Yeah, I would probably agree with Feline that the two can be LINKED- but I would be sceptical of the actual causality of such violent crime being the music itself.
On a fairly similar subject, I've spent years arguing that watching gory horror movies (or action movies for that matter) doesn't make anyone violent unless they're already a little unbalanced. It hasn't done me any harm... :roll:
So I'm reluctant to believe that rap music makes kids get into violent crime, just as I'm reluctant to believe that listening to black metal makes people burn down churches (those Norwegian churches are the most amazing looking buildings, why the f*ck would anyone want to burn them?.... but I digress).
I'm not going to say listening to hip-hop will turn you bad, but hip-hop music and that gang lifestyle really do seem to go hand in hand, unfortunately. I'm always amazed how many
successful rap artists can't leave that lifestyle behind, and still get involved in shootings and drug crime. You don't - it seems - get that in any other genre of music. They're not role models in any way (and that's
ignoring other factors like attitudes to women and gay people).
It must be a horrible life for these gang kids - constantly trying to show how tough you are, never showing "weakness", trying to "out-macho" everyone else. I bet deep down they're scared all the time, no wonder they only feel safe in gangs.
And this really
is off-topic. :roll: