A few years ago when I was researching the impact of rap and hip-hop music on youth culture, I learned that a huge percentage of rap songs glorify the sexual exploitation of women. I can’t print too many examples of the lyrics here because they are laced with some of the most disgusting profanity imaginable, and many rap videos should be classified as pornography.
And yet rap/hip-hop is the most pervasive music genre in the United States today, and a huge percentage of listeners are underage school kids. With their smartphones, youth today are listening to hours and hours of songs with lyrics that glorify gun violence and sexual cruelty. Is it any surprise that kids are shooting up schools or abusing classmates when they are listening to lyrics like this?
— “Dumped her body in the trash like I never knew her / Blood runnin’ down the gutter into the sewer.” (Esham)
— “Snuck up behind him, had his hands in his pocket/ Took my pistol out, unlocked it/ Pulled the hammer back and cocked it/… And killed his [obscenity] just like Jesse James.” (Scarface)
— “Man I murder for fun but my job is never done/ From morning morn’ to the setting of the sun/ Bad men come, come, come get murdered for fun.” (Gucci Mane)
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— “Any time I got you, girl you my possession/ Even if I hit you once, you part of my collection.” (Future)
— “I punched her in the ribcage and kicked her in the stomach/ … I stomped her and I kicked her and I punched her in the face.” (Kool G Rap)
These examples are tame compared to what is streaming today. Rappers shame women with racial and sexist slurs, talk about graphic sex, encourage violence and celebrate prostitution. I’m sure you’ve heard some of these songs—because rap music has become the most dominant genre in American music. In 2018, Soundscan reported that 8 of the 10 most-streamed artists were rappers.
Much of the success of rap can be accredited to Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is known for being one of the wealthiest musical artists in the world. He was worth $1 billion in 2022, but he is now sitting in a prison cell in New York—awaiting trial on a long list of charges including racketeering, sex trafficking and kidnapping.
In 2004, Diddy performed at the Superbowl halftime show, and the next year he was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people. Today, it’s possible that the 54-year-old music mogul will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Earlier this month, federal agents raided several of Diddy’s properties after a dozen lawsuits were filed against him—all alleging sexual abuse. Investigators in Manhattan allege that Diddy, who founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, regularly hosted parties, called “freak offs,” where victims were drugged and forced to have sex with male prostitutes while others filmed them.
In some cases, male and female victims were bribed, threatened or offered career opportunities in exchange for their silence. Police seized weapons, computers, drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of sex lubricant as evidence of these vile gatherings—where some victims were allegedly under the age of 18.
I hate to have to write about this because it’s so sickening. But I’m glad that Diddy’s abuse has been stopped—and I’m praying that all the Hollywood insiders who enabled this disgusting evil will be brought to justice. I doubt that Diddy worked alone.
Diddy launched the careers of dozens of famous rappers, including Usher, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Mase, Shyne (who was jailed for assault in 2001) and Notorious B.I.G.—who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997. Diddy also bankrolled the careers of Machine Gun Kelly, Black Rob, Craig Mack, Faith Evans, G. Dep (who was arrested more than 25 times, then sentenced to prison for 12 years for murder) and Loon (who was arrested and imprisoned on drug charges in 2013).
Things began to unravel for Diddy last year when another of his artists, Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit against him for sexual assault and domestic violence—corroborated by video surveillance footage showing Diddy attacking Ventura in a hotel. Since then, 11 similar lawsuits have been filed. Observers watching the case expect other high-profile artists and celebrities to be implicated in the sex-trafficking allegations after confiscated videos are released.
Satan’s fingerprints are surely all over this dark conspiracy involving Diddy and his accomplices. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB) tells us that our spiritual struggle “is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Hell has used music as a lethal weapon.
I believe God is answering our prayers and delivering us from Satan’s schemes. Pray that this web of demonic darkness in the music industry will be fully exposed—and that our kids will be protected from the spiritual predators who are behind this unimaginable evil.
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J. Lee Grady is an author, award-winning journalist and ordained minister. He served as a news writer and magazine editor for many years before launching into full-time ministry.
Lee is the author of six books, including “10 Lies the Church Tells Women,” “10 Lies Men Believe” and “Fearless Daughters of the Bible.” His years at Charisma magazine also gave him a unique perspective of the Spirit-filled church and led him to write “The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale” and “Set My Heart on Fire,” which is a Bible study on the work of the Holy Spirit.
