NY DAILY NEWS "Singing a different tune"

Singing different tune

The record labels and media broadcasters that have gleefully blessed and promoted a tidal wave of cultural garbage in recent years - conveniently looking the other way when the bullets start flying - might finally be on the verge of understanding the level of public disgust over their irresponsibility. One hopeful sign emerged over the weekend, when a standing-room-only crowd filled a midtown hotel ballroom to join a dozen or so entertainment industry heavyweights in a discussion of hip hop's role in contributing to real-world violence. The panel was part of the annual meeting of the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. Instead of offering the usual whiny evasions, nearly all of the panelists admitted that, yes, the record labels, cable broadcasters, radio stations and fan magazines have spent years selling words and images of violence toa young and impressionable audience, with tragic results. Brooklyn author Kevin Powell, who spent four years writing for Vibe magazine in the 1990s, put it bluntly. "Everyone in this room who's worked in the industry at some point has blood on their hands," he said. "Who's going to be responsible here?" Panelist Robin Kearse, a former Arista exec, said she was shocked recently to catch her 9-year-old son playing Grand Theft Auto, a hyperviolent video game. "We're marketing adult content to children," she said. "We have another generation of kids growing up without boundaries." Dave Mays, the owner and founder of The Source magazine, correctly assigned much of the blame to giant record labels. "What's available in the marketplace is very limited in scope, and it's being controlled by a very small number of corporations," he said. "When the public airwaves become hostage to a record label, you have a serious problem." Barry Mayo, the general manager of Hot 97 radio station, who brought his two young sons to the forum, invited the public to send complaints about violent lyrics or deejay banter on the station to him directly. "I read every letter I get. I don't get very many," he said. Consider that an invitation to let Mayo hear how you feel about the sickening tsunami parody, the degrading Smackfest game and the two shootouts between rival rap groups in front of the station's headquarters. Mayo's address at Hot 97 is 395 Hudson St., 7th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10014; E-mail should go to hot97@hot97.com. Direct contact works. Just last week, readers of thiscolumn sent a flood of messages to Balloon Saloon, astore selling the offensive Ghettopoly board game. The store agreed to stop selling it. "The artists with the most negative messages are getting the most marketing support," saysKirsten Foy, a young political organizer affiliated with Sharpton who is building a national campaign to combat violence in hip hop. People outraged over the way much of hip-hop music has descended into an orgy of obscenity, women-hating and real-world violence should join the campaign - and keep the heat on.