Catablog

Saving Hip-Hop

May 02, 2007


Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has a plan to clean up rap music. Simmons is proposing that labels and broadcasters should ban three racial and sexist epithets from radio versions of songs. From the International Herald Tribune: Expressing concern about the "growing public outrage" over the use of such words in rap lyrics, Simmons said the three words (which we will not list here) should be considered "extreme curse words." "We recommend (they're) always out," Simmons, the pioneering entrepreneur who made millions of dollars as he helped shape hip-hop culture, said in an interview Monday. "This is a first step. It's a clear message and a consistency that we want the industry to accept for more corporate social responsibility." But the suggestion has not been met without its critics, and some are not pleased with who exactly is receiving the blame. Writer Joan Morgan said "It says let's take the responsibility away from people creating the content and put it back on the corporations," said Morgan. Give us your thoughts. Where do the lines of responsibility fall between the companies and the artists?