Hip-hop's bad rap

Commentators are quick to condemn it for glorifying violence and misogyny. But do they hear the positive messages within the lyrics?

from the May 3, 2007 edition

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Which is why I've been dumbfounded by critics who have recently characterized rap as strictly the domain of materialists and misogynists. Honestly, has Bill O'Reilly ever actually sat down and listened to a single rap song in its entirety? (Disclosure: I work for the company that syndicates his column.) The pundit's favorite whipping boy has been the rapper Ludacris, whom he lambastes for using profanity and referencing violence. But the last time I checked, Ludacris's recent hit was "Runaway Love," in which he spotlights domestic violence against women with concern and care.

When I go on my daily afternoon run, the first song on my workout mix is "I Can" by Nas, in which he addresses young blacks, telling them: "Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hos/ read more, learn more, change the globe." And just this morning, I heard a radio commercial by rapper Nick Cannon, who also hosts a hip-hop-themed show on MTV, imploring young people to check out community college as a way to better themselves.

Another one of the past year's best-selling rap artists, T.I., seduces a woman on the song "Why You Wanna" not by saying he wants to slap her behind, but by offering to "compliment you on your intellect and treat you wit respect." Yes, the lyrics are punctuated by R-rated language and imagery, but there's a critical difference between a song's profanity and its underlying message.

Some would argue – perhaps rightly so – that using terms such as "ho" and the "N" word is never OK, no matter what the context. But rap, like all music, is simply a reflection of the society that gave rise to it – and America's in particular is one with a centuries-old history of relegating blacks and women to the bottom of the barrel, something white men were practicing long before the Sugar Hill Gang and other early rap groups came along.

If hip-hop detractors really cared about the generation they insist is being corrupted, they should also acknowledge the surprising amount of good that hip-hop does as a vehicle that opens young people's eyes to poetry and dance. It's a medium that pleads for its audience to take part in their communities – and one that increasingly affirms women as teachers and role models.

• Sara Libby is an editor for Creators Syndicate.

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