Ask And You Shall Receive: Sharpton Goes After Abusive Music

Oprah Winfrey had a "Town Hall" meeting with some hip hop experts to discuss the Imus issue and hip hop's role in how people view the hip hop community. These people were in attendance:

Russell Simmons, Founder of Def Jam Records
Kevin Liles, Executive Vice President of Warner Music Group
Dr. Benjamin Chavis, former CEO of the NAACP and current President/CEO of the Hip Hop Summit Network
Grammy-winning Rapper "Common"

Stanley Crouch, New York Daily News columnist
Bruce Gordon, Former NAACP President and current CBS board member

“There’s an extraordinary double standard here because most of the people who were in the Ku Klux Klan were what they call ‘poor white trash,’ who were at the bottom of society. Nobody ever makes an excuse for them blowing up little girls, for the being racist. When you get these clowns in your guys’ arena, then suddenly, oh, these are just marionettes. They can’t make any decisions, so the corporation decides society, slavery. All of these things lead up to these people consistently calling people [N-words]*, bitches and hos as though they’re helpless guys who can’t do anything. And I’m not buying it.” - [Stanley Crouch]
...
Ending the show, Common says a solution will come once everyone acknowledges the need for change. “We want to change this world and it starts with us. The way we think, the way we speak, the way we act towards ourselves and towards others, because when we've got that love for ourselves, we're going to look at each other no matter what color, no matter what gender, no matter what mistakes the other person made and say, 'I love you." We want change for this world. And it starts with our hearts."

*Edited by BH to remove slur.

Hip Hop News

Zach Horowitz, President and COO of Universal Music Group, was not in attendance.

Another Link to Story

Interesting post BH. Now where was Al Sharpton during all this ...??
Isn't he going after the crap coming out of the (so called) music industry?
What's taking so long?

His National Action Network convention is happening this week. He says he plans to discuss it there.

Black Leaders Vow Protest of Rap Industry

Sharpton and a string of activists applaud the firing of Imus, but say it's now time demand an end to the self-inflicted wounds in the black community. Sharpton said he would announce a specific action to pressure a specific record company during NAN's Ninth Annual Convention set for Wednesday through Saturday this week in New York.

"I'm talking about boycotting, I'm talking about picketing, I'm talking about demanding that they do what they've done [when others are insulted]," Sharpton says. "Any company can say, 'It's against our policy to put out records that say misogynistic and racist terms. That does not stifle free speech. That's company policy.'"

I wonder which record company he has in mind...

Def Jam?
Warner?
Universal?

I have a question for anyone who cares to answer it...

Where does one persons freedom of speech and/or expression end, and societies right to be protected from the results of that speech and/or expression?

Are the kids who get into trouble after emulating the songs heroes going to be represented in court by the high priced lawyers the rapstars have, or the record companies have? *hollow laugh* Nope, they're going to get that 25 year old public defender just out of law school, then they get to go to prison. All for the sake of defending freedom of expression and/or speech.

Now I realize that most of these kids would probably have gotten in trouble anyway, being that unstable, but maybe they wouldn't have. Music, of anysort, can have more influence than any spoken word. Something has to be done to at least attempt the remedy what is becoming endemic in society. Maybe, as with all fads, it'll fade away; but we are still left with the scars of the musics effects.

Originally posted by seagull
I have a question for anyone who cares to answer it...

Where does one persons freedom of speech and/or expression end, and societies right to be protected from the results of that speech and/or expression?

Good question...

While recognizing the harm that can result from inappropriate behavior on the part of some after listening to hip-hop, my fundamental position is that we as a society have to be very very careful of suppressing expression in the name of protecting the society as a whole. That road is extremely perilous.

The suppressions of expression that most (including myself) can agree with relate to direct safety issues... the classic "Fire" in the theater example.

But if somebody goes out and pops a cap in a cop's ass (is that what kids say these days? ) after listening to hip-hop, I'm not sure I'd be in favor of suppressing expression in the name of preventing that. I'd be more in favor of dealing with the perpetrator.

I realize this is a "Slippery Slope" kind of situation, but the inevitable question becomes, what next?

A few years ago there was a painting I think, or something, that was a depiction of Jesus Christ immersed in urine. Similar, if not more extreme than the recent chocolate Jesus.

Personally, I didn't care for it, and sure never would have paid money to see it. But I am not in favor of suppressing the expression. Should it have been, because somebody might go urinate on an alter somewhere after seeing it? My answer is No.

I'd be more interested in seeing that everybody that commits an act of violence after listening to hip-hop (or being exposed to any art form) is treated equally - the spoiled rich white kids AND the angry poor black kids. And vice versa.

My bottom line is, I am willing to put up with what I consider to be completely obscene and disgusting forms of expression (NOT action), in the name of preserving individual liberty. I'd rather, given my druthers, evolve a culture where that kind of nonsense is not valued, hence dies out.

Originally posted by seagull
Where does one persons freedom of speech and/or expression end, and societies right to be protected from the results of that speech and/or expression?

Great question! And I have to agree with OMS all the way. I might even be a little more 'militant' in that I don't believe society has a right to be protected from the "results of free speech".

Society has an obligation to act in a responsible way and not blame it on words to a song or something somebody said.

A kid who listens to a song by his hero and then goes out and breaks the law was going to be a problem anyway, like you said. Anything can influence a person. It's ultimately the person's choice whether or not to act on that influence. And what that child's parent(s) teach him is what's going to help him make that choice.

What is becoming an epidemic in society can't be blamed on music (or lyrics, in this case). What's becoming an epidemic is children who have no respect for themselves, each other and other people and who don't have to pay consequences for what they do. And taking away the music or the words isn't going to make a bunch of little well-behaved people who don't get in trouble.

Just my opinion.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
What is becoming an epidemic in society can't be blamed on music (or lyrics, in this case). What's becoming an epidemic is children who have no respect for themselves, each other and other people and who don't have to pay consequences for what they do.

I hope something can be done about the music...Clean it up a bit, but not outlaw it...it's difficult to ask so much of the kids when they can see that the "biggest Gangsta and his Posse" are actually running this country. And similar others in our corporations have such bloody hands that can never become clean...

These kids are not as dull-witted as as American youngsters were 50 years ago...they know that their music is not the only thing in America that sucks!

And, all over the world, kids are aware of the lousy deal they are getting. The old men are making war and these kids have to fight them...uggh! These are not happy children, not unless they are being sheltered from the realities of the present state of the world...

But, there's always a "shooter" to bring everyone down to earth...Life is a "happy fantasy storybook time" to very few people...too few!

The kids are not stupid...but they are awfully angry.

Could it be a "sign of the times"...the destruction of their futures, their hopes, the offshoring of their jobs, the impossibility of buying a home, that unaffordable education? The hypocrisy of it all? What happened to the dream their parents had?

Drugs being brought in on private and government planes...making sure it gets to the kids? And, now the Iraqi kids are getting high too...

They give them the music and the drugs and the fantasy lifestyles in videos...

All of the above, sponsored by your friendly Corporations, with guys like
Zach Horowitz at the helm?

Originally posted by CSIfan
Oh, and this Vivendi company also produces and distributes those murderous video games that our kids are playing.

I seriously hope that was a joke. You know video games are rated, right?
Maybe it shouldn't stop there. There's a lot of violence and potty mouths in movies. Wouldn't Goodfellas be great if it were rated G.

Billy Bats "Go get your flippin' shine box"
then Tommy, Jimmy, and Henry tickle Billy until he apologizes...

yuchhhhh...

Oh, and Al has decided not to give Def Jam an award. Wow, there's a step, that's just like calling for Imus's head.
www.nypost.com... ews/regionalnews/rev__al_ducks_a_rap_regionalnews_carl_campanile.htm
When Al has an artist fired, and destroys their livelihood, I MIGHT take him seriously.

Also, you'll notice at the end of that article it mentions how all of the goofy democratic candidates will be attending that hip hop convention. Aren't these the same asses that spoke out against Imus. Oh, I understand, Imus is white, so it's different.

Now let's not get my post confused. I don't actually want Al to succeed in having any rapper fired. Freedom of speech is one of the things that seperates us from the evil doers (that old line). I'd just like to see if Al isn't the huge hippocrite he seems to be. The truth is, I think Imus should be rehired and everyone should be able to say what they want. It's called the USA, not spineless, guilty, white, tree hugging, liberal land.

Just some news in the civil rights/rap lyrics debate...

Mogul "Raps" Reverend Al

Universal Music Group demanded that its $15,000 donation to Sharpton's event at the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan be returned after the civil-rights leader nixed plans to give an award to L.A. Reid of Def Jam, a Universal label.
...
Also in protest, Def Jam founder Russell Simmons didn't buy an anticipated two tables to a dinner last night at the National Action Network confab, sources said. Tables are priced at $10,000 each.

But the source also indicates that UMG AND Simmons deny these charges...



Who's causing all this rift? Who's spreading these rumors?

[edit on 19-4-2007 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Sunsetspawn
Now let's not get my post confused. I don't actually want Al to succeed in having any rapper fired.

Would you like to see the guy who approves all the nasty music that his company puts out fired? (Zach Horowitz)

...or at least publicly reprimanded by a "citizen group"?