By Danielle Cramberg

When people think of rap and hip-hop, a few things come to mind: women, cars, money. Most assume that rappers make music for the money and the fame. Not everyone realizes the influence that rap can have, nor the powerful messages it may send.

The popularity of rap gives it the power it currently possesses. Teenagers and adults alike find the themes in rap easy to relate to; people find inspiration and hope through it that they wouldn’t have stumbled upon in any other way. Rap offers the desire to want more from life than what society might expect.

Rap, often associated with criminal and immoral behaviors, gives more insight to why people with that lifestyle behave the way they do. Rappers disclose personal and intimate aspects of their lives in order to connect further with their listeners. They discuss genuinely significant and controversial topics to spread awareness amongst their fan base and create more educated listeners.

In this series of articles, rap will be discovered and examined to present the fact that rap can be so much more than it seems. Stay tuned.