Survey: Young Black Males Prefer Hip-Hop, Doubling Female Rate

According to MEE (Motivational Educational Entertainment), a company that has been documenting African-American youth’s buying patterns for years, African-American youth, whom rank among the highest media consumers today, are setting the buying trends for the rest of the world. Between February and August 2002 MEE conducted a survey across nine U.S. cities of nearly 2,000 […]

According to MEE (Motivational Educational Entertainment),

a company that has been documenting African-American youth’s buying patterns

for years, African-American youth, whom rank among the highest media consumers

today, are setting

the buying trends for the rest of the world.

Between February and August 2002 MEE conducted

a survey across nine U.S. cities of nearly 2,000 African American youth between

the ages of 16 and 20. The survey focused on urban youth lifestyle and media

consumption patterns, including whom youth favor in the movie, music, sports

and comedy industries.

"What we found out from these youth could

significantly enhance the way advertisers market their products today,"

William Juzang, MEE’s VP for Business Development, told AllHipHop.com in a statement.

"Reading and analyzing the survey findings will provide advertisers with

new ideas about how to devise culturally relevant and ethnically sensitive campaigns

to influence the buying decisions of this hard-to-reach audience."

The survey report, "Inner City Truth: Beyond

the Media Hype," provides marketers with an in-depth look at the most opportune

methods and times to promote their products, services and lifestyle choices

to the urban youth market. Key survey findings include:

MEE first reached national prominence with the

publishing of its first primary research study, "The MEE Report: Reaching

the Hip Hop Generation in 1992." The 25-employee firm now has offices in

Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Here were some key findings of the survey:

— The popularity of hip-hop/rap music decreases with age. While 54% of Black

16- and 17-year-olds choose hiphop/rap as their favorite musical genre, the

percentage drops to 40% among 19- and 20-year-olds. On the other hand, the popularity

of R&B music rises as youth get older. R&B is chosen as the favorite

musical genre by just 31% of Black 16- and 17-year-olds, but the percentage

rises to 40% among Black 19- and 20-year-olds.

— There is a striking gender difference in

music preferences. Young Black males prefer hiphop/rap music at a rate more

than double than that of their female counterparts (65% to 32%). Young Black

females, on the other hand, prefer R&B more than males do, by a 50% to 19%

margin.

— Movie-going continues to be a popular pastime

for Black urban youth. A total of 62% of those surveyed say that they go to

the movies two or more times a month; more than a quarter (27%) of youth say

they go once a month.

— Comedies and films with action/violent themes

are the favorite genres of urban youth. Females preferred both drama/romance

and horror/scary movies over their male counterparts. Males overwhelmingly preferred

action/violence movies.

— When asked whom they thought were the "top

two" types of celebrities in the entertainment world, Black youth chose

"male hiphop artists" and "male sports athletes." NBA star

Allen Iverson and the late rapper/actor Tupac Shakur ranked as their two top

celebrities overall.