Keep it Real with non-violent rap
Keep it Real with Non-Violent Rap and…STOP Violent Rap Air Pollution! by Melvia Miller -6/2007-
Air Pollution comes in many forms, including Violent Rap Music. By cleaning up the lyrics and expressing our pain, sorrows and joy in creative ways– we also promote health, happiness, and wealth.
Rap, as we know it today, represents the ultimate creative “free-flow” expression of attitude in popular culture. Nowhere, to this point, has the message been more important than the medium that sends it. To this end, rap music has emerged with a style more concerned with the content of its message than the constructs of its art form.
The March for Decency in Music
The Rev. Al Sharpton announced steps in his battle against ‘poison lyrics’ in RAP music, and will take his fight into various corporations’ boardrooms. On May 3, 2007, the Reverend Al Sharpton led a march to three major record labels on demanding more “decency” in hip-hop lyrics.
The march comes in the aftermath of comments made by terminated shock jock Don Imus, who claimed if his “controversial remarks were made by a rapper, it’d result in a hit song.” Throughout the demonstration, Sharpton blared, over a bullhorn, plans to hold record companies and media companies responsible for what they broadcast through their platforms, stating the people want a “standard in this business” for indecent words.
What’s happening in the controversial world of ‘RAP MUSIC’ these days?
When it comes to the Don Imus controversy, many news commentators, pundents, reporters (and others concerned) continue to point to foul mouth music lyrics, but they somehow evade the issue of all the historical racist humor which has ridiculed Black people for hundreds of years.
Somehow popular Black music changed from Ol-Schools DOO-WOP (Why do fools fall in love?) to “Say it loud–I’m Black and Proud,” and from “My Girl” and “U.N.I.T.Y” to vile lyrics that celebrate violence, crime and degrade women.
We went from listening to the ‘creative, consciousness raising RAP music’ of Gil Scott Heron, James Brown, The O’Jays, Marvin Gaye, Will Smith, & Queen Latifah to a new genre known as VIOLENT GANGSTA RAP.
Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) issued a statement (April 23) urging the recording industry and media outlets to censor misogynistic lyrics (anti-women) and racist terms from future recordings. Presidential candidate 08′ Barack Obama also spoke about Hip-Hop but in another light. “We are all complicit…let’s not just single out the rappers,” Obama said, noting that he had heard offensive words in many places other than rap songs.
Symbolic Burials for slur-sexist and racist lyrics in music
In several somber and meaningful ceremonies across the nation, NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) has been sponsoring ‘funerals’ for the death of the ‘N-word.’ The word has been considered both derogatory and controversial over its lifetime. Leaders of these funeral events claim, “There’s so much negativity associated with the N-word, we just feel like it’s time to make a change.” Yes some popular rap lyrics have become vulgar.
But, in all fairness we must look back to the roots of the problem. The ROOTS of racist, sexist comments (especially toward Blacks), images of ‘lazy, stupid sambos or ‘tap dancing coons’… etc., all originated in the evil practices of slavery. REMEMBER: The horrible “N-word” came out of slavery. So did many other ugly racial slurs, acts of violence, and racial hatred.
And Don Imus is like many others, including KRAMER (Mike Richards) who ranted in a comedy club using the dirty word “NIGGER” repeatedly in a loud rant Ðthat he probably thought was funny.
There are many others who harbor “anti-Black” and racist attitudes….not to mention the millions of men who have these horrible SEXIST attitudes toward women. (Though not nearly as prominent, there are also some women who have sexist attitudes toward men)
NAACP recently announced that it has launched an initiative called ‘The Stop Campaign’ which aims to end racist and sexist language, images and concepts in the media. Already, a few local hip-hop radio stations including New York’s Power 105.1 and Mississippi’s Hot 97.7 have taken action by refusing to play songs with degrading or sexist lyrics. Many other types of music, particularly known as, ‘heavy metal’ have also contributed to promoting horrible, violent, insulting, and degrading lyrics to the air pollution.
Rap Music Financiers…who’s to blame?
RAPPERS DID NOT START THIS PROBLEM OF VIOLENT, UGLY LYRICS. Some of it started during the era of the 1960’s and 1970’s with the hippies. Some comes from radical religious theology and from old backward sexist practices from the Dark Ages. The attempts to place blame on HIP-HOP or Rap Music ignore the fact that the biggest publishers of the ‘gangsta rap’ are White-owned companies–major media conglomerates
Originally, RAP MUSIC was a creative, decent art-form, just like Blues, Jazz, Rock, etc. The deviation into MORAL DECAY occured primarily when the major White-owned companies and others started heavily financing, publishing and marketing the rap songs with extremely vile, profane language– known as: ‘gangsta rap.’
Part of the problem is rooted in economics and politics. Who is financing the use of these poison lyrics and foul-mouthed comedians? REMEMBER THIS: 75% of the “gangsta rap” that popularizes ugly lyrics is purchased by White youth in suburbia. They have been the financiers of the ‘bling-bling’ for the ‘gansta rappers.’
Take for example: VIACOM, who now owns BET, is one of the biggest promoters of ‘shake the booty’ on TV. When BET was Black-owned they broadcast a wide variety of educational, political, artistic, and culturally uplifting programs. AND THINK ON THIS — IF THE GANGSTA RAPPERS WERE USING THESE VILE LABELS…toward rich White women (e.g., Barbara Walters, Hillary Clinton, the Queen of England, Ms. Bush, etc) calling them, “stringy-haired ho” or any of the other foul names, would these major media conglomerates even give them the microphone?
So let us not permit the blaming of ‘rap artists’ without recognizing that most of the financiers of the vile music are those corporations that have financed them.
HISTORY of RAP:
Rap was originally a highly respected art-form that had its birth in ancient Africa. In many ancient African societies, story-telling, preaching, and rapping were nourished and practiced as an art-form. Over the years, accompanied by drum-beats, the art transformed into a very popular medium within the music world.
Likewise, in many other ancient societies including ancient China, India, Europe and other cultures, the art of poetry was held in high regard. In pre-literate societies, poetry was frequently employed as a means of recording oral history, storytelling (epic poetry), genealogy, law and other forms of expression or knowledge that modern societies might expect to be handled in prose. Shakespeare became very popular for writing drama in prose.
‘Rap’ is the form of poetic lyrics in music that stemmed from the Hip-Hop culture. Hip hop is a lifestyle with its own lingo, dresscode, etc. In the words of KRS-One, “hip-hop is something you live, rap is something you do.” But rap music seems to have a very unique place in the world of music.
Emerging from generations of Black youth that refused to be silenced by urban poverty, teenagers with little cash, but plenty of imagination began to forge new styles from spare parts. The reasons for the rise of hip hop are complex. Perhaps most important was the low cost involved in getting started: the equipment was relatively inexpensive, and virtually anyone could MC along with the popular beats of the day. MCs could be creative, pairing nonsense rhymes and teasing friends and enemies alike in the style of Jamaican toasting at blues parties or playinghe dozens in an exchange of wit.
Holding on to Rap as an Art and Stopping Violent Rap Air Pollution! The great musicians, poets, and artists of the ‘old days’ loved their craft. They did not degrade it with foul, violent lyrics. The sounds of Motown, and other ‘old school’ artists were filled with messages of love, hope, non-violence, truth, respect for women, and just plain beauty. Consider EARTH, WIND & FIRE, THE O’JAYS, STAPLE SINGERS, Gladys Knight, Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and many others who flourished in very difficult times…without using ugly, foul, degrading lyrics.
The controversy over ‘poison lyrics’ is a problem that can be solved by looking back to our ancestors and learning from their best examples. Everything we need to know about ART was taught to us by THE GREATS. Here are some LESSONS in the lyrics of THE GREATEST RAPPERS…”don’t they care what’s happenin’ to the air? If you want to stop air pollution..put your hand…over your mouth, that should help the solution.”- The O’Jays. AND ….‘RESPECT YOURSELF’ — The Staple Singers.
We must STOP VRAP (Violent Rap Air Pollution) and stop buying and selling what hurts and kills us and our youth. We must celebrate the beauty of our arts. YES, LET’S KEEP IT REAL and let’s keep it beautiful, healthy, and inspirational.
Author Melvia Miller is an environmental activist, who believes we need to help stop global warming and improve our human relationships. Those who have attended Miller’s presentations, workshops, DVDs, and lectures have been stimulated, enlightened, empowered, and inspired. Her seminars have been lauded as some of the BEST dynamic and inspirational seminars currently being presented on the topics of improving education, uplifting businesses, cultural diversity & race relations, and contemporary social issues such as global warming. For more information contact her at (phone) 1-888-652-0194 (FAX) 702 992-073 or visit: www.success-secrets.ws
