Washington Post
Forget how you feel about hip hop music for a moment. In fact, replace hip hop music with some other form of expression if you like - poetry, perhaps.
NEW YORK ?? Members of Congress urged the hip-hop industry on Tuesday to better regulate the content of their records before Washington beats them to it.
"We do not know the hip-hop generation. We do not know the hip-hop industry. We feel that those who know themselves and those that know the industry can regulate it better," said Rep. Earl Hilliard, D-Ala., during the so-called Hip-Hop Summit's first day in New York.
The Recording Industry Association of America voluntarily puts parental advisory stickers on CDs it deems inappropriate for children. But Hillard said: "We need to go to the next level and go beyond that."
He suggested a ratings system similar to the movie industry's.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., recently introduced legislation that would give the Federal Trade Commission the authority under its false and deceptive advertising laws to act against entertainment companies that market "unsuitable" material to children. And the congressmen warned they could place more stringent restrictions on the industry.
"Washington can regulate you out of business if you do not have your act together," said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
Among those present for the first day of the summit ? aimed at addressing hip-hop issues, including artist's responsibility ? was Luther "Luke" Campbell, whose raunchy lyrics during his 2 Live Crew days in the late '80s and early '90s challenged free speech laws.
Campbell said he was disappointed by Lieberman's criticism of rap.
"We've got somebody, Lieberman, that we supported seriously in the election, as black people, and he's the one that's mainly attacking us. To me, that's really a slap in the face," Campbell said. "To now try and take food off our table and try and deaden our industry and try and put a whole lot of black people out of work, that's serious to me."
A spokesman for the former vice presidential candidate declined to comment. [/b]
Forget how you feel about hip hop music for a moment. In fact, replace hip hop music with some other form of expression if you like - poetry, perhaps.
NEW YORK ?? Members of Congress urged the hip-hop industry on Tuesday to better regulate the content of their records before Washington beats them to it.
"We do not know the hip-hop generation. We do not know the hip-hop industry. We feel that those who know themselves and those that know the industry can regulate it better," said Rep. Earl Hilliard, D-Ala., during the so-called Hip-Hop Summit's first day in New York.
The Recording Industry Association of America voluntarily puts parental advisory stickers on CDs it deems inappropriate for children. But Hillard said: "We need to go to the next level and go beyond that."
He suggested a ratings system similar to the movie industry's.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., recently introduced legislation that would give the Federal Trade Commission the authority under its false and deceptive advertising laws to act against entertainment companies that market "unsuitable" material to children. And the congressmen warned they could place more stringent restrictions on the industry.
"Washington can regulate you out of business if you do not have your act together," said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
Among those present for the first day of the summit ? aimed at addressing hip-hop issues, including artist's responsibility ? was Luther "Luke" Campbell, whose raunchy lyrics during his 2 Live Crew days in the late '80s and early '90s challenged free speech laws.
Campbell said he was disappointed by Lieberman's criticism of rap.
"We've got somebody, Lieberman, that we supported seriously in the election, as black people, and he's the one that's mainly attacking us. To me, that's really a slap in the face," Campbell said. "To now try and take food off our table and try and deaden our industry and try and put a whole lot of black people out of work, that's serious to me."
A spokesman for the former vice presidential candidate declined to comment. [/b]