Sounds like there are more hearings on the sex and violence in hip hop. And what can be done about it.

I’ve never been a big fan of censorship. And I don’t think an artist should have to hold back with what they have to say just to make sure they’re not offending people. Are there musicians out there that throw in a “bitch” here and an “uzi nine” there just to help sell albums and sound more authentic (whatever the hell that means these days)? Well. Duh. I throw in a “bitch” here and a “cocksucker” there just because I think I sound more street.

Yo.

So what to do about it? If legislators want to put little stickers on CD covers, fine. If it makes them think they’ve helped to save the world from naughty words, that’s just super.

But I’ve never been clear on how that’s supposed to solve anything. It won’t change our culture. It won’t change our collective, engrained stupidity. Because it certainly didn’t start with rap music and definitely won’t end with it. There’s just as much misogyny, violence and ignorance in white bread corporate America.

I’m looking your general direction, Bill “falafel and ice tea” O’Reilly.

I think the real problem is lack of education.

And I don’t mean that those easily targeted public schools are failing our younger generations (althouh, let’s face it, they are), I mean that society as a whole is failing to educate. About racism, about sexism, about different cultures, about… spelling. Let’s at least try to teach kids how their attitudes and their words can affect others. Then it’s up to them. If the kid still ends up identifying with negative attitudes toward people different from them, if the kid still winds up some huge ass…

Well, maybe we can just slap a big label on them.