Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 Source: The Post and Courier (SC) Copyright: 2001 Evening Post Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.charleston.net/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/567 CONTEST PROMOTES MESSAGE, YOUNG TALENT The S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services and the Carolina Music Group Foundation will sponsor the third regional competition of the Message in Our Music project at 7 p.m. Friday at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium. The project, which involves middle and high school and college students, was launched statewide in March. Students submitted original rap or hip-hop songs with lyrics that combat the negative message in popular music, particularly those relating to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Ten youths have qualified for the Charleston regional competition, which is free for spectators. The competition will include: . Ben Heyward, 16, of Johns Island, who has been rapping since he was 7. He says alcohol and drugs haven't interested him, and he has seen too much devastation around him caused by the use of these substances. His stage name is Wisdom. . Tony Salley, 17, of Walterboro competes in many contests and loves music as well as rapping. He's never been involved with drugs, but he knows plenty of people who have been. His stage name is is Soulja. . Vincent Coakley, 17, of Mount Pleasant is a performer who hopes one day to sign a recording contract. He wants to pass on his message of staying drug-free to other youths. He performs under the name Young Fetti. Greenville and Columbia held regional competitions earlier this month. The winner of the competition will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will be eligible to perform in a showcase this fall. Participants will have their songs featured on a CD produced by the CMG Foundation. The CD will be distributed to record companies nationally, South Carolina radio stations, schools and other programs for young people. A national study released by the Office of National Drug Control Policy revealed that 75 percent of all rap music contained references to alcohol and/or other drug use. Alcohol and other drugs were mentioned in 20 percent of all Hot 100 songs, 20 percent of all alternative rock music, 14 percent of country songs, and 12 percent of heavy metal songs. "The constant exposure to negative messages contained in today's popular music has a profound impact on young people," said Rick C. Wade, director of the state Department of Alcohol. "All of these references to alcohol and other drugs without mention of the negative consequences make kids think it's OK to use these substances. That's the wrong message to send our kids, and we're determined to do something about it." The national study reported that young people spend 10,500 hours listening to music while they are in the seventh through 12th grades. In comparison, they will spend only 6,500 hours in school in that same time. Young people believe behavior such as using alcohol and other drug is typical or normal when it is portrayed frequently in the news media. As a result, they perceive that the behavior is acceptable. Further, in 91 percent of the songs on the radio today, there are no messages about the negative consequences of using these substances.