Congress Aims At Rappers
This is the owner of BET and MTV
Congress took aim yesterday at foul-mouthed rappers and the media titans who promote them as lingering fallout from the Don Imus controversy continued. On the defensive were Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman, Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris, Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr., and Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins. The execs, along with rappers Master P and David Banner, were summoned before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, chaired by Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), to answer questions about sexist and racially charged lyrics in hip-hop.
Master P apologized for his past use of offensive lyrics, while David Banner said hip-hop was misunderstood and the subject of unfair scrutiny. Dauman said that Viacom, owner of MTV and BET, monitors videos for offensive language and gestures. “You won’t hear the “b” word or “h” word or “n” word in any of our music videos . . . nor will you see gang symbols or portrayals of violence and drug use,” said Dauman. Why not just ban the whole thing.
