Hip Hop vs America or America vs Hip Hop:
Tale of Two Trials
Min. Paul Scott
Hip Hop was on trial twice last night. One was Hip Hop
vs America Pt. 1, a prerecorded attempt by Black
Entertainment Television to appease its viewers after
years of complaints which came to a broil after last
Summer's ill advised "Hot Ghetto Mess" Reality Show.
The other was "America vs Hip Hop," sponsored by the
Subcommittee of Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection
of the Committee on Energy and Commerce . The first
one was catered towards a predominately young, black
teeny bopper audience who had just finished watching
videos on "106 and Park" and wanted to to see if Nelly
had gotten any new gold teeth since his last CD. The
other was for the rest of mainstream America who have
grown sick and tired of a bunch of young black "thugs"
ruining "their" country.
The BET special was pretty much what you would expect
from the company, a weak attempt at self criticism
with bumpin' videos and applause signs. Perhaps Part 2
will get "deep" but Part 1 did little to elevate the
"rap" beyond the realm of where it has been since C.
Delores Tucker dissed Pac back in the early 90's.
"You don't understand Hip Hop!"
"And you, young man, need to pull your pants up!"
You still have the same panelists from the older
generation trying to to be a parent/buddy friend to 30
somethin' year old millionaire Hip Hop artists. Dr.
Michael Eric Dyson did the Biggie rap thing that he
has been showcasing since the mid 90's and rappers,
Nelly and T.I. proved once again that loud "don't"
make it right.
T.I. kinda lost me with the whole "I have to trick my
fans into learning" logic. (or lack thereof)
Not to mention his brilliant theory that the problem
with Hip Hop is "you got fake thugs rappin' about
being real thugs who never were thugs instead of real
rappers rappin' about being real...."
Oh, never mind.
And then Nelly came with the "it's not fair to judge
me based on a four minute rap video with credit cards
being slid through a black woman's booty" defense.
What else can we judge you by Nelly? Your PH.D
dissertation on "The Juxtaposition of Capitalism and
Marxist Leninism?"
Down the way in DC, "From Imus to Industry: The
Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images,"
hearing called together by Senator Bobby Rush featured
Master P and David Banner along with activists and
industry big wigs such as Edgar Broffman and Doug
Morris.
Needless to say, the theme of the hearing was
problematic in itself.
Although Hip Hop activists have raised this issue over
the last five months, it cannot be overstated that
this current national discussion on the state of Hip
Hop is a diversionary tactic in the aftermath of the
Michael Richards/Don Imus controversies to take the
focus off of institutionalized racism and white male
bigotry and replace it with a focus on dirty dancin'
and baggy pants.
While the efforts of former Black Panther Bobby Rush
may be commended, would his time not have been better
served making sure that a thorough congressional
hearing on Reparations for the descendants of enslaved
Africans takes place. Or hearings on COINTELPRO, for
which groups like the Jericho Project have been
advocating that could result in the exoneration of his
former Panther comrades and other political prisoners
still locked in jail and in exile ?
Also, it must be also noted that if we look at the
emphasis that America has put on Hip Hop compared with
the coverage of stories like the Jena 6 and the black
woman that was tortured in West VA, the comparison is
troubling.
What is unfortunate is that many of us do not see this
current Hip Hop controversy in socio-political terms.
While the kiddie converation on BET may have had a
better looking stage, the meeting in DC could set
public policy for generations to come.
Did anybody think to ask where the Hip Hop discussion
fit in the agenda of the Subcommittee of Commerce
Trade and Consumer Protection on a highly
compartmentalized Capitol Hill?
Did anyone notice that the committee is in charge of
dealing with some Homeland Security related matters?
So which part of Hip Hop are the feds really concerned
about; the "misogynist" lyrics of a Nelly or the
inflammatory political rap of a M1 of Dead Prez?
http://energycommerce.house.gov/At the end of the day , were we any closer to
improving Hip Hop than were were before the BET
program and congressional hearing?
BET promised another earth shakin' sequel to Tuesday
night's show (So what are they gonna do for a grand
finale, have TI punch Rev. Al in the mouth?) and the
people in DC came to the consensus that censorship
ain't cool, def, or funky fresh.
Is there really a difference between gangsta rapper,
"Killa T" grabbin' his crotch and yellin' "I'm just
keepin' it real for the homies in tha hood" and Viacom
head honcho Phillipe Dauman sitting before Congress
and saying with a straight face, "We have a
responsibility to speak authentically to our viewers
?"
What we need is a clear analysis of the Hip Hop
problem based on facts and not prejudiced by political
bamboozlin' and hero worshippin' of rappers.
With a clear analysis we could raise the level of
consciousness of the Hip Hop connosiers so high that
neither Hip Hop hearings nor censorship would even be
necessary.
Min. Paul Scott is a writer and activist in Durham NC.
For more info visit
http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com(919)451-8283
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