House Panel Debates Hip-Hop Lyrics (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

House Panel Debates Hip-Hop Lyrics

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

(09-25) 14:45 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

Two rappers, sitting side-by-side in a House hearing
room, went in different directions Tuesday on the need
for hip-hop artists to expunge their work of sexist
and violent language.

One, Master P, apologized to women for past songs that
demeaned them, while another was defiant.

-snip-

But rapper and record producer Levell Crump, known as
David Banner, was defiant as lawmakers pressed him on
his use of offensive language. "I'm like Stephen King:
horror music is what I do," he said in testimony laced
with swear words. "Change the situation in my
neighborhood and maybe I'll get better," he told one
member of Congress.

-snip-

"From Imus to Industry: The business of stereotypes
and degrading images" was the title of the hearing,
referring to former radio host Don Imus, who lost his
job after making derogatory comments about the Rutgers
women's basketball team. The Imus incident has sparked
debate within the music industry about black artists
using offensive, misogynist and violent language.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/25/national/w103131D91.DTL