Rap has given a voice to urban America. While many individuals and groups focus on the violent themes that rap music portrays, it is one way to express the happenings in a neighborhood or city. Rappers can express themselves about life and the surroundings they grew up in; it gives urban youth someone to relate to in society. Rap music offers an opportunity to articulate what is going on in the mind of an individual.
Rap music can be used as a medium to draw attention to problems affecting urban areas, such as racism, poverty and oppression. This type of music is used to reflect what is real within certain parts of the country and educate the rest society about what is occurring in urban environments. Additional issues that may be addressed include growing up in poverty, facing discrimination and experiencing violence.
Through education and understanding, rap music has spurred social awareness in communities around the country. Rap music has served as a tool to speak out against violence and guns. Many artists use their musical talents to promote peace and anti-violent acts. By communicating messages about violence and discrimination, and relating to youth people, it provides an opportunity for them to make positive changes in their own life.
Rap music has not only influenced the way that individuals view and understand society, but it also has an effect on the way people dress. While not everyone may like the influence that rap has had on clothes and style, it has provided an opportunity for some to dress in a way that represents them and who they are in life.