NY Times Article on Hip Hop media
June 8, 2005
The Hip-Hop Media - a World Where Crime Really Pays
By BRENT STAPLES
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The rap diva Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones parlayed the bare breast into a
fashion accessory long before Janet Jackson. But Ms. Jones was dressed
like an office manager when she was convicted of perjury earlier this
spring for lying to a grand jury about a Manhattan shootout that took
place four years ago. Fans and paparazzi are gearing up for her
sentencing, when she could potentially be shipped off to prison for 20
years.
The Lil' Kim case has put artists on notice that prosecutors have homed
in on the Wild West gunfights that have become common among rap crews
in
recent years. The case has also aimed a klieg light at hip-hop radio
stations that boost ratings by instigating potentially lethal disputes
among rap artists over the airwaves.
It has especially highlighted the counterproductive role played by the
hip-hop press, which has too often embraced the culture of lawlessness
and criminality that keeps the violence going.
The shootout that led prosecutors to pursue Ms. Jones so
single-mindedly
typifies the strain of violence that has been commonplace in rap music
for more than a decade. A rival insulted her on a "beef" recording - a
type of rap track on which a performer defames or hints at violence
against another. Warfare broke out when the two entourages encountered
one another at a Manhattan radio station, Hot 97, where more than 20
shots were fired from a half-dozen guns.
Prosecutors, who had gathered evidence from security cameras, were
incensed when Ms. Jones failed to answer truthfully about who had been
present. That she continued to misremember even after two of the
principals confessed and went to prison - virtually guaranteeing that
she would be convicted of perjury - made little sense, if measured by
mainstream standards. But it was perfectly logical in the world of
hip-hop, where it is seen as more noble to go to prison than to
"snitch"
to the authorities.
The problem with this code of silence is that it allows people to get
away with murder. That is precisely what has happened so far in the
deaths of legendary hip-hop stars like Jam Master Jay, who was killed
in
2002, and Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., who were both gunned
down in the 1990's.
That the hip-hop code helped to prevent the murderers from being
brought
to justice is easy to see. This connection, however, has yet to dawn on
the music magazine pundits who lionize witnesses for not "snitching"
while attacking law enforcement officials for failing to solve
high-profile hip-hop murders.
The murders of Biggie and Tupac in the 90's sent tremors through the
hip-hop world and sent fans into mourning. But that world has become
inured to killings, thanks to recording executives who seem to be
competing with one another to land the most violent material possible.
Further fanning the love affair with crime are the "street bible"
publications, which make violence seem normal through their editorial
policies.
The July issue of the magazine XXL - "The Jail Issue" - trumpets
"exclusive interviews" with "hip-hop's incarcerated soldiers."
That issue, which is consistent with the material emanating from
similar
magazines, hails rappers like C-Murder, (a k a C-Miller) who is serving
time in connection with a shooting, and Drama, sent up for armed
robbery
and assault - as well as several others who are hailed as geniuses,
with
little apparent concern for their victims.
For the time being, makers of luxury goods seem to have embraced this
"crime pays" marketing strategy. They buy into the disturbing vision
offered by some of these magazines. The message is disastrous for
minority young people, who are already at risk of spending their lives
in prison or of dying prematurely from street violence.
Nevertheless, "The Jail Issue" of XXL is fattened by advertisements
placed by General Motors and Mennen deodorant, and apparel makers like
K-Swiss and Perry Ellis.
The segment of the hip-hop press that embraces violence and criminality
is clearly growing, both in influence and affluence. This reflects the
extent to which hip-hop itself has devolved from a richly blended
tapestry that valued poetics and sophisticated political commentary
into
a field where only those who have been shot, committed crimes and spent
time in jail are judged to hold the authentic street credentials that
make them worthy of studio recordings.
It was against this backdrop that The Source, another urban magazine,
implausibly likened Ms. Jones's prosecution to the dirty tricks that
were launched against law-abiding civil rights groups by the F.B.I.
under J. Edgar Hoover in the 1960's. This line of argument,
preposterous
on its face, underscores the extent to which the current generation of
hip-hop writers has largely lost touch with even the recent historical
past and with the journalistic traditions from which they spring.
It also explains why Ms. Jones's record sales will probably go through
the roof if she heads off to prison. When it comes to rap music, what's
poisonous for the culture - and dangerous for minority youth - tends to
be great for album sales.
