Gothamist: Russell Simmons Cleans Up Hip Hop

Still Not Amused

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:35:26 -0500

I think the soup kitchen needs you "Whitey" . There cracker supply is running kind of low !

whitey

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:30:05 -0500

monkeys go back to africa;why dont ya????

whitey

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:21:28 -0500

rap is crap like the monkies who chatter it.

Idiots

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:39:57 -0500

Lets censor every rap song, because they all say bitch, hoe and nigger. And lets fire every black comedian because they say bitch hoe and nigger all the time. But a man like Don Imus says some insensitive words that are not even overtly racist and the whole f**king black community is crying like a bunch of little babies. But I hear rappers talking about how they want to deflower white women all the time, but no whiot people cry like little pussies about it. If you do not want to be called these terms then do not use them. Black people need to focus their energy towards more productive things like family and raising children (though many balcks do indeed do this I am merely using these as examples of more productive and positive uses of their time). Quit calling yourself these names and maybe they wouldn’t be repeated, nor would they perpetuate the "opression" that you seem to constantly feel. If you just shut up and went about your business no one would care about your race.

Whatever

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:56:43 -0500

Violation of Freedom of speech. Wait a second, didn't he produce records with such words? Didn't he make money from them? Pot calling the kettle black?

qwerty

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:21:26 -0500

*cough* Voltaire *cough*

Ignorance in the hip hop communtiy

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:42:27 -0500

I feel that the first amendment is very important, and that if artists/entertainers want to use words that others deem as sexist, obscene or hurtful they should be able to do so. The people concerned with and or hurt by such terms should refrain from listening to or subjecting themselves to such music. I find it very interesting that African Americans are so upset about this, and feel that the language in Hip Hop music is perpetuating oppression, though I do agree that it is. From what I know about Hip Hop, the artists that use racist and sexist lyrics are typically African American themselves. If they want to uplift their race and their women they need to make the change internally, no industry coalition is going to be able to make such a change. The state of hip hop is indeed misguided and often ignorant, but if black people want to rise above this oppression then the fight needs to start with them. Why is it cool to be "ghetto?" I understand that many rappers have rags to riches stories, and I am excited that they have come up in the world, but using racist and sexist terminology in their music is not going to help anyone else achieve the financial and societal success that they have found. Furthermore, the listeners need to use common sense, and see hip hop as merely entertainment and rappers as entertainers, and stop modeling their lives and actions after what BET and MTV stars portray in their music and public persona's. Do I feel that there should be restrictions on what can and cannot be said in music? Absolutely not. But I do feel that if black artists want to help out their culture and people, they need to be more conscious of what they are preaching to the masses. And for that matter, the listeners need to not be sheep and need to start thinking for themselves, they need to have more self worth and a stronger sense of self. Change starts from within, not from government sanctioned restrictions.

fishtale

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:45:25 -0500

this is really disappointing. Russell wants to place the blame on the labels and improve censoring on the radio, but apparently he doesn't care about changing the actual attitudes or the actual lyrics which will still appear raw and unedited on all the CD's. Russell, why don't you focus on promoting the many positive/creative hip-hop artists out there instead

Anya

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:37:42 -0500

"actually defended some hip hop and rap artists as 'poets'" "Actually?" Spoken like someone has no idea what's coming out of hip hop today... Anybody who is as surprised as this can start with the six plus seasons of Def Poetry on HBO (or a visit anytime to the Nuyorican...).

John

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:36:13 -0500

Other articles say this only references the 'clean' versions. It's not saying that the 'unclean' versions should be removed from the marketplace; it's just saying the words that don't belong on a clean song are being expanded. Other words were already being bleeped, etc.

Elderta

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:12:44 -0500

Simmons was on the Colbert Report last night. Footage over at Comedy Central.

Still Not Amused

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:02:57 -0500

So true . Your either going to support the art form in & it's true nature, Or not . This whole "Half arsing it" attitude by Russel is crazy ! Just because he has some clout in the industry it doesn't make you right . You either embrace the art form as a whole or don't at all .

moneda

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:06:54 -0500

How pathetic. One embarrassing visit to Oprah's little shooting gallery and he seems to have lost his entire spine.

tito

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:54:52 -0500

can you say fascists? i knew you could

t

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:32:03 -0500

"in lieu of."