Blaming rap for social ills?
It is an evergreen debate as to whether rap has insidious effects on culture. This lush forest of opinion includes the likes of Bill Cosby, Alvin Poussaint, and now by association, Barack Obama. Brain Eno (I love that typo--he wouldn't mind) said once that 'culture is everything we don't have to do", meaning it is generative and self-evolving, and is at the mercy of our reptilian nature. The argument falls flat when you consider the dynamics of groupthink, and how viral cultural messages have a propensity to disappear after their 15 minutes of fame. But the argument that rap is the cause of social ills is definitely supported by the fMRI machine, i.e. that brain activity enhanced by visual and aural stimuli cause people to behave in bizarre ways, and can be seen and measured. (Some examples are 'mirror neurons' and the 'copycat effect' which now play out on college campuses with increased frequency.)
Historical perspectives are also informative and interesting. Jazz had a similar cultural evolution, and is a touchstone in the discussion of how rap is having its effects. I tend to not agree with this analogy, as it leaves out the cultural revolution of the 60s when 'backroom' behaviors came out of the closet for good. It's one thing to suggest something behind a curtain of ambiguity, but a whole nother thing once an occasional 'casual Friday' becomes the norm, and everyone adopts decorum by default. Ergo the necktie devolved from mens' fashion, and similarly suggestive sexuality and violence has devolved as well. We're all casual now...
Historical perspectives are also informative and interesting. Jazz had a similar cultural evolution, and is a touchstone in the discussion of how rap is having its effects. I tend to not agree with this analogy, as it leaves out the cultural revolution of the 60s when 'backroom' behaviors came out of the closet for good. It's one thing to suggest something behind a curtain of ambiguity, but a whole nother thing once an occasional 'casual Friday' becomes the norm, and everyone adopts decorum by default. Ergo the necktie devolved from mens' fashion, and similarly suggestive sexuality and violence has devolved as well. We're all casual now...
