RADICAL RAP - DOES IT FURTHER ETHNIC DIVISION

African-American and White high-school students were exposed to a seri es of music videos featuring (a) popular rock, (b) nonpolitical rap, o r (c) radical political rap. They recorded their enjoyment after expos ure. In a purportedly unrelated subsequent study, the students, after assessment of their self-esteem, took part in a mock student-governmen t election. African-American and White candidates presented ethnically (a) liberal, (b) neutral, or (c) radical platforms. It was found that African-American students enjoyed rap more than rock, whereas White s tudents enjoyed rock more than rap. More important, musical genres wer e without consequence for the self-esteem of African-American students . Self-esteem of White students was marginally affected: Compared to e xposure to rock, it was higher after exposure to rap, but only with re gard to scholastic abilities. Musical genres were also without consequ ence for African-American students' support of candidates. In contrast , White students' candidate support was significantly affected: After exposure to radical political rap, White students gave more support to a White, ethnically radical candidate than after exposure to nonpolit ical rap or popular rock. Radical political rap thus appeared to motiv ate White adolescents to support efforts toward racial harmony and to oppose White-supremacy agendas. At the same time, a positive effect of radical political rap on ethnic consciousness and on feelings of ethn ic solidarity could not be demonstrated for African-American adolescen ts.