Today's billboard charts are dominated by music icons like Ludicrous, Beyonce, .
A lot has changed in the current wave of popular music compared to the .
lyrics and artists of precedent decades. In earlier years, the message in songs were .
commonly about life and love, or war and depression (Linclon and Soven 1999). Elvis .
Presley ruled the 50's, as the Beatles did in the 60's, and the Begees in the 70's. Now, .
the content in songs seems to frequently be about sex, drugs, and bad relationships. One .
thing that hasn't changed is music has always been a big part of American society, and it .
has always taken an influential roll on children. But when does freedom of speech .
become too much? .
Rap known in the initially as "Hip Hop" was first researched back to the Bronx in .
New York City. Unfortunately, rap music was (and still is) not perceived by many .
Americans as an art form, but as a fad, which they hoped, would fade away. "Hip Hop" .
culture was comprised of graffiti, break dancing, and the attitude and dress of the people .
who pledged to the society and traditions of this culture. Jamaican music is thought to .
be the origin for the "Hip Hop" culture . Jamaican music had a tremendous effect on .
American rap music. One style of Jamaican music was known as "toasting". Dick .
Hebdige in his book, "Cut "N" Mix" described Jamaican "toasting" as when the Jamaican .
"disc jockies talked over the music they played. This style developed at dances in .
Jamaica known as "blues dances". "Blues dances were dances that took place in large .
halls or out in the open in the slum yards. "Blues dances" were a regular feature of ghetto .
life in Jamaica."(Harver 35) At these dances black America R&B records were played. .
Jamaicans were introduced to these records by black American sailors stationed on the .
island and by American radio stations in and around Miami that played R&B records. .
Some favorite R&B artists were Fats Domino, Amos Melburn, Louis Jordan, and Roy .
