Hip-hop exec calls for censor of 'extreme curse words'

Dr. Whiplash · Post by **Dr. Whiplash** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:44 pm

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prominent U.S. hip-hop executive Russell Simmons has recommended eliminating the words ''bitch,'' "ho'' and "nigger'' from the recording industry, considering them "extreme curse words.''

The call comes less than two weeks after radio personality Don Imus' nationally syndicated and televised radio show was canceled amid public outcry over Imus calling a women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos.'' Simmons, co-founder of the Def Jam label and a driving force behind hip-hop's huge commercial success, called for voluntary restrictions on the words and setting up an industry watchdog to recommend guidelines for lyrical and visual standards.

"We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho' and the racially offensive word 'nigger','' Simmons and Benjamin Chavis, co-chairmen of the advocacy group Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, said in a statement. "These three words should be considered with the same objections to obscenity as 'extreme curse words.'"

Monday's statement changed course from another one by Simmons and Chavis dated April 13, a day after Imus' show was canceled, in which they said offensive references in hip-hop ''may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but our job is not to silence or censor that expression.''

The Imus controversy stoked a debate in the United States about how to deal with inflammatory words that are widely considered highly offensive but at the same time commonly and casually used in youth culture. U.S. black leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have led the charge to suppress offensive words while many artists have argued for freedom of expression. New York City declared a symbolic moratorium on the so-called N-word in February.

"Our internal discussions with industry leaders are not about censorship. Our discussions are about the corporate social responsibility of the industry to voluntarily show respect to African Americans and other people of color, African American women and to all women in lyrics and images,'' the statement from Simmons and Chavis said on Monday. The network recommended the formation of a Coalition on Broadcast Standards that would consist of leading executives from music, radio and television.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:26 pm

This is the same guy that was attached to "Def Comedy Jam"

Ah, fuck him...

Big Media · Post by **Big Media** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:29 pm

Silly ol' Russel Simmons. While we are at it, no country artist shall sing about trucks, lost relationships, beer, tractors, muddy tires, whiskey, Jesus, ..., ..., ..., ...,

Listening to an interesting song on Launchcast called Confines Of Gravity

by some doucebags called PlayRadioPlay!

Here's a sample "I wanna be an astronaut and get high." Ridiculous.

Arp2 · Post by **Arp2** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:53 pm

"We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho' and the racially offensive word 'nigger','' Simmons and Benjamin Chavis, co-chairmen of the advocacy group Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, said in a statement.

Note that he doesn't mind that they get put in in the first place....he just wants them "hidden" after the fact.....

Dr. Whiplash · Post by **Dr. Whiplash** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:56 pm

Monday's statement changed course from another one by Simmons and Chavis dated April 13, a day after Imus' show was canceled, in which they said offensive references in hip-hop ''may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but our job is not to silence or censor that expression.''

They had it right the first time. Whores.

The People's DJ · Post by **The People's DJ** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:18 pm

"We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho' and the racially offensive word 'nigger','' Simmons and Benjamin Chavis, co-chairmen of the advocacy group Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, said in a statement.

Isn't that done already? Clean versions of the albums...that don't sale very well.

God I miss Run-DMC.

jag · Post by **jag** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:06 pm

They don't sell very well, either!

(I had your back on that one, Arp.)

The People's DJ · Post by **The People's DJ** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:09 pm

Bite me

I got a headache.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:30 pm

Run DMC's tracks "Raising Hell", "King of Rock" and "Mary Mary".

GREAT SHIT!

SPIKE NESMITH! · Post by **SPIKE NESMITH!** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:31 pm

Maybe I'm missing the point, but wasn't the whole point of using 'the n word' in popular African American culture to take ownership and make it less offensive?

I mean, Drew Carey calling me a fat, ugly, unfunny guy with thick-rimmed glasses is infinitely less offensive than, say, Brad Pitt saying it to me.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:32 pm

Dammit, Spike, there you go making sense again!

SPIKE NESMITH! · Post by **SPIKE NESMITH!** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:40 pm

one day I'll stop making sense...

fa-fa-fa-faaaa-fa, fa-fa-faaa-fa.

Zak Tyler · Post by **Zak Tyler** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 6:27 pm

ya'll wake me up when ya'll sort this shit out. let me know what i'm allowed to say and what i'm not.

and boobies better stay, or i'm takin my ball and going home.

fearpeddler · Post by **fearpeddler** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:25 pm

(self edited for content)...

jag · Post by **jag** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:54 pm

Actually, there is radically flawed logic in the assumption that blacks (or any other group, for that matter) should seek to "take ownership" of any word, for no group can truly "own" a word (other than in copyright/trademark situations, of course).

As I have come to understand it, some blacks have hoped to "dilute" the intensity of the word by using it so much that it no longer had the shock effect. This, however, can take a long time even when it is a workable strategy (which it isn't, always).

A while back, Ebony magazine decreed that the word "nigger" and its variants were not to be used in its publication, so clearly, none of this is particularly new. What is sad is that certain people feel that purging our language of certain words is the equivalent of expunging the sentiments that those words invoke. Well, sorry friends...it just don't happen that way. If such words were not part of our linguistic heritage, then others would certainly exist to afford the degree of expression that is put forth by them.

Words are tools and, as such, must be matched to the jobs to which they are best suited if best results are expected. Not all words appeal to everybody any more than all foods appeal to everybody. But, if the expressivity of the English language is to continue to thrive, we must allow words in it to evoke strong feelings of negativity as well as positivity.

It's not the words that are the problem, but rather we who tend to use them to less than their best advantage to communicate and express ourselves.

fearpeddler · Post by **fearpeddler** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:53 pm

jag wrote:Actually, there is radically flawed logic in the assumption that blacks (or any other group, for that matter) should seek to "take ownership" of any word, for no group can truly "own" a word (other than in copyright/trademark situations, of course).

reminds me of the family guy where peter flashed back into huckleberry finn... if you've seen the episode you know what i'm talkin about...

but seriously, that double standard needs adressed more often, as do alot of other double standards..

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Hip-hop exec calls for censor of 'extreme curse words'

Hip-hop exec calls for censor of 'extreme curse words'

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