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The artefact that I had wanted to work on was one that had affected how people perceive and see these artists after this song.

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The artefact that I had wanted to work on was one that had affected how people perceive and see these artists after this song.

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This song "WAP" spiked a lot of controversy and many opinions of higher ups were shared.

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After deciding that I wanted to work on music and how that affects identities, I decided to focus on a genre and a time period:

Hip Hop
Modern day

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From films, I started to look at music instead as I think that music has a much bigger audience and is just as influential as films.

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From films, I started to look at music instead as I think that music has a much bigger audience and is just as influential as films.

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Upon doing much more research I decided to work on exploring how music can influence young adults.

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WAP: the summer smash hit that exposed the fear of sexually liberated black women

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WAP: the summer smash hit that exposed the fear of sexually liberated black women

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I decided to speak about this song in particular because it had such a big impact on black women and I feel as if it would reflect on the identities of today's youth.

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What's so dangerous about a sexually liberated woman? If the critical commentary surrounding Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's chart-topping song WAP is any indication then the answer is well, everything.

Premiering on 7 August, the video garnered 26 million YouTube views within the first 24 hours and is perhaps one of the strongest female rap releases to date. Yet WAP isn't just the summer smash we all needed. As an acronym for "wet ass pussy", it has emerged as the new anthem of female-centred sexual empowerment.

Complete with sexy costumes, fantastical set pieces, exotic animals, and updo hairstyles reminiscent of the very best of the 1990s, the WAP video is nothing short of a visual feast. Lyrically, the song features the tongue-in-cheek musings of two female rappers known for their unabashed embrace of their sexual power. The opening line, "I said certified freak, seven days a week," sets the tone for a song that celebrates sex as a potent vehicle for personal expression and the development of individual autonomy.

However, with so much to celebrate, it was surprising to see so many men lambaste WAP for its supposed violation of feminist principles.

Conservative backlash

James P Bradley, a congressional candidate from California, was the first to express his outrage writing on Twitter:

Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion are what happens when children are raised without God and without a strong father figure. Their new "song" The #WAP (which i heard accidentally) made me want to pour holy water in my ears and I feel sorry for future girls if this is their role model!

Not to be outdone, American conservative provocateur Ben Shapiro offered a dramatic reading of the song before sarcastically concluding that:

[WAP] is what the feminist movement was all about. It's not really about women being treated as independent, full rounded human beings. It's about wet-ass p-word.

Both Bradley and Shapiro framed sexual empowerment as the principal threat to the feminist movement.

Such a disconnected view of feminism not only erases the activists, many of them sex workers, who fought to ensure that sexual liberation is taken seriously as a feminist endeavour, but it also excuses the patriarchy and sexism that have marginalised women around the globe.

It is also worth mentioning that Shapiro and Bradley's critiques ring particularly hollow when measured against their support for a president who once spoke of his desire to " grab' em by the pussy". A brazen endorsement of sexual assault that many conservatives dismissed as " locker room talk ".

Double standards in hip-hop

Critiques of WAP have not been confined to conservative circles. In a recent interview Ce-Lo Green, co-founder of the southern rap group Goodie Mob, expressed his view that the sexually-explicit lyrics of female artists like Cardi B and Megan came at a cost to hip-hop.

Nevermind that male-fronted songs like P-Popping and Suck It or Not are certifiable hip-hop classics and just as sexually explicit. However, when women discuss how they enjoy these same activities they suddenly become the ones setting back the culture.

Coming from Green, a man who was accused of (but not charged with) sexual assault, this critique risks appearing hypocritical. But it also continues a historical trend that holds women to the double standard of appearing sexually demure and respectable while men are celebrated for owning their sexual prowess.

In reality, the danger of WAP lies not in its unabashed celebration of sex but in the audacity of a Black woman and a Afro-Dominican woman to lay claim to their bodies and own their sexual satisfaction.

Beginning with the commodification of African captives in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and continuing through the use of black women's bodies for gynaecological research, history is rife with examples of black women being cast as objects to be consumed, commodified and exploited for the gain of others.

In demanding, "I want you to park that big Mac truck right in this little garage", Cardi and Megan assert themselves as agents in their commodification. Though some would argue that the revolution will not happen between these thighs, WAP remains an important and in some ways familiar discussion about the appropriate path to women's liberation.

That both women have refused to be pigeonholed as rap's sex sirens adds greater complexity to two already complicated figures.

Though often criticised for her background as a stripper, Cardi has made a name for herself in the political realm by lending her support to important issues like ending police brutality. Meanwhile, Megan is as vocal about the importance of university education as she is about her status as a "Big Ole Freak" by using her social media to document her degree in healthcare administration.

Both women embody the notion that you can love sex and still be a fully-realised human with interests and goals. So when Megan Thee Stallion raps "I'll run down on him 'fore I have a n*gga runnin' me," that is not just cute wordplay but a warning shot to anyone who would dare challenge Black women's ability to create their destinies. After all, "there some whores in this house" and they own it and they're here to stay.

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WAP: the summer smash hit that exposed the fear of sexually liberated black women

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What's so dangerous about a sexually liberated woman? If the critical commentary surrounding Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's chart-topping song WAP is any indication then the answer is well, everything. Premiering on 7 August, the video garnered 26 million YouTube views within the first 24 hours and is perhaps one of the strongest female rap releases to date.

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The link between drugs and music explained by science

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The link between drugs and music explained by science

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The link between drugs and music explained by science

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Scientists are beginning to understand why certain drugs and musical genres are natural partners.

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Hip-hop’s obsession with combat imagery is about more than violence

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Hip-hop’s obsession with combat imagery is about more than violence

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Members of Wu-Tang Clan at Glastonbury 2019. The group took their name from the 1983 Kung Fu film Shaolin and Wu Tang. Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

On Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em, legendary New York MC Rakim proclaims: "I'm the arsenal, I got artillery, lyrics are ammo...."

Senegalese-born French rapper MC Solaar compares his mic to body armour and warns listeners about his cache of lyrical bullets halfway through La Concubine de l'Hémoglobine (The Haemoglobin Concubine): "...le mic est devenu ma tenue combat ... le Solaarsenal est équipé de balles vocales ...".

Kendrick Lamar refers to himself as Kung Fu Kenny throughout the album DAMN, a reference to Don Cheadle's character in the 2001 buddy cop and martial arts film Rush Hour 2 starring Jackie Chan.

As all these examples confirm, it's a common practice for rappers to equate verbal prowess with martial skill. MCs "spit" incendiary lines. Breakdancers "battle" for supremacy on the dance floor. DJs "cut" samples to their own liking. Graffiti artists "bomb" public spaces with tags.

Critics of hip-hop music and culture denounce such imagery as encouraging actual violence. They often cite graphic examples from commercial American " gangsta rap" to make their case. Yet from the research in which I have been involved, there's a whole other way of looking at this imagery that casts hip-hop in a very different light.

Planet rap

Musicologist Griff Rollefson offers a different view of this tendency for hip-hop MCs to use their " words as weapons ". For members of marginalised communities, he argues, hip-hop potentially offers "a discursive and performative field in which to vent frustrations, enact fantasies, build confidence and formulate plots". It's a cathartic space free from threat of physical harm or retaliation from authorities.

I would argue that the metaphors of combat in global hip-hop are often concerned with messages of empowerment and social action. The seeming violence of such expressions serves as a means for practitioners to channel their dissatisfaction with adverse social conditions through creative artistry. On her 2019 track Land of Gray, for instance, South African MC Yugen Blakrok "dismembers a fascist" with her incisive "verbal blades".

In another instance, Japanese rapper Zeebra fires off a lyrical "bullet of truth", changing listeners' thought patterns and "slowly directing brain cells" toward more enlightened ways of being (Saishu Heiki, 2005).

Musical art to martial art

At a time when issues of migration, secession and isolationism dominate, an in-depth study of the impact of global forms of hip-hop marks an important change in political and cultural perspectives. As part of the CIPHER initiative, Rollfeson, the researcher Jason Ng and I are investigating hip-hop's social importance and re-evaluating its stigmas. The aim is to shift the focus from a strictly US context to look at models from around the world.

Rollefson's idea that hip-hop is a "martial art" is a part of this approach. Not only does it position rap within its contemporary context but it also considers the culture's deep indebtedness to Kung Fu cinematic lore and East Asian philosophy.

Take the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). The title references the classic martial arts movies Enter the Dragon (1973) starring Bruce Lee, and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).

Busta Rhymes' video for the 1997 track Dangerous, directed by Hype Williams (who made some of the period's most well-known hip-hop videos), takes its inspiration from the 1985 classic The Last Dragon.

Ask any old-skool hip-hop head "Who is the master?" and they'll answer, "Sho'nuff!". This scene is played out in the music video with Rhymes taking the role of martial arts master Sho'nuff. For brown and black kids growing up in the socioeconomically repressed Bronx of the 1980s, what's a more aspirational narrative, what's more hip-hop, than the tale of a lone warrior acting decisively, but only when provoked?

This influence also manifests globally, but in very different ways. Irish MC Jun Tzu (his nom de guerre a nod to Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu), often highlights the continued need for unity in his hometown of Belfast after the Troubles. In the single Klik Klak - the title imitating the sound of a pistol being racked and readied to fire - the South African rapper Cream declares: "I'm Jackie Chan with a pen... I defend rappers in my clan..."

Just as martial arts principles are handed down from teacher to disciple, hip-hop MCs spread ideological "truths" through their music. Global practitioners of hip-hop in particular prioritise a resistive aesthetic - an awareness of cultural identity, personal expression and a fundamental "knowledge of self" in their work.

The notion of hip-hop as a martial art also helps to illustrate the community-oriented ethos of the culture. In the cipher, which is the name given to hip-hop performance gatherings, MCs hone their skills and "sharpen their blades" in lyrical combat. This rite of passage, where performers are called on to demonstrate their talents and be evaluated by peers, exemplifies the "each one teach one" approach that characterises much of global hip-hop.

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Hip-hop's obsession with combat imagery is about more than violence

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On Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em, legendary New York MC Rakim proclaims: "I'm the arsenal, I got artillery, lyrics are ammo...." Senegalese-born French rapper MC Solaar compares his mic to body armour and warns listeners about his cache of lyrical bullets halfway through La Concubine de l'Hémoglobine (The Haemoglobin Concubine): "...le mic est devenu ma tenue combat ...

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What comes to mind when you hear the term hip hop education? I'd imagine that the vast majority of people would picture young people learning how to write rhymes, break dance, graffiti or DJ. Sounds like fun, right? And certainly, many people do join these traditional "hip hop classes" for various reasons including self-expression, increased fitness, a better social life, and professional development in the performing arts.

But hip hop is starting to be used in schools and in the community in much more creative and diverse ways than this. In the US there is a growing movement of hip hop education in both formal and informal education settings. For example, Minnesota's High School for Recording Arts, established in 1998, has been dubbed "Hip Hop High".

Hip hop informs more than what is actually taught at this particular school. Emery Petchauer, associate professor of urban education at Oakland University in the US, explains that its principles are embedded in all facets of the school, including its management. Like hip hop music - which samples other songs to create new, almost patchwork tracks - such a style of management emphasises the benefits of picking and choosing ideas from other educational systems, rather than sticking to a rigid formula. The school calls its advisers "adult allies", for example, an idea that originated elsewhere.

This philosophy is also seen in the work of Christopher Emdin, founder of the global movement #HipHopEd, a forum in which hip hop educators communicate, share ideas and resources, as well as challenge and support each other. Emdin's partnership with Wu Tang Clan's GZA offers children from urban communities a more accessible way into science education via his Science Genius programme, in which students prepare for and engage in Science Genius Battles to showcase both their knowledge of science and their rhyming skills.

So hip hop education can take shape in different ways. I, for example, have used hip hop in a very different way in London workshops I run. These aim to build attendees' confidence in articulating matters of importance.

One particular workshop, for example, facilitates learning and development through critically engaging with sociological concepts primarily via rap music, rap videos, artefacts and dialogue which will later inspire their own contribution to performing a rap or spoken word. Participants for these particular events include girls and young women aged 11-21 from South Asian communities affected by female genital mutilation (FGM), honour killings and forced marriage. The workshop is part of a wider programme to prepare the participants to meet with their local council as advocates.

Wider issues

Hip hop education also provides a brilliant way into political and cultural discussions. Consider how often hip hop has been in the international news of late. Beyoncé, for example, is regularly praised for demonstrating how such issues can be taught along with hip hop.

Her activism really got going with the release of "Formation", a song that narrates some of the struggles and politics of southern African-Americans, and which resonated with the African diaspora at large. It begins with the question: "What happened to New Orleans?" supported by images of flooding, moving onto critiques of the US treatment of their African-American citizens and black women's role in taking action for social change.

Here Beyoncé, as hip hop has always done, gives voice to the marginalised - this time, in the mainstream. Her performance at the Super Bowl, with backing dancers dressed in Black Panther styled clothing, made a bold statement of unapologetic blackness that resulted in much debate.

The subsequent release of the album Lemonade prompted some educators and academics to create a syllabus that draws from a variety of sources to look at the various tensions, politics, experiences that apply to women of the said community. The music section and film section the syllabus has some representation of hip hop, such as Queen Latifah's Unity and the film Set It Off.

Given all this, I would say hip hop and education work together beautifully. The debates that hip hop taps into are perfectly placed in order to provide relevant content and methods in contemporary urban education. They touch on many issues concerning matters of importance to marginalised communities. These issues are far ranging, from police brutality to discourse around representation and misrepresentation.

So don't be alarmed if your children come home with homework set to learn the lyrics of a hip hop song in preparation for their next class - it will be about much more than entertainment.

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What comes to mind when you hear the term hip hop education? I'd imagine that the vast majority of people would picture young people learning how to write rhymes, break dance, graffiti or DJ. Sounds like fun, right?

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Hip-hop’s love-hate relationship with education

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Hip-hop’s love-hate relationship with education

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The richest men in hip-hop never finished college.

Jay-Z - who is regarded as hip-hop's first billionaire - never graduated from high school.

So was Dr. Dre - another hip-hop icon and a near billionaire - who left college after just two weeks.

Despite their lack of college degrees, these four men - who are currently the richest rappers in the world - have all taken a keen interest in higher education.

Diddy in 2016 donated $1 million to Howard University to help students who were struggling to pay off their student debt.

West has, at least historically, made education a central theme of his music. He also donated money to fully cover the college tuition of George Floyd's daughter, Gianna Floyd.

Whatever one makes of the fact that these men - who all turned their backs on higher education decades ago - would turn around and use their fame and fortune to invest millions of dollars in a college education for others, their stories represent only a glimpse of hip-hop's complicated relationship with education.

As one who studies the use of hip-hop in educational settings, I have identified at least three ways hip-hop views formal education.

1. Schools are anti-Black

A 2005 study concluded that "from the perspective of rap music, the [d]iscourse of education is largely dysfunctional when it comes to meeting the material, social and cultural needs of African American youth."

Perhaps no rap group has expressed this view more clearly - and scathingly - than dead prez, who were inspired by their high school experience to conclude in a 2000 song titled "They Schools" that: "They schools can't teach us sh-t."

Notably, it wasn't education that dead prez despised, but the racist manner in which they saw it being delivered.

As stic man - one half of dead prez - recited in the song:
I tried to pay attention but they classes wasn't interestin' They seemed to only glorify the Europeans Claiming Africans was only three-fifths of human beings
Dead prez's critique of public education was by no means the first time a hip-hop artist called out American education as racist.

Much like the English rock band Pink Floyd's cynical lyrics "We don't need no education / we don't need no thought control," many of hip-hop's pioneering artists depict mainstream education as being designed to miseducate and program its students.

In 1989's "You Must Learn," KRS-One suggests that schools should use a more culturally relevant approach when he raps, "It seems to me that in a school that's ebony / African history should be pumped up steadily, but it's not / and this has got to stop."

In 2017's "Black Still," Scarface raps: "Our kids educated by the enemy / And they don't know sh-t about their history / Cause they ain't teaching that in school."

In their own way, these lyrics highlight frustrations with mainstream education's lack of a viable ethnic studies curriculum, which has proved to foster cross-cultural understanding, self-respect and diverse perspectives.

2. Schools don't teach self-reliance

Many rappers have called out public education for failing to emphasize self-reliance and how to build wealth in a capitalistic society. For instance, in his 2015 song, "Fly," the rapper Hopsin recounts how teachers wrongly tried to make him think that going to school is the only way to succeed.

Hopsin raps, "I was taught education is the only way to make it / Then how'd I get so much money inside my savings? / My teachers never saw the heights that I'm f-cking aiming / Did the man who invented college, go to college? Hm, okay then"

A 2007 study found that hard-core rap " supports a strong capitalist ideology " and that high school students in a New York City high school found this ideology "attractive because it supports their dreams and expectations of a successful and prosperous adulthood."

A few prominent rappers also speak to building wealth. In 2017's " The Story of OJ," Jay-Z speaks about generational wealth.

"Financial freedom my only hope / F-k livin' rich and dyin' broke / I bought some artwork for one million / Two years later, that shit worth two million / Few years later, that shit worth eight million / I can't wait to give this shit to my children"

When rap artists find success, they often flaunt it in the face of former teachers who were naysayers - offering them a sort of "look-at-me-now" clapback by calling attention to their triumph despite a lack of formal education.

For example, the first words in Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 song "Juicy" were "Yeah, this album is dedicated to all the teachers that told me I'd never amount to nothin'."

While such braggadocio appears to focus only on the financial aspects of success, the lyrics reflect a deeper issue of how traditional schooling stifles the imagination and creativity that power entrepreneurial interests. In this paradigm, teachers are often cast as dream killers.

For instance, in "R.I.C.O.," a 2015 song, Meek Mill raps: "For my teachers that said I wouldn't make it here / I spend a day what you make a year."

Nevertheless, Meek Mill announced in 2016 that he had enrolled in college because "being educated makes you money, and I like making money and taking care of my family." More recently, in 2020, Meek Mill announced that he and Michael Rubin, a co-owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, were teaming up start a $2 million scholarship fund for students in Meek's hometown of Philadelphia.

3. Education is still a viable plan

When hip-hop was just beginning to go mainstream in the 1980s, there was an abundance of rappers who urged listeners to pursue education after high school. For example, Run DMC, in the classic 1984 song "It's Like That," rapped, "You should've gone to school, you could've learned a trade / But you laid in the bed where the bums have laid."

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Similarly, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five rapped in a classic 1982 song "The Message": "You say I'm cool, I'm no fool / But then you wind up dropping out of high school."

L.L. Cool J rapped in 1987's "The Breakthrough": "So get your own on your own / it'll strengthen your soul / Stop livin' off your parents like you're three years old / Instead of walkin' like you're limp and talkin' yang about me / Why don't you take your monkey-ass and get a college degree?"

But much has changed since the 1980s. According to one study, in the past three decades, instead of closing the racial wealth gap for Black college grads, college debt and unemployment have expanded it.

Be that as it may, some rap artists, such as J. Cole, still view college as a viable backup plan. In 2007's " College Boy," Cole raps: "And if this rap sh-t don't work, I'm going for my Master's."

In short, the blending of hip-hop culture and education has the potential to reshape schools in a way that works for everyone.

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Hip-hop's love-hate relationship with education

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The richest men in hip-hop never finished college. Jay-Z - who is regarded as hip-hop's first billionaire - never graduated from high school. So was Dr. Dre - another hip-hop icon and a near billionaire - who left college after just two weeks.

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Making music videos is not a criminal activity – no matter what genre

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Making music videos is not a criminal activity – no matter what genre

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Making music videos is not a criminal activity – no matter what genre

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West London group 1011 music group have been banned from making music without police permission.

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1st idea for essay title: "How have modern films shaped, influenced, and built on our identities."

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1st idea for essay title: "How have modern films shaped, influenced, and built on our identities."

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I received feedback regarding this essay title and I agree with it. There are just so many things that I could dive into when it comes to talking about the influence of films. With this feedback, i decided to think of a finer idea and focus on more specific genres and maybe time periods in order to narrow down my word count and decide what my title will be more specific.

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What effect does modern Hip-Hop music have on today's youth?

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What effect does modern Hip-Hop music have on today's youth?

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My Identity - Simple. Straightforward. Clear. 

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My Identity - Simple. Straightforward. Clear. 

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- Talk about how hip-hop can be influential in a positive and a negative way.

- Research youth's opinions and articles.

- How does this genre of music reflect on young adults' lives and their opinions on things.

- Music Videos.

- Genres of hip hop

- I will talk about an artifact and present clear examples of how i will answer my question.

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"Millennial artists such as Lil Yachty, Vince Staples and Kendrick Lamar have sworn to sobriety even if their lyrics poke fun at it. Hearing this on social media and on the internet really digs deep into today’s youth, encouraging them that you can still have fun, make sick music and simply enjoy life without ever picking up drugs or alcohol."

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"Millennial artists such as Lil Yachty, Vince Staples and Kendrick Lamar have sworn to sobriety even if their lyrics poke fun at it. Hearing this on social media and on the internet really digs deep into today’s youth, encouraging them that you can still have fun, make sick music and simply enjoy life without ever picking up drugs or alcohol."

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This Is How Rap Music REALLY Affects Today’s Youth • Soundigest

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By: Hannah George// Rap. What just popped into your head? Violence. Crime. Drugs. Bad behavior. At least, that is the stereotype the world placed over the entire genre of music, but fortunately, that is not the case. Over the years, the Hip-Hop scene has grown immensely, providing youth and young ad…

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"Mumble rap focuses on drugs, sex, money and violence, topics you wouldn’t want a young person to listen to. "

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"Mumble rap focuses on drugs, sex, money and violence, topics you wouldn’t want a young person to listen to. "

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Music continues to be one of the most recognizable and influential elements of society. For thousands of years, music has brought people together and evoked emotions and feelings. It can bring you back to a certain place in time and transport you to a memory that feels so real you swear you are experiencing it for the first time. No matter where you go in the world, people connect and interact with music, no language needed. You do not need to understand the words in a song or have any words at all to enjoy it. Research shows that music is recognized by infants in the womb, and if that is not a display of the power music has on humans, nothing is.

Looking at the way today's cultures and societies have changed in recent years, there is one genre of music that seems to exceed the rest in popularity among youth and that is rap music. Whether young or old, black or white, everyone knows someone who has a connection with rap. The various sub-genres and categories that make this music different as well as the wide variety of artists who share this music to the world, have helped make this a staple in society these days. But is it spreading a positive message to those who listen? Are there behavioural changes from those involved in this music? Before those questions are answered or even discussed, learning the history of rap music will allow for a better understanding of what it is today.

Rap music began in the early 1970s in the United States as a mix of disco and funk at clubs and other music spots. The DJs would generally speak over or after the songs and incorporate the crowd to get a better reaction from the music. Soon the spoken lyrics were rhymed throughout the songs which energized the audience. The music first had a disco and crowd-oriented vibe that allowed all who listened to get involved. The Sugarhill Gang were the founding fathers of rap and really became popular because their style and beat had never been heard before. As the 1980s began, rap became more of a personalized style that strayed from disco and changed to have more of a hip hop feel. Run-DMC was the first rap group to really hit on a mainstream platform in this different style.

Designed and created by Ryan Hill

In 1986 a new group named NWA came onto the scene and they exploded, achieving platinum album status when they sold over 3.5 million albums of their first release, a cultural staple in society at the time. However, they used an aggressive "thug/gangster" style which generally involved songs about gangs, black social movements, drug wars and police violence which were all relevant issues. NWA became extremely popular with teens at that time because they themselves were involved in those same issues and the group's rebellious attitude just added to it.

Since then, rap has experienced more changes in sub-genre and has also gained popularity and mainstream attention virtually every year since thanks to the advancements of social media which allowed fans to connect with their favourite artists, such as Kanye West, Drake and Eminem, in a way they never could before.

A few years ago, a new style of rap has taken over called "mumble rap." This rap has a slower, drowsy beat and the rappers who "sing" basically just talk in a slow, mumble voice. For whatever reason, this sub-genre of rap has spread like wildfire among youth and young adults and is one of the most popular and influential styles of music to date.

"When I was like, 12 or 13, I really started to get into music more and especially rap," says Issac Campbell, a 23-year-old Conestoga College student and Cambridge resident when explaining his discovery of rap music in the late 2000s. "Eminem was huge then and still is. I would probably say he is my favourite and he opened me up to rap."

Eminem, along with other megastars in the industry like Jay Z, Lil Wayne and 50 Cent, are still going strong today despite competing with mumble rap which is on their tails.

"I think (rap) used to be more lyrical like any other song and kind of like a poem which is why everyone loved it," says Campbell. "Now, the more you talk about awful things, the more popular you are. Guys like Lil Uzi Vert and other mumble rappers do not even rhyme anymore. It is weird."

Campbell understands that music, like everything else in the world, will change over time and he knows he is not going to enjoy all music and all genres. However, no one knows what the future will hold and for Campbell, he just hopes it is time for a change. "I do not know where rap will go but as long as the current style dies out I will be happy. It's just negative music for everyone and does not need to stick around. All I want is for rap to go back to what it was because that's what made it blow up."

Mumble rap focuses on drugs, sex, money and violence, topics you wouldn't want a young person to listen to. The website, The Conversation, an independent source of news and views from the academic and research community, calls it, "a brainless and lazy reflection of music." However, it doesn't matter how much mumble rap is criticized, people still want to engage with whatever is popular. Whether people think it is cool to act like the people leading the charge in mumble rap or just a monkey see, monkey do scenario, one has to wonder what will come of teenagers listening to this type of music for hours on end?

Local rapper Kevin Edworthy, commonly known as KVNE, explains what rap music means to him without all the outside noise and distractions that can sway someone, especially as a rapper himself. Tucked away in the countryside of Hamilton, Ont., away from the distractions, Edworthy sits alone in his simply crafted home music studio with his productions and lyrics constantly playing in the background. The wooden panels that line the walls give the esthetic of a log cabin hidden from the outside world and the smell of oak mixed with the plastics of all the music gear almost give it that "new car smell."

Edworthy's nonchalant area of work is erratically different from himself physically. His bright blue eyes and wildly bleached hair make him stand out from everyone else. When frustrated or tired of countless hours in his studio, he will take some time to throw around a football with his four-year-old son or do some other activity with him, as his son is the most important person in his life, the one who inspires and motivates him every day.

"I was about 11 or 12 when I got my first guitar. I never really put it down. I quickly found myself playing in bands in elementary school and continued through high school," says Edworthy when explaining how he found his love for music. Although starting with the guitar and being influenced by Kurt Cobain, he kind of fell into the hip-hop and rap aspect of the music industry by accident and has never looked back.

"I started actually doing production and engineering - which led to songwriting for other artists then eventually my manager started encouraging me to just put my own voice on some of the material and start releasing it and that's what I did."

Edworthy knows the music he and other artists in his genre create is under a microscope in today's society because of its immense popularity so he is determined to share the correct message.

"I think with hip-hop being the biggest genre in the world right now it is detrimental to youth and teens. That is why myself and my team work so hard to spread a positive message with our work because there are so many negatives in the world right now."

Edworthy does not believe those negatives can all be attributed to mumble rap as he believes all influences in a person's life are responsible, musical induced or not.

"I don't think it's really better or worse than any other genre. I think truthfully listeners need to start looking at the situation as a whole and less in one aspect. If an artist mumbles lyrics because of the substances he is over-influenced by, obviously no, I don't think that is beneficial for our youth. But at the end of the day, you, as the listener, are responsible for making the effort and seeing the bigger picture. I know a handful of artists who might have sounds similar to an artist endorsing a lifestyle of drugs and gang violence, but aren't about that life."

An example of one of the many misleading rappers in the industry who Edworthy is talking about is Tom MacDonald. With half his head shaved, the other half in long braids featuring a new colour each time you see him, and his neck plastered with tattoos and his face not far behind, along with a silver grill of teeth for a finishing touch, MacDonald looks like a rapper who preaches drugs, crime and everything else the world doesn't need more of. However, he is the exact opposite. MacDonald is a 28-year-old Canadian rapper who shares his beliefs on how crooked the rap industry has become and how brainwashed millions of young minds are when listening to this music. MacDonald has over a dozen songs that protest these issues including a song in 2017 titled "Dear Rappers" as a plea for these mumble rappers to stop the negative influences on youth because it is becoming detrimental to society. The song includes lyrics like, "Your music feels kinda like you're tryna write a check. Everything is digital, I mean no disrespect but I'm payin' even more, and you give me even less."

MacDonald feels as though these rappers care less about the message and music and more about the money and fame. He says these rappers are exploiting the new style of producing music and taking advantage of people. In his song Dear Rappers, he says, "You taught me to think, you taught me to grow, You taught me the things to survive on my own. But now you teach me to drink, you teach me to smoke you teach me to think, every woman's a ho." This is an emotional line for MacDonald as it shows how he was influenced and fell in love with rap music as a kid and now that he is living his dream making this music, he is ashamed and embarrassed about what it has become but doesn't have the power to change it.

MacDonald is not alone. Another Canadian rapper, Daniel Nwosu Jr., most commonly known as "Dax," made a song with MacDonald in April 2020 called "Blame the Rappers" where he expresses how important musicians and the message they spread are to the world.

"We are medication straight through voice, some give life, some destroy. And even though this money seems nice it can't come so we must take that as a hint that there's other things in life you should enjoy."

As more people and specifically rappers continue to step up and voice their opinion about what mumble rap is and where it is heading, more recognition is being brought to the sub-genre which may finally get these rebellious rappers' voices heard, or it could just bring more publicity to the already thriving mumble rap world.

The proof is in the pudding. Dozens of the rappers who are labeled as mumble rappers have died recently from overdoses, gun violence and other acts that they seem to promote and gloat about in their music. Any time you see a headline in the news about a musician or singer dying, it is usually a rapper. And these deaths are not just coincidence or bad luck. Mac Miller's death was one of the most notable ones in recent memory and caused a lot of grief in the rap community. With a history of arrests due to drug possession and driving under the influence, Miller clearly had issues with substances and overdosed on a mix of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol in September 2018. In 2017, 21-year-old Lil Peep overdosed before a show in Arizona. He had taken a mixture of mushrooms, cannabis and six Xanax pills. Most recently in December 2019, another 21-year-old rising star, Juice Wrld, was travelling in a private jet containing illegal weapons as well as 70 lbs of marijuana among other drugs. While aboard, Juice Wrld had a seizure and died due to an overdose of oxycodone and codeine.

There have been other similar deaths in the past and there will be many more in the future. Obviously there is a difference in the rap industry between those who take substances for pain and suffering and those who glorify drug use in their music, but these themes are always a constant that follow the mumble rap sub-genre. When teens and young adults listen to this music and all their friends listen as well, what are they expected to believe and how are they expected to act?

A study from Emory University in Georgia discovered that teens between the ages of 14-18 who listened to rap music for roughly around 14 hours a week were three times more likely to get in a fight with a teacher, 2.5 times more likely to find themselves getting arrested, and 1.5 times more likely to take part in illegal activities such as underage drinking and experimentation with drugs. Another study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh in 2008 analyzed Billboard magazine's most popular songs of 2005 and it was found that substance use was referenced in 77 per cent of rap songs, the highest percentage of drug mentions among all genres included in the study. Of the Top 10 rap hits of 2020 on Spotify right now, nine of them discuss either gun violence, drugs or sex. The dominance of these songs and artists in the industry today are not just a sub-genre anymore, it is the genre.

Although it may seem bleak and a bad way for teens to be spending their time, Jackson Gagne, an independent music producer and engineer in the small town of Welland, Ont., wants to believe otherwise, and sways others to look past the negatives of the hip-hop/rap world in recent years to find the beauty that still lies there.

"It is like anything else in life. There is always pros and cons, good and bad. People do drugs without rap, it's the person's choice to decide what path they want to live."

Gagne also knows the messages being spread by these artists aren't ideal so he believes people need to stay true to themselves and their principles.

"I think there is a lot of lying and false people in not just rap but all music and media. I only produce and make music for a small number of people but even I feel the weight of saying the right things."

A lot of artists start with good intentions and a goal to spread a message or help people through their music, but sometimes things change. "I think people forget where they started and why they fell in love with music in the first place. Money and fame change people, it's sad to see," Gagne says.

There is one true way for people to personally evaluate what rap and mumble rap artists do for young minds as a whole. With sold-out concerts, millions of followers on social media and thousands of songs sold and downloaded monthly, there is no doubt these artists are influencers, but what are they influencing people to do? Are people "under the influence" of an ill mind that will damage their future? Or is it an influence that will allow them to achieve things they could have never thought possible before? When analyzing these rappers as a whole or individually, the only question that has to be definitively answered is, when exposed to these rap influencers, do people walk away better or worse?

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This in-depth look at the world of rap includes the good, the bad and the ugly.

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"Study showed that listening to pop music was significantly associated with less cigarette and marijuana use while listening to rap/hip-hop music was associated with more marijuana use."