Can Music Really Be Subversive?

Ah music, one of my favourite pastimes. As I sit here listening to Frank Sinatra I'm enjoying every note from the vocals of the legend. Don't met me wrong I'm no music snob for every Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin I enjoy an Oasis, an Arctic Monkeys and ovvasionally I can be seen rocking out to some drum N Bass.

Enough introduction, what interests me is that some scholars, parents and conservatives feel music can be a negative influence. Is nothing safe in our decaying society? Mozart must be spinning in his grave, im sure nobody ever murdered somebody as a direct result of one of his symphonies.

Almost synonymous with violence as a result of its music, the rap and hip hop genre usually fall victim in being pigenholed a bad influence upon society. What angers me about this is that the musical genre is spoilt by a few talent-devoid artists such as 50 Cent who does little more to further the genres devlopment than advertise and glamorise a life of crime.

For instance a website I found states,

In the UK anti-gun campaigners called on stores to withdraw 50 Cent's computer game Bulletproof. Players follow Fiddy from crack-dealing gangsta to superstar by gunning down, stabbing and strangling rivals

http://www.clarkyboy.com/rapmusic.htm

Irresponsibility can be subjected upon many celebrities.Rockstars get drunk almost on a nightly basis and models almost promote anorexia but for an artist and more shockingly the computer games producers to condone this style of violence on-screen in a computer game sickens me. Yes we have all heard of Grand Theft Auto, but this game is postered with a recognisable face whose legions of fans, many I suspect vulnerable and impressionable youngsters may opt to follow suit, inspired by the game.

I consider music, in all forms and shapes as a creative form thriving in both commercial and artistic fibre. When music is subject to censorship because a few ill-advised musicians whose intention is to shock through lyric defeats the very purpose of music for me. If The Who were rebelling for an entire generation (mind the pun), then 50 Cent is merely flashing his bottom. Immature and ineffective.