Did the content of the songs recorded by The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur have an impact on their murders, and what kind of impact did their music have on their audiences?

For example, according to an article published by "Rolling Stone" in October 1996, Shakur had been arrested eight times. He served eight months of a four and a half-year sentence in prison for sexual abuse and was named as a defendant in two wrongful death suits. Shakur was also shot five times in November 1994 during a robbery attempt.

The Notorious B.I.G. was also familiar with illegal activities. During his childhood, he was a crack dealer in his Brooklyn neighborhood.

Both artists also sang about the darker side of life. Could this have had an impact on their audiences?

Dr. W. Joseph Wyatt, associate professor of psychology at Mar-shall, said rap music does have an impact on the listener. However, other forms of music and entertainment also influence the audience. "These artists become role models even though they may not want to be," he said.

Whitney Houston is an example of how a performer can have an impact on an audience, Wyatt said. "When Whitney Houston sang the national anthem during the Gulf War it was intensely in-spirational."

Other types of music are also used for inspiration, such as the "Rocky" theme being played during a marathon, or some types of religious music.

Wyatt said, "It is going to have some impact ­ there's no question. But is it the right impact?"

Each generation faces criticism for the music and entertainment of its era.

Wyatt said, "Each generation likes to play 'shock the parents.' With Elvis, it was his hips and snarling lip and later it was the Beatles with their long hair. Rap music also has the element of shocking the parents. However, there are a few rap stars who are responsible and are sending a good message."

Wyatt said there is a difference between the overall shock level of rap music and Elvis and the Beatles.

"The amount of fire power was not as great then," he said. "Today many more people have guns. The intensity of the negative messages in some rap music is greater." Wyatt said it is a cultural difference.

"What the thing Elvis flared up was sexuality. Parents thought the kids may get too wild. With the Beatles it was sex and drugs and that existed through the '70s and '80s. Now it's guns," Wyatt said.

The potential for damage is worse now because rap music is more immediately dangerous, Wyatt said.

"What I hear is a real powerful intensity with negative emotions and guns and being the toughest, meanest person with the baddest reputation," he said. "Children are impressed and getting involved seems like a good idea."

Wyatt said the right to free speech does not excuse the role models from the impact of their message. "I believe it was 2 Live Crew who were degrading to women. They said they had a right to say what they wanted because it was freedom of expression.

"Suppose their mother, sister or daughter became a rape victim," he said. "Then they would have to come to grips with the fact that they contributed to the rape."

Role models have changed through the years, Wyatt said. "During the 1950s, the president of the United States, the FBI director or John Wayne may have been role models," he said.

"We also learned that a president can be a scoundrel, such as Nixon and Watergate. A lot of eyes have been opened and often be-cause of the media."

Role models may have let us down because we have dropped our ideals, Wyatt said. "Many rap music stars don't care. They are doing what they can to make money."

Wyatt said some stars start to believe their own press clippings and this contributes to the image and the problem associated with rap music.

Despite the recent events in the rap music world, rap music is still very much alive.

Michael D. Picklesimer, music director of WMUL, said it is the station's most popular format. "B.I.G.'s latest record went No. 1 the next week after his murder."

The Notorious B.I.G.'s latest al-bum, "Life After Death . . . 'Til Death Do Us Part," was released in March.

With regard to the murders, if the rumors are true, they should have known better than to have gang members around B.I.G. as bodyguards, said the Chesapeake junior.

As far as the music itself is concerned, Picklesimer agrees that it is influential.

"All music has an effect," he said. "The 14-year-olds to the 19-year-olds are easily influenced," he said.

"The music is about the environment they grew up in. They sang about what they knew about." The video images we see emphasize the message, but there are ex-tremes in every type of music, he said.

Picklesimer said he does not be-lieve in censoring any type of musical format, including the group that wanted to perform in Huntington, Marilyn Mason.

"I would not let my kids go see the show [Marilyn Mason]. It's up to the parents to decide and take responsibility for what their kids are listening to," Picklesimer said.

Rumors have been flourishing about the two rap murders, such as whether or not gangs were involved.

The April 3 edition of U.S.A. To-day reported that there are ru-mors that Shakur is not dead, and cites "Vibe" and the Internet for feeding the rumors.

The Notorious B.I.G. was the victim of a drive-by shooting March 9 in Los Angeles. Last September, Shakur was the victim of a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. No arrests have been made in either case