RAP FOR THE MASSES: KEEPING RAP'S IDENTITY

Hip-hop music, which surfaced in the '70s, was at first a purely African-American form of expression. But even before the sound caught on with Top-40 audiences, rap began to be performed by whites and Hispanics. Today the Monitor concludes a series on rappers who have increased the music's broad appeal.NOV. 4: Queen Latifah NOV. 5: Ice-T TODAY: 3rd Bass