Censorship Censorship of music is something that has been around since the first rap groups came out in the early eighties. Most rap groups used explicit lyrics and sexual content, and were immediately labeled indecent and banned from radio and television shows. Any form of censorship that restricts media to a certain audience is not only wrong, but also a violation of the first amendment. If someone does not like the message that a certain group or song is sending to the audience, then it is their choice to turn it off. However, no individual, special interest group, or government should be allowed to deny someone of the basic human right of freedom of speech.
Most attempts to suppress music in the United States are one hundred percent legal. Music censorship is usually a community's attempt to ban music that offends people in that area. While the First Amendment states that it is illegal to censor an artist, it does not apply to censorship by record companies or radio stations.
English: 15th Amendment of the United States Const...
English: The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendme...
The "free speech zone" at the 2004 Democratic Nati...So lyrics from controversial rappers such as Eminem and 2 Live Crew cannot be controlled, but the radio stations and stores that sell them can. The Senate is now trying to pass a law that will make CD's have warning labels similar to the ones on cigarette packs that provide information about lyrical content. Supporters of censorship claim that most rap and heavy metal groups promote drugs and violence.
Censorship is something that cannot easily be eradicated. As long as artists continue to exercise their rights of freedom of speech, you can expect censors following close behind. Music censorship has not just been aimed at heavy metal and rap, though. Each generation has had a style of music or a group or individual that has pushed the boundaries of being...