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.