HIP-HOP At the Crossroads

Ebony, Sept, 2001 by Kevin Chappell

* POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE HIP-HOP COMMUNITY

In conjunction with major civil-rights organizations, the hip-hop community will work to educate and address issues such as freedom of speech and racial profiling.

* HIP-HOP THINK TANK

Starting at Columbia University, under the direction of Manning Marable, Cornel West and Michael Eric Dyson, a forum will be established to engage in an ongoing dialog with the intellectual community around questions on the impact of hip-hop culture and music on the global community. Others will be formed later on various college campuses.

"In its infancy, hip-hop was doubted and ridiculed, but today hip-hop is full-grown, worldwide, the voice, lifestyle and leader of youth from New York to Toronto to Tokyo to Johannesburg," Combs says. "As a young man who has grown up inside of hip-hop, and helped shape it in many ways, I am open to the positive dialogue."

Simmons says that while it's time for hip-hop to do its part in correcting some of the controversy it faces, he says the rap community will not sit by while others try to squelch their freedom of expression. He plans to lead the fight against the perceived threats it faces, particularly the efforts by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) to restrict certain music, and the recent disciplinary actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission.

"Throughout American history, the young and creative culture has always been accused of crossing the line," Simmons says. "Whether it was the writings of Mark Twain or musical genres like blues, jazz and rock & roll, when we look at these forms of expression in retrospect, we see that they weren't bad at all. In fact, such expression has proven to be the most profound catalyst in realizing the American promise. The attacks from the mainstream on the hip-hop community's First Amendment right to have freedom of speech are wrong and unconstitutional. In this country's past, no matter how differing the points of view on various issues have been, we have worked hard to not place infringements on our democratic right to express. The U.S. government has never crossed that line."

In an effort to change rap's hard-core image and promote goodwill, many artists have donated their time and talents to various causes. Combs' charity, "Daddy's House," provides programs to underprivileged children, while Missy Elliott has worked with a national project to end domestic violence. Master P donated $250,000 to his alma mater, St. Monica's Catholic Elementary Schoolin New Orleans, after it faced the possibility of closing because of financial difficulties. Shaggy donated money and respirators to a Jamaican hospital and Busta Rhymes has been very involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Nation of Islam leader Farrakhan, who chaired the conflict resolution discussions at the summit, encouraged hip-hop artists to lead by their words and deeds. "I love you, but I am not satisfied that you are doing all that you can," he told the more than 300 participants who had gathered at a Manhattan hotel. "The gun didn't get you a following, it was the word that got you your following. The youth is manifested of the wickedness of their parents, their teachers, the judges, the politicians. You talk about gangsta lyrics. You are literally showing aspects of a government that is gangsta, tells you that you should smoke a leader that they disagree with. What society wants to do with young people is to break the mirror rather than take a look at it and clean itself up."