Congressional Hearing on Imus, Gangsta Rap

On Sept. 25, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, chaired by Bobby Rush, D-Ill., held a very unique hearing, focusing on the way the culture is being soured by the makers of sexist and racially charged rap music. Inspired by the furor over fired radio host Don Imus and his "ho" talk, the hearing was titled "From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images."

That's a great title. For years now, record companies have made untold millions of dollars spreading a message glorifying the thug life, preaching greed and lust, and portraying women as nothing more than pornographic mannequins. From the debate that emerged on Capitol Hill, it's very easy to find the winners and the losers.

Winner: Bobby Rush. The congressman could have knuckled under from pressure by the anything-goes Old Guard of gangsta rap, but instead he boldly put his prestige where his heart is. He said this music of violence and degradation has ''reduced too many of our youngsters to automatons, those who don't recognize life, those who don't value life.''

He was unequivocal. "There is a problem -- a deep-seated, deeply rooted problem in our country," he said. "The paycheck is not an excuse for being part of the problem."

Loser: Michael Eric Dyson. The professor and Bill Cosby-hating author has become America's leading excuse-maker for irresponsible thug music. He blamed America, that never-draining cesspool of racism, for whatever problem exists. "America is built upon degrading images of black men and women, so any discussion of misogyny or homophobia or sexism has got to dig deep into America, including Congress and corporate and religious institutions."

Rush was not accepting that ridiculous excuse. He understands black rage against injustice in America, but in no way does it justify thuggery. He said: "I still have rage, but how do I channel it? Am I going to spew out counterproductively? Or do I accept a higher responsibility to take my rage and do something to improve the community?"

Winner: Master P. The former gangsta-rapper (his real name is Percy Miller) came to Congress and apologized for his musical transgressions. The angry music of his past, he said, came from seeing relatives and friends shot and killed. But he said now he doesn't even want his own children to listen to his music, "so if I can do anything to change this, I'm going to take a stand and do that." He also apologized to women for his music. "I was honestly wrong."

Later on NPR, he explained that listening to other gangsta-rappers "inspired" his own violent lyrics, like Ice-T boasting, "I am a nightmare stalking, psychopath walking." He said that song "put me in the mood when I was in the ghetto just to continuously make music like that." It was inspiring that he mustered the fortitude to confess before Congress.

Loser: David Banner. This rapper with the "Incredible Hulk" stage name (real name: Levell Crump) lived up to his rage-spewing image. He blamed everyone else for his own disgusting lyrics. "Hip-hop is sick because America is sick," he said. "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better."

But of course Crump doesn't really want to get better or do better. He wants to continue trotting out the usual poet-of-the-streets bilge: "Rap music is the voice of the underbelly of America. In most cases, America wants to hide the negative that it does to its people. Hip hop is the voice, and how dare America not give us the opportunity to be heard!"

Loser: the music-selling conglomerates. Corporate officials sitting before Congress were unafraid to stand up for lyrics extolling profanity, criminality and sexism. Asked if explicit lyrics by rapper 50 Cent constituted free speech, Doug Morris of Universal Music proclaimed: "Yes. It is not my place in life to tell him what to say."

Warner Music boss Edgar Bronfman said tasteless language ''is in the eye of the beholder.'' (Tell that to Don Imus.) And Phillippe Dauman, the president of Viacom (think MTV and BET), extolled the scummy street poetry: "We have a responsibility to speak authentically to our viewers." Viacom should be authentically rejected by consumers.

Winner: the music-buying public. In a poll of black Americans by The Associated Press and AOL-Black Voices last year, 50 percent of respondents said hip-hop was a negative force in American society. Due to a growing feeling that the gangsta rappers have grown far too negative, rap sales slid a whopping 21 percent from 2005 to 2006, and for the first time in 12 years no rap album was among the top 10 sellers of the year. If thug music is a sickness, the public seems to be getting immunized.

Lecturer, syndicated columnist, television commentator, debater, marketer, businessman, author, publisher and activist, L. Brent Bozell III, 51, is one of the most outspoken and effective national leaders in the conservative movement today.

'Thug' as it relates to music and artistic message, is just another word for powerful individual unwilling to be under the thumb of authority. Huge sections of punk rock could be described the same way. Sure, punk doesn't use 'ho' or whatever, at least not exactly the same way, but that terminology actually does negatively address certain questionable behavioral patterns observed within the context of struggling culture. Any effort to 'clean up' media is a HUGE danger to all of our ability to express ourselves creatively or otherwise.

George Bush hates black people.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

'Thug' as it relates to music and artistic message, is just another word for powerful individual unwilling to be under the thumb of authority. Huge sections of punk rock could be described the same way. Sure, punk doesn't use 'ho' or whatever, at least not exactly the same way, but that terminology actually does negatively address certain questionable behavioral patterns observed within the context of struggling culture. Any effort to 'clean up' media is a HUGE danger to all of our ability to express ourselves creatively or otherwise.

---

There were no calls for censorship.

JT

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lady Alias

George Bush hates black people.

---

Congressman Rush is an African-American. He is a Democratic Representative representing a primarily black district in Illinois. The hearing was called at his Initiative as Chairman.

JT

Oh, I know, I watched part of the hearing.
I just had a massive urge to say it.

And keep in mind, the Boston Tea Party was perpetrated by 'thugs.'

This country was founded on the notion of being able to say what you want. Imus essentially pissed off advertisers, which is a free market issue. He should not be regulated out of saying what he wants to say, he might just need to be saying it to a smaller audience. Large audience having hip-hop radio stations usually don't play the tracks these sorts of bigots and busybodies complain about anyway, because it wouldn't go over with their broad listenership or potentially their advertising base, but if an individual enjoys the message or simply the attitude being expressed or even the socio-cultural observations being made in the art form, they can dig until they find it. Mainstream radio rarely played the kinds of music I liked, but it's not like punk rock has never been threatened with this sort of legislation. If the mainstream stations start to successfully play more and more anti-social music to a bigger and bigger audience, it is to a degree a barometer of social ills. Banning the music won't fix the problem.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jackie T.

There were no calls for censorship.

JT

---

You seriously think the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearing, focusing on the way the culture is being soured by the makers of sexist and racially charged rap music, with no implications of censorship?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

And keep in mind, the Boston Tea Party was perpetrated by 'thugs.'

This country was founded on the notion of being able to say what you want. Imus essentially pissed off advertisers, which is a free market issue. He should not be regulated out of saying what he wants to say, he might just need to be saying it to a smaller audience. Large audience having hip-hop radio stations usually don't play the tracks these sorts of bigots and busybodies complain about anyway, because it wouldn't go over with their broad listenership or potentially their advertising base, but if an individual enjoys the message or simply the attitude being expressed or even the socio-cultural observations being made in the art form, they can dig until they find it. Mainstream radio rarely played the kinds of music I liked, but it's not like punk rock has never been threatened with this sort of legislation. If the mainstream stations start to successfully play more and more anti-social music to a bigger and bigger audience, it is to a degree a barometer of social ills. Banning the music won't fix the problem.

---

Again, I saw no calls for censorship. Rush is an African-American Congressman in a predominantly black district. I don't know what is played on mainstream radio. I don't listen to it.

I don't know that Rush is concerned with the use of the term "thugs". It was more the violence, misogyny, and homophobia that was mentioned.

Obviously, I would oppose any form of censorship. There simply were no threats of banning anything.

JT

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

You seriously think the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearing, focusing on the way the culture is being soured by the makers of sexist and racially charged rap music, with no implications of censorship?

---

Without proposed legislation, I cannot draw that conclusion. Congressional hearings often do not lead to anything.

JT

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lady Alias

Oh, I know, I watched part of the hearing.
I just had a massive urge to say it.

---

What was your impression of it? I really haven't formed an overall opinion. I generally read Bozell to see opposition to my views. I was just surprised Rush had called the hearing.

JT

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jackie T.

Again, I saw no calls for censorship. Rush is an African-American Congressman in a predominantly black district.

---

If someone objected to a message I put out there, or art that I created, would it shock you if they were white and came from a predominantly white neighborhood? Just like any racial classification, not all black people agree with one another. Master P. apologized to Congress and for his musical transgressions and then had the audacity to blame Ice T? Seriously?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

If someone objected to a message I put out there, or art that I created, would it shock you if they were white and came from a predominantly white neighborhood? Just like any racial classification, not all black people agree with one another. Master P. apologized to Congress and for his musical transgressions and then had the audacity to blame Ice T? Seriously?

---

I thought you were implying Rush was being bigotted towards black folks. I assume you meant Bozell? I would agree where he is concerned.

JT

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jackie T.

I thought you were implying Rush was being bigotted towards black folks. I assume you meant Bozell? I would agree where he is concerned.

JT

---

People are people, and they grab for power and try to hold each other down. Certain segments of any racial categorization frequently diverge in opinion. This is not news. I have a hard time tolerating apologists and I also don't think it's impossible for someone of the same race to be bigoted towards someone else of the same race. Ice T's song, mentioned above, was made popular by being on the soundtrack for the movie Colors. How could they make a movie like that without trying to communicate at least a semi-realistic portrayal of a South Los Angeles gangter perspective? Is it inappropriate for the music to reflect that as well?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

People are people, and they grab for power and try to hold each other down. Certain segments of any racial categorization frequently diverge in opinion. This is not news. I have a hard time tolerating apologists and I also don't think it's impossible for someone of the same race to be bigoted towards someone else of the same race. Ice T's song, mentioned above, was made popular by being on the soundtrack for the movie Colors. How could they make a movie like that without trying to communicate at least a semi-realistic portrayal of a South Los Angeles gangter perspective? Is it inappropriate for the music to reflect that as well?

---

Obviously, people will diverge in opinion regardless of any classification. I think you would need to ask someone who opposed the portrayal of South L.A. gangsters to have that debate. What do you believe Rush is apologizing for? I saw this in Bozell's column. The one thing that caught my eye was Rush holding the hearing. His views, to my knowledge, are quite liberal. I'm unwilling to draw conclusions based on what may have been his actual impetus. It was just surprising to see.

JT

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jackie T.

Obviously, people will diverge in opinion regardless of any classification. I think you would need to ask someone who opposed the portrayal of South L.A. gangsters to have that debate. What do you believe Rush is apologizing for? I saw this in Bozell's column. The one thing that caught my eye was Rush holding the hearing. His views, to my knowledge, are quite liberal. I'm unwilling to draw conclusions based on what may have been his actual impetus. It was just surprising to see.

JT

---

No, I noted that Master P. apologized to Congress for his musical transgressions and then had the audacity to blame Ice T, that's what I was referring to there. You have on several occasions in this thread brought up the point that Rush is black, as if this was somehow pertinent, so I was questioning why this is somehow pertinent to you and your interpretation of the hearing. Liberals have not had the best record lately when it comes to individual and/or artistic freedom. They seem to wave the what about the children flag a lot and what about the good of society and all that sanctimonious conformist be-like-me or you are a problem nonsense. I don't trust liberals to protect our actual freedom these days, and that's a real shame.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

No, I noted that Master P. apologized to Congress for his musical transgressions and then had the audacity to blame Ice T, that's what I was referring to there. You have on several occasions in this thread brought up the point that Rush is black, as if this was somehow pertinent, so I was questioning why this is somehow pertinent to you and your interpretation of the hearing. Liberals have not had the best record lately when it comes to individual and/or artistic freedom. They seem to wave the what about the children flag a lot and what about the good of society and all that sanctimonious conformist be-like-me or you are a problem nonsense. I don't trust liberals to protect our actual freedom these days, and that's a real shame.

---

Oh ok. I said that because someone said Bush hates *all* blacks (thus the hearing). Rush is black. He called the hearing. I don't trust liberals much either. I am unsure what to make of all this. I don't want to jump the gun though. I would oppose any censorship.

JT

P.S. Could someone explain to me who "Master P" is? I do find it odd he would give that testimony before congress. Who is he and what his angle?

JT