According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the No. 1 cause of death for African-American males ages 1 to 44 is homicide.
No other racial or ethnic group of males in the U.S. has murder as the leading cause of death for these age groups. Moreover, this statistic does not include the murder of the unborn, which the black community also leads.
Over the years, as I have processed this information, I have reflected on my own experience as a black man growing up in a predominately black community and the most significant influence in my life before I came to know Jesus Christ: hip-hop culture.
Recently, star NBA player Ja Morant recorded himself on Instagram brandishing a handgun at a nightclub and in a car. On both occasions, Morant and his cohorts were clearly listening to hip-hop music.
NBA player Patrick Beverly stated the following regarding Morant’s behavior:
“I think music has a lot to do with this now, especially with this culture. Everybody holding a gun in the video is OK. … The culture now is, ‘Shoot ’em up, bang bang, bang bang, shoot ’em up.’ … That’s what the younger generation is, sadly to say. It shouldn’t be based on our music, but it is mostly based on what we listen to.”
He is correct. Founding Father Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a supporter of the Constitution, once said, “We are able to discover the virtues and vices of different nations by their [music] as certainly by their laws. The effects of music upon the passions are powerful and extensive.”
Prison Music Hip-Hop / RAP should be BANNED !!!!