Tel-Chai Nation

Addiction Research and Theory has reported that rap music has been glamorizing drug abuse themes for almost 3 decades now (Hat tip: Hot Air Headlines). After an initial period where they were actually condemned, things began going downhill:

After sampling 341 lyrics from rap music's most popular hits between 1979 and 1997, the researchers found references to drugs had increased six-fold over that period.

Of the 38 most popular songs between 1979 and 1984, only four contained drug references. But by the late 1980s the incidence had increased to 19 percent, and after 1993 nearly 70 percent of rap songs mentioned drug use.

Lyrics describing drug use have not only became more frequent but the context changed from concern about the devastation of drugs to a more positive portrayal.

So if there wasn't anything wrong with rap at first, now there is. Let's not forget that the glorification of misogyny and profanity in rap has become more frequent in recent years too. Just take a look at some of the BS that Slim Shady's been putting out, to name but one!

She added that much of what is discussed in rap is in code.

"The kids understand but parents don't," Herd explained in an interview.

The word "flinging," for example, means selling drugs. Some slang words for marijuana include "broccoli," "trees" and "chronic." "Fat sacks" and "strapped horns" refer to cocaine smoking pipes, according to the study.

Studies have shown rap music is one of the fastest-growing genres in American pop culture today and plays a prominent role in youth culture.

And I think that's why it's got to STOP. Period. Incidentally, the real name for marijuana is cannabis; marijuana in and of itself is also a slang word, taken from a woman's name in the Spanish-Portuguese format. And you know something? After a little bit of thinking, I find it offensive to use a woman's name as slang for drugs. What next, will we be hearing some jerks using Japanese women's names like Sayuri and Ryoko as slangs? If I ever discover something like that happening, I will hit the roof.

And that's why as of now, I'm not going to use marijuana as slang for cannabis anymore. It's stupid, and some people should consider.

Labels: showbiz