September 26th, 2007Hip-hop at a crossroads
Not too long ago, it seemed that hip-hop and mainstream America had finally reached an uneasy peace.On the one side, the music industry had made concessions: Radio stations bleeped out offending words, MTV blurred objectionable imagery and record companies printed advisory warnings on CDs hoping to mollify outraged parents and politicians. From the other side came a grudging acceptance that hip-hop — violence, sexism and all — was likely here to stay.But these days, the cease-fire has ended. In the wake of the Don Imus controversy, the Rev. Al Sharpton began pressuring record executives to purge racist and sexist language from hip-hop albums. Hip-hop station Power 105 launched an effort to curb material potentially demeaning to women, and the NAACP even held a symbolic ceremony in Detroit to “bury” the N-word. Congressional hearings into rap music’s lyrical content — titled “From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degradation” are scheduled to begin tomorrow.
