I am generally suspicious of studies that concentrate on lyrics alone, as if that is the only way music communicates its message. Part of the difficulty in dealing with music - even as opposed to film - is that it is so polysemic; it communicates on so many levels at once. On a visit to Latin America, I once interviewed a group of youth who were interested in creating positive, socially engaged rap music. When I asked about their musical influences, they rattled off all the US gangsta rappers included in Herd's study. When I pointed out that these artists were criticized in the United States for being the most violent and misogynist, they expressed surprise. They explained that they did not understand any of the lyrics, but were attracted to the flow of the music. This is probably also true of many young people in the United States, the targets of the music in this study.
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