BACKGROUND:
(written
by Mike "Pizon" Scala)
On April 4,
2007, shock jock Don Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's
basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" on his nationally
syndicated radio program in what immediately sparked a nationwide
controversy. Soon after, Oprah Winfrey held a "Town Hall Meeting"
on her TV show holding Hip Hop partially responsible for society's
ills and implicitly drawing a link between misogynstic rap lyrics
and Mr. Imus' remarks.
Def Jam founder
Russell Simmons defended Hip Hop by stating, "When [rappers]
come out of a tremendous struggle, and poverty, and ignorance...and
when they express that truth, and it makes you uncomfortable, then
do something about it. Don't just point your finger at the messenger."
T.I. later told MTV News, "If you want to fix America, you
have to start at George Bush and work your way down -- you can't
start at Hip Hop and work your way up." Fat Joe then added
what most of us were thinking all along: "I don't know how
a 60-year-old white dude has any relation to Hip Hop."
While there
is obviously some merit to the argument that sensationalizing negativity
can have a bad influence on impressionable children (and, umm, 60-year-old
white dudes?), the simple truth is that Hip Hop Is Not The
Enemy. Despite how "irresponsible" our lyrics
may seem at times, they are merely a reflection of the world we
live in. It is therefore the world at large that needs to be examined.
This initiative is founded on the principle that Hip Hop on the
whole does not believe in the mistreatment of women, and Hip Hop
wants to help.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.HIPHOPISNOTTHEENEMY.ORG.
