Houston protesters join 'Day of Decency' fight against hip-hop lyrics

[peejay 327]

Houston protesters join 'Day of Decency' fight against hip-hop lyrics

By ALLAN TURNER

2007 Houston Chronicle

Decrying the "negative toxic tide" of rap lyrics they say corrupt impressionable youths, nearly 200 chanting, placard-waving protesters picketed a north Houston record store Tuesday as part of the Rev. Al Sharpton's "National Day of Decency Initiative."

Leading the Houston protest — one of 20 occurring throughout the nation — was Bishop James Dixon II of The Community of Faith Church.

As passing truckers honked their support and employees of a Soundwaves record store wordlessly watched from their air-conditioned enclave, Dixon's group chorused "We demand decency! We demand decency!" in the sweltering parking lot.

"We want artists and those who promote this filth to know that when they use (vulgar language) that they're talking about their own mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives and children," Dixon told his cheering audience.

Dixon criticized record labels that "profit from promoting racism and sexism," and called for a "single standard of decency."

"It is unacceptable for the music industry to demean, devalue and debase women and promote violence," he said.

Dixon said his group was not specifically targeting Soundwaves, nor does not it reject hip-hop culture.

"Let's reconsider this powerful medium and use that positively," he said. "It's not us versus them. We're all in this together. ... Let's use this as a powerful platform to encourage responsible, safe sex and respect for elders and women."

Soundwaves manager Tommie White said his store stocks edited versions of rap recordings when available, and refrains from selling those that carry parental advisories for objectionable language to customers younger than 16.

His store's inventory, he said, leans heavily to jazz, gospel, zydeco and other non-rap music forms.

"We don't force anything on anyone," White said.

As protesters gathered at the store, church staffer Timothy Dixon admonished them not to comment to the media.

"No verbalization," he told them. "Let the signs do the talking for us."

Protesters carried placards reading "Respect Our Sisters," "Vulgar No More," "We Are Treasure, Not Trash."

When one sign-carrying teen was asked why he was protesting, he offered a puzzled look before his mother intervened, directing a reporter to Dixon.

One protester, Signora Tinsley, said she worried about the impact of rap vulgarities on her five grandchildren. "It's not so much rap," she said, "as these degrading references to women."

Often, she said, youngsters can access objectionable songs without their parents' knowledge. "Kids have downloads," she said.

"If he wants to clean up hip-hop, he ought to go clean up Hollywood," local hip-hop artist O.G. Little Troy said of Dixon's rally. "Clean up these movies; don't come down on hip-hop. Take them on first, and hip-hop will follow."

Spokesmen for Rap A Lot Records, a major Houston hip-hop label, and Def Jam Recordings in New York City did not return calls for comment. The Recording Industry Association of America, which formulated the industry's voluntary parental advisory code, declined to comment.

Nat Hentoff, veteran New York City music critic, columnist and free speech advocate, dismissed the Day of Decency campaign as "part of the worst plague of the last 40 years — political correctness."

"How can you possibly legislate words out of existence?" he said. "The whole idea that you can change what you consider a blight on society but getting rid of words is absurd."

Hentoff labeled Sharpton an "ambulance chaser," and characterized his anti-vulgarity campaign as "a degradation of an honorable civil rights heritage."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5035116.html

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This thread calls for some wild-generalisations about 'hip-hop' types.

Wait for it. Its coming...

[JoeMama 0]

Whatchu say ho?

[mybackpages 0]

I hate when people list in their profiles "I love all music- except rap."

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Anyone fancy some Erotic Street Lit?

Thug-A-Licious

Thong on Fire

[JoeMama 0]

I hate when people list in their profiles "I love all music- except rap."

I love all rap - except music

[Heracles 417]

This thread calls for some wild-generalisations about 'hip-hop' types.

Wait for it. Its coming...

"If he wants to clean up hip-hop, he ought to go clean up Hollywood," local hip-hop artist O.G. Little Troy said of Dixon's rally. "Clean up these movies; don't come down on hip-hop. Take them on first, and hip-hop will follow."

Bingo! exactly the excuse I predicted in the other forum. "Well, he did it too so I should be let off the hook as well".

Now Jazz, soul, the blues and R&B is music. Hip-Hop and rap is freakin junk; as is the current rock where you cannot understand a word the clowns are saying..

Edited August 8, 2007 by Boo-Yah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This thread calls for some wild-generalisations about 'hip-hop' types.

Wait for it. Its coming...

"If he wants to clean up hip-hop, he ought to go clean up Hollywood," local hip-hop artist O.G. Little Troy said of Dixon's rally. "Clean up these movies; don't come down on hip-hop. Take them on first, and hip-hop will follow."

Bingo! exactly the excuse I predicted in the other forum. "Well, he did it too so I should be let off the hook as well".

Now Jazz, sole, the blues and R&B is music. Hip-Hop and rap is freakin junk; as is the current rock where you cannot understand a word the clowns are saying..

How do you figure that then?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Now Jazz, sole, the blues and R&B is music. Hip-Hop and rap is freakin junk; as is the current rock where you cannot understand a word the clowns are saying..

How do you figure that then?

PWNED!

[Heracles 417]

Now Jazz, sole, the blues and R&B is music. Hip-Hop and rap is freakin junk; as is the current rock where you cannot understand a word the clowns are saying..

How do you figure that then?

PWNED!

how??

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Now Jazz, sole, the blues and R&B is music. Hip-Hop and rap is freakin junk; as is the current rock where you cannot understand a word the clowns are saying..

How do you figure that then?

PWNED!

how??

How do you figure that Jazz, Soul, Blues and R&B are "music", while Hip-Hop and Rap is "Freakin junk"?

What's "music" to you, might be "Freakin junk" to someone else. Specifically I loathe R&B with a passion, and hip-hop and rap has been incorporated alongside other styles in a number of acts that I quite like.

[Dr_LHA 3]

Now Jazz, soul, the blues and R&B is music. Hip-Hop and rap is freakin junk

Way to dismiss an entire genre of music as "junk" there mate. You're wrong of course, but I'll just accept that its because you just haven't listened to the right stuff. Just like everything music 90% of it is #######, and in America 100% of what is played on the radio is #######, but that's true of just about every genre.

However that said, hip-hop and rap have been in a bit of a rut as late, I'll admit.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

However that said, hip-hop and rap have been in a bit of a rut as late, I'll admit.

Heard any of the Ninja Tunes stuff? There's also more groups like Gorillaz. I'm not into eminem (that kind of rap), but I quite like those. Different strokes and all that..

Edited August 8, 2007 by Number 6

[Dr_LHA 3]

However that said, hip-hop and rap have been in a bit of a rut as late, I'll admit.

Heard any of the Ninja Tunes stuff? There's also more groups like Gorillaz. I'm not into eminem (that kind of rap), but I quite like those. Different strokes and all that..

Nope, I'll check it out. I did like the last Gorillaz album alot, which I think has as much to do with Danger Mouse (who's also do a lot of other stuff I like) as Damon Albarn (who I'm also a fan of I'll admit).

EDIT: The rut I was referring to was the more traditional rap scene, rather than the Indie crossover stuff like Gorillaz.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Dr_LHA

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

However that said, hip-hop and rap have been in a bit of a rut as late, I'll admit.

Heard any of the Ninja Tunes stuff? There's also more groups like Gorillaz. I'm not into eminem (that kind of rap), but I quite like those. Different strokes and all that..

Nope, I'll check it out. I did like the last Gorillaz album alot, which I think has as much to do with Danger Mouse (who's also do a lot of other stuff I like) as Damon Albarn (who I'm also a fan of I'll admit).

EDIT: The rut I was referring to was the more traditional rap scene, rather than the Indie crossover stuff like Gorillaz.

I like Demon Days a lot. The Ninja Tunes (Ninja Tunes is the record label) stuff is a lot more experimental - the Herbaliser is one group I can recommend. Similar sort of style to Gorillaz, but rather less mainstream.