Hip Hop and Censorship

Hip hop has probably encountered more problems with censorship than any other form of popular music in recent years, due to its extreme use of profanity. For example, Public Enemy's "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need" was edited without their permission, removing the words "free Mumia"
After the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Oakland, California group The Coup was under fire for the cover art on their Party Music, which featured the group's two members holding a detonator as the Twin Towers exploded behind them. Ironically, this art was made months before the attacks. The group, having politically radical and Marxist lyrical content, said the cover meant to symbolize the destruction of capitalism. Their record label pulled the album until a new cover could be designed.
The use of profanity as well as graphic representation of violence and sex makes challenges in the broadcast of such material both on television stations such as MTV, in music video form, and on radio. As a result, many hip hop recordings are broadcast in censored form, with offending language "bleeped" or blanked out of the soundtrack (though usually leaving the backing music intact), or even replaced with "clean" lyrics. The result – which sometimes translates the remaining lyrics inarticulate or conflicting with the original recording – has become almost as widely identified with the genre as any other aspect of the music, and has been parodied in films such as Austin Powers in Goldmember, in which a character performed a imatation of a hip hop music video – performs an entire verse that is blanked out. In 1995 Roger Ebert wrote:[7]
“ Rap has a bad reputation in white circles, where many people believe it consists of obscene and violent anti-white and anti-female guttural. Some of it does. Most does not. Most white listeners don't care; they hear black voices in a litany of discontent, and tune out. Yet rap plays the same role today as Bob Dylan did in 1960, giving voice to the hopes and angers of a generation, and a lot of rap is powerful writing." ”
In a way to avoid broadcasting regulations BET has formed a late-night segment called "Uncut" to air uncensored videos. Not only has this translated into greater sales for mainstream artists, it has also provided an opening for undiscovered artists to grab the spotlight with graphic but low production quality videos, often made cheaply by non-professionals. Perhaps the most notorious video aired, which for many came to exemplify BET's program Uncut, was "Tip Drill" by Nelly. While no more explicit than other videos, its exploitative depiction of women, particularly of a man swiping a credit card between a stripper's buttocks, was seized upon by many social activists for condemnation. The segment was discontinued in mid 2006.

OBAMA AND HIP HOP

Barack Obama has a promising look in the hip-hop future. He’s been named “B-rock” by the rap music industry. He has been mentioned in some of the most popular hip-hop singles of the summer. He also held a high-profile meeting with rapper Ludacris. Though Barack seems to not be leading the democratic presidential spot in the national polls, he managed to catch the vote from the hip-hop world. Which mainly consist of all races, industry professionals, rap artist r&b singers etc. Despite Barack’s overcritical outlook on hip-hop he still is being played in stereos, on iPods, and music sites throughout the country. One of the past summers biggest songs by world-renowned rap artist Common, “The people” Common drops a line “my raps ignite the people like Obama”, while the music video shows a Barack Obama bumper sticker cameo. Common also stated that he feels Obama is a fresh face, and that he has style. He also makes the connection that the people who have a love for hip-hop have a love for Obama. Another one of hip-hops influential rappers Talib Kweli who hasn’t voted in a few years because he feels that the political system is broken and that Obama’s hip-hop appeal is cosmetic. He also states that Barack’s name happens to rhyme with a lot of words and that Barack is an African-American fresh face, he speaks for the African-American people. With Barack running for president the world has become more multi-cultural. Barack has stated he has grown up listening to Jazz, but he is well aware about the hottest current artist of today such as Jay-z and Beyonce’. It’s still unclear whether or not Obama’s sudden emergence in hip-hop as a byword would have any effect on African-Americans, a demographic which he is willing to cultivate. A lot likely to happen is opponents would try to change Obama’s relationship with hip-hop. Though Barack doesn’t agree with a lot of the things that go on in hip-hop he doesn’t totally shun it out, he tries to understand it. Hopefully Barack will fully embrace hip-hop the way hip-hop has embraced him.

Nas Explains a controversial album titled “Nigger”

Nigger has caused some strong reaction from civil-rights activists since news of the name hit the streets. The Fox News Web site quoted the Rev. Jesse Jackson and representatives from the NAACP, who warned Nas about using the N-word as his LP's name. “I'm a street disciple," Nas responded, quoting one of his earlier album titles. "I'm talking to the streets. Stay out of our business. You ain't got no business worrying about what the word 'nigger' is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me. Whether you in the NAACP or you Jesse Jackson. I respect all of them ... I just want them to know: Never fall victim to Fox. Never fall victim to what they do. If Cornel West was making an album called Nigger, they would know he's got something intellectual to say," Nas continued. "To think I'm gonna say something that's not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary." Nas also stated that we are taking power from the word. No disrespect to none of them who were part of the civil-rights movement, but some of my n---as in the streets don't know who [civil-rights activist] Medgar Evers was. I love Medgar Evers, but some of the n---as in the streets don't know Medgar Evers, they know who Nas is. The album includes ideas and feelings he wanted to express for years that aren't exactly meant to make you dance or sing along in the club.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572287/20071018/nas.jhtml

Hip Hop History

Hip Hop is both a cultural movement and genre of music started in New York City in the 1970s by African Americans and Latinos. Hip Hop first started in the Bronx and Harlem, and now has spread all over the world. Hip Hop involves breakdancing, graffiti, rapping, beat boxing, and hip hop fashion. When hip hop first started it was based around DJs who created rhythmic beats by scratching with record players, and rapping.In the early 1970s, Clive Campbell, a Jamaican born DJ who went by the name "Kool Herc," arrived in New York City. In Jamaica, Herc was known for his dancehall beats, a key component to the movement of music in NYC and the Bronx. This idea of dancehall had nothing to do with where the music was played, but more of a feeling of getting the people of Kingston, Jamaica to get on their feet and dance. This music, known as reggae, became a staple in the new music made in the Bronx. The Bronx building "where hip hop was born" is 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, where Kool Herc started spinning records and is now eligible to be listed on the national and state register of historic sites. The approach used by Herc was soon widely copied, and by the late 1970s DJs were releasing 12" records where they would rap to the beat. In the 1970s, rapping developed, as MCs would talk over the music to promote their DJ, promote other dance parties, or take light-hearted jabs at other lyricists. This soon developed into the rapping that appears on earlier basic hip-hop singles, with MCs talking about problems in their areas and issues facing the community as a whole. Early hip hop has often been credited with helping to reduce inner-city gang violence by replacing physical violence with hip hop battles of dance and artwork. Though, with the appearance of commercial and crime-related rap during the early 1990s, an stress on violence was included, with many rappers talking about drugs, weapons, misogyny, and violence. Though created in the United States by African Americans and Latinos, hip hop culture and music is now global.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_culture

Freedom Of Speech

Freedom Of Speech

The First Amendment was ratified on December 15, 1791. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. On its face, it prohibits the United States Congress from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion", laws that violate the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to assemble peaceably, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws. Criticism of the government and advocation of unpopular ideas that people may find distasteful or against public policy, such as racism, are generally permitted. There are exceptions to the general protection of speech, however, including the Miller test for obscenity, child pornography laws, and regulation of commercial speech such as advertising. Other limitations on free speech often balance rights to free speech and other rights, such as property rights for authors and inventors (copyright), interests in fair political campaigns (Campaign finance laws), protection from imminent or potential violence against particular persons (restrictions on Hate speech or fighting words), or the use of untruths to harm others (slander). Distinctions are also often made between speech and other acts, such as flag desecration, which may have symbolic significance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_in_the_United_States

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