Many people believe that censorship of music violates the artists' First Amendment right to free speech, and there are many concerns about government involvement in the music industry. The gangsta rap industry itself is in favor of self-regulation rather than government regulation. On the opposing side, people who are in favor of censorship believe that the industry will not self-regulate and that the government is needed to do the regulating.
People who are in favor of the censorship of gangsta rap believe that when young children and adults listen to violent music, they tend to show violent behavior. They feel that if the music is censored, parents would not buy the music for children, and violent crime statistics would drop. Individuals who are not in favor of censorship argue that there has never been any kind of proof or research done to suggest that violent music causes violent behavior.
The majority of gangsta rappers are African American. When this type of music is censored, the risk of adding to the tension between races increases. Artists who are in the gangsta rap genre feel that they are being targeted due to their race. People who are in favor of censorship argue the point that it has nothing to do with race and only has to do with protecting young children.
Many musical artists feel that their music is an expression of their innermost thoughts. Often these thoughts can be misinterpreted by listeners -- especially listeners who do not understand the expression. For some, what may sound like a violent song may actually be a song protesting a certain idea or action. Many gangsta rap songs actually are speaking to young people and what they are experiencing each and every day. Artists who are against censorship believe that when music is censored their expression and creativity is also censored.