Commerce Subcommittee Meeting On Racial Sterotypes in the Media Targets Hip Hop Artists

On Tuesday, September 25th a commerce subcommittee meeting on consumer protection met on the topic of African American media stereotypes. The meeting was led by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL). Speakers included hip hop artists David Banner and Percy "Master P" Miller as well as Novelist and Georgetown Professor Michael Eric Dyson.

The specific question asked to the speakers that inspired my blog was this: "What is the responsibility of Hip Hop music?"

David Banner began his reply with, "I don't think Hip Hop music has ANY responsibility.." and went on to explain.

For me it is hard to believe hip hop artists can be held accountable for the way they run their business. What about pharma? They've got this entire country on meds, diagnosed with made up diseases. But more pertinent to the issue at hand here; what is the responsibility of POP music? Of Rock 'n Roll? Of Metal? etc.

Let's start with POP: Britney Spears set out as a role model for 11 year old girls. Then she danced half naked on stage about a million times, made out (sensually) with Madonna on stage and continues to make pop music. Just because 11 year olds are statistically very likely to purchase her albums, did it make her accountable for the image of a "role model" we claim she had become? Whether it did or it didn't NO ONE ever held her accountable.

So now I ask you; are we holding our black entertainers to an unfair standard? We're asking them to be role models to the children who buy their albums and watch their videos. But are we really asking them to inspire a hope that our legislation and law enforcement has been unable to? And moreover, aren't we being hypocritical by attempting to place limits on their industry specifically, while neglecting to look at other industries across the board?

Tupac's lyrics were some of the most violent and the most inspired. They were both poetic and honest, rhythmic and real. Looking at them helps to explain where gangsta rap is singing from:

"Now I was raised as a young black male,
In order to get paid forced to make crack sales.
Caught a n***** so they send me to this overpacked jail,
In the cell counting days in this living black hell - do you feel me?"

If the ghettos have become safer and the jails aren't predominantly black anymore, then I could imagine a time when gangsta rap became less angry and took on a new persona minus the 'gangsta.' But what I wonder is this: will it not simply anger someone more if they are not only subjected to a "cursed ass hopeless life" (Tupac) but are then prevented from getting any form of label to back the art they made to vent their frustrations?

Might we point the finger somewhere else? Or could we talk about how influential artists could help us inspire positive change rather than point the finger at them and talk about how to regulate what "they're" doing?