By: Frank James
Special to the Milwaukee Times
The other day a friend sent me a link to a TikTok video. The video was of a young African American male doing poetry. This man mentioned how odd it was that while driving around, and at supposed fun outings, African Americans listened to music that talked about murder. The video clip let me know that a portion of young African Americans had begun to understand. These enlightened young African Americans are grasping the fact that music shapes minds, and can sometime create negative outcomes. This is a sign of hope for all African Americans.
For years I have said that the music people listen to affect how they act, and view the world. In the African American community there is no doubt about the impact music has on the people. The way people dress, and pronounce words in the African American community often comes from music. The situation that has many African Americans nervous is the type of music that is influencing African Americans.
The entire African American community understands something has to change in African American culture. The glorification of ignorance disguised as lyrical poetry, and talent, has to end. Ignorance and buffoonery has to be exposed as what it is and not proclaimed as, “Telling it like it is.” The previous statement has led to many African American communities becoming a war zone, physically and mentally. One of the key factors to this disintegration of the African American community is music.
There is no need to beat a dead horse at this point. It is well known that the trap music, hip hop, gangster rap has impacted the African American community in an extremely negative way. The glorification of exploiting African American women has led to severe esteem issues that are hidden with outlandish beauty embellishments. The causal way murder of other African Americans, usually males, is discussed in music has its’ own impact on the community. Yet, there is hope if the young African American populace can understand the stupidity of the music. The destruction that started in the late 1980’s can finally come to a halt.
If young African Americans can see the insanity of listening to a song about murder at a family event, they may just live to see the year 2075. The complexity of the situation about the impact of the music on the African American community is so simple it becomes complex. Look at the formula for a typical African American gathering: music that extolls murder and degradation, alcoholic beverages, chicken wings, programmed self hate. When you add all of this together, and sprinkle in low intelligence and an absence of morals, you get some form of violence. It doesn’t matter if it is a party in the so called, “hood” or a college campus. The recipe is one for destruction, sooner or later. This is why young African Americans have to grasp this concept now.
I have not mentioned the middle aged African American. You would think that the more “mature” African American would grasp the impact of the music. In many cases this isn’t the case. Many middle aged African Americans listen to the music because of familiarity. These middle aged African Americans were so bombarded with negativity during their youth, via music and entertainment, until they have become tainted. Sadly, many of these lost souls spread the taint to their offspring. Yet, there may be hope for these souls too. Their children may save them.
It is good to know that there are some young African Americans who understand the impact of music. Young African Americans need to hear something positive coming from their peers. If African American youth can turn it around, on all levels, the culture can be salvaged. Here’s to the future.
Frank James IV © 2026
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or HT Group, LLC, its staff or management. “Being Frank” is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.
