On the “artist” side there is no reason except for personal values to be personally accountable when money is being put in your face NOT to be accountable.

Many people have gone to offending rappers and asked them to behave better to only have the rappers laugh, rattle off economic figure$, and then, rhetorically, give them the finger.

is the suggestion of a disconnect between authentic Hip-Hop (incl. Rap music) and what’s presented as Hip-Hop by commercial media. I’ll give a Russell Simmons (some) credit for running a label whose artists’ lyrics certainly weren’t as notorious and potentially offensive as those featured by other, larger companies. DefJam, of course, is now part of one of those larger media conglomerates, so Simmons’ voice should illustrate the relationship between artists, labels, and media outlets is far more intricate than conventional wisdom suggests. The Talib Kwelis and Commons are being produced; their production is often judged not commercially viable by the Sony-BMGs, Viacoms and ClearChannels. We should be real about who really controls what enters the public sphere if we’re going to attempt its mediation. L’il Jon and Bun B don’t own any radio or TV stations.

I’m not a big fan of bleeping words for two reasons: 1) it insults the audience’s intelligence; 2) any list will inevitably become too unwieldy to enforce efficiently. But I think it has potential as a somewhat practical compromise where art and commerce intersect in a free society. Bleeping lyrics is already commonplace along with ‘clean’ radio/video edits, so all Simmons is talking about is adding words to be bleeped. Again, adding more words for bleeping seems kind of silly to me but the basic idea does have (some) merit as a political exercise.

is the suggestion of a disconnect between authentic Hip-Hop (incl. Rap music) and what’s presented as Hip-Hop by commercial media. I’ll give a Russell Simmons (some) credit for running a label whose artists’ lyrics certainly weren’t as notorious and potentially offensive as those featured by other, larger companies. DefJam, of course, is now part of one of those larger media conglomerates, so Simmons’ voice should illustrate the relationship between artists, labels, and media outlets is far more intricate than conventional wisdom suggests. The Talib Kwelis and Commons are being produced; their production is often judged not commercially viable by the Sony-BMGs, Viacoms and ClearChannels. We should be real about who really controls what enters the public sphere if we’re going to attempt its mediation. L’il Jon and Bun B don’t own any radio or TV stations.

I’m not a big fan of bleeping words for two reasons: 1) it insults the audience’s intelligence; 2) any list will inevitably become too unwieldy to enforce efficiently. But I think it has potential as a somewhat practical compromise where art and commerce intersect in a free society. Bleeping lyrics is already commonplace along with ‘clean’ radio/video edits, so all Simmons is talking about is adding words to be bleeped. Again, adding more words for bleeping seems kind of silly to me but the basic idea does have (some) merit as a political exercise.

Unfortunately, there are those people out here who are set on addressing this issue as a front in the culture wars. I fear that attitude will prevail to work against our best interests in the long run.

If some of those execs are white, and they are, then what?

I think a multi-pronged “attack” is the only thing that is going to work and it includes going after the suits with pickets. It includes buying stock and making a ruckus at the stock holders meetings. It includes going after the radio companies (Radio One, Clear Channel, etc). It includes parents saying kids can’t buy certain things.

Ordinarily, I’d just use the latter, but lessons need to be taught with many hickory switches.

Fat Joe took a similar tack. “I know that Don Imus did not disrespect those young ladies because of hip-hop music,” Joe said last week. “I’m 99 percent sure that he doesn’t even listen to hip-hop like that. Everybody who’s taking on hip-hop music are the same people who are just looking for a moment or window of opportunity. This is their moment to say, ‘F— hip-hop.’ I don’t know how a 60-year-old white dude has any relation to hip-hop music. What we need to know is there is freedom of speech: That’s the biggest thing. My kids listen to hip-hop, they love Dipset, they love gangsta rap. But they also do great in school.

“Being that I’m a father and I take great pride in having a relationship with my kids,” he continued, “they can listen to hip-hop and understand the difference between reality and entertainment. Some of these parents, if they don’t want their kids to listen to hip-hop, tell them to listen to gospel [music]. Play some other kind of music! It ain’t like anybody is forcing people to listen to hip-hop.” source

Saudia,

Our kids are not listening to the Rolling Stones or Elvis. They are listening to music that we produce and fund.

Where I do agree with you is how bleeping out something doesn’t come close to solving the issue they are trying to address.