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A Bad Rap For Rap Music

Congreve wrote in 1697, “Music has Charms to sooth a savage Breast, to soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.” Research seems to show that this famous adage is not valid in our day, especially if it is the music popular with American youth. Prior research suggests that there are connections between preferences for certain music genres and risky behaviors. Studies have concluded that rap music, the predominant genre of hip-hop culture, more than any other genre, encourages risky behaviors and may have some influence on youth. Many rap musicians have promoted alcoholic beverages, especially malt liquor, deemed “the gangsta drink of choice, the brew of alienation.”

In a recent study, 1,056 central California community college students aged 25 and younger completed questionnaires regarding music preferences, alcohol and drug use, and aggressive behaviors. Students also responded to questions regarding “sensation seeking” behaviors such as doing “crazy” things for fun, going to wild parties, and the like.

Among the sample of students who listened to music daily, rap music was the most popular music genre (69%) followed by alternative (65%), R&B (57%), rock (51%), top 40/hot-100 (37%), techno-house (32%), country (31%), punk (28%), and heavy metal (22%). Less than 20% of those who listened to music daily preferred Latin/salsa, reggae, classical, jazz, world, or Christian music.

Researchers found that for this sample of students, rap music was consistently related to general alcohol use, malt liquor use, potential alcohol-use disorder, drug use, and aggression. Asian students, who were just as likely as others to listen to rap music, reported the lowest levels of substance use and abuse. Black students reported significantly more aggressive behaviors, and students of all racial/ethnic groups who reported higher levels of sensation- seeking were more likely to listen to rap and other genres associated with substance use and aggression.

(Chen, M-J, Miller, BA, Grube, JW, Waiters, ED: Music, substance abuse, and aggression. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 67: 373–381, 2006.)

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