Ryan Ross

MUN 2512
Journal 4 Question 4
Controversial Music
One of the main purposes of this class is to not only understand cultural music, but to
connect American music to the rest of the world. What I learned most in this class so far is that
cultural information is the bridge for cultural acceptance and tolerance. This being said, not all
people take the time to understand cultures around them, and it cause controversy and uproar.
This has happened very often in the United States.
The first time a musical form in the United States became controversial was jazz music in
the early 1900s. As anyone with jazz knowledge knows, jazz music has its roots in the African
American slave music. Once slavery was abolished, the music stayed in the African American
culture. It is no secret that the general American culture did not appreciate the African American
culture at all. Segregation was well underway in America at the beginning of jazz, and it was
looked upon as a forbidden musical genre. White Americans, especially in New York and New
Orleans, started to break the racial barrier, and recognize that the music was a well respected
style and sound. After the small White exposure to jazz, the music began to seep out into the
general public. With the new popularity of jazz came new controversy. Many Americans didnt
respect this new art because it was a mainly African American driven music. Propaganda and
other government driven worries fueled a public dismay towards jazz music. It wasnt until
white jazz musicians like Glenn Miller took on the beast of jazz music, and popularized it with
the American masses.

I think it goes without saying that these controversies have gone and past. These do not
seem reasonable to me now. Asking me if this would have seemed reasonable in the early 1900s
could not really be answered. I have no idea, because, as bad as that time was back then for
African Americans, society was different. The way people were raised directly influences how
the different cultures are seen and respected. In the time of Segregation and the birth of jazz,
anything tied to the coloreds was considered bad and undesirable. This was shoved down the
throats of everyone in the United States, and parents taught their children this as well.
Another major controversy in music was rap music, another prodominently African
American music. Rap music immerged in the 1980s, and, thankfully, most of the racism in the
United States had subsided. Rap music was not disrespected and controversial because of its
origins culture, like jazz music in the early 1900s. Rap music, as a collective whole, usually
includes more mature themes than other musical genres. Many raps songs are about sex or sexual
acts, drug use or distribution, or violence. This music, when it first debuted, was seen as too
vulgar for children to listen to. Parents believed that children would be strongly influenced by the
songs strong words, and would cause a spur of violence and drug use. This trend was scary for
parents, because the 80s and 90s were some of the most liberated times in history, and parents
were scared that children might take advantage of the more tolerant world. This increase in
violence and drug use never actually happened. What most people at the time didnt realize was
that rap music was a way to release anger and added tension. The music was an outlet for many
people, performers and listeners alike, to release unwanted tension from their lives without
actually committing any of the songs lyrics.
This, again, is not a reasonable claim in my opinion, but I can see why there could be
some concern for a parent. A parents once job is to keep their children safe, and they will do

anything to make sure that it happens. The songs were controversial because they, in the eyes of
the parents, promoting vulgar things. It is a reasonable fear to have as a parent. The songs, if I am
to be honest, can be vulgar and rude just for the sake of being vulgar and rude. Most parents, like
myself when I have children, will probably have my children avoid these types of music until
they can fully understand what they are listening to.
Controversy can spur up about anything, and music is not immune to this problem. Music
in the United States has been a rough road. Controversies usually follow a massive social or
national movement. If history is on our side, any controversy in music will subside.