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Hip Hop Journalism Looks Forward

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 14, 2005 5:37PM

This weekend, a hip-hop journalism summit meets here in the city to make renewed calls for substance over style with the theme of “Protecting the Future of Minority Media.”

2005_09_14_hiphop.jpgThe summit will be held at the Congress Plaza Hotel (watch out for the picketers!) from September 15th through the 18th. It’s part of the Black Press Awards, which include sessions on the “gospel media explosion” and “media management.” During a weekend luncheon, the Historical Black Press Foundation will be posthumously honoring John Johnson, founder of EBONY and JET magazines, who died last month.

Johnson’s death and the shooting of Suge Knight lend some context to this weekend’s events as discussions will center on hip-hop’s media image and other hot button issues like violence, the treatment of women, and the obstacles faced when police and the hip-hop community need to work together.

While Chicagoist is anti-violence as a general rule, the distinctions between rapping about violence and committing violent acts often get lost in all the hand-wringing and cries of “Someone has to think of the children!” There’s a difference between saying “I’m worried someone’s going to get shot tonight” and “I’m planning on shooting someone tonight.” You wouldn’t expect Rivers Cuomo to stop singing about getting his heart broken so it’s disingenuous to expect rappers to not sing about the fears and pressures of their own daily lives.

We’re also going to go out on a limb and say we’re against the objectification of women in music media. Sure, everyone talks about videos like “Tip Drill” and lyrics about ‘hos. But isn’t it time someone pointed out that it’s standard operating procedure for every new hip-hop “It Girl” to show up in the pages of Vibe and Blender with her ass winking back at you (Ciara, Tiara, and Christina Milian: we’re looking at you…and seeing more than we need to).

Also, expect some discussion of the role of online journalism in hip-hop as explored in this article from sohh.com and perhaps a session entitled "When "Party" Is Not Enough: Other Words That Rhyme With Bacardi."