Essay Plan

To what extent is violence used in rap/grime music videos, such as those featuring K Koke, and should audiences be protected from it through censorship?

1. Introduction

• Brief description of my investigation

2. Rap/Grime Music Industry

• Outline of the industry
• Media Impact
• History of Regulation & Censorship in Rap/Grime music

3. Regulation & Censorship Of Rap/Music Videos

• Examples of censored music videos, why they were censored?
• Uncensored music videos. Why regulation should become more stricter?

4. Music & Violence. Is There A Link?

• "Violent music may possibly make a path for violence, but it does not and can not cause violence. Violent music can only stir emotions in a person, and if that person commits a crime, then it is that person's own fault. For the song did not go into the street and rob a person or shoot a person opening a door."
• The link between rap/grime music and violence in today's society. How it emerges?
• Is this why regulation and censorship should be stricter? To protect audiences?

5. Moral Panics Created By Rap/Grime Music Videos

• " Songs with violent lyrics increase aggression related thoughts and emotions and this effect is directly related to the violence in the lyrics, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association (APA). - arguing that it is causing an increase in violence and so audiences should be protected from music videos as, it could lead to negative effects.
• Grime music has lead to an increase in criminality as wrong messages are given out in music videos - "Do scenes like these suggest that music videos are encouraging their viewers to indulge in criminality? Senior members of the Metropolitan Police think so. They have laid the blame for a surge in violence in recent years outside club nights – particularly East London events associated with grime, the British rap genre – on videos showcasing violence and thuggery."

6. Audience Theories

• Cultivation Theory - "One finding of this research is that when people are exposed to heavy media violence, they seem to have an attitudinal misconception called mean world syndrome. This means that they overestimate how much violence actually occurs in their communities and the rest of the world. People who are exposed to less media violence have a more realistic sense of the amount of violence in the real world. 
• Hypodermic Needle Theory - "They express the view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. There is no escape from the effect of the message in these models. The population is seen as a sitting duck. People are seen as passive and are seen as having a lot media material "shot" at them. People end up thinking what they are told because there is no other source of information." 
• Using these quotes, show how these theories come into my investigation.
• Violence in grime and rap music should be censored as these theories suggest people could view music videos and see the type of violence that is taking place and could lead to a rise in criminality, especially in youths.

7. Conclusion - Should It Be Censored?

• Violence is used in different ways in music videos, if not shown in music videos, the lyrics of the artists create ideologies of violence and criminality.
• Rap/Grime music should be censored,due to some of the content that is shown in the music videos and the connotations of the lyrics. 
• Regulation should be stricter on the material that is shown to the public.
• Audiences should be protected through harmful material and once material is censored, uncensored material should be gotten rid of, as it is too easy for youths to find uncensored material e.g. the internet