The Hip-hop and rap genre started off as a way for rappers to boast about a lavish or “gangsta” lifestyle. Media and political groups have blamed the rap genre all through its history for promoting violence, especially in youth. In some songs this may be a valid accusation, but many artists argue that rap just like any other genre a person needs the historical and cultural background knowledge of its roots to understand the true meaning of a rap song. “The Message” is a great example of this. It was a song that exemplifies what growth in hip-hop was. Hip-hop originally being party chants, and then turning into “gangsta” music was the first step, but “The Message” truly is a message on its own and uses its lyrics to spread awareness about the truth of the culture that rap came from in the first place.