Bad Words, Rap Music and the Almighty Dollar
Published April 17, 2007
Up until now, I knew of Don Imus only vaguely. I knew he was a radio DJ who feuded with Howard Stern at one time. Now America knows him by some rather disparaging comments made towards the Rutgers woman's basketball team. Without going into all the details, he said some racist and sexist things about them. With obvious protest and demand for him to be reprimanded, CBS fired him from his $15 million a year job. He has since apologized but in the midst of the mêlée he started; he brought up a valid point for discussion. He stated that what he said wasn't any different from what rap artists say in their lyrics.
You have to admit, the man went down throwing one last punch.
He brought up the old argument again to the forefront of the double standard in rap music. The acceptance of demeaning woman is the nature in which all rappers accept as normal. Now, the topic of rappers calling woman whatever they want isn't something new. It was at the center of Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Action Summit Network. He stated the following recently regarding Imus' words and the difference between what he said and what rappers say:
Hip-hop artists rap about what they see, hear and feel around them, their experience of the world. Like the artists throughout history, their messages are a mirror of what is right and wrong with society. Sometimes their observations or the way in which they choose to express their art may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but our job is not to silence or censor that expression. Our job is to be an inclusive voice for the hip-hop community and to help create an environment that encourages the positive growth of hip-hop.This to me comes off as a very generic answer. It is politically correct and well thought out statement to present the media. It is obvious that race, color and censorship are all going to be factors. Those arguments are dealt with daily between people from all backgrounds. The one thing that people aren't taking about is what I think is the real reason issues like this that will never get resolved is always going to be the almighty dollar.
There I said it. It's money. Always has been and always will be.
When you have any genre of music that glorifies money and excess, you are going to see a lot of profit come from that. We can trace that back to the days of rock and metal in the 1980's. The cars, woman, big houses, the materialism is all the same. The music is obviously different now but it's still about how much you got, no matter whom you offend or whom you demean. It is a sad but true fact.
- Bad Words, Rap Music and the Almighty Dollar
- Published: April 17, 2007
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Society, Music: Rap
- Writer: Jerry Rojas
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Comments on this articleComments
"...but if it means demeaning someone else's race or creed"
I don't agree this is what's happening.
There have been a whole bunch of articles blowing up this incident. In the articles on this site, usually black women defend the attacks of Al Sharpton on Don Imus and complain about racism in America - which there undoubtably plenty of.
But it would be nice to see a black woman write a searing article in these pages attacking the gangster rappers - who are usually criminals themselves - for using defamatory language like "nigger", "whore" and "bitch", and making blacks look like nothing more than violent animals in America. American blacks do not deserve that image, and it would be nice to see a black woman angrily denounce these criminal bastards and demand what the Supremes sang about 40 years ago: R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
This type of Hip Hop and the symbiotic music videos are verbal and visual abuse for African American women. These men are mere pimps who have claimed all African American women as being in their stable. If this is their experience in life, they are in need of mental assistance rather than monitary rewards for maybe even being the victims of abuse themselves. Just because it's their reality, doesn't make it right.
What I have never understood is how this music and the videos got through regular censors? Pornography is pornography and their merchandise should be marketed to and distributed only to those venues.
Many years ago in my parent's time, alot of black music was considered pornographic. Do you really wanna go back to the "underground" days when that was the case?
Matt,
Are you happy with the "overground" that defames black women and blacks generally? If this kind of self-hatred is endemic to black culture, than blacks need to have a serious internal discussion on this issue - one that is preferably (but not necessarily) out of earshot of us outsiders. It would be nice to see evidence of that discussion. The few times I have in the past, (think of the remarks of Bill Cosby, for example) there have only been loud and public denunciations from the "victimologists."
I've opened the floor, it seems, but this is not a topic that I myself am qualified to speak on, Matt... So, if it is alright with you, I'll retire at this point, hoping that someone else will carry on.
First it's Palestinians and now it's Blacks you're lumping together as a homogenous group. Where will it end, Ruvy, where will it end? I'd confine myself to addressing my own issues if I were you...
I think we need to focus on the point that Jerry made "until the consumer stops buying those said CD's and stops going to those concerts, it's not going to stop anytime soon." Obviously, there are still people out there that aren't offended by the lyrics of rap music. Until the majority of the community disagrees with how rap industry is presenting itself, there wont be a change.
"I tell you what's wrong to me the industry's ability to manufacture stars they churn them out like Iwo Jima makes cars but the blame lies not with those suits for trying it's the sheep that keep on buying that soulless crap whatever they put in front of you- the hysteria of America." - Nick Hexum
I believe in what Jerry has to say because it is really all about the money and that does not make any excuse for what the rappers say. I think your opinion was great!
I believe Imus was wrong, and im glad he got fired. Also, I think Russell Simons is doing a good thing because children should not be listening to this garbage. I also dont think these sexist rappers should be looked up to because of what they say in these songs. People need to make a change. I'm for it I will be one person to fight for this cause.
This was a good essay but....
I disagree with Russell Simmons because I think the music would'nt flow right. I think people would'nt listen to music that much if it does'nt have the words Bit**es Nigg**s and H**s, more singers would lose money.
Though I hate the way B***hes, h*es and n*****s are directed, Russell Simmons is violating our rights to Freedom of Expression.
Cristina, please write clearly. This article is not stupid, but well written.
Russell Simmons is a hypocrite! If anyone watches Run's House, you'll see how much he cusses.
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well done, Jerry! I don't agree with Imus getting fired at all though.