Hi Max,
Thanks for sharing your opinions.
Yes, rap is a form of art. Well, calling “mumble rap” an art is perhaps a bit of a stretch, especially when compared with, say, Nas’ Illmatic album. But hey, music is subjective.
I might as well structure my responses in the same manner as you did:
1) I’m not sure this is a response to anything I wrote in my article? But thanks for the recommendations. I shall pass them on to the next axe-murderer I meet ;)
2) I never claimed that rap was unique in dealing with violence etc. Some of its sub-genres are, however, unique in how it echoes and glorifies a very specific subculture found in poor, segregated communities with a high concentration of crime and gang activity. Young troubled boys in crime-stricken areas of Sweden don’t listen to Johnny Cash or medieval songs about cannibalism. They typically listen to gangster rap and drill music that complements the identities (and skewed world-views) many of them have adopted.
3) Have you ever been to a mosh pit? On a more serious note, I think there are some conflicting studies on this. I hate to quote myself, but as I write in my article: “Gangster rap and Drill is never the sole cause, but to pretend that it is not an organ in an anatomy of influences, is to ignore the profound effects music has on people, let alone young developing ones.” And so on.
4) Agreed. I’m against censorship too. I hope that was clear in my article.