Does Rap Music Hurt Children?
by Joseph Weinstein

"Rap music is destructive and it hurts the children and teenagers who listen to it," says Mary Vossberg, a registered nurse and mother of two who founded the organization Mothers Against Rap Music (M.A.R.M.). The mission of M.A.R.M. is to stop the production and sale of violent and misogynistic rap music to minors. The group also educates parents about the content of the  "gangsta rap" music being broadcast on public radio and cable television channels.

According to Vossberg, "Many mothers don't realize the content of some of the music being marketed and sold to children and teenagers in the United States.  I think if parents understood the lyrical content of this music, promoting drug use, violence and casual sex, they would be outraged."

Mary first became involved in this issue when she listened to a rap CD that her 5-year old son brought home from school.  The CD, by a group calling themselves Rap Bastardz, was a wakeup call for Mary. "After hearing this music I had to get active," she says.  "These artists are irresponsibly promoting a destructive lifestyle to our children."

"Kids who are exposed to this music don't realize that it's not real.  They think that these people live like this every day, and they see that society is rewarding them for it."  She points out song titles like Hookers and Blow or Kidz Don't Smoke (Enough Weed).

"I believe in the First Amendment," says Vossberg. "Adults should be able to listen to or watch anything they want, but this music is being marketed to children, and it plays on our public airwaves.  It has no redeeming social value.  Kids are being hurt by listening to this music, and we have to do something to stop it."

Vossberg quotes a study by researcher Ralph J. Diclemente, PhD, of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.  His study, published in the March issue of American Journal of Public Health, explores the emotional and physical effects of teenagers watching violent "gangsta rap" music videos.

Diclemente studied 522 black girls between the ages of 14 and 18 from non-urban, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods.  He found that, compared to girls who never or rarely watched these videos, the ones who viewed these type of videos for at least 14 hours per week were far more likely to practice numerous destructive behaviors.

These girls were three times more likely to strike a teacher, 2.5 times more likely to get arrested, twice as likely to have multiple sexual partners and 1.5 times more likely to get an S.T.D., use drugs or drink alcohol.

The researchers are expanding their research to investigate how these videos might influence behaviors across other gender, race and socioeconomic lines. Despite their depiction of tough inner-city street life, the largest viewing audience for rap videos is white suburban youth with access to cable television channels such as MTV and BET (Black Entertainment Network).

This comes at a time when the rap music community is under fire following a wave of headlines regarding violence in rap music.  The Rev. Al Sharpton has asked the Federal Communications Commission to punish artists and radio stations connected with violent acts.  This in response to a bitter feud that broke out between artists 50 Cent and the Game in February. A member of the Game's entourage was wounded during a shooting outside a New York hip-hop radio station
while 50 Cent was on air criticizing the Game.  Also, Grammy-winning hip-hop star Lil' Kim could face years in prison when she is sentenced in June after being convicted last week for lying about a shootout outside the same New York radio station.

"Mothers need to get together and demand that these companies stop manufacturing and marketing music that hurts our children," says Vossberg.  The group plans to organize and lobby congress to more strictly regulate radio and cable television.  They also plan to pressure companies that produce rap music and channels such at MTV and BET that air rap music videos.  "This is just the beginning," Mary declares. "We are sick of our values being undermined by the
secular media.  We are mothers, and we are fighting mad!"

You can view the M.A.R.M. website at www.stoprapmusic.org.

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Rap Bastardz Respond to M.A.R.M.
by Joseph Weinstein

I contacted the Rap Bastardz concerning and read them my article on M.A.R.M.  Jesus H. Christ and Soup2Nutz, two of the rappers in the group, sent me this response:

Jesus: First off, it's not my fault her stupid kid got his hands on our CD but I'd like to see his Bastardz CD and make sure that punk didn't copy it illegally. If he did then I say we call the feds and have them toss his little punk ass in juvie for a few years. 

Soup: Feds?  Dude, if he has a burnt CD I say we pull a "Jay and Silent Bob" and go kick his ass personally - in front of his tight-ass mom.

Jesus: Speaking of his tight-assed mom, I think it's obvious someone isn't getting any sex at home, eh Mary Vossberg?  I bet her husband is some workaholic who is never at home and works late hours... you get the picture.  Perhaps she just needs a hot oil massage from therapist-in-training, Mr. Flossy B.  I think the high hard one would shut this broad and make her forget rap music even existed.

Soup: Are you kidding?  I don't want her to forget about rap or the Rap Bastardz.  This cock-monster is gonna help us sell more CDs than "Fanny Pack", "Vanilla Ice" and "William Shatner" combined.  Nothing will make me happier than sending this dick-choker a picture of us polishing our gold record.  Maybe I'll wipe my ass with the photo before we send it.  It will be like giving her a stink palm via snail mail.

Jesus: In all seriousness, I think the crap that Britney Spears and Ashlee Simpson put out, which is really marketed towards young kids, is far more damaging.  What does that "music" teach young kids? That's nothing more that sexualizing underage girls. At least we never promote pedophilia.  Have we ever promoted pedophilia, Soup?

Soup: I can't recall ever talking about it, if that's what you mean.  But I have to agree with you that putting a 16 year old girl in a push-up bra, micro mini and 6" whore pumps while she lip syncs about finding love is way more insulting than anything we have to say.  For real, when the pre-bitch daughters of these M.A.R.M. moms turn 30 and 60% of them are divorced, 70% of them are fat as fuck, 80% live at or below poverty level, they will wonder why their mom's ever cared about Rap Bastardz.  We're not trying to tell them that love is the only way to be happy, we're
not the one's stuffing their faces with French fries and we're not the one's spending their tax money on bombs.  Why are we the criminals?

Jesus: This Mary Dork-smoker chick says that our music isn't real?  I dare her to hang with us for a weekend and see just how real the Rap Bastard lifestyle is. And so what if we promote hookers and blow to her kid?  Is she saying her 10-year-old son can actually get a hooker?  I doubt that very much.  Believe me, it's not as easy as you would think and just a tip: don't talk to the ones on Sunset with Walkie-talkies.  Boy was that a mistake.  And where's her little boy gonna get a hold of some good blow?  It's not like he's old enough to stroll into the back room of Jumbo's Clown Room.  I think the Bible has much worse content than our songs have.  The Bible even talks about stoning people.  That reminds me, Soup, stone me please.

Soup: Flossy, you heard the man...stone him!  Don't think just cause you weaseled your way into the group somehow that you don't have to score the drugs still. While you're at I need a "weekender" - 10 tabs of E, ¼ of weed, 2 grams of C.  I'll need that delivered by Tuesday and another one delivered on Friday.  And don't try to make this some sort of racist thing either, you know what you were hired to do!  But I digress, Mary Vossberg can suck a nut!  M.A.R.M. can eat my balls...bring your daughters.  If the worst thing that happens to your daughter in her lifetime
hearing Rap Bastardz, smoking some weed and getting the double-donged by a couple of bastardz...consider that tramp lucky!

You can check out the Rap Bastardz at www.rapbastardz.com