I think there plenty of us that are equally outraged about the portrayal of African American women in popular culture . Following the Oprah Town Hall meeting I decided to create a website to serve as a clearing house of all of the grassroots effort out there to combat misogyny in music. Whataboutourdaughters.org. I think that it is time to DEFUND THE WAR ON BLACK WOMEN! Period. End of discussion. This isn’t about artistic expression. This is about capitalism. People have a right to basically say whatever they want to, but I don’t have to subsidize it in any way. Hence the term “starving artist.”

We started an online call-in talk show as well called “the Black Women’s Roundtable” Saturdays at Noon CST. Our topic this week is “Does Hip Hop Really Hate Black Women?” If you can’t listen live, you can always catch the archived show at blogtalkradio.com/blackwomen
Whataboutourdaughters.blogspot.com

I’m glad this is being discussed.
pity the kids (above) and mindless masses will continue to support Akon and his fellow thugged out / tricked out king Solomon wanna bees.

At the route of this problem, like most, lies money and our endless pursuit to live beyond our means…..

love you all

akon 4 eva u bitchez

aaron luvs shanice 2007

Saul clearly thinks theres nothing wrong with enjoying “offensive” music. I definitely enjoy a lot of it. If I put out my own music though I most likely wouldn’t produce that kind, just as he decided not to. He also doesn’t say theres a direct link from Saddam or whatever anecdote to rap music. He’s just saying that religion etc has shaped a lot of the values reflected in society and so in rap music, and that censoring rap is like a bad band-aid solution that doesn’t get to the root of the problem. It’s like the bit in Bowling for Columbine, pointing out that it’s not the violent video games that are the true cause of U.S. gun deaths, since if that were the case Japan would be taking the lead. So he’s critical of values/influences like the virgin/whore dichotomy but anti-censorship…not to mention thoughtful and civil in his criticism. I just don’t see where he goes wrong.
I do agree with Fionntán that lots of rappers perpetuate these ill values or whatever, and in a certain sense should be critcized (not censored), but that just goes back to the video game point…the focus is off.
It’s a beautiful piece, in my opinion.

…I also think Oprah rocks :)

personally I enjoy plenty of music which has lyrics that are reprehensible or offensive, I listen to music for creativity and sonic invention and to hear someone else’s pov, not to have my personal political views endorsed.

Sorry to sound conservative here but I really don’t see what is wrong with blaming 50 Cent and his ilk for their own actions. They’re grown men who known the acusations against them.
It’s not really that crazy an idea is it?

Old Testament style relgion? Bush?
The President, and leaders of other countries voted to remove Saddam from power (bad idea or not, it’s not the point here) therefore they rap about murdering people and write sexist lyrics?

I don’t buy it for one second.