Peer Group #1

The first group presentation that I would like to write about is that of the Music Helps group. There presentation on how rap music and its positive and negative role models effect the behavior of young people in society. Some of the statistics this group were able to come up with were very surprising. The fact that in a study that involved your women listening to rap music for a year it was found that thirty percent of those women acquired a new STD and that over seventy percent consumed alcohol was a shocking stat. It was also shown how role models in the music industry affect how people act. This topic of positive and negative role models is something that I have taken to heart and I have begun to evaluate artists on what type of message is sent out to the listeners. Trey Songz was cited as a negative influence and once I began to think about it I really did not see many good and important topics covered in his songs. Another artist that I picked out on my own who I feel has nothing but a negative impact on black culture is Wiz Khalifa. Many of his songs deal primarily with weed and none at all focus on relevant issues that could help a young person become inspired or motivated to be better. Positive role models such as Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and John Legend do exist but it seems as if that are far outnumbered by the negative