iPod later
that year, to which I now had access to iTunes, and tons of explicit, Mainstream Hip-Hop songs.
I ended up downloading some and kept them a secret from my parents. Throughout the years I
began to indulge deeper into Hip-Hop culture by sagging my pants, using slang, and behaving as
they did in the songs and Music Videos. I could sense my foul language rubbing off on others as
well as they would begin swearing more frequently after spending time around me. I idolized
these rappers and this culture all the way through high school, not even considering to listen to
other genres of music.
It wasn’t until I became a communications major here at Grand Valley State University
that I realized the power of these actions, themes, and words contained in songs. I loved the rush
and energy I got through listening to a new rap song I really enjoyed. I hadn’t really noticed that
it had affected my word usage, values how I viewed people, and my relationships with others—
especially my parents. It really separated me from them because I could not use the same
language or act the same way I did around my friends with them, so I would often choose
spending time with my friends over my parents.
I believe the different artists repeating reworded explicit themes contained in Mainstream
Hip-Hop allow the same messages to be fresh in circulation. This kept Hip-Hop/Rap interesting,
but the combination of the repeated inappropriateness of themes along with the feeling of being
misunderstood by my religious family and poor communication skills led to me becoming an
angry and depressed individual. Last semester, I took Com 495 which is titled “Issues in
Communication.” In this class we learned about the dark side of communication, which included
lessons on hurting the ones we love, jealousy & envy, swearing, rumor & gossip, break-ups,
abusive relationships, social ostracism, revenge, teasing & bullying, avoidance & secrecy, and

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infidelity. This is when it really hit me that all of these negative forms of communication are
often included in Mainstream Hip-Hop and I began to understand the effects that listening to
these words and adopting the Hip-Hop lifestyle brought about in human behavior and interaction.
I really enjoy rapping as a personal hobby because I like making certain sounds,
uncovering different meanings in words, and sharing them with others. Through my endeavors, I
have observed I often repeat topics already present in songs while rapping; I attribute this to the
way I was brought up in the Hip-Hop culture and the mark it left on me. This established set of
unwritten rules about what Hip-Hop is sometimes confines my imagination; it is hard to redefine
Hip-Hop and create a unique style when my brain has been primed of these same themes for
years and years. Understanding this now, I strive to change the way I communicate with
individuals, perceived life, and reconnect with my family. I both conducted primary research,
which included a survey 214 undergraduate students at Grand Valley took, and secondary
research to discover more. Learning about this topic allows me to do better understanding
myself, the direct effects, and indirect effects of Mainstream Hip-Hop culture on humans.

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Abstract
The words and content in music are extremely influential, a lot of times under the conscious
level of the consumer, causing them to act, react, and behave in certain ways. Hip-Hop is more
than just a genre of music, it is a culture and way of living, having an impact on things such as
laws, general opinions, values, purchases, consumption, language, and economic structures. The
various direct and indirect influences of Hip-Hop are both primarily and secondarily researched
offering knowledge and insights.
Keywords: Mainstream, mainstream hip-hop, hip-hop culture, hip-hop influences.

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The Effects of Listening to Mainstream Hip-Hop Music on Listeners
Introduction
Music has been a monumental part of culture for thousands of years now. In today’s
society, many have easy access to one form of music or another. Dictionary.com defines music
as “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions insignificant forms through the
elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.” There are songs that compliment just about
every type of mood, emotion, and occasion, making one form of music or another applicable to
almost any scenario: “There are songs for childbirth, childhood, love, and marriage; well-crafted
songs for death, grief and peace. There are songs composed for victory and for patriotism. Use
of song and dance traditionally goes back to Aristotle. He started using songs in his tragedies. It
was more an expression of emotions and to showcase the conflicts of human life” (Mate, 2014,
p. 1). The evolution of music and technology, existing since the beginning of humanity has
resulted in an unexplainably limitless selection to indulge in. Luckily, there are not really any
“right” or “wrong” choices in preference; most people (unless there are restrictions by law or
access) are entitled to explore and listen to the endless genres and subgenres that exist within
cultivated sound.
The mythically encrypted, highly stimulating, and thoughtfully composed noises people
refer to as music serve a purpose much larger than just entertainment: “Music has the power to
move the listener toward an alternate reality. Harmonious musical beats accompanied by emotive
lyrics can almost create an inviting escape to an abstract paradise of the listener's choice… On
the one hand, music can take a listener to a distant past memory while on the other hand music
can stimulate a listener to entertain ideas of whatever unrealized fantasies she or he may prefer”

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(Brown, 2006, p. 54). The complexity and power music has is extremely revolutionary; if lyrics
and rhythms are mass communicated, they can shape the thoughts and opinions of a large
population. This potentially holds the power to change peoples’ morals, values, behaviors, and
ultimately interaction. The capitalist, corporate, technology driven society we live in recognizes
this, and responds by communicating different messages through different genres of music. This
can either connect individuals through commonalities, or separate them from difference in
content and perspective. This inevitably leads to a restructuring of society and the birth of new
cultures. In this paper, the behavioral effects of listening to Mainstream Hip-Hop as a culture and
genre of music will be explored and discussed through primary and secondary research.
Literature Review
Hip-Hop Music Genre
According to The Journal of African American History, “For many youth, Hip-Hop reflects the
social, economic, political, and cultural realities and conditions of their lives, speaking to them in
a language and manner they understand. As a result of both its longevity and its cogent message
for many youth worldwide, Hip-Hop cannot be dismissed as merely a passing fad or as a youth
movement that will soon run its course. Hip-Hop must be taken seriously as a cultural, political,
economic, and intellectual phenomenon deserving of scholarly study” (Alridge, 2005, p. 190).
Hip-Hop has been established as a multi-billion dollar industry and culture, equally important
and influential as other cultures and movements; some include The Blues, Jazz Era, Civil Rights
Movement, and Black Power Movement. The existence of Hip-Hop culture serves numerous
purposes, one of them is to bring awareness to social inequalities. Once these emotionally
provoking lyrics capture the attention of the masses, immediate change is sought, affecting

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things such as legislature and perception of humanity. Hip-Hop’s presence in politics is also
communicated even in the absence of a microphone: pictures were released of well-established
Hip-Hop artists such as Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Big Sean, and Queen Latifa sharing handshakes and
smiles with President Obama (Lyons, 2016).
Hip-Hop’s imprint goes far beyond economic structure, and stretches to social and
behavioral fields as well: “Hip-Hop is an ‘all encompassing’ culture for many of America's
youth. It includes forces that affect and influence the choices these youth make in their everyday
lives. Hip-Hop represents a strong and unified youth consciousness; it is a powerful and
pervasive movement among youth worldwide. Youth, regardless of who they are or where they
come from, very likely will identify with at least some aspect of Hip-Hop culture” (Hicks-Harper
2000, p. 20). Mainstream Hip-Hop cultivating identities and habits of young listeners alters
current popular trends which changes teenage culture. Since all types of youth can relate to Hip-
Hop in one way or another, this can create a pressure to fit in and become immersed in the
culture, giving the influential lifestyle more strength and authority over opinions and thoughts.
Each of the words that these rappers and artists use carry a grand jurisdiction, even when they are
away from the microphone; Artists’ posts on social media, endorsements, and advertisements can
has the magnificent ability to command the attention and rule the subconscious.
So, what exactly does “Hip-Hop” culture entail? The Journal for African American
studies states, “according to many Hip-Hop aficionados, Hip-Hop culture consists of at least four
fundamental elements: Disc jockeying (DJing), break dancing, graffiti art, and rapping
(emceeing)… Hip-Hop has encompassed not just a musical genre, but also a style of dress,
dialect and language, way of looking at the world, and an aesthetic that reflects the sensibilities
of a large population of youth…” (Alridge, 2005, p. 191). The innumerable amount of common

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activities and factors many experienced in everyday life broadly define Hip-Hop, making it a
massive, sometimes overbearing force. This force which is heavily influenced through
expression, emotion, and dialect affects people more than they consciously realize. According to
Rabaka Reiland (2013) author of The Hip-Hop Movement: From R&B and the Civil Rights
Movement to Rap and the Hip-Hop Generation, Hip-Hop’s highly inclusive, metaphorical
language allow for a “series of ‘hidden transcripts’ that have allowed hip-hoppers’ to engage in
‘symbolic and ideological warfare with institutions and groups that symbolically, ideologically,
and materially oppress African Americans” (p. 276).
History of Hip-Hop
In the mid 1970’s, Hip-Hop was born in the Bronx, New York, fathered by two
individuals: Clive Campbell (Kool Herc), and Afrika Bambaataa. Herc was a Jamaican native
who moved to New York and became a DJ; he was the innovator of the breakdown section of a
record and formed the first Hip-Hop crew, composed of MCs, dancers, security and people who
transported the sound equipment (Morgan, 2005). Bambaataa became a DJ in a different part of
the Bronx, and served as Hip-Hop’s first ambassador by forming the Universal Zulu Nation.
Hip-Hop was used as a tool to get people to dance and get-down, leaving crime and violence
behind. By the summer of 1976, the fun and energetic atmosphere surrounding Hip-Hop put it on
the map, by attracting people from places such as New Jersey and Connecticut (Morgan 2005).
Hip-Hop was introduced through an unexplainable energy which held the power of attraction and
mystery, getting even the most savage of gang leaders to temporarily put down crime and
violence.
The hype of Hip-Hop continued to pique interests and eventually could not be contained
to the Bronx. In 1979, Sugar Hill Records released their first commercial record “Rapper’s

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Delight.” This catchy tune introduces the members of the Sugar Hill Gang and what they were
about, which was getting down, wild, and exploring humanity. This song achieved fame and
propelled the new culture through massive radio, simultaneously building a new radio culture,
eventually leading to KDAY, the first rap-only radio station located in Los Angeles in 1984
(Price, 11).
Soon after, Rapper Kurtis Blow pioneered the visual aspect of Hip-Hop performing “Soul
Train,” which sold over a million copies, on national television (Morgan, 2005). With new
elements now incorporating Hip-Hop into society, it became exponentially more influential.
Lionel Richie’s performance at the Los Angeles Olympics incorporated break-dancers, which
was broadcasted globally. Hip-Hop culture began to really establish itself through television;
MTV (Music Television) came about, and shortly after introduced ‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ which
became the network’s top rated show” (Morgan 2005). Rap songs shown on MTV also made
their way up to the Billboard’s top hits. With images and videos being regularly broadcasted
into many people’s lives, the culture became more accepted and its behaviors became norms.
In 1988, Hip-Hop took on a different face, as “Gangsta Rap” gained national attention
from N.W.A (Niggas With Attitude)’s release of “Straight Outta Compton,” and 2 Live Crew’s
“As Nasty as They Wanna Be.” Merriam Webster dictionary defines Gangsta Rap as “Rap music
with lyrics explicitly portraying the violence and drug use of urban gang life and typically
expressing hostility toward whites, women, and civil authority.” Gangsta Rap was considered so
vulgar and explicit that certain stores and media would not promote, play, or sell anything with
the explicit content: “At the time, multiple radio stations refused to play [explicit albums]
because of the controversial lyrics which included themes of violence, drugs, and degradation of
women” (Morgan 2005, p. 8). In 1991, Wal-Mart responded to this, refusing to sell albums with

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a ‘Parental Advisory’ label. The record industry took this seemingly large roadblock and used it
to their advantage by coming out with ‘edited versions’ of albums. The edited versions replaced
explicit words and content with brief moments of silence or sound effects in their place,
expanding Gangsta Rap’s audience (Morgan 2005). The tables had turned, Hip-Hop bulldozed
the language barrier to now spread its content to an ever-growing population
In 1992, Dr. Dre, a talented producer and artist who was once a member of the N.W.A
released “The Chronic,” which reach multiplatinum status. The increasing amount of Gangsta
Rappers and albums that emerged, in combination with media’s power led to the attitudes and
messages conveyed in these songs to become real and adopted in the Hip-Hop World (Morgan
2005). Major record companies saw the monetary goldmine in Hip-Hop and wasted no time
getting involved, signing and constraining artists such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, and
Biggie Smalls. This led to another major situation which spread Hip-Hop/Rap music to the
world.
Two major record labels, New York City’s Bay Boy Records, owned by Sean “Puff-
Daddy/P. Diddy” Combs, and Beverly Hills’ Death Row Records owned by Marion “Suge”
Knight, got into multiple feuds in the next few years; an east vs west coast battle was brewing,
with Tupac Shakur representing the west coast, and Biggie Smalls representing the east. In the
midst of this elongated tussle, Tupac was shot on a few occasions, robbed of his jewelry, and
released a “diss-track” about having sexual intercourse with Biggie Small’s wife. Throughout
this time, the news and popular media ate this conflict up, were broadcasting this on television,
internet, and radio, making this scene relevant and entertaining to millions. The conflict ended
resulting in the tragic deaths of both rappers.

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Even though two lives were lost during this, Hip-Hop had gained a significant following:
When Tupac died on September 13th, 1996, at the age of 25, he “had sold 20 million records for
an estimated 75 million…He recorded so much material during his short career that, after his
death, his mother gained access to ten albums’ worth of previously unreleased tracks” (Quinn,
2010, p. 170). The deaths of the two rappers in combination with the ever-growing publicity
made them even more famous and well-known after death; this left a big mark on Gangsta Rap,
Hip-Hop, and American culture.
Over time, more record labels and rappers established themselves as powerful monetary
forces, setting the platform for the commercially influenced and ran side of Hip-Hop/Rap that we
know as mainstream today. This form of Hip-Hop/Rap is based off of profit and themes that
sell, including violence, sex, and drugs. Massive organizations offer lots of money to advertise
brands, products, and ideas, and have a superior influence over the music industry. These
advertisements reach extremely large audiences and can easily accessed on television, radio,
websites, music databases, and in movies. These forms of media also advertise rappers and their
endorsed products, making it a two way street.
Hip-Hop’s Cultural Influences
“Music acts as an adolescent identity symbol and anchors youth subcultures. As
marketers continue to clamor for the attention of today's youth, it is important to note the power
of music with respect to the youth who command billions in discretionary income” (Burkhalter,
2014, p. 367). The youth are a gigantic source of revenue; if industries and corporations can
influence them it can affect their reality permanently. Since there are such a variety of ways to
influence people of all cultures and backgrounds, similar messages can be communicated and
repeated through multiple mediums, allowing for a stronger impact resulting in more profit. Even

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though Hip-Hop is centered on African-American culture, they surprisingly do not even make up
one third of Hip-Hop enthusiasts: “Hip-hop's fan base – arguably more diverse than its musicians
– is estimated to be 59% Caucasian, 19% African–American, 17% Latino and 5% Asian, with
85% of all hip-hop CDs being purchased by Caucasian youth” (Brown, 2006 p. 60). With
different ethnicities and cultures that have different understandings of music being integrated
into the World of Hip-Hop, it makes for one giant melting pot if people influenced. Although
young people are interested in various types of music, the continuous growth in popularity of
hip-hop music demonstrates their preference. Mickel and Mickel (2002) reported that between
the 7th and 12th grades, the average American teenager will listen to 10,500 hours of rock or rap
music. “The enormous amount of time that teenagers engage their attention to music is almost
equivalent to the number of hours spent in the classroom from kindergarten through high school”
(Brown, 2006 p. 60). With school having a remarkable impact on the minds of the youth, and
just as much time being is being spent listening to music, the behaviors from the two often mix.
Some observations are below.
Hikes (2004)’s thoughts in regard to rapper’s visiting college campuses were that “some
rap music imagery was instrumental in driving respect for Black culture to an all-time
low…Some rap music provides for non- Black children ‘gross misrepresentations of the Black
experience,’ for Black girls an ‘unrealistic and harmful images of Black womanhood,’ and for
Black boys a ‘glorification of the 'thug life' and its perpetual cycle of violence”’ (Wessel and
Wallaert, 2011, p. 167). Various professors and well-respected staff at different universities
spoke out about their opinions on the cultural influences of Hip-Hop.
Dr. Thomas Earl Midgette, Director of the Institute for the Study of Minority Issues at
North Carolina Central University stated, “You see students walking on campus reciting rap

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lyrics when they should be reciting something they'll need to know on their next test. These rap
artists influence the way they dress. They look like hoochie mamas, not like they're coming to
class. (And) young men with pants fashioned below their navel” (Stewart, 2004, p. 167).
Reginald Franklin, associate professor of broadcast journalism at Savannah State
University commented, “Students only want to write papers or work on projects about the
entertainment industry. I always have at least three guys in my classes who are going to be the
next big rapper, and that’s all they’re interested in…Some good students who feel they have to
dress like the people in the music videos. We have students working in our offices who have the
body piercings and tattoos, and they are fairly good students (Stewart, 2004, p. 167).
Thomas Rasheed, associate professor of graphic design at Florida A&M University
claims "When I see female students coming to class unprepared, when they obviously spent
hours getting all that hair on their heads and their nails done. They have their priorities all
wrong… Even more troubling are the implications of their clothing. Some of the skirts are so
short you can see their panties. I have had to tell students not to come into my classes dressed
that way" (Stewart, 2004, p 168). Rasheed sees a difference between enjoying and appreciating
the music and letting it control someone, noting that some students have become “materialistic
slaves to the hip-hop industry" (Stewart, 2004, p. 168). He also acknowledge an important fact,
that Mainstream Hip-Hop culture isn't unlike previous youth obsessions, what has made the
difference is all of the communication technology broadcasting it: “There are so many distraction
that the students aren’t able to focus on anything else” (Stewart 2004, p. 168).
What is disturbing to Dr. Sherry Eaton (Stewart 2004), assistant professor of psychology
at North Carolina Central, are the images and messages Mainstream Hip-Hop/Rap carries.
Focusing her studies on the images that are projected through both lyrics and videos, she

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concluded they can affect self-concept and self-esteem, stating that they set standards for what
we consider attractive.
Future of Hip-Hop
From Hip-Hop starting out as a way to dance, express, and leave crime and violence
behind, to taking on a gangster, crime fueled persona, to then a persuading form of drug induced,
hedonistic self-destruction it is hard to determine where the future of Hip-Hop might take us
(Larson 1998). Hip-Hop/Rap has taken on many different forms stemming from its origin,
promoting various messages of mind-altering words and behaviors. It seems to be a rollercoaster
that is being built while being fully operational: “As Hip Hop Culture embarks on its future as a
thirty-plus-year-old expression and cultural movement, its future is as bright as it is dark.
Following the path of its predecessors—jazz and rock ‘n’ roll—Hip Hop’s vibrant ebbs and
flows of creative ingenuity may never stop, but they will no doubt eventually lose their captive
audience to a lesser known tributary” (Price, 2006, p. 17).
As a new generation of youth rise in search of their own unique manner and method of
expression and aim to challenge various issues from generations past, their creativity will spark a
new genre and perhaps a new cultural movement. The futuristic stem of Hip-Hop may be based
off attracting and accessible sounds, language, images/videos, and culture, but it will be
different.
“Although the future of any artistic form is extremely difficult to predict, one
thing is certain, Hip Hop Culture will remain a dominant force within mainstream
popular culture for quite some time. It may sound different, and the MCs may
rhyme differently, but as living expressions, these foundational elementals will

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continue to push forward as a cultural movement grounded in social, political,
and economic liberation for disenfranchised, ostracized, and oppressed youth
who have been systematically removed from access to what, in their own
perspective, equates to full citizenship” (Price 2006, p. 18).
Methods
For this research, an 18 question survey (see Appendix A) was conducted using 214
undergraduate students at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). Students were asked a variety
of questions pertaining to the effects of listening to Mainstream Hip-Hop music.
This survey (see Appendix A) was sent out to 1,000 total GVSU undergraduates, with the
goal response rate set at 100. Two reminder e-mails were sent and of the 1000 students reached,
a total of 214 students completed the survey without error.
The survey (see Appendix A) was constructed with the intentions of discovering the impacts
that Hip-Hop music has on its listeners and also to gain further understanding on how it might
also affect (or not) non-listeners. Furthermore, to what effect of the explicit content on society
is, and how it potentially influenced human interaction.
Results
Out of the respondents for the survey (see Appendix A), the gender distribution was
almost equal (47.6% Male and 51.4% Female). The majority of these people were between 20
and 22 years old (51.9%) with 54.9% of respondents identifying with the middle class. 57.5% of
survey takers said they grew up in a suburban area, and 49% marked down they listened to
mainstream hip hop; 32.7% said they had listened to Mainstream Hip-Hop between 4-6 years,
and 32% said they had been listening for 10 or more years. 16.8% of people stated they hadn’t

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partaken in any sort of aversive behavior (swearing, drinking, drug use, etc.) as a result of
listening to mainstream Hip-Hop, and 60.3% of takers claimed they did not find themselves
partaking in these aversive behaviors since they began listening to mainstream Hip-Hop. 48.3%
of takers stated they found themselves repeating phrases included in mainstream Hip-Hop songs,
but 55.2% of people said they did not envy a stereotypical Hip-Hop lifestyle.
When it came to the Likert scale, a majority of people “Disagreed” that Mainstream Hip-
Hop influences their behavior, and a majority “strongly disagreed” that they associate alcohol
consumption, smoking cigarettes, drug use, swearing, and sexual acts with mainstream Hip-Hop.
A majority also “strongly disagreed” that mainstream Hip-Hop influences the relationships they
have and them individually. The minority of all of these Likert scale statements resided with
“strongly agree,” as they were all in the single digits, when only two other statements were in
single digits, which were “agree” (see appendix B).
Discussion
These results were not what was expected, possibly because the influence of Hip-Hop is
so subliminal. Also since a lot of the themes in Mainstream Hip-Hop are based on repetition,
people who are newer to listening to Hip/Hop-Rap might not be as severely affected or
susceptible. Marshall McLuhan (1967), a communication expert, states that a new
environment/medium comes in to society, is visible to the people for a little while but then
becomes invisible once a person adapts to it. For example (we will use music for this
demonstration), when Jazz came into society, it wasn’t accepted by some, and there were varying
opinions, but then it just became a part of the culture. Same thing happened with Rock and Roll,
parents didn’t want their kids listening to it, and its influence was dramatic, yet it is a widely
accepted part of the past and culture. Now, Hip-Hop music, to those who listen (or not) have

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become accustomed to it over time just as the other music genres, Electronic music is a new
thing now too, but will soon blend in with us (McLuhan, 1967). Maybe the effects of Hip-Hop
have just become so habit to people, they aren’t aware of its influence. Also, the wording of
some of the survey questions might have confused respondents based on the specific point that
the research was trying to achieve. Another implication of the research is that it was difficult to
explain the depth of questions due to specified language within the context of the questions
themselves.
To Begin with, many people, many more than anticipated, had been listening to
Mainstream Hip-Hop for longer than I had expected. In Appendix B, 49 people out of the 153
who answered had been listening to Mainstream Hip-Hop for 10 or more years. This is a decade
of influence. With a near majority of people listening to Hip-Hop for this long, it was of surprise
to me when a clear majority had strongly disagreed about associating drugs, alcohol, and sexual
behaviors with Mainstream Hip-Hop. Also a surprising 79 (55.2% of) people didn’t find
themselves envious of Hip-Hop artists’ extreme wealth or opportunities. I am just shocked
because I personally would have answered these quite opposite of the majority of people.
With only 8 people strongly agreeing that Hip-Hop has influenced them, it is
questionable to how much thought people may have put into responding to the questions. This is
referenced as a concern because all humans are affected by the existence of Hip-Hop whether
they know it or not. It affects the way other people act, the products they buy, the words they
say, and how they act, to which have influences on others. 69 (48.3% of) people stated “Yes” to
repeating phrases included in mainstream Hip-Hop songs, and 77 (49.2% of) people claimed
they swore after listening, solidifying the fact that they are influenced. Phrases such as “Yolo,”
and “Cray,” birthed from Mainstream Hip-Hop/Rap were recognized by and added to the Oxford

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Dictionary, accepting them as words! The effects might seem very obvious to most, but there are
also many people not studying this topic. Perhaps it could have stated both “influenced directly
and indirectly,” which may have spurred the thought in survey takers. With almost half of the
people who took the survey (106/214) claiming they listen to mainstream Hip-Hop it is boggling
that so many don’t notice many of the effects and impacts Hip-Hop has had on them. The
answers also depended on how many undergraduates answered/skipped them and how
thoughtful/honest their answers were.
Conclusion
Music has so many different purposes and influences with cultures, subcultures, genres,
and subgenres under it. This is a closer look at Mainstream Hip-Hop, a subcategory of music,
and its negative effects on listeners. Since humans repeat song lyrics and catch onto made up
words, phrases, themes, and acronyms contained in songs, we can look for future examples of
this contained in communication. The Mainstream Hip-Hop industry essentially sets the playing
field with what content will be broadcasted to the public, so the specifics of these messages and
resulting behaviors will all depend on what is said. The content will most likely be along the
lines of what sells (drugs, sex, violence, and money) and will vary based on the extents it takes to
capture and keep the attention of the listeners. This could include more vulgar language and
more vivid descriptions of the emotions and feelings these things bring humans; this can also
include heightening the scenarios and having the situations become more wild and imaginable to
the listeners. As we have seen, humans adapt to their environments, so the bar of what will seem
new and exciting to us constantly needs to be raised or altered in order to keep feeding our
attention spans. We will see new phrases being uttered with a variety of meaning, a lot of it will

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be considered “inappropriate” by today’s standards, but that will soon redefine what is
appropriate and what is not as we adapt.

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22
Appendix A
Survey
1. What is your Gender? (Circle one) Male, Female, or Other?
2. What is your current age? (Circle One) 17-19, 20-22, 23-25, or 26+?
3. What type of economic background do you identify yourself with? (Circle one) Lower
Class (combined parental income of less than $32,000) Middle Class (Combined parental
income of less than $97,000 a year) or Upper Class (Combined parental income of more
than $97,000 a year)?
4. How would you describe the town in which you grew up? (Circle one) Urban, Suburban,
Rural, or Other (please describe)
5. Do you listen to mainstream Hip-Hop music? (Mainstream defined for research purposes
is: “the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are regarded as normal or conventional; the
dominant trend in opinion, fashion, or the arts”. Hip-Hop is defined as the stylized
rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rap, often including melody and rhythm of
previously recorded songs. Mainstream Hip-Hop songs are songs which are labeled as
Hip-Hop by the music industry and played on the radio or included in the top 100 hits.)
(Circle One) Yes, No, or Sometimes?
6. How many years have you listened to Mainstream Hip-Hop music? (Circle one) Less
than 1 year, 1-3 years, 4-6 years, 7-9 years, or 10+ years?
7. Have you ever done any of the following as a result of listening to a mainstream Hip Hop
music?) Please check all that apply. Repeated the lyrics of the song out loud in
conversation, Drank an alcoholic beverage(s), Smoked cigarettes, Swore/Cursed, Taken
Drugs, Acted sexually promiscuous, None of the above.

23
8. Since you began listening to mainstream Hip-Hop music, do you find yourself doing any
of the following acts more frequently? Please check all that apply. Drinking alcohol,
Smoking cigarettes, Swearing/cursing, Taken drugs, Acted on sexual desires, None of the
above.
9. Do you ever find yourself repeating phrases included in mainstream Hip-Hop songs? (Ex.
“Yolo,” “turnt,” “ooh Killem,” etc.) (Circle one) Yes, No, Sometimes.
10. Do you find yourself envying a stereotypical Hip Hop lifestyle like desiring extreme
wealth and expensive monetary possessions while/after listening? (Circle one). Yes, No,
or Maybe?
11. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements, with the options
being, Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree.
a. Mainstream Hip-Hop music influences your behavior to do things that are otherwise
“out of the ordinary” for you.
b. When you think about consuming alcohol, you associate your decision with
mainstream Hip-Hop music.
c. When you think about smoking cigarettes, you associate decision with mainstream
Hip-Hop music.
d. When you think about using drugs, you associate your decision with mainstream hip-
hop music.
e. When you think about swearing/cussing, you associate your decision it with
mainstream hip-hop music.
f. When you think about sexual acts, you associate your decision with mainstream hip-
hop music.

24
g. Listening to mainstream Hip-Hop influences the relationships you have.
h. Mainstream Hip-Hop has influenced you as a person.

25
Appendix B
Survey Results
What is your gender?
212 Answered, 2 Skipped
Male
Female
Other
What is your current age?
17-19
20-22
23-25
26 or older

26
What type of economic background do you identify yourself with?
Lower class (parental combine
income of less than $32,000 a
year)
Middle class (parental combine
income of less than $97,000 a
year)
Upper class (parental combine
income of more than $97,000 a
year)
How would you describe the town in which you grew up?
Urban
Suburban
Rural
Other (please describe)

27
Do you listen to Mainstream Hip-Hop?
Yes
No
Sometimes
How many years have you listened to mainstream hip-hop music?
Less than 1 year
1-3 years
4-6 years
7-9 years
10 or more years

28
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
Repeatedthe
lyricsofthe
songoutloudin
conversation
Smoked
cigarettes
Takendrugs
Noneofthe
above
Have you ever done any of the following as a result of listening to a
mainstream Hip Hop music?) Please check all that apply.
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
a.Drinkingalcohol
b.Smoking
cigarettes
c.Swearing/cursing
d.Takingdrugs
e.Actingonsexual
desires
f.Noneofthe
above
Since you began listening to mainstream Hip-Hop music, do you find
yourself doing any of the following acts more frequently? Please check all
that apply.

29
Do you ever find yourself repeating phrases included in mainstream Hip-Hop
songs? (Ex. “Yolo,” “turnt,” “ooh Killem,” etc.)
Yes
No
Sometimes
Do you find yourself envying a stereotypical Hip Hop lifestyle like desiring
extreme wealth and expensive monetary possessions while/after listening?
Yes
No
Sometimes

30
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160 MainstreamHip-Hop
musicinfluences
yourbehaviortodo…
Whenyouthink
aboutsmoking
cigarettes,you…
Whenyouthink
about
swearing/cussing,…
Listeningto
mainstreamHip-Hop
influencesthe…
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

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