OP-ED-ING RACE, HIP-HOP

the real father of hip-hop?

Here's a few notable quotables from some recent opinionzing on the whole Imus, hip-hop, misogyny below. Just so we're really clear, I'm not in agreement with all the sentiments noted before (Taibbi's rant is especially problematic) but I think some of the polemics being made are worthy of discussion.

Jeff Chang and Dave Zirin: "Hip-hop's socially conscious side" from the L.A. Times

"If all the overnight anti-hip-hop crusaders really cared about the generation they want to save, they would support the growing Media Justice movement led by hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa and such outspoken women activists as Malkia Cyril and Rosa Clemente. The group contends that such media powers as Emmis Communications and Clear Channel have corrupted hip-hop radio."

"If hip-hop's critics paid attention to the hip-hop generation, they would learn that the discussion has already begun without them and that they might need to listen. Then a real intergenerational conversation could begin."

Matt Taibbi: "Imus Is Out, But Whitey Execs Get the Last Laugh" from Rolling Stone (republished by Alternet)

"With very few exceptions almost everyone who jumped onto the Don Imus pigpile was a shameless opportunist whose mind was made up years before this incident even happened, and used the occasion of a radio jock stepping in shit to robotically jerk off his constituency for a cheap buck. First of all, let's just get this out of the way: the idea that anyone in the media world gives a shit about the dignity of women, black or white, is a ridiculous joke."

"Satan himself couldn't have designed a more effective vehicle for marginalizing black culture than modern hip-hop."

"...even worse was the way black politicians and black intellectuals so easily bought into the idea that these endless video images of gun-toting, ho-slapping black men with fat wallets, rock-hard tattooed abs and fully-accessorized rides were positive living symbols of "black empowerment" and "black manhood." Like Tupac was the next Malcolm or something."

"You throw a couple dozen talented black artists mid-level stockbroker money and they'll be ho-calling bitch-slapping modern Bojangles acts till the end of fucking time. From Whitey's point of view that's a hell of a punchline. The mistake Imus made was saying it out loud."



--O.W.