Problem lies at home rather that in music, says rapper

Could rap music with violent, sexually explicit lyrics be to blame for problems among Whangarei's youth?
A listener says yes, but a local rapper and a popular radio station aren't so sure.
"It's not so much what they're singing about, it's what they're doing in the video clips," said a former rap fan of Whangarei who reckons he was "controlled" by the music until he took a step back and had a good look at himself.
The man, who asked not to be named, said raps and their videos promoted drugs, alcohol, violence and were often extremely derogatory about women.
Clothes worn by "gangsta rappers" from places such as the tough suburbs of LA were mirrored by Whangarei youth who hung out in groups wearing T-shirts as head scarves and coloured bandanas to signal their gang affiliations.
"It's the whole thing about being tough," he said.
They "mimicked" the rappers, to the extent of adopting their gangs, such as Eastside or Westside, and their aggressive behaviour.
He still liked some rap music, but avoiding that which was peppered with foul language and offensive lyrics was difficult.
He had often bought CDs after hearing a few good "clean" songs on the radio, only to find the rest of the disc contained highly offensive lyrics.
But Paula Martin, of hip-hop station Mai FM which reaches the ears of about 30 percent of Whangarei's urban youth aged 10-29, said some rap music had a positive message.
"It's not all gangsta rap; it's also about love.
"Kayne West's song Jesus Walks is very vocal about his Christianity."
And New Zealand rapper Scribe's song, Dreams, was about how he didn't go out with his friends because he dreamed of becoming an artist, she said.
"Harder rappers such as Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent aren't saying `this is what I'm doing now', (they're saying) `this is what I grew up with'."
But Whangarei rapper Korza, currently based Brisbane, said those two popular American musicians were not telling their own stories.
"Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent aren't real.
"They're like characters.
"They don't smoke anything at all, they don't drink anything - they've made a character they can put on TV."
Ms Martin said rap music was was not to blame for problems in the community: "It starts at home."
Mai FM organises the annual Step Back concert which promotes "stepping back, taking time out, rather than striking out in violence, particularly in the family environment", Ms Martin said.
Korza, who performed to a crowd of 16,000 at this year's Step Back concert, said it was much easier for youth to go for drugs and smoking if it was what they saw at home.
"I feel very sorry for most of the youth in Whangarei and the way they go about life.
"Some of the `drugstas' are just using the youth. And all the youth know, is to be used."
Korza feels Whangarei has the best hip-hop talent in the world, but the potential is not being developed.
"There are a few people helping," but he feels much more could be done as, "it's hard to get into music without the money."