Research Proposal

Jephthah Owusu
Independent Research G/T
2019-2020

Research Proposal

Research Title: ​Malicious Melodies: Does Hip Hop Create Perpetrators of Domestic Violence?

Overview of Research:
This research will attempt to define a correlation between hip hop music and the nature of
domestic violence. It will rely mostly on primary document analysis, specifically documents
pertaining to processes, chemicals, and structures within the brain that relate to emotions, such as
the release of dopamine, the front lobe of the cerebral cortex, and the increase of gray matter
volume. It will also require documents that focus on the history of sensitive, sexual hip hop
lyrics. Otherwise,interviews with hip hop experts that discuss the transition of hip hop from
being socially conscious to reflecting misogyny and interviews with domestic violence
organization members that assist in demystifying the issue of domestic violence itself will satisfy
the rest of the data collection process. It will be best to contact local experts when conducting the
interview, as this will ensure convenience in the interview and more chances to speak with
interviewees more than once if necessary.

Background and History of the Issue

A simple glance into human history will show that music has always been a staple feature
of human life. Even before musical notes and sounds could be made, percussion like techniques
were seen as a symbol of religious worship. Today, the average person listens to about eighteen
hours a week of music, three-fourths of one day. While hip-hop is not the biggest fraction of this
music, its consumers have grown exponentially compared to its beginnings in the 1970s. Most of
these consumers are teenagers and young adults, who appreciate the rebellious and self confident
nature of the songs and artists of hip-hop. Through just the tap of their phone and a few dollars to
spare, consumers have access to all their favorite music, whether through Spotify, Pandora,
Apple Music, etc.
Not everyone appreciates the carefree tones of rap, however, and some have gone as far
as to suggest that listening to hip hop music can increase one’s chance of performing domestic
abuse. While some rap songs have tended to promote a sexually provocative image of women,
not all claims about hip hop, or music in general, are based on facts, and rather based on
opinions. This area is just one of the many surrounding the question of how music affects
behavior.
Problem Statement and Rationale
Ever since its rise in the late 1900s, voices all over the country have spoken their mind on
what they think hip hop is and how it should be treated or judged. Rarely do other genres come
under eagle eye critique, meaning that there is a stigma around the genre itself. Proving that these
critiques have factual substance will amplify the voice of critics and help support their cause
towards better music consumption. Disproving that these critiques have these critiques have
factual substance means that the voices of these critiques need to be silenced for society to make
its own decisions regarding their enjoyment of music and its making. Since this is generally a
gray area for society, it is important to ask why and to be aware of who really is affected by the
rap genre.

Research Methodology

● Research Question/Hypothesis
○ Does listening frequently to hip hop music increase one’s likelihood of becoming
a domestic predator?
○ While evidence proves that music does have an effect on behavior in young
adults, hip hop music can not be considered the sole factor as to whether one
perpetuates domestic violence.
● Basis of Hypothesis
○ A common known psychological effect of listening to music is that it releases a
chemical known as dopamine in the brain. Although dopamine is known for
making a person happy, too much dopamine can raise one’s blood pressure, and
science proves that most violent people have a high blood pressure. However, that
is only one way blood pressure can be increased; smoking, obesity, stress, and
even genetics can cause high blood pressure. And high blood pressure isn’t the
only trait violent people have nor is it always the cause for their violence: abuse,
access to weapons, or witnessing violence are other such causes.
● Research Design
○ Correlational research will be conducted. It will involve primary document
analysis of visuals of structures in the brain such as dopamine that are involved in
musical processes. It will also involve comparison of hip hop lyrics from before
the War on Drugs to lyrics soon after from specifically romantic songs in order to
prove that the War on Drugs transitioned hip hop from social consciousness to
misogyny.
 ● Operational Definitions
○ Hip Hop Music: A ​ genre of music developed by inner city African Americans and
Latinos in the 1970s. It is known for being built on primarily rhythmic
arrangements, accompanied by rapping: rhythmic speech with cadence.
○ Domestic Violence: ​Specifically in terms of a dating or marriage relationship,
when one partner performs a pattern of behaviors - whether emotional, physical,
or verbal - in order to make themselves the dominant person in a relationship.
○ Young Adults:​ A person who in terms of age ranges from their late teenage years
to their early thirties.

Product Overview
● The completed product of the research will be a published article that will provide an
analysis of domestic violence in music. It will begin with hip hop’s origins within the
Bronx of New York, and how humble beginnings turned into hectic behavior within
ghetto communities. It will then take a look at modern day hip hop artists, such as XXX
and Chris Rivers, and how their personal stories of domestic violence either were affected
by their music or how their stories affected their music. In order to transition into the
importance of domestic violence, the article will also reference cases in other genres,
such as Miles Davis in jazz or Carrie Underwood in country, where a relationship
dominance attitude was celebrated. Finally, the article will demystify the issue of
domestic violence in itself, and how the readers can contribute to causes fighting against
it.
● The audience will be middle-aged adults, most likely centered in Howard County so the
story can spread. Hopefully through local newspapers, the article can be shared, and if
not, then a website will be created for like-minded journalists to accomplish this.

Logistical Concerns
● ​This will require assistance mainly for the distribution of the article. It may be possibly
distributed both electronically and physically, so it would need platforms in order to gain
an audience. This would require some money to print the articles professionally and
possibly to put it on a platform, so communication with local news networks would be
necessary. Hopefully by the end of January, all research needed for the project would be
completed. Then by mid-February, a rough draft of the article should be completed, and
about 3 revisions should take place from mid-February to the end of March.