Rap, like all music, is a means of self-expression. Young people listening to rap music can become more aware of society and the injustices in it. Rappers claim that their music is about "social change" and standing up for yourself to gain respect in an inhospitable society. Many teenagers listening to rap music may rebel against society's pressures to make them conform, and will gain confidence as a result. They may also have more energy and a stronger voice.
For an impressionable adolescent mind, the strong lyrics of rap music could create belligerence and antipathy toward society, parents and the law. It may encourage aggression and violence in some listeners, since rap lyrics frequently describe the social injustice that exists in society and how "respect" is important for survival. Money and fame — or notoriety — are often desired objectives for acquiring this respect. A teenager listening to rap may become materialistic and superficial, unable to differentiate between right and wrong, since rap may absolve them of a sense of personal responsibility.
The objectification of women — particularly black women — is another common feature of rap lyrics. The language used to describe women and their assigned roles may be derogatory and even humiliating. Teenage listeners may absorb these negative evaluations subconsciously and make the vocabulary a part of their own expression. Listeners' attitude towards women may change because of the influence of rap music. Rap presents women as sex objects; many rap videos feature scantily dressed women dancing around the singer. Such a misrepresentation may affect listeners' view of women.
Rap artists may often come from the slums and ghettos, but they can rise to achieve fame and fortune. The kind of lifestyle they portray revolves around riches, sex and drugs. Some artists are role models for rebellious teenagers who start wanting the same things. Listeners may lose interest in studies, stop working hard to achieve goals, lose respect for their elders — whom they now see as authoritarian and oppressive — and want to change their lives according to the style of the rappers.