(Photo: Courtesy of EMI Records, Courtesy of Def Jam Records)

By Jacob Rohn

With the continued scrutiny of President Obama, an economy that has many people “threatening” to move to Canada and prescription drug addiction yielding a shocking number of high profile deaths, isn’t it time for hip hop to go back to being the streets’ CNN instead of continuing to look more like the music version of MTV’s Jersey Shore? Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

By Gee King

What up Gooch? We know things are rough doing your bid, but its hard on us out here too. Just hit the club in Atlanta this weekend and heard the DJ spin a couple of your joints. Got me to thinking: “Damn the game ain’t the same without a healthy, focused, drama-free Gucci Mane.” When that soldier walked up to you, you should’ve just posed for the pic. We don’t know what really transpired between you two, but we wish a simple picture could have solved it all. Trapping as hard as you do must make you paranoid. Having random dudes approach you all day everyday has got to be oh so stressful. Guess not too many people were listening on “Dead Man” when you said “Don’t walk up on me.” Read the rest of this entry »

(Photos from left: Courtesy of TMZ, AP Photo/Federal Bureau of Investigation)

By Gee King

The Boston Marathon bombing has revealed a lot about the nature of American media. Misinformation, racial profiling and sensationalism are all things we’ve come to expect from the institutions sworn to deliver truth to the American people. But the most disturbing trend of the fallout, a trend that will only grow as more details emerge about the young men that are reportedly responsible for the attack, is the mainstream media’s eagerness to connect the bombers’ motives to any subculture or minority group that can be identified as traditionally un-American. Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Reebok)

By Gee King

Rick Ross feels he deserves a second chance. Citing “corporate forgiveness,” the MMG boss reportedly told friends that he feels betrayed by Reebok’s decision to drop him in wake of his “U.O.E.N.O.” controversy. TMZ is saying he stands to lose between $3 to $5 million because he was getting paid every time he wore the sneakers in public. But the damage he’s done to his reputation as a boss and aspiring mogul may be even more costly when all is said and done. Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: Hynief via Instagram)

By Jacob Rohn

Over the weekend, JoJo Simmons was attacked by a member of Juelz Santana’s Skull Gang Crew named Hynief, who then rubbed some salt in the wound by taking a picture of the incident, which he posted to Instagram with the following caption: “Guess who I caught y’all Lil punk a– Jo Jo that made the diss track look at his face when he ace! #facts shouldn’t pop s–t if u not bout that life real n—-s don’t care who u related too f–k n—-s.” Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: C.M. Wiggins/WENN.com)

By Gee King

The other shoe may have finally dropped in the Rick Ross “rape” controversy, but this saga is far from over. Reebok’s decision to cut their sponsorship deal with Ross after widespread backlash over his “U.O.E.N.O.” lyrics will have a long-term impact on the way the rap industry and corporate America do business. But will the culture gap that’s kept hip hop on the outskirts of American high society ever truly be closed? Not until leaders from both sides stop tiptoeing around the true nature of this complicated dynamic and get real with themselves and the general public. Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Beats by Dre)

By Gee King

The controversy surrounding Rick Ross’ lyrics on Rocko’s single “U.O.E.N.O.” continues to spread as more opinions pour in. The bars, “Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it,” have caught the ire of women’s activist groups and placed Rozay’s recent endorsement deal with Reebok in jeopardy. While he claims the issue stems from a simple misunderstanding, many others feel his lyrics encourage the drugging of a potential sex partner without their knowledge. Tyga and Talib Kweli recently spoke out to share opinions from both sides of the spectrum, expressing the conundrum that Ross’ rhymes have placed hip hop culture in.

Known for his conscious bars and intelligent rhetoric, Talib Kweli condemned Ross’ rhymes last week. ”He’s a misguided 40-year-old person,” said Kweli of Ross. “Rick Ross condoned rape in that song … and he should apologize, and his apology that he offered was unacceptable.” From Kweli’s perspective, the radio interview and tweets that chalked the backlash up to a “misinterpretation” are weak. As a grown man, Kweli and others believe Ross should understand the implications of his bars, which will be played in clubs nationwide and ultimately influence millions of listeners. And if he doesn’t understand, he should humble himself and listen to the women’s rights groups who are familiar with the consequences of such art.

Tyga sees things from another angle. Currently in the middle of a women’s rights controversy of his own, the “Rack City” MC supported Ross’ right to freedom of speech. With students at Harvard University protesting the school’s decision to invite him to perform at their annual Yardfest because of lyrics they feel encourage a “rape culture,” Tyga is familiar with the backlash that can come from one’s artistic expression. “If you don’t like it, don’t click on it, don’t download it. I think it’s just getting out of hand with the whole like people looking into it too much,” he said in reference to both controversies. But the question remains whether these MCs are victims of overzealous activists or irresponsible artists who are ignorant to the true impact of their work.

Any rational person has trouble accepting the idea that someone as intelligent and savvy as Ross could be oblivious to the reason for everyone’s outrage. While he doesn’t explicitly use the word rape, his lyrics do condone behavior that is both immoral and illegal. Granted, those that defend him could argue that most of his lyrics fit into those two categories. But just as the countless detractors that have targeted hip hop’s most objectionable lyrics over the years have failed to step back and realize the perspective these artists are coming from, both Tyga and Ross seem disinterested in opening their eyes to view the world from their critics’ points of view. Neither the MCs nor the protesters are obligated to change their stances. This is America and rappers are free to rhyme about what they like while protesters can speak out about what they don’t like. But until both sides step back and acknowledge the other’s perspective, no progress will be made.

(Photos from left: Mark Davis/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards, Steven Lawton/Getty Images)

By Jake Rohn

On their recently released collaboration “Accidental Racist,” LL Cool J and Brad Paisley did something that nobody ever thought possible: They proved that sometimes two positives CAN make a negative. In a benevolent attempt to create a song that would stand as a modern day “Ebony and Ivory,” the country crooner and legendary lyricist took a wrong turn somewhere and made a song that was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: REUTERS/Enrique De La Osa)

Last week, hip hop’s first couple, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, created a firestorm of controversy by going where few Americans have gone before: Cuba. Now politicians and critics are calling for an investigation into a trip they made to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Read the rest of this entry »

(Photos from left: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Reebok, Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Hip hop is used to harsh criticism from those outside of the culture. From C. Delores Tucker to Bill O’Reilly, critics of rap music’s vulgar lyrics and raw content have never been shy about condemning the genre and its influence on popular culture. These clashes are never as black and white as the media makes them out to be, but they always shed light on both the culture and the society it exists in. Read the rest of this entry »