Modern Rap Music: Mining the Melodies for Mental Health Resources

Abstract

Modern Rap music is a very popular, powerful, and controversial form of contemporary youth media. Despite clearly counter-productive aspects of certain lyrics, videos, and other cultural elements, Rap music also offers prosocial material that can enhance the appeal and impact of mental health interventions. This article describes the Young Warriors program as an example of a Rap-based program that promotes positive development in urban ethnic minority youth. Future directions and similar scholarly efforts are also highlighted.