An uncommon link has been established between rap music and sexism by a study from North Carolina State University.

The study suggests that rap music introduces college students to sexism, but it does not necessarily cause them to become sexist.

Although many critics claim that rap music causes sexist beliefs, the study’s authors say that the connection they have found between rap and sexism is unlikely to be a direct cause-and-effect.

"It's like hearing the word 'chocolate' and suddenly having a craving for a candy bar. Sexism is imbedded in the culture we live in, and hearing rap music can spontaneously activate pre-existing awareness of sexist beliefs," says Dr. Michael Cobb, assistant professor of political science, who conducted the study along with Dr. Bill Boettcher, associate professor of political science.

"We feel it's unlikely that hearing lyrics in a song creates attitudes that did not previously exist. Instead, rap music, fairly or unfairly, has become associated with misogyny, and even minimal exposure to it can automatically activate these mental associations and increase their application, at least temporarily," the researcher adds.

With a view to measuring the association between rap and sexism, the researchers randomly assigned students to one of three experimental conditions—one wherein the students would not listen to any music, second wherein they would hear non-sexist rap music (Sabotage by the Beastie Boys), and the last one involving a rap song with explicitly sexist language (Kill You by Eminem).