In Plato’s Republic Socrates proposes instituting state censorship and claims that the arts must remain original and that artistic innovation “is full of danger to the whole Society, and ought to be prohibited.” He argues these censorships and regulations are to be constructed in order to protect the curiosity of the youth and to maintain the rigor and importance of the State’s education system, which in Book IV of Republic he emphasizes is instrumental in maintaining the just society. In modern society music and the arts play a vital role for external expression among the youth and tends to play and important role in the lives of young communities. Though at times throughout history new music would advocate for constructive social change, pop music and hip hop throughout the twenty-first century has provided children and teenagers irrational justifications to rebel against and ignore the educational systems perceived to be as an inconvenience towards freedom. These forms of expression enable the youth to engage in lawless behaviors and has been detrimental to the stability of society. In a modern, philosopher-king inspired state, these artists and the music being produced would have to be censored in order to maintain law and justice among society.
Within the past two to three decades, hip-hop and rock n’ roll has evolved into a form of rebellion against what is perceived as a conforming, boring society. Sex, drugs, and violence has continued to become a louder theme and clearly has resonated with teenagers who and just beginning to explore the opportunities of adulthood. Within these genres of music, the English language has been abandoned for slang, while violence and abuse among neighbors and peers has been encouraged. The use of detrimental and potentially lethal drugs has been promoted in favor of health, and individual success is emphasized rather than social and communal success. The same artists who encourage these behaviors among their fans have been murdered, incarcerated, or overdosed for behaving the way the sing about; yet, rather than condemning these clearly negative and dangerous behaviors, the listeners consider them martyrs. Then these martyrs and their actions are put onto a pedestal of acceptability, influencing the following generations to continue in such footsteps.
According to Socrates, “if amusements become lawless, and the youths themselves becomes lawless, they can never grow up into well-conducted and virtuous citizens.”  With this in consideration, it’s important to reflect on the intended message being presented to anyone with the capabilities of a radio or MP3 player. These messages do not encourage citizens to engage in healthy productive lifestyles; and the selfish intentions of the artists are usually rooted in financial success or social prominence. The music itself shows little to no merit in constructing positive outcomes for society. Therefore, it seems as if it would be imperative to limit the language used in all genres of music to lyrics that would promote social justice and constructive change. Language that encourages lawlessness will give the listener an impression that such rhetoric, and later action, is acceptable. This reasoning can potentially lead to behavior that will scar disenfranchised communities with crime, violence, and unjust acts.
