H to the izzo...

The New York Times ran an article yesterday that discussed a Chicago premier of an upcoming PBS documentary, "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." The documentary airs on PBS in February and discusses the violence, sexism, and homophobia that is rampant in much of rap and hip-hop music.

It really excites me that someone is finally bringing these questions to the forefront of our societal consciousness; and not just anyone - a member of the African-American community of which hip-hop is of course so popular.

I can't help but notice on a daily basis the impact these lyrics have on the way my students dress, talk, and more importantly, the way they treat each other. I must hear a reference to a rap or hip-hop lyric at least 5 times a day in my classroom. There are probably more that I am unaware of.

As a listener of hip-hop/rap myself, I understand how catchy the music and rhythm can be. As an educated adult, I am able to understand that the lyrics often discuss a make believe society in which violence and degradation of women come easily and serve to solve all of man's problems.

However, I am not so sure that my highly impressionable 11- and 12-year old students are able to distinguish between what is real and what is not - what is legal and what is not.

The makers of the documentary are touring the country leading up to its debut on PBS, showing the film in several major cities. There are several showings in Atlanta in January and one in Athens as well. If you are in a city the campaign is coming to, I'd encourage you to go check this out. Hopefully, this is just the start of a national debate on the responsibility all musicians (not just rappers) have for their lyrics.

The campaign website can be found here.

The link to the article can be found below.

Fan Asks Hard Questions About Rap Music
By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: December 24, 2006
A new documentary questions the violence, degradation of women and homophobia in much of rap music.