If money makes the world go round, does music make people follow the curve?

Through the mechanisms of a burgundy-colored Bluetooth speaker or an awful pair of candy pink headphones, music can now be instantly streamed from one’s phone into one’s ears. Conspiracy aside, it’d be fascinating to know for sure if this music, the rage of today being the legendary ballads of Kanye and Travis Scott’s endless bangers, is going past the eardrums of teens and into their conscious minds.

The clothing commonly associated with the Soundcloud rap scene has become commonplace as well with today’s students. Streetwear is all over, which begs the question of if this is all connected. Students at West Essex were first questioned on how much they had spent on this fashion in total to gauge how deep they’re willing to go.

“I have spent around 1200 buckaroos myself,” said junior Jackson Altemus. To many, this may seem like an insane amount of money to spend on clothes alone. To others, either fat-pocketed or just magnets for making money, it’s chump change.

“I have spent over 15 thousand dollars on streetwear and sneakers in the past 2 years,” said junior Joe Masini. He’s more of the magnet type, as he’s profited immensely from buying and selling clothing from brands like “Supreme” and “Kith.”

There’s more to what he wears than the brand. He went on to say that a “rap artist [he] look[s] up to is Nav. His lyrics are very motivational and almost every song he makes is great” said junior Joe Masini. He added that rap – and music overall – has an emotional power few things match: “Music changes how people behave because it can make someone who was sad happy in just minutes.”

Moody kids are all over the place and if music acts as a therapeutic medium to depressed or stressed out students, who’s to say it’s a bad thing that this music might influence some. The violence and the vulgarity and the content often aren’t what’s absorbed, it’s almost as if listening to music is a tool used to release stress and connect with something. Bumping Lil Yachty in the car on full volume won’t kill anyone, nor can it be proven that the words of these cherished rappers are tainting the minds of youth.

So, to put it simply; sure, this new generation might be influenced some by rappers and singers – but it’s not in the negative way naysayers may say.