Are Certain Music Fans More Likely to Murder?

"Bang to the pow, Wang to the mouth, Boom go tha wicked clowns southwest style. From Pluto to your anus, we are underground famous..."

"Your mouth's flapping and I smell shit (BITCH SHUT UP!)
F*** you and who you run with (BITCH SHUT UP!)"

"Cops on my tail, so I bail till I dodge them, They finally pull me over and I laugh,

Remember Rodney King- And I blast his punk ass, Now I got a murder case . . .

. . . What the f --- would you do? Drop them or let them drop you? I choose droppin' the cop!"

The first two lyrics were from Insane Clown Posse (ICP), and the last one is from Ice-T, "Cop Killer". Ice-T's song was the subject of renewed debate in a Texas murder case Ronald Ray Howard, a 19-year-old Texan was convicted 43-year-old state Trooper Bill Davidson on a highway near Victoria, about 100 miles outside Houston in April of 1992.

In another case, Michael Goucher was found dead in the woods last February after having been stabbed with a knife and a meat cleaver more than 20 times. The two men arrested in connection with the attack on the 21-year-old called themselves "Juggalos."

Whoever is a devoted fan of the ICP considers themselves a Juggalo. They are now a gang classification in Utah, Arizona and Monroe County, Pa. Despite the band's protests, there is mounting evidence that followers of their particular brand of music, otherwise known as "horrorcore", are more likely to act upon the music's violent messages being crammed down their throats.

I have a hard time believing that all violent music fans are liable to chop up people with axes and blast someone's head off. However, there are people who are unstable out there that will gravitate to certain genres of music, i.e. ones with violent lyrics, and begin to identify with the bands' messages. Quickly, they spin out and start acting out the music's' lyrics. People who are disturbed are unlikely to listen to classical music, or something that is uplifting-it simply doesn't make sense, they aren't looking for improvement in their moods, rather, they want to identify with someone.

Studies have found that young subjects who watched violent rap videos were more accepting of violent actions, particularly against women. Additionally, those who watched either violent or nonviolent rap videos were more inclined to express materialistic attitudes and favor potentially acquiring possessions through crime, as well as holding more negative views on the likelihood of succeeding through academic pursuits.

Interestingly, only rap music with misogynistic themes appears to create misogynistic attitudes and greater acceptance of violence against women. Other types of rap do not have a negative effect on the perception of women.

Even in an ever-increasing liberal world that we live in; groups like the ICP aren't allowed to have their music sold in traditional and popular stores. They won't be heard on the radio, or even on MTV.

All I have to say is, after listening to just a couple of minutes of the videos attached to this article, I was greatly disturbed and feeling very uncomfortable. Despite being around criminals most of my life, and being a witness to many gory and vicious acts of crime, nothing compared to the videos I just watched! Anyone who can watch these videos and think that sort of savage imagery doesn't illicit violence is really disturbed!