SUMMARY
Rap music has become a vital part of youth culture and, consequently, is now a central component in many programs that serve youth. Understanding attitudes towards and perceptions of rap music can be an important step in informing various approaches to incorporating rap music into programs aimed at youth. This article reports the initial psychometric properties of the RAP. The RAP is an instrument designed to measure attitudes towards and perceptions of rap music. A review of the research on rap music revealed that although several researchers discuss and interpret rap music attitudes and perceptions, a reliable and valid measure of these constructs is absent from the literature. Findings support a three-factor model of the RAP. Scale items loaded on their respective factors ranging from .55 to .83 and reliability analyses determined that the RAP and its three subscales had good internal consistency (i.e., a ranged from .87 to .92). Criterion validity results were also presented. Practical applications and future research of the RAP in social work practice with youth, their families and their communities were discussed.