As Criticism Turns to Hip Hop, Russell Simmons Comes Up with the Perfect Dodge

It's the best head fake I've ever seen in a media debate.

Well aware that all the folks P.O.-ed by the tsunami of outrage that kneecapped Don Imus' career would soon turn to gangsta rap to settle the score, onetime rap impresario Russell Simmons came up with a public relations move that proves why he was always the slickest operator in hip hop.

Simmons' solution? Let's ban all the words that upset people -- from the clean versions of hip hop singles.

He's been talking to media outlets everywhere about his plan for deleting "ho," "bitch" and "nigger" from the already highly edited "clean" versions of rap records played on the radio. It's a great dodge for the hip hop industry for several reasons.

1) It focuses people on the specific words rather than the ideas behind the words. You don't have to debate how women are treated in rap lyrics if you boil it down to banning a few words from versions of songs that the vast majority of hip hop fans don't buy, anyway.

2) It takes responsiblity for the material from the artist who created the song to some nameless record company editor patching together a radio-friendly single. The artists -- who are still Simmons' main constituency -- don't have to change a thing.

3) It allows folks like Simmons to keep playing the philanthropist to the wider world without challenging rap artists to really adopt new messages or tell stories in a different way.

4) It allows gangsta rap artists to keep filling their albums and non-radio product with the same awful messages for fans, while cleaning up the product most likely to reach those who are criticizing hip hop -- the stuff played on the radio.

Like I said, masterful.

  Unfortunately, this latest gambit isn't even a band-aid. Sooner or later, rap artists must learn how to preserve their creativity and vital spirit while chilling out on the more harmful messages.

In a better world, old heads like Simmons would be helping the young bloods figure this out, instead of trying to head fake the critics. But sometimes, it's hard to take the hustle out of a hardcore entrepreneur.

Forum on Radio, Rap and Media Images Post-Imus TONIGHT!

I had a great time appearing on Rob Lorei's afternoon news and public affairs show on WMNF-FM Wednesday talk about the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists' public forum tonight on race, gender and media post-Imus -- scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Campus Activities Center on USF's St. Petersburg Campus.

Feel free to join us tonight. We hope to have a wide assortment  of guests on our panel, from shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge, to the owner of the radio station which aired Imus locally, and area notables from radio and hip hop communities. Join us!

 

Comments

[jillabuster]

In today's E&P, there is an article on dealing with online reader comments, something I know you deal with. I hope this issue has a place in your discussion tonight. I love reading other readers' comments, including those of people with other viewpoints, but when you go to sites that don't monitor, it can be pretty awful-- and much of it offensive to women and minorities -- Blogger Kathy Sierra's story is especially chilling.
Anyway, hope to make it, but if not, I will look forward to reading about it here!

from editor & publisher:
Newspapers Debate How to Deal With Online Reader Comments

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Faced with declining circulation, many U.S. newspapers are trying to engage readers by allowing them to respond to news stories online. But the anonymity of the Internet lets readers post obscenities and racist hate speech that would never be allowed in the printed paper.

Consider one reader comment this month on the Web site of Nashville's daily newspaper, The Tennessean: Some ethnic groups were told to "go back where you came from" while one was singled out for comparison with insects.

[Khan of the Wastelands]

The internet makes brave men out of cowards.

[Joel]

I wonder how you feel about the music video part of this, particularly since you're the TV guy.

I've always been puzzled by the disconnect in some music videos - censoring some of the words, while the images present a clear idea of what those words represent. All you've done there is separate the word from the context, while still leaving the context in tact. Sort of the same idea as censoring a few dirty words.

There's also the potential of harming those artists that are trying to change the message rather than just the words. I think if handled with a clear vision, an artist can successfully use the language as a way to reach those who need to hear the message and still maintain the clarity of the message. Of course if you abstractly censor a group of words, you're not getting anywhere.

[Eric Deggans]

Check out the column I wrote on banning the n-word:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-deggans/more-michael-richards-mad_b_35046.html?p=1

Key paragraphs:
Should we raise the bar for our artists? No doubt. Should we challenge the rampant misogyny, homophobia, violence and self destructiveness which fills some black-focused movies, music and television? For sure.

But no word is so awful it can't be used creatively and incisively by someone. And banning a word without addressing the ideas behind it feels more like a panacea than anything -- a feel good moment which hobbles geniuses while letting the knuckleheads continue their awful work without reproach.