BAD RAP FOR RAP - BIAS IN REACTIONS TO MUSIC LYRICS

This research examines the recent public outcry against violent rap so ngs such as Ice T's ''Cop Killer.'' It was hypothesized that rap lyric s receive more negative criticism than other types of lyrics, perhaps because of their association with Black culture. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of musical genre and race of singer on reactions to violent song lyrics. The results support the hypothesis. When a violent lyrical passage is represented as a rap song, or assoc iated with a Black singer, subjects find the lyrics objectionable, wor ry about the consequences of such lyrics, and support some form of gov ernment regulation. If the same lyrical passage is presented as countr y or folk music, or is associated with a White artist, reactions to th e lyrics are significantly less critical on all dimensions. The findin gs are briefly discussed in terms of various models of racism and ster eotyping.