Why Do They Call It Art?

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has been all over the airwaves of late, as he embarks upon a promotional tour for his new book. Mr. Simmons has called for rappers and those who produce and promote rap music, to voluntarily eradicate three offensive words, which appear to be staples of the typical rap song. One is left to wonder, what would the average rap song be without the gratuitous use of bitches, hos or niggas? I applaud Mr. Simmons, who while staunchly opposing censorship has adopted this new stance, or as the late James Brown might say, "poppa's got a brand new bag." What I take particular exception to, is his calling all rap art, when much of it is not. There is no redeeming social value in derogatory lyrics or the negative imagery that has come to characterize the vast majority of rap songs and videos. The Encarta World English Dictionary describes art as follows:

1) the creation of beautiful or thought provoking works, for example, in painting, music or writing.

2) beautiful or thought-provoking works produced through creative activity… Show me the beauty in misogyny. Show me the beauty in demeaning derogatory language.

Our nation's youth spend millions on rap music, that thinking people wouldn't give 50 cent for. They buy music that very often promotes a negative anti-social lifestyle that at best is deviant. The lifestyles that we see rappers promoting has little basis in the broader reality. If the thugs and the gangstas were truly in charge, our urban communities would rapidly cease to exist. Gangsta rappers glamorize a negative lifestyle; a lifestyle I might add, that they have gladly chosen to abandoned. Instead, they have opted to talk about certain aspects of their past lives, real or imagined. The music and the imagery presents the world with a distorted picture of what urban life is like. Thugs with recording contracts do not artist make. They are hustlers who would, and do, sell their souls for a recording contract. The multi conglomerates that run the music business are more than willing to promote the filth that they have labeled art, as long as it remains commercially viable. Prison culture, i.e., hip-hop culture inspires the poo poo pants look that many of today's youth wear. Their pants are so far down as to make walking difficult. We don't have to imagine, boxer or briefs, we can see which ones they're wearing.

Hip-hop and rap deservingly take most of the rap for glamorizing lifestyles of the uninformed and ignorant, but society at large is equally at fault. As a society we worship at the temple of the dollar bill. No one gives one hoot about how that dollar was made. Perhaps rapper Method Man put it best when he said, "Dollar bill y'all, dollar bill y'all dollar dollar dollar dollar bill y'all." Success is determined by what you have, not who you are. From the gold and platinum chains to the gold and platinum teeth mindless materialism and ostentation are the accepted norm. Fancy cars, expensive clothes and homes that are unsupportable over time are the acquisitions of choice for most rappers. Given this litany, why do they call it art?

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