Stereotypes In Popular Music

Stereotypes have been outcasted in most forms of popular culture, but a few are left that utilize these ideas. Music genres like rap or hip-hop stereotype women and colored people, but when it is used by a television personality, people become outraged. One incident in particular, a famous cook, Paula Deen, used degrading terms to describe an African-American, but those and similar terms are used in popular music today (Dowd). All minorities alike will become outraged when derogatory terms are used by those on television, but overlooked when they are plastered in music. It is extremely odd that a term such as n*g*ar can be used in a rap song, but when it is used by anyone else, that person is automatically deemed racist.
Often times those adding these stereotypes to their music are the very one calling for the removal of the phrases. Degrading statements to African-Americans are used by Tupac in Hit ‘Em Up, when he raps “realist is n*g*as” (Tupac). But Tupac does not only use racial slurs like “n*g*as” in his songs, he glorifies violence (Tupac). Phrases like “bad boy killers” are also used within the same song (Tupac). It is rather intriguing that artist such as Tupac can promote the thug life, use racial slurs and fight against racially induced violence. Rap songs such as these glamorize the thug life, and show African-Americans as criminals. One such example being …show more content…
Elements of violence, drugs, stealing, sexual references, clubbing and partying all exist within rap culture. Lyrics like “I’m gonna pop some tags” are instances of stealing that can be seen in Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” (“Thrift Shop”). While “bad boy killers,” “smoking dope” and “were gonna kill you motherf**kers are displayed within “Hit ‘Em Up” (Tupac). The use of these phrases are just one incident that shows the thug life. Another example of this is the wearing of saggy pants, the style is questioned by many and has a very long