Hiphop taking a nail in the coffin. Crouch and others wage war on Hiphop.

[Drudge]

 Original article. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/433792p-365474c.html

Hitting back at hip-hop hustlers
 

 

 
Having grown up in the midst of many intelligent, down-home and courageous black women, I was appalled for 20 years by the silence of the women who were being demeaned and turned into sex toys so consistently in the worst hip-hop imagery. Where were the descendants of those black women who gave so much of the heat to the civil rights movement and made so many sacrifices for it?
Why didn't anyone have the moxie, in the spirit of Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer, to take on the $1.5 billion rap industry? Perhaps because, in our culture at this time, cowardice is more common than the common cold.

Yet when, in 2005, Essence started its "Take Back the Music" campaign to question this hate-filled and decadent material, 1 million hits came to its Web site in the first month. Yes, the campaign festered for awhile because of a lack of funding - but at a recent music festival in Atlanta, it began wobbling back to its feet. Eight thousand people in attendance seemed ready for war against dehumanizing images.

Well, time will tell (perhaps literally). Essence is, after all, owned by Time Warner, which makes more than a few pennies from hip-hop material.

But even if this campaign should peter out, the day is far from lost. Warming up in another corner is Yvonne Bynoe, author and lecturer. Having had more than enough, Bynoe wrote a remarkably intelligent defense of Oprah Winfrey on Davey D's Hip Hop Daily News (Daveyd.com) last month. Go there, I urge you, and read it yourself. With the letter, titled "Do Blacks Really Need Oprah to Be Down with Hip Hop?," Bynoe earns a place as a Thomas Paine in the movement against female degradation.

In reaction to the rappers like Ludacris who complain that Winfrey - the American Queen of Goodwill - has disrespected them or failed to support their careers, her rebuttal is so well thought out, so articulate and so full of righteous anger that I am sure that 50 Cent and Ice Cube suffered skin burns if they read it. Or could read it.

The young lady knows their work well, sees the illogic of their assertions and lays them out in a row like dead fish in the market. Unlike so many critics who tiptoe into such territory, Bynoe shows no inclination to be silenced by a flag of false ethnic solidarity. With confidence, she slaps aside all the manipulative ploys that rappers use against any who dare question their insipid material.

Of the attacks on Winfrey, Bynoe writes, "The underlining sentiment is that if she is unwilling to set aside her values and opinions, then she can't be down for black people. This position assumes that what is good for black entertainers is good for black folks, and that notion is arguable. There are many media outlets that expose U.S. rap artists to the global marketplace. However, Oprah is virtually alone in her ability, through her selection of guests, to provide the world with a broader view of black Americans and their achievements. For most of us, particularly black women, who are frequently equated with the images of half-naked, gyrating females found in the rap music videos, a countervailing portrayal is welcomed." Uh-oh.

Beware, you gold-and-diamond-toothed dogs, they are coming for you. They are young, educated, good-looking and fiery, meaning that they cannot be dismissed as old, out-of-touch, frustrated hags.

The dogcatchers are on the way.

 
Stanley Crouch

DO BLACKS REALLY NEED OPRAH TO BE DOWN WITH HIP HOP?
By Yvonne Bynoe Furnished by DaveyD.com

Ludacris was the first to complain about Oprah. In the May, 2006 issue of GQ magazine he said that Oprah grudgingly had him on her show as a cast member of Oscar-winning film Crash. Ludacris called Oprah “unfair” and said that she edited his comments and lectured him about his music. Then 50 Cent, the crack-dealer turned rap artist jumped into the fray telling The Associated Press that Oprah rarely invites rap artists on her show. Showing his disdain for what he characterized as Oprah’s old and primarily White audience he said, “[ I] couldn’t care less about Oprah or her show.” Now, Ice Cube, the former front man for rap group, N.W.A has also expressed his upset that Oprah has not asked him to be on her show. He told FHM magazine that he’s been involved with three projects that were pitched to Oprah but he’s yet to get an invite. To promote the film Barbershop, Oprah only invited rapper-actress, Eve and comedian, Cederic the Entertainer. Ice Cube said that “maybe Oprah’s got a problem with Hip Hop,” but that can’t be true since Eve was brought on.

Contrary to what Ludacris, 50 and Ice Cube have said, Oprah has had rap artists on her show, but her tastes admittedly lean more toward John Legend and Alicia Keys than to Lil Wayne and Trina. Sean “P-Diddy” Combs was on before he ran the New York City marathon to raise money for that city’s public schools. Rap artist-producer, Kanye West, whose religious song, “Jesus Walks,” stirred up controversy among church folks, has also been on her show. Queen Latifah and LL Cool J have also sat on Oprah’s stage. More importantly rap artist-producer, Missy Elliott and the Queen of Hip Hop, Mary J. Blige were both part of Oprah’s “Legends Weekend” that celebrated accomplished Black women. Earlier this month, Oprah, in response to critics, told MTV, I respect other people's rights to do whatever they want to do in music and art... She went on to say, I don't want to be marginalized by music or any form of art. ... I feel rap is a form of expression, as is jazz. I'm not opposed to rap. I'm opposed to being marginalized as a woman. If Oprah’s comments need some decoding----she basically said that rap artists are free to record songs that call women bitches and ‘hos and she is also free not to invite them on her show. In short, Oprah does not have a problem with rap music, she has a problem with rap that degrades women.

There is a particular arrogance that permeates Ludacris’, 50's and Ice Cube’s statements, as if Oprah owes them a spot on her show. It is Oprah who has issues if she will not put Black men on her show who have made millions of dollars demeaning Black women. If songs such as Ludacris’ “Move Bitch”, or NWA’s “A Bitch Iz A Bitch” are not Oprah’s cup of tea, then why should she be obligated to give these rapper-actors a platform to promote themselves or their work? This sense of entitlement is the result of years of rap artists going television on program spewing whatever ignorant and/or anti-social messages that they wanted, in the name of art. It does not seem to occur to these Black men (or to their supporters) that Oprah has the right not to use her show, which is seen by 21 million viewers a week, in 105 countries to promote performers whose work she personally feels is misogynistic or offensive. Oprah may not be kicking any Black feminist credentials, but rather than blindly using her influence to “help the brothers,”she is choosing not to support Black entertainers whose work denies the humanity of Black women.

The main focus of this brouhaha is not Hip Hop or rap, but the commercially successful subset of Hip Hop and rap that has transformed the public image of Black women from flygirls to bitches, tricks, ‘hos and chickenheads. This is the same sector of Hip Hop that has mainstreamed stripper culture, reduced the value of women to their body parts (remember Nelly’s music video “Tip Drill”) and mocked the importance of love. Rap music should not be banned or censured, but if living in an open society means that performers are free to express themselves, then that same freedom of expression has to be extended to folks who are not feeling them. Unfortunately among Black Americans there is little substantive debate about how popular culture affects our communities. Any criticism of rap music, however slight or legitimate, is routinely dismissed as “hating.”

In early 2004 Motivational Education Entertainment (MEE), a Philadelphia communication firm released a nationwide study of 2,000 “urban” teens. The authors of the study say that overall the teens in their survey indicated that, “Black females are valued by no one.” The vast majority of youth received many of their perceptions about life from the rap music that they regularly consumed. The study states that the one of most relevant changes in the Hip Hop generation from their Civil Rights and Black Power predecessors is the open disdain for Black women. It makes perfect sense then that Oprah, a Black woman would not want to even indirectly advance messages that negatively impact young Black women.

In his FHM interview, Ice Cube says that he deserves an invite on Oprah’s show because if he was not a “rags-to-riches story to her then who is?” Sure Ice Cube has made millions but his success is founded on rap songs such as NWA’s “One Less Bitch,” and the extremely raunchy, “Giving Up the Nappy Dugout,” a solo release. What Ice Cube fails to understand is that Oprah herself is the prototype for the “rags to riches” stories that she highlights on her shows. Oprah’s life story is a lot worse than that experienced by many rap artists. She grew up dirt poor in rural Mississippi to unwed parents and was sexually abused by a relative at age nine and repeatedly thereafter. She also endured years of bad relationships, weight problems, and a career changing demotion that moved her from her news anchor seat to co-hosting a morning talk show. Oprah credits her fortune to education and faith; her shows reflect her strong belief in self-transformation. For over 20 years Oprah has featured numerous “success” stories on her show—primarily women who become wealthy or influential through perseverance and creativity and people who have overcome adversity, tragedy or horrible abuse to produce richer lives for themselves, their families or their communities. For Oprah success is not predicated on amassing large sums money, it is based on the contribution that a person makes to improving his or her world.

Oprah has her detractors because she has used her show to bring attention to the subjects that she cares about. Implicit in all of the criticism from rap artists, is the idea that because Oprah is Black she is expected to push every Black entertainers’ latest film or album regardless of what she thinks about it or them. The underlining sentiment is that if she is unwilling to set aside her values and opinions, then she can’t be down for Black people. This position assumes that what is good for Black entertainers is good for Black folks and that notion is arguable. There are many media outlets that expose U.S. rap artists to the global marketplace. However, Oprah is virtually alone in her ability, through her selection of guests, to provide the world with a broader view of Black Americans and their achievements. For most of us, particularly Black women, who are frequently equated with the images of half-naked, gyrating females found in the rap music videos, a countervailing portrayal is welcomed. It is often said that those who control their image control their world and Harpo Studios is Oprah’s world. If the brothers feel that they need more media visibility, rather than jocking Oprah, they should use their millions to finance and produce their own television talk shows, then they can have invite on whomever they wish. I am sure however that everyone would not make the cut with them either.

Yvonne Bynoe (www.YvonneBynoe.com) is the author of two books, Stand & Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture and the Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. She is also a regular panelist on the National Public Radio program, News & Notes with Ed Gordon.

Yvonne Bynoe

[Drudge]

With hiphop giants declaring hiphop is dead,  Nas and a host of others. I find some element of truth. Even when we here of the underground mc's bringing heat to hiphop. Its almost like 'who cares'. I can't even defend the state of hiphop. Pure shit, demeaning, low class same old shit bagging music. How many times will rap artist have half naked women in their videos. Can't they come up with anything else besides club footed women dancing in their videos while sipping booze. How fuckin original.

[M Dogg™]

Fuck all the talk... Dipset is the future of Hip-Hop. All that other old shit is garbage anyways. Dipset Beyotch.

[Tha_Blaq_Sinattra]

Stanley Crouch is a clown (he still calls Black folk negros). Him and Wynton Marsalis have been blabbin' about Hip-Hop for years. Make better Jazz! Dont waste your time trying to smear Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop always respected Jazz. I guess because we did'nt go to Julliard, we must be losers. Brandford Marsalis is the man. He's Light years ahead of most Jazz artists and he understands Hip-Hop. Women! stop being and training your daughters to be heartless gold-diggers and we wont dis you and them- simple as that. We always rep the real sisters like Lauren Hill and Angie Stone.


www.myspace.com/thablaqsinattra

[Juronimo]

Yeah, OK, so much of hip hop music denigrates women, no big shocker there, but those that are upset at that fact, can they answer these questions?

Why are women buying 50 Cent or Ludacris or any other rapper that shows stereotypicall black female behavior in droves, instead of buying, let's say, Reflection Eternal?

Why is it that when you're in a club and the play "Ain't no Fun", every woman in that club is singing it word for word?

These people that are annoyed at the portrayal of black women in videos need to talk to their fellow sisters that are cosigning this. The rappers are businessmen, and they are only giving the public, which for the most successfully commercial rappers, are mostly women, what they want. They're only following the 2pac/Biggie formula "sell to the women and the men will follow".

[youngmessnucca]

Yeah, OK, so much of hip hop music denigrates women, no big shocker there, but those that are upset at that fact, can they answer these questions?

Why are women buying 50 Cent or Ludacris or any other rapper that shows stereotypicall black female behavior in droves, instead of buying, let's say, Reflection Eternal?

Why is it that when you're in a club and the play "Ain't no Fun", every woman in that club is singing it word for word?

These people that are annoyed at the portrayal of black women in videos need to talk to their fellow sisters that are cosigning this. The rappers are businessmen, and they are only giving the public, which for the most successfully commercial rappers, are mostly women, what they want. They're only following the 2pac/Biggie formula "sell to the women and the men will follow".

Agreed, I think people are very easily brainwashed nowadays.