Do you think Rap music influences crime?

First off, I'm not hating on Rap. I actually like some of it.
But today at work i was having a conversation with my friend and we were talking about Rap music (mainly mainstream), and if it influences people to commit crimes.
Most rap songs (mainstream) are about drugs, killing, gang life, etc. as we all know. Could this be "responsible' for why people turn to a gang life and start commiting crimes instead of doing better things for themselves? Do they consider the rappers their idols and let their music influence them to do crimes and live a 'thug' or 'gang' life.
 
I'm not saying the rappers are intentionally trying to get people to live this way, im sure most of them would go against their fans becoming criminals, but people are stupid and let things get to their heads and do stupid stuff.
I'm not saying I believe that rap music is somewhat responsible for this, i just want to see some of yalls opinion. 
I am aware that crime often starts due to living in poverty and being poor

not really... crime has been around way before rap music has... and crime was just as evil as it was yesteryear as it is in modern days... 

No not really it might play a miniscule part but their are other much bigger factors that contribute to crime 

No, not really. It can be an outlet for some, like violent movies, and violent video games, etc. 

It's the other way around.Crime influenced Rap.

Nope.

It's the other way around.Crime influenced Rap.

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  

I think crime influences crime

not really... crime has been around way before rap music has... and crime was just as evil as it was yesteryear as it is in modern days... 

No. The crime is already there. However it does often help perpetuate the cycle. The images portrayed in rap music are shaped by its audience, which, and I'm not trying to be racial, is predominantly white.(Honestly, Rap songs often make it to the top of the Billboard Chart. Even if every minority person was to purchase and like a song, there would no way the song would reach the top of the national chart, and thus the white majority must make up the major audience for rap music). Negative images such as the "drug dealer" and "thug" plays to societies love affair with the "hero-badman" archetype. Sense it sells to the audience, the images are promoted and sold more over more positive images. Young people, especially minorities(which includes includes poor white), are easily swayed by these images, looking to make a way out of bad situation. The youth see these images as a means of escape, and follow the example, perpetuating the cycle already existing in those bad environments.

@velle37 said:

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  

This isn't even true.....this is the biggest misconception with the music.The only people who feel like they have to imitate this kind of stuff is other rappers so they can sell records.

Only because 95% of it sucks, and bad music makes people angry.

No

If all the songs about crime, and violent movies and video games disappeared today there would still be crime and violence tomorrow because crime has existed ever since we invented laws and violence is a part of nature plain and simple  

Do i feel rap music influences crime? No. Do I feel crime influences rap music? Yes. A lot of the songs are about plotting, committing, escaping or enjoying the gains from a crime. More are about how many crimes the artist or character has done. A great deal of songs however are not about crime at all. Rap, like any genre of music, has story telling songs, head nodding songs, sensuality songs, bragging songs, humour songs and so on. Could argue a great deal of the more radio played and popular rap or hip hop is based around sexuality then crime, same as rock, metal, country or pop.

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  

It's the other way around.Crime influenced Rap.

Yes, the same reason how some kids thought acting out Grand Theft Auto in real life was okay. To be honest this is no more than 5% of the population.

@Vance Astro said:

@velle37 said:

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  

This isn't even true.....this is the biggest misconception with the music.The only people who feel like they have to imitate this kind of stuff is other rappers so they can sell records.

They don't even imitate it they just act like they do.

Some of it yes. 
 
 
But when people like Lupe Fiasco are out there......

It's the other way around.Crime influenced Rap.

@velle37 said:

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  

This isn't even true.....this is the biggest misconception with the music.The only people who feel like they have to imitate this kind of stuff is other rappers so they can sell records.

@cascadeking09 said:

@Vance Astro said:

@velle37 said:

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  

This isn't even true.....this is the biggest misconception with the music.The only people who feel like they have to imitate this kind of stuff is other rappers so they can sell records.

They don't even imitate it they just act like they do.

Exactly.People are more likely to imitate a rappers lingo,styles or demeanor rather then his\her actions themselves.

Other rappers aren't the only ones who imitate criminal behavior to be cool... I've seen firsthand in my neighborhood what I mentioned above.....

Some of it yes.... Kids hear it and think it's cool, and imitate it... Most are pressured because if they are not thuggish then they are not percieved as "real" or "street" or whatever.......  I don't think rap misic, or rap musician purposefully tries to contribute to crime, but I do see it as a miniscule factor.........  History, economy, and social structure have far more effect on the crime rate than a single genre of music, so if any "effort" was to be put into a solution, or any emotional stigma to be placed upon that which is to be blamed, it should start there.......

kinda

I'm so sick of this blame every thing except the criminal bullsh*t if someone is going to commit a crime they're going to do it whether or not a song tells them to. And why is it just rap getting this crap for? Johnny Cash sings about murdering someone for the hell of it and no one claims he's encouraging homicide, Ted Nuggent screams that we should kill the president thru a megaphone in his stage shows and no one says a word, the dixie chicks had a number one hit song about vigilante murder and everybody claims its just girl power, but if a rapper mentions smoking pot the whole world claims he's trying to destroy America can anyone explain this to me? 

@velle37 said:

Other rappers aren't the only ones who imitate criminal behavior to be cool... I've seen firsthand in my neighborhood what I mentioned above.....

When you said you've seen it in your neighborhood..what exactly was the crime that was committed?

Of course not how do explain all does heinous acts mankind committed before rap?

Music as well as all forms of media reflect culture and society.

@Vance Astro said:

@velle37 said:

Other rappers aren't the only ones who imitate criminal behavior to be cool... I've seen firsthand in my neighborhood what I mentioned above.....

When you said you've seen it in your neighborhood..what exactly was the crime that was committed?

Drug dealing, purchasing/owning illegalweapons, stupid stuff like that..... But like I said, rap is a miniscule factor in crime...... The said things could have been said about rock (drug usage), or violent video games, or movies, or any form of media...... Rap is just stigmatized because the group of people it is usually associated with is stigmatized...... Like I said, historical, and socioeconomical factors contribute much more than a single genre of music ever could to crime rates.....

Depends on the rap. A lot of gangsta rap do. Remember the Eastside v Westside? Though there's a deeper cause of violence than just the diss songs, it still played a role in it. But mostly mainstream ones don't really contribute to crime.

No.

Poverty and lack of education influences crime. Its a generalization that varies in degree that people affected by poverty and lack of education listen to a certain type of music, because they are sold a certain type of music, however music's and specifically rap music target audience is very, very broad and in that sense if you weigh up the numbers, you'd find that its influence as far as crime is fairly minimal and insignificant. 

Depends on the rap. A lot of gangsta rap do. Remember the Eastside v Westside? 

@Darkerman: Other music from the original gangsters like Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and Vivaldi.

No.  I think that some people are just insane.  You can't blame a media if there are other people out there listening to the same music but not out commiting crimes.